It had been a couple weeks since the time they had arrived in Hogwarts. It was strange to think that so much could have happened in just a few days and Hermione was glad when everything seemed to settle down. Classes had begun and of course, Hermione was at the top of her game. Constantly raising her hand to answer questions, she wondered if she ever got on any of the teachers' nerves. Most of the students were irritated by it. Yet, Hermione continued as though it didn't bother her. She let it slide off her body as though she had a shield around her.

Headmistress McGonagall gave Draco and Hermione their patrol schedules and she couldn't contain her joy at how little they truly saw each other. It had become awkward with Draco in the Heads' room and she now took any excuse to avoid him. He didn't try to resist the fact that he was glad as well. He practically thanked McGonagall before sneering at Hermione and slithering away to patrol. It seemed he was avoiding her as well.

Despite that, Hermione continued to have dreams that rattled her core to the point where she woke up hugging her pillow muttering his name. Draco couldn't care less for her now since she had left him standing there in the Room of Requirements so there was no point in caring about him. Why had she ever cared for him in the first place? After everything he had done to her and her friends, Hermione couldn't see why she had been thinking about him lately. Was it because she had walked in on him showering? No, she had completely pushed that from her mind. It was because of his sudden attempt at a truce that caused her to think long and hard about him. He sure didn't act like he changed after she refused him. Perhaps it truly was all a charade.

Hermione sat in the Gryffindor Common room, engrossed in the book she had nabbed from the library. Her eyes were glued to the pages and she couldn't seem to tear away. There were many things that sent shivers down her spine. She could imagine if Invoketum fell into the wrong hands. However, the last page, it read that the book was the only one of its kind and the art of Invoketum had long been forgotten. She realized they kept it at Hogwarts because it was the safest place around. The binding was ordinary and the pages were anything but new so she could see someone just throwing the book away and taking little interest in it.

"Hermione… Hermione… HERMIONE!"

Hermione jumped, slamming the book shut and glancing up. Harry stood before her, a slightly irritated look on his face. Hermione shrunk a little in her chair, the book held tightly in her grasp. She hadn't told Harry or Ron about her little escapade and she didn't plan to even if they asked. They both seemed rather curious about what she was reading all the time.

"Look, you've been reading that book nonstop since you got it. I've bet you've even read it twice… Put it away for a bit and come down to see Hagrid with Ron and me. It'll do you some good." Harry offered his hand which Hermione took. She slipped the book into her bag and Harry pulled her out of the chair. The two headed out of the Gryffindor common room and down the hall where Ron was waiting for them. Together, the three headed toward the newly built cottage that was the residence of their dear friend.

The visit didn't last long however. Night was beginning to set in and because of Hermione's new responsibilities she had kicked them from the grounds and forced them to return back to the dorms. She did not have to patrol that night, lucky that the teachers could while she got some well deserved sleep.

"Just relax. It isn't that hard." Hermione let out a small squeal as the broomstick hoisted her into the air. Ron sat behind her, arms extended to hold her in place. Soft yet firm hands held hers on the broom handle.

"Try to make it go left." Hermione began to lean left and the broom obeyed, turning ever so slightly as it flew in the air. Hermione laughed. It wasn't as hard as she thought it was. Ron was a good teacher after all. She could almost feel his smile. His thumb gently rubbed the back of her hand as they flew around the Quidditch field. There was something relaxing about it all and Hermione leaned back against Ron's chest. She removed her hands and allowed him to steer as she snuggled closer into him. He rested his chin on the top of her head and Hermione closed her eyes to savor the moment.

When she opened her eyes, Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin. She was now in the Room of Requirements sitting on the abandoned couch. Draco sat on the opposite cushion, cold blue eyes watching her every move. She cowered further away from him but he inched closer, his eyes never leaving her face.

"You know exactly what I came for." He hissed. Did she really? Hermione stared at him confused. She felt something against her hand and when she looked down, she was gripping the Invoketum book. Why would he want that? She attempted to rise and walk away but Draco grabbed a hold of her, throwing her back to the couch. She let out a scream but no sound came out. It was like a bad horror film.

He moved in now slowly engulfing her until she felt as though she would suffocate. Malfoy suddenly turned into black smoke that enveloped her entirely and she felt herself begin to plummet through the darkness, falling continuously without purpose. There was no up or down, left or right. Her sense of direction was completely gone and she felt completely and utterly alone.

Hermione awoke to the sound of clattering. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Hermione found Scrunch placing something on her desk. From the angle she was at, she spotted eggs and toast as well as bacon and what she assumed to be freshly squeezed orange juice. He managed to disappear in the blink of an eye before Hermione could even thank him. She usually went to the Great Hall to eat breakfast so she was curious why today was special.

Standing up, Hermione made her way to the desk where the breakfast sat. She took a piece of bacon and began nibbling on it while she removed the small note that had been placed neatly to the side of the plate. Her name had been written on the envelope and when she opened the small note, it began to speak in Scrunch's voice.

Miss Granger,

I have heard that you've been having some rough nights lately and wanted to help you feel better. Here is a small breakfast that has been prepared for you.

Enjoy,

Scrunch

Smiling, Hermione slipped the card into the desk drawer and began to munch away at the meal.