Promise to the Past | 🐾 ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀs ✓

18 | Bitter Beginnings

~Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix

Fabian and Gideon swept through a flurry of green flames with Hermione cradled in Gideon's arms. Her breathing was shallow and she would only flutter her eyes open when the brothers got panicked and yelled for her to stay awake.

"Lily!" Fabian screamed, rushing to the hallway to look for the apprentice healer. "LILY!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," a soft voice said from up the staircase.

Gideon took the chance to lay Hermione down on the couch gently, whispering to her to stay with them. Lily quickly made her way into the room, her inquisitive expression dropping when she saw Hermione, the color on her face draining away.

"What happened?" She asked immediately, stepping up to the half-conscious girl to check her pulse and pupils.

"Long story," Fabian said. "But she used a dangerous amount of energy, so her core is probably depleted. And she fell on her side, we heard a crack."

Lily ran a quick diagnostic spell, and a bright red glow permeated through Hermione's lower rib cage. "She has a few broken ribs," she said grimly. "It's probably punctured her lung, which is why she's struggling to breathe."

"Lily?" Another voice rang through the house. They all paid no mind to the approaching footsteps, all three of them too honed in on Hermione. "Lily! What in the world happened, is she okay?"

"Remus!" Lily cried, turning around. "I need you to fetch me my chest of potions!"

Remus stared at Hermione in frozen concern, as if he hadn't even heard his friend.

"Remus!"

His eyes snapped to Lily. "Right, potions," he mumbled weakly, rushing out of the room.

"Why do you need potions. Can't you heal her without them?" Fabian asked in alarm.

"I can heal the bone," Lily said. "But lung tissue is very sensitive, so potions are better. Besides, she needs strengthening potions too."

It had been but thirty seconds before they all heard multiple sets of footsteps bounding down the stairs. Remus rushed in first, with Sirius and James right on his tail. James was clasping a confused young Harry to his chest, whose eyes were wide in alarm. Remus laid out the potions for Lily, helpfully handing her whatever she requested as Lily worked diligently over Hermione.

Sirius swung his eyes to the twins. "How is it that every time she is with you two, Hermione somehow ends up hurt?"

The twins' eyes narrowed on the young Black. "I wouldn't go down that path if I were you," Gideon warned softly.

Sirius looked as if he were about to retort when James laid a hand on his shoulder. "Let it go mate, it won't help to fight amongst ourselves." He could see when Sirius finally relented as he shifted his gaze back to Hermione with his jaw clenched. James looked back to the twins who were anxiously waiting for positive word from his wife on Hermione's state. "What happened," he asked them.

There was a pause before Fabian finally answered. "We destroyed all the Horcruxes tonight."

"All of them?" Sirius asked suddenly. His gaze swung back to the twins in shock. "Don't tell me she handled all of them."

"No," Fabian reassured, at which Sirius let out a breath of relief. "But she had to take care of two, which even Moody and Dumbledore hadn't been able to do alone."

"How does she keep doing all these feats of magic?" Remus asked in awe.

"It's Harry," James intoned quietly, looking down at his son. "Her Harry, at least. It must be why she's been so resilient."