December 23, 1944
9:34 am
Hermione--after registering that she was no longer dreaming--cautiously opened her eyes, and found herself staring straight up at the unmistakable, drab white ceiling of the Hospital Wing. The celebration, how did it continue without her?
Ah, well... who really cares about juvenile festivities?
Vigorously, she shook her head and floundered around for the sheets dangling off the edge of the bed to her left, grabbing them, unsteadily pulling herself to her feet. The second she straightened up, a wave of dizziness swept over her, and she hastily plopped back down on top of the rumpled covers. She gripped the edge of the bed, hoping the spell would pass.
It did, and blinking rapidly, she keenly studied her dark surroundings. A burst of light through the uppermost edge of the windows behind revealed the stark austerity of the bottom half of the infirmary, with which she had become far too familiar for her liking. The starch white beds were lined up like little soldiers.
Opening her eyes wider, urging them to more quickly adjust to the smothering patches of darkness, Hermione yawned again, and the faint, sweet aroma of homemade pumpkin bread and jam suddenly wafted into her attention.
Another sliver of light swept directly across her bedside table. On it, Hermione could clearly see three slices of her favorite bread and a small jar of strawberry preserves loaded down on a plate. Ah-ha! Food! She felt like she had turned into some uncivilized cavewoman as her ravenous stomach rumbled.
And a note.
Mentally beating back her stomach, Hermione reached over and picked up the thin slip of parchment, jaggedly ripped on one edge as it had been torn haphazardly out of a notebook, and she leaned out of the darkness around her bed to hold it under the moonlight, her eyes skimming over Harry's messy scrawl.
'Mione-
I've been here since last night--Lamberdeau said only one of us could stay. Anyways, she's kicking me out now, says you need sleep (even though you've been sleeping all bloody day! Makes no sense at all to me). I should have brought the invisibility cloak, it's the only way to get properly around this school. Times like these remind me of how technically, we should all be out of school for good by now. Ron, Gin, Lavender, and Draco wanted me to tell you that they're sorry they couldn't stay. Oh and also, if you wake up before we all come to see you, we thought the food would help a touch. I put a Freshener Charm on it so it won't spoil. 'Til then, all my love...
-Harry
I love them all, Hermione thought happily. A contented grin slipping onto her face, she replaced the note and hawkishly eyed the platter, her stomach progressing to the obnoxiously growling stage, sounding like a small freight train when compared to the silent Infirmary.
Her eyes widened at the thought...mildly mortified, she glanced around the shadowy wing sheepishly, hoping no one had noticed the noise. As far as she could detect, a faint light glowed from the bottom of Madam L's closed office door, but other than that, the Hospital Wing was completely deserted.
Until her eyes landed on the very farthest bed.
Tom Riddle.
Hermione's breath froze. Her heart stopped beating in her chest before it resumed its dance and began to thud heavily, faster and faster.
Dear God.
All desire to eat anything at all completely flew from her mind, and, just as swiftly, the horror of the last five minutes of Tuesday night rushed back to her. Every single awful second of it, from the moment the Heir of Slytherin passed out and, above all, Draco's horrible, cutting words ran through her mind like nails across a chalkboard in her ears,
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Misunderstood Maledictions | Tomione
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