Authors notes:

Hello! Before you dig in. . . I just want to say that this is going to be the last chapter I update on fanfiction for this story. I am not finished with this story, oh no, I'm just getting started. If you would like to read more chapters based on this story you can find me on archiveofourown . org - my user name is PeachesxAndxTea and the story.. is obviously Secret Keepers. Also know that you can add your comments anonymously without having to sign in.

If by chance, you have the app. . . or have joined wattpad my user name is ... wait for it... horse-fetus ...guys... I'm not a sick person I just have a very odd sense of humor. I honestly did not think I was going to be writing on wattpad, otherwise I would have chosen a different name. I do like wattpad because I am able to add pictures and songs that I find to be an important part of my story.

I find fanfiction extremely limited. I can't give you guys the sources of certain poems without fanfiction cutting it out. I will be using peoples poetry in the future chapters (with given permission) and if I can't put down their website... then that is a deal breaker for me. As well as FanFiction does not add explicit content, which with how this story is going...it will get a little steamy one day as well as it can be triggering for some audiences..I am writing about struggles with inner demons and mental illness...which...if some of you don't know, it isn't cute. I'm writing what I know.. which may be some for those to find out but I am using the means of writing as a source of therapy for me. I also find it hard to update/edit my chapters on this site. Regardless, if you have suggestions for this story then feel free to share. I like popping on here every once in a while.


By the time morning came around, Madam Pomfrey gave Hermione a stern talking to. According to the mediwitch, Hermione was not only underweight, but dehydrated, malnourished, anemic, and had awakened from a five day coma due to her cardiac arrest. She then explained that normally, people wouldn't go into a coma during cardiac arrest, but due to the simple fact that she was not getting enough oxygen to the brain and had extremely low blood sugar her body simply shut down.
All Hermione could do was nod and listen as the woman handed potion after potion to Hermione. Madam Pomfrey warned that she had a specific meal plan that Hermione needed to follow when she went back to class. Not to mention the weekly weigh-ins she would have to attend. She had also informed Hermione that she would have to take certain potions and other concoctions for the next several months to restore her stamina and health. Madam Pomfrey didn't waltz around the subject, she was forthright and straight to the point. Hermione couldn't help but feel even more ashamed that she had fallen so deep. Madam Pomfrey shook her head with a sigh as she offered Hermione a small smile.

"I know you are dealing with the war in your own way dear. We all are in our own way." Her bright blue eyes danced across Hermiones' face.
"Your years at Hogwarts has never been easy, I believe you came to us at a dark, dark time." Pomfrey paused and tore her gaze to the window.
"I've seen a lot of broken bodies," Pomfrey frowned at the memories.
"A lot of good students where taken away from us and I can't tell you how sorry I am that you had to help collect their bodies. I'm sorry you had to see that deary."
"And it is the students, such as yourself, that keep me going. Otherwise I would have retired many years ago." Madam Pomfrey tried to give a comforting smile.
"You fought the fight, Miss Granger, we won the war and now it is time you find something to live for." Pomfrey gave Hermione a squeeze on the shoulder.
"If there is ever a moment, you need to speak or want to talk, I would like to think you know where to find me."
Hermione looked into the eyes of the mediwitch. Her eyes were glossy, two more blinks and tears would surely fall down her soft leather worn cheeks.

When Madam Pomfrey informed the Headmaster that Miss Granger was now awake, McGonagall decided to visit her cub later that afternoon. When she arrived she found that Miss Granger was sleeping while surrounded by stacks of books and a half written essay. McGonagall took a seat on a chair that sat at the side of the bed. She sat there just like she did when Severus was in his coma, waiting for him to wake up. With a flick of her wand, she moved the books to the bedside table. She watched Miss Grangers' small frame rise and fall with her steady shallow breaths. Though Miss Granger looked much better than she did, she was still extremely pale and looked just as fragile as she did on the castle floor.

All the professors that knew Miss Granger before the war noticed her lack of enthusiasm in their classes. They only made a few small comments about her as they moved on to talk about other students and other gossip. McGonagall stopped Miss Granger in the hall a week ago to see how the girl was keeping up. Though the girl was more on the quiet side, she seemed to be in-tune with the small conversation. It was short, but it was sweet. Almost too sweet. With Hermione hiding behind a mask of make-up and charms to help her look well, it was hard to tell how gaunt she was. Not to mention the layers of clothing she had warn to keep herself warm and to hide her body from questioning minds. She hid herself well. Too well.

What sickened McGonagall even more was that perhaps people did know, they just didn't bother to say anything. After a few words with Miss Weasley, her sneaking suspicion was right all along, people did know. None of the professors realized how sick Miss Granger was. McGonagall found out that Miss Granger had isolated herself from her friends. It was rather normal for students to have spats with each other, but to cut people out of your life raised a few eyebrows. Miss Weasley explained that they had tried everything for their friend, but no matter what they did, nothing seemed to reach her. She had also explained what Miss Granger had done to protect her family from the Dark Lord and his followers. Despite how hard they tried for the last year, they simply left their friend to figure things out on her own; stating that they where respecting her wishes to be left to herself. The only thing Miss Weasley asked was if Miss Granger would be alright and then Miss Weasley left. McGonagall sat in her desk, sitting still before she took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose while letting out a long drawn out sigh.

Before the whole Miss Granger situation, Severus and McGonagall were talking about his godson. McGonagall knew Severus wasn't sure what to do. Malfoy refused to talk to anyone, he barely spoke to his friends or even Severus. He was burning bridges with his peers and refused any hand that tried to help.

Of course, she tried her best to counsel Severus with the most logical answers she knew. Draco wasn't just a student to Severus, he was the only family he had left. Severus and her would have to figure something out. For now, regular visits to the hospital wing would have to ensure that both students would stay alive this year at Hogwarts.

The day Severus had brought Miss Granger to the hospital wing and Poppy took the girl into her own hands, he stood in the medical wing with a blank expression till McGonagall found herself standing by his side. She knew it was serious when he didn't say a word. Even though she couldn't read his mind, she knew he was not only then worried for his godson, but perhaps considered that he might have just lost one of his brightest students. The student that saved his life. They stood a moment longer with an exchangment of unspoken words before Severus shook his head in disbelief and turned on his heel and left the wing with his robes billowing behind him. There were no words that could make the situation any better. They just had to wait to find out if Miss Granger would make it.

Days after Miss Granger was in the medical wing in her coma, Mr. Malfoy was had ended up in the wing as well. He seemed to have fainted while flying on his broomstick during quidditch practice. He had broken multiple bones and had a severe concussion. There were other discoveries about the boy but it was something that Severus said he would deal with.

McGonagall was sorting out counselors for the students. Since Harry Potter arrived at Hogwarts his first year, things had gone dark for students at Hogwarts. Not that it was Potters' fault. She knew that students who wouldn't get any better if they didn't have the opportunity too. She would be speaking to the head of all the houses to make sure that this current situation wouldn't repeat itself.

McGonagall watched the girl stir awake till she sat up in her bed and gave McGonagall an uncomfortable smile.
"I see your classmates where kind enough to bring your homework." McGonagall looked in the direction of the stacked books with pursed lips.
"Yes, Neville was kind enough to get drop them off for me." Miss Granger mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.
"How are you feeling?" McGonagall prodded.
"Fine, Madam Pomfrey thinks I should be able to leave tomorrow." Miss Granger stated.
"I trust you have come to an agreement with the terms?"
"Yes Mam," Hermione nodded as she was once again reminded of her incompetence to take care of herself.
"Good, now there are some other things I would like to discuss before I return to my duties. You will step down as head girl and turn in your prefect badge. As it stands now, I find that you should be focussing on your well being and your health right now."
Hermione nodded.
"Till further notice, I expect you to meet me in my office Saturday after breakfast and Wednesday after supper."
Hermione nodded once more as she stared at her lap.

Yes, it was the head of the house that should be looking after the well being of their house, but Miss Granger was a different case. She knew Miss Granger since she was a girl and knew she wouldn't just talk to anybody. McGonagall stood up from the chair and turned to look at Miss Granger one more time.
"I suppose I will see you tomorrow after breakfast then, rest easy Miss Granger." McGonagall gave her usually stern voice before she turned and walked away.

Hermione did her best to not let her emotions get the best of her. She took her job seriously as head house and as prefect. 'Nothing I do will ever be good enough. No matter how hard I try, I always manage to fuck it up.'

For the rest of the day, Hermione distracted herself with piles of homework. That is, till Madam Pomfrey made her last rounds and lights were out. Laying in bed, Hermione pretended to sleep till everything grew quiet as she listened to another students' gentle snoring. When she knew for sure it was safe, she grabbed her book and began to read. After four chapters, Hermione felt her eyelids getting heavier. Giving in to the sleep that was calling her, she placed her bookmark that Luna made her for Christmas inside the book and laid in bed hoping to have a good night sleep.

She slid into a recurring dream, a dream that felt too real to be a dream. She usually forgot about dreams, but not this one. It was too real to forget. It was happening more frequently over the last couple of weeks and it always started the same. It started out with being aware she was on the cold hard stone ground that lay beneath her. She would then try to move, but could not find the strength to do so. Her screams wouldn't come out, nor would her body move. A rush of emotions pulsed through her veins as she heard voices. She couldn't see anyone but she could hear them. There had to have been three people in the room with her. That's when she would realize the lack of modesty she had. She lay there bare on the floor. Hermione would usually wake up crying before the dream went any further. But this time she found herself hyperventilating as she was swimming in her own sweat. Before she even realized what she was doing, she sat up and hugged her knees to her chest and began to whisper to herself. "It's just a dream, it was just a dream, it's okay, I'm okay, it didn't happen." Tears ran down her cheeks as she tried to sob as quietly as she could. "It was just a dream" she chanted to herself once more. Oh, how she wished she was in her own bed so she could set up her own silencing charms so no one could hear her.

Without knowing why she looked up to see Draco standing at the edge of her bed with an odd look on his face. It was a look she had never seen him with, was it concern? Regardless it made her mad. How long had he been watching? Was he trying to get back at her for her being a complete ditz the other night? Because if he was, she would make sure she would not offer her hand out to anyone after what had happened.

She wanted to tell him to go watch someone else, but before she could he made his way to the side of her bed and motioned for her to move over. She glared at him before he glared at her back. Rolling her eyes she moved over and lifted the covers for him to slide in next to her. With tears still flowing from her eyes, she looked the other way so he wouldn't see. He didn't seem to mind. With a long sigh, he leaned his head back on the headboard and stared up at the ceiling. Hermione stared down at her lap and didn't mutter a word. Even though he was a complete git, it was nice having someone there. Even if she wished it was someone else. Thinking of who she would want to be sitting next to her, she realized she couldn't think of anyone else without accusing herself of wishful thinking. She wanted to scoff at herself. No wonder she was so alone. Hermione then realized it had been a while since either of them moved. Stealing a glance at Draco, she realized he had fallen asleep. She could tell with his deep breathing and his lax jaw. Being careful not to wake him, she shuffled herself down and turned her body towards the weasel. She couldn't sleep in her usual fetal position because her body was pressed up against Malfoys legs and this was the side she had always slept on. Hermione let a small huff, the beds were not made for two people. She listened to the constant rhythm of Dracos breathing before she too was fast asleep.