Hermione covered her ears with her hands. She looked up into the man's
eyes; they were ice cold. He grabbed her hair and brought her to her feet.
She wanted to scream, make him let go of her, do something. But she just
kept her eyes shut and her hands clasped over her ears.
"Don't be afraid, Hermione. I won't hurt you too badly. Don't you worry," the man's breathy voice seemed to manage to break through Hermione's hands. "Just make your decision. That's all you have to do."
Hermione wanted to cry.
"God damn it! Make your decision!" He shook her by her hair. Hermione opened her eyes, their brown slowly turning pale, like his. She felt like she was dying. The man had drawn his wand and held it to her head. He began to whisper something and the fog that surrounded them swirled; the winds picked up and they were howling.
*~*~*~*~*
Hermione woke up. She was sitting up in her bed. The others were sleeping soundly. They were shadows in the moonlight, unidentifiable. She wiped her forehead, which was covered in sweat. She was having the same dream –rather, nightmare– for sometime now. It made no sense. She thought she recognised the person, but just didn't know from where. The person's face would fade away from her memory every time she woke up, as though she wasn't supposed to know who it was. It was so confusing to her.
"God help me," she whispered to herself. She got out of bed and walked to the window and looked out. The night consumed everything around the castle. She missed everything from the day. The grass, the trees, the sky. It was gone now. Gone in the veil of darkness.
She put her hand the window frame. She looked outside and noticed there was something in the reflection on the window. She looked and noticed white blond hair. Pale white hands around her shoulders. Silver eyes. She felt the touch of on her bare shoulders. She looked into those silver eyes; a gentle smile curled around her mouth. She knew who it was. She looked behind her and her fantasy ended. There was no one there. It was all in her head.
She turned around and went back to bed. She fell asleep almost instantly, this time more soundly than before. Morning would be better.
*~*~*~*~*
Hermione saw her friends already sitting at the Griffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Neville and such were eating breakfast as she walked through the large double doors that led to the Great Hall. She was late again, but she didn't care. She waved to everyone and smiled, covering the tiredness that was dragging through her body. She sat beside Neville, who had moved so she could sit.
"Hermione, you're late again. Are you okay?" Ron asked. She nodded.
"I'm fine. Just... tired," she yawned dramatically enough to emphasise her point. "Had a weird dream, that's all."
She looked behind her in reflex; there was a bout of laughter from the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was laughing with his posse, Crabbe, Goyle, and others. His shoulders were shaking, as he laughed at a first year fall asleep into his breakfast. His eyes met with hers for a moment, and she sighed. She looked back at her plate, this time it was covered in extravagant food. It was ritual now. She took her fork and began to eat, silent as the boys talked of Quidditch: their favourite players, moves, and teams. This was another thing that had become ritual. Hermione had learned to ignore it, since it didn't seem to excite her as much as it did to them. She closed her eyes and a flash of her dream came. It was gone in an instant as she opened her eyes. Ginny, who was sitting across from her, put her hand on Hermione's arm.
"You okay, 'Mione?" She asked. She looked in Hermione's eyes thoughtfully. Hermione shook herself, and nodded.
"You know, I think I want to go to my room now. I'm feeling a bit off- colour." She spoke intelligently, her well-known personality showing through. Though, this time, it was only toned down. Barely noticeable. That's how she wanted to feel right now.
She walked up to the Griffindor Tower and spoke the password. The fat lady noticed Hermione's dejected face. "Are you feeling your best this morning, Miss Granger?" She said, appearing to lean forward in her picture frame.
"Fine." She opened the picture. "Just tired, thank you." Did she really look that troubled? She passed through the small tunnel that led to the Common Room. There was a fire burning dully in the fireplace. She scaled the spiral staircase. Her stomach grumbled as she fell onto her bed. She barely ate any food at breakfast.
She fell asleep after thinking for sometime. She awoke again, after dreamless sleep, to the sound of knocking on the door. She got up and opened the door. Ginny was standing there. "Hermione, classes will start soon. You slept through most of breakfast." She paused. "The fat lady said you came through, hardly talking. You sure do look off-colour."
Ginny stopped talking, noticing Hermione's blank expression. "Come on, Hermione. You have Potions. Let's get going." Ginny took her by the arm and they walked down the stairs. Her expression was still blank and she had been silent. But she stopped and turned back to the stairs. "Uh... Ginny, thanks for waking me. I need to get my books." Ginny looked unconvinced. "Go on. I promise, I'm not going to sleep again. I'm just getting my books." She went back to her room and grabbed the necessary books for Potions.
"God. Must I be tired?" She said as she opened the door of the dorm room.
"Don't be afraid, Hermione. I won't hurt you too badly. Don't you worry," the man's breathy voice seemed to manage to break through Hermione's hands. "Just make your decision. That's all you have to do."
Hermione wanted to cry.
"God damn it! Make your decision!" He shook her by her hair. Hermione opened her eyes, their brown slowly turning pale, like his. She felt like she was dying. The man had drawn his wand and held it to her head. He began to whisper something and the fog that surrounded them swirled; the winds picked up and they were howling.
*~*~*~*~*
Hermione woke up. She was sitting up in her bed. The others were sleeping soundly. They were shadows in the moonlight, unidentifiable. She wiped her forehead, which was covered in sweat. She was having the same dream –rather, nightmare– for sometime now. It made no sense. She thought she recognised the person, but just didn't know from where. The person's face would fade away from her memory every time she woke up, as though she wasn't supposed to know who it was. It was so confusing to her.
"God help me," she whispered to herself. She got out of bed and walked to the window and looked out. The night consumed everything around the castle. She missed everything from the day. The grass, the trees, the sky. It was gone now. Gone in the veil of darkness.
She put her hand the window frame. She looked outside and noticed there was something in the reflection on the window. She looked and noticed white blond hair. Pale white hands around her shoulders. Silver eyes. She felt the touch of on her bare shoulders. She looked into those silver eyes; a gentle smile curled around her mouth. She knew who it was. She looked behind her and her fantasy ended. There was no one there. It was all in her head.
She turned around and went back to bed. She fell asleep almost instantly, this time more soundly than before. Morning would be better.
*~*~*~*~*
Hermione saw her friends already sitting at the Griffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Neville and such were eating breakfast as she walked through the large double doors that led to the Great Hall. She was late again, but she didn't care. She waved to everyone and smiled, covering the tiredness that was dragging through her body. She sat beside Neville, who had moved so she could sit.
"Hermione, you're late again. Are you okay?" Ron asked. She nodded.
"I'm fine. Just... tired," she yawned dramatically enough to emphasise her point. "Had a weird dream, that's all."
She looked behind her in reflex; there was a bout of laughter from the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was laughing with his posse, Crabbe, Goyle, and others. His shoulders were shaking, as he laughed at a first year fall asleep into his breakfast. His eyes met with hers for a moment, and she sighed. She looked back at her plate, this time it was covered in extravagant food. It was ritual now. She took her fork and began to eat, silent as the boys talked of Quidditch: their favourite players, moves, and teams. This was another thing that had become ritual. Hermione had learned to ignore it, since it didn't seem to excite her as much as it did to them. She closed her eyes and a flash of her dream came. It was gone in an instant as she opened her eyes. Ginny, who was sitting across from her, put her hand on Hermione's arm.
"You okay, 'Mione?" She asked. She looked in Hermione's eyes thoughtfully. Hermione shook herself, and nodded.
"You know, I think I want to go to my room now. I'm feeling a bit off- colour." She spoke intelligently, her well-known personality showing through. Though, this time, it was only toned down. Barely noticeable. That's how she wanted to feel right now.
She walked up to the Griffindor Tower and spoke the password. The fat lady noticed Hermione's dejected face. "Are you feeling your best this morning, Miss Granger?" She said, appearing to lean forward in her picture frame.
"Fine." She opened the picture. "Just tired, thank you." Did she really look that troubled? She passed through the small tunnel that led to the Common Room. There was a fire burning dully in the fireplace. She scaled the spiral staircase. Her stomach grumbled as she fell onto her bed. She barely ate any food at breakfast.
She fell asleep after thinking for sometime. She awoke again, after dreamless sleep, to the sound of knocking on the door. She got up and opened the door. Ginny was standing there. "Hermione, classes will start soon. You slept through most of breakfast." She paused. "The fat lady said you came through, hardly talking. You sure do look off-colour."
Ginny stopped talking, noticing Hermione's blank expression. "Come on, Hermione. You have Potions. Let's get going." Ginny took her by the arm and they walked down the stairs. Her expression was still blank and she had been silent. But she stopped and turned back to the stairs. "Uh... Ginny, thanks for waking me. I need to get my books." Ginny looked unconvinced. "Go on. I promise, I'm not going to sleep again. I'm just getting my books." She went back to her room and grabbed the necessary books for Potions.
"God. Must I be tired?" She said as she opened the door of the dorm room.