Madame Pomfrey frowned softly as she watched the readings over Hermione's head begin to spike before glancing down at the nutrition supplement she was presently pushing through the catheter. She hadn't calculated Hermione to wake for another few hours but something was breaking through the heavy anesthesia meant to keep her blissfully unaware.

Setting aside the half-finished syringe, her eyes turned down to the bruises on her veins left behind from the IVs, her cool fingers running down her exposed arm. As she reached her wrist, one then both of her arms began to tremble. The line that monitored her heart gave a small chirp as it went from calm to rapid in a matter of moments.

Poppy's brow furrowed deeper as she watched the lines begin to warp, indicative of extremely high stress. She had been calm all through the night, something wasn't right. Her eyes ran down her fame again only to watch more of her limbs begin to twitch and flex. She pulled the syringe she had partially pushed, checking and double-checking that it was the correct potion. It was correct.

Dark, everything was so dark. The world in which Hermione had found herself felt cold and desolate. Her mind, floating as though lost in the sea of her subconscious. Then, suddenly everything exploded in a flash of red. Her own scream threatened to deafen her as the floor of the drawing-room she knew so well came into view. The agonizing pain came next, as though on a delay, and despite knowing that everything around her was happening solely in her head, it flowed through her entire body as though she were really there.

Her body contorted as she writhed on the floor, gasping for air that had long since been expelled. As she lay panting, a familiar weight pressed into her chest and her throat ached to plead her innocence. However, despite her desperate attempt, the words did nothing to quell the fury of the witch that held her down.

She pleaded again as the witch snarled, her body arching up under her weight as Bellatrix pressed her wand into her side. Another blood-curdling scream left her lips as the pain from before tripled in power. She could feel the fragile strands of her sanity plucking away with each futile attempt to break free from the spell. She could almost hear them snapping away like an over-tuned guitar. Molten tears ran down her frigid cheeks as her body fell still. Her eyes, glassed and unfocused. The last little light inside her very soul growing dim. Even in her dreams, she could not escape the glint of the blade that now carved into her pain-numbed flesh.

Poppy turned sharply when the girl in her care shot up in bed. Her eyes were wide and filled with so much fear, "Miss Granger?"

Hermione panted heavily, her eyes darting and unfocused. She didn't see nor hear the medi-witch, her body still locked inside that tortuous night. The unfamiliar surroundings combined with the tightness of her throat caused her to panic. Her hands came up from the bed to pull at the tube that was in her nose. It hurt but even as blood dripped into her mouth from the sharpness of the pull she gave it no mind.

Hands came next, the sound of something crashing to the floor as Hermione wrestled with the arms that came to hold her down. They didn't push her back to the mattress but they did try to keep her from leaving the bed. Her throat constricted as she let out a sharp barking whimper. Her legs kicked at the blankets as she tried to get them over the edge. Her hands presently locked on the shoulders of the arms that held her back.

"Miss Granger!" Poppy was more stunned than apprehending. Her eyes were like saucers when she felt the girl's nails dig into her skin. Even in her diminished state, Hermione was strong. Her strength was fueled by the adrenaline that was coursing through her.

Hermione turned her head sharply away from the voice calling out to her, her eyes blinking furiously as reality began to bleed in. Her head wobbled a bit and she swallowed down the awful iron taste in her mouth. Her vice-like hold relaxing ever so slightly.

"Miss Granger, you are safe." Poppy waited a few more breaths before gingerly extracting Hermione's hands from her shoulders. She brought them down between them but held them warmly between her own as she tried to catch the young woman's eye, "You've been in for treatment... You've still got a few more hours..."

Hermione's brow twitched as the words filtered through the static in her mind. Truthfully she felt awful not refreshed as she had before. Her entire body was heavy and numb in odd places. Her throat felt like it had shrunk two sizes too small and her head nothing but a bowling ball loosely attached to her shoulders.

"You're still under the effects of the anesthesia...I need you to lay back down..." Poppy kept her voice calm and quiet surreptitiously watching the monitoring lines.

Hermione let herself be guided backward, her eyes instantly lidding when her head hit the pillow, there was a moment where the small sense of clarity she had vanished and her chest arched up to speak.

"P-please...make it... stop..."

Poppy's lips thinned, the hands she still held twitched before going completely lax. Her eyes didn't close completely but rather fixed themselves to some obscure point on the ceiling before losing all focus. Gingerly, she rested Hermione's hands over her stomach before bringing up her wand to clear the blood and mucus from her face. Reverently, she brought up her palm to close her eyes before turning away with a soft sigh.

"Oh, Hermione..." Her eyes ran over the mess that had been made in their struggles before a sharp wand flick sent the broken glass towards the bin.

oOo

Minerva paced, something she had surely picked up from her predecessors. She had waited for Poppy's call all morning but it had not come.  Now she found herself debating on just showing up in the ward and demanding an update. She was also waiting for word from Harry, which was why she had stayed in her office. She had hoped the young man would have brought news as soon as Drugor found out anything new. Albus had been suspiciously silent during the entire time she found herself wearing down the stones. Something that both concerned and consoled her.

Deciding that she could simply leave a note for Harry she moved towards her desk. When she moved to take the quill from its stand her eyes caught on the small bundle of letters and rolled drawing that she had also meant to give to him that morning. With a purse to her lips, she pulled them center of her desk before quickly writing down her note. With that done she stood, fixing her shoulders, and started out of the office towards the hospital wing.

As she arrived she found Poppy sitting at her desk. Two vials were held in each hand as she turned them beneath her desk light. Her eyes narrowed with deep concentration as she tilted them in her fingers. Her lips muttering her observations.

"Poppy?" Minerva broke the witch's reverie with a soft voice of concern. Coming closer she leaned her head down to look at the vials she held, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure..." Poppy huffed through her nose, "They look different, don't they?"  Perhaps she had been staring at them too long, wanting to see some sort of difference.

"How do you mean?" Minerva moved closer looking closer herself, "They're both dreamless sleep aren't they?"

"Yes, but...." She pulled the vial in her right-hand closer, "This one I ordered from St. Mungo's to fill my stores and this one..." She tilted the one in her left hand, "Was from Severus, a leftover from my previous stock."

Minerva leaned slightly on the desk, her eyes bouncing between them, "Perhaps it's the glass?"

Poppy hummed, setting the two vials down. She pushed herself up towards her cabinets and retrieved two silver bowls from within. She set them both down beneath the light before pouring the liquids from their respective vials to set side by side. Both women leaned forward, a small adjustment of the light highlighting them perfectly. There was a small moment as each of the potions settled before an exceptionally subtle difference in color could be seen.

"There, do you see it?" Poppy pointed to the bowl containing Severus' potion, "It's different."

"It is..." Minerva shifted the light just a bit more, "What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure exactly, all I know is that this one," she pointed to the opposite bowl, "Was not strong enough."

"Strong enough?" Minerva glanced towards the shut door that led to the private room, "What happened?"

Poppy shook her head a bit, her brows raised, "She had a nightmare and a pretty strong one. Enough to pull her temporarily out of the anesthesia."

"Was that the only change?" Minerva let her arms rest over her chest.

"Well, aside from the physical effects of the nightmare, yes. Everything else went well." A look of guilt ran over her features, "I wasn't even going to give her this," she motioned to the potions, "But I wanted her to rest even after the anesthesia passed. It was mostly out of her system when she had the nightmare but still strong enough to send her back out."

"Did you give her more?" Minerva's jaw twitched slightly.

"Of course, though not St. Mungo's I made sure to give her one of the last vials that Severus had made. She's been sleeping like a baby ever since." Poppy let out a slow breath turning Severus' vial in her fingers, "I only have about five left..."

Minerva understood the implications, a slow breath leaving her lips, "Perhaps he's modified the recipe. What year do they teach this potion?"

"Sixth year I think." Poppy idly scratched at the tight bun on the back of her head, "It's been in and out of the curriculum. Maybe in the older books he used to teach from? He might have made notes."

"I will look through his things, perhaps our new potions professor will be capable of following any modifications." Minerva looked out over the ward.

"What was their name again?" Poppy leaned back in her chair with crossed arms. She wasn't too keen on change. Severus had been making most if not all of her potions for years. She had only begrudgingly ordered from St. Mungo's to help the new professor get a head start on keeping her stocked. She herself was well enough at brewing but her skills lay more their combined applications than their actual creation.

"Professor Ulnare Halliway, she's one of the head potion brewers for the American magical medical association. She's been credited with numerous breakthroughs in the field. I was wholly surprised she'd even replied to my letter, let alone acquiesced to my request for an interview." Minerva had spent a long time trying to replace Severus. After she'd found out he'd been alive she almost stopped completely but when she saw him she knew he would never return to Hogwarts. It had been an extremely painful whirlwind of events.

"A yank? Really, Minerva?" Poppy grinned only a little her epithet holding no actual ill-will.

"Oh, hush." Minerva lightly pushed on the smaller witch's shoulder, "You can put her through her paces soon enough."

"Oh, yes. I fully intend to do just that." Poppy turned her head when a small chime sounded just beyond the door, "The anesthesia should be finished. I need to go check on her."

"I'll come with." Minerva followed behind with a lingering glance to the potions still sat out on the desk. She made a mental note to check through the trunks she'd taken from Spinner's End.

As the two women entered the room a heavy weight seemed to fall on the pair's shoulders. Their mirth from before completely leaving their faces. Hermione lay perfectly still beneath the sun's glowing rays. Almost as though to foreshadow what was to come. Poppy moved closer, checking her vitals and murmuring soft spells beneath her breath to help ensure that the process of waking would be less jarring than last time.

A soft groan bubbled up past Hermione's lips only a few moments later and she turned her head away and into the shadows. Her brows flexed and then finally, her eyes blinked open. Poppy offered her a kind smile when she leaned down to brush from hair from her cheek, the action making the girl close her eyes once more.

"Miss Granger...? How do you feel?"

Hermione shook her head ever so slightly, she felt unnaturally heavy and her mind horribly fogged. It took her a long time to recognize the effects of Dreamless Sleep before her eyes rolled open again, looking towards the ceiling. Gods how she hated that potion.

"Do you want to rest some more?"

Hermione nodded faintly, her hand coming up towards her head only to fall onto her own face before slipping off to the side. She had meant to rub the sleep out of her eyes but her poor coordination only made her nose sting. She tried shifting to become more comfortable but every one of her limbs felt disjointed.

"Are you in any pain?" Poppy had taken her cursed arm into her fingers checking under the poultice.

Hermione mumbled a soft negative inside a heavy sigh before trying to shift her hips so that she could roll onto her side. The arm that was presently held pulled slightly before Poppy helped to rest it over her waist allowing her to turn.

"Alright... we'll let you be." Poppy glanced to Minerva as she pulled the blanket up to her chin. The young woman tucked her face down into its darkness before letting out a heavy hum.

oOo

By the time Hermione would come to again it was just before lunch. Her stomach made its request loudly known stirring her from her peaceful rest. Much more coordinated this time, Hermione curled the blanket beneath her chin closer, her other hand moving to her stomach where she scratched idly. A soft noise from behind caused her ear to twitch but when the smell of warm food wafter under her nose she rationalized the sound to be a plate being set. With a soft mewling stretch to her legs that had curled, she followed the tantalizing aroma and turned onto her back. Her eyes opened a few ticks later and she blinked the medi-witch into focus.

"I hope you like roast beef, it was what the elves were cooking today for lunch," Poppy called a small bed tray from one of the cupboards.

"Lunch...?" Hermione rubbed her face trying to kick start her brain, "I was on my way to lunch..."

Poppy rose her brow slightly, letting the young woman sit up before she settled the tray over her lap, "Yes, well that was nearly 24 hours ago."

"What?!" Hermione squeaked, "How long have I been out? What happened?"

"Calm down, it's alright." Poppy settled herself on the edge of the bed, "I added just a little extra to your regime to help you rest."

Hermione absently licked the inside of her teeth making a small face, "Dreamless sleep?"

"Yes, though I am sorry that I did, I now understand your avoidance of the potion." Poppy looked properly guilty.

Hermione nodded taking a drink of her pumpkin juice, "Do you know why I passed out in the first place?"

"Yes, I ran a few panels on your blood. Your iron was exceptionally low. No doubt from lack of protein in your overall diet." Poppy reached over pulling her file from the bedside table, "Aside from severe iron deficiency the rest of your blood cultures were as I had expected them to be. Well, aside from your stress hormone which was a bit higher than normal."

Hermione nodded dutifully as she took a healthy bite of her roast beef, once she finished chewing she looked up once again, "I have been trying to take it easy...but not working on something sets my teeth on edge..."

"Quite...have you thought about possibly taking a vacation? Going somewhere, seeing the sights?" Poppy made a small note in her file before glancing up again.

"I don't know...it's not something I really thought about..." Hermione took another bite already feeling substantially stronger than when she woke, "I'm not very good at 'relaxing' if it hasn't become obvious..."

"Well, perhaps it's time to give it some thought. Surely you don't want to spend the time you have left sitting behind a desk?" Poppy was gentle when she spoke, trying to state the obvious without being blunt.

Hermione was no fool and instantly caught onto her implication, her brow furrowed slightly as she glared into her plate, "I do have plenty of vacation days saved up...but I don't even know where I'd want to go."

"How about the beach? Warm sand, bright sun, a good book?" Poppy offered not forgetting about her small conversation with Minerva earlier, "I'm sure Minerva would let you borrow her vacation home for a week or two. Lord knows she hardly uses it."

Hermione smiled despite herself, "That does sound nice..." Her fork lightly picked at the green beans, mulling over the idea of getting away from it all, "Is it far?"

"Well, not by magical means no, but in terms of muggle distance yes, quite far. Minerva took a few of us staff members one summer. It's a lovely place. Small town, close to the beach, her house actually sits at the edge of the cliffs facing the sunset. She's got a wonderful back garden..."

Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly as she was very easily able to imagine such a place, "Are there....woods nearby?"

"Yes...I believe there were at the other edge of town. A small thicket separating some farmland if I remember correctly." Poppy tapped her lip as she tried to think back, "Either way it was a lovely trip."

"Is it a muggle town?" Hermione took another bite though much smaller this time.

"No, no it's a magical one." Poppy nodded confidently.

Hermione nodded herself taking the last of her roast beef, her head lifting up when the aforementioned woman came into the room.

"Ah, Minerva! We were just talking about your lovely summer home." Poppy turned giving her a knowing look, "The one by the cliffside?"

Minerva lightly rubbed her burning ear, nodding in understanding, "To what end, might I ask?"

Before Hermione could speak Poppy cut over her, "Hermione was contemplating a small vacation. Wouldn't you agree that your summer home would be a wonderful place to spend a week or two?"

"Oh, yes. Very relaxing." Minerva's eyes turned to Hermione's soft blush, "I have no objections. Just let me know when you're planning to make the trip, I'll have a portkey set up for you and one of my family elves to prepare the house."

Hermione ducked her head, "Thank you... I'll...let you know." 

"Excellent." Poppy pushed herself from the bed looking down at her half-eaten lunch, "Now I'm sure I don't need to tell you that you're not officially released until that plate is clear?"

"Yes, ma'am...." Hermione scooped up another bite of veg.

"Good, good."

oOo

Harry sat across Drugor, his fingers anxiously tapping away on his knees. It was taking everything in his power to stay quiet while the man in front of him worked. He could hardly breathe when Drugor called the blood from the vial and dragged it across the edge of the blade. A single bead stretched the length before the steel glowed a soft bluish hue. As the blood dripped lower, the crimson liquid pooled into the intricate engravings causing some of them to glow a dim green.

Drugor pursed his lips watching as some but not all of the sigils illuminated. His eyes narrowed over the missing section of the blade before his shoulders slumped. A look of defeat on his aged face. He had hoped that with the correct blood the curse would fully reveal itself. He had known it was a long shot, still, he had to try. There was just not enough of the metal there to call forth the magic inlaid within. He had pieces but it would take a long time, possibly years to sort out the correct runes used to intact the curse. His eyes turned to Harry, his wand lowering down to the table.

"I have good news and bad news." He started on an exhale, "The blood is an exact match for the blood curse. But, and I say this with the deepest sympathies, without the full encantation I cannot create a counter curse." Drugor could almost see the young man in front of him vibrating, "I can, however, design a potion that could help with the symptoms. It won't remove the curse but...it could make it less painful."

Harry's face twitched with a variety of emotions that he was all too familiar with. He chewed on his words, his jaw twitching as he tried to form some semblance of a respectful response. He closed his eyes tight as a wave of desperate anger flooded his system, the swell only quelled by a wave of deep despair. Finally, he swallowed enough of the emotion down to manage something akin to speech.

"Do it..." His eyes rose slowly, looking at some random space beyond Drugor's head. If nothing else, Hermione could die in peace, painlessly.  He owed her that much.

"Mr. Potter..." Drugor tried to remain calm but even his eyes reflected his disappointment, "I won't give up." He gave the boy a solemn nod, "Neither should you."

Harry had come to his feet by the end of his small speech. A tense curl of appreciation on his lips, "Thank you." He continued to turn away, each step feeling as though he were walking over his own heart.