The room was dark, so dark in fact that I wondered briefly if I'd gone blind, but my other senses told me not to worry about that at the moment. Where was I?
The stench was repulsive. Bile, waste, decay. Screams echoed in the distance but those I could not place. I knew I should, but I couldn't.
It was cold, the air hung thick with a freezing moistness. Not at all like my Yaya's where I'd been only moments ago. Hadn't I just been at Yaya's? I couldn't remember. My back was pressed against something hard and rough and I could already feel the bruises forming.
With this thought in mind I began to check myself over as best I could for injuries. My wrists were sore and painfully encased in iron held above my head. I couldn't feel my fingers, but whether that was from the cold or some other influence I new not. My right shoulder ached as it once had when I was little, pain that I recognized as displacement. My chest burned with each breath I took and I wondered if I'd cracked a lung. Apart from my sore iron encased ankles everything else seemed fine.
But where was I? Who was I? Where was I before this?
Hermione Granger. I am Hermione Granger, but what am I doing here? Why am I hurt? Where is Cedric? Or Harry or Ron?
I was cut from my frantic questions as a door somewhere above me opened and I was blinded by light. Heavy footsteps fell upon a creaking staircase and all I could see through the sudden light was a rather obtuse man making his way towards me. As my eyes finally adjusted, I realized with anger who it was before me.
"Pettigrew." I spat at him as he opened my cell.
"The master wishes to see you." He said, flicking his wand and releasing my wrists and feet. "Come on!" He shouted, but the pain was too much and I couldn't stand. He pointed his wand forcefully at me and for a moment I was sure the cruciartus was about to be placed upon me. But through no move of my own I found myself picked up and floating along ahead of the despicable rat.
When we finally stopped, we were in a rather plain looking room. There was one chair, where Voldemort was seated, and nearly a dozen or so death eaters surrounding him.
"Hello Ms. Granger. Pleasure to see you again." He spoke. The temperature seemed to drop just as he spoke. "After last time, I realized that the usual methods of interrogation don't quite work on you," He paused, staring at the bruises that littered my body before continuing, "so I have taken to resorting to other means." He nodded at a death eater by a separate door than the one I'd come in through and I watched as three unconscious bodies were dragged into the room. He nodded again and a spell I knew to be enervate awoke the three.
"Mum! Dad! Cedric!" I cried as I launched myself at them.
"Hold her back!" Voldemort cried as I was caught mid leap and held tightly against my will.
"Now, Ms. Granger, you will tell me what the prophecy contained or your father shall be the first to go."
"I won't tell you!"
"Very well. Avada Kedavra!" He spoke, lazily as I watched the sickeningly green curse fly from Voldemort's wand into my father's chest.
"NO!" I cried as he fell limply to the ground, his eyes glazed over unseeing. "Daddy! NO!" I sobbed.
"Tell me or your mother dies as well." He spoke coolly to me.
"I… I…" I gazed at my mother tears forming behind her eyes. 'Don't'. She mouthed to me, shaking her head. "Mum!"
"What shall it be Ms. Granger?"
"I… I can't tell you." I whispered wishing I could turn my head from the green light streaking towards my defenseless mother. But the death eater that held me captive kept my head locked in place and I couldn't even will myself to close my eyes as I watched the life leave my mother.
"You've already lost your parents, do you wish to loose your lover as well? What shall it be Ms. Granger? Your lover's life or your best friend's secret?"
"I can't! I can't! NO! CEDRIC NO!" I cried as I watched the green light envelope him. "NO!" I sobbed.
"Hermione! Hermione baby wake up!" I started awake, tears still streaming down my face. My gaze lands on the concerned faces of my mum, dad, yaya, papou, and Cedric.
"Cedric!" I cried out as I clung to him, needing to feel him, needing to make sure he was alive. "Daddy!" I cried out again as I switched to him and repeated my reassurance before turning to my mum and clinging to her as well.
"Baby girl, what's wrong?" My dad's deep voice called through my quieting sobs. "Bad dream?" He asked as he came and held me along with my mum. I could do nothing but nod. After a few deep breaths I answered.
"It felt so real. All three of you were gone." I said. I couldn't explain it any better.
"It was just a dream baby, just a dream. We're all here, see?" My mother soothed me as I nodded.
"Would you like some warm milk or hot coco?"
"Milk please." I said as my Yaya nodded and left the room, closely followed by papou.
"Here you go Mya. Try and get some more sleep." Yaya said as she handed me the mug of warmed milk and turned to leave again.
"I'm sorry I woke you all up." I said.
"It's alright baby girl. Do you want us to stay with you until you fall back asleep?"
"No, it's fine. Just a silly nightmare. You and dad leave tomorrow. You should go back to bed." I said.
"If you're sure." I nodded. "Alright. Goodnight baby." My mother said as she kissed my forehead before all three of them left my room and I was alone once more.
Nearly twenty minutes later I knew everyone else had fallen asleep. Well, I knew at least my dad was. His snoring I could probably be heard from the other side of town. I couldn't sleep. I had thought I could handle being alone after that horrid nightmare, but I was wrong. I secured my robe as I padded my way across the hall before quietly knocking on Cedric's door. As soon as the door was open I was in his arms.
"Mya?"
"It felt so real." I whispered into his chest as I inhaled the delicious scent that was Cedric. "My dream… The three of you were gone."
He rubbed my back soothingly with one hand while the other shut the door before leading me over to the bed as we both sat down.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"No. I… Yeah… It was Voldemort." I said as I leaned closer to him, my ear pressed against the spot above his heart. The steady beat was soothing me. Cedric was alive and that was all that mattered. "He… he had me. He wanted to know about the prophecy. I wouldn't tell him. He killed dad, then mum, and then you. It felt so real."
"It was just a dream. Just a dream. I'm here, and nothing's going to happen to me."
"How can you promise that Cedric? The next moment isn't guaranteed to any of us. Especially not now that the war has started."
"I can promise you that because I have to much to live for. I can promise you that because you are what I live for. What I fight for." He said, before capturing my lips in an urgent kiss, which I readily returned. "What if we're separated?"
"Then I'll find you. When this war is over. I will always find you, love you, and marry you." My eyes widened at this.
"Cedric?"
"I'm not proposing. Not now at least, but I know Hermione, that you are the only one for me. And one day, we will."
"You're awful sure of yourself. What if I were to say no?" I teased.
"I'd persuade you otherwise. I can be very persuasive when I wish to be." He said as he kissed the hallow where my neck and shoulder met before kissing his way up my throat and to my waiting lips.
"You're right" I gasped, "You can be very persuasive."
"Is that a yes?"
"You didn't ask me a question." I said, kissing him again.
"Hermione." He said, annoyed. "You know what I mean."
"Should you ever ask me to marry you, I would be most inclined to aquest to your request." His puzzled expression reminded me that he had no muggle references to get where that came from as I sighed at yet another movie to be added to the long list he needed to see. "It means yes genius." I said, as his puzzled expression turned happy.
"I love you." He said before kissing me once more.
"And I love you. Thanks for listening to me."
"That's what I'm for. You don't ever have to worry about loosing me. You're stuck with me for forever it seems."
"That doesn't sound so bad." I said as I laid back against him and let my eyes shut.
It was then I realized that not only did I have my friends and family now to fight for, but also the promise Cedric had given me. The promise of what our lives could be like after this war was over.
So no, the rest of that night wasn't filled with Voldemort or war or death. I was wrapped safely in my Cedric's arms and my dreams were filled with blurs of white and glimpses of small children. My reason for fighting was for this future that I saw in my dreams, my future with Cedric.
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I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters that you recognize.
A.N. reviews are highly appreciated.
