Chapter 17

"Time for a break," Draco said as he closed another overlarge tome.

"Not yet," Hermione answered not even looking up.

"Granger, you look horrid. You've got bags under your eyes big enough for a holiday at the seaside and a complexion to give the Bloody Baron a run for his galleons, and I won't even start on your hair. We've been at this for the past six hours. We need a break."

"You really are a foul little ferret, you know that?"

It had been a week since Fred had woken up and she hadn't seen him since. He was avoiding her and it was starting to wear on Hermione's last nerve.

"Has he still not spoken to you?" Draco asked as he pushed her book aside and pulled her hand so she was standing next to him. He gently pushed her toward the door leading to the patio.

"Not a bloody word. He sees Freddie all the time but mysteriously has some important business to attend the moment I show up." Hermione let Draco lead her to the large gazebo and sat down, her shoulders sagging.

"You know why," Draco said, kindness in his tone.

"He doesn't want me to get too attached, blah blah, blah. Yes George has told me, as well as Ron and Harry and Ginny. Everyone but Fred. They all say he's looking out for me. Bollocks. If he doesn't have feelings for me like that he should just say so. I can take it."

"Right, you are doing a stellar job of proving just that. Lucky me I'm the one who gets to deal with your crankiness."

"I'm not cranky," Hermione mumbled.

"You are."

"Maybe I am," Hermione said with a sigh and laid her head back with her eyes closed. "I feel like I'm back in school. Like I'm back in Snape's class and can do nothing right."

"Snape! Bloody hell, come on!" Draco grabbed Hermione's hand once again and pulled her back into the house.

He kept walking through the library and out into a hallway ignoring her questions as they went. After walking the length of the hall they turned to one of the closed doors and with a tap of Draco's wand entered.

It was obvious that the room had been unused for quite some time, it looked as though the house elves didn't even come in to clean. Hermione looked around quietly once Draco had dropped her hand. It was apparent it had once been a very handsome room, all dark wood and green wallpaper. Just in front of the large fireplace was a beautiful wooden desk with green leather chairs facing it. There were bookshelves along the wall around the fireplace and large ornate frames on the others.

"This was my father's study, I never come here so I didn't even think of it until now. The Dark Lord took it over when he arrived and had portraits made of his inner circle before he died. No idea why, don't figure he'd have ever used it to ask advice or anything."

"Just another way to control them I suppose, let them know that he was still in charge even if they died." Hermione ventured a guess and it made her stomach turn at the thought.

"That sounds like him," Draco said, his face looking a bit pinched. "Anyway, we can ask for help now, someone who spent his life devoted to the Dark Arts, someone who knew Bellatrix for a long time."

"Snape," Hermione said.

"Severus!" Draco called out as he nodded at her.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Snape drawled in the same bored tone as always, before catching sight of Hermione. "Ms. Granger? What's going on?"

"Hello Professor," Hermione said quietly.

"Severus," Draco said, pulling Snape's confused attention from Hermione. "We need your help with something."

"Obviously, why else would you have summoned me so politely?" Snape said seemingly recovering from his shock. "Though I dare say, anything that would bring Miss Granger back to this house may be intriguing enough."

"Don't be an arse," Draco muttered, rolling his eyes. "Do you know what spell Bellatrix used that she had passed off as her own?"

"As far as I remember there could be any number of spells, what were the symptoms?"

"Dry throat, blurry vision and slurred speech, followed by headaches and elevated heart rate until he falls into a coma where he has very vivid hallucinations," Hermione told him, though most of her information came from Fred's Healer and George.

"Hallucinations… well that sounds like… but of course she would…" Snape was muttering to himself as he paced the length of his frame and back. He looked as though he was rather enjoying having a puzzle to solve.

"Anything you care to share?" Draco asked.

"Right, those symptoms are common in a poisoning, specifically Belladonna poisoning," Snape explained to them.

"But how would it be poisoning if it was a spell, that sounds more like a potion," Hermione asked, though she could already feel her heart rate increasing in anticipation.

"Yes Miss Granger, but you see magic is a curious thing, especially dark magic. For any spell to work you really need three things; an incantation, a wand, and intent.

As I'm sure you know, most incantations are some combination of the purpose of your spell in Latin. Expelliarmus is a combination of expellere, meaning 'to drive or force out', and arma, meaning 'weapon'. In the case of this spell it's rather straightforward, Venenum Atropa- Belladonna poison.

The wand movement is really only extremely important in charm work. Spells are a bit different, a wand is really only important for focusing one's magic. As such you really need only to point the wand at the target of your spell.

And then the intent. Just as with any dark magic you must really mean it for a spell to work fully."

"Do you know of an antidote?" Hermione asked, hardly louder than a whisper.

"I'm not certain, but I believe the antidote for belladonna poisoning would be sufficient. I can't say it would be an outright cure, but taken regularly I think it would get rid of the side effects. Much like the Wolfsbane potion."

"The muggles have an antidote for belladonna poisoning," Hermione said quietly, more to herself than anything.

"Stupid girl," Snape said with a sigh. "This is a magical ailment, it will require a magical solution."

"Hey, what did I say about being an arse?" Draco said, his eyes narrowing at Snape's portrait. "Is the potion difficult?"

"It's simple enough, though timely. It must brew for three moon cycles. How long ago was the victim hit with the spell?"

"Five years ago, during the final battle," Hermione answered.

"Five years? How is that possible? He should be dead by now," Snape asked, now even more interested.

"Well, he was hit with it at the same time as an immobulus, and George has been sharing his magic with him whenever he falls into a coma, the twin bond," Hermione explained.

"Twin bond… and an immobulus you say? This could make things a bit trickier. I need to think on this some more. I will have Professor McGonigall send you my notes on antidotes and you get started on the potion. I'll contact you when I've had more time," Snape said then walked from his frame without a goodbye.

"Thank you," Hermione called out to no reply then turned to face Draco. "He's still just as charming I see. Merlin's beard this could be it."

"Yes it could be." Draco smiled back at her then fumbled a bit as she flung herself at him wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. It took a moment for him to realize she was sobbing into his shoulder. He patted her back awkwardly not really knowing what else to do.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Hermione said in a rush as she realized what she was doing and pulled away quickly. "I've just been so overwhelmed-"

"You don't need to explain to me, I understand. We have a plan now though, so I need you to go home and get some sleep, don't argue, get some sleep then go talk to idiot Weasley of yours. Make him listen. Tell him you are going to save his life whether he likes it or not."

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly, her eyes tearing once again. "I could never have done this without your help. You really have become such a wonderful wizard."

"Right, well… go on then get out of here. And I mean it, no less than eight hours of sleep."

Hermione woke the next day with a smile that was going nowhere. She had done what Draco suggested and gone home and slept most of the day before picking Freddie up from Bill and Fleur's house. They spent the evening together making supper, playing games and reading books. It was a perfect evening.

Freddie had picked up on Hermione's good mood quickly that morning and they were being very silly with each other as they prepared for their day. Together they stomped down the stairs making all sorts of animal noises where the bumped, quite literally, into George who was working in the Hogsmeade shop that day.

"I thought a petting zoo had been let loose in your flat, all the nonsense noise coming from you lot," George said with a chuckle.

"Yes, didn't you get the memo? It's talk like an animal day," Hermione said trying to keep a straight face.

"I'ma LION! ROOOAAAARRRRR!!!!" Freddie shouted as he jumped off the final stair.

"Must have missed that," George said before touching his wand to his throat and started making very realistic monkey sounds.

They walked out into the front of the store laughing loudly and not noticing the wizard standing just inside the front door, or the very hurt look on his face.

"Fred!" Freddie yelled spotting him first and barreled over to him jumping into his arms. "What animal sounds can you make?"

George who noticed the change in Hermione at once called over to Freddie. "Hey buddy, how about we go work on our dragon toys?"

Hermione squeezed George's hand, thanking him silently before rounding on Fred.

"I need to talk to you," she said at the same time he muttered "I just came for the inventory book."

"Please Fred, it's important," Hermione said quietly as he made to walk past her, he stopped in his tracks at the sad sound of her voice.

"Listen Hermione, I know I'm being a prat. Im sorry, I really am, I know it isn't fair but I think it's the best course for everyone."

"Fred Weasley, do you love me?" Hermione was finished beating around the bush. "Because I love you, have for years really. I love you and I want to be with you. The good and the bad.

But if you don't love me back, that's okay. We can be friends, or not it doesn't matter. I just need to know. I need to know if I need to try getting over you instead of through to you."

"I... you need to understand... I mean… Merlin Hermione, you just deserve so much-"

"This isn't about what I deserve, I asked if you love me."

"Yes, I love you alright," Fred shouted, raking a hand through his hair. "I loved you when you threatened to owl Mum when we were testing products out on first years. I loved you when you took every bloody class in school using a time turner and still didn't break, and when you saved Sirius. I loved you when you talked Harry into starting the DA. I loved you when I walked into that bloody cafe, I loved you when I saw you with your son.

But what does all that matter? I'll be dead in a few years, if I'm lucky. You want me to love you, marry you, then leave you a widow before your even 30 years old? That's a pretty picture, all right."

"You're an idiot," Hermione said simply. "You know, I would marry you tomorrow even if it meant losing you tomorrow. But that's not going to happen. I figured it out."

"Hermione, you're not- wait, what did you say?"

"That you're an idiot?"

"Not that part," Fred said with a small smile. "That last bit."

"I figured it out, well Snape did really and it was Draco's idea to ask him, but we know what the spell was and we have a plan to heal it. Though there are a few factors we still need to figure out. I should really owl Healer Asclepius…"

The rest of her mental to do list was put on hold as Fred walked straight to her and kissed her.

*

*Author Note* A quick shout out to Kallanit for the idea about Snape's portrait helping out… thank you so much for that, so much better than what I had planned out!