A/N- Don't ask me why I decided to write another fic... I just did. But since I am, it may be about a week between updates. Bear with me.
WARNING- This chapter contains self harm/attempted suicide. If that bothers you, go read my other fic. This is a bit darker than anything else I've ever written.
Disclaimer - I do not have to pleasure of owning either Harry Potter or my lovely title, for they belong to JK Rowling, and Suzanne Collins, respectively.
-HTPWILY-
The Second Wizarding War was finally over. But not soon enough. No, the war had taken the lives of far too many. Of course the war couldn't end with simply destroying all the Horcruxes, why would it? That would be far too simple. They couldn't just destroy the Diadem, Locket, Snake, Ring, Diary, Cup, and then finish off the Dark Lord. No, because Harry Potter was a Horcrux as well, he had to die in order for this all to be over.
When Harry died, the final piece of the Dark Lord was finished as well. When Harry died, the Dark Lord fell. His Death Eaters fled, and everyone, Wizards and Muggles alike, celebrated, for everyone knew a very powerful, very dark force had been cast down.
But Harry wasn't the only one to die. Fred Weasley, killed by an exploding wall, Remus Lupin, stabbed by a silver knife, Nymphadora Lupin, hit by a stray Killing Curse, and Neville Longbottom bled out after being bitten by Nagini right before he cut her head off, they died as well. Worst of all, however, the one person who kept Hermione Granger sane passed on just days after Harry. Ronald Weasley was attacked by Fenrir Greyback, who transmitted not only the werewolf curse, but a muggle disease he got biting some child. A slow, yet painless death. Ron was unconscious following the days after the Battle of Hogwarts and slipped away peacefully in his sleep.
Hermione, who never once left Ron's side, not to eat, not to sleep, was distraught, no, more than distraught, she was dead inside, and she wanted nothing more than to be with her fiancé once more. She didn't care how it happened; she just wanted to be with her friends once more.
-HTPWILY-
"Hermione. Hermione, you need to come eat something." Ginny begged her friend. "Hermione, please." Ginny was, once again, ignored. Sighing, she left a plate of food on the desk in her room at the Burrow, being careful to put warming and freshening charms on the food, so that if Hermione ate it, it wouldn't go bad.
Ginny went downstairs into the kitchen to talk to her mother. "Mum, she still won't eat. It's been nearly a week; she deteriorating into nothing!"
"I know, but there's nothing we can do about it except give her the love and care she needs." Molly told Ginny.
"I'm doing my best, Mum, but I'm certain it isn't enough! What if this depression turns into more than a food strike? What if she… What if she tries to kill herself?"
-HTPWILY-
Hermione Granger sat awake on her bed. She hadn't slept in a week, and she refused to take any potion that made her fall asleep. Next to her bed, on her nightstand, lay a small, sharp dagger, which she had taken to referring to – in her head, of course – as Despair.
Hermione picked up the dagger and brought it against her left wrist. She carefully sliced her arm once for each and every person she'd lost in the past few years. Two cuts for her parents, whom she sent to Australia to keep safe, one for each of her friends: Harry, Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, Sirius, Fred, Neville, the Patil twins, and even one for Snape, and finally, five cuts for her lost love, Ron.
Hermione was bleeding heavily, not that she noticed, of course. Finally, after ten minutes of bleeding, Hermione fell unconscious.
-HTPWILY-
Sirius Black was wandering around Hogsmeade with his best mates James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, when his sensitive nose picked up on a coppery, metallic scent.
"Moony," Sirius whipped around and looked at his friend, who had the same look of fear on his face as he. "is that blood?" Remus nodded, and the two took off in a sprint, following the scent as it grew stronger and stronger.
The two reached a spot behind the Shrieking Shack, where they were confronted with a gut-wrenching sight.
"Bloody hell, Padfoot, look at her arm."
Sirius' eyes widened as he took in the scene, but when he saw the bushy-haired girl's arm, he blanched. "Remus, go tell James and Peter that I'm going up to the Hospital Wing and I'm not coming back." Sirius didn't know why it was, but having been the one to discover her, he felt a strong need to protect this girl.
Remus nodded and took off full speed. Sirius gently picked the girl up and swiftly made his way up to the castle.
"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!" Sirius cried when he go to the Hospital Wing.
"What is it now, Mr. Black? Another prank gone wrong?" Madam Pomfrey called from inside her store room. She walked out, holding some potions, and when she saw the girl held in Sirius' arms, the potions fell from her arms. "What in Merlin's name happened to her?" she shrieked. By the time Sirius was finished explaining, Madam Pomfrey had already set to work healing the girl's wounds. When she finished tending the girl, Madam Pomfrey sank into a chair next to the hospital bed and held her head in her hands. "What has this poor girl seen? There must be fifteen fresh wounds on that girl, and another fifty old ones." Madam Pomfrey was very distressed, though she sat up straighter and went to let Sirius know what was wrong with her.
"Mr. Black," Sirius perked up at his name. "it appears to me that this girl attempted to take her life today. She cut herself deeply many times, she nearly bled out. It also appears that she has not eaten or slept in at least a week. I believe that this girl was attempting to take her life somewhere she wouldn't be found, but when her magic sensed that, the moment she fell unconscious, she was apparated somewhere that somebody would find her."
Sirius was shell-shocked. Why would anyone do such a thing? She must have been through so much…
-HTPWILY-
Hermione was in a deep sleep; a beautiful, happy, peaceful deep sleep. She felt so happy here, she felt no pain, no loss. She wanted to stay in this place forever. But as fate would have it, she got a nice little visit from some of her friends.
"Hermione, you need to go. We know you miss us, and we know you're happy here, but you have to go." Harry started.
"No, I'm staying here."
"Love, you have to go," Ron came over and cupped her cheek. "You'll be happier when you wake up, I promise."
"Hermione, we know what is meant to transpire. It's written in the fabric of time, we all know. It is not your time." Remus said. "We can't tell you what is going to happen, but I can tell you this: Give Padfoot here someone to love."
Hermione wasn't sure what Remus meant by that last comment, but she nodded her head. "Alright, I'll go," she sighed. "But promise me this; you'll stay with me."
The four nodded. "It'll be like we never left," Sirius said.
Slowly, unwillingly, Hermione let go of the vision. She left the happy place, and traded it for something she could have never imagined.
-HTPWILY-
Hermione's eyes fluttered open and immediately slammed shut again, seeing only the ceiling of the Hospital Wing, but knowing exactly where she was.
"No… this is not happening… it's a nightmare… if I go back to sleep I'll go back to them… Why did they make me leave them? I wanted to stay." Hermione whispered to herself, turning to her side, and drew her knees into her chest, forming a tight ball. "I didn't want to have to live without them… I really have no chance of seeing them again now… What will Ginny say?" Tears were rolling down her face now that she was near hysterics. A hand reached over to her face and wiped the tears away, causing Hermione to tense and flinch away.
"Shh…" A familiar voice soothed. "It's alright now. You're safe."
At the sound of the voice, Hermione's mind cleared and moved away from the insanity she was feeling. If that was who she thought it was, then she most definitely was not in 1998. Hermione's decided that she needed to go about this the right way; act like she doesn't know him.
Sirius saw the girl's eyes flutter open and fixate on him. "Who are you?" Her voice was croaky and dry as if she hadn't properly spoken in a long while.
"Sirius Black. And you?" Sirius could practically see the gears turning in her head, as she spoke. "Hermione Granger."
"Well, Hermione Granger, I found you in a right state, are you feeling alright?"
Hermione shook her head. "I didn't think so. Do you know where we are?"
She nodded, "Hogwarts. I've heard about it, but I've never actually been here." Sirius held her eyes and studied them. She's seen too much… There is something different about her… Sirius desperately wanted to ask about her arms, but knew better.
"My dear, you're awake!" Madam Pomfrey said as she bustled in to check up on her. "My dear, you had quite a rough right. You've been unconscious for several hours. Mr. Black, here was the one to find you, and he hasn't left your side once. Not even when his friends came around to convince him to leave." Hermione looked up at Sirius with a question written in her eyes. He nodded and gave her a smile that answered that question.
"When can I be released?"
"In the morning. I need you to stay here for the night so I can keep an eye on you." Madam Pomfrey answered immediately. Hermione nodded. "Alright, then, Mr. Black, I believe it would be time for you to be taking your leave."
Sirius nodded and made a move to stand up, but Hermione protested. "No, please, stay." Sirius looked at the Mediwitch. She sighed and told him that he could sleep in the bed next to Hermione – apparently she had heard their entire conversation – that night, under the condition that they both eat good meals.
-HTPWILY-
The next morning, when Hermione woke, she decided she'd go up to Professor Dumbledore's office once she was released. As it turned out, she didn't have to go anywhere at all to find the Professor, for he had been alerted of her recent appearance. "Professor Dumbledore, sir? Do you mind if I talk to you? I have something I need to tell you." Dumbledore nodded and closed the curtains around Hermione's bed and, for good measure, put up a silencing charm.
"What is it you needed to tell me, Miss Granger?" He said, the twinkle in eye flashing at full force.
"Well, ah… I'm not sure how to tell you this… but…" Hermione screwed up her face in frustration. "What's the date?"
"The date would be March the 12th, 1978." Dumbledore answered.
"Um… well, that would be a good place to start… I-I'm from the future."
"Are you now?" the Headmaster asked, his eye was twinkling even more now, if possible.
"Yes… T-the last thing I remember w-was sitting on my b-bed doing this," she timidly gestured to her arm. "And that was March 11, 1998. Two weeks after the final w-w-war." Hermione stuttered.
Dumbledore nodded. "I think I know what I'm meant to be doing here," Dumbledore raised an eyebrow as if asking, 'And what might that be?' "I'm supposed to heal myself… Help destroy V-Voldemort, save many lives, and… fall in love." Hermione gazed at the engagement ring on her finger that Ron gave to her when he got back from destroying Slytherin's locket.
"My dear, you've lost many that were close to you recently, haven't you?"
Hermione nodded. "Too many to count."
Dumbledore looked at Hermione gravely. "We will have you sorted tonight at dinner. I trust you know your way around?" She nodded. "I shall take my leave, then. Take care of yourself, Miss Granger."
-HTPWILY-
"Padfoot! Paddy! Dog! Sirius!" Sirius started with a jolt as James Potter attempted to get his friend's attention, for he had, once again, slipped away from the world of the awake.
Sirius clutched his chest. "Merlin, Prongs! Give a guy a heart attack…"
James held his hands up in surrender. "I was just told to retrieve you. We're going to have dinner, now, thought you may like to know."
Sirius nodded and got up to follow his friend to the Great Hall. "There's something different about that girl. Something in her eyes tells me she's seen and done too much."
"I know, Padfoot, I know." James responded sadly. "All we can hope is that when she's sorted, she's in Gryffindor so we can keep an eye on her."
-HTPWILY-
Hermione sat anxiously on the stool at the head of the Great Hall. Why couldn't I just stay in Gryffindor the voice in her head wondered. Because that would call too much attention to you, the voice answered. She sighed in relief when Professor Dumbledore's speech was finished and McGonagall came over and sat the Sorting Hat on her head.
Why hello there, Miss Granger. It's not the first time you've seen me is it? Time Traveler, eh? Well, let's have a look. You would do well in either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Though your bravery and courage outweigh your intelligence by a great bit, and it seems it would help you to stay with this new friend of yours… It must be… "GRYFFINDOR!"
Hermione released a breath she hadn't noticed she'd been holding, and it appeared the rest of the Hall did the same. Hermione walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat herself down next to a relieved Sirius.
-HTPWILY-
"Congrats." Sirius whispered in Hermione's ear as she sat next to him. He noted that the smile she gave him did not reach her eyes, and vowed to change that. She regarded James and Remus each with a curt nod, but when her eyes met those of Peter's, Sirius saw a look of raw hatred in her eyes. That's… not right. Who could hate Peter?
Sirius quickly banished the thought, and began eating. Towards the end of the meal, though, he noticed that Hermione hadn't touched a bit of her food; she was just shoving it around her plate. "Hey, you really should eat some of that food." He pointed out to her.
She shook her head. "I'm not hungry. I think I'm going to go up to the common room now."
Sirius nodded, and offered to take her up to the tower, and she agreed to let him come. The two got up, and began to leave the Hall, but were slowed when James, Remus, and Peter caught up to them. Things aren't going all that badly, are they? Sirius thought, as they entered the common room. He couldn't have been more wrong, for the second they group stepped foot into the privacy of the common room, Hermione pulled her wand out of her cloak, grabbed Peter, and shoved him up against the wall.
"Lift your sleeve," Hermione hissed, causing Peter to whimper. "Lift it!" She said with more force, her word laced with acid. Peter lifted his left shirt sleeve. James, Sirius, and Remus let out a gasp. Remus got his bearings together first, and joined Hermione in shoving Peter up against the wall.
"You little rat!"
-HTPWILY-
A/N - Please review! I can't make things better if I don't know what's wrong with it!