The Power of Pain

Chapter 12

Minerva stepped into the kitchen, putting a hand on her heart and took a calming breath. Her mind was turning over everything she knew as she retrieved a small glass filling it with water. It wasn't much, Severus hadn't shared as much as she would have liked about Hermione's condition. She knew she wouldn't receive a daily report or anything but she had hoped she'd been aware of some progress. At present she was just glad she had woken earlier than usual. She didn't dare think what could have happened had she not arrived as promptly as she had.

She pursed her lips a bit as a frown crawled across her face. The man was stubborn enough, he probably would have forced himself to remain conscious even as his body shut down. She sighed softly as she tried to think of something positive. He did call out to her. He did ask for her help. She nodded her head, it was a personal development on his part. He had never so much as asked for someone to pass the gravy let alone help him in his time of weakness. She looked towards the sitting area with a soft smile. He had certainly changed the past few days. Like something was loosening the tight vice he kept around his heart.

"Mi-Hermione?" She called softly as she returned to the sitting room. She decided to drop the formalities given the situation, hoping to coax the girl into a more relaxed state. The girl in question was laying very still, so still, in fact, Minerva's heart skipped a beat thinking she had stopped breathing. Though when the girl let out a soft sigh, her beating heart calmed.

Hermione didn't jump as she called her name this time but rather lazily shifted her eyes around following her movements. She stopped scratching momentarily, a tiny bead of blood caught under her finger nail from opening the healing scab. She heard her name through the soft buzzing in her ears. She paused in her scratching to turn her head towards the voice. Her hand still stretched out holding onto Snape's index finger.

Minerva had given her a potion of some kind before moving to retrieve some water. It had lit all of her nerves on fire. It had burned hotly but faintly like the feeling you'd get if you stuck your hand on a live electric wire. It ran through everything; she even would have sworn to feel it through every one the hairs on her head. She hadn't made a sound through the process but her toes had curled and her had chest tightened.

In the end, she did feel marginally better. Though it had tasted most awful. Like cherry flavored charcoal, it left a horrible taste in her mouth but she didn't utter a single complaint as part of her knew this woman meant her no harm.

Her thoughts were more clear and she was actually able to lift free arm to her face and shift her legs into a somewhat more comfortable position. The grip on her professor's hand tightened as she regained a moderate amount of strength. The woman, who introduced herself to be Professor McGonagall, moved closer to her now. She still felt a bit wary but it was ebbing away slowly.

She believed completely that Professor Snape would not have called someone dangerous to them in the current situation. That thought alone, gave her comfort. She had felt the trust and respect he had shown her during their argument. Though still her own mind failed to retrieve its own consolation.

"You must be a bit uncomfortable." Her voice was gentle but very close, Hermione jumped ever just so having lost track of her movements but didn't pull away this time. Minerva smiled gently at the small victory and slowly waved her wand in a lazy but exacting circle, "Alright now here we go..." The lounge started to rise up underneath the girl, bringing her to a more comfortable upright position. The chair groaned and creaked from its transformation but otherwise didn't resist.