Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I probably don't own it unless J.K. changed her mind and decided to give me full possession. Hmm, I'd own Draco. That could turn out very well. I'm sure many of you gals out there know what I'm thinkin'. Yum. Haha.

Chapter One

The still, dark water seemed soothing, relaxing. It was almost as if it called her, beckoned for her to join and become a part of it, to swim out to the middle, and disappear, forever. She could forget her worries, her problems, and her regrets. She wouldn't care about the upcoming war with Voldemort and constantly worry whether or not Harry would come out victor. She so desperately longed for the peace that she once knew, back when she never had to devise new plans to keep her friends and classmates alive.

Everything had changed in fifth year. All the mess in the Department of Mysteries had, as expected, caused quite a stir. People didn't feel safe anymore now that they knew Voldemort was back. All were looking over their shoulder now, just to be sure. But they didn't care that he had a few certain people, students, no less, directly in the crosshairs.

If anything ever happened to Harry, Ron or Ginny it would drive her over the edge. She worried about them constantly, always taking special precautions, unbeknownst to them, when they were out, even in the safest of places. No, that was wrong. There were no safe places anymore. Any and every place seemed vulnerable to attack of some sort. After the Ministry catastrophe she was looking for the weaknesses in everything, and everyone. Just to be on the safe side because after all, you couldn't be too careful. You never knew what could happen so it was best to know as much as you could about your surroundings. It didn't look like much of anybody else took the time to do this, but it was quickly becoming second nature to her. That way, if there were an attack, she would know the areas that were in greatest danger of unauthorized entrance and could direct others away from them.

Sometimes it felt as though she was standing next to a massive cliff and the precipice was continuously moving closer. Sometimes it was so little she could hardly notice but others it seemed as if she'd so much as take in a breath, she would fall and no one would be able to bring her back. With every step she took, it seemed like it killed her just a little bit more. Would anybody really notice if she followed the water's silent, alluring commands? If she just started walking to the center of the lake and never turned back. Would anyone try to save her? Bring her back? Those were the questions she'd never dare try to answer. For every answered one, it seemed ten more would come to take its place. Could she survive this? Could she make it through? The answers never came, not that she expected them to.

"Hermione!"

At hearing her name, Hermione snapped out of her reverie and spun around. About thirty yards away stood her ebony haired best friend. Getting up off the ground and walking over, she realized she was starting to sneak off and hide by herself more and more. Her hopes were that her friends wouldn't notice. If they did, there would be questions and that would only complicate things, making it harder for her to steal away and be alone at the lake. Oh, she'd find a way to escape for a little while, that wasn't even a question. She just didn't want her friends to be worried about her was all. If Harry were preoccupied with his concern for her, it would have the possibility of distracting him during attack, and that could cost him his life. So if he wasn't thinking about her, she thought he'd have a better shot of coming out champion in whatever battles came his way. And Hermione didn't want to handicap her other friends with her problems either so it was just better all around if she didn't share them.

"Oh, Merlin, Hermione! Your hands are like ice! Here, put this on," Harry said as he slipped off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

When she actually thought about it, her hands were cold. Hermione never felt cold when she was down by the lake though. She didn't feel much of anything when she was there. She supposed she was just too numb to feel it, but then again, it was an advantage to be that numb sometimes. It was better than feeling the immense sadness that repeatedly overtook her.

"Thank you, Harry. I forgot my cloak inside. I didn't think I'd need it since I had only intended to be out here for a few minutes. I could have sworn I saw somebody out here when I was up in my bedroom finishing up the rest of next week's homework. I came out to give them a detention for being out after hours but didn't see anyone anywhere. But then I looked over and saw the giant squid, so I decided to watch him for a while. It was quite pleasant actually." Hermione was lying through her teeth, but that wasn't important at the moment. What Harry doesn't know, won't hurt him.

"Ever the Head Girl, aren't you, 'Mione?" Harry laughed.

"But what were you doing out at this hour? Harry James Potter, I thought I told you about doing that! You never come out after hours anymore! It is not safe at all."

"Don't worry Hermione, I'm safe now aren't I? But, to answer your question, I came out here to get you. When I was in the common room Seamus told me it looked like you were outside sitting by the lake. I came out to find out if it was you or not and as it turns out, it was. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it." Harry said, laughing as he said the last part.

By this time, the pair was to the castle doors and went inside.

"Want me to walk you to your room?"

"No thanks, Harry. I can make it on my own. I've got my wand, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. But I still can't help but worry about you."

"Thank you. I appreciate your concern. But do you want me to walk you to your room? That way if a teacher walks by and sees you, I could say I was making sure you got back to your commonroom and that I reprimanded you for being out so late. You wouldn't get in trouble."

"Well…I don't know…that's at the other side of the castle…I don't want you to have to go all the way back to your dormitory alone considering the hour."

"Oh Harry! I told you! Stop worrying about me. I'm a big girl of seventeen already, Hogwarts' seventh year Head Girl, smartest student in the castle. If I can't take care of myself, in Hogwarts especially, then I'm afraid I have a serious problem on my hands," she laughed. "Come on. Let's not be out later than necessary." And with that, they both started heading out in the direction of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

They made small talk on their diminutive journey, which usually only took ten minutes and since they were traveling with a faster-paced walk, Hermione figured they would be to the portrait opening in about four more minutes. Harry insisted that they hurry up a slight bit so his dear friend could get to her room quicker. He was going to tell her just to go ahead and leave him since they were halfway there but figured not to argue because Hermione was too stubborn to change her mind and go with his proposal. Though in the very back of his mind he was marginally relieved that she had, indeed, decided to go with him. It wasn't the dark emptiness, like most people would say, that he was afraid of. It was because the last time he was out in the halls after hours, Snape had caught him. He told Harry that if he ever caught him in that situation again, he would be cleaning the Potions' dungeon every day for a month. Of course upon Dumbledore hearing of it, the Headmaster had reduced it to only a week, but still, it would be without magic, you could bet your life on that. It would take forever and Harry really didn't want to have to go through that torture.

"Password?"

"Bezoar," said Harry.

Hearing the right word, the large, familiar portrait swung open.

"Good night Harry. See you in the morning."

" Night 'Mione, please be careful walking back to your commonroom."

"I will, but I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"I always will. Sweet dreams now."

"Same to you."

Hermione turned and started to walk back for the Heads' room, but alone this time. Harry stopped just inside the portrait opening and watched her go. There was something not right with her; he knew it. If only he knew what it was.

-----

Hermione walked down the long, silent, corridor after ensuring that her friend got into Gryffindor Tower unharmed. Sure, she didn't particularly like walking around by herself in the dark hallways of Hogwarts, ok, sometimes she was downright scared, but still, she liked to be certain that Harry was fine. After all, he was the one that had to go up against Voldemort whenever the time came. Ron and herself would be flanking him of course, but still, the ultimate power needed to rid the earth of this evil being was within Harry himself so she took it as her duty to make sure he was safe until that time arrived. Merlin only knew what would happen if he were severely wounded when You-Know-Who attacked with all of his ignorant followers behind him. So Hermione would do whatever necessary to protect him, not only because he was one of her best friends, which was reason enough as it was, but because he was the key to the deliverance of the universe. The world needed him more than they all knew.

CRACK!

Hermione heard a sound and stopped dead in her tracks. She heard something and it scared her terribly. Seven years worth of curses, jinxes, and hexes raced through her mind as well as a broad number of defensive spells.

Wand gripped tightly in her petite hand, she slowly started inching her body closer to the wall. When Hermione felt the cool stone through her shirt she felt marginally better. She had read it was smarter to do that than to have your back open and susceptible to blows. At least I can't be attacked through the wall…or it's not as likely anyway.

CRACK...CRACK!

Hermione was so thankful that she was top witch of her year and knew more spells than most of her peers because that put her at an advantage, but nonetheless, she was still scared out of her wits. She just hoped that whatever it was, wasn't dangerous. If this were a student playing some sort of prank, Hermione didn't know what she'd do. It says on page 92 in the handbook that 'the Head Girl cannot attack another student physically or verbally' and she had always planned to uphold that rule but if they kept that noise up she just might be tempted to 'forget' about that rule.

The noise didn't cease. It didn't even seem to miss a beat in the rhythm. About every seven seconds she heard it. After the first half minute she started to follow it, trying to decipher where exactly it was coming from.

Approximately ten yards from where she had originally started, Hermione was across from one of the staircases. Taking a few steps toward it, she looked down and around the general area seeing as how this was where it sounded like it was coming from. Still not noticing anything, she took a few steps, and then some more till Hermione was standing at the top of the stairs. She laid her free hand on the banister and all at once the crackling stopped and a blinding light materialized in the center of the middle landing, all happening in the time span of about one second. Startled, she removed her hand and went to retreat back to the safety of her wall. When she neared the halfway point in the corridor, lights started forming all around her but none to the magnitude of the initial one. Hermione was so certain that her heart would beat straight out of her chest at that very moment if she didn't get away and calm herself down.

If one were to see lights like that on a normal day, they might think it was a sign from the Gods, but these weren't like that. They weren't like that at all. It was almost as if you could feel the energy just flowing from them but it wasn't a good energy. It felt tainted. She had to get away. Hermione knew enough about these things and magic in general to know that no good could come out of staying here. And how was she supposed to fight light anyway?

Hermione, what have you gotten yourself into this time? I've gotta get out of here now!

She turned ninety degrees around and started to run. If she raced as fast as she could, she might make it to her commonroom in roughly four minutes. She was, after all, still a little ways from it. If she could only get out of this corridor she would, in theory, be freed from the frightening light show that was presently going on all around her.

Hermione was running for all she was worth carefully dodging the lights. There was nothing else she could do. In ten seconds she was clear of them but for her, it seemed like so many terrifying minutes had passed. As soon as she was clear of them she desperately wanted to look back. She had a feeling that she shouldn't but she couldn't help herself. While still fleeing from the corridor into a little hallway, she turned her head back a little to see what was happening. What she saw almost took her breath away. All the lights were now swarming around and made two groups. Apparently all had a spot in the formation because when she looked back about two seconds later, the big bright spots had arranged themselves to the shape of eyes, two very evil eyes. Then it appeared as if they blinked somehow because for a split second the hallway was drenched in darkness and when they reappeared, she couldn't help but stop. Instead of the blinding white color that the 'spots' held before, every single one of them was now red. Blood red.

That scared Hermione enough to make her turn and start running again. She made her way as fast as her long, slender legs could carry her.

What the bloody hell is going on! What in the name of Merlin was that thing? If I didn't know better I'd say it was- no, no it wasn't him. It couldn't have been. I HAVE to be dreaming this. No, I know damn well that I'm wide-awake. If I were asleep, I would have woken up upon having THAT thing appear in my dream. I just need to get back to my room. No, I should go to Dumbledore. He needs to know what's going on, immediately.

Seeing the next corridor, she turned. Knowing exactly where it would take her, right to the Headmaster's office. Hermione quickly looked back to make sure she wasn't being followed as she turned the corner. All of a sudden, she slipped on something and her feet went straight out from under her. Hermione felt herself falling; it was almost as if it was happening in slow motion. She braced herself for the impact of the hard, concrete floor.

This is gonna hurt. I hope everybody is ok…

Hermione never felt the collision. Instead of hitting the floor, she felt strong arms go around her tiny waist. The next thing she knew, whoever it was that caught her, had her whole body up off the floor, carrying her bridal style down the hallway. For a microsecond, she thought about struggling to get away from this man, but then thought different of it. For an unknown reason, she felt so safe and secure in this stranger's arms. She opened her eyes to try to see the face of the person that saved her but the corridor was too dark. It appeared that about three quarters of the torches had blown out, and those were few and far apart at that.

Her mind still reeling from the spectacle she had just played witness to, Hermione did the only thing she could; she fainted.

A/N: Hey everyone! This is my second attempt at Harry Potter fanfiction. I hope it was good enough. I worked hard, what with all the writing and the editing, and the typing, yadda, yadda, yadda. But never mind all that! All I want you to do is review and tell me what you think. Easy! Constructive criticism is always welcome. Just please do it in a nice way. And if you see any typos, PLEASE let me know. I will fix them straight away. They irk me sooo bad. Thanks! Talk to you guys next chapter! Cya :)
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