Love's Journeys *COMPLETE*

Chapter 32- A Cursed Sleeping Beauty


As the Easter holidays approached things became normal. Marcus had been taken to the Ministry. Hermione was on her way to Poppy for her monthly check-up. Kingsley Shacklebolt was escorting her since Severus was teaching his last class.


“How are you and Severus getting along Mrs. Snape?” Kingsley asked.


“Please, call me Hermione. Me and Severus are getting along just fine. How long have you and him worked in the Order?” Hermione said.


“Well, I’d say right around 20 years. He joined the Order 6 years before he began to teach here.” Kingsley said.


“Wow. Well, here we are. Are you taking me back or is someone else?” Hermione asked.


“Moody will escort you back to your chambers. Here’s where I leave you. Take care Hermione.” Kingsley said as he left.


Hermione entered the infirmary and found Poppy tending to a student who had burst out in boils. “Just have a seat behind that curtain and I’ll be there in a moment.” Poppy said.


Hermione did as Poppy instructed. She sat on the cot and waited. Suddenly the room began to spin. Hermione clutched her forehead as she rose, unsteadily to her feet. Hermione reached out for something to steady herself. All she found was the curtain. Hermione grabbed a hold of the curtain. Instead of steadying her, both Hermione and the curtain clattered to the floor. Poppy ran over to her. She found Hermione seemingly asleep, but nothing would wake her.


“Go and get Professor Snape! Now!” Poppy ordered the now boil-free student.


The student ran from the hospital wing and down to the dungeons. He burst into Severus’s class panting. Severus glared at the boy.


“What is the meaning of this! Bursting into my class! Well! Speak up boy!” Severus said.


“It’s…it’s your wife…sir. Madam Pomfrey…sent me…she collapsed sir.” The student managed.


“Class dismissed!” Severus roared as he ran to the hospital wing.


Along the way he saw Sirius and Moody. “What’s wrong?” Sirius asked as Severus ran by.


“Hermione!” Severus called back to them.


Moody and Sirius began running after him. They reached the infirmary two minutes after Severus. “Hermione? Hermia, can you hear me? What the hell is wrong with my wife Poppy?” Severus cried.


“I don’t know. She was fine when she came in. I told her to wait behind the curtain. She was there maybe five minutes when she fell to the floor clutching the curtain. I ran to her but couldn’t wake her. That’s when I sent that boy to get you.” Poppy answered.


“Sirius, go find Mr. Potter. Tell him to bring the Wand of Gryffindor. I’ll go get Albus and Minerva.” Moody ordered.


Sirius nodded and ran off. Moody walked over to Severus and placed his hand on the younger wizard’s shoulder. “She’ll be alright. I’m going to get Albus and Minerva and Sirius has gone to get Potter. Be strong.” Moody said. Severus only nodded.


It was about ten minutes later when Albus and Minerva entered the hospital. Minerva was instantly at her godson’s side while Albus talked with Poppy. “Poppy, is the baby all right?” Albus asked.


“Yes. As far as I can tell the baby is in perfect health. So is Hermione. I have no idea why I can’t wake her though. That’s the only thing wrong with her.” Poppy answered.


Albus nodded and went over to Severus and Minerva. At that moment Sirius and Harry entered as well. Harry rushed to Hermione’s side and knelt beside the bed.


“What can I do?” Harry questioned.


“The wand boy. Use the wand to find out what’s wrong with her.” Moody said.


Harry nodded and rose to his feet. He held the Wand of Gryffindor over Hermione and began to concentrate. In his mind he saw Malfoy. Malfoy had used the Wand of Slytherin and cast a spell on Hermione. What the spell was Harry had no idea. After fifteen minutes he stopped and faced everyone.


“I saw Malfoy. He used the Wand of Slytherin to cast a spell over her. I don’t know what the spell is though. What I was able to see was that whatever this spell is, it has her trapped in a dream world.” Harry replied.


“Albus, what do we do?” Minerva demanded.


“I don’t know. I will have to research this. Poppy, can Hermione be moved down to her and Severus’s quarters?” Albus sighed.


“Yes. As I told you, both she and the baby are perfectly healthy. Nothing is physically wrong with either of them.” Poppy replied.


“Okay. Minerva, you and Severus move Hermione down to their rooms. Moody, go get Tonks and Kingsley. Kingsley had escorted her down here. I want to know if he noticed anything strange. Sirius, tell their friends what has happened. Harry, I need you to look through the Book of Gryffindor and see if you can find anything that could help us.” Albus ordered.


Minerva and Severus moved Hermione from the infirmary and down to the dungeons. Once Severus had Hermione in a nightgown and tucked into their bed, he crawled into the bed and sat beside her and pulled her into his arms holding her close. Minerva conjured up a chair and sat beside the bed.


“Minerva, will she be all right? I can’t lose her or our child. I would die if I did.” Severus said brokenly.


“There, there my boy. We will find a way to wake her up. I promise.” Minerva whispered as she placed her hands over her godson’s.


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Severus kept a silent vigil over his wife. Hoping that she would open her eyes and be okay. Alas there was no such luck. He gently placed his hand on Hermione’s stomach, which was finally beginning to show signs of her pregnancy. A soft knock on the door brought the potions master out of his thoughts. He stood up and walked over to the door. He found Harry, with the Book of Gryffindor, and Albus. Severus stepped aside and let them enter the bedroom.


“Have you found anything?” Severus asked.


Before they could answer Hermione’s body began to convulse and she let out a blood curdling scream. “NOOOO! Severus! Not my baby! Leave our baby alone Malfoy!” Hermione screamed as she began to thrash around in the bed.


Severus was at her side in a flash trying to hold her down.“I can’t hold her down.” Severus cried as Hermione began fighting against him.


Albus and Harry ran to help him. As the three of them held her down she began to scream once more. “No! You can’t have our baby! Please, I beg you Malfoy. Not my baby!”


“Harry, call for Poppy right away.” Albus ordered.


Harry ran to the fireplace and called for Poppy. A second later her head appeared in the fireplace. “What’s wrong Mr. Potter?” she asked.


“It’s Hermione. She’s thrashing all over the bed and screaming. We can’t hold her down much longer. Hurry please.” Harry answered.


“I’m on my way.” Poppy said. Her face quickly disappeared.


Harry ran back to help Albus and Severus hold down Hermione who was still screaming and thrashing. Just as Poppy burst through the fireplace Hermione’s body flew up from the bed and Hermione’s screams were louder than ever.


“AAAAHHHH! HELP ME SEVERUS! PLEASE! GOD MAKE HIM STOP! AAAAHHHH!” Hermione screamed as her body floated above the bed.


“HERMIONE!” Severus cried as he reached for her arm.


As soon as his hand made contact with her arm Severus was flung across the room and slammed into the bookcase near the bedroom door. Harry rushed to his side. Just as soon as it started Hermione’s screams were silenced and her body gently fell back to the bed. Poppy hurried to make sure Severus was all right.


“Check on Hermione and the baby first.” Severus hissed in pain.


Poppy moved to the bed and checked on Hermione and the baby. Everything was fine. She then turned her attention to Severus, whose head had been busted open when he hit the bookcase.


“How is she?” he asked.


“Both she and the baby are fine. Now, sit still so I can take care of you.” Poppy answered.


Severus did as she said. Within a few seconds his head was healed and he was now sitting in the chair beside the bed staring at his unmoving wife. “What in the hell just happened? I have never seen anything like that before. Not even someone who has been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse.” Severus demanded, his face as white as a sheet.


“I’m not sure. I think that Harry may have found something. Harry.” Albus said.


Harry walked over and picked up the book where he dropped it and opened it to the page he needed. He then began to read out loud. “It was the most horrible thing I had ever witnessed. I watched as Salazar used that god awful wand of his to attack that young muggle woman. He said an incantation that put her to sleep. Her mind was trapped in a type of dream state. In this dream state Salazar would attack. He used the Cruciatus Curse and well as other curses and hexes. I watched as she young woman would fly up off the bed and began to scream and cry out in her sleep.


“When he was finished for the day her body was gently lowered back to the bed and her screams were silenced. I was there the day when Salazar killed her. He was finished having his way with her then yelled the killing curse. Her entire body was enveloped in green light. There was nothing left but the clothes she was wearing when the light faded. It was the worst thing I have ever witnessed in my life.


“I vowed I would find a way to break the spell should it ever be used again. I have finally found a way to do so. It is very tricky though. Only the true soul mate of the person being cursed can save them. That person must somehow enter their minds and physically break the connection between the curser and the cursed. It is the only way to save the person.” Harry stopped reading and looked up at Albus and Severus.


“Albus, can that be done?” Severus whispered.


“Yes. But everything has to be perfect. It has to be done on a full moon and you have to focus only on her. There is a full moon tomorrow night. Severus, if you are going to do this you only have one chance. If you fail Hermione will remain like this till Draco Malfoy decides to kill her.” Albus replied.


“Anything to save her and our child. I don’t care what it takes. Just as long as I get my wife back.” Severus said.


“Very well. Harry, you need to stay here with Severus and Hermione. Keep looking in the book and see if there is anything else that can help.” Albus instructed.


“Yes sir.” Harry nodded.


Albus nodded and left the room. Severus leaned forward and rested his forehead against Hermione’s left hand. Harry watched his potions professor with a heavy heart. He looked down at the book he held and closed his eyes, hoping that they would be able to save Hermione and the baby. Harry looked up and saw Severus’s shoulders trembling. Harry moved over beside the man and rested his hand on Severus’s shoulder.


“I can’t lose her. If…if she dies…I’ll die with her. Harry, please tell me…Hermione will be alright.” Severus stated brokenly as he looked up at Harry.


Harry saw the tears that flowed down the man’s cheeks. It broke Harry’s heart to see him this way. “We will save her and the baby. I swear to you Severus. Hermione will be brought back to you.” Harry said firmly.


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That night Harry watched over Severus as he slept with Hermione tucked tightly into his arms. Harry kept flipping through the book hoping to find more. As he turned a page Hermione began to trash and scream once more.


“NO! No more! Please!” she screamed.


Severus jerked awake trying to hold her down while Harry called for Albus. Harry quickly hurried to Severus’s side to help him with Hermione. “Harry, Malfoy’s killing her! We have to stop this!” Severus cried.


Albus and Minerva quickly stepped through the fireplace just as Hermione once more flew into the air above the bed. Minerva gasped as she watched the scene before her very eyes.


“NO! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE! I’M BEGGING YOU! SEVERUS! SEVERUS WHERE ARE YOU!? HELP ME PLEASE!” Hermione screamed as her body convulsed even worse than before.


Just as before her screams silenced and she gently fell to the bed. Severus leapt off the bed and ran from the room. Minerva started after him but Albus stopped her. “Minerva, let him be. This is tearing him apart. He needs to be alone right now. The three of us will stay by Hermione’s side.” Albus said sadly. Minerva sighed sadly and sat beside Albus and Harry next to the bed.


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Sirius was standing at the window in the DADA classroom when he saw a dark figure running cross the grounds and collapse at the edge of the lake. Sirius knew who it was and hurried out of the castle. Sirius slowly approached Severus as the other man held his face in his hands. He watched in agony as Severus let out a scream of pain and sorrow.


“AAAAHHHH! WHY! WHY DO YOU GODS TORTURE ME SO! FIRST MY PARENTS, THEN OUR FIRST UNBORN CHILD, NOW YOU THREATEN TO TAKE AWAY MY WIFE AND A SECOND UNBORN CHILD! WHY ARE YOU CONDEMNING ME TO A LIFE OF PAIN AND SUFFERING?! HAVE I NOT DONE ENOUGH TO MAKE AMENDS FOR MY PAST DEEDS?!” Severus roared to the heavens.


Sirius slowly knelt beside his one-time enemy and gathered him in a brotherly embrace. “Why? What have I done? Have I not suffered enough to their liking Sirius? Why are they torturing me by watching as Malfoy slowly kills my wife and unborn child? Please tell me why?” Severus cried into Sirius’s shoulder.


“Sshh. It’s all right. Everything will be all right. Just be strong now. Hermione will pull through this and you and her will have this child and be a happy family. You’ll see.” Sirius whispered as he rocked Severus in his arms.


They stayed that way for at least an hour when Severus finally composed himself and released Sirius. He stared out over the lake. “Thank you Sirius. I think I need that.” Severus said.


“You’re welcome. Everyone needs to break once and a while. If you ever need me I’m here for you. Now, get back into the castle and get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.” Sirius replied as he pulled the wizard to his feet.


Severus nodded and slowly walked back into the castle and headed back for the dungeons. As he entered their chambers he found Albus and Harry asleep while Minerva kept watch over Hermione. She looked up as he entered the room. She rose and walked to him and enveloped him in a hug.


“Get some sleep. We will rescue her. Not get some sleep.” Minerva instructed softly.


Severus quickly changed into his pajamas then climbed into the bed and gathered Hermione into his arms as he drifted off to sleep. Praying that they could save her and that by this time tomorrow she would be awake and safe.


T.B.C