Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long with this update, unfortunately this sees the conclusion to this story. However it is not the end for Amelia, Minerva and Hermione. I plan on showing Amelia's rehabilitation through a series of one-shots, which will include flashbacks to her and Minerva's time together. Thank you to everyone that reviewed, and added this story to their story alerts. I hope you will join me for the one-shots when I get to writing them. Sorry if the ending doesn't do this justice, writers block at times is a pain.
So my thanks once again to everyone.
Minerva had hoped that Amelia would elaborate further but after her initial revelation her wife closed down once again, still staring blankly at the moving photograph. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she rose from the chair taking the photograph with her, before exiting the kitchen. Amelia passed through the living room spying her shattered wand on the coffee table and paused, she couldn't remember it getting damaged let alone it shattering; she gently raised her right hand and stared at it. Embedded just under the skin were small fragments of elm wood, and light burns marred the once smooth flesh; yet Amelia couldn't remember getting injured.
"Minerva." she called her voice shaky as she slowly dropped her right hand, the familiar feeling of her wife entering the room calmed her a little,
"Yes, love." Minerva replied softly concern evident in her voice as she looked towards Amelia,
"I..I don't remember." she looked at Minerva with confusion, "Help me." she added softly. Minerva's brow creased with concern as she moved towards Amelia, "Don't remember what?" she asked trying to determine just what it was Amelia couldn't remember, in return she received a blank look from her wife who merely shook her head.
Minerva sighed, "Wait right there." she spoke softly, heading back into the kitchen to speak with Hermione.
Hermione looked up when Minerva re-entered the kitchen, "Is everything all right?" she asked causing the elder woman to shake her head, "No, I'll be taking Amelia to St Mungo's. The house is yours until I return, please make yourself at home." she added with a soft smile as she moved back to the living room,
"Gra, are you ready?" she asked softly trying not to startle Amelia any more than necessary, the other woman just nodded and extended her left hand toward Minerva who graciously took it and led her wife towards the fireplace.
Minerva took a handful of floo powder and pulled her wife toward her, throwing the powder into the fireplace she called aloud, "St Mungo's" and in an instant they were gone.
They arrived in the reception area of St Mungo's startling numerous members of staff as it was very rare nowadays that anyone floo'd in. Minerva gently guided Amelia towards the reception desk only to be intercepted by a former student,
"Headmistress McGonagall?" the healer called, smiling widely at her former Headmistress, "That would be Mrs McGonagall now, Susan." Minerva replied with a smile of her own, "What brings you here?" Susan enquired, looking towards the woman Minerva was holding gently,
"Amelia has wand fragments in her right hand, I was hoping you could remove them and tell me if anything else is affecting her." Minerva spoke softly not wanting to spook Amelia who was looking around the reception area of St Mungo's with a frown on her face, she didn't want to be here of that she was certain and her grip tightened on Minerva with each passing second,
"Of course." she smiled brightly before turning her attention to Amelia, "Mrs McGonagall can you come with me, I'd like to take a look at your hand." Amelia looked first at Minerva who nodded and then to Susan who had extended her hand toward the elder woman,
"You'll be here when I'm done?" she asked Minerva fear dancing across her features at the thought that Minerva wouldn't be, "Yes, my Gra. I'll be here." Minerva replied watching with growing concern as Amelia released her grip and took hold of Susan's hand.
Minerva sighed deeply as she took a seat in the waiting area, hoping the news wouldn't be as grave as she thought.
Amelia was led by Susan into one of the examination rooms, as Susan closed the door Amelia immediately went towards the window and stared out onto the hospital's courtyard, it appeared to Susan just from observing Amelia that she longed to be outside; a few flicks of her wand and soon a diagnosis was forming. There appeared to be new cuts over older ones on Amelia's arms and back, the wand fragments in her hand were visible upon the diagnosis as well as the lingering and lasting affects of the Imperius Curse. It seemed to have been cast multiple times which could numerous after effect including memory loss, banishing the diagnosis Susan moved toward Amelia,
"Mrs McGonagall, I need to remove the fragments from you hand, it will only take a moment." she spoke softly watching for any reaction from the elder witch who merely turned and stretched out her damaged hand, Susan began the incantation to removed the fragments lifting each one out and resting them on a nearby table until all the fragments had been removed, the scaring was minimal but would still be visible.
"All done, Minerva is still waiting for you in the reception area." she added with a soft smile, which caused Amelia to shake her head,
"Why would she be waiting for me, I never went back to get her. Its been years since I last saw Minerva McGonagall." she spoke with all seriousness in her voice which startled Susan a little, "I assure you she is waiting for you." Susan replied with a soft smile, which caused Amelia to frown slightly, "She's really here?" she asked truly not believing the healer, "Yes, look at your left hand and tell me what you see." Susan asked watching as Amelia's gaze fell upon her left hand and the wedding band, slowly with her now healed right hand she removed the ring from her finger and gave it closer inspection, 'MM&AG Always and forever.' was engraved upon the underside of the gold band, "We got married, she waited for me." her voice was barely above a whisper as she placed the ring back on her finger and with a smile looked up at Susan,
"Am I done?" she asked, "Yes, but I need you to wait here for a moment." Susan replied leaving the examination room to look for Minerva, the former Headmistress was still sat in the waiting area,
"Minerva, I've removed the wand fragments from her hand but it is also clear that she has been cursed numerous times with Imperius which is causing her memory to fragment. Just now she assured me that you wouldn't be waiting for her as she had failed to come back for you, I had to remind her about the ring on her finger. Its not going to be easy, it will take time for the curse to fade completely but your wife is in there and fighting to get back to you. There are fresh cuts across the old ones on her hand and back, but they don't require healing; she needs to go home, rest and talk about whatever memory she remembers." Susan added with a small smile, Minerva nodded relieved that her wife was going to be fine in the long term, it was just the short term that she needed to worry about,
"I'll take her home and we'll go from there." she smiled, "Thank you, Susan. Amelia would be very proud of the young woman you have become." she added giving Susan's shoulder a soft squeeze, "Thank you." the young healer replied, "She's just in the room over there." she added before disappearing off to take care of another charge.
Taking a deep breath Minerva summoned all her Gryffindor courage and walked over to the room, Amelia was currently occupying; spying her wife gazing out upon the courtyard,
"You know I spent a few days out in that courtyard, recovering after being hit with four Stunners." she spoke candidly of her time spent here after that fateful night, hoping perhaps to gain a reaction from her wife,
"Fudge wouldn't let me come and see you, thought I'd do some irreparable damage to Umbridge if I left the Ministry." came the soft reply from Amelia as she recalled the argument she had with Fudge, "I did come and check up on you, but the healers wouldn't allow me to see you." she added pulling her gaze from the window and taking in the sight of her beloved,
"Can we go home now? I feel like I've been away from you for too long." she spoke candidly, as if her memory was trying to remember the last time she had been with her wife, "Of course." replied Minerva extending her hand towards Amelia who gratefully took it,
"I've missed you." she whispered softly pulling the younger witch into a warm embrace before turning on the spot, and reappearing in the living room at Caithness. It had been awhile since Minerva had apparated, let alone apparated with someone so close to her; the sensation wasn't an unpleasant one.
"Sorry." Amelia managed as she stepped back from Minerva, "I should have warned you." she smiled slightly, "Will you help me get better? I don't want to be lost any more." she spoke softly still holding her gaze with Minerva,
"I'll help, love. Always. We'll get through this together." Minerva added placing a chaste kiss upon Amelia's cheek, having spied Hermione smiling from the doorway, "As a family, we'll get through this." she reasoned, beckoning Hermione towards them before enveloping her into a hug as well.