"Love Almost Lost"
Chapter 5 Hermione Has Problems
A/N: Holidays are over, time to post. Since this chapter and the next one seem short to me I'll be posting both of them. As always the usual disclaimer applies. And thank you to all who have read and to all who have reviewed.
Harry was standing by the lake at Hogwarts. It was a beautiful sunny day and in his arms was the young woman he loved more than life itself. In his arms was his Hermione and she was looking up at him smiling brightly.
Suddenly, a harsh sound threatened his wonderful moment. No! He didn't want to leave. Hermione was in his arms, she was fine, she was alive. For a moment everything went black.
The sound grated across his ears again as he thrashed around and finally fell out of bed. Hitting the floor immediately brought him back to consciousness. He realized he'd been dreaming, however the dream was gone now, but the horrible sound wasn't. He heard it again. It sounded like a cross between a cough and a gagging sound. Then he realized the sound was coming from Hermione.
He jumped up off the floor and hurried over to her. She was still unconscious but sounded like she was choking. The scene that greeted him froze his heart. Hermione was coughing up and gagging on her own blood.
He tore out of her room screaming at the top of his lungs for help. Tears streamed down his face as he ran to the Healer station, but he was in such a state of shock he couldn't talk. He grabbed a Healer and tried to drag her back to Hermione's room. Upon realizing who he was, she began running towards the room.
Seeing the condition Hermione was in, the Healer hit a button on the wall Harry had never noticed before. Suddenly, four more Healers apparated into her room. One of the Healers walked up to Harry and said,
"Mr. Potter, I am Healer Pruitt. We need to help your friend, but you need to go to the waiting area. When she is stable, I will come and get you personally. Don't worry, Mr. Potter, she is in the best of hands."
Reluctantly, he left the room while they worked on Hermione. Harry relaxed some knowing so many people were trying to help his love.
He wandered down to the waiting area which was a fairly good size room, with many tables and chairs, and quite a few old Wizarding magazines. He tried to sit down, but he was too agitated with worry, so he got back up and started pacing. Then he remembered Dumbledore's words.
He headed back to the Healer station and asked the young looking witch there if she could contact Professor Dumbledore and have him come to the hospital immediately? Seeing the urgency in his face she said she would do it right then. He thanked her and headed back to the waiting area.
He instantly began pacing again. All he could think was please don't let Hermione die. He knew he could not bear to live if she died. Finally, he just couldn't take it anymore as his emotions overwhelmed him. Harry sat down with his head in his hands and cried. He cried like he never had before, and he didn't give a damn if anybody saw him. His heart was on the verge of shattering.
Albus Dumbledore rushed into the waiting area.
"Harry, I got here as quick as I could. What has happened?" asked the headmaster.
"I'm not sure, sir. She had some kind of difficulty breathing, she was coughing up blood, and she sounded like she was choking. There was blood everywhere. It was horrible," answered Harry as tears continued to roll uncontrollably down his cheeks.
Professor Dumbledore gently placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and said softly,
"Harry, let's go talk to the Healers and find out what happened."
They both walked up to the Healer station. They arrived almost the same time as Healer Pruitt. Dumbledore went over and conversed with the night shift Healer for a few moments then he returned to Harry.
"Let's go back to the waiting area," said the headmaster.
Harry didn't like the sound of Dumbledore's voice, something was wrong. He could feel it. He started to get that cold feeling again that went all the way to his soul. Back in the deserted waiting room he had Harry sit down. He looked at him and gently said,
"Harry, the Healers were able to stabilize Miss Granger and she is breathing a little better now, but, this is not a good sign. It means she is deteriorating quicker than they had anticipated. She will be getting worse, and if things remain unchanged, she has less than three days."
Harry looked at Dumbledore and asked, "How much longer does Professor Snape have with the potion?"
"The potion should be ready in a day and a half at the most, but, I was going to see Professor Snape to see how he is progressing," said the headmaster.
"Professor, may I come with you?" asked Harry.
"Yes, certainly you may come with me," said the professor.
They left the waiting area and stopped briefly at Hermione's room. The Healers had her stabilized and had cleaned up all the blood. Her breathing did sound a little better, but he noticed she seemed thinner and, if possible, paler than she had been earlier. He stood by her, picked up her hand, and held it tightly.
Softly, he said, "Hang on just a little while longer. Less than two days, that's all we need. I love you, Hermione."
He leaned over slowly and kissed her, then he left the room with Professor Dumbledore on a trip to Hogwarts.