Senses

Chapter 5

Hermione found herself drifting, it wasn't uncommon for her mind to simply shut off, clearing out the world around her. Her fingers had returned to the curtains, lightly turning the material in her fingers but her mind made no observations on its texture.

She was sure a long time had passed. She had since sucked the water dry from the cloth he'd given her, the fabric lost somewhere on the bed. The blanket had returned and she'd pulled it up to her chin, the scent brought her comfort though she didn't understand why.

A soft smell was starting to fill the house, overtaking the stale dry air. The dragon's head pulsed inside her, as though calling out to its owner. It had often activated on its own, leaving her body tight but the hands would always come. Usually, after she could no longer feel the sun on her face. That was approaching, she could tell from the heat that covered her legs. The sun had shifted in the sky, the day had waned. Where was the man with the steel hand?

Severus set down his pot of mashed potatoes turning off the burner. He'd made a light late lunch for her, hoping that perhaps putting something solid in her stomach would help to aid in her rest. He'd eaten something quick for himself while he'd cooked, nothing award winning. He'd also set out to find more information about the dragon's head. He'd found reference to it in one of his texts but the reference glossary listed a book that he no longer had in his possession. He did, however, know where to find a copy.

He glanced up at the clock, a little past three, if she managed to keep the potatoes down, perhaps he could move onto more solid foods, if not, he'd switch to broths. He didn't very much like the idea of putting her on a liquid diet as she desperately needed to gain weight. He could give her more nutrient potions after today, needing to have one day between administration to stave off any unwanted effects.

Severus licked his finger tasting the small amount of gravy he'd added to give the potatoes more flavor and to keep them from tasting dry. It was a small risk, though not something he couldn't easily rectify. He placed only one large spoon full of mashed potatoes in a small soup bowl before adding just a tablespoon of gravy. If this went down well, he'd have enough left over for dinner as well.

Satisfied that he'd prepared an adequate meal, he turned back towards the stairs leading to his room. The girl had been quiet in the hours that had passed, though he wasn't sure if that worried him or not. When he stepped into the room he was partially relieved to find her lightly running her fingers over the warm window pane. Her head was turned towards the window but she'd remained on her back. Her other hand was lightly toying with the beads on her necklace, the digits moving as though exploring every centimeter of their design. She looked, for lack of a better word, relaxed.

Severus called the bench from the end of his bed settling it in place, the vibration of its landing catching Granger's attention nearly instantly. He looked at her curiously before taking a slow seat. She'd already known he was there before he even made a move to announce his presence.

Curious. He looked down at the bowl in his hand before wafting the warm steam in her general direction. He watched her face shift before she turned completely to face him, her hands curling up to her chest as she leaned her head out just a bit to smell the air.

She was not dim—no, she was still clever, perhaps in a different way. He pondered the significance of this finding before letting his mind turn back to his original task.

He leaned up brushing the backs of his fingers over her lips before reaching down to take the cubed tigers eye. Her lips parted as expected and he pressed the cube in-between. Again, he waited, taking the time to watch her mind work. It was difficult because half of her face was shielded but he was a master of the art.