In Sickness and in Health

{6}

Hermione decided it was in her best interest to stay at home and work that day. Ron was getting his second treatment, and she had a bunch of information to sift through and compare for her presentation. Everything was going as planned, as far as she was concerned, and Ron would be getting even better soon.

She still couldn't bring herself to sleep on her bed, though no sane muggle-born would. She was sure to purebloods, and some half-bloods it didn't matter a thing to them, but her... She just couldn't stomach it, so the couch was comfortable enough. Hermione would talk to him however, when she was getting ready, so part of that comforted her soul. She just felt awful that he was stuck up for three months for these potions because someone dug a terrible spell out of the archives.

The only good thing that had come from it was her respect and use of Severus Snape. Now, it wasn't very good of her to say she was using him, but he was useful to her. He had prided her in her work, and even aided in its progression. The minister would be most impressed, or at least Hermione hoped. Kingsley had never been disappointed before though.

She had multiple sheets of notes from Severus, and then her own research could have covered an entire book. A book sounded like a fine idea if it weren't for the fact she would have to write it. The task seemed daunting, because it wasn't a strict essay. There were embellishments and rules that came with literature, even non-fiction.

Hermione felt like she was leading a fiction novel, her lover falling ill of some strange sickness only their enemy could cure. None of the wizarding stuff stuck out as false anymore, she'd lived too much of it to still be dreaming. And Severus was no enemy. At first glance he had been, he always had been, but now he was foe turned friend, and Hermione owed him a great debt for saving Ron's life.

She was sitting at the island which separated her living room from her kitchen, facing towards the sink and the stove which called for her to make a pot of tea to calm her nerves. This dose was no different than the first one was, but even with Severus' competence, she still felt worry that Ron would not wake.

Regardless, Hermione had to steel her nerves, and herself, for the upcoming Wizengamot presentation, and for Ron's sake. He couldn't wake to her a frazzled mess, what good would that do them? Especially with them only having her income for three months? Of course, it certainly helped that Ron wasn't eating or showering, so her water and grocery bill would be significantly smaller. What truly helped was that Severus was doing this service free of charge.

That alone would hopefully convince Ron that he wasn't so awful any longer.

Hermione looked at her scribbling and sighed. She yearned for someone to discuss all of this with, but her usual companion was out of it. He never truly responded with much of anything brilliant, but Ron listened, and he had a solid idea on the scant occasion. Hermione missed him a lot, and having him so close yet as far as possible was getting on her nerves.

The calendar on the fridge had the date of her case plastered upon it, circled a dozen times in red ink that not even a nearly-blind person could miss. Hermione anticipated it, and all the same dreaded it because it was Ron's fourth treatment, and yet another chance something could go wrong. She didn't know why her worry was so strongly rooted within her mind, because there was no mistrust in Master Snape, but it stuck anyways. The love Ron and she held was her most obvious reasoning, but there was a niggle of doubt there too, for something in her was screaming that there was always  something that could go wrong! The days of his treatments were marked as equally clearly upon her calendar, though their marks were evenly spread upon its dates.

A potion every ten days, so invasive and harsh that she couldn't touch him! Hermione didn't think it healthy, which could have also been a reason for her worry, yet it would heal him! Severus Snape had done this before anyways, and she would just have to push aside the anxiety.