"Are you sure about this?" Harry looked down at the paper he'd just been given, a deepening frown pulling down his lips.

"I'm not often wrong." The elder man behind the desk chuckled dryly before motioning to the silver blade that was set out in an odd-looking stand. Small metal clips had been attached in various places, mostly along the blade though there was a grounding wire wrapped around the hilt, "This blade was cursed by blood magic."

Harry's draw twitched as he continued to scan the report. Most of it he couldn't understand but he was sure Hermione would have been easily able to, "What does that mean? What is it cursed to do?"

Drugor scratched the back of his balding head with a small sigh, "That, I haven't fully figured out." He made a face and pulled his enlarging spectacles onto his nose, "But see here?" He pointed with one of his needle-like tools to the blade's inscription. It was almost impossible to see beneath the other detailing work, "It's certainly no good. I haven't seen runes like this in years, it's going to take me a bit more time to decipher."

"Then why call me down here if you've got nothing?" Harry tried to keep his impatience from getting the best of him.

Drugor simply smiled and set down his tools, "It's not nothing boy." He motioned to the report he'd given him on the type of curse they were dealing with, "Those results right there clearly state that without the blood of the person who cursed this object, no matter what its effects, it cannot be lifted."

Harry paled considerably, blood from the person who created it? That could have been any one in a long line of the sadistic Black family. If Bellatrix hadn't simply made it herself. He tried to keep himself calm, taking a moment to collect his thoughts, "Could...a relative or close family member's blood be used?"

Drugor made a small face, reaching up to scratch at his dirty blond beard, "Maybe...if the relation was close enough... I'd have to research the possibilities..."

"Do that..." Harry took a slow breath, "I'll see about getting some blood."

Driggor's bushy brows rose high into his hairline, "Just who did this dagger belong to boy?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange." Harry replied stiffly, turning with the paper still in hand, "Can I keep this?"

"Of course." Drugor leaned back in his chair, shock evident on his face before he waved him off, "It was for you after all."

"Thank you, Mr. Drugor. This is very helpful." Harry gave him a tight distracted smile as his mind began to turn.

"Any time Mr. Potter. Anytime." Drugor leaned forward once again setting his glasses back in place.

oOo

Hermione groaned deep in her throat, her head felt like it was spinning on a carousel. She could hear someone talking but her mind was much too busy cataloging the various aches and pains that ran down her entire body. Her back hurt in odd places, her knees and elbows pulsing with her heartbeat that was victoriously drumming away in her skull.

Warm hands registered and she felt herself being turned from her back to her side, this made her stomach roll dangerously and her body jerked with a dry heave. Gradually, her eyes opened to bright stonework and sterile white sheets.

"Easy now," Madame Pomfrey coaxed, "Minerva, grab those pillows there, yes."

Hermione felt the aforementioned pillows come to support her back and she let out a small hiss. Her mouth watered, threatening the ejection of what little could have remained from her dinner the previous night. Her hand moved awkwardly against someone's arm before her body curled, her previous heave no longer a warning.

"Oh, dear... it's alright, let it out." Madame Pomfrey easily cleared the meager mess away, casting a follow-up charm to help ease the bile from her throat and nose, "Hermione, I'm going to need you to lie still alright? I know it's hard but you've done a right good bit of damage to the back of your neck."

Hermione only let out a meager groan, her eyes rolling back closed. She could feel Madame Pomfrey's fingers moving along the back of her neck and when she got to the obviously swollen bit she couldn't bite back her yelp of pain.

"I know, I know...just hold still..." Madame Pomfrey pierced the skin under her wand, a gauze set underneath to catch the blood that had pooled there.

As the pressure was released Hermione's body sagged, her eyes rolling back open for a brief moment before a sense of relief flowed through her skull, stilling the ebb and flow and calming her stomach.

"There we are, now just let yourself rest for a moment. I'm going to put some salve over the worst of it but you may need more as the day progresses." Madame Pomfrey informed as she set to work. While she did Minerva came around so that Hermione could see her.

"Did you get him?" Hermione took a deep sighing breath, moving only her eyes.

"Oh yes," Minerva pursed her lips, "A ghost, who would've thought?"

Hermione smirked a little, "What happened exactly?"

"Well, aside from you falling down the stairs—"

"Pushed...I was pushed..." Hermione winced slightly missing the rise of Minerva's brow.

"Right...thankfully not the full set of them." She continued before reaching into her robes," I managed to capture his soul in this." Minerva produced a small glass orb, a deep gray smoke twisting away inside. It reminded Hermione of Neville's remembrall from first year, "Though I'm not entirely sure what to do with him."

"Leave him." Hermione said with an air of disgust, "Maybe he'll calm down and stop hurting people..." Hermione hissed when Madame Pomfrey turned her elbow, resetting the cracked bone.

"Right..." Minerva gave her a strange look but decided not to comment and merely slipped the orb back into her pocket, "I am terribly sorry that you were injured in the process."

Hermione gave a dry snort, "When have any of my adventures ever ended without some sort of injury?"

Minerva chuckled softly to Hermione's dry humor, "Well let's hope this is the last time hm?"

Hermione hummed in agreement and carefully turned her head down as she saw Madame Pomfrey begin to move away. Feeling significantly better than before she mindfully stretched her arms and legs, "At least I work at a desk these days."

oOo

Harry frowned when he entered the ward department. The row of desks filled all but the one at the very back that sat overlooking the row. He checked his watch but it was much too early yet for lunch.

He paused at the last desk in the row though his eyes were still looking at Hermione's, "Hey Antony, have you seen Hermione?"

Surely she'd not gone back to sleep? She would never have risked her job like that. Then again, she hadn't really been acting like herself as of late.

"Not in yet," Antony replied passively setting the paper he'd been working on aside, "She said she'd be late this morning."

"She did? When?" That was news to Harry, had she not been feeling well yesterday? Had she been sick and he'd missed it? Again?

"Yesterday, when she read a letter from Hogwarts. Came just at the end of shift." Antony shrugged nonchalantly.

"She didn't by chance tell you anything about that, did she?" Harry finally managed to pull his eyes from her desk addressing Antony properly.

"Nope, not a thing." Antony glanced around Harry's shoulder when their office floo turned green. His brows furrowed a bit as he came to his feet, "There she is."

Hermione stepped out of the floo with a soft huff, the sling Madame Pomfrey had put her arm in made her neck irritated. The small bandage that had been put there to keep fluid from building up while it healed very much not appreciative of the pressure.

Harry was moving through the desks in an instant, "What happened to you?"

Hermione jumped slightly at his tone, her focus previously on trying to get to her own desk so she could remove the stupid sling, "Fell down some stairs."

Harry didn't much care for her nonchalant tone and frowned even more as she managed to slip the sling from over her head, "At Hogwarts?"

Hermione shook her head though it was a sorely miscalculated action and she reached up to the back of her neck rubbing the muscles to either side of the bandage, "Professor McGonagall needed my help with something. Honestly, it's no big deal. I'm fine."

Hermione was at her desk by the end of her sentence, her unslung arm held to her chest as she settled down. Though at Harry's weighted stare she raised her eyes again, "What?"

Harry was doing everything he could not to make a scene and decided to lean in close, "You've said that before."

The rest of his thought didn't need to be articulated. The air between them grew thick and capturing a small audience.

"Leave it, Harry." Hermione glanced out at her co-workers who upon being caught tried to make themselves look busy, "Besides I was looked after by Madame Pomfrey and she said I was more than capable of coming back to work."

Harry pursed his lips and let out his frustration through his nose before looking down at the paper he'd brought with him. He knew arguing with Hermione never ended well and thus decided to try and change the subject though he was certainly going to be more vigilant from now on.

"Well...I came to give you this." He offered out the paper he'd gotten from Drugor, "I can't make heads or tails of it but I'm sure you could."

Hermione took the paper with a curious look, though as soon as she saw the sketched drawing of the blade at the top of the page her stomach rolled, "What did Drugor say?"

Harry shifted a bit on his feet, "He can't tell yet what the curse is designed to do but he said the only way to lift it was with the blood of whoever created it."

Hermione's jaw twitched, her eyes slowly rising from the paper, "That could literally be anyone."

"I know." Harry let out a heavy sigh before scratching the back of his head, "I have some theories but... you'll probably not like them."

Hermione lowered the paper back to her desk, she would look more closely at it later. She'd already learned plenty from Madame Pomfrey in regards to the outcome, information she wasn't ready to share with Harry. Not that it would remain secret for long with Drugor on the case. Nearly a hundred years old the man had seen it all.

"Just do it..." Hermione knew that if she'd fought him on this nothing good would come of it, "Just...be careful okay?"

Harry gave her a wary look, he'd fully expected a fight, he'd been rehearsing his argument the entire way there, "Right...See you tonight then?"

Hermione nodded, barely noticing the deflated look of her best friend. She was sure his heart was in the right place it was just hard for her to fully come to terms with her own mortality. With a rub to her brow with her good arm, she set Drugor's report to the side and got to work.

The day passed peacefully, aside from having to take an extra potion at lunch to keep the pain at bay Hermione found the end of the day chime to be relieving. She began packing away her things, her mind thankfully settled on one thing. Dinner.

"Leaving on time today?" Antony gently teased when he saw Hermione shoulder her bag.

"Don't tell the Daily Prophet." Hermione grinned, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night." Antony watched her leave, she was a little stiff in her walk but otherwise had spent the day normally. It was a relieving sight if he were honest with himself.

"I'm home!" Hermione called from the front door, having decided to stop by the shops and pick up some kabobs from their favorite shop. She heard Harry call out to her from the living room, his messy head of hair appearing just moments later.

"Gods that smells amazing." Harry could already feel his mouth watering and quickly came over to help relieve her of the bag.

Hermione thanked him, as she'd been trying to carry everything with her good arm. Even though she'd removed the sling her elbow was a bit touchy still. She glanced into the living room as she followed Harry to the kitchen, a small frown curling her lips.

"Ron still at the hospital?"

"Yeah, but he said Malenda should be home this weekend. I told him to come get some of his stuff together that he'd want at his mum's but you know how he is." Harry set the takeaway on the table, turning to get plates and forks.

"Mmm, I suspect we'll see him rushing about Friday won't we?" Hermione set down her bag in a chair before taking a seat herself. She lightly rubbed at her elbow before stretching it out over the table.

"Definitely, oh and Molly said she's going to have dinner Saturday. Are you going to come?"

Hermione opened her mouth before hastily shutting it. Madame Pomfrey had told her to come by for another treatment this Saturday due to the injuries she'd sustained at Spinner's End. While it was mostly a precaution she had told her that she would.

"I'll, have to double-check but definitely a maybe." Hermione hastily answered slightly concerned that her silence had seemed suspect. She picked up her fork and took a bite as Harry came to sit. She offered him a soft smile hoping to keep him sated.

"Well, I hope you can." Harry took a bite of his own food before reaching into his pocket,  "Ginny's going to be there too," he swallowed a little nervously before setting the small ring box into the table. He opened it before nudging it towards Hermione, "Do you think she'll like it?"

Hermione's jaw stopped chewing when she saw the beautiful ruby and diamond ring. Her eyes widened at the gorgeous shimmer of gold that held the gems. She swallowed thickly before gently pulling it closer, "This is stunning Harry."

"You think so?" Harry took a nervous bite not raising his head, "It's not too much is it?"

Hermione shook her head slightly before biting back a hiss, she rubbed the back of her neck for a moment before gently pushing it back towards Harry, "She's going to love it."

Harry offered her a small bashful smile, "I hope so..." He closed the box and slipped it back into his pocket, "I'm really nervous...am I supposed to be nervous?"

Hermione chuckled and took another bite, "I'd be more worried if you weren't. Though honestly, you really think she'll say no? She's loved you since she first met you."

Harry blushed brighter, a goofy look on his face as he lightly picked at his food, "Yeah... you're right."

"Tell me something I don't know." Hermione teased, lightly pushing his knee with her foot.

"Oh! Did you have a chance to look at Drugor's report?"

"Not yet." Hermione felt a sinking stone in her stomach. Her mouth twitched as though she'd tasted something sour before she tried her best to make her face passive. The sudden change of topic combined with the knowledge that Harry was set to propose made her heart physically ache. She rubbed absently at her chest as her fork suddenly became too heavy to lift.

"Oh..." Harry let his eyes run up and down her frame. Concern welled in him when he could swear her eyes were turning glassy, "Hermione? You okay?"

Hermione swallowed down all the emotion trying to burst forth, "Yes, I'm just suddenly very tired..." She looked down at her poorly eaten meal, "I'm going to wrap this up..."

"Hermione?" Harry reached over the table as she stood up, gingerly taking her wrist, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, just tired..." Hermione pulled her hand free of his hold but took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze, "Really."

Harry nodded ever just so and watched her settle her leftovers before disappearing from the kitchen. He looked down at his own meal, sadness settling onto his shoulders as he continued to eat, alone.

Hermione ruffled her hair loose as she gathered up her pajamas. Settling on a nice long hot bath to help relieve the ache that was steadily creeping back in. She paused only long enough to take the potions she had been instructed to after meals before starting towards the bathroom.

Hermione avoided looking at herself in the mirror as she set her clothes down. After a moment she started the tap and added a few oils that she knew would help with muscle ache. The soft smell gently relaxed her heart and she began to get undressed.

Once her shirt was off she casually looked down her arms, noticing a few small bruises that just barely came to the surface. Nothing too terrible and obviously on their way to healing. When she pulled off her tank top, however, she couldn't help but gasp loudly. Just above her breasts, she could make out two very distinct and certainly large handprints. Her own fingers trembled slightly as she gingerly touched the welts. They didn't hurt nor feel inflamed but they were most definitely visible. Like her skin had had an allergic reaction to Tobias' touch.

"Bastard..." Hermione snarled tossing her undershirt aside before unclasping her bra. She had never truly felt an extreme hatred for anyone. Even Malfoy only rated a two on her scale of discontent. Mostly because he was an entitled brat, though the years that had passed she hardly found his presence grating. Not that she'd often been in his presence but the few times they had run into each other he had been moderately pleasant to talk to.

But this man—Severus' father— she hated him deep into her core. Loathed and despised him despite his heroism. She didn't know where this feeling had come from but she wasn't inclined to decipher it. Instead, she let the heat of anger roll through her until she had divested herself of clothing and successfully submerged herself into the warm bath.

Hermione rested her head gently along the edge of the tub, letting the heat of the water soothe the back of her neck. Her eyes remained closed as she felt her mind drift. She focused on nothing in particular, merely allowing herself to fall into a deep meditative state. It wasn't until she chose to open her eyes that she realized she was somewhere else entirely.

Her eyes immediately darted down but rather interestingly she found herself dressed in a white flowing robe, the tie of it a faded red satin sash. She could almost feel the breathable cotton when she ran her fingertips down the plain front before her surroundings took away her focus.

Dread trembled down her entire frame, all the way to her bare feet as the Shack creaked around her. She shook her head though found no pain from the action. Intelligently realizing that she was once more in the astral plane. Still, she had no idea why her spirit would have once more brought her to such a place. A place she never wanted to return to.

Despite her desperate will to leave, she remained. A feeling as though there was a purpose for her coming there gradually replaced the anguish inside her heart. Once again, she pushed her focus beyond the stained boards and to the back corner. This night it was in shadow, regardless she moved forward.

Unable to light her way, she squinted in the darkness and kneeled down. Her head turned ever just so when she saw it, yet again. The vial. She reached out, her fingers taking in the cool glass...

Hermione gasped, flailing slightly in the tub when her head dipped just below the surface of the water. She coughed and sputtered for a moment, sneezing out the liquid that had managed to get into her nose. Her body felt oddly heavy but refreshed all the same. The little aches and pains that had been driving her nuts all day had calmed to the heat and oils.

With a sighing grunt, she managed to push herself up and out. Casting a quick-drying charm before wrapping a towel around herself. She mumbled incoherently as she made her way to the vanity, her hand absently calling away the fog that had grown there. With a rub to her cheeks, she blinked herself into focus, startled at her reflection.

Her eyes, she had sworn they had been glowing. She blinked a few more times but nothing happened. Her brows twitched as she leaned closer, pulling down her eyelids to try and see if anything was amiss but nothing but deep dull chocolate looked back at her. She pursed her lips and made about her self-care routine believing it must have been a trick of the light.