The Cure Part 1: The Darkness
A/N: Well here it is, it probably isn't what you expected, heck! It wasn't what I expected either but this is how it turned out and I'm pretty happy with it at least the cure part. Thanks so much to my bets Trutonks, I couldn't have done this without her help!!!
When they got there, Dumbledore was talking to Madam Pomfrey in hushed tones by Hermione's bed. She looked so pale and there were dark circles under her eyes. Professor Dumbledore turned around as they ran up blocking his view of Hermione.
Dr. Sabnor quickly stepped up until they were all standing in a small circle.
"I'm not sure what the effects will be yet. It could make her condition much worse, but I'm not sure we have much of a choice now. I'm going to need someone that's close to her to help perform it, I assume that will be you Harry?"
Harry nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
"You will need to help her fight off the disease while I do the spell. You see, normally the patient has someone to help them, but if something goes wrong you could die. If I just had a few more weeks…"
"But you don't," said Harry cutting him off, "Hermione needs to be cured now or she will die…" he looked up at Dumbledore for confirmation and continued when Dumbledore nodded up and down slowly. "I will do anything necessary to save Hermione even if it means giving up my own life. How am I going to help her?"
Dr. Sabnor nodded and walked over to Hermione muttering a few spells and moving his wand over her unmoving body. Dumbledore and Harry followed, coming to stand next to the right side of the bed.
"That's good," said Dr. Sabnor upon seeing where Harry was standing. He stepped back, glancing at professor Dumbledore. "Albus, you will offer extra energy, is that correct?"
"Of course," Professor Dumbledore replied.
Dr. Sabnor turned back at Harry, "You're sure you want to do this?"
Harry turned from Hermione to look up at him.
"I love her" He said simply.
Dr. Sabnor nodded and said, "Alright, put your hands on her temples."
Harry moved behind the bed and placed his hands on her temples. He looked up waiting for the next instruction.
"Now I'm going to cast a spell on you that will more or less transfer your mind onto Hermione's, after that, I'm not sure what will happen. All I know is that only that the victim, in this case Ms. Granger, will know what to do. She should be able to help you, but be warned she might not recognize you…"
"What if it doesn't work?" Harry asked, as Dr. Sabnor raised his wand pointing it at Hermione's chest.
"Let's just focus on what will happen if it does work," said Dumbledore, moving to stand behind Dr. Sabnor and provide assistance if necessary.
Harry nodded and looked back down at Hermione. Feeling all of his love for her consume him. He had to do this for her. A determined expression came onto his face and he looked up at Dr. Sabnor, "I'm ready," he said.
Dr. Sabnor nodded and started talking in a language Harry didn't recognize moving his wand in a circular motion. Soon Harry found himself closing his eyes.
He realized that the strange words he could hear before were gone. He opened his eyes, quickly looking around him. He was standing on a cobblestone path, there was nothing around him only darkness.
He felt a shiver go up his spine and started following the cobble stone path. He had been walking awhile, staring at the path he was walking on for there was nothing else to look at, when he saw a patch of grass coming up between two of the stones. He took this as a good sign and quickened his pace so he began to see bigger tuffs of grass and smiled, `I must be getting closer,' he thought.
He kept walking at pretty fast pace until he saw a patch of pink and purple crocuses. He began running now, knowing that he was really close since he knew crocuses were Hermione's favorite flower. After running for two or three minutes the patches of grass and flowers gave way to a lush green valley. There were many beautiful flowering bushes and trees and all different colored flowers around him. He took a step forward towards the flowers and they parted to reveal a narrow path. He walked quickly until he found a small ravine. He sat on a rock beside it, massaging his aching feet. He felt like he had been walking forever through this beautiful place.
He stood up reluctantly a few seconds later. He had to find Hermione.
He found the path again and kept following it until he entered a large clearing with a lake that wasn't unlike the one at Hogwarts. Harry's eyes scanned all around the lake and almost jumped for joy when he saw a figure sitting under a tree about four hundred yards away. He set off running.
As he got closer, the figure became more focused. He immediately recognized her, it was Hermione. She looked much younger, though, even younger than she had on the train in first year. She was reading a large book and hadn't noticed him yet. When he got about fifty yards away, she looked up and upon seeing him running towards her, she ran off in the other direction.
Harry sped up, and being that he was much faster and had longer legs, he caught up immediately cornering her against a tree.
She was afraid of him he realized when he had caught her and took a step
back, giving her a little more room.
She was the first to talk. "Who are you? She asked. "I haven't seen you here before."
"I'm Harry Potter," he said, but stopped when he saw her eyes go wide.
"Harry Potter?" She repeated. "I've read about you."
"Yeah well," said Harry blushing not really sure how to handle this younger version of Hermione. "I'm actually your friend, and I've come to help you."
Hermione's eyes visibly darkened. "You mean your going to help me defeat the darkness?" She whispered.
"What darkness?" he asked slightly confused.
"Follow me," she said walking toward a large tree to her left. He followed her, walking towards the edge of the woods. When she got there, she tapped on a piece of the bark three times waited about three seconds, and then did it again. Instantly a door opened up and Harry followed the younger Hermione down into it.
He was surprised to see a large room with a small kitchen and a few chairs.
She sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for him to sit across from her. He sat down in the chair and looked back at her. `She looks a little older,' he thought, but immediately dismissed it, blaming it on the light or the more serious expression now on her face.
"The darkness is what comes out at night, it tries to catch me it tries to kill me." She now had a frightened expression on her face, looking around the room as if she expected the darkness to came and get her. "It's been here as long as I've been here." She continued. "Every night it comes out and every time it does, I think that that time it will get me, but it hasn't yet. A couple times it has touched me while I was running away and I felt awful, almost like I was dying, but something saved me. A bright light came and flushed it out. I don't know what it was, but every time it happens, I feel sick for days and I can't eat or sleep."
Harry realized now that this must be the Leukemia, it was slowly taking away all of her energy. He looked back at her again and opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. She was getting older, he realized. She looked like she did in about third year now. `I don't have much time.' He thought.
Seeing as he was lost in thought, Hermione studied him. `He said we were friends,' she thought looking over him. Something was familiar about him, though, and it wasn't just the stuff she read about in her books she felt like she knew him.
"We have to get you out of here," he said finally and she looked up at him quickly. Harry thought he saw the old Hermione in there, but it was gone before he could be sure.
"We can't do anything tonight," she said. "The darkness is out there…"
He nodded his agreement. He needed to know more about this darkness.
She stood up and he did the same, following her down a small hallway he hadn't seen before. "You can sleep here," she said. She opened a door to reveal a small room with a bed and a small dresser. "I'll be in the room across the hall," she continued, "the darkness shouldn't be able to get us in here."
He nodded and watched her walk into the room and shut the door behind her before doing the same. He had meant to think a little bit about all of this, but as soon as he had stripped down into his boxers and laid down, he fall straight to sleep.
He woke to sounds of the wind and banging. He realized this must be the darkness.
He sat up quickly, turning on the light beside the bed. He listened for a few minutes and started to get up when he saw his door opening. He sighed when he saw Hermione's head pop through the door. She was wearing some blue flannel pajamas, and looked similar to how she had when they had started to perform the spell, minus the pale complexion and dark circles around her eyes.
Her eyes widened when she saw that he was already awake. "I'm sorry…" she said finally stepping fully into the room and after a second's hesitation and shutting the door. "It's just… I heard the darkness and it's trying a lot harder tonight. I think and I was afraid, and for some reason, I trust you." She said.
He smiled and motioned for her to come over. She did, and when she got to the edge of the bed, he slid over and lifted the blanket and she got in. Since it was a twin bed she was pushed almost fully against him. She tensed when she felt his arms go around her and realized he was only wearing his boxers, but relaxed after a few minutes once he shut off the light and fell asleep. She felt safer than she had in a long time, and something about him putting his arms around her felt familiar. What ever it was, Hermione knew that he wouldn't do anything to her. She soon fell asleep.
Hermione woke up at dawn, as always, and immediately tensed as she felt a body around her. Their legs were intertwined and she felt his arms around her waist. She relaxed when she remembered the day before, and pulled out of his arms gently, careful not to awaken him. She made her way to her room and took a short shower before getting dressed in a wool skirt and white blouse, and starting to make breakfast.
Five minutes later, Harry walked in yawning, still in his boxers. She looked at him and licked her lips taking in what she hadn't seen the night before. She realized he was very attractive. She could see his toned chest and strong arms. He sat down and asked, "What are you making?"
"Eggs," she replied, dumping it onto to two plates and handing him one.
They ate quickly and he went to get dressed.
When he had finished, she sat down and motioned for him to sit in the chair across from her again. He appeared not to notice and sat beside her, their legs brushing. Hermione blushed, but Harry didn't really notice. Her blush was gone by the time he turned to look at her.
"Do you know how to get out of here?" he asked her.
She nodded, "I think you have to go through the doorway."
"What doorway?" he asked, studying her face. Amazingly enough, she didn't look any older than she had the night before.
"I'll show you," she said grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door.
When they stepped out the door it looked totally different than it had yesterday. It looked as if it had changed from summer to fall I one day. He was about to ask Hermione about it, but she was a little ahead of him, so he ran to catch up and walk beside her around the lake.
They talked about the darkness as they walked. Harry had almost forgotten where they were going when she reached a spot by the lake and stopped. Harry stopped with her and looked around. He could see the lake a few feet away, but it looked darker here. He turned to the other side and saw the forest, it too looked darker. She pointed into the trees.
"It's right there." She whispered.
Harry stepped closer and saw what she was pointing at. It looked like just a normal door, but Harry instantly knew that this was their way out. He pulled her towards it, but she wouldn't move. He was about to turn around see what was wrong when he saw it… the darkness.
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