A/N: Second story, woohoo. In, like, seven months? Cough cough. I think this is better than the first but uh…. Constructive criticism is welcome.
So I had this idea when I was reading Deathly Hallows for the billionth time. And decided to write it down.
This is after the Battle of Hogwarts, after Fred's funeral (Glares at Rowling) maybe in late July, early August.
Disclaimer: Me? Own Harry Potter? Yeah, right. And I'm an eight foot purple leprechaun with chicken pox.
Were they under attack?
That was her first thought as she shoved back the blankets and grabbed her wand. She didn't even have a foot out of bed when a warm hand was laid on her arm. She looked up into her husbands eyes.
"Nobody is here, one of the girls are having a nightmare." He said with considerable fatigue and worry in his eyes.
She sighed and the wand Molly had had grabbed from the table moments before was set back. She looked around the dark room and blinked at her husband. She could hear screaming coming from downstairs, and the thumping of feet moving around.
She nodded at Arthur and grabbed his hand as the sped out of their room. It was probably Ginny again, she thought. Ever since the War she has been having them almost every night.
They passed through hallways and down staircases, the cold floor under their bare feet. The screaming became even clearer and Molly was confused. She glanced up at her ragged husband and noticed he looked as she was feeling.
"That's not Ginny." She remarked and nodded once in agreement, a slight frown on his face. "Could it be Hermione?"
"It has to be it's obvious it's coming from their room."
And he was right; the girls' room was the only one on that floor they were on. But molly was still puzzled.
Neither Harry, Ron, nor even Hermione had had a nightmare once since they came home almost a week ago.
Has it really been only that long? She mused. It seems so much longer.
Everyone seemed to have at least one. Ginny and Percy the most.
Ginny's were of the Chamber mostly. From some of the war, and her past school year, but mostly the chamber.
And Percy's were all from when Fred died…
No. She wouldn't think about that now, she thought grimly. She felt Arthur squeeze her hand and wondered if he was thinking the same thing.
At least once a night someone woke up screaming. Bill, or Fleur, who were staying at The Burrow for the time being, Charlie, Percy, George, or Ginny. But never from the other three.
Well, she thought, at least until tonight.
They got to the girls' door, and saw everyone looking inside, save Ron and Harry.
Bill glanced at her and said, "Ginny's been trying to get her to wake up. But she just screams louder and cries harder whenever someone touches her." He shook his hair out of his face and her hand twitched when it fell back in the same position. He looked back at the room. "Everyone is shocked, Hermione never has nightmares. We're all feeling bloody useless, but no one will go back to bed."
She shook her head and pushed past the bodies to look into the room. Ginny was standing between the two beds looking worried and helpless as Hermione thrashed and screamed, the blankets tangled around her legs, her head thrown back, and hands clawing at the bed.
"Please! Please no! Stop stop stop stop stop please! We found it, I don't know, we found it, we didn't know, oh god please please please…"
"We don't know what she's talking about." Molly jumped. She didn't hear Bill come up behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Arthur talking to Charlie and Percy, while George watched Hermione. But she still didn't see Harry and Ron.
She turned back to Bill and asked where they were. He frowned as if just realizing they weren't there. "I'm not sure. Maybe they could help her calm down. I'll ask Percy if he could go and get—"
Before he could even finish, they were standing in the doorway, looking tired, but alert. They glanced at everyone, then Hermione, and rushed over to her.
Bill and Molly stepped back as they pushed past them, almost like they didn't even notice them.
"Please! Oh please just stop! Just stop! Aaahhhh!!" She shrieked.
"Ron climbed up near the head of the bed and pulled her head on to his lap. Harry climbed on the side and rubbed her back as Ron pushed her curly hair out of her face.
She instantly turned towards them as they murmured to her. Her screams turned to whimpers and everyone visibly relaxed.
"I didn't tell her… I didn't tell her." She sobbed, starting to hyperventilate. "Just make her stop. Please."
"Ssh, Hermione. You aren't there anymore, we're home. She can't hurt you anymore." Ron soothed.
"I don't wanna go back. Don't wanna go back."
"You aren't. You're never going back. Ever again. You're staying with us. You're safe." This time it was Harry.
Hermione calmed down and fell asleep at last. Neither Harry nor Ron would leave, and decided to sleep on the floor. Ginny would stay in the bed.
Molly turned towards the door as they started to get their beds made, and silently motioned everyone else into the hall.
George was the first to speak. "What were they talking about? Who was hurting her? Go back where?"
Percy seemed just as bewildered, as did Charlie, who asked, "What happened to them while they were gone? Why did they leave in the first place?"
Everyone was silent. None of them knew why they left, or what had happened, or what they did while they were gone. And that frustrated her. Three people in her family were gone for nine months, and she had no clue what they did and why.
They never spoke a word of it. They stayed at Hogwarts, helping with the gist of the cleaning and fixing, and never said a word. They talked as if nothing happened, only about what was happening now.
And then they came home and still hadn't said a word about it. Arthur said they would tell them what happened when they were ready, but Molly didn't think she could wait another month. Especially if this happened more, and she couldn't comfort them.
"They came to my house." Bill said quietly. All heads turned towards him. "Well. Actually, Ron did first, by himself. For about a week. Wouldn't say a word. And then he was gone again. A couple weeks, maybe a month later, I guess, they came back. All of them. But they brought others with them who were in shape worse for wear. A dead house elf, Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, and a goblin with a broken leg. And carrying Hermione who looked dead at first." He swallowed, remembering seeing her in his little brothers' arms, thinking the worst. "They didn't say what happened, but Fleur said it looked like someone used the cructatius curse on her." Molly gasped, and George looked dumbfounded. Percy and Charlie both looked murderous, and Arthur's face was carefully blank. Bill nodded. "Then, they decided they were going to break into Gringotts. They made Hermione use Polyjuice to look like Lestrange—" Molly's eyes narrowed and Arthur looked as if something just dawned on him. "—whose hair, for some reason, was on Hermione. They also had her wand."
"So what you're saying," Charlie said slowly, "Is that Hermione was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange?"
He nodded once, and not for the first time Molly was glad she killed that monster. "I think so, yeah. I think that is what the nightmare was about too. She, Hermione I mean, would mumble while she was sleeping sometimes at Shell Cottage. Something about a sword and not knowing something." He smiled slightly. "Which is a shock in itself. Hermione—Not knowing something."
It was quiet again. Molly didn't know whether to be angry or not at Bill for not telling them, her. Haw many times had she worried she would never see them again? Too many. Before she could fully reach a conclusion, her husband suggested they should all go back to bed. And they all headed off to their rooms.
"Molly felt suddenly tired as Arthur wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "How could that have happened, Arthur? They're just kids. And they've been acting as if it never happened! What else have they gone through? Was that one of the times Ron's hand on the clock was pointing at Mortal Peril?" She sighed again and dropped her head on his shoulder as they made their way up to their room.
He kissed her temple. "They may be kids, darling, but they can handle it. They've been through more than most adults, and others wouldn't be able to get on like they do. I doubt they are really acting as if nothing had happened, they are probably are still coming to terms that they don't have to run anymore. Knowing that things may be slightly normal from now on. It's a huge transition. And when they decide to tell us what happened, which they will, we will be here, and help them with that transition." He opened the door to their room and sat her down on the bed. He took her hands and looked her in the eyes. "But after finding out about what happened to Hermione, and thinking about what else they may have gone through? It just makes me even more proud of them."
"She looked at him, with his wiry graying red hair, rumpled pajamas, and she was so grateful she had him. She dropped her brow to his and asked, "Why is it you are always right?"
He chuckled and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Because it makes you worry less, now go to sleep. If I'm right, which you say I always am, they may just feel the need to explain tomorrow.
She raised her eyebrows as he got up and walked to his side. "Can you see the future now?"
He grinned and crawled into bed, pulling her up next to him. "No, but I know them. And if you weren't worrying so much, you could tell they knew they should tell us."
She frowned when he blew out the candle. How could she have missed that? Her scowl only deepened when she ran back over that nights' events and say, once again, that he was right.
But as she drifted off to sleep, curled up with her husband, she knew he was right in the sense of being proud. And, tomorrow, she would help them with that transition.
Like? Love? Hate? Want to throw rotten eggs at the author? You can tell me it all. Just press that button right there. You know you want to…..
I'm not sure if this is a one-shot or if I'm going to add more, thoughts and stuff from everyone's perspective, some from that night, or the next day. Ideas?