He was gone when she woke at the pop of breakfast arriving. He had left her sleeping on the floor, the Conjured blanket over her.
Everything hurt, and it took a lot of internal coaxing to get up, but she managed. Hermione went immediately into the bathroom and washed her hands. In the mirror she looked rough, her hair a mass of brown and silver streaks, sticking up as she had been electrocuted. Her lips were dry and cracked, her eyes red, and her clothing rumpled and soiled.
Cupping water from the sink to drink, she felt as if she had not drank in years.
"Hermione?"
The sound of her name made her jump and she cast about for her wand. It was still on the floor of the sitting room, she realized. When Irma's face appeared behind her in the mirror, Hermione sighed.
Irma was dressed for another day, her dark hair pulled up in a tight bun. Relief was evident on the older woman's face as Hermione turned and they faced each other.
"I... I did not mean to..." Irma began.
"No, I'm just..." Hermione trailed.
Motioning for Irma to follow, Hermione led her to the sitting room, grabbing her wand and sliding it into her holster. The panel to the passage was opened and Hermione gently closed it. The blood had been cleaned, as had the scraps of Severus' clothing. Hermione noted that breakfast was the same as it usually was, but folded on one side of the tray was a copy of the Daily Prophet. It was more than that, there was a pile of clean, black clothing on Severus' chair.
Hermione urged Irma to sit on the couch while she prepared herself some tea.
"Minerva came to me before dawn," Irma whispered. Hermione moved to sit next to Irma, tea and saucer on her lap. Irma had silently declined tea and frowned at the service. "The Longbottom boy was in a bad way, and she asked me to allow the Gryffindors to use a warded area of study tables and carrels."
Hermione nodded, lifting her cup, but finding that her hands shook a little too much, and lowered it again before Irma noticed.
"I only caught a glimpse of Severus as he passed the Library to check the Slytherins an hour ago. I can tell, Hermione... Something happened last night, more than the Longbottom boy."
"Tom came to take the Sword of Gryffindor. Neville tried to steal it."
Irma blinked, her mouth opening. "I...I felt something...we must have all felt something," she whispered breathlessly.
Hermione shifted her saucer on her knee, fearful that her hands would drop it.
"Neville was caught and Amycus Carrow overstepped and Summoned Tom. It... It did not go well."
Irma stared into the side of Hermione's face.
"You were there," Irma stated and went to reach for her arm in a motherly gesture, but paused and placed her hands in her lap again. Irma sighed. "More to why you wanted those specific books last night."
Nodding, Hermione glanced at said books, the tomes pushed against the arm of the couch beside her.
"The claim of invisibility is true then. Interesting," Irma mused and Hermione forced a smile.
"One thing among many to figure out," Hermione sighed and Irma gave her a sympathetic look.
"Potions and Charms were never my strong suit, else I'd offer to help. I was very good with Arithmancy and Astronomy, solitary pursuits. But books on Potions, I can provide."
YOU ARE READING
I hold the universe when I hold you
FanficHermione Granger is done, well, she still has one child to raise, but she is done with the rest of it. Her term as Minister is over, the time line has been saved, she finally got the divorce, and her Rose (too young to marry, in her opinion) is repa...
