No Change
When Hermione woke up, it took her a while to remember where she was. She groaned and clamped a hand to her forehead. She didn�t feel well. Her head felt stuffed up, her throat was sore, and she was completely zapped of energy. The sound of a door banging shut made her cringe.
She saw Madam Pomfrey come out of her office and go to check on Harry. She shook her head and summoned a blanket to add to the three she�d already given to him.
Hermione�s throat suddenly started to itch and she sat up, coughing loudly. This seemed to get Madam Pomfrey�s attention.
�It looks like you�re catching something,� Madam Pomfrey said. She went back to her office and came back with a goblet filled with a dark green potion.
�This should help,� she said, handing the goblet to Hermione. Hermione pinched her nose and drank the potion. She choked slightly as the hot liquid burned her already sore throat. She felt slightly better as the potion started to take effect.
The, without warning, she was hit with a wave of nausea. She leaned over the side of the bed and threw-up the potion. Luckily, she had good aim and had gotten it in the wastebasket.
�Oh dear,� Madam Pomfrey muttered. �I�ve heard about this.� She went back to her office and got a thermometer.
�What is it?� Hermione asked when she got back.
�Open your mouth dear,� Madam Pomfrey ordered, shoving the thermometer in Hermione�s mouth. �I�m afraid you�ve caught some kind of virus. I read an article on it last month. It�s resistant to all potions. I�m afraid you�ll have to stay here for a while.�
Hermione sneezed in response. Once Madam Pomfrey was gone, she leaned back, closed her eyes, and fell into a dreamless sleep.
* * * * * *
�I must insist that you leave!�
Hermione rolled onto her side and covered her ear with a pillow. Loud noises gave her headaches.
�I have two very sick patients in here,� Madam Pomfrey continued. �You can come back when they�re better.�
�Oh please let me see her, just for a bit!�
�Oh all right. You have five minutes.�
Hermione removed the pillow from her head and smiled at her visitor.
�Hallo Ginny,� she whispered hoarsely.
�Hey,� Ginny said, sitting in a chair by Hermione�s bed, �how�re ya feeling?�
Hermione answered by coughing violently.
�I wish you could come to Hogsmeade,� Ginny said. �Fudge decided to let us go again since the first visit was so late in the year. Do you want me to pick something up for you?�
Hermione nodded and pointed to a jug of water on the table. Getting the message, Ginny poured out a glass and handed it to Hermione. Hermione took a small sip and began to talk.
�Can you pick up a box of Chocolate Frogs and a get well card?� Hermione asked.
Sure,� Ginny said. �Well, I should go before Madam Pomfrey throws a fit.�
�Yeah,� Hermione agreed, �I�ll see you later.�
�Bye.�
When Ginny was gone, Hermione reached over to a drawer next to her bed and opened it. Reaching in, she pulled out the only item in the drawer. Something she�d kept to herself since the incident.
The knife.
For what felt like the thousandth time, she flicked open the blade and stared at it, still stained with Harry�s blood.
Sirius couldn�t have known what the knife would be used for when he sent it. Hermione was sure that if he�d known, he never would�ve sent it. But she also knew that, if he didn�t have the knife, Harry would�ve just found another way.
Hermione had thought long and hard about whether or not to give the knife back. If she did, he might try to use it again. And this time, he might succeed. She wouldn�t be able to live with herself after that.
But, in the end, she knew that she had to give it back. It belonged to him. She felt she had no right to take it away.
She picked up the corner of the sheet on her bed and wiped the dried blood off the knife. She closed it and put it back in the drawer. A few minutes later, Madam Pomfrey came over looking very happy.
�Here you go,� she said, giving Hermione a goblet. �I made this potion myself. Hopefully it�ll work.�
Remembering the way the last potion had burned her throat, Hermione drank this one slowly. This one, instead of burning her throat, felt cool and soothed her sore throat.
The effects were immediate. Her head felt normal again and the itching at the back of her throat was gone. Madam Pomfrey put a hand on Hermione�s forehead and smiled.
�Home remedies always do the trick,� she said. �How�re you feeling?�
�Great!� Hermione said happily and leapt out of bed. She suddenly felt very lightheaded and had to sit down.
�Now wait a minute. You still haven�t gotten your strength back yet. Which is why I�ve decided that you will not go to Hogsmeade. Oh, I almost forgot. You got a letter.� She handed the parchment to Hermione and went over to see if Harry was waking up.
Hermione didn�t bother arguing about going to Hogsmeade. She knew Madam Pomfrey wouldn�t change her mind. Besides, Ginny was already getting what she needed.
Hermione smiled slightly as she opened her letter. But her good mood came crashing down as she read.
Dear Hermione,
We got an owl from your headmaster yesterday about what happened. We know you wanted to spend the holidays at home, but it might not be a good idea for you to travel right now. We�ve decided that you should stay at school. We�re sorry, but it�s for your own good.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Hermione folded the letter. She�d wanted to go home for the holidays. She didn�t want to stay and have to go to the Yule Ball alone. She knew that if anybody asked her, she�d say no. There was only one person she wanted to go with. And even if he did wake up, there was no way he�d ask her.
* * *
�Hermione? Is that you?�
�Who�d you think it was? Draco Malfoy?� Hermione snapped. She was sitting in the common room. Ginny had just come back from Hogsmeade.
�Very funny! You mean Madam let you out?�
�No,� Hermione said sarcastically, �I snuck out. I have to be back before she comes to check up on me. Did you get the stuff I asked for?�
�Yeah, I got it.� She held up a parcel.
�Thank you Ginny. I am forever in your debt.� Hermione grabbed the package and ran upstairs to the dormitories. Pulling out a quill, she scribbled a quick note in the card, making sure to disguise her handwriting. Then she slipped the knife into the card and ran down the stairs to the common room.
�Where are you going?� Ginny asked. Hermione stopped at the portrait hole and turned around.
�To make a delivery,� she said and left before Ginny could say another word. She headed straight for the hospital wing.
�Miss Granger!� Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. �Are you not feeling well?�
�I�m fine,� Hermione said. �Is Harry any better?�
�No change yet,� Madam Pomfrey said sadly. �I hope he wakes up soon so he can eat something. That boy is skin and bones.�
�Well, if he does wake up, can you give this to him?� Hermione asked, handing Madam Pomfrey the package.
�Of course. Would you like me to say something to him?�
�Tell him�� Hermione hesitated. �Don�t tell him who it�s from.�
�Okay. I�d better go check on him. Go back up to your common room.�
�Thanks,� Hermione said and slowly walked back to Gryffindor Tower.
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