A/N: This chapter was inspired by the song Daughter by Sleeping At Last (even though it is the second chapter to one of my Florence and the Machine inspired stories). Thank you for reading and please review.
A soft sniff was heard through the door. Professor McGonagall knocked softly before turning the doorknob to the third-year girls dormitories. "Miss Granger?" she said, peering around the door. Hermione laid curled up on the bed, back towards the door. She was crying softly, and was hoping that nobody would see her like this.
The professor entered the room and closed the door before moving to go sit next to the girl on the bed. She was worried when the girl didn't show up to class, and was convinced to come check up on her student when Miss Brown complained about Hermione tossing and turning all night.
"Whatever's the matter, dear?" asked Professor McGonagall., rubbing the girl's back comfortingly.
"It's nothing" Hermione sniffed, although very unconvincingly.
"Miss Granger, three days ago you were attacked by goodness-knows how many dementors to the extent that you were unconscious for over an hour, I find it hard to believe that you would skip class to lie in bed crying about nothing" said Professor McGonagall.
"I'm fine" Hermione muttered, curling up deeper into her covers.
"You are not fine, but that's alright. I'd be more worried about you if you were, as you say, 'fine'" the professor said firmly. "This wouldn't have anything to do with what the dementors reminded you of, would it?" she asked carefully.
Hermione nodded slowly before sitting up. Her hair was a mess, and she knew that her face was blotchy from all the crying. "It's the same as my boggart" she sniffed, running a hand through her hair. Professor McGonagall's eyebrows rose, but she hoped that the girl didn't notice her surprise. She wasn't expecting Hermione to start talking so easily.
"And that worries you?" the professor asked.
Once again, Hermione nodded. She stared at her hands in her lap for a second, sorting her thoughts. "It worries me because I don't know what it is. When it comes I can feel the panic building up inside of me, but I don't know why" she sniffed. Her hands were now playing with the blanket.
"It starts with the darkness. I'm sitting alone in the dark, I'm afraid, but I know that the darkness has nothing to do with it" she started, her hands gesturing slightly in her lap. "The curtains aren't properly drawn; I can see the moon reflecting off the butterflies on the wall, so I must be in my room at my mother's house. Something must've happened in between, because the next thing I remember is pain. I don't know where it's coming from, and I don't know what's causing it. I-I don't remember" she sniffed, tears running down her cheeks.
Professor McGonagall hugged the crying girl to her, muttering reassurances into her hair. Hermione slid her hand under her shirt and removed the gold chain from around her neck, handing the time-turner to her teacher. "I don't want it anymore. It makes me feel out of control" she said, leaning back against her teacher. "I don't need another thing I can fail at" she muttered.
Professor McGonagall leaned back so she could see her student's face. "And what exactly are you failing?" she asked, slightly bewildered. Hermione Granger doesn't fail- she gets 112% for her charms exams.
"Everything. I'm failing at facing my fear, because I can't even figure out what it is. I'm just a failure overall" Hermione whispered, looking ashamed.
"You, my dear, are a force to be reckoned with. You have the brightest mind I've ever seen. You are so talented, but you don't see what you've achieved because you are focusing too much on the tiny flaws. Nothing will ever be perfect, dear, and that's alright. We're not supposed to be perfect" said Professor McGonagall.
Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, still trembling from all the crying. "Hermione, I'm so proud of you, of how you've grown. You are so strong and you have such a beautiful heart, and I can't wait to see what you'll become. If you could only see the impact you already have on the world around you " said the professor, her own eyes welling with tears. "I want to see you lifting your chin a little higher and I want to hear you speaking your mind more often, because you are ready to change the world" the professor said, lifting the girl's face to look at her.
"Thank you" was all Hermione could get out before the tears came again. She started sobbing, the sounds breaking Professor McGonagall's heart. She moved closer and held the girl tightly, allowing her to rid herself of all the pain.
A/N: Hermione's memories are explained in What Kind Of Man and the first chapter of The Bookworm and The King (both are pretty much the same, What kind Of Man just focuses solely on it).