Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER::: Everything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I just love them so much I wanted to play with them a little.

Summary::: Hermione is at St. Mungo's.

New Beginnings

Chapter Sixteen

Harry walked into the small hospital room carrying two cups of tea. Seating himself in the chair next to Severus, he passed one cup to the dark man and turned to look sadly at the unconscious form of his best friend. It had been nearly a month since they had rescued Hermione from Ron, and she had regained consciousness only twice, but just for a few moments each time.

"Has she woken up today?" Harry whispered to Severus.

"No, she was restless earlier this morning, but did not awaken," Severus replied.

"You should get some sleep. She wouldn't want you to make yourself sick worrying over her."

"My health is of little importance. I want to be here when she wakes."

Harry eyed Severus for several long minutes before asking, "How long?"

"How long what, Mr. Potter-Malfoy?" Severus responded with a scowl.

"How long, Professor, have you been in love with my best friend?"

"Love is for women and sentimental old fools, and I do not subscribe to it," Severus countered. "However, if you would like to know how long I have admired Hermione, then my answer would be since you were both in your sixth year."

"Sixth year, eh? Well, as she was of legal age at that time, why didn't make a move on her then?" Harry asked, working out the timing in his head.

"It would hardly have been appropriate. She was my student, plus there was a war going on, I was leading two lives, and she was enamored of Mr. Weasley," Severus said, almost wistfully.

"Yeah, and we all know how well that turned out, don't we?" Harry responded sourly before he stood and left the room.

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"Minerva, I am sorry, but I simply will not return to Hogwarts until she is awake. If the Board of Governors has a problem with that, then I will tender my resignation here and now."

"Now, Severus, I don't think it will come to that. You stay there and take care of our girl," Minerva said with a smile. "I will deal with the Governors."

Minerva winked at Severus, and her head disappeared as she ended the Floo call.

Turning on his heel and walking briskly down the hallway to Hermione's room, Severus idly wondered how long it would take for the boils Minerva was sure to hex Dharma Talon, head of the Board of Governors, with to heal. Entering and crossing the room, he looked down onto Hermione's face and sighed as he seated himself.

He had occupied the same chair day and night for the last six weeks, and his arse was starting to protest every time he came within a foot of the dratted thing. Picking up Hermione's hand he held it in both of his. Bringing it to his lips, he kissed it gently, and leaned his face against it.

"Please, Hermione, please wake up. I miss you so much." Severus sighed deeply, and continued, "I miss you. I need you to be all right. I... I love you."

Hermione's hand twitched, and Severus' head shot up. Looking at her face, he saw her eyes slowly flutter open. She looked up at Severus and opened her mouth to speak.

"Angel! Am I in heaven?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"No, this is not heaven," he whispered, pushing a lock of hair off her forehead. "Sshhh, Hermione, do not try to speak."

A tear slipped from her eye, and Severus gently brushed it away with the pad of one callused thumb.

"Sev... Severus? Is that you?"

"Yes, my dear, it is I," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion.

"Is... is he dead? Did they kill him?" Hermione asked. Then choking, she asked, "Can he hurt me anymore?"

"Hush now, no, he can never hurt you again. I will explain everything, but first we need to get a Healer to look at you."

As if summoned by the mere thought of her, Healer Valencia entered the room.

"Hermione, it is about time you woke up. I have missed our talks and wondered when we would have another one." Waving her wand over Hermione's small form, she tsk-ed. "Well, other than being in great need of a nutritious meal, I see nothing in your scans to worry about."

Turning to Severus, the witch waved her wand again and frowned.

"You on the other hand, sir, need sleep as well as food."

Turning back to Hermione, she said, "If you had slept much longer, I was going to be forced to dose him with a sleeping draught. It just isn't healthy to only nap on and off for six weeks. But, now that you are back with us, maybe you can find a way to get him to sleep," she said with a wink. With that, she spun on her heel, glaring at Severus as she swept from the room.

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A week after Hermione awoke, she was sitting in her bed eating yet another tasteless meal of hospital food, when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," she called, curious who would be calling on her who would bother to knock.

She nearly choked as visions of red hair and cold blue eyes swam across her vision.

"Oh, gods, no," she gasped before a dark figure pushed his way to the front of the mass of red hair and rushed to her side.

"Hermione, it's all right," he murmured in a soothing tone, brushing his fingertips across her cheek to get her attention focused on him. "Do you remember when I told you that Ron could never hurt you again? I told you I would explain everything, and now I shall, but Arthur, Bill, and Charlie insisted that they be here to fill in any blanks you may need filled."

Having lost her appetite, she pushed her food tray way. "Okay, Severus, let's get this over with," she said, her eyes never leaving his face.

Severus sank into his chair and sighed, "The rest of you might as well sit also, for this could take awhile."

Waving his wand, Arthur conjured chairs for himself and his sons.

With a deep breath, Severus began, "After we found you, Harry brought you here to St. Mungo's. Draco and the twins went to the Ministry to fetch the Aurors while the four of us stayed behind to guard Ron and Molly from escape. They had all been gone about twenty minutes when Molly awoke. She flung herself at Arthur, and he was so caught off guard by her physically attacking him that she managed to take his wand from him. She sent a Stunner at Charlie, as he was closest to Ron, and then cast 'ENERVATE' on Ron to wake him. When he woke, he grabbed Charlie's wand and started flinging curses at Bill and Arthur. I was trying to get Molly back under control, but she had developed fast reflexes during the war, and was dodging my own Stunners quite well. Ron had hit Arthur with a Binding Hex, and was trying to Stun Bill when Molly hit me with a Slicing Hex to my left side." He held up a hand to stall Hermione's interruptions.

"I assure you I am quite well," he continued. "It was only a flesh wound and was healed quite easily. But the result was I hit the ground. When I looked over to see how Bill was fairing, Ron standing over him, wand pointed at his brother's chest, with a look of pure hatred in his eyes. He looked up at me and smiled. He actually smiled, but there was something very disturbing about the look in his eyes. He looked at Bill and said, 'Avada Keda...' as the door to the apartment shot open, and both Ron and Molly were Stunned by Draco and the Aurors who had just arrived."

Hermione had both hands pressed to her mouth, and she was looking frantically back and forth between Bill Weasley and Severus.

"How... how could he do that?" she gasped. "Even after everything he did to me, I would never have believed he would even consider trying to kill his own brother."

"Hermione, how much do you remember about the night Ron nearly beat you to death?" Bill asked.

"Just the beating and passing out from the pain on the kitchen floor. Everything else I know, I heard second hand at the trial."

"Hermione, you know I was the one who found you and took you to St. Mungo's that night, but I was also the one who brought the Aurors back to the house to arrest Ron. As they were binding his hands, he told me that he would have his revenge on me for stealing you away from him."

"Stealing me away from him? He seriously thought that you and I were having an affair? I tried to send you a note. I tried to tell you not to come for dinner," she was speaking just above a whisper, and the men had to strain to hear her, "He had smacked me around and had... raped me earlier in the day. He had passed out, and I was trying to send you a message not to come."

Hermione was crying, and Bill approached the bed and gently sat on the edge of it.

"Hermione, I would have come anyway. I was planning on confronting Ron that night. I had seen you in Diagon Alley the week before with a black eye that covered nearly half your face. I wanted to talk to you then to make sure that you were alright, but Ron came out of the twins' shop and grabbed your arm. I don't know, but there was just something in that gesture that made my blood run cold," Bill said reassuringly. "I couldn't understand how my little brother could be so cruel to someone who loved him so much."

"By that time, Bill, I didn't love Ron anymore. I'm not sure if I ever really did. I know I did care about him at one time, but now, in hindsight, to call it love seems like a disservice to the noble emotion of love."

Hermione looked into Bill's eyes, then she smiled and as she opened her arms to embrace him, he began to cry. Holding each other in a comforting way, Hermione looked at Arthur and Charlie.

"I know I blamed you all for what he did to me, but now I see that none of you knew," she said. "I used to think that your entire family knew what he was doing to me and condoned it... since you ignored it. Now, I see that I was able to hide it too well from everyone so that none of you knew. I am sorry! I am sorry for thinking so ill of you all, and I am sorry for what you have all gone through because of him."

Pulling away from Hermione, Bill brushed his tears away and returned to his chair to the right of Arthur, who place a hand on his son's shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"Okay, Hermione, just a bit more to tell now," Arthur said gently, "After the Aurors stopped Ron from killing Bill, he and Molly were taken into custody. Molly was charged with accessory to kidnapping, improper use of magic, the use of magic in front of a known Muggle, and aiding an exiled wizard in regaining a wand through illegal means. She was sentenced two weeks ago to fifteen years in Azkaban. She was found yesterday, in her cell, dead."

Arthur paused to take a deep breath, a telling glistening in his eyes, before continuing, "It was an apparent suicide. Ron was charged with kidnapping, attempted rape, improper use of magic, the use of magic in front of a known Muggle, gaining a wand through illegal means, and the attempted use of an Unforgivable Curse. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban. Three days ago, he tried to escape, and upon re-capture was held for twenty-four hours before receiving... The Kiss."

TBC

AN::: As always I would like to thank my fabulous betas, Allison and Piper. I would also like to thank all those who have reviewed. In the next chapter Hermione gets out of the hospital.

AN2::: IF YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW ARE BEING ABUSED Physically,mentally, or emotionally you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799 SAFE (7233)

AN3::: Names and Meanings part 2;

Valencia (Spanish): Strength and Health

Dharma (India/Sanskrit): Ultimate Law of All Things

Talon (English): Claw