Her heart fell somewhere around her ankles and a shiver ran down her spine. She swallowed hard and stopped her body from shaking: she knew too well what would happen if she continued trembling. He was standing on the other side of the door, she noticed, when the sound of his footsteps ceased. She shut her eyes closed and tried to hide her mind, to make it run away while it happened, but she wasn't succeeding…
Everything in her felt revolted. She dared not move. He closed the door and walked to her bedside, sitting next to her slowly. He took off his boots and his clothing and placed them on the floor. Her last night, she thought bewildered, and he couldn't help himself?!
Her covers were slowly peeled off of her… A small tug on her pajamas… Desperate, putrid, rhythmic breathing. So dark, so dirty, so alone…
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione inquisitively. She hadn't spoken since they started moving. She looked sad, but her face changed every time she noticed them staring at her. In the end, she ended up looking out the window to avoid her fellow Gryffindors. Ron tried to remain calm. However, after a while anxiousness got the best of him.
"Hermione!"
She almost jumped out of her outfit. She turned to them, looking at Ron angrily.
"Why are you screaming?!"
Ron's voice gave out something that sounded like a very small "Dunno". He looked rather awkward about it, and Hermione thought he was going to leave her alone, but nothing and no one could ever be as headstrong as Ronald Weasley.
"Why are you so quiet?"
"I'm not silent, Ron, what –"
"Yes, you are! You've been silent since we got here. Isn't she, Harry?"
Sensing his answer could be used against him, Harry shrugged. It had the effect he was hoping: they started bickering ("See, I'm not!", "Are too!", "Am not!",…) but he was left out of it. The dog at his feet let out a small growl, and that made Ron and Hermione stop fighting instantly.
She shuddered, although the water was boiling hot. She couldn't get it off her. She had almost skinned herself, but it wouldn't go away! She sat on the shower's floor, hugging her knees, and cried.
She didn't remember when it started, she declared, making Dumbledore nod gravely.
"It means a lot to me, dear child, that you've trusted me with this… However, someone has placed a charm on you, and we need to find who it was. I will do something about it, you do understand that, don't you? This will stop. I promise."
She nodded, tears glinting in her eyes. She stood up slowly and walked to the door to leave.
"Oh, and, Miss Granger" – Dumbledore called, as if he had suddenly been jerked from his trail of thoughts. – "In order for me to help you, I need to know you'll help yourself, too. No one else must know about this until we have figured things out, okay? And I need your promise that you'll stay away from Professor Snape."
Hermione promised and exited the room, walking all the way down the hall in a very confused state. She calmed herself before turning the doorknob. Everyone inside was asleep, and she hoped she could sleep too tonight, although she still wasn't clear if she had taken or put a weight on her heart.