The inevitable

Cure

Severus watched as Hermione and Draco danced on the dance floor with Pansy, Blaise and Luna. Hermione laughed at something Pansy had said and Severus felt a pang in his heart.

He couldn't lose her now. His mind was made up. Severus stood up sharply and exited the hall. He swept down to the dungeons and locked himself away in his potions lab with his books.

He flicked through his and Hermione's notes. "Something is missing." He muttered.

He had tried the spell and cures he made on Kneezles, the only magical creatures with magic to match a witch or wizard. Unfortunately, they had all perished within an hour or two. The 'cures' seemed to speed up the curse, rather than heal it.

He began to reflect on his memories to see if Hermione or He had come up with anything.

Hermione sat at the potions desk Severus was using, her leg swinging as she read the book in front of her. "How about using Hellebore? The poison in the plant may react to the curse and counter it. If you then used a Bezoar, the poison would be diminished?"
"Hellebore?"
"Yeah, I read about it in Most Potente Potions. Do you think it could work?"

"I suppose. It doesn't hurt to try."
Hermione smiled brightly at him. "Let's get started then."

Severus frowned. They had used the Hellebore, but it hadn't worked. But, it contrasted with the rest of the ingredients well.

Severus began to slice the leaves of the Hellebore neatly, the poison leaking out onto the desk. Severus' eyes widened. That's why it hadn't been working.

The poison hadn't had a chance to restore the magic because it had all been leaked out during preparation. Severus grinned in delight at this new revelation and summoned his mortar and pestle.

He ground the leaves up and collected the juices, slicing some more of them to gain that balance of ingredients that he had had before. He poured the poison into the potion and stirred 5 times clockwise before adding the leaves. He then stirred 5 times counter clockwise.

He waited to see the reaction. The Potion bubbled for a minute before becoming the lime green colour that Severus had begun to associate with the potion.

He was just about to ladle some of the new potion out into a dish so the Kneezle could drink it after the curse had been cast when the silvery apparition that was Madam Pomfrey's Patronus arrived in front of him. Severus frowned.

The dog's mouth opened and Madam Pomfrey's voice came out. "Come to the Hospital Wing. Hermione's last hours are here. Hurry."

Severus felt the blood drain from his face. "No." He whispered, his eyes pained and sadness filling them.

A sense of urgency filled him and Severus placed the Kneezle on the desk in front of him. He shut his eyes and memories of Hermione filled his mind.

"What are you doing, Sev?" Hermione asked, leaning over his shoulder to look at the homework he was grading.
What are you doing, Sev?" Hermione asked, leaning over his shoulder to look at the homework he was grading.

"Must you call me that horrid name?" Severus drawled.

"Yep."

"Fine. Then, I am simply grading papers. How about you, Mya?" Severus replied.

"Mya?" Hermione turned her head to see Severus standing beside her. "Come inside, it's getting cold."
"I don't want too. It's peaceful out here. No-one to judge me." Hermione told her best friend.
"I know. But you can't get ill now."

"I already am." Hermione looked up at Severus with dead eyes.

Severus hung his head sadly and took a seat next to her. He wrapped an arm around the silent girl and hugged her softly. "Hermione, Hermione, Hermione." He sighed.

"Severus, Severus, Severus." Hermione mimicked.

"What are we going to do with you?"
"Nothing. Just love, never judge me and don't leave me."

"I would never leave you."

"I'm glad." Hermione sighed, leaning her head on the older man's shoulder. "At least I still have you."

"Always." Severus vowed.

Shaking himself out of memories, Severus coldly cast the spell that was killing his best friend. "Nex Veneficus."

He cast a diagnostic spell to confirm the curse had worked. The red light soon told him he had and Severus ladled the new batch of cure into a small bowl.

The Kneezle tentatively lapped at the green liquid in the bowl. Severus held his breath as the cat drank. So far it hadn't died. That was a good sign.

Once the potion was gone, Severus recast the diagnostic spell. He stared in amazement. The Kneezle was cured.

Severus grabbed the vial he had just filled and ran out of his quarters, ignoring the gaping students as their most feared professor ran through the halls. His cloak billowed behind him like a cape as he ran, making him look like some kind of superhero. Which, in a way he was. He might save Hermione's life.

Draco was sat next to Hermione's head, stroking his girlfriend's hair as she lay still. Madam Pomfrey had just told them she had slipped into a coma, the body's way of providing her with a painless way to pass away later.

The doors burst open and Severus arrived, panting. He looked at them and stared at Hermione for a second. He turned and faced Madam Pomfrey's office. "Poppy! I found a cure!"

The Mediwitch rushed out of her office and embraced the taller man. "I can't believe it!" She gasped.

"Give it to her, now!" Draco demanded, relief filling his stormy grey eyes.

"I can't." Madam Pomfrey told him.

Draco's eyes darkened in anger. "What?"
"The ingredients in this potion may interfere with the other potions Hermione is on. The combination of the cure and the other potions may make her worse."

Draco slumped in defeat. "When can she have it?"
"In the morning. You can come right up here after breakfast. I shall give it her then."
"Thank you." Draco sighed.
"It's fine. Now, all of you need to get some sleep. Especially you, Severus." The seven began to protest, but Madam Pomfrey glared at them.

Draco kissed Hermione's forehead before reluctantly following his friends out of the Hospital Wing.

Harry turned to the other six people that were Hermione's friends. "Be early to breakfast tomorrow. There's going to be a little show."

"Show?"
"You'll see." Harry replied mysteriously before he and Ron walked off to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Pansy, can I stay with you tonight? Everyone seems to have someone to comfort them. I don't want to be alone." Luna asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Of course you can." Pansy replied, hugging her friend. "I hope Hermione makes it."

The other three murmured their agreement while Draco just stared unseeingly out of the window. He sent a silent prayer up to the heavens that the cure worked. He couldn't lose her.