~A/N> Sorry this is a couple days late. I live in Southern California where all the fires were, and it got close
enough that my family and I almost had to evacuate. Needless to say, things have been really stressful lately. Just to
let you all know, this is the last pre-written chapter of The Guardian 2, so I don't know when I'll be posting
the next chapter. I'm going to try to have it done by the weekend, but I'm not promising anything. Big thanks
to everyone that has read/reviewed so far, and HUGS to Lisa for being a fantastic friend and inspiration. I am so lucky
to have readers and friends like you :) I hope you enjoy the chapter!
The floo ride did nothing but make Hermione's body hurt more, and her stomach turn uneasily. Holding onto Jakob for dear life, she prayed that they would get to Grimmauld Place soon. Her lightheadedness was worsening as well, making her fight to stay conscious as they slowed, nearing their destination.
Unceremoniously tumbling out of the fireplace, they landed in a heap on the floor. Opening her eyes, her stomach lurched while the room spun above her, and giving into the darkness pressing down upon her, she fainted.
"What the hell was that noise?" someone shouted from upstairs as Jakob carefully stood up, taking in his surroundings.
"We made it," he said, looking down to where Hermione still lay on the floor. Seeing that her eyes were closed, Jakob bent down and shook her slightly, trying to rouse her. Starting to panic, he checked her for any injuries she could've sustained without him knowing, and found none. Placing his hands on either side of her face, he said, "Hermione? C'mon, wake up for me kiddo."
Harry, followed by everyone else that was in the house, hurriedly made his way to the top of the stairs. Looking down upon the scene below, he could only see two figures near the floor and he drew his wand, holding his hand up to stop everyone else from coming any closer. Descending the steps slowly, making no noise whatsoever, he made his way toward the fireplace where the strange figures remained.
As he got closer he caught a snippet of something one of them was saying, and hearing Hermione's name mentioned he immediately cast a spell to light all the candles in the room. Able to see everything clearly now, his eyes fell upon Hermione's prone form on the floor with Jakob kneeling next to her. Seeing Jakob touching her face made Harry feel something he hadn't felt for a very long time, and loathe to put a name to it, he pushed the feeling away and approached them.
"You need to wake up, Hermione," Jakob was saying, and anything Harry had been feeling before instantly vanished when he realized that she wasn't moving.
Kneeling down next to her, opposite Jakob, Harry looked from her pale face to Jakob's worried one and asked, "What happened?"
Moving so that he was no longer touching her, Jakob replied, "Damien found us."
The concern he was feeling was now joined by fear. "Was she hit by a curse?"
"I don't think so," Jakob replied, looking up to meet Harry's eyes. "She was conscious when she got me into the floo. She saved me tonight."
Harry could hear the pride in Jakob's voice as he said it, and all the jealousy and insecurities he had felt during their separation resurfaced, unbidden, warring with the fear and concern. Looking back down to Hermione, he noticed that her eyelids were fluttering. Hoping that it meant she was waking up, he placed his hand gently on her forehead and whispered, "Hermione?"
"Jakob?" she mumbled, and Harry closed his eyes as that one word caused his chest to tighten. Fighting back his hurt pride, cursing himself for being a jealous prat at an inappropriate time, he said, "No, it's Harry."
She opened her eyes then, and seeing Harry next to her she said, "I'm so glad you're okay." Trying to sit up, she was glad when Harry and Jakob put their hands on her back to help her because she had no strength left at all. Missing the look of contempt that Harry darted Jakob's way, she drew in a deep breath and releasing it slowly she said, "If your mother hadn't warned me that Damien was coming, Jakob and I would probably be dead."
"My mum warned you?" Harry asked, surprised.
"If she hadn't, we would have never known Damien was there," Jakob added. "I don't know how he got past all the wards and Guardian protections, or why the trespasser wards didn't alert us..."
Looking around quickly, Harry asked, "Where's Sorcha?"
"She left," Hermione answered.
"She had to go away for a while," Jakob replied, shooting an annoyed look Hermione's way. "She has a few things she needs to work through before she can concentrate on training Hermione."
"Then what's Hermione supposed to do for her training now?" Harry asked, annoyed. "You two keep Hermione sequestered in that huge house all alone with the pretense that she has top secret, all-important training to go through, and then Sorcha just leaves?"
"It doesn't concern you, Harry," Jakob said, authority ringing in his voice.
"Like hell it doesn't," Harry countered, "She's my Guardian, she's...more than that..."
"Well, I've taken over as her trainer now, so you won't have to worry that your Guardian can't keep you safe."
While Harry and Jakob angrily stared at each other in a battle of male pride, Hermione sighed and tried to stand up. Moving faster than her body liked, she gasped as a wave of pain washed over her, her muscles burning with the slight exertion. Grateful when Harry quickly stood and wrapped an arm around her waist, she leaned against him and said, "I'm really tired, and I just want to go lay down now."
"I'll help you up to your room," Harry offered, before Jakob could get a word in edgewise. As he started to walk upstairs with her, his arm still wrapped protectively around her, Harry turned back to Jakob and said, "Feel free to stay in any of the rooms on the third floor. Everyone else sleeps in one of the rooms on the second floor."
Turning his full attention back to Hermione, Harry walked with her the rest of the way up the stairs, glad that she was back with him but still concerned about her. Her steps were awkward, and it seemed as if she didn't have the strength to even hold her head up. At the top of the stairs waited Luna, Ron, Remus, and Tonks, their attention riveted to Hermione as she stumbled on the last step.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Luna asked, looking over her worriedly for any signs of spellfire.
"I'll be fine," Hermione said, tiredness lacing each word. "I think I just have the flu, and with everything that happened tonight, I'm exhausted. I just want to sleep."
As they walked toward her room again after greeting everyone else, Luna leaned in close to Harry and whispered, "Why don't you stay with her, and I'll sleep in your room with Ron?"
"Thanks, Luna," Harry replied gratefully. When she just smiled at him in return, he helped Hermione the short distance to her room and opened the door for her. Letting her walk in by herself, Harry followed closely behind her, noting how she shuffled her feet across the floor. When she sank down onto the side of the bed, barely keeping herself sitting upright, she mumbled, "I forgot, I didn't bring anything with me except my wand. I don't have anything to sleep in except the clothes I have on."
Making his way across the room, Harry went into the wardrobe and rummaged through the clothes. Finding pajamas that belonged to Luna, he held them out to her and asked, "Will these do?"
"Thanks," she replied, accepting them gratefully. When she started to remove her top, Harry felt inclined to turn around so that she could change without him staring at her. Unable to completely resist, he peeked over his shoulder quickly, but had enough time to glimpse her bare chest and stomach. Thinking himself a pervert for wanting her when she was obviously sick and exhausted, he cursed himself and his overactive libido.
Amused by his actions, Hermione pulled the shirt over her head and said, "You can turn around now, Mr. Manners."
Glad to hear a hint of amusement amongst the tiredness in her voice, he turned to smile at her and said, "It's only polite not to stare."
"And it's polite to peek?"
His cheeks reddening at being caught, he walked over and sat down next to her on the bed. When she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her and said, "I'm glad you're back."
"I'm glad to be back, I only wish it was under different circumstances."
Glancing at the watch he always wore, Harry saw that it was almost four in the morning and remarked, "It's going to be Christmas Day in less than twenty hours."
"At least I'll be with you," Hermione said, yawning loudly afterwards.
"Under the blankets with you," Harry ordered. "We don't want you sick for Christmas."
Just then, a knock sounded and without waiting for a response, Jakob opened the door. Spotting them sitting on the bed together, Jakob eyed them suspiciously as he asked, "Shouldn't you be returning to your room now, Harry?"
Harry, getting annoyed at the way Jakob kept prying, said, "You know, we are both of age. And it's not as if we haven't..."
"I want him to stay," Hermione interrupted, wondering at Harry's sudden possessiveness while praying that he wouldn't finish his sentence.
"You're his Guardian, you're not supposed to..."
"I want him to stay."
"She wants me to stay," Harry repeated, a smug look on his face.
His eyes narrowing, Jakob stared at Harry for a moment before turning to look at Hermione. Seeing how tired she looked, and the way her eyes seemed to plead with him to just let it go, he sighed in defeat and said, "I'll see you in the morning, Hermione."
Without another word, Jakob made his way into the hallway and allowing himself to think on Harry's behavior, he smiled, convinced more than ever that Harry loved Hermione. Even though Harry liked to push his patience, Jakob knew that he would do anything for Hermione, and right now that was just what she needed. The holidays were meant to be spent with the ones you loved, and with a tired sigh he thought about Sorcha and how much he missed her. Shaking his head to clear the thought of her away, he slowly ascended the stairs to the third floor to find somewhere to sleep, praying that the rest of the night would remain peaceful.
~*~
After falling asleep wrapped in Harry's arms, Hermione woke up three hours later feeling sick. Trying not to wake him in her haste to get to the bathroom, she slid out of his hold and ran from the room, into the loo across the hallway. Making it just in time, she threw up over and over again. Feeling the muscles in her stomach start to cramp, she moaned as her entire body hurt.
She didn't know how long she'd been in there, but after another horrible bought of sickness she jumped when she felt a hand on her back.
"Shhh, it's just me," Harry said quietly, rubbing her back lightly. "Are you okay? I was worried when I woke up and you were gone, and then I heard you in here getting sick."
"It's this damn flu," she said, her voice hoarse. She was exhausted, she hurt all over, and she felt like crying just because she felt so bad. Feeling her stomach turn again, she quickly positioned herself over the toilet and hated that Harry was there to see her this way.
Finally feeling like she could return to bed, she stood up and made her way to the sink, brushing her teeth. After splashing cold water on her face, she turned to grab a towel and stopped as she felt Harry gently drying her face for her. When he finished, she looked at him and whispered, "Thank you," smiling lovingly at him.
"Let's get you back to bed," he replied, taking her hand in his. Letting him lead the way, she followed him back into the bedroom and lay down with him again. As they both lay with their backs to the wall, Harry wrapped his arm around her and held her until she drifted off to sleep once more. Trying not to let his concern for her overwhelm him, he found sleep to be fleeting in the wake of his worry and he sighed, unconsciously tightening his hold on her. After an hour of staring at the back of her head, he finally felt his eyelids become heavy, and he drifted off to sleep as well.
Four hours later he awoke, so warm that he had broken out into a sweat. With his arms still around Hermione, his chest pressed against her back, Harry realized that it was Hermione that was burning up. Sitting up, he moved one of his hands up to her forehead and knew instantly that she was feverish. Trying to rouse her from sleep, he couldn't get her to wake and he immediately panicked. Getting out of bed quickly, he dashed from the room and went downstairs, into the kitchen. Seeing Remus and Tonks sitting at the table he said, "Hermione's really sick. She needs help."
As flashes of worry crossed their features, Remus and Tonks got up and quickly followed Harry back to the bedroom. Tonks went to the bedside and waving her wand over Hermione's body she looked back to Remus and said, "We need Madame Pomfrey, now."
With a nod of his head, Remus silently left the room and went back downstairs to floo the nurse at Hogwarts. Harry, coming up to stand next to Tonks asked, "She's going to be okay, isn't she? She said she just had the flu..."
"Madame Pomfrey will be able to tell us more," Tonks replied, trying to give him a reassuring smile.
Waiting for Remus to return was enough to drive Harry mad. He seemed to take forever, and with each passing minute his worry for Hermione's health grew. She was so pale, the circles under her eyes so dark, and sweat beaded upon her forehead due to the fever.
"Everyone out please so that I can examine Miss Granger," Madame Pomfrey ordered, pulling Harry from his thoughts. As Remus and Tonks walked out Harry stood where he was and the nurse affixed him with a stern look as she added, "That means you as well, Mister Potter."
"But..."
"Out, now," she ordered.
Mumbling incoherently under his breath, Harry turned and stalked out of the room, cursing the nurse to hell and back for her stubborness. As the door shut behind him, Harry joined Remus in the hallway, while Tonks made her way back to the kitchen to clean up. As the two of them shared small talk, trying to pass the time, Jakob came down from the third floor. Spotting them instantly he looked at the closed door of Hermione's room and turned his questioning gaze to Remus. "What's going on?"
"Hermione's sick," Harry replied, his temper flaring even more. When Jakob turned to look at him, he said, "She's been up and down all night, and when I woke up this morning she was burning up with a fever."
"I believe I asked Remus," Jakob stated, arching an eyebrow at Harry, stoking his ire even more.
"And I believe I answered your question, seeing as I've been the one with her all night long, caring for her," Harry countered belligerently.
"I need to check on her," Jakob said, moving toward the closed door.
"Madame Pomfrey is in with her right now, examining her," Remus stated. "She asked us to wait out here."
"That's you two," Jakob replied. "I'm her trainer, her health and safety are my responsibility now." And with that he opened the door and walked in.
When the door closed behind Jakob, Harry waited to hear the nurse's stern lecture about privacy, but there was only silence. His patience wore thin thanks to the night's events and lack of sleep, Harry turned angrily to Remus and asked, "Why the hell does he get to be in there when I don't?"
Sighing tiredly, Remus replied, "More than likely for the reasons he gave us, Harry. Just try to be patient, I'm sure it won't take much longer."
Frustrated with the less-than-satisfactory answer, Harry couldn't stay still any longer and he started to pace up and down the corridor. Wishing that Madame Pomfrey would hurry things along a bit faster, he stopped dead in his tracks as the bedroom door opened. When he saw that the nurse's stern expression had been replaced by one of worry, he swallowed nervously and raked a hand through his already unruly hair.
Looking from Remus to Harry, Madame Pomfrey stated, "I've given Miss Granger a potion that will make her feel better soon. It will make her sleep most of the day so that her body will have time to heal. But, there was also something else that I found that troubled me."
When she stayed quiet, Harry asked, "What? What else is wrong with her?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you," she replied with an air of authority about her. "Being a nurse, I am forbidden to share any patient's information with anyone but the patient. It is up to her to decide if she will tell you or not."
With his jaw clenched tight and his frustration through the roof, Harry swore under his breath as she turned and walked back into Hermione's room. Looking to Remus he said, "I'm going down to the kitchen to get something to drink, and hopefully calm down."
As he stalked by Remus, the old werewolf watched his rigid, retreating form and couldn't help but smile slightly at how much Harry reminded him of James at that moment.