Harry's POV...
Four months, twenty days, seven hours, fifteen minutes, twenty-two seconds..., four months, twenty days, seven hours, fifteen minutes, twenty-three seconds. Time just won't stop. I sit and I wait for a change but there is none. Four months, twenty days, seven hours, fifteen minutes, twenty-four seconds of pure hell..., of missing my wife.., my life.
The matron had been able to save Hermione, partially. She'd stopped her from dying and was keeping her alive but Hermione hadn't moved, hadn't opened her eyes since we had been in the potion's room and she had collapsed. I missed her eyes, her beautiful, intelligent brown eyes. Every time she looked at me.., it was like she saw into my soul. Her gaze always seemed to see straight through me to my deepest thoughts. One glance from Hermione and the world changed for me.
Albus had taken after his mother with his eye color and Lily and James had her facial features and bushy hair. I saw so much of her in our children that it was sometimes difficult to look at them. Lily and James were getting close to their second birthday and all I wanted was for Hermione to be awake for that time.
Everyday, I come sit with her. At first, I refused to leave her side but Mum and Dad had convinced me that I had to keep going or things would pile up and Hermione would kill me when she got up..., if she got up. The matron had moved her to our bedchamber so that she could be near me and the children. I slept beside her at night, wishing she would reach out to me and stroke my cheek the way she would absently do while she slept.
The matron had magic taking care of her bodily functions and keeping her hydrated and nourished. Even with the matrons spells, though, Hermione had lost weight and her cheeks were slightly sunken in. I had vowed that she would eat non-stop when she woke up.., she just hadn't yet. I sat at the foot of the bed, watching over her when I felt a hand touch my shoulder and heard a soft voice saying my name. I turned to see Ginny standing over me.
Over the last four months, she'd become much like her old self but she was haunted. After the matron had stabilized Hermione, she'd come to me and admitted that Hermione had talked to her. In my anger that day, I had exploded on her.
"How could you be so selfish?!" I yelled. "You wanted this so bad that you'd allow her to give her life for you?! She's worth a million of you! Did you ever think about her children?! They need her! What the hell is wrong with you?! Why would you let her go along and do this?! You were her friend! There might have been another way!" I'd bellowed so loud that students began to gather. Ron and Dad had held me back but I pushed them away. "Get off me!" I'd yelled. "You lot wanted this just as much as her! You were all willing to let Hermione get hurt to bring her back! Fuck all of you! Stay away from my family!"
I'd thrown open the door to the room my wife laid dying in and spelled it shut behind me. When the matron had stabilized Hermione, I felt like I could breathe for the first time. I'd wanted our children with us and I'd sent for them, leaving the spell down for them to be brought. Mum had slipped in during that time and she silently approached me, hugging me. My body trembled that day with my sobs of happiness that Hermione wasn't dead. Mum had whispered to me and rocked me in her arms.
When she was gone and I held my children in my arms, guilt set in. Hermione had been the one to insist on doing the spell. It had been her choice and, just like me, none of them could deny her. She knew of the risk and continued on, pushing her self. She loved her family and Ginny was a part of that. She'd wanted to save Ginny no matter what and she had. I couldn't fault Ginny for it.., I couldn't blame anyone.
Since that day, Ginny worked to help around Hogwarts in any way she could. She'd run errands, help out with the students, done anything she was asked. I hadn't once been to my own office in the time since the ritual. Everything I needed was always brought to our bedchamber where I could work and watch over Hermione. The only time I left was for my classes, which I continued to teach before I knew the students needed to see one of us.
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.
"Hermione." I heard Ginny's voice and a soft sniff. "I don't know if you can hear me but I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving." She paused. "I'm going back to school so that I can make something of the life you gave me. I'm going to be worthy of all this. I promise you.
"I wish you could talk to me now. Everyone misses you. So much." She sniffed. "Harry needs you, Hermione. He lives everyday like a zombie. He needs you to have any kind of happiness. Your children miss you so much."
I know, I wanted to cry out. I know my family is suffering. All I want is to get up from here.
"I brought you something." She said. "It's a picture of your sister and your parents. Before, when Liam wanted to hurt them, he had me watch them. Sometimes, I caught them in a good moment and I took pictures. I didn't know why, because Liam didn't care about any of it, but I couldn't help myself." I heard the sound of her putting the picture by my bed. "Everyone needs you, Hermione. I need you. Your family needs you. I know you are the strongest fighter I've ever known. If anyone can come back from this, its you. I believe in you, Hermione. Please come back."
I heard the door open and shut then silence. Inside, I cried for the life I was unable to just live. I heard a tiny squeal as the door opened again and I wanted desperately to know what my children were laughing at. I could picture my children, see them. I felt like I could reach out and touch them, hold them.
"Hermione?" Harry called out to me in wonder. "Ginny! Get the matron!" I felt him take my hand and wondered what the bloody hell he was going on about. "Hermione, love, can you hear me?" He stroked my cheek. I could feel everything he was doing, I just couldn't respond. I wanted to hold his hand back. "I love you so much, Hermione. I miss you." He rubbed the back of my hand against something kind of scratchy. My curiosity was rearing its head. I wanted to move my fingers over whatever it was until I could identify it. He seemed to oblige me, gasping in wonder which confused me.
"Headmaster." The matron was there.
"She moved. She's moving." Harry burst out. I am? I thought to myself. "See? Her face. Her eyebrows furrowed for a second."
"Headmaster," the matron sighed. "It's been months. I know you want her to move but..., you may be seeing things."
"I saw her move." Harry insisted. "Please, she moved." I could hear the desperation in his voice and my heart ached.
"It's time you go home, honey." One of the voices whispered to me. "Try. Open your eyes." I can't, I told the voice. "It's time. Go home." My body felt lighter, not as weighed down as it used to. I felt my finger twitch. I'm moving, I thought in wonder.
"Oh my." The matron said and I heard quick steps approach.
"You saw it too, didn't you? She moved. She moved!" Harry's excited voice pulled at my heart. I wanted to see his face, see the smile I knew was there. I could feel my body better than I had since being in the darkness. Using whatever strength I could muster, I tried to squeeze his hand. It must have worked because he let out a soft cry.
"Bring the babies here!" He called out and I heard a bunch of movement and the voices of my children.
"Mummy wake up?" I heard one of my twins ask. I didn't know which one but I desperately wanted to.
"Hermione, our babies are here. They miss their mother. I miss you. We need you to wake up now, love." I felt pressure on my chest and I felt two tiny bodies settle against me, making themselves comfortable. It wasn't the first time Harry had let them lay on me since I'd been out but it was the first time I felt my arms close around them.
"Mummy!" They excitedly called out to me.
"Mummy, open eyes." I felt them pat at my face then I felt something close to my cheek.
"Open your eyes for me, babe. Show me those beautiful brown eyes. I think I've gone long enough without seeing them." Harry whispered. I felt tears slid out of my closed eyes and I struggled to raise them. It felt like my eyelids weighed a thousand pounds but I kept pushing.
"Pull the blinds so it won't be too bright." I heard the matron dictate to someone. My eyes began to listen to me for the first time. A slit of soft light came through, I was opening them.
"That's good, love." Harry stroked my hair. "Keep going. Open your eyes. Wake up for me."
"Mummy, wake up." My children goaded me on as well. Bouncing on my chest and I let out a soft moan.
"Move the babies." Harry said when they kept bouncing. "We don't want to hurt her."
When I felt somebody trying to take Lily and James from me, I croaked out, "No!" My eyes squinted open and the world around me stayed a blur. I held James and Lily closer to me, blinking away the blurriness in my eyes.
"Oh thank God." I heard something his the floor and Harry's face was firmly pressed to my shoulder.