Inside, they found a room somewhat like an operating room. There was a large sink and shower at the back, along with dozens aprons, gloves, and other tools to ensure cleanliness. A soft, diffuse glow emanated from the entire ceiling so there were very few shadows. At the center of the room, there was a diverse set of knives, all gleaming and perfectly clean, sitting on a tray beside an odd chair. The chair was slanted, cushioned, and had a face rest, much like a masseuse's chair, and was obviously made for Harry to comfortably rest face down. A large whiteboard was at the wall facing the table.
Hermione grinned, running over to the whiteboard, and began using her wand to quickly copy down all the notes she had on the procedure, along with a detailed diagram. Harry decided it he should shower while Hermione was preparing for the procedure. "No peeking!" he said, just as he stepped into the shower stall, pulling the curtain behind him. Hermione, who had been so focused on writing everything out, turned when she heard his voice. Her jaw dropped when she saw a pile of robes on the floor and Harry's bare shoulders sticking out of the curtain. Did he just strip in front of me? thought Hermione. I didn't think he had the nerve... and I MISSED IT! She nearly hyperventilated when she squeaked out, "Are you naked?"
Harry laughed from behind the shower curtain. "No, Hermione. I just took my robes and shirt off. I'm not going to completely strip down in front of you." She couldn't see it, but he was nearly doubled over in laughter. He had correctly guessed that Hermione would have seen the clues and let her mind go into overdrive. He tossed the rest of the clothes over the curtain and began to shower. After he was done, he opened the curtains a peek and grabbed the towels and his pants again, and half-dressed himself.
Hermione was waiting for him, all dressed up like a surgeon. She was taking great delight in playing doctor- in fact, her parents had wanted her to grow up to become one, at least until she found out she was a witch. The dream never quite died out, of course, as she realized she could pursue the best of both worlds as a magical healer. Harry sat down, and Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder before he lay against the face rest. "Harry... are you sure you want me to do this?"
"Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
"I'm just afraid that... I might hurt you... or mess up the procedure..."
"Hermione! Don't say that! I have complete faith in you. I know that you'll do this perfectly," said Harry. "Don't even think for a second that you're hurting me. You could very well be saving my life with this."
His complete conviction to the task helped reassure Hermione. Harry leaned into the chair and Hermione began to copy the entire diagram carefully onto his back. When she was done, she picked up her wand and cast the most powerful numbing charm she could muster. "Vacuus Sensurus. This'll numb your back, Harry. It's not quite as effective as the numbing potion and it will wear off faster, so if you start feeling any pain at all, tell me to recast it, okay?" After a simple "okay" from Harry, she began to work. Tracing the lines she had already drawn with a sharp scalpel, she cut into Harry's flesh. Thankfully, he didn't twitch at all. "Did that hurt, Harry?"
"No, Hermione. You cast that charm perfectly, I barely felt it. Keep going."
Hermione smiled, slowly and carefully making short cuts with her knife, and cauterizing the wounds immediately to prevent bleeding and infection, and also to ensure that the runes would remain scarred into his back. Hermione nearly gagged at the smell of burning flesh, but pressed onwards. About halfway through, Harry signalled to her that the numbing charm was wearing off. She recast the charm, wondering what Harry's threshold of pain was, because it was longer than she thought her charm would have lasted. When she was finally complete, she wiped down Harry's back with a damp, warm towel.
"We're all done, Harry."
Harry gave her a hug. "Thank you, Hermione. Let's go back to the chamber." He was keeping his expression neutral as he put his shirt back on, and grabbed his invisibility cloak and his map. Hermione knew he was hiding something.
"Harry? Why do you want to go back there? Wait, shouldn't I get the runes too? I'll show you exactly what you need to do for the procedure..." she said.
"Oh... um... we can do that a bit later. There's something I left down in the chamber that I have to get." Harry was suspiciously avoiding Hermione's gaze, but she followed him back downstairs. Most of the teachers seemed to have left the building already, deciding that they weren't inside. It made the trip back much quicker.
Upon their arrival, Hermione stopped Harry. She asked him, "What's this all about, Harry? What are we doing down here?"
"Err... before I answer, can you tell me if you have your sandstones here with you?" asked Harry, who was still staring at Hermione's feet.
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