hogwash | (no subject)

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"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."

"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 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?"

"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.

"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.

"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?"

"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."

"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."

"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.

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 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?"

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.