Authors note: Well here goes guys. Next chapter of our lovely story, think I've finally got a proper plot sorted now. As Celia said 'humans'- Bee x

Severus

After tickling her mercilessly Severus had ordered Hermione to bed, threatening to make her get in if she didn't. At first she refused with a small smile, obviously thinking he was teasing. She very quickly realized that was not the case and had hopped into her bed, clothes and all, and cuddled up under the sheets. He had kissed her on the forehead, in a respectful gentlemanly manner that still spoke of his caring for her, before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. It had taken less than half an hour for him to slip back into her bedroom. He had settled in the chair beside her bed, leaning back and watching her face as she slept. Her brown hair which had once been ridiculously bushy and frizzy had, over the years, settled into messy curls. They framed her face beautifully, even now, as they spilled onto the pillow. Her skin was not too pale as she slept but it was pale enough to create an image of beauty to rival Snow White's. She was amazing and he struggled to find words to describe her other than the typical beautiful, stunning. She was like an angel, a small smile on her face, almost as though she knew he was watching her sleep and was trying not to give the game away. Severus realised as he watched her that she looked vulnerable, but also young and yet not young. There appeared to be no troubles weighing on her mind and Severus was jealous. It was very rare that he actually slept without any interrupting nightmare, and when it did happen he was shocked and horrified almost. He wasn't used to it and never knew how to react.

As he watched Hermione the smile on her face began to slip and fade from her lips. He sat up, poker straight in his chair, and leaned forward, watching her intently. He recognized that now troubled expression. She murmured something insensible to Severus' sharp hearing and began to twitch erratically. At one point she gasped loudly and curled up into a ball. Severus extended his hand and placed it on her hip, rubbing in what he hoped was soothing circles. He wanted to draw her to him and try to somehow comfort her but for some reason he thought that that would be overstepping boundary's. They had just started up in what he hoped was a relationship destined for great love and he didn't want to ruin anything or frighten Hermione in any way at all. She started thrashing in the bed, uncurling from her fetal position, and tangling her legs in the sheets. She began to whimper in fright and Severus could help himself no longer. He stood from his chair, dropping to his knees by her bedside and drawing her closely to him, whispering comforting words and noises in her ear. Hermione let loose a scream of sheer terror and her eyes flew open.

"Hermione, it's ok, your ok. Your in your bed at home and I'm here. Severus is here for you" Severus knew how highly disorientating it was to awaken from a nightmare and tried to help Hermione in the best way he could. She settled down immediately and cuddled into him, her body shaking. He would have to find out what the nightmare was and somehow he would help her. He did not want her ending up like him, living a life that essentially was a never ending nightmare

Hermione

There was darkness everywhere, surrounding and choking. Anything could be in the dark and Hermione knew that something, or more actually someone, was lurking, waiting for her. This was War, she was in a War and she was totally on her own except for the enemy whose eyes she could feel upon her. They raked over her body and she barely managed to repress a shudder. She curled her fingers tightly round her wand, withdrawing it from her pocket and wordlessly murmuring 'lumos' in her mind. A small pinprick of light appeared on the end of her wand, desperately trying to permeate the darkness. It was so thick, almost like a fog and from within it came a bone chilling laugh. She had heard that laugh before and it cast tremors of fear down her spine.

"Now now, what do I have here?" His voice issued from the darkness as he casually strolled into her field of vision. Hermione whirled round, eyeing him warily like a frightened animal caught by a predator with glistening white teeth. In a way she really was, frightened and caught with no means of effective escape by one of the worst predators she had ever come across with supremely glistening white teeth.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Hermione asked, trying to put venom into her voice and hide the fear she was feeling coursing through her veins. By the smirk that spread across his face she guessed that she had failed. He advanced towards her, twirling his wand casually in his fingertips.

"I want you" The way that he said it made her shudder again, it was just filled with horrible suggestion. Hermione had heard about the revels and the fate of poor muggle and muggle born women who were caught. Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat as she thought of how she might very well end up there. She'd rather die, and that seemed like a possibility too.

"You can't have me Malfoy" Hermione twirled her wand in a complicated movement, her lips ready to form the words of a curse she had read of in a book. Before she could utter the words though Lucius had sent the full body bind at her. She couldn't move out of the way fast enough and felt her body freezing and falling to the ground. Her eyes were wide in fear as she watched him crossing over to her, crouching down on the grass beside her. He ran a finger along her cheek and Hermione internally shivered in revulsion, trying desperately to flinch away from him.

"Oh but I can. And I will" The last words were spoken with undisguised malice and there was a dangerous, malevolent gleam in his cold, hard blue eyes. Hermione couldn't see any way out of this and she could only watch, her mind whirling furiously with thoughts as he ran his hand along her side before striking her full across the face.

Hermione screamed in terror and her eyes flew open, desperately looking round the room, trying to identify where she was. That was when she heard the smooth, calming tones of Severus Snape.

"Hermione, it's ok, your ok. Your in your bed at home and I'm here. Severus is here for you" After hearing these words Hermione immediately settled, realizing that it was a dream, it had been a dream. Except, it hadn't. It had been a memory. She wouldn't think of that, not now. Not when Severus was here, holding onto her tightly but not too tightly. Everything about his embrace screamed comfort and she cuddled into him, desperatly trying to anchor herself to the real world and to him. He was her representation of what was good in this world. He was love, at least to her and she could not lose that, she could not lose him. Thankfully this time he was here for her during her terror, but next time she didn't know if she would be so lucky