His Hold On Me

Chapter 7

It was the quiet murmur of voices that stirred Hermione from her sleep. She tried to ignore it and snuggle back into her pillow but her head throbbed painfully and she cried out in pain, stopping the voices that echoed around her.

"Hermione!?"

Hermione smiled ever so slightly, despite the pain. What was Harry doing here?

"Hermione, can you hear us?"

She was certain she was dreaming. She could hear Ron's voice now. They couldn't be here, they were at Auror Training.

"Hermione, sweetheart?"

And now she could hear Mrs Weasley. What was going on?

She opened her eyes slowly, meeting a blur of colours that were the people standing around her. She tried to identify everyone but it was a blur of redheads. She eventually found a blur of black hair and reached her hand towards it, tentatively.

"Harry?"

He took her hand, holding it in both of his hands.

"I'm here Hermione, dont worry"

She blinked again trying to get her eyes to focus but they wouldn't, no matter how many times she tried to.

"I can't see you. Any of you. Your all blurring together. What's happening? What happened? Why are you all here!?"

"Calm down, Hermione. You hit your head really hard when you collapsed after Goyle let you go. And a hit like that could be really dangerous especially hitting your head a week or so ago. Madam Pomfrey will be here in a minute, she'll be able to know what's happening now that you're awake"

Hermione sighed at Ginny's words and looked up at the ceiling, closing her eyes. She should just accept that her life would never be normal and that, no matter what she did, there would always be someone who thursted for her blood.

"Everybody, out of the way! I need to attend to my patient!"

Hermione smiled slightly as everyone parted to let Madam Pomfrey through. You could always count on her to clear a crowd.

"Miss Granger. You're awake, good news at last"

Hermione opened her eyes and turned her head to smile before pausing. Everyone was still a blur.

"I can't see you, Madam Pomfrey. Everything's a blur"

"That's nothing to worry about, Miss Granger. I can fix that with a flick of my wand. Your concussion, however, you'll just have to wait out overnight in here."

Hermione groaned as Madam Pomfrey turned to grab some potions from her bedside cabinet, explaining as she did.

"You and your friends have the worst luck when it comes to getting injured. You hit your head in the same place you did when you fainted on the train. It was almost healed, thanks to you drinking your daily potions. Unfortunately, however, you'll have to start those potions again - for two weeks this time"

Hermione had expected that. Although the potions were disgusting, they had become almost normal.

"Now, Miss Granger. If you could try to focus on me"

Hermione's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at the blur of mostly white that she assumed was Madam Pomfrey. She saw a wand being waved and all of a sudden her vision was back to normal. Smiling in thanks, she turned back to see way more people around her bed then she had first thought.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, George, Percy, Bill and Fleur (who was heavily pregnant with their first child). Mr and Mrs Weasley were also there and a red haired man who looked slightly familiar  but she couldn't match an name with his face. Several teachers were stood slightly behind the gaggle of Weasleys.

"Why are you all here? You didn't come see me when I fainted on the train."

Everyone looked at each other before turning back to Hermione. Mr. Weasley spoke first.

"You were unconscious for several days. We were all called in just - just incase"

Hermione's mouth turned down at the corners. They thought she was going to die? That explained the dried tear tracks running down most of their faces. Hermione huffed and crossed her arms.

"I don't know why you were all so worried. I've been through worse and didn't die"

Several people chuckled at her annoyed face - including the man who she couldn't name. Mrs. Weasley noticed Hermione looking at him and jumped in to introduce him.

"Hermione, dear, this is Charlie. I'm sure Ron told you about him"

Hermione looked over at Ron and Harry who were grinning. Harry flapped his hands like wings and mouthed 'Norbert'. Instantly, Hermione remembered where she had seen him before - he had come to collect Norbert (now Norberta) in their first year.

Leaning forward slightly, she reached out her arm to shake his hand. She grinned when he winked at her - he clearly remembered that night.

***

Everyone had slowly been leaving in two's and threes until in was only Ginny and Luna left.

The teachers had left as soon as they knew she was going to be alright. Harry and Ron had left a few minutes ago to go back to Auror training - they had a lot of work to do.

"Well, I suppose the upside to me falling unconscious is that Ginny got to see Harry"

Hermione almost sang the words, grinning when Ginny went red at her teasing. It was nearing dinner and Hermione had been trying to convince the girls to go the Great Hall and eat. They had refused until Hermione had convinced them to compromise and to bring their dinners back here. They just had to wait for another 10 minutes and they could go.

"I wish I could see Rolf but I'm not too sad - he's coming to visit me on the first Hogsmeade weekend. He made me promise to take him to Honeydukes because Newt wants the famous chocolate. He hasn't had it in years- since he was a student actually."

Hermione gasped.

"You're on first name terms with Newt Scamander!?"

Ginny laughed, shaking her head at Hermione's fangirling. Hermione loved Newt Scamander because he was the same as her when it came to the safety and rights of magical creatures. He was her hero.

"I am engaged to his grandson, Hermione. Why wouldn't I be on first name terms with him?"

Hermione shrugged, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She had gone relatively calm, but her eyes were practically ablaze. She looked past the girls to the clock, starting when she saw that the Dinner had began a few minutes ago - had they really been talking for that long?

"Hey guys, the Halls open now. You can go get your food - can you bring me back a plate? You know what I like"

Ginny and Luna rolled their eyes playfully, huffing, but they got up anyway, giving Hermione a quick hug before racing each other out of the room. Hermione watched them fondly, laughing at Ginny's shocked face when Luna won the race.

"But.. but. I play Quidditch..."

Her voice carried back into the room even when she was right down the end of the corridor. Hermione smiled, a small chuckle burst from her lips when she heard Luna talking about one if her creatures.

"That Ginny's quite loud isn't she"

Hermione gasped in shock, her head whipping around at the familiar voice. She frowned at the sight of Gellert Grindelwald sitting on the bed next to hers, his mouth grinning but his eyes showed his annoyance - at what, Her wasn't sure but she was certain she was going to find out.

"You again!?"

Grindelwald smirked, his eyes burning.

"Yes. Me again. Now tell me. When exactly were you going to tell me that I had somehow time travelled to the year 1998!"

Hermione winced.

Oh shit.