Are You Ready For It?
Hermione was surrounded by people on all sides, by the rest of the Weasley's and Harry. Though it was a struggle not to feel overwhelmed by all the people, having been in complete isolation before the final battle. Even at the battle, she felt suffocated, though she had to push everything aside in order to focus on what was happening. So, squeezing Fred's hands tightly in hers, she plastered on a smile to placate everyone else. Even though, all she wanted to do was be left alone. As if he could sense it, Fred was there reassuring her the whole time, quietly so that no one else noticed. Yet she caught Harry's glance more than once, as he smiled at them before concealing it.
"Soooo, are we just going to ignore the fact that Fred and Hermione are all chummy?" Ron, with all the grace in the world, asked from the end of her hospital bed. This earned him a sharp slap to the back of his head from Bill.
"Yes, what is going on there?" Molly asked, glancing meaningfully between Ron and Hermione, but settled on her and Fred.
Panic flooded her, as she tried to figure out a way to tell them. It's not customary to tell anyone about being soulmates until well into the relationship, or after the bond itself had been sealed. Just as Hermione was going to say something, the hospital door opened, and in walked a new group of people. First stepped in Remus and Tonks, who looked surprised to see her up and awake but overall happy. It was the two the followed them inside that caused her heart to freeze in her chest. The couple was almost a year older, they still looked the same to her. Tears gathered in her eyes, bottom lip trembling, as she tried to gather the courage to say something. Only for the woman to break out in a sob and rush over to pull Hermione into a hug.
:"Hermione." The woman whispered into Hermione's hair, fingers absently stroking the frizzy curls. The man made his way over, wrapping his arms tightly around both women tightly.
"Mom? Dad?" Hermione whispered softly, not sure how to respond as the tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks. It took a moment, but her arms eventually found their way around Helena and Richard, squeezing them tightly like they might disappear. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed into her mom's shoulder.
"Oh, sweet girl." Her mom murmured, clutching her tighter then she though she probably should be considering she was in a hospital bed. "Remus and Tonks explained everything to us."
"I'm so-so sorry."
The Granger family remained wrapped in each others arms for another few moments, before breaking apart. It was in that moment that a healer bustled in and began shooing people out.
"Out! Out! There are far to many people in here! Parent and Mr. Fred Weasley, Mr. Ron Weasley, and Mr. Harry Potter, may stay. Otherwise, get out. You are crowding and overwhelming my patient and she needs all the peace she can while recovering. Out!"
Slowly, those that weren't listed left. Promising to be back soon. Helena and Richard had seats conjured by the healer for them to sit in. Harry, Ron, Fred, and her parents stepped back as the healer began to perform tests and scans. After a few minutes she spoke up once more. "Alright, what I have to say is considered delicate. If you would like for us to talk one on one, you are in your right to do so. However, what is going to be discussed can be, in other words, rather hard to swallow. So, my question to you Miss. Granger, is do you want the people currently in the room to know of your health conditions?"
Hermione looked around at the remaining people in the room, analyzing her parents for a moment, before moving on to Fred. He was going to find out anyway. "Yes. They can know."
The healer nodded. "Alright, here goes." After a couple more wand movements, a fresh supply of bandages and potions appeared, hovering beside her. "You have been in a coma for the last month, due to your most recent run in with Bellatrix Lastrange. Though, if under other circumstances, since you weren't exposed to the curciotus curse for long, there wouldn't be as much damage. However, from what Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley have told us, that wasn't your first experience with her. If the markings on your arm are anything to go by, the recent exposure only caused more damage to your already damaged nervous. Is this correct?" Hermione nodded, staring intently at the blanket that was draped over her legs, trying to block out the memory of seeing the words on her arm for the first time. "How many times were you placed under the Crucio during your first encounter with Bellatrix?"
Hermione struggled to think of a logical number, a number that could be considered fair, but truth be told she wasn't sure. "I lost count after ten." She finally whispered. Her friends cursed at her words.
The healer nodded. "Unfortunately, due to the exposure for the Crucio, as well as the curse that had lingered in your arm, your body and nervous system have long lasting side effects."
"I'm sorry, can you-how would you say it-Mugglefy what your saying?" Helena asked, looking worried as she tried to comprehend something she didn't understand. Yet from the context clues, she knew that what they were say was bad.
The healer, after glancing at Hermione, answered the question. "The Cruciotus curse, is one of the unforgivable curses. It's the torture curse, and highly illegal for that very reason."
"You're-You're saying our daughter was tortured?" Helena managed to ask.
The healer nodded gravely. "Yes." Helena sobbed, clutching at Hermione and Richard's hands. "Because of this, your daughter will suffer from long lasting effects. I am also sorry to say, that we can't remove the scar that had been left on your arm."
Tears slipped from Hermione's eyes at her words. "I figured it was a long shot." She murmured.
"You will need to take these potions," The healer spoke, flicking her wand and two potions floated over to her, "every morning. And take these two," the other two were placed on the table beside her, "every night. You will most likely be on these the rest of your life, but we are hopeful that you will only need it for the next couple years. However, the bandage on your arm will need to be changed every three hours. At night, you will just double up on the amount of ointment used, and add an extra layer of wrapping to keep everything in place. We do need to change you bandage, do you want an audience for this?"
"Might as well, get it out of the way." She mumbled, holding her arm out.
The healer, using a mild cutting charm, slowly peeled the bandages away. The healer hissed as certain areas of the bandage stuck to the wound. "The infection has gone down, so that is a good thing." The healer spoke up, as the last of the wrappings fell to the bed below. Several gasps were heard as the mudblood scar was revealed. The healer made quick, but gentle, work of applying the ointment and wrapping the wound back up in an orderly fashion. She said a few more things, but otherwise left them in silence.