Voices . . . how long ago was it she had heard voices? She didn't know. Too long. The blackness still surrounded her. But the colour voices made in her lonesome world was cheerful, like hope in dark times. Like a small ray of the sun after a year of just rain. Like the aurora in the endless night at the South Pole.

'Good Morning Miss Granger. Your friends are here again. They've come to keep you company,' she heard a nurse tell her.

'Hi, Hermione,' Ron said. His voice. She'd missed it the time she laid here in the darkness.

'Hey 'Mione,' Harry murmured. She didn't know how the world outside her thoughts was; she only had her memories from the battle. Harry had killed Voldemort and everyone had been ecstatic, but a few Deatheaters had been driving mad. Hermione tried to defend everybody, but had gotten hit by an extremely powerful hex. The next thing she remembered was being a prisoner in her own thoughts.

'Do you think she hears us?' asked Ron. Hermione tried to picture his face in her head. It was funny how much you could see by only hearing a voice.

'I have absolutely no idea, but I hope she does. It would be the second improvement of her state,' said the nurse The voice was polite, and Hermione imagined a woman of about forty years old, a little plump, red curly hair, a little browner than Ginny's, and a round face.

'We're so sorry for you. The world is so much better now there is peace,' Harry told her.

'They chose Shacklebolt as new minister. I think he will be at least better than Fudge,' said Ron. His voice was closer than Harry's, he probably sat next to her. But of course she wasn't sure. She needed to get used to the fact that she could only hear. Her body felt like she was locked in a too heavy and too tight suit of armour, and every time she tried to move everything ached and there was no movement. It would be hard living in here, knowing the world was still turning and people were worrying about her.

She felt herself slip away. No! She wanted to stay! She wanted to stay with her friends! But the deafness won and she didn't hear the voices of her best friends anymore. She was in nothing but dark emptiness again.

She was again lying in the dark room, soundless, motionless. Time was slowing down in this place. The only thing she could do was stare into the darkness. There was never a change in this place. It was always only the darkness. Sometimes it made her feel sad, scared or mad. But never a good mood. Mostly she didn't feel any moods. She would just stay here and think. That was all she could do. She had waited here for so long. Her own thoughts making her crazy. And now she had heard her friends talk to her. She drove herself crazy and fought to hear again. She wished she could only hear their voices. She had given up the fighting long ago. Something kept her between dead and life, though she preferred to be death than any longer in this room. Suddenly the room changed. A sound was heard.

Footsteps moved away from her. No! She needed to hear voices. She had to keep hearing. She didn't want to let it all go again. She didn't feel, see, move, smell or taste. But she did hear, she breathed and now it was all she had. And she needed to hold on to that. She focused on her breathing, but it was so weak she barely felt the air in her chest. She took a deep breath. By herself. Clean air. She could feel it. It wasn't the air she had felt before. This was better, she breathed by herself. Clean air filled her lungs and her mind.

'Mrs Rosian, her state has changed,' a voice said from nearby. It was unexpected and startled her a bit, though nobody would notice, because she couldn't move. But it was unfamiliar. Quick footsteps came closer. She kept breathing, it was weak, but it was a movement, an improvement, and a freedom. Air breathed by herself felt so much better than the stuff she didn't get herself.

'Dear Merlin!' The nurse exclaimed. 'Mister Malfoy, you're right. She breaths again on her own. But I don't want to risk lifting the spell now; her state can change back any moment.'

Wait a minute . . . Malfoy sat next to her bed? What was he doing here? He was one of the Deatheaters. Or at least she thought so. What had happened? Why did Malfoy come? He was a Deatheater and all Deatheaters where wanted since the war. Or, that was the logical thing that would happen. But now Malfoy sat by her bed side. What would he have said to her? Was he planning to hurt her?

'Talk to her, you sat in silence next to her for a while. But talking to her will maybe keep her closer to here. I'll leave you alone with her,' Nurse Rosian said, bustling out of the room. No! She couldn't leave her with Malfoy! What would he do to her? The silence there was now made her feel uncomfortable.

'Hi, Hermione. Well, you probably didn't expect me to sit here,' he said. His voice was sweet. She had never heard him talking without a sneer or sarcasm. That was probably why she hadn't recognized it.

'I need to tell you something you absolutely will not believe. Or at least try not to believe. Merlin, it's hard to tell something to someone that doesn't respond.' If she was able to giggle she probably would have. 'I'm sorry for teasing you. But you had to know, it was all an act. When I came to Hogwarts, Dumbledore knew, sooner or later, my father would try to make a Deatheater out of me. And he helped me to learn occlumency and spells, hexes and charms so when that time came I could become a spy for the Order. But I had to follow the ways of living my father had told me. So I had to hate you. How could I ever hate you? You're one of the most brilliant and friendly people I've ever met. Do you hear me? You're blushing so I think you do.' She didn't feel it by herself, but she was glad he could see she listened.

'I'm glad you know this now. But please know I never wanted to be like this. Of course I would help to defeat the man that had made sure my childhood was a nightmare. My father did everything for that stupid lord. And then, in our sixth year I got the mission to kill Dumbledore. I had a big fight with the old man about that. He couldn't believe I wouldn't be able to kill him. He showed me so many memories. I knew what I had to do when he was gone. But when it was time, I couldn't do it. I just didn't have enough strength. I was never able to kill someone. So Snape had to take it over from me. I figured out you would go with Harry and Ron on a search for horcruxes and I sneaked with you. I'm really good at the disillusionment charm. You probably didn't notice me apparating with you. I was always near of you, and it was possible, because almost all the Deatheaters where given the mission to search for the 'Golden Trio'. I helped you a lot, even while you didn't notice it. But in the castle back I had to join the side of Voldemort. I'm sorry for all the things I did to people. But I'm the most sorry about the things I did and said to you and your friends. I wish I'd never done that.'

After telling her this, he fell quiet again. And she was tired of the listening and the emptiness pulled her back. She fell asleep in her own dream world. The world that already was a dream, made a place for her to dream her own pleasant things. Her own world without heavy thoughts, without silence, with smells, colours, and movements. The place where she wanted to be at this moment.

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Well, here's the beginning of my new multichip. Yes, I'm working on other stories, but there are so many I'm not starting to post them.

I really want to know if you like it or not, or something in between. PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

And if you can't come up with any original comment, tell me in which house you yourself would want to be.

I want to be in Hufflepuf!