(no subject)

[hermione_j_granger]

Who: Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom
What: Hospital visit
Where: St. Mungo's
When: Two weeks post-poisoning
Rating: G
Status: Complete


Not as much physically, as the stomach pain was to be expected. It was the emotional pain that was a constant, that couldn't be dulled by the pain potions. The conversation days after she'd woken up had really hit her, the one where the healer-in-charge reminded her that she'd likely never be able to bear children. She didn't tell Ron yet; she wanted more time to process this on her own. And really, she kept trying to reason that she was in fact lucky to be alive.

It was a sunny morning, quiet in the intensive magical care ward, though Hermione kept the curtains of her room mostly closed, allowing just enough light so that she could see her knitting needles enough so she wouldn't stab herself and give the mediwizards more reason to fret over her. She sat up in her bed, knitting the muggle way as it took much more concentration as opposed to using magic.

Comments

[mimbletonia]

Neville poked his nose around the doorjamb. He'd tried to visit a few times, but she'd either been asleep or already with visitors every time. He was glad to see that he would actually finally get to see her.

"Care for a visitor?" he asked, coming into the room. He was carrying a small pot, in which there was a flower with all sorts of tendril-like leaves - more like a cross between a vine and a very tiny shrub, really - and a shimmery blue blossom.

[hermione_j_granger]

Hermione's attentions napped to the doorway and her face brightened instantly upon recognising her visitor. "Neville, oh it's-- I'm so glad it's you," she said with a sad sort of smile, setting her knitting project down on her lap as she waved him over.

Her gaze fell on that plant, and she gasped. "Goodness, that's absolutely beautiful. You've got a gift for this sorta thing, you know?"

[mimbletonia]

"Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that," he said. "I'm glad you like it." He set the flower on Hermione's bedside table. Were she to listen closely, it is possible that she might be able to hear it humming very softly.

Neville pulled a chair over, took a seat, and reached over to give Hermione's hand a little squeeze. "How're you doing?" He didn't just mean physically - it wasn't hard to tell that she was feeling a bit glum.

[hermione_j_granger]

She squeezed Neville's hand in return, giving a heavy sigh. "I'm all right, all things considered. Going a bit stir-crazy in this bed. They said I should be able to go home in a few days though, and back to work in a week."

She then remembered that Neville's parents were just a few floors up, and how difficult it must be for him to be here. "Thank you for visiting. It means a lot. I haven't exactly been the world's best friend lately..." Her eyes settled back on his face and she noticed he looked a bit less peaky from the last time she'd seen him. "You look good, Neville. How have you been feeling lately?"

[mimbletonia]

"I'm pretty sure being laid up in hospital gives you an automatic pass on any possible bad friend accusations - not that you deserve any in the first place," Neville assured her. "Of course I was going to come to see you. I'm glad I made it before you got out - I've tried a few times, but they've never let me in - doctors or other visitors or 'Young man, she needs her rest!' You know how it is."

The hospital wasn't his favorite place by any means, but actually, having spent so much time there meant that he was used to lots of things that he'd noticed bothered other people - the squeaky floors, the smell, nurses and doctors bustling in and out. He didn't have any particularly happy memories associated with the place, but it also didn't frighten or upset him.

"I'm... doing rather well, actually," he said, surprising even himself a little. "I've been working, and getting out a bit more, and meeting a few new people. Pushing my limits a little, I guess."

[hermione_j_granger]

"Mm... yes, well, I'm sorry about that. I suppose those healers are getting rather edgy with my visitors, considering Ron's constantly hassling them. He means well, of course, but you know as well as I do that he can be a right pain in the arse when he decides to fuss over me."

A proud smile broke out onto her face-- she had always, always rooted for Neville, saw the complete goodness in him, and knew he deserved the best in every way. "That's fantastic. Ginny told me you're really enjoying working at Slug and Jiggers... seems like quite a nice fit for you."

[mimbletonia]

Neville laughed. "I can just imagine - Ron can make a complete nuisance of himself when he has a mind to. I don't blame him for fussing, though. We've all been really worried."

He smiled a little at her praise. "It's alright for now. Not a long term position or anything, I don't think, but it's a good start. And, you know, I've met a few new people and such doing it, and gotten a chance to muck about with plants a bit more than I did at home." He nods at the flower on the bedside table.

[hermione_j_granger]

"It's healing, isn't it? Emotionally, I mean. Doing something that relaxes and consumes you, gives you focus..." Hermione had a thought that perhaps she should find something like that, something would help put her mind at ease. Knitting wasn't quite cutting it. Really, what she needed was to get back to work.

She focused back on Neville and grinned. "Of course. You're going to breed and discover dozens of new strains of plant life, publish a bunch of Herbology books, earn your Order of Merlin and then take over for Professor Sprout at Hogwarts, whenever she decides to retire..."

[mimbletonia]

"Oh, not you too," Neville protested, though he was smiling. "Ginny's always on at me about the Hogwarts job. Pomona's not on death's doorstep, I really don't think it's something we need be thinking about at all, yet."

He looked around the small hospital room, at the knitting spread across Hermione's lap and the books stacked beside her bed. "Merlin, you must be losing your mind in here. Do they let you get up at all?"

[hermione_j_granger]

Hermione laughed. "Of course not! She's what-- one hundred and ten... one hundred and fifteen or so? I meant later in life. Learn to accept a compliment sometime, would you?" She knew how modest Neville was. He was one of the most humble people she knew. "Let's say in fifty years or so we'll both go back to teach. I'd love to try my hand at teaching Arithmancy. Or Runes. Or Transfiguration. Or..." She stopped herself, remembering Neville's question.

"It's not so terrible, I suppose. They started letting me have a walk around the floor after hours-- you know, mainly during the night when the halls are near empty. The food though... it's god awful." She pulled a face at the thought. "But I do have a nice view, and I've had plenty of visitors, so I'm trying to keep a positive outlook..." She really was trying, even though she wasn't doing a very good job at that.

[mimbletonia]

"How about between the two of us, we just take all the Hogwarts positions," Neville suggested. "And then we could change the name to the Granger-Longbottom Academy, and we could institute required study hours and grubbing-about-in-the-dirt afternoons."

"I'm sure you'll be out in no time," Neville assured her. "Is there anything I can do, or bring you? Smuggle some biscuits in or anything?"

[hermione_j_granger]

"Forget that-- let's just start our own wizarding school! Of course I fully support the required study hours and grubbing-about-in-the-dirt afternoons. We should also institute a tutoring system and not discriminate against squibs, or segregate into houses. Oh! And somehow make Quidditch much safer, so I don't have near-heart attacks when I want to watch matches like I used to."

It was the first time Hermione became animated about something since she's been holed up in the hospital, and it felt good to joke about, especially with Neville. "No, that's all right. I'll manage for a few more days... but I won't say no to you and I having dinner together much more often whenever I get out of here."

[mimbletonia]

"We'll have it somewhere warmer than Scotland, and in the winter, we shall have school-wide pajama and cocoa parties, and evil plots will be strictly forbidden," Neville declared. He was pleased to see Hermione looking so much more cheerful than she had when he had arrived.

"Dinner, absolutely," Neville agreed. "By the way, you haven't happened to get a look at your records while you've been here, have you?" He was trying to sound casual, but it was, after all, a very uncasual question.

[hermione_j_granger]

Hermione nodded enthusiastically at the school-wide pajama and cocoa party idea. "Sugar-free cocoa, it's better for your teeth," she reminded, as the daughter of two dentists should.

At his question, she looked a bit puzzled. "No, I haven't asked. The healers told me everything that was going on in my body, I didn't really need to see it in writing... Why do you ask?"

[mimbletonia]

"But I shall sneak sugar into all of the cocoa behind your back, because seriously, Hermione, sugarless cocoa? But we can make them all brush their teeth three times a day, if you like."

He glanced around the room casually. "Do they leave them anywhere, maybe?" Neville was pretty good at subterfuge when lives were actually in danger. Unfortunately, the hospital felt pretty safe.

[hermione_j_granger]

"Yes, that's a good compromise..." Hermione was starting to forget about their future school as Neville's questioning was starting to raise Hermione's curiosity even more. "They keep my charts there, at the foot of my bed." She pointed past her feet. "Come to think of it, it's not very confidential system they have here. I wonder just how detailed the notes are..."

She wondered if the healers documented the severity of the damage to her reproductive system, the consequences of the poisoning... but if there was anyone she trusted with that information, it was Neville.

[mimbletonia]

"Oh, really? Right there? That really isn't very... oh, Merlin, I can't lie to you."

He glanced over his shoulder, then leaned towards Hermione. "Ginny and I were talking, and we thought that maybe if I took a look at their notes, I might have a chance of figuring out what was used to poison you, and perhaps that would give us a lead, if it were rare, or a strange combination, anything like that. I'm sure it's against all sorts of regulations, but... would you mind?"

[hermione_j_granger]

"Oh.... I see..." Neville did have the most plant knowledge of anyone she knew, so if the poison was plant-based, it certainly might help. "Well, the Aurors already requested certain medical information from the healers, interviewed them and they're going on that-- so yes, why don't you take a look? To my knowledge, they don't really have any leads yet, and if you find anything worthwhile you can always discuss it with Ron and Harry."

[mimbletonia]

"Mm, I suppose I could," Neville said. The idea had seemed awfully clandestine when he and Ginny were talking about it, but he was beginning to realize that there probably were proper channels he could go through - he was certainly better at herbology than anyone in the aurors, and he suspected they knew it and might welcome his assistance.

He leaned down to the edge of the bed and pulled out the folder, but looked at Hermione before opening it. "Are you sure you don't mind? I don't want to pry."

[hermione_j_granger]

"Oh, go on then. I'm sure it's all highly scientific language that'll be difficult to understand without proper healer training anyway..." Hopefully Neville would be able to recognise something plant-related though, some sort of foreign deadly extract that could possibly give them a clue as to who would have been capable of this.

Hermione folded her arms over her chest, watching rather anxiously as Neville read through her file.

[mimbletonia]

Neville skims at first, just looking for anything that might jump out at him, but he slows down as the full impact of what he's reading hits him. Organs nearly liquefied; possible infertility; lucky to be alive. He sets the folder aside for the moment and scoots closer to Hermione in order to take her hand and look into her eyes, expression completely serious.

"Christ, Hermione, I had no idea. Are you okay?"

[hermione_j_granger]

Hermione couldn't help but give a hoarse laugh (otherwise she might cry) as she gave Neville's hand a squeeze. "I look all right, don't I? Reckon I'm not easy to kill. If I were a cat I'd be on my fifth or sixth life by now." Perhaps that botched polyjuice she'd ingested during her second year had long lasting effects?

"So what do you think? Anything that strikes you as definite foliage-related foul play?"

[mimbletonia]

Neville held her hand for another moment before turning back to the folder, not wanting to press.

"Well, they've isolated a few things already - belladonna and aconite and... ginger? That was probably the soup, though, I don't know why they even listed that here. Honestly, though, neither belladonna nor aconite would have these results, and unless their use in combination with something else is producing the effects, they seem rather extraneous - like if you sent somebody an owl and flooed them and sent them something in the Muggle post, yeah? Like they wanted to cover every possible base."

Neville almost sounded like he was just thinking out loud at that point, his brow furrowed in concentration.

[hermione_j_granger]

Hermione furrowed her brow and listened with great intent, biting back a smile at the fact that he reminded her of-- well, herself-- deep in thought, needing to verbalize every cognition so she wouldn't forget a step.

"It's a clever potion- I've never heard of anything so covertly deadly that's colourless and odorless. Perhaps you'd have more luck if you ask the Aurors for the cup of soup? I'm sure they're keeping it for testing purposes. Ron and Harry would definitely get you in there to test a sample, if you'd like to..."

[mimbletonia]

"I'll owl them," Neville agreed. "I wonder if they'd bring me on temporarily, or just for herbology things, something like that? I don't want to try to sneak around the Aurors or anything. Really, I probably wouldn't be able to tell much from the soup itself, but if their tests have gotten any more information out..."

He read through a few more pages, chewing on the inside of his cheek and every now and then muttering something below his breath.

"Weird," he finally said. "It's definitely not something I've read about before. But... something seems rather familiar. I'll keep thinking about it."

[hermione_j_granger]

"I'm sure they'd appreciate your professional assistance. And I'm looking forward to doing a bit of research of my own, as soon as they let me out of here..." Which felt like it would be never, but Neville's visit picked up her spirits quite a bit. "I've got to stay home for a week until I can go back to work, so I'm already making a list of rare and dark potion books to get my hands on, or even potion theory that wasn't covered in school. There must be something..."

She knew Ron wouldn't be pleased that she was going to research on her own. Leave it to me, it's MY job he'd likely say, but she was also sure he would understand, too.

Just then, the mediwitch entered the room, casting a side glance at Neville before she started waving her wand over Hermione, checking her vitals and such.

[mimbletonia]

"Well, I can definitely keep you company once you're home," Neville said, putting the folder down quietly and hoping the nurse didn't notice. "Owl me or something, okay? I'll come over as much as you like."

He glanced at the clock and his eyebrows shot up. "Fuck, Hermione, I have to run, sorry - want to pop upstairs to see Mum and Dad before visiting hours are over. Are you sure there isn't anything I can bring you?"

[hermione_j_granger]

Hermione shook her head. "No, you've been wonderful. Thank you for visiting-- hopefully I'll be out of here by this week's end and I'd love to have you over for lunch."

She said that with a bit more emphasis than necessary, hinting to the mediwitch that she felt more than ready to get home. She cast him a brave smile and waved. "Bye, Neville."