Just a nightmare.
Don't you hate the sound of the clock? That exasperating, endless tick-tack, reminding you time is slowly drifting away and out of your reach; and yes reminding you the fact that you have classes tomorrow and if you don't go to sleep immediately you won't be at all capable of learning a thing.
Hermione sighed a little bit exasperated for she couldn't sleep and the damn clock kept its annoying, monotonous sound. She rolled on her side and giving up climbed out of bed.
Sitting on the big couch of the Gryffindor common room she stared at the sparks of the chimney fire. She felt chilly and helplessly wrapped her arms around herself, snuggling against the very end of the couch, sitting as near the fire as she could get.
The 6th year had just begun and everything was apparently on ease, nothing to worry about, for the time being. She took a deep breath and her mind began rambling into whatever came to it. Her friends, her parents, her studies, the school. Several minutes passed by and she was already wishing to be in her bed again, under the warm sheets. Thinking about what was going on in her life apparently was not that entertaining and yet it did not give her the desire to just close her eyes and go to sleep.
"Mione, What are you doing here?" a very familiar voice asked.
"I might just as well ask you the same Harry" She said calmly with a curious smile.
"I…uh" Harry began rubbing the back of his neck, apparently not quite sure if he should tell her, it was too embarrassing that after a long time of peace he still had the disturbing nightmares so characteristic of him.
"You what?" Hermione inquired a little bit worried by his appearance, even though you wouldn't expect someone to be at their best at 2 am, Harry's looks were preoccupying.
He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and his pants, his face was a little bit pale and she could see luminous sparks of sweat on his forehead, his breathing was kind of raged and he obviously was trying to stay calmed, but what worried her most was that he apparently had cried. Strangely she could tell.
"I ehmm…"
"Don't worry, come and sit" she invited, feeling that she'd rather let him calm down
first.
"Aren't you cold?" He asked while sitting down next to her. She was wearing black pants and a black tank top.
"A little" she nodded "But I'm fine"
Harry just stared at her, his bright green eyes reflected the flames going up and down behind her and a smile of relief suddenly appeared on his lips after a few seconds.
"Why are you smiling?" Hermione asked.
"I'm just happy to see you, save and sound" he answered automatically.
The brown haired girl arched her brows "I sometimes just don't get you, Harry, but I'm glad you're fine too" she admitted
Harry blushed slightly, not knowing what on heaven had gotten in to him. Hermione had been on of his best friends over the last six years and he had never felt that embarrassed when talking to her. Maybe it was the nightmare, maybe it made him open up his eyes to what was really going on in his heart.
"I couldn't sleep" she suddenly brought him back to reality "oh it's so frustrating, and we have classes tomorrow, what if I can't concentrate properly, what if Snape decides to make us a test out of the blue and I fail?"
Harry stared at her and smiled at how she was running into extreme assumptions of the most terrible things that could happen to her just for skipping a few hours of sleep. When she got to the part where she would be expelled from school Harry had to tranquilize her.
"Hey you're the smartest person in Gryffindor, I highly doubt that you would fail an exam and be expelled from school"
Hermione stared at him for a few seconds trying to convince herself, then her body relaxed "I think I was a little bit on the paranoid side, thanks Harry"
He nodded and kept staring at her.
Hermione blushed when feeling the warmth his bright green eyes were transmitting to her "Uhmm…Harry, I don't mean to be rude, but can you, umm…stop staring at me like that?"
Harry blinked various timed ad turned his head to the small table in front of them "So…Sorry" he stuttered.
Hermione laughed nervously and whispered softly "Tell me Harry, why aren't you asleep?"
The boy gulped and inhaled deeply "You know about my constant nightmares, sometimes they stop for a long while but sometimes they just don't"
"Did you have one?" She asked as a genuine concerned expression crossed her factions.
"A very disturbing one" He admitted and shook his head "But it's over, and I'm feeling better"
"But was it that bad to actually make you cry?" She asked.
Harry gasped and looked back at her "How do you-"
She shrugged before he could finish "I just could tell by your look"
He just nodded.
Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder, inciting him to lean back. He did and with no regrets she embraced him.
"I'm sorry Harry, I mean why does all the bad things always have to happen to you?"
"It was just a nightmare Mione" He murmured.
"Tell me about it, maybe it makes you feel better" She suggested.
"I'm already feeling better" came his answer.
"I understand" she whispered with solemnity, maybe Harry didn't find her reliable enough.
As if sensing it Harry pushed slowly away "Ok…I'll tell you"
"You don't have-" The girl began but Harry had already begun his story.
"As always there was Voldemort, standing in front of me with a vicious look on his hideous face, he had his white wand on one hand and you and Ron were there too, standing beside me, giving me the necessary support to confront him…"
He cut himself as to stay focused.
Hermione just stared at him with worry.
"Voldemort opened his mouth and the words that came out of him had Ron twisting on the floor, wincing in pain, Voldemort was going against you guys, not me…"
Harry shivered when fresh images of his nightmare appeared before his eyes.
"I…I leaned down beside Ron and tried my best to stop his pain, but it was useless Mione, he was suffering, and I could not bear it"
Hermione nodded in understanding, acknowledging his pain.
"I pointed at Voldemort and screamed with all my heart and rage the words…Avada Kedabra"
His throat closed and a small sob escaped his lips, Hermione's orbs widened "Harry!"
"When the curse was unleashed it wasn't him anymore who I had attacked…It was…"
Harry's eyes welled up in tears and as if reading his mind Hermione knew what was about to come out of his lips.
"It was you Mione!" he suddenly blurted out, several tears streaming down his eyes "I killed you! Ron had disappear and I was left alone with your lifeless body lying several feet away and Voldemort's strident laughs, the pain I felt was excruciating"
"Harry it was just-"
"A nightmare" he murmured weakly "But still… I woke up and tears were falling down my cheeks just like right now…so I had to stay awake…"
"I'm sorry" Hermione said to him "But I'm ok, I'm not dea-"
"What if…" Harry interrupted "What if it is some kind of vision, and I…"
"No…Harry…No" she took his face between her hands and shook her head with a weak smile "That won't happen"
"I don't want to lose you" He admitted "Mione I couldn't handle it if that were to happen...I…I"
"I love you" Hermione stated, as if the shock of his nightmare were too strong to fight it he just nodded.
"Me too" he finally said the words "I love you…the nightmare made me reali-"
"Forget about the nightmare Harry, that won't happen" she tranquilized him "Ron is fine, I'm fine"
Harry suddenly pulled her up to him and embraced her tightly, not wanting to let her go, too afraid he might lose her any moment soon.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I would never do anything to hurt you, I couldn't harm you in any possible way, I would not do anything of that sort"
"I know" she whispered to his ear "Me neither Harry, please calm down"
After a few minutes Harry calmed down, and took Hermione in a more relaxed protecting embrace. Hermione snuggled against his warmth and felt his heart-beating recover its normal pace; slowly she closed her eyes and finally fell asleep, in the arms of her formerly secret crush. Harry rested his chin against her bright brownish hair and sighed. Hermione's head resting against his chest gave him the necessary comfort to close his eyes, knowing for sure that this time she was safe with him.
The end
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Dolce Saito- Yai finally, I'm able to revise it, thanks for those 2 reviews :P, I think it is revised now but if you find any other mistake please let me know, I'm not too lazy so I'll correct it as soon as possible :P thank u.