Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters, nor any of the lyrics to "Read My Mind" as I am not part of The Killers. I own nothing, I have nothing, and I promise I will never ever be lucky enough to have anything as wonderful as the Harry Potter books to my name.

I orginally wrote this fic as part of a Fic Exchange and decided to continue the story, because many of my readers thought it would be a good prequel to a longer story. I'm not sure how often I'll be updating, since I'm in college, but I hope to update often. I'd also like to recognize my original beta, Crookshanks.x, for helping me out with this portion of the story and my new beta, Hearts in Strangeness, for agree to help me, starting with Chapter 1. I couldn't do it without them!

I love feedback and encourage everyone to review and leave your comments. I hope you enjoy it!

*****

Read My Mind

She hated being in that room. All alone, they would chain her to a single pole in the middle of the vast emptiness. As a group, they'd form a mob, surround her, and choke off her air…

They made a game of it. Whoever could make her scream the loudest would win, but the game never ended there. It was a constant competition to see who put in the most force, which could make her bite down on her tongue in anguish, which could literally tear her insides apart.

It was never over soon enough, there was always someone else. Someone who wanted another go. Someone more to loathe.

And when it finally was over, she'd lay on the floor, curled up, tight in a ball, knowing that wherever they touched her now ached with such intensity… She hated knowing that they had a strong hold on her feelings and her pain. It scared her that she didn't know when they would come back or if they would stay away for days at a time.

She just wanted to have a space to call her own, to wash up in, to leave it all behind her, to not be so alone…

But all she had was this lone room and her own silence…

She woke up screaming again. It was never anything but bloodcurdling. If there were anyone living within three miles of them, they would have woken up cursing, questioning what kind of torture the screamer was undergoing. It was painful to hear- and even more so to watch. She would be lying there, perfectly motionless as she screamed, as if she had been stopped dead in her tracks by a basilisk, or even been body-bound in her sleep. Everything about it was awful.

He was careful not to touch her as she went through all this. Instead he whispered to her, saying she was here with him, and that he would protect her. He felt bad, knowing he couldn't fully hold up the latter of his promises, but no matter what it was, it always seemed to do the trick.

Her eyes flew open, staring straight ahead, as she tried to get a hold of her bearings. It was then that he would move into her line of sight. Hovering over her, he asked her if she was okay. She took a deep breath, blinking once, twice, before finally saying, "I—I think so." It was another moment before she grabbed him around the shoulders, pulling herself closer to his body. "All I want is to forget," she would mutter. "Nothing more. Just to forget."

They'd been through this routine every night for what seemed like years, but it had hardly even been three months. Whenever she got to this point, he would lose his cool. Normally, he'd lay her back down and tell her to go back to bed, and think about something else. That usually seemed to help her fall back to sleep, even if it was a fitful one. Tonight was different though. Tonight, he was tired. Tonight, he didn't want to act nice—he wanted her to see she wasn't the only one hurting. This was killing him. Not just her breaking down every night around 2 am, but her constant need to have someone around. He knew he couldn't protect her forever and she needed to know that too. So he let her have it.

"Just stop it already, Hermione!" Even he was surprised at his own tone. It sounded much harsher than he ever meant it to be, but it felt good to let go of this frustration. "How many times have I told you to just let it go already? You can't move on if you won't let go of the past. If you don't try to stop remembering, how can you try to start forgetting? You've told me a million times that you want to move past this, but it isn't going to happen unless you try to change it. Don't you dare say that it's too hard to forget, because you damn well know that it's easier than remembering. I don't know what you expect me to do—I'm not the one forcing you to remember what happened. It seems to me that you're the only one who wants you to remember. Unless you let it go, you won't ever stop remembering either. You hear me?"

She sat up slowly, staring at him. "Yeah." Walking into the bathroom, she said, "Loud and clear. I just wish you'd be able to read my mind again."

On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

I never really gave up on
Breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

Taking a deep breath, she turned on the shower, cursing herself for letting the memory sneak up on her like that. She hated knowing that even though they had all been killed in the war or were rotting away in the new fortress at Azkaban, those men could still control her mind. All she wanted was to forget and move on, but it wasn't that easy. Nothing was everthat easy.

Stepping under the cool water, Hermione allowed herself to relax. She started with her toes, then continued to her legs, the muscles in her thighs, her lower back, and then slowly allowed her body to go limp. The last thing she ever allowed to relax, after her forehead, was her mind. She never knew if it would turn out to be a good decision or a bad one, but she took the chance.

First, she thought back to the good old days at Hogwarts. As a Gryffindor-- and as Harry and Ron's best female mate-- she had many an action-packed adventure- the troll and Fluffy, the Forbidden Forest and the search for Horcruxes. Many wonderful memories could be traced back to her days in the Golden Trio. But those were no more. She had not seen Harry or Ron in quite awhile. By now, it must have been at least a year, possibly even two or three.

At the thought of this time lapse, her mind flew to picture Draco. What an irony, she thought, that her once most rival enemy would become the one who would take her in after the war and help calm her fears at night.

She remembered that she found him and his little hut after she had escaped from her captor's fortress. She remembered feeling the security wards going down, which allowed her to break free. She ran for as long as she could and even then she kept moving. She only stopped when she stumbled upon a small village a few days later, it seemed. Although there was no one around and the buildings all looked like ancient ruins from a Roman war, she hid out for a few hours and managed to find a handful of stale breadcrumbs and a small overhang barely large enough for her to fit under in order to get a few hours of fitful rest. After that, she ran further until she found a small hut with a light on in the tiny window. Hesitantly, she watched until the sun had gone down and she felt it would be safe enough for her to creep up a little closer to further inspect the home. Then she could determine whether or not it would be safe to knock on the door.

She crept up a little closer and was terrified to see the door swing open. A cloaked figure raced towards her with a wand out in front of it, shouting, "What business do you have here?" She stood frozen in her place, unable to move, more because of the fear rising within her than the spell he placed upon her.

"I—I—." She stammered her words, not knowing what to say, but before she knew it, the truth was flying off her lips. "I'm running from the dark side, where I was being held captive. Please don't harm me; I only want to find somewhere safe. I don't know if they're following me, but I promise I'll leave at once."

He silenced her by lowering his wand and reaching out a hand to her.

"Come on. Let's get you inside before anything else happens. You're messing with my wards." He led her into the house and sat her down at the small table, then returned outside to fix the wards she had set off upon moving too close to the house.

She looked around slowly, taking in her new surroundings. The hut certainly seemed larger inside than it did when she had first approached it. The kitchen looked pretty modern, with a sink and stove, compared to the grassy walls and thatched roof she had seen outside. Seeing such modern appliances made her long for home and made her miss her wand even more.

When he came back in, he flipped his hood off, revealing his platinum blond hair. She knew at once who he was and hoped to death he wouldn't kill her, but would let her go free instead. Or on second thought, if he was going to put her through what she had gone through every night in that room, she hoped he would just get it over with and kill her straight away. But all he said was: "Running from the war too, Granger?"

He sat down, staring at her, so all she could do was nod her head. If only he knew what she had been through. Her mind couldn't even imagine how to put into words what had happened.

She didn't seem to catch on to the fact that he was running as well. After the manor had been surrounded, Draco dashed off, not wanting to be found by Potter and his despicable crew. Using an emergency portkey, set up just for this very reason, he was out of the manor and into the countryside hut in no time flat. Draco's followers, however, were not quite as lucky. He knew that many would be killed in the battles that would tear his beloved home to the ground and that many more would be imprisoned. He was glad to have gotten away, unscathed. He never wanted to be there in the first place.

By now, his father was probably rolling over in his grave. Draco was sure if his father came back as a ghost, he would find some way to kill his only son. While Draco hated Potter's guts, he didn't hate everyone who followed him. Sure Weasley was no better than a mudblood, but Granger, the true mudblood, seemed to be better than any pureblood he'd met, including himself.

So when Granger tripped back into his life, he vowed to help her, in order to prove to himself that he wasn't purely evil. Only his father and the damned Dark Lord himself were that awful.

Staying here tonight, he had a feeling that someone would be bound to stumble across his hut sooner or later. He had hoped it would not be someone wanting to kill him, but one could never be so sure.

So they sat in silence for awhile, each afraid of what the other might say. Hermione avoided his eyes, not wanting to see her death coming and very afraid of the fact that they were supposed to be enemies at the moment. Draco, however, wanted her to look up, if only just for a moment, to give her a slight feeling of reassurance that he wasn't going to kill her and instead wanted to tell her that somehow, things would end up all right.

Finally, he rose and served up some tea for them to share.

"Sugar?" he asked.

She jumped, startled by his voice.

"No, I – I'm fine without, thank you."

He nodded and placed the steaming cup in front of her. He pondered how he could offer his bed to her without making her look like a deer in the headlights, but before he could plan his words out tastefully, he said, "I know you probably don't have anywhere else to go tonight and I have an extra bed if you like. It should be safe enough for you."

She looked up slowly, and answered, "Thank you for your kindness, but I should be moving on before I'm found."

Draco, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to get in contact with the rest of her friends out here and without a wand, said, "But how do I know you won't give away my location? I can promise I haven't given away yours. Since we're both hiding from the war, wouldn't it be safer to keep each other within our sight?"

Hermione's face read only of defeat now.

"Yes, you're right."

'Keep your friends close and you enemies closer,' she thought. 'And what friends have they been lately, leaving me trapped inside that fortress for so long. Of course, I don't have my wand either, but they still could have tried to send a Patronus by now…'

He showed her into the other room, where his bed was. He hadn't been sleeping much lately, as he had been quite worried that someone from the other side would find him. Lucky for him, only Granger had shown up so far.

She looked at him quizzically as he showed her the bedroom. "But if I take your bed," she said, quite confused, "then where will you sleep? I couldn't possibly take your bed."

"Please do. I haven't slept yet since I've been here. And besides, I can always take the couch if I get tired. I insist—take the bed."

After a few more protests, she finally agreed, stating that he could always kick her out if he wanted it later. He firmly stated that he wouldn't and left the room to sit back down in the kitchen, looking out the tiny window, as if someone would be bound to show up any minute now.

No such visitor would arrive though. The night passed by in silence, but Draco kept his vigil. He wasn't sure why he felt so uneasy tonight; perhaps only because Granger was in the next room. Still, he waited to see what might happen as the crescent moon made its way slowly across the starry sky.

About halfway through the night, it happened. Draco heard someone screaming in the next room. Knowing full well none of his wards had been tripped and the only entrance to the hut was before him, undisturbed, he was anxious to see what the matter was.

Wand drawn, Draco crept into the other room. He muttered an incoherent "Lumos!" and was ready to kill anyone in sight, but all he could see was Hermione, thrashing around on the bed. Not wanting to call attention to them and hoping no one had heard her, he silenced her screams with the flick of a wrist and then made his way over to the bed. Her arms and legs were flailing every which way, so he tried to decide how to calm her. He proceeded to sit on her legs and hold her arms down until she stopped.

Once she stopped thrashing, her eyes flew open and she tried to slip out from under him, silently screaming all the while. "Hermione, relax. You just had a night terror. Calm down. If you promise to stop yelling, I'll take the silencer off." She seemed very out of breath, but stopped fighting him and nodded. He slid off of her and took off the charm.

She was silent for a few moments, aware of what trouble she might have caused in her screaming. She hoped no one had heard her.

The night proceeded on from there, as Draco asked her what could have possibly been so terrifying that she would scream so loudly. She related back stories of what happened at the manor, unaware that Draco had already been witness to many. They vowed to each other that they would try to help her forget, so that there would be no further screaming at night.

Draco sensed after this that she was exhausted and told her to lie back down. He said that he would stay with her until she fell asleep and watch to make sure it didn't happen again. Placing his hand upon hers, she thanked him for his kindness, saying the Malfoy she once knew wouldn't have ever done this. He replied, "My name is Draco and I'd rather not be captured by the wrong people tonight." She fell asleep shortly after with a smile playing at her lips. She slept soundly until daybreak, thinking it was his touch that kept the nightmares away.

The good old days, the honest man;
The restless heart, the Promised Land
A subtle kiss that no one sees;
A broken wrist and a big trapeze

Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you go, can you read my mind?

It's funny how you just break down
Waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
With magic soakin' my spine

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

Stepping out of the shower, Hermione felt better. She knew her body was calmer, which would help her to begin moving on again. Wrapped up in a towel, she returned to the bedroom to get changed. Draco was nowhere to be seen, almost like he had read her mind, knowing he should go cool down as well. Not being near each other could only help their argument from earlier that hung in the air like a bad insult.

She dressed in magenta robes, not very anxious to begin the day. She knew she would have to make her way into Diagon Alley sooner or later to get a new wand, as hers was long gone. She had borrowed Draco's wand often enough, but it was never the same. His wand wasn't as springy as hers had been, so she often created more trouble than she bargained for.

She heard the clang of dishes in the other room, but didn't turn around. She felt his presence before she turned to see him behind her, framing the doorway.

His eyes glared into hers and Hermione could feel the intensity of his words before he spoke them. "Can't you just go back to the way you were in school again?"

"Can't you just read my mind again?" she retorted. His eyes darted back to hers, stopping mid-huff. They lingered for a moment or two, but then he turned around again and walked away, the sound of the door closing tightly all he left behind in his wake.

She didn't know where he was headed, but she didn't care as much to follow. She had to prepare herself for going back out into the real world. She had decided that today she would get something done. She would leave this little hut out in the middle of nowhere and start her life over. Perhaps by getting out of here, she could truly start to forget, since it seemed like the memories had followed her when she ran that first night.

Draco had prepared a portkey for her in order for her to travel to Diagon Alley. There would be no other way for her to get there, since she had no wand. The pen he left her, which would be activated by her touch, sat innocently on the countertop. She was nervous, as she hadn't traveled by portkey in years, probably since the Quidditch World Cup. Grasping the pen in both hands, she felt that familiar tug behind her navel and felt herself spinning through time. She landed on her feet, luckily.

Looking around, Hermione hardly recognized the Leaky Cauldron. It seemed a little brighter than she remembered and the tone of the customers seemed much more upbeat. Posters on the walls displayed the present Ministry officials, one of which she recognized as Harry. Of course he would be Head of the Auror department after all he did in the war. Just seeing his handsome smile plastered across his face made her smile back.

Pleasant music drifted around in the background. Several families with younger children sat together at the large tables that used to seat the Weasley family. Feeling a little thirsty, she sat down and asked for a butterbeer, not knowing if they even still existed. With all these changes around her, Hermione felt out of the loop, like she had missed the Owl Post for the week.

The bartender brought her a bottle with a smile and wished her a pleasant drink. She smiled back softly and enjoyed her first piece of the past. Feeling the warm liquid run down the back of her throat made her miss Hogwarts and all of her friends, but she vowed to not let that get to her now. She was going to get a wand today and start her life over again, one step at a time. Now, if only she could remember the sequence for getting through the brick wall to Diagon Alley…

The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline

Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you jump
Tell me what you find when you read my mind

It wasn't long before Hermione made her way to Ollivander's shop. She had found her way easily, as if someone were magically guiding her through the maze of shoppers to be sure she did not get lost in her excitement. No one seemed to notice this newcomer to the Alley, but that did not stop Hermione from looking around, trying to find a familiar face among the people she passed by.

The sign above the door still read "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.". Hermione shook her head, wondering if it would be the same Mr. Ollivander who had helped her many years ago, as she first prepared to go off to Hogwarts. She entered the shop slowly, like a young preteen again, staring around at the rows and rows of boxes behind the counter. She was left alone for a few moments, as her mind started to turn around the mystique of the old shop.

First to come back into her thoughts were those of Hogwarts. Just as suddenly as they appeared, however, they were gone, only to be replaced by those of masked figures, standing over her as she lay on the cold, hard ground. They forced her to get up, only to make her fall again. They spit on her, ripped off her cloak, and took her pain as pleasure. Again and again they took her as theirs, made her feel like the scum they knew her to be. They forced their way into her, through her mind and her body, hurting her in every way they knew possible. She wanted to scream for them to stop, but her mind would not allow it, knowing it would only add fuel to their fire.

She couldn't take it anymore. She screamed, louder and louder, as they pushed into her harder and harder. Her heart was racing and her breathing labored; her body didn't know what to do anymore. So her body responded as it knew best. Her last thought before she blacked out was a hope that someone might save her.

Slippin' in my faith until I fall
You never returned that call
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again

She said I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine

He followed her as she left that morning, having a feeling that she might feel invincible, even though she was still far from it. He followed her to The Leaky Cauldron, remaining in the corner, which luckily, was still slightly dark, even amidst all the light the new owners had brought in. He watched her leave the pub and make her way into Diagon Alley, just as she had done many times before in the years of her youth. He stayed as far behind as he could, still keeping her in view, while making sure he was well hidden. He watched her enter Ollivander's shop and thought about the first time that he had entered as well.

It was not even five minutes later that screams filled the air. People seemed to come running from every direction in order to see what the matter was. He watched, frozen in his place as he tried to think of what he could do. He acted without thinking, knowing his heart would lead him right.

Put your back on me
Put your back on me
Put your back on me

"That's enough! Leave her alone! Give her some room!" Magically, Hermione felt saved—again…

'That voice, ' she thought. 'That was the voice of the one who used to save me long ago. That voice would make the attacks stop. That person would clear out the room of all the monsters and cut me down from that menacing pole. And now, he's here to save me again.'

The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun
When you read my mind

Angels are said to have wings and be clothed in glowing light. They usually have a sort of grandeur about them, one that makes them appear so much more heavenly than all other beings. Hermione opened her eyes to see who her angel of darkness was but was most surprised to find her angel.

All her brown eyes could find was silver.