We've been here for three weeks now. And it doesn't look as if we will be leaving anytime soon. I walk into Hermione's room and find her crying over the last letter she received from her parents. The Ministry is no longer safe. My father has almost complete control there. The Order went in six days ago to move them to another safe house and we haven't heard from them since. It's the fear of what might have happened to then that has Hermione upset.
"Hermione, Baby, I'm sure they're fine." I say as I wrap my arms around her. She turns in her chair and I can tell that she has been crying since she left the diner table 2 hours ago. I take her hand and lead her to her bed and we lay down next to each other. I pull a blanket up over us, to keep out the December draft, and wrap myself around her. I hold her close as she drifts off to sleep and think briefly about leaving. I need to talk to Professor Dumbledore but I know from the past three weeks that soon Hermione will awake in a fit of screams. She has developed reoccurring nightmares and the only person she will talk to about them is Dumbledore. That's why I need to talk to him. There is a spell that will take the nightmares from her. The only catch is that they will be passed onto the caster. I'm willing to do that for her. Anything to let her sleep at night, anything to take away her fears. But she won't allow it. Something to do with needing to carry her own weight within the Order. I don't understand what her dreams could have to do with Order business, but I am willing to let her believe anything that will help her get though the day.
There is a knock at the door and even without a response, it opens. I'm glad to see Harry Potter at that moment. He is carrying a vile of potion and I know that we are about to go against her wishes.
"We have to." He says as he reaches for my wand, which I keep on the dresser. I shift my body off of the bed trying not to wake Hermione. Harry uncorks the vile and holds it out to me. Slowly I take both the vile and my wand from The-Boy-Who-Lived. I turn back to my lover and try to imagine what could be scaring her so badly. I lift her head and slowly slip the pale blue liquid over her lips. Hermione did not wake. It scares me a little, that she could sleep so deeply that the movement around her doesn't wake her. Harry pulls a piece of parchment from his pocket and prepared to read it.
"No," I whisper. "This isn't one of your missions. If one of us is going to do this, it's going to be me." I take the parchment from him and begin to read. Hermione barely stirs as I read aloud. Once finished I lay back down next to her. Very aware that what I have just done could break the trust between us that we have worked so hard to maintain. I barely hear Harry close the door behind him as I slip into a restless sleep.
They're dead. They are all dead. Harry, Ron, Professor Dumbledore, the Weasleys, her parents, a hand full of other Order members. All of them, cold and dead. Voldermort is laughing as she walks through the room where everyone has fallen.
"You're too late, Mudblood." He drawls. She takes off running. It is then that I notice a small door on the other side of the room. Tears are falling from her eyes and she is calling out my name. I take a step forward and reach for her but she doesn't see me. She opens the door and before stepping through she collapses. I step around and look into the room, and there I am. Lying lifeless on the floor. I am stunned. Where has this come from? We are all safe, alive and well. Professor Dumbledore would never let this happen. Harry will win. There is a commotion behind me and I turn just in time to watch Voldermort kill the only person I have ever loved.