Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor the idea for this story which was thought of by Readerforlife(used to be Hotkat144)

A/N: I realize that the previous chapter was extremely confusing but I meant it to be that way. I wanted it to have that sense of confusion you have as you dream(no, it wasn't all just a dream) These following chapter will be a lot more understandable, I promise! ...though you may still have questions.

Phantasmal Bane

Havoc

Harry awoke and felt as if his whole body was throbbing in pain. He opened his eyes and was thankful it was dark out since the faint light given off from the moon was enough to burn his eyes and spark a headache causing him to close his eyes.

Groaning, he tried to understand why he was in pain. As the memories flooded him, his eyes flew open.

"Hermione!" he exclaimed in a hoarse voice.

He immediately sat upright and tried to stand up, numb to the pain.

"Mr. Potter! You cannot get up!" a feminine voice cried from somewhere to his right.

"Where's Hermione!?" he ignored the plea as he struggled to his feet.

Two hands gripped his arms and gently forced him to sit back down.

"Miss Granger is here. It was strongly suggested that we keep her in the same room as you. Now sit!"

The knowledge eased him yet spurred him on. His eyes flew about the room in a frenzy, searching for her. He only saw a blur.

"Where are my glasses?" he asked urgently.

"Calm down, Mr. Potter. Here they are."

Suddenly an old, portly nurse came into view as the nurse returned to him his glasses. His eyes were once again in a frenzy until they fell upon the sleeping form of Hermione on a bed on the opposite side of the room. In a second, Harry was on his feet, out of the woman's grasp, and at Hermione's side. He braced himself on the bed with one hand while the other held Hermione's.

"Please, Mr. Potter, you mustn't be up! You're not fully healed!" She had her hand on his shoulder and back trying to lead him away but he would not budge.

Harry had no thought other than Hermione but he felt the hands leave and then felt something nudge his legs accompanied with a stern "Sit." He let his weak legs give way and he collapsed in the chair thankfully, never taking his eyes off Hermione.

He watched her for what could've been, and probably was, hours. His held felt heavy as he struggled to keep his eyes on Hermione but eventually rested his head on the bed beside her.

Phantom

Harry's consciousness seeped back into him as he felt something warm and soft caressing his hair. He hesitantly opened an eye to see that it was still dark out. He moved his head to face the other direction to see Hermione with her back resting against the headboard, gazing at something he knew he couldn't see. Her eyes drifted to his at the movement of her hand down his face to cover his ear slightly.

"Hey," he croaked softly.

"Hey," she whispered, nearly inaudible.

Her fingers continued to caress the hair above his ear as she gazed at him awhile, though soon turned her gaze away from him again. He remained still, watching her as he enjoyed her caresses, until he fully woke up and had enough sense to realize that she was the one in need of caresses. He slowly sat up, resisting the urge to stretch his back and neck, and Hermione's eyes were once again upon him at the loss of warmth on her hand. He smiled softly and moved closer as he reached for her forlorn hand and looked into her eyes. It looked as though he were looking through a ghost with a mere glimpse of life latent deep within. Though as he stroked her hair behind her ear, he saw the phantom slip; and as he grazed the back of his fingers down her cheek, it was gone, revealing the part of her soul still struggling on. He couldn't help but smile at the sight and soon he felt his eyes sting with joyous tears as they washed away his fears of never seeing her again. He felt her hand brush away the tear he hadn't known he had shed as he relished the sight of her eyes. As he noticed that she portrayed no emotion in her expression, his brow furrowed slightly. He was about to say something, what he didn't know, when she traced the crease in his forehead. Her eyes, which had been following her hand's movements since she dried his tears, finally met his again. Her hand slipped from his forehead to the hand that held hers.

Her eyes shone bright and spoke the words her mouth couldn't form. He held back a gasp and the urge to crush her with his embrace as he read her. However, she reached out and grasped the front of his shirt tightly with desperate hands and drew him to her as her body shook with the storm that raged within her. He wrapped his arms around her as he allowed himself to shed a few more tears out of the many that fought for freedom. His silent tears cascaded down into Hermione's hair as she continued to tremble. He sought a way to console the girl-woman in his arms but found himself feeling utterly useless.

A soft knock sounded at the door and the portly nurse appeared and hurried to the door. Harry watched as the nurse opened the door to reveal two redheads. He quickly turned his head away and dried his tears. Hermione pulled away from him slightly to peer over his shoulder before quickly and gently retreating back to the head of the bed, pulling her knees to her chest. Harry watched with a strange feeling of emptiness as his arms hung open. He noticed that her eyes were dry, no sign of weeping, and he realized that she hadn't been crying. A touch to his shirt where her face had been buried moments before confirmed his realization as he felt no dampness.

His attention was drawn to the sound of approaching footsteps and a hand gripping his shoulder, whether it was offering comfort or trying to gain comfort he couldn't tell. Harry looked up to see the worried face of his best male-friend gazing at their mutual friend with his sister, doing the same, at his side.

Ron cleared his throat. Silence. The grip on Harry's shoulder tightened as Ron began to speak, sounding as though he were strangled.

"H-How...are you...Hermione?"

No response.

Harry looked back to Hermione and felt his spine freeze as he saw the returned phantom. The ghost shielded all signs of herself as she gazed off out the window. No matter how horrific the sight was for Harry, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. The sharp edges of the shell she portrayed tore through his heart and he felt as though a part of his own soul was locked inside with her.

A slight jerk of his shoulder pulled his eyes from her to the nervous forms of his friends.

"I don't think she...wants us here, Harry," Ron whispered. "I-we, well, from the looks of you we figure she wasn't like this with you...so we'll leave; give her some more time." He then raised his voice slightly and turned his eyes to Hermione. "We're here, Hermione. Don't forget us."

With a final squeeze of Harry's shoulder, the two siblings shared a worried glance before leaving. Harry sat nodding slightly to Ron's whispers as if in a slight daze, turning his eyes back to her.

He hadn't heard the door close but Hermione must've since she looked to him, a weakness shone in her eyes that nearly crippled him. Dull wisps of the phantom remained. His own eyes burned with inquiry and worry.

'Why?' his eyes seemed to ask.

'I can't. I just can't,' was her eye's response.

He saw her crying on the inside causing a pain to overtake him. Why couldn't she cry? Why couldn't she let her tears wet her eyes, cheeks, his shoulder? He nearly grabbed his heart in agony but refused to, forcing himself to continue to gaze into her dry eyes.

She didn't move but she was reaching for him with her eyes; a plea he didn't miss. Slowly and quietly, he moved onto the bed beside Hermione and cautiously opened his arms to her, wrapping them around her as she leaned into him. Her trembles rattled his heart and her desperate grasp frightened him out of his mind. His hold on her tightened as if trying to hide her from everything, protect her from everything; as if trying to pull her pain into himself.

He tried to forget the phantom, tried to banish all memories and simply held onto her as if she were the only thing left of the world. He needed her to stay and refused to ponder the phantom and the pain. Nothing else mattered. Hermione needed to be saved.

A/N: I finally sat down and finished this chapter! I hope this one makes more sense, though knowing my mind it's not much better. Many details will be cleared up as I go but if something doesn't click just ask me about it.

The whole 'her' thing was Harry basically naming the "phantom Hermione" and will show up a lot more.

Also, I've been having a title then separate titles for the sections of the chapters in case someone was wondering. I'm not sure if that will continue, it simply worked out for these chapters.

I apologize for my mistakes but I am too lazy to spend that much time editing.