A/N: This might get a bit heavy on the curse theory as it goes on, just to warn you.
-=-=-=-*-=-=-=-
This was hell, she was sure of it. Another flick, a wave, a whispered transmodus and the mouse (rather alarmingly) transformed into an alarm clock. She'd been able to do this for the best part of a year, why were they going over it again?
These two hours had probably been the most boring of her life. Including that old fraud Trelawney's lessons.
"Hermione," Harry whispered out of the corner of his mouth once McGonagall had moved across the room to inspect Neville's attempts. The boy had only just managed to transmogrify his mouse's ears into bells, giving the poor creature a migraine every time it moved.
"Yeah?" She replied half-heartedly, flicking her wrist again as her alarm clock turned back into its original form. She could have sworn it glared balefully at her.
"What's the matter with you today?" He pressed, successfully transforming his animal again. "I know this is dull, but it's not like you to completely switch off." She looked downwards at the desk, he was right. No matter how boring she found a lesson, she always paid attention, always tried her hardest to find some spark of interest in it.
"I'm just tired, Harry." She sighed. "I haven't been sleeping too well recently."
"Nightmares?" He asked, looking at her directly. She felt his hand intertwine with hers on top of the surface, a gesture of support that made her lips curve upwards.
"No, just general insomnia, I suppose. I'm not used to sleeping on my own…I think Parvati and Lavender conditioned me to rest with noise." She squeezed his hand lightly.
"Yeah, I understand that." Harry agreed sagely. He still hadn't let go. "It's something I'll never forgive Ron for, my inability to have a quiet night's rest." She chuckled softly, surreptitiously glancing at him, thinking it peculiar how his face always seemed to light up with her laugh.
"I'm okay Harry, honestly. My mind is just wandering today." As if proving a point she yawned lightly, using the back of her other hand to cover her mouth as she did so. He was quiet for a moment, as if deep in thought. Her thoughts, on the other hand, were wholly fixated on how he was running the pad of his thumb back and forth over her captive hand subconsciously.
"Alright, well, I'll make the notes in our free periods, okay?" He said finally, her eyes meeting his. Her heart almost melted from the care that she saw there, the concern he had for her well-being.
She wondered how long this could carry on, really, before she imploded.
"You go back up to our rooms," Our rooms! "Get an hour's kip." The look he gave her clearly brokered no argument, and to be honest, she was feeling slightly drained. It was peculiar, they were only two periods into the day, but she felt like she'd written a hundred essays…drained, to tell the truth. She smiled, placing her other hand on top of his, using her thumb this time to lightly stroke his skin.
"Thank you." She said, giving him a small, grateful smile, nearly laughing as he seemed to inflate with pride.
"Any time." He replied courteously, giving her one last grin before removing his hand. She felt a sudden, fleeting sadness at the loss of contact between them then, but McGonagall diverted her attention almost immediately.
"That will be enough for today, class. Please revert your transmogrifications back to their initial forms, and bring them to the front desk. You may go, after that."
A few wand flicks and incantations later, the class was rising to their feet. Hermione swung her bag onto her shoulder, bending to pick her mouse up, when Harry beat her to it.
"May as well take yours back, I have to see her anyway." He explained, nodding his head in the direction of the front desk."
"Okay," Hermione agreed, adjusting the strap of her satchel on her shoulder. "I'll see you in a bit then?" His eyes narrowed, as he put on a mock-stern voice.
"I mean it, Miss Granger. If I see you before lunchtime, I'll be most displeased." She smiled, folding her hands in front of her.
"I wouldn't want to upset the Head Boy now, would I?" She said jokingly, glancing up at the desk. McGonagall had her back to them, clearing the markings and instructions off of the board, wiping it clean for her next class. She didn't know what possessed her to do what she did next, really. On impulse, she leaned forward, placing a soft, gentle kiss on his cheek, lingering for a fraction of a second more than necessary before pulling back. "Thank you, Harry." She said, smiling at his blush.
"Er…no problem, Hermione." He replied in a small voice, not meeting her gaze.
"I'll see you later," She whispered, before leaving the room, and a thoroughly flustered Harry in her wake. Elation flooded her suddenly, not least because of what she'd just dared to do (and she couldn't believe she'd just done that, in front of a teacher no less!), but also, oddly, as the other students began pouring out of the classrooms around her. As she made her way through the crowd, weaving and winding rather than telling people to stay to one side as usual, she spied a familiar head of red hair waiting for her by the stairs. With a smile, she waved to attract Ginny's attention, standing next to a suit of armour as the girl made her way over.
"Hey," she said by way of greeting, adjusting her bag yet again (she was seriously considering a cushioning charm on the strap). Ginny winked in response.
"Hey, how was Transfiguration?" She asked, as the pair began to walk off together automatically, Ginny wrapping her arms protectively around her Defence texts as they made their way towards the Prefect's staircase.
"Dull." She replied; rolling her eyes at the gasp her friend gave out. "Yes, yes, I know. Hermione Granger, finding education boring. I've already had the shock and awe speech from Harry, thank you." Ginny simply laughed in response.
"If it's any consolation, mine was exceedingly dull." She said conversationally, smiling at a fifth-year prefect who held the door open for them as they passed through.
"I thought you liked Defence?" Hermione asked as they began to ascend the staircase towards the fourth floor.
"Oh I do…but Patroni just seem so…"
"Old hat?" She offered, the other girl nodding in response.
"Yeah, doesn't feel like we're really stretching ourselves after…well, you know."
"Yeah…" Hermione agreed half-heartedly. The sooner they were off the topic of Voldemort, the better. There were many things about last year she'd much rather forget, truth be told.
"So…" Ginny said, after they reached the top of the second set of stairs. "Following on from our previous conversation…" At Hermione's groan, she arched an eyebrow. "I don't remember you being so reluctant earlier, missy." She scolded, batting her eyelids and putting on a falsetto, "Reaaallly?"
"Oh, shut up." Hermione grinned bashfully. "I don't deserve this incessant teasing."
"We haven't even got started yet, sweetie." Ginny replied airily as they passed through the double doors that led onto the library level. "Speaking of Harry, where is he?"
"He's just seeing McGonagall about…oh bugger." She trailed off, remembering her promise to Harry that she'd go to bed rather than go to the library. Where she was now.
"Hermione Granger!" Ginny remarked in a scandalous tone. "Doth mine ears deceive me?" A look from Hermione caused her to laugh again. "What's the matter?"
"I promised Harry I'd get some rest instead of going to the library." She replied grumpily, kicking at the floor with the toe of her shoe. "He's going to kill me."
"Oh well," The other girl said, pushing the doors of the library open with one hand as they walked through, talking over her shoulder to Hermione. "That'll have to wait. Girly time is far more important." She added simply, by means of explanation.
"Not in my library, Miss Weasley, Miss Granger." The sharp, authoritarian voice of Madam Pince sounded as soon as they stepped in. "This is a place of reading, and contemplative silence. Not…boy talk. Miss Granger, I expected more of you."
"Sorry Madam Pince." They both mumbled apologetically, waiting until she turned back to her desk with a huff, indicating they could enter.
"Just because we're getting more action than you've had in sixty years…" Ginny whispered under her breath mutinously, glaring at the Librarian, who looked up immediately.
"What was that?" She asked, her eyes narrowing over the tops of her glasses; perched precariously over her small nose.
"Nothing Madam Pince, a question about homework." Ginny replied, the white lie rolling off her tongue as if by second nature. Hermione had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing, the mirth building between the two and threatening to bubble over at any moment. With a dismissive wave of her hand, the two girls rounded the corner, waiting until they were well back in the stacks before allowing themselves to giggle out loud, turning into outright laughter as Ginny inadvertently snorted.
"Oh, very ladylike." Hermione commented, earning her a light slap on the arm from the other girl.
"Be quiet, you." Ginny countered as they both took a seat around a study table. "So anyway, what happened?" She asked, moving her forgotten books over to one side.
"What do you mean?" Hermione replied cautiously, looking pointedly at the books the other girl had shunted to her right.
"We can study in a minute. You, my dear, look like the Kneazle that swallowed the Owl, and I want to know why." There were a few moments of silence as Hermione blushed deeply, looking intently at her folded hands before replying.
"IkindofkissedHarry." She half-whispered, half-murmured.
"Try saying that at less than thirty thousand miles an hour." Ginny replied, arching an eyebrow as she struggled to piece together what she'd said. "Wait…you KISSED Harry?" Her eyes widened, mirrored by Hermione's as the older girl looked around desperately.
"Ginny! Shhh!" She whispered frantically. "On the cheek!"
"Where?" She asked, giving Hermione her full and undivided attention now, her chin resting on the flat of her palm; that in turn propped up by her elbow.
"In Transfiguration." Hermione mumbled again, wishing to whatever powers were listening that the ground would just open her up and swallow her whole. Honestly, where was a Death Eater when you needed one?
"You kissed HARRY in front of McGONAGALL?" Ginny nearly shrieked; clamping a hand over her mouth at the look of pure irritation the other girl sent her.
"Ginny!"
"Sorry." They were quiet for another few moments. "So what did he do?"
"What do you mean, what did he do?"
"What did he say? Actually, hell with that, what did McGonagall say?"
"She didn't actually see it, her back was turned…" Hermione trailed off at the look of glee that crossed Ginny's face. "Oh, do stop it Ginny. I'm not a…a brazen harlot or anything. It was just a friendly kiss on the cheek, for him doing me a favour."
"A favour I see you've ignored." A familiar, deep voice came from right next to them.
"Harry!" Ginny squeaked, rapidly gathering her books to her in an abortive attempt to look like she'd been doing something productive. "How are you? Wait…how long have you been standing there?" Harry ignored her, his piercing gaze fixed on Hermione. She tried to meet it, before sighing.
"Oh, alright." She said resignedly. "I'll go." Ginny just grinned unashamedly as she watched the two of them, chewing the end of her quill absent-mindedly.
"You need some rest." Harry said strictly.
"Yes I know, Harry. I'm going, alright?" She snapped, regretting it almost as soon as she said it. Hurt flashed in his green eyes for a second, before she instinctively took his hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. You're right, I'm irritable."
"It's okay." He smiled, before they both looked down at their linked hands, dropping them suddenly as they realised Ginny was still there, highly amused. Harry cleared his throat a little more loudly than necessary.
"Yes, well…"
"Right, I'll just be…"
"Yeah. See you…"
"…at lunch, yes Harry." She replied, flashing him a smile and giving a small wave to Ginny, who winked in reply before she shouldered her bag once more and made for the library doors. Just as she rounded the edges of the stacks, she felt a small flicker of…wickedness? Or something to that effect as Ginny's voice floated over to her.
"I believe we need to have a few words, Mr. Potter."
Grinning to herself, despite the brief flash of annoyance and panic she felt, she pushed through the Library doors, ignoring Madam Pince's muttered comment that this wasn't a common room as she strode down the hallway towards Gryffindor Tower.
-=-=-=-*-=-=-=-
She was near to the Head suites when it happened. She'd been feeling steadily more and more unwell as she'd made her way through the castle, putting it down to either overtiredness, or other…more feminine problems, even though she wasn't due for a while. The cramps had become more and more insistent as she ascended the stairs, having to stop every flight just to regain her breath before carrying on. Something was wrong, she knew. The pain intensified, spreading from her womb to her stomach, to her head and her chest, spiking outwards with a sharper intensity after every step that she took. As she rounded the corner by the Suites, she decided enough was enough, and it was time she took herself to the infirmary.
She never got further than the adjacent corridor, before a burst of pain sliced through her like a white-hot knife. It burned; it set her senses on fire. God, she'd never experienced anything quite like this. It was agony, it was like she was on fire, it was like she was being stabbed in a hundred different places, her skin flayed and peeled as she lay on the floor, screaming in pain as she curled protectively, shuddering. With a tremendous effort, she began to pull herself forward. She didn't know what direction she was travelling in, any way would be fine, anything to escape this sheer agony. After a few weak, feeble heaves, the pain abated slightly, the intensity faded back to the severe cramps that had almost debilitated her earlier. It hurt, god it hurt more than anything, but it was bliss compared to what she'd just experienced. Dimly, she wondered if that was what the Cruciatus felt like. Tears came unbidden then, a dam broken somewhere as the thought of Harry experiencing that compounded the agony she felt as she sobbed into the floor.
She didn't know how long she was there, crying her soul into the cold stone before she felt rather than heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. As she phased in and out of a hazy, dreamlike state, punctuated by the sharp, sickening stabs of the pain that wracked her body, as if someone were withdrawing a dagger only to plunge it in elsewhere, she heard parts of a conversation, people talking over her.
"…found her just like this Professorhead, screaming all kinds o' murder…"
"She was laying right here Peeves, you're certain?"
"…no Mister Dumbledore sir…Peevesy swears he found her further up…"
"…Granger…Ger…Miss Granger, can you hear me?"
Through bleary eyes, she looked up and moaned, the all-consuming pain in her head making even such a simple movement a moment of pure torture.
"Miss Granger?" The voice asked. Without thinking on what she was doing, she nodded shakily once, twice. As she laid her head down, pain flashed white-hot through her again and she cried out, clutching at her stomach instinctively, though it was her entire body that hurt. He was talking again, the person. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but he sounded familiar. Soothing, comforting, safe. She liked safe, maybe he could stop this. Harry would stop it, Harry would help her.
"Harry?" She managed as she felt herself be moved upwards, gathered into strong arms.
"Not quite, Hermione." The soft voice came again, though she couldn't place it. They were moving, it seemed. She risked opening her eyes to find herself pressed against blue satin and white, soft hair. With a superhuman effort, she managed to crane her head slightly upwards, to see two worried, light blue eyes staring down at her from beneath a very familiar pointed hat.
"Professor Dumbledore?" She asked weakly. His gaze softened for a second, as he nodded.
"Yes, Miss Granger. You remember?" He asked quietly, taking care to steer her safely through a door. Vaguely, she was aware of several smaller figures moving around beneath her, but she couldn't see that way, so she let it slide from her mind. The pain was becoming less intense anyway, the stabbing sensation slowing in frequency and amplitude as he carried her further, through twisting hallways and stairs.
"Your…hat…" She murmured, allowing her eyes to close once more as her head lolled back. She felt Dumbledore's chest vibrate slightly as (she assumed) he chuckled.
"Yes, it is rather distinctive, isn't it? And to think, it sat in Madam Malkins for thirty years before I purchased it." Hermione tried to laugh, tried to do anything, but the exertion had taken so much out of her that even the dull ache that permeated her body seemed too intense to deal with.
With a small sigh, she slipped into blessed unconsciousness.
-=-=-=-*-=-=-=-
"You must be mistaken, Poppy."
"I assure you Severus, my methods are quite accurate."
"Of course, I meant no offence. But…the Separatus curse?"
"It is quite a shock, I do agree. Poppy, can they be helped?"
"I've given Granger and Weasley both several doses of Conforto Solution."
"That is generally used for Cruciatus victims, not for-"
"The effects in this case were essentially the same. Miss Granger must have tested the utmost limits of the proximity charm."
Hermione opened her eyes slowly at the sound of voices around her, the dull, throbbing ache in her head making her wince against the light of the room she was in. Mentally, she tried to take stock of her situation. She was on a bed, which indicated the Hospital Wing. She could move her fingers and toes, which was good. As the blurry images that greeted her came into focus, she found the red blur coalesced slowly into the image of Ginny, her eyes open and staring. As she shifted, the other girl's attention came to her.
"Hey," She said softly, giving her a small smile.
"Hey…" Hermione murmured. "Are you alright?" Ginny just shrugged.
"If you count feeling like you've been dragged naked through a field of razor wire as alright, yeah."
"Tell me about it." Hermione groaned, moving so she was on her back.
"I suppose there's little point in asking how you feel then?" The matronly voice of Madam Pomfrey reached her ears from her left, but as she turned her head to look in that direction, the nurse was already standing over her, running her wand steadily up and down Hermione's slight frame.
"I'm okay…" Hermione breathed, the aching in her head making her feel like someone had used an engorgio charm on her brain.
"You most certainly are not." Madam Pomfrey replied brusquely. "You have just undergone severe trauma to your nervous system, and were it up to me…" She broke off at this point and glared at something behind her. Hermione's unspoken question was answered as Dumbledore stepped into view, flanked by Snape. "…I can assure you that you would not be leaving this bed for a week!" She clucked her tongue, rummaging in her pharmaceutical tray for a moment, before retrieving an ornately decorated flask. Popping the stopper, she thrust it under the girl's nose. "Here, drink. I daresay it'll alleviate the headache and muscle cramp." Hermione took the flask obediently, glancing quickly at Ginny who made a gagging face.
Oh, good.
Still, if anything would get rid of this damn migraine…without another thought she tipped the contents into her mouth, swallowing as quickly as she could in order to avoid the taste before she drained it.
"Blegh." Was all she managed to say, after a moment, followed by a brief hiccup. Madam Pomfrey sniffed as she took the flask off her.
"Well, I'm sorry it couldn't be up to the standards of House Elf cuisine, but I daresay it's better for you than a slice of pumpkin pie right now."
"I don't know about that…" Hermione grimaced. She was right though; the pressure behind her eyes began to subside, as if a cloud had obscured an oppressively hot sun from view, its cooling rain refreshing everything around and inside her. She allowed herself a few moments then to close her eyes, letting the magically induced relaxation wash over her, sighing as she felt herself sink into the mattress. When she opened her eyes again, the light was far less oppressive, her vision clearer and her head much less muddled. The amused face of Albus Dumbledore greeted her.
"Better?" He asked softly, smiling benignly, but for the first time that she could remember, it failed to reach his eyes.
"Professor…" She said, attempting to push herself up on the bed, but giving up at a severe look from Madam Pomfrey. "What…what happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember, Hermione?" He asked gently, glancing questioningly at the foot of her bed. She nodded hurriedly and shifted slightly, allowing him room to perch on the edge, looking thoughtfully down at her over his half-moon spectacles.
"I…I remember leaving the Library…" She began, a faint smile clouding her features as she recalled holding Harry's hand, their awkward exchange that had done more to affirm Ginny's declaration in her mind than anything today. "I was going back to my room, and I started feeling uncomfortable…"
"Did the feeling worsen, the farther you travelled from the Library?" Dumbledore asked softly. She nodded in response.
"When I reached my quarters I…I've never felt anything like it…" She trailed off quietly, closing her eyes against the brief flashes of memory that assailed her. She never wanted to remember that feeling again.
"It's alright, Hermione." Dumbledore said, the use of her first name sounding slightly unnatural, but comforting all the same.
"Wait…why is Ginny here?" She asked, looking over at the red-haired girl, who smiled sadly.
"Because the same thing happened to me, I assume, the further away you got." She sighed, her eyes slightly glassy.
"Oh, Gin…" Hermione breathed.
"Miss Weasley is quite correct in her assumption." Dumbledore broke in, interrupting the silent communication of apology and questioning that was transmitted between the two. "It seems, the further that you two travelled from each other, the more intense your symptoms became, until…"
"…Until we suffered the equivalent of a Cruciatus curse." She finished for him softly. Dumbledore merely gazed at her, his eyes seemingly filled with sorrow. "There must have been a proximity charm, perhaps a delayed-release curse set to go off when we were far enough away from each other to prevent someone getting to us at the same time…"
"Hermione," The ancient wizard cut in, "You are correct in those assumptions, but we already know what the curse is." There was a few moments pause, before Hermione spoke up impatiently.
"And?"
"I wonder, Miss Granger." Snape's silken voice jumped in. "Have you ever heard of the Separatus curse?" Hermione shook her head, glancing at Ginny, who looked just as confused. Snape in turn glanced at the Headmaster, who nodded at him to continue.
"Please, I want to know." Ginny said quietly from her bed. The Potions Master seemed to sag slightly, before beginning.
"It is a blended form of a proximity charm, a dependency curse…" He trailed off, looking both of them in the eye before continuing. "…And the Imperius and Cruciatus curses." Both the girls gasped, and Madam Pomfrey looked away, busying herself with her potions rack. Hermione could have sworn she saw a tear glistening on her cheek.
"Why would someone make something so vile?" Ginny whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"The same logic applies to those that created the Unforgivables, the enslavement of magical creatures, the strictures of laws that remain oppressive to this day." Snape replied dismissively. "Motives aside, you need to know what it is you're dealing with, and you need to be prepared." He paused for a few moments then, daring them to interrupt. Hermione felt a flare of indignation then, but she was sure it wasn't coming from her. She glanced at Ginny, the girl's dislike of their Potions Master etched on her face, and suddenly, she understood.
She understood everything.
The ups and downs of her moods, and her inattentiveness in class could be put down to it so easily. God, even her boldness in kissing Harry on the cheek. It hadn't even been her…
She knew what he was going to say before his mouth opened, knew the words before they appeared on his tongue.
"The Separatus curse employs these different branches of hex and curse, and is thus named because of its primary usage, back when the spell itself was new and practiced. It is of course, now, highly illegal. Knowledge of its existence is tightly controlled and restricted only to Unspeakables, and those engaged actively in research with them." He walked around to the foot of Ginny's bed, glancing down the row of cots as if searching for some inscrutable meaning in the daylight filtering through the large windows. "Its use was most markedly recorded during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, its primary function being a tool of vengeance against unfaithful lovers, or retribution against humiliation suffered. The curse binds two people in what is essentially an emotional symbiosis, an empathic bond if you will. Their emotions travel freely through this channel between the two people. You will have noticed already, I'm sure, behaviour that doesn't seem like your own. Moments of excitement perhaps whilst performing an otherwise mundane task?"
"I remember elation…as I was climbing the Great Staircase…" Ginny murmured thoughtfully. "I just assumed I was loving the architecture…" At Hermione's legs, Dumbledore chuckled lightly.
"Yes, quite. I'm sure Miss Granger has had similar experiences." Hermione felt her face warm slightly as she felt Ginny's eyes on her, willing her to just look away. "This lateral bleed of emotion, whilst hazardous and…distracting enough in itself, is not the most dangerous aspect of the curse."
"The proximity charm." Hermione murmured, silencing everyone in the room. "It must have been employed…against an adulterous couple say…they could never be apart from each other, or it would kill them. Ironic." She glanced up then, at the slightly horrified gaze that Snape was giving her. "Erm…" She stammered quickly, "Sadistic, of course, and utterly sociopathic really does go without saying…"
"Regardless," Snape cut in coldly. "You two are now…bonded, for lack of a better word. The pain you felt earlier was Miss Granger testing the boundaries of how far the curse will permit you to travel alone."
"Can nothing be done?" Hermione asked quietly. Dumbledore shifted, standing then as the eyes in the room fell on him.
"I am…exploring different avenues, Miss Granger." He replied, his voice soft, but commanding. " We are fortunate, however, that we have one aspect on our side. The creation of curses demands balance, always and forever, as you know. The Cruciatus curse, for instance, saps the caster's own life energy to produce the immense overload of the nervous system that is symptomatic of its effect. The Avada Kedavra, whilst an effective killing tool, expends its enormous energy at the price of fracturing the caster's soul piece by piece every time it is utilised. You have seen, yes, how many Death Eaters appeared wholly immoral, inhumanly numb at times?" Hermione nodded thoughtfully.
"So the extended use of the Imperius…?" She started, finally seeing that familiar twinkle return ever so slightly to her Headmaster's eyes.
"…eventually saps the self, the ego and the id of the caster, you are quite right. It will leave them hollow, with no real personal will of their own, just a mindless drive to dominate. You yourself saw how Tom Riddle used those three curses almost exclusively on a daily basis. He lost not only his own personality, that charismatic charm he used to build himself a following in the first place, but his sense of morality, and his own precious life force. It explained his deformities, and how he appeared less and less human every time I met him. In the end, all that he had left was his cruel will to dominate, a hatred for himself and the life he'd chosen to lead."
"So what you're saying is…" Hermione chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Although this curse creates a link, and a physical need to be close to each other, it also has…what…a limit on how much it can affect you with no caster to draw constant strength from? The spell will degrade, after time?"
"As always, Miss Granger, I am humbled by your astounding insight and intellect." He smiled then, as the girl blushed deeply. Snape looked slightly ill. "You are correct on both counts. Since the spell is finite, by which I mean, it is cast and does not require constant concentration from the one who initially performed it; it has no source from which to draw the tremendous energies required to maintain the Imperius and Cruciatus functions. That is to say, the penalty for exceeding the limitations of the proximity charm, and the opening of one mind to another through the empathic link you now share."
"So how long will it take?" Ginny asked, having been surprisingly quiet as she absorbed the information pouring from the three other occupants of the room, not counting Madam Pomfrey of course.
"We do not know." Snape replied. "Judging by the Arithmantic calculations that the Headmaster and I have been theorising, it could be anywhere from between three to seven days. I suggest assuming it is the higher end of the scale."
"Ever the optimist, Severus." Madam Pomfrey observed quietly from her potions cabinet, having listened intently to every word.
"Ever the pragmatist, Poppy." Snape corrected, his expression and manner as unflappable as ever.
"I agree with Professor Snape," Dumbledore interjected gently. "You must prepare for the worst case scenario, which is, as has been said, a week. Theoretically."
"Theoretically?" Ginny asked, as her voice rose slightly in pitch. "You mean you don't know?"
"If you care to look over our equations, please, feel free Miss Weasley." Snape said coolly. "I daresay the Headmaster and I have overlooked details that are well within the capabilities a sixth year who does not even take the subject to spot."
"That will do, Severus." Dumbledore commanded, his voice never raising a decibel in volume, but ringing with authority.
"Headmaster." Snape deferred, slinking back to the far wall.
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione began, feeling the confidence to continue when his ice-blue eyes focused in on her, giving her his complete attention. "You once told us that curses such as the Avada Kedavra, the Cruciatus and the Imperius operate off of base emotions..."
"That is correct, Miss Granger." He agreed, his head inclining.
"Indeed." Snape also concurred. "The base emotion of the Killing Curse is of course hatred, a desire to destroy, to burn and sack. To utter annihilate. It requires a darkness of a certain calibre to utilise effectively."
"Yes sir…" Hermione replied nervously, slightly sickened by the way in which such a vile emotion was described almost lovingly by the man. "And the Cruciatus?" She wasn't sure she even wanted an answer, but felt it was appropriate to defer, in this case.
"That, Miss Granger, is fuelled by anger. Many people mistake the base emotion as hatred, but it is not true. To want to torture, to want to maintain that agony, prolong it for a length of your choosing, you must feel pure anger towards someone. Not hatred, because the Cruciatus is a subtle device, not as blunt as the Avada Kedavra nor as impersonal. You must want to hurt, but not to kill."
Ginny looked like Hermione felt.
"I see…" She said, breathing slightly irregularly as she recovered. "So technically speaking, if the Separatus curse operates off of those…negative…emotions, then surely their polar opposites would have a completely different effect?"
"I'm not sure I follow you," Madam Pomfrey said, she herself looking less than impressed with Snape's…slightly too authoritative and personal explanation of the Unforgivables.
"What Miss Granger is saying, I believe," Dumbledore started, his eyes still focused on hers, as the twinkle seemed to return full scale. "Is that by utilising the mirror image of the emotions which fuel the two most powerful components of the curse, the Cruciatus and Imperius, you will in fact serve to weaken the power base of the spell even further, degrading the magical hold it has on you at an accelerated rate." Hermione simply nodded in response, her head still whirling from all the information she had absorbed…some of it not entirely willingly, if the vaguely disgusted feeling she felt at the moment wasn't just her own.
"I believe that tampering with these curses is unwise, let alone challenging their power." Snape said uneasily. "We have managed to alter the proximity charm to allow a much farther distance to be maintained, the length of the castle and slightly beyond, but that is all that we have attempted in good conscience."
"Nevertheless, Professor Snape, it does bear mentioning to our…consultants, does it not?" Dumbledore said gently.
"Of course, Headmaster."
"This, I believe, brings us on to the final and most important aspect of the curse." Dumbledore said, fixing both of them with his gaze. "Since it was designed specifically for unfaithful couples it should not surprise you, but you must not inform the one for whom you feel romantic affection, or anything surpassing the connection of friendship, of this condition until it passes. To do so would cement the link between you, making it impossible to break. In its infantile stage right now, there is a possibility we can break it sooner, or it will, as you have so cleverly surmised, degrade over time. Feed its existence, break the incantation however, and you will trap yourselves under its effects."
"Therefore, Miss Weasley, under no circumstances are you to inform Mr. Malfoy of the events that have taken place here today. Likewise, Miss Granger, you are not to inform Mr. P-"
"Yes Headmaster," Hermione said quickly, blushing horribly not only at the implication of what he was about to say, but also at her rudeness in cutting the Professor off. With a grateful glance to Ginny for lending her the famed Weasley temperament, if only for a moment, she smiled slightly at Dumbledore's amused glance.
"Very well. You both understand what is to be done?"
"Yes, Professor." The two girls chimed.
"Good. Severus, I believe we must let Poppy tend to her patients. Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, good day to you. My door is always open." As Madam Pomfrey fussed over the two of them with muscle relaxant potions, pepper-ups and all manner of strange concoctions, the two men left without another word, leaving Hermione and Ginny alone, and deeply, deeply troubled.
Within the hour, and under (as she kept mentioning every ten minutes) extreme objection from Madam Pomfrey, the two girls were released, having been dosed up more than either could remember in their life. The walk back towards Gryffindor tower was quiet, both of them reeling slightly from the revelations of the day.
"Who do you think it was?" Ginny suddenly asked, her voice subdued and quiet as they made their way through the corridor. Hermione sighed, looking up at the ceiling, as if the answer would be written there amongst the stone.
"I don't know." She answered simply. To tell the truth, the list was rather extensive. It wouldn't have taken much for a Death Eater to have cast the Imperius upon a student, have them curse Ginny and herself at breakfast…and now that she thought back; that was where it had all started.
"Hermione, I…" Ginny began, but was cut off by the older girl's hand being raised.
"Don't, Ginny." She replied softly. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay." The other girl acquiesced, and the silence fell over them once more as they made their way through the castle. After several long minutes, however, she spoke up again. "Look, Hermione, I need to ask you something." They stopped in the corridor, the youngest Weasley slightly shocked to see tears glistening in her friend's eyes. The surprise must have registered through their link, because her body suddenly convulsed involuntarily with a sob, as Ginny's arms went around her.
"Oh, honey…" She cooed softly, rubbing the girl's back and stroking her hair as she cried into her shoulder. It was hard not to cry herself; she felt how upset her friend was, how sad and how angry through their connection, the damn thing acting like a funnel for their most guarded feelings. After a while, Hermione's sobs began to slow, eventually ceasing as she pulled back, wiping her eyes.
"I know what you're going to ask, and it's fine." Hermione said, sniffing slightly. "Go, see him tonight."
"But…our link…" Ginny began, but was cut off once more.
"Is best fought with the kind of things that make you happy. He makes you happy, therefore, it's a good thing." She smiled then, giving her eyes one final wipe with the back of her sleeve. "Besides," she sniffed, through a slightly congested-sounding voice. "Now the boys can't ever say you're not really in love, eh? I know for sure."
Neither of them knew what it was that made them lose it at that point. Perhaps it was desperation, perhaps it was sheer exhaustion. Maybe it was a mix of the two, but they laughed. Not just amicable giggling, but full-pelt, ribcage-holding, side-splitting laughter. As it began to hurt, they slowed, until they were eventually gasping for breath against the wall, eyes streaming.
"God…" Hermione breathed, panting like she'd run a marathon in five minutes. "Never do that again."
"What?"
"Make me laugh."
"Right." Ginny replied wearily, leaning back against the cool stonework of the corridor. "What are you doing tonight?"
"Helping Harry with his…" She trailed off, eyes growing wide. Ginny jumped up as a stab of panic shot through her also.
"What? What is it?"
"Harry! Oh, he's going to be so worried! What do I tell him? I can't tell him the truth about this!"
"Oh?" Ginny said slowly, grinning. "And why's that?" Hermione frowned, placing her hands on her hips.
"This is no time for that, Ginevra."
"Hmm, I've got two words for you, Hermione. Two words that'll stop him prying into anything you don't want him to, when he asks what you were doing."
"What's that?"
"Girl talk."
-=-=-=-*-=-=-=-
Author's Note:
Here's the second chapter then. It was slightly dialogue heavy, I know, and I hope you didn't get too bored with my exploration of the spellwork, but I thought it was a necessary part.
So, what's next? Ginny meets Malfoy, and we see what effect that has on Hermione through their connection, Pansy admires her handiwork, Dumbledore talks to an old friend and Transfiguration homework takes an unexpected turn.
Now, if you read, I ask simply that you review :) Even if it's just a comment, it's nice to see some feedback. A special thank you to Heather11483 (check out her fics here) and Tank03 for their in-depth opinions on the first chapter.
Take care,
- Castledown.