A/N: I am so so sorry I cut the last chapter off short. I really meant for it to be longer, but, ya know, I got a little psyched about that writing contest…

Anyways, thanks again to Purple Sensibility, and everyone else who reviewed, you guys are amazing (although there are so not enough of you)! And thank you, Maddie-la, I know Hermione is amazing. More importantly, duh, I'm awesome! Thanks for the imaginary party!

Moving on, I don't own any of this yadda yadda yadda. Now… for the story!

Malfoy was not getting up. He was lying in bed and being stubborn, and Hermione was going to get him out of bed if it was the last thing she ever did. She had started in a civil tone, but was quickly learning that nothing but extreme measures was going to wake him.

She leaned close to his ear. "Malfoy?"

He gave a protesting sort of grunt.

All right, that's it, Hermione thought. Then, at the very top of her voice, in a yell that not many opera singers could have managed, right in his ear, she shrieked, "DRACO MALFOY GET OUT OF BED!"

Which, predictably, resulted in two bonked heads, quite a few very loud, very explicit swear words, and a thoroughly awake, if very annoyed, Malfoy.

"What was that for?" he all but roared.

"We're going to be late for class," Hermione said calmly.

Malfoy swore again. "It's nearly the last week of school, Granger, it's not like we're doing anything!"

Hermione just raised her eyebrows, and dragged him off the bed so she could search through her dresser for that days robes.

Half an hour later, she was close to screaming again. "Malfoy, why are you still in the shower? We're going to be late!" She had been right in thinking that there were two bathrooms. It also seemed that she was not the only one who could take long showers. Finally, he was out and dressed, and Hermione grabbed his hand and half- dragged him to breakfast, Malfoy still yawning as they rushed down staircases and through empty hallways.

It was a long, dull day. Hermione slapped Malfoy twice, once to keep him from mouthing off to Professor Flitwick, and the other to wake him during potions, where they were concocting Draught of the Living Death for review purposes. They sat by the lake under an oak tree for a while, but Hermione decided that it wasn't productive, and was about to stand up when she saw that Malfoy had fallen asleep. Grumbling, she sat back down and yanked yet another job application from her book bag, to check it over for the third time.

The air was getting chilly and the skies dark by the time Malfoy woke up and they tramped back into the castle for dinner. The meal was uneventful, other than Malfoy snapping at Ron and Harry, and the two of them snapping right back. Fed up, Hermione attempted to stand and stomp fearsomely out of the Hall, but forgot that Malfoy still had a hold on her elbow, and only managed to trip and go crashing into the table, scattering leftover dishes everywhere.

Irritated, disgruntled, and messy, Hermione and Malfoy headed back to their dormitory. Malfoy went straight to the desk and seized the book that he had left there the day before. This suited Hermione just fine; she flipped open her computer and turned it on, waiting as it hummed to life. As it started up, she put the earphones of the iPod into her ears and started it on shuffle. The music slowly calmed her agitated system as she logged onto the internet and began to check her email.

The day before, Malfoy had only looked at her technology in a sort of grudging curiosity, but now, he finally broke and said, "What the hell are those things?" pointing to her iPod and laptop. Hermione, now humming softly along with the music, didn't hear him.

"Granger!" he said impatiently.

Hermione's head snapped up, and she yanked out one of her earphones. "What was that?"

"What is with you?"

"I was listening to music. I didn't hear you," she said in a coldly dignified voice.

"What music? There is no music playing. Are you going crazy or what?"

She spared him the impatient glare she was itching to give. Instead, she held up her iPod, and said, "This plays music for whoever has the earphones." She showed him the white cord not in her ear. "It's a muggle thing."

"Oh," he said, and almost turned away again, but, apparently, couldn't resist asking, "Then what's that thing on the desk?"

Hermione sighed. "It's a computer, and I'm not going to explain it, it's too complicated."

He glared at her for a moment, then turned his gaze back to his book, clearly ignoring her. Hermione resisted the urge to tell him that he was acting like a six year old. Barely.

Hermione should have know that the nightmares wouldn't stay away three nights in a row. She felt like she should have been prepared for them, but she'd just been so tired, with Malfoy and the year ending and all those job applications, and she was distracted. Later, Malfoy said she should have at least warned him.

Hermione was asleep. She knew because she'd had the nightmare so many times, she could at least distinguish it from her real life, although it didn't make it less terrifying. There was Bellatrix, standing there, leering and cackling, the filthy knife in her hand. Every time Hermione saw it, she wondered, because why would Bellatrix need a knife when she had the Unforgivable Curses? Extra fear, the logical part of Hermione's brain figured. The part that wasn't screeching in fear. But the dream wasn't right this time. Because Draco Malfoy was standing there as well. Yes, he had been there that day. But did he stand there, laughing and torturing her as well? No, no, that's not what happened! Hermione's brain cried. But she couldn't remember what did happen. She couldn't remember… laughing… screaming evil pain laugh fear don't know what to do oh God save me! Screaming, screaming, screaming.

It was nearly one in the morning when the sound woke Malfoy. "What the bloody hell?" he hissed crossly. It took him a moment to figure out what the noise was. Screaming, from right next to his ear. At first, when he looked at Hermione, he thought she was possessed. Her whole body was writhing, shaking, and she was screaming like someone was torturing her. The next second he realized that she was asleep, which meant that she was having a nightmare.

"Granger!" he said slightly frantically. "Granger! Granger wake up! Granger!" He was almost yelling now. "Granger, dammit, wake up! Wake up!" He didn't know what to do. So he slapped her. Hermione's eyes flew open, wild and panicked, and she gasped. Malfoy grabbed her wrists. "Calm down. Calm down. It's okay. You're okay."

Hermione's breath was coming in gasps. Gasps that turned quickly to sobs, that she tried to stifle. She rolled over, pressing her face to her pillow as her body shook and she attempted to control herself. Just a dream, it was just a dream. Calm down, Hermione. It's alright. Slowly, her breath and heartbeat slowed as she calmed. At last, she lay still.

With uncharacteristic gentleness, Malfoy rolled her onto her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Hermione knew she didn't sound convincing. She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm fine." She controlled her voice. "It was just a dream." The effect was sort of ruined when she sniffed.

Malfoy sighed. "Right. Just a dream that could make you scream for hours because you can't wake yourself up. What kind of dream is that?"

"One based off of a memory that happened to take place at your house. I'm sure you remember," Hermione snapped.

Malfoy flinched. He did remember. How could he forget? Sometimes, he still wasn't sure why he had said he thought it 'could be Potter', brought to his home with a swollen face and exhausted friends. Tired of the fear, he supposed. He had just wanted someone to win who could take away the fear. The trouble was, he had been too much of a coward to do anything himself. He himself had never been able to forget Hermione on the floor with his aunt standing over her, both of them screaming, one with anger, the other with pain and fear. He couldn't forget Weasley's voice from the basement, calling her name, just as scared. He wished he had done something. He'd never say it out loud, but he wished he'd helped the girl on the floor, so a year later, she wouldn't still be screaming with fear as raw as it had been the first time. He didn't want to help Hermione. He wanted to help the memory of a frightened girl. As little sense as that made.

A/N: Well, that took longer than I expected (mostly because I'm failing math…oops). So sorry! Still, I hope you enjoyed! I know it was too short! Still, it was longer than it was last time! That's a plus, right? Review review review! Review to yell at me, review to tell me I'm amazing, review to say you reviewed, I don't care! Just review!