Disclaimer: Sadly enough I do not own Harry Potter, though J.K Rowling does.
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The dark sky above looked menacing as it hovered of them. Hermione Granger felt slightly claustrophobic when she glanced around her at the big throngs of trees that were pushing against each other making the clearing seem like a cage instead of a meadow.
She trembled slightly, her wand hand shaking furiously. She tried to get a hold on herself, but it was impossible, as fear raked through her body at the thought of what was to come.
"Hermione?" She opened her eyes – she hadn't even realized that she had closed them – and looked towards the source of the sound, and her eyes connected with bright green ones of Harry Potter that were looking at her, concern etched on his features.
"I'm fine." She lied, trying to make it sound as convincing as possible, though by the look on Harry's face, she failed miserably. But before he got the chance to say anything else, the sound of twigs breaking and cloaks sweeping against the ground was heard, and everyone in the clearing raised their wands higher, straightened their backs and erased every trace of emotion on their faces.
This is it.
The first person to enter from behind the trees was a tall man, a hood covering his face, though the crimson colored eyes that were shining in the darkness betrayed the person's identity. Lord Voldemort.
One by one, his followers inched their way into the clearing, and Hermione felt her hopes die down as at least twenty Death Eaters was positioned behind Voldemort. She shared a glance with Harry, who looked just as terrified as her at the prospect of six teenagers trying to take down dozens of Death Eaters.
Oh, how she wished they'd asked the Order for help, or at least alert them of where they were going. No way would they have a chance at killing Voldemort know. They would be one of many to have fallen victim to the Dark Lord.
His cold high-pitched laugh broke the suffocating silence that had been hanging in the air around them, and Hermione cringed at the sound, wanting to block her ears and close her eyes. In times like these, she wished she had refused to go to Hogwarts, and led a perfectly normal life as a Muggle.
Another laugh joined in, and Hermione recognized the insane cackle as Bellatrix Lestrange, and another shudder went through her body as she reminisced about the torture that she had been put through at Malfoy Manor what seemed like ages ago.
"Well, isn't this nice." Lord Voldemort spoke up, his voice laced with sarcasm as his eyes turned to look directly at her, though she quickly diverted her gaze, which brought another laugh through his lips.
After a while she looked up again, only to have him still staring at her, and she cringed, wondering why he was still staring at her.
"Don't look at her!" Ron screamed, and Hermione jumped, and turned to look at Ron, whose face shone with rage as he stared Voldemort directly in the eyes, and Hermione wanted nothing else but to run over to the red-head and hug him for all she was worth.
A blinding green light raced through the air, and Hermione didn't think as she started running as fast as her legs could carry her, and knocked everyone on the way, not wanting anyone to get hurt, and just as the spell swiveled past them, Hermione knocked Ron aside, and they landed with a loud thump on the ground, and as she looked around her to make sure that everyone was alright, the tears that she'd been holding in for so long started running down her face, and soon she was sobbing harshly, for a moment forgetting that where she was, not being able to think about the fact that her actions could get them all killed.
She saw spells flying above her, and as Ron scrambled up from under her, she felt empty, though she paid no heed to it, and continued to sob, her vision blurred as she tried to get a hold on herself and join her friends in the fight.
Her fingers clawed at the ground, and a hoarse scream escaped her throat as she watched Ron's lifeless body fall to the ground, and she saw red as she quickly jumped up from the ground, and joined the fight.
Though she knew it was fruitless. There were only five of them left, and only seven Death Eaters had fallen, none of them dead.
But she fought. Fired spell after spell at the enemy, using every spell she had ever read or learned about. In her rage she failed to see the dark figure creeping up on her, until it was too late, and she was grabbed by her waist, and she faintly registered that they were Apparating. She felt her stomach churn, and as she spinning stopped, she collapsed on the floor, trying not to throw up.
After she had composed herself, she slowly looked up, only to see the Dark Lord hovering over her, staring at her intently with his crimson red eyes, and Hermione started to tremble, with both fear and anger. She chose to act on the latter.
"How dare you?" She screeched, and started to hit the man, with her fists, trying to inflict some pain into the creature that had ruined her life, and so many others.
He didn't do anything to stop her, and after what felt like hours she didn't have the power to continue, and slumped against the ground, her head falling into her hands as tears silently streamed down her face.
She hated herself for not being strong enough. For not being Gryffindor enough. For not being able to save Ron. For everything, she hated herself.
She felt a hand touch her shoulder, and she recoiled from the cold touch, and started to inch away from Voldemort, not wanting to be anywhere near him.
"Why can't you just, kill me?" She whispered, with a note of desperation in her voice as she watched him advance on her.
"I don't want to kill you." The softness in his voice both surprised her and disconcerted her, and she looked up at him and at seeing the tender expression in his face, she froze, not knowing what to do.
The next thing she knew, his lips had descended down on hers, and he was kissing her passionately, and to her chagrin, she kissed him back, clinging onto him as if her life depended on it.
Hermione Granger woke up with a scream, cold sweat covering her body as she looked around the room, clinging to the wand in her right hand.
"It was only a dream." She reasoned with herself, trying to calm her racing heart. "The war is over, Voldemort is dead, and I have nothing to worry about."
Though it calmed her down a bit, she couldn't shake of the uneasy feeling of dreaming about Lord Voldemort.
She shook her head, intent on forgetting all about the dream, not wanting to dwell on it further.
If only it had been so easy. This was the sixth time she had been dreaming about him, and it wasn't pleasant waking up, and then have to face her friends, while having just dreamed about kissing Voldemort. And she definitely wasn't as weak as the Hermione in her dream.
She groaned, and stepped out of bed, knowing she wouldn't get anymore sleep. She proceeded to do her morning rituals, and as she was tiding her hair, someone knocked on the door to her room, and she went to open it, to find Ginny Weasley stand there with a huge grin on her face, waving a piece of parchment in her hand.
"Look what Harry sent me!" She squealed, and thrust the parchment to Hermione, who took it and unfolded it. Hermione choked her laughter when she saw what was written on it.
Marry me?
Harry
"What did you say?" Hermione asked, trying to stifle her laughter. Typical Harry.
"If he proposed properly, I would be delighted to accept, but until then, we are still only boyfriend and girlfriend." Ginny said, and Hermione couldn't hold it any longer, and erupted in a fit of laughter. Ginny soon joined her, and they laughed all the way to the Great Hall, where most students turned their heads to see what the commotion was about.
As the two girls sat down next to Neville Longbottom, who had decided to come back to school and get proper N.E.W.T.s scores, Hermione complemented on her dream.
Even if I continue to dream about Voldemort, they mean nothing. I have a happy life to look forward to, and a silly dream will not get in the way of my goals.
A/N: It was just a little something that popped inside my head, and I really wanted to write it. This will not continue into a multi-chapter, unless I get inspiration to do so, but I think this stands quite well as an One-shot story.
