The soft light of the first morning sun woke Hermione up very early. She needed a moment to remember where she was, but feeling warm skin under her hand, it all came back to her. The tears and the panic, the comfort and the closeness. She didn't have time to think yesterday, she just reacted, hoping to be able to soothe the older woman. And it worked. She didn't know how or why, but in the end her mentor was calm enough, or exhausted enough to sleep.
Hermione looked at their joined hands and felt tears running down her cheeks. She didn't think yesterday's events would have such an effect on her, but they obviously had. She could still see the panic and pain on the older witch's face when she closed her eyes. Hermione rested her head in her hands and cried silent tears for the woman she felt so close to and wasn't able to help.
She didn't know how long it was, but it must have been quite a while before she felt a light touch on her arm. Looking up she saw her professor looking at her, concern in her eyes. It was the first time Minerva McGonagall had looked someone in the eyes since she had been back in the castle, and Hermione suddenly felt how much she missed the simple eye contact with the older woman, who was now softly tugging at her arm. The young woman gave Minerva what she wanted and allowed her mentor to capture her hand and caress it gently. Hermione brushed her tears away with her other hand and managed a small smile.
"Good morning, Professor," she said, her voice hoarse from crying.
She didn't really expect a reply, but the older woman stopped stroking her hand for a second and then nodded her head slightly in respond.
They stayed in silence for a while, enjoying each others company, when Minerva started to shift uncomfortably.
"You look a bit uncomfortable, professor. Would you like me get a few pillows to support your back and help you sit up a bit?" Hermione asked softly
Seeing the older woman nod, she reached for her wand, conjured a few pillows and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn't need to give instructions this time, because when she bent down, she felt her mentor's hands on her back. Pulling the older witch up was much easier this time. It seemed like a little more life had come back to the older woman since the night before. She was still weak, but she didn't need Hermione's supporting hand on her head this time and she was easier to lift, because she worked with the young girl today.
They sat pretty much in the same position as yesterday when Hermione arranged the pillows, one arm around her mentor, holding her close to her. Having finished her task, the young woman sensed that her professor was not ready to let go yet and started rubbing her mentor's tense back. She tried to massage all the little knots away she was feeling as best as she could from her position, and it seemed that the older woman enjoyed her gentle treatment.
When she felt her professor nod against her, Hermione carefully helped her laying back against the pillows, into a half sitting position. She moved the pillows a bit to make sure the older woman was resting comfortably and turned to sit back in her chair. She gasped when she saw the bright red-golden phoenix feather lying on her armchair.
"Professor, I must go. Somebody is on the way to see you, and I need to leave. I will come back later!" There was a slight note of panic in her voice.
Hermione had gathered her things and was just about to run for the door when Madam Pomfrey entered the room, followed by Madam Hooch. Hermione froze on the spot when she saw the outraged expression on the medi witch's face.
"Miss Granger!! What are you doing here?!" She practically yelled at the girl.
"I'm…I… visiting Professor McGona…"
She wasn't able to finish her explanation as the furious woman cut her off. "A student in her professor's private bedroom! Who do you think you are?! Interfering with my patients! Sitting her up, when she needs rest!! No wonder she doesn't get better when students are going in and out as they please! Do you really think she would enjoy your visit and allowing you to see her like this?! I don't think so!"
Now Madame Hooch, who never really seemed to like Hermione joined in the shouting. "She was always very full of herself, Poppy! And can't hold herself up on a broom either…"
It was in that moment that Hermione came out of her shock, hot tears streaming down her face. She tried to run for the door, but her shaking legs gave way and she fell hard on the floor after only a few steps.
The medi witcth was just about to start another round of yelling, not showing any sign of helping the girl up, when Hermione heard the sound of the voice she had missed so much over the last few weeks.
"Hermione," Minerva McGonagall's voice was soft and full of concern, looking at her young charge weeping on the floor.
At once the medi witch and Madame Hooch were at her side, fussing around her "Minerva! You're speaking! Finally…you gave us quite a scare behaving like that…"
She was cut of by Minerva "Don't touch me! How dare you! How dare you to talk to Miss Granger like that!" She pushed the other woman's hands away as if they were poisoned, cold fury in her eyes and voice. Hermione had never seen her like this.
The medi witch turned to Hermione and said "Go now. We need to give her something to calm her down."
"How dare you send her away?! She has every right to stay! SHE was the one person who kept me sane here all the time. She spent every free minute here, talking to me, reading to me, keeping me company. Where were you? Where were all of you, all of my so called friends, when I needed you most?!"
"Minerva dear, you wouldn't talk with us. You wouldn't even acknowledge our presence and you needed rest. Drink this now," she spoke to the angry woman as if she were a little child while trying to make her drink a potion.
She was not successful as Minerva shoved it away violently.
"That is all you have to say?! I wouldn't talk to you?!" Minerva suddenly felt very tired. "The truth is that beside Albus none of you could stand the silence and you couldn't bring yourselves to just sit with me. That was all I needed. Someone who cared enough to endure the silence and be with me. Leave now."
"Minerva, you can't…"The medi witch was cut off.
"Get out of here!"
Madame Hooch tried a last "But..."
"Get out!" Minerva had to gather all her strength for that last shout, but it did the trick, as the other woman turned in a huff and headed for the door, muttering "…have a word with Albus about that…"
"Hermione, please come here." She sounded as weary as she felt now.
When the girl stood right beside her bed she reached for her hand in a familiar gesture.
"Hermione, I am tired and do not have much strength left at the moment, but I want to thank you for everything you have done for me. No, don't say anything now, just listen. I am too tired now to tell you everything I want, but for now I want you to know that it was your truly unconditional love that brought me back, and I don't want to lose your friendship. I know it won't be easy, as I am still your teacher, but I couldn't bear to lose the closeness we gained. I want to be there for you and show you the same kind of friendship you showed me. Does that sound acceptable to you?"
The young woman was speechless. She never expected this and all she could say at the moment was "Very much so."
Minerva gave her hand a weak squeeze. "I need to rest now, dear, and your night couldn't have been comfortable on that chair. If you don't mind I'd ask you to help me lie down and if you like you are welcome to join me. The bed is big enough for both of us, I think."
Hermione had the grace to blush slightly when she took the additional pillows away and crawled into the bed beside the older woman. "Are you comfortable?" she asked, not daring to lie closer to her mentor.
"I am, thanks to you. And I don't bite, Hermione." She smiled tiredly at the young woman beside her.
Hermione understood and moved closer, shyly snuggling against the older witch. She sighed contently when she felt a small kiss on her head and a hand on her back. "Sleep well, darling."
"You too." Hermione was astonished that she didn't feel uncomfortable at all laying here with her new friend and sighed contently, cuddling a little closer and drifting off to sleep.
Minerva McGonagall knew that the road to her full recovery was long and full of bumps.
Minerva McGonagall knew that every road seemed shorter with a friend like Hermione by her side.
The End