redemption - SOULBOUND I̲̅I̲̅ || SS/HG

5. Voices

The voices got clearer and clearer as she walked past a dark corridor illuminated by the faint light emerging from the tip of her wand. She could hear him, Dumbledore, yet the voice that accompanied him felt somehow unknown.

Noticing a tall door appearing before her, Hermione grasped the golden handle and pushed it open, revealing a bright and nicely furnished room. In the middle stood the headmaster, his eyes peering sceptically through his round spectacles at the lady sitting in front of him - her back facing Hermione.

"So my assumptions were right, it consumes the life of the wearer." He glanced up at the girl who simply nodded back at him, her own focus on something sitting above the table, "what is interesting though is that you are in the body of the Hermione of this time."

Flinching at the mention of her name, Hermione walked closer to the two wizards, watching with bewilderment a much slimmer version of herself nodding back at the headmaster. Following her tired gaze, she noticed a small obsidian ring, strange voices whispering out of the object.

"Severus told me that the time-turner was different, that my soul would take place in this vessel." Answered the girl, her eyes losing their focus somewhere in the room, sadness covering on her face. "However her body is heavily weakened, I'm having trouble walking." As the girl moved her trembling hand to cover her stomach, Hermione raised a curious eyebrow at her words.

"I can't imagine how hard it must be for you," spoke Dumbledore not paying attention to the new presence, "coming back from a time were those you loved died, yet you see them here, well, but without a memory of the time you shared together."

'You have no idea' Hermione heard her own voice ring inside her head before darkness pulled her away from this dream, a cry of agony ripping through her until all she felt was sadness.

As Hermione entered the shower, her naked body hiding behind the infirmary's white curtain, Hermione reached forward and opened the tap, allowing the water to trickle down her form. Flinching at the cold temperature washing her skin she stepped backwards and muttered a warming charm. Testing it with her foot, Hermione signed in satisfaction when the burning sensation of heat reddened her skin, fog instantly emanating from her shower.

Soon the bathroom was covered in fog, an excruciatingly intoxicating warmth inhibiting air to filter through the slightly opened windows. The mirrors were glazed, completely mate by the gasified water. Small droplets of water dripped down the windows while a cloud of warmth emanated from Hermione's shower.

Her skin had turned crimson bearing the burning heat from the water. Moaning in pleasure, loving the sensation of liquified fire igniting her body, Hermione didn't hear the door opening until a shriek resonated within the walls and sounds of rushed footsteps coming closer to her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Screamed Pavarti as she opened the closed curtain, exposing a gobsmacked witch who instantly covered her intimacy with her hands, "the entire bathroom and corridor are covered with fog!"

Reaching inside to test the water, Pavarti cried in pain as she snapped her hand away from the flowing water, "it's so bloody hot!"

"Do you mind leaving?" Snapped Hermione, losing her temper.

Raising her dark eyes to the consternated, Pavarti clenched her jaw while holding her hand towards her chest, "I came rushing here because it looked like there was a fire coming from the Infirmary! Besides who the fuck showers with boiling hot water? Are you trying to fry yourself?"

"It's a perfect temperature to me, Patil! So booger off!"

Raising an obfuscated eyebrow to the unexpected snappiness from the usually well composed and verbose Gryffindor, Pavarti looked at her hand and yelped.

"Look at it! There are bruises! Blisters!"

"It looks fine to me, now do you mind leaving me alone!"

"All I wanted was to bring some sleeping potion," Pavarti muttered, turning on her heal and pointed at the windows around the bathroom with her wand, opening them wider.

"Seriously," she spoke as she marched towards the exit door, "what has gotten into you lately?"

Before Hermione could altercate, the sound of the door closing halted her response. Curling her fingers into a tight fist she banged it onto the tiles by her side, the sound of cracking emanating from within the depths of her bones. The pain surged forward, extricating her attention from what had happened a few seconds ago. It was bearable yet inevitably her hand swell from the impact causing her to bite onto her tongue, containing the whining that threatened the emerge from her closed lips.

The anger that flashed through her tender amber orbs could have murdered whoever met her gaze at that moment, yet she was all alone, and deep down it pained her more than she lead on.