Hello to all of you! Some of you have already read this story, but you will need to read it again, as it has been changed due to much needed revisions.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and its characters, just the plot of this story.

"Miss Granger, wake up."

Hermione opened her eyes slowly. 'Oh no.' McGonagall looked down at her Head Girl as Hermione realized what happened. 'I fell asleep.'

"Are you quite alright, Miss Granger? It is very unlike you to fall asleep in class."

Moaning, Hermione tried to come to full awareness. "I am so sorry, Professor. I haven't been sleeping well lately, but I haven't been able to go see Madame Pomphrey." She yawned and blinked a few times as McGonagall gathered her books and handed them to Harry.

"Well, now you do. I want you to go to the hospital wing and have Madame Pomphrey give you some Dreamless Sleep potion, alright? This is your last class anyway. Now go and get some sleep." McGonagall helped Hermione to her feet. "Potter, since you've got the spell down, why don't you go with her, make sure she gets to the hospital wing alright. The rest of you, get back to work."

Once out in the hall, Harry put his arm around her. "Why haven't you been sleeping, 'Mione?" He asked as he led her to the hospital wing. "Ginny says you've been having nightmares?" He explained that his girlfriend had heard Hermione screaming in her sleep several nights in a row. Hermione grew paler than she already was.

"She heard me?" At his nod, she took a deep breath. "I have been having nightmares, Harry. The thing is I always forget them when I wake up, the only bit I can remember is being terrified of something and knowing that I don't dare go back to sleep or it'll come back." Harry didn't say anything, just patted her back. After all, what could he really say? Once at the hospital wing, he explained to Madame Pomphrey why Hermione looked like she was about to collapse.

"Oh dear, nightmares is it? Well, all I can do is give you some Dreamless Sleep and let you rest." Madame Pomphrey led Hermione to one of the beds. "Thank you Mr. Potter, you may return to class." Harry gave Hermione a final worried look before leaving. After he had gone, Madame Pomphrey went to a nearby cabinet and selected a light blue crystal phial and measured out a small dosage, murmuring to herself. "I'll have to have Severus make another batch. Honestly, between him and the seventh years, it's impossible to keep it in stock." She handed Hermione the glass of milky blue potion.

"Professor Snape uses Dreamless Sleep? What for?" Hermione asked as she took a sip. It didn't taste all that bad, she decided, and drank the rest as Madame Pomphrey smiled sadly.

"Yes, I'm afraid he has terrible nightmares. Oh! You aren't supposed to know that, but you already know so much about the state of things. His past haunts him, my dear, but I suppose that's to be expected. Anyway, have a nice nap, dear." Madame Pomphrey turned off the light and went to her office, leaving Hermione to sleep.

Which she did, but not a Dreamless Sleep. For whatever reason, the potion didn't work properly. The dream started out just like her nightmares usually did, with Hermione waking up, not in the Head Girl's room or the hospital wing, but in the seventh year dorm.

'That's odd. How id I end up here?' she sat up in bed and looked around. All was quiet for once in the tower and she quickly realized why. All of the beds were empty and so was the rest of the tower, she discovered as she walked downstairs. "It's like I'm the only one in the castle" She whispered, her voice echoing in the hall as she walked through the portrait hole where no Fat Lady questioned her being up so late. Hermione walked down toward the Great Hall and her footsteps seemed deafening in the silence.

"I dare you!" A voice whispered from behind Hermione. She stopped and, looking around, saw no one. She muttered a spell and her wand tip lit up. Nothing appeared in the weak light.

"Who's there? Hello?"

"I dare you!" More whispers all around her. Hermione spun around to locate them. Shadows clung to the edge of the light, illuminating nothing. "I dare you!"

"I dare you!"

"I dare you to run!" Each voice yelled and the shadows crept forward. Hermione gave up figuring out where the voices were just as the light form her wand flickered. It flickered again, as if someone was trying to blow it out. Hermione backed away, farther down the hall, away from the safety of the Gryffindor tower. The shadows followed, pushing back the light as they advanced. More whispers, closer this time, breaths grazing her outstretched hand and nipping the edge of the light.

"Run!"

"I dare you!"

"Run!"

"I dare you to run!" The shadows lunged for her, swallowing the light completely. With a low cry, Hermione turned and ran away from the voices and the shadows, but they followed her, always staying on the edge of the light, whispering to her.

'Where can I go? Merlin, what do I do?' she tried to turn towards McGonagall's office, but was turned away by voices in the doorway.

"Run!"

"I dare you!"

Crying now, Hermione headed to the Headmaster's office, knowing that Dumbledore could help her. Once more she was forced from her chosen path by the voices. It was then that she realized what was happening.

'Merlin, I'm being herded away from the safe places!' She thought quickly. 'Where can I go where I'll be safe?' The shadows crept closer, this time reaching out for her. She felt, but couldn't see, the hands scratching and pinching. She made up her mind and ran for the dungeon. She knew where to go, but would she be safe? I'll have to chance it; she decided and ran for the dungeon, with the voices close behind.

So close, just a little farther! Hermione opened the door and slammed it shut behind her. Facing the door, she waited for the voices to break through. She could feel them just outside, wanting in, but unable to and she leaned against the door, sobbing with relief.

"Ah, just in time for detention, Miss Granger." Hermione turned around and ran to the desk.

"Professor, thank Merlin you're here! There's something out…detention?" She stopped a few feet short of Snape's desk. He hadn't even looked up from the papers he was grading when she ran in. "What did I…"

"You know very well what you did!" Snape pushed himself away from the desk angrily, nearly knocking a bottle of ink over as he crossed behind it to stand directly in front of Hermione. "Daring to come into my classroom and…"

Snape suddenly grabbed Hermione's shoulders and pulled her to him. She smelled a spicy fragrance like that of tree sprite tears, used in many potions. She stared up at him, confused and frightened as he lips slowly descended upon hers. They were softer than she'd expected…

Screaming, Hermione woke and found herself in the hospital wing with Madame Pomphrey standing over her.

"Miss Granger, are you alright?" Hermione just sat there, shocked. "Miss Granger, relax and drink this. It will put you into a deep sleep." Hermione drank the icy potion and immediately fell into a sleep where her nightmares couldn't reach her.

I hope you all liked this version! More to come soon!