Blaze (Book 3 of the Light Series)

Chapter Nine: Gone Too Long

We had announced that there was an incident and the headmistress was in a coma, explaining what that meant. Our students deserved the truth and they'd been allowed to send gifts and whatever else they wanted for their headmistress. Her absence seemed to make the students work harder, wanting her to be proud when she woke up and saw all they did. They all wanted to make her proud, even I did. If was another reason I kept up with my work, so that when she woke up I could see her smile at the knowledge that we hadn't dropped everything and mucked up her systems.

Still, I lived for the moment that I would see her move, see her come out of her coma and look at me. Sometimes I would beg her to do anything to let me know she heard me and that she was still there.

"Harry." Ginny called me, bringing me out of my train of thought. I don't know how long I had drifted.

"Yes, sorry. What is it?" I asked her.

"I brought you the reports Ron made on the professors and students." She handed me the parchment.

"Thank you, Ginny." I took it and set it aside, looking back to Hermione.

"I'm..," she paused and I looked at her. "I'm leaving next week." She said softly.

"Where to?"

"I'm going to get myself settled so that I can begin school next term. I'm going to get a higher education so I can do something meaningful with my life." She swallowed, looking down. "Hermione risked so much for me to have a life again, I want to do something to prove that she didn't do it for nothing."

"She didn't. Liam is gone and the world is a better place."

"I know. But I want to show her someday that I was worth it, that I became something great. She believed so much good could come from me. I will spend the rest of my life, working to do all the good I can. I want to be as great as she believed I could be." A tear slipped from her eye and she dashed it away.

"You will. What do you think you might do with your degree?"

"I'm not sure. I might work for the Ministry or.., maybe one day I can...," she trailed off.

"Come work here and do good by educating new witches and wizards." I grinned, finishing her thought.

"Yeah, I thought about that." She admitted sheepishly.

"Hermione would love that."

"Can I..., can I get a second alone with her? I know you don't like to leave her but this could be my last chance before I go."

"Sure." I reluctantly stood from my seat and went to kiss Hermione's forehead before I left. "Take your time." I gave Ginny a pat on the shoulder on my way out. Going into the nursery, I sat with my children while I waited to go back to my wife. She's been gone so long..., gone too long.

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Hermione's POV...

I wandered in the never ending darkness, wishing I could tell them all that I heard them. I could hear every visitor when they came, hear Harry talking to me everyday. I could hear my babies calling out to me, trying to get their mummy to wake up.

When Harry would beg me to do anything to let him know I was here, that I was hearing him, I tried with all my might but nothing ever happened. At first, I couldn't even strain too much or there was a nothingness that would swallow me. As time passed, I could try harder but nothing ever happened. All I wanted was to be able to move, to talk, to get up and be with my family. The only bright side of my darkness was the voice that whispered to me sometimes.., the voice of my parents. At least, that's what I thought it was.