Blood-Stained Tears Ch. 3
Title: Blood-Stained Tears
Author: Adelaide
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Remus/Hermione
Disclaimer: JKR owns everything. I'm just having fun in her world.
Spoilers: Only canon through OotP. Let's pretend, for the sake of this story, that HBP never happened. :)
Summary: After an "accident" during a project for Care of Magical Creatures, Hermione falls under the care and supervision of Professor Lupin. How will each deal with developing emotions when personal events start to bring them closer than they ever thought possible?
Remus watched with baited breath as Dumbledore reached for the long, silken curtain that surrounded the last hospital bed on the right wall of the infirmary. He wasn't sure what he was about to see, but knowing all too well that the bite one receives from a werewolf takes a long time to heal no matter the amount of magic applied, he feared the worst. When the girl's pale form was revealed, an ache immediately settled itself in his heart.
Hermione was lying on her back with the standard, sterile white linens pulled up to her chest. Her face and arms no longer carried the blood stains they had held a few hours ago, but her shoulder had definitely seen better days. It was wrapped thickly with gauzy bandages and had yet to cease it bleeding. Even with the layers and layers of cloth, there was a large, red spot where the blood was fighting to seep its way to the outside world.
Walking to one of the plush chairs next to the bed, undoubtedly placed there for Harry and Ron, Remus sat down and stared at the girl before him. He had never seen another werewolf right after they were first bitten, so the experience was a bite strange. Was this how he had looked? No wonder his parents had almost fainted. Hermione looked horrible.
Furrowing his brow, he sighed and gently ran a knuckle over the young witch's pallid cheek.
"She looks almost..." Remus paused, not wanting to finish the sentence.
Dumbledore understood and nodded, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of the bed.
"Yes," he conceded with a sad smile, "frightening isn't it?"
Remus let his head dip up and down to answer, but his eyes never left the girl in front of him. He could see the subtle maturities in her face, the obvious signs of her age, but in her present state, he couldn't help but think of her as the thirteen-year-old witch she was when he first met her. This, of course, made him feel even more protective of her and more angry about her situation.
"She looked much worse before Madame Pomfrey had a chance to work on her," Dumbledore stated, but even he was having a hard time believing that the girl's current condition was much of an improvement.
Remus eyes met the headmaster's in disbelief. He was glad that he had not been called for earlier, because he was quite sure that seeing Hermione in an even more ghastly state would have been too much for him to handle.
"Albus," he started, lowering his tone and looking around to make sure no one was listening, "you said that the circumstances surrounding her attack were suspicious. What did you mean by that?"
Something indistinguishable briefly flashed in the Headmaster's eyes, but as soon as it came, it was gone. Taking his eyes off the girl in front of him, Dumbledore turned fully to Remus with a serious look.
"I would prefer if we discuss it in Miss Granger's presence, when she awakens."
Before Remus had a chance to argue, a slight movement from the bed in front of him caught his attention. Hermione's eyes were fluttering open. She was awake.
For the second time in the past twenty-four hours, Hermione woke in a state of confusion. She immediately tried to sit up to clear her head, but she felt strong arms hold her down.
"Hermione, it's all right. You just need to relax," came a soft tenor voice.
Blinking her eyes to get the sleep out of them, she looked around. It did not surprise her that she was in the hospital wing, for she remembered the attack, but it did surprise her to see her ex-professor sitting at her side. Why was he there? Just then, it dawned on her. She knew why.
Feeling tears form in her eyes once again, Hermione fought back the sobs as she turned her gaze to the Headmaster.
"It was too late for the antidote potion, wasn't it?"
Remus felt his heart break at the anguish in the young girl's voice. This wasn't fair. Not Hermione. She held so much promise. Without thinking, he reached out and gently placed a comforting hand on her left forearm.
"Yes," Dumbledore said quietly, "I'm afraid it was."
A hoarse whimper escaped Hermione's lips. It took all of her strength not to break down in front of the two men. She was not about to let them see her cry. That was something she had learned long ago in grammar school.
Bringing her right hand to her left shoulder, she closed her eyes. She had hoped that it all had been one horrible dream, but feeling the gauze beneath her fingers, reality came crashing down on her. She was a werewolf, and it was her own bloody stupidity that made it so.
"I'm so sorry, sir," Hermione whispered, still fighting the tears that threatened to overflow. "I should have remembered the charm you gave us. It's all my fault." A few salty droplets trailed down her cheeks.
"On the contrary, Miss Granger," Dumbledore spoke assuredly, "it was not your fault at all. Firstly, the charm should have activated by itself when it sensed your distress. And secondly, Professor McGonagall and I examined your wand after we brought you back here and found a complex, dark binding on it that would have blocked you from performing any spell having to do with protection."
Both Hermione and Remus's heads snapped to the direction of the headmaster.
"What?" Remus spoke out of shock, while Hermione stared at the elderly man in disbelief.
"I'm sorry to say, but it's true." Dumbledore moved his gaze solely to Hermione. "What I'm about to say may frighten you, Miss Granger, but I believe you are mature enough to learn all of the details surrounding your attack."
Hermione nodded in understanding, but her mind raced, going through all the possible scenarios for what was going to come out of the headmaster's mouth.
"There was a reason," Albus began, "that we were not able to find you for four days. It seems that someone placed a charm on the hat Hagrid used to distribute the portkeys to you and your classmates, ensuring that you would pick a particular slip of paper. Instead of being sent to the location Hagrid and myself had deemed suitable and had made completely safe, you were transported to an area in the Forbidden Forest that I had not prepared, and thus did not have the proper protection charms around your campground."
Remus and Hermione let the information soak in. So, this was an intentional attack. But, by whom?
Dumbledore continued to speak, as if sensing their questions, "We are not certain, at this time, who it was that planned this attack on you, Hermione, but I will present this case to the Order, and we will find out."
Hermione's head reeled. Someone had deliberately planned an attack on her, and went to great lengths to make sure that its execution went smoothly. It made her feel sick. A simple werewolf attack she could explain away as a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but this, this was something much different. Someone had tried to kill her, on purpose. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry.
"In the meantime," Dumbledore's words brought her out of her sickening thoughts, "I would like you to go with Remus. He will be able to keep you safe and help you with your new condition, while we figure out who was behind it."
Hermione's gaze shifted to the man sitting on her left. He looked absolutely livid, she could tell, but he was trying hard to hide it, for her sake. She could only guess that what the headmaster had just told her was news to Professor Lupin as well.
"But," she started while turning back to Dumbledore, "I thought Hogwarts was one of the safest places on Earth."
Albus quickly glanced at Remus before speaking.
"Not this time, Miss Granger." he said, but Hermione could tell he was hiding something.
Oh. Of course. Other students.
He didn't want her near other students while she got used to her Lycantrophy. She had to admit it hurt, but she understood, so she didn't say anything.
"Okay," Hermione said quietly, really wanting to be alone so she could process all the information she had been given.
Albus smiled. "Good. Now, I was not expecting you to awaken so soon," he chuckled without amusement, "so Remus and I will return in a few hours once Madame Pomfrey has deemed you ready to leave." The Headmaster stood up and started to walk to the door.
Remus, after giving Hermione a reassuring glance, followed suit. He hated to leave her alone after she had just been told that someone had deliberately tried to kill her, but he knew the twisting emotions of learning such things all too well, and knew that the best thing for her was some quiet time to organize her thoughts.
"We'll be here if you need anything, Hermione," Remus said while leaning down and giving her a gentle pat on the wrist.
She watched as they exited the tall double doors and felt halfway relieved, yet halfway scared. Now, she was alone with thoughts and a situation that terrified her. Finally free from prying eyes, though, save for the mediwitch across the room, Hermione let the tears fall freely down her face. In only a matter of moments, her world had been turned upside down, and she felt completely powerless in stopping it.
-Adelaide
Author: Adelaide
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Remus/Hermione
Disclaimer: JKR owns everything. I'm just having fun in her world.
Spoilers: Only canon through OotP. Let's pretend, for the sake of this story, that HBP never happened. :)
Summary: After an "accident" during a project for Care of Magical Creatures, Hermione falls under the care and supervision of Professor Lupin. How will each deal with developing emotions when personal events start to bring them closer than they ever thought possible?
Remus watched with baited breath as Dumbledore reached for the long, silken curtain that surrounded the last hospital bed on the right wall of the infirmary. He wasn't sure what he was about to see, but knowing all too well that the bite one receives from a werewolf takes a long time to heal no matter the amount of magic applied, he feared the worst. When the girl's pale form was revealed, an ache immediately settled itself in his heart.
Hermione was lying on her back with the standard, sterile white linens pulled up to her chest. Her face and arms no longer carried the blood stains they had held a few hours ago, but her shoulder had definitely seen better days. It was wrapped thickly with gauzy bandages and had yet to cease it bleeding. Even with the layers and layers of cloth, there was a large, red spot where the blood was fighting to seep its way to the outside world.
Walking to one of the plush chairs next to the bed, undoubtedly placed there for Harry and Ron, Remus sat down and stared at the girl before him. He had never seen another werewolf right after they were first bitten, so the experience was a bite strange. Was this how he had looked? No wonder his parents had almost fainted. Hermione looked horrible.
Furrowing his brow, he sighed and gently ran a knuckle over the young witch's pallid cheek.
"She looks almost..." Remus paused, not wanting to finish the sentence.
Dumbledore understood and nodded, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of the bed.
"Yes," he conceded with a sad smile, "frightening isn't it?"
Remus let his head dip up and down to answer, but his eyes never left the girl in front of him. He could see the subtle maturities in her face, the obvious signs of her age, but in her present state, he couldn't help but think of her as the thirteen-year-old witch she was when he first met her. This, of course, made him feel even more protective of her and more angry about her situation.
"She looked much worse before Madame Pomfrey had a chance to work on her," Dumbledore stated, but even he was having a hard time believing that the girl's current condition was much of an improvement.
Remus eyes met the headmaster's in disbelief. He was glad that he had not been called for earlier, because he was quite sure that seeing Hermione in an even more ghastly state would have been too much for him to handle.
"Albus," he started, lowering his tone and looking around to make sure no one was listening, "you said that the circumstances surrounding her attack were suspicious. What did you mean by that?"
Something indistinguishable briefly flashed in the Headmaster's eyes, but as soon as it came, it was gone. Taking his eyes off the girl in front of him, Dumbledore turned fully to Remus with a serious look.
"I would prefer if we discuss it in Miss Granger's presence, when she awakens."
Before Remus had a chance to argue, a slight movement from the bed in front of him caught his attention. Hermione's eyes were fluttering open. She was awake.
For the second time in the past twenty-four hours, Hermione woke in a state of confusion. She immediately tried to sit up to clear her head, but she felt strong arms hold her down.
"Hermione, it's all right. You just need to relax," came a soft tenor voice.
Blinking her eyes to get the sleep out of them, she looked around. It did not surprise her that she was in the hospital wing, for she remembered the attack, but it did surprise her to see her ex-professor sitting at her side. Why was he there? Just then, it dawned on her. She knew why.
Feeling tears form in her eyes once again, Hermione fought back the sobs as she turned her gaze to the Headmaster.
"It was too late for the antidote potion, wasn't it?"
Remus felt his heart break at the anguish in the young girl's voice. This wasn't fair. Not Hermione. She held so much promise. Without thinking, he reached out and gently placed a comforting hand on her left forearm.
"Yes," Dumbledore said quietly, "I'm afraid it was."
A hoarse whimper escaped Hermione's lips. It took all of her strength not to break down in front of the two men. She was not about to let them see her cry. That was something she had learned long ago in grammar school.
Bringing her right hand to her left shoulder, she closed her eyes. She had hoped that it all had been one horrible dream, but feeling the gauze beneath her fingers, reality came crashing down on her. She was a werewolf, and it was her own bloody stupidity that made it so.
"I'm so sorry, sir," Hermione whispered, still fighting the tears that threatened to overflow. "I should have remembered the charm you gave us. It's all my fault." A few salty droplets trailed down her cheeks.
"On the contrary, Miss Granger," Dumbledore spoke assuredly, "it was not your fault at all. Firstly, the charm should have activated by itself when it sensed your distress. And secondly, Professor McGonagall and I examined your wand after we brought you back here and found a complex, dark binding on it that would have blocked you from performing any spell having to do with protection."
Both Hermione and Remus's heads snapped to the direction of the headmaster.
"What?" Remus spoke out of shock, while Hermione stared at the elderly man in disbelief.
"I'm sorry to say, but it's true." Dumbledore moved his gaze solely to Hermione. "What I'm about to say may frighten you, Miss Granger, but I believe you are mature enough to learn all of the details surrounding your attack."
Hermione nodded in understanding, but her mind raced, going through all the possible scenarios for what was going to come out of the headmaster's mouth.
"There was a reason," Albus began, "that we were not able to find you for four days. It seems that someone placed a charm on the hat Hagrid used to distribute the portkeys to you and your classmates, ensuring that you would pick a particular slip of paper. Instead of being sent to the location Hagrid and myself had deemed suitable and had made completely safe, you were transported to an area in the Forbidden Forest that I had not prepared, and thus did not have the proper protection charms around your campground."
Remus and Hermione let the information soak in. So, this was an intentional attack. But, by whom?
Dumbledore continued to speak, as if sensing their questions, "We are not certain, at this time, who it was that planned this attack on you, Hermione, but I will present this case to the Order, and we will find out."
Hermione's head reeled. Someone had deliberately planned an attack on her, and went to great lengths to make sure that its execution went smoothly. It made her feel sick. A simple werewolf attack she could explain away as a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but this, this was something much different. Someone had tried to kill her, on purpose. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry.
"In the meantime," Dumbledore's words brought her out of her sickening thoughts, "I would like you to go with Remus. He will be able to keep you safe and help you with your new condition, while we figure out who was behind it."
Hermione's gaze shifted to the man sitting on her left. He looked absolutely livid, she could tell, but he was trying hard to hide it, for her sake. She could only guess that what the headmaster had just told her was news to Professor Lupin as well.
"But," she started while turning back to Dumbledore, "I thought Hogwarts was one of the safest places on Earth."
Albus quickly glanced at Remus before speaking.
"Not this time, Miss Granger." he said, but Hermione could tell he was hiding something.
Oh. Of course. Other students.
He didn't want her near other students while she got used to her Lycantrophy. She had to admit it hurt, but she understood, so she didn't say anything.
"Okay," Hermione said quietly, really wanting to be alone so she could process all the information she had been given.
Albus smiled. "Good. Now, I was not expecting you to awaken so soon," he chuckled without amusement, "so Remus and I will return in a few hours once Madame Pomfrey has deemed you ready to leave." The Headmaster stood up and started to walk to the door.
Remus, after giving Hermione a reassuring glance, followed suit. He hated to leave her alone after she had just been told that someone had deliberately tried to kill her, but he knew the twisting emotions of learning such things all too well, and knew that the best thing for her was some quiet time to organize her thoughts.
"We'll be here if you need anything, Hermione," Remus said while leaning down and giving her a gentle pat on the wrist.
She watched as they exited the tall double doors and felt halfway relieved, yet halfway scared. Now, she was alone with thoughts and a situation that terrified her. Finally free from prying eyes, though, save for the mediwitch across the room, Hermione let the tears fall freely down her face. In only a matter of moments, her world had been turned upside down, and she felt completely powerless in stopping it.
-Adelaide