I continued having those dreams that felt real and scared me half to death. Usually it was the same dream where I was dodging around spells and looking for someone before slamming into something as I turned a corner. Every time I woke up sick to my stomach and sweating.

But there was one that scared me the most. It happened one night when I went to sleep clutching a picture of my mum because I felt homesick. I was in the dream, but somehow I knew I wasn't myself. I was instead in the body of my mum.

A door creaked. The wind howled. I looked up from my book and glanced around nervously. David saw the fear in my eyes from his seat by the fire.

"Nicole, calm down. Everything is fine, all right? Nothing is going to happen to you."

"I won't be able to calm down until these dark times have passed. Every day we live in fear of pain, torture, even death. And my baby is somewhere where I can't be with her, where I can't protect her. Every whisper, every crack I hear from outside is You-Know-Who coming to pay a visit. Or a Death Eater sent to kill us for being a part of the Order. No- no I can't be calm. Not with the way things are," I said, my voice trembling.

David walked over and sat on the couch beside me. He held my hand tightly and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Mia will be safe at Hogwarts. There's nowhere safer, you know that. Not even with us. Just try and relax, please. You-Know-Who doesn't know anything about us being in the Order. I can't stand seeing you like this. Where's that smile of yours huh?" I looked up and met his chocolate brown eyes with my own and couldn't help but to smile.

"There, see? Beautiful. Just don't worry honey."

I sighed and repositioned myself so that I was lying across his lap. I quickly fell asleep…

BAM! CRASH!

I jumped up with a start and looked at the scene around me. The front door had burst open, crashing into my antique family vases in its flight across the room.

In the doorway was a man cloaked in black. His hair was black and wavy and his face looked fierce and smug. I reached for David's hand and my wand at the same time before I remembered: my wand was in my pants pocket and I was wearing my pajamas. I couldn't believe my stupidity, especially after the reminder David and I had received from the Order not too long ago to have our wands on our person at all times.

My heart rate quickened and David squeezed my hand.

"What do you want? We've done nothing to you, leave us alone!" he shouted. The man laughed.

"Thought you could escape our notice forever? Oh no no no. We know you. Now, you have one chance to tell us what you know and who else is one of you before I kill you." He pulled out his wand and pointed towards us. David stepped in front of me.

"You will not touch her."

"Oh?" The man smirked. "Petrificus Totalus!" I shrieked as David fell limp as a board. The man stepped over to his body and said,

"That's so that you can watch me torture and kill your wife before I do the same to you." I stumbled backwards as he continued stepping forward.

"Now now, this will be much simpler if you just talk. Then nothing will be necessary."

"Never. I will never talk to you." I whispered. He shrugged and pointed his wand at me.

"Crucio!" I shrieked and crumpled to the floor, my body convulsing. Unimaginable pain shot through me like lightning. Finally it ended and I was left panting on the floor. The man crouched down to my level.

"Feel like talking now?" I said nothing, but I pursed my lips as tightly as they would shut.

"Crucio!"

I screamed even louder than the first time; the pain was even worse. A million needles, a million bullets, lightning, all ripping through my insides at one time. I felt lightheaded and I couldn't even tell when the pain stopped.

My thoughts were jumbled- I- I couldn't- what was- who- what…

Someone was talking. I looked up from my spot on the floor. Why was he swaying? And why was he blurry? And mute? Suddenly he stood up and I collapsed again. Then I heard David's voice. I opened my eyes again and struggled to put them over to where the voice emanated from. David was cowering against the couch, tears streaming down his face.

"Nicole… Nicole…" he muttered. I opened my mouth the tiniest bit, but couldn't muster the strength to respond. In my peripheral vision I saw that bastard walk over to David.

"So would you like to talk? Or you can end up like your wife over there."

With a shout David lunged at the man. They tussled but the man easily threw David off and David hit the coffee table and sat there dazed.

"Fine. You had your chance. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

David's eyes opened wide and he froze. I screamed louder than I ever had done; the pain I had just endured was nothing to losing David. My screams echoed on and on….

I woke up still screaming and thrashing. My bed sheets had been thrown everywhere and all the girls in my room were gathered around me. Katie and Ginny had woken me up by force.

"Mia! MIA! Are you awake? What the bloody hell happened? Are you ok?" I looked up at Ginny, trembling and sweating. Soon it became too much. I leaned over the side of the bed away from them and threw up. Tears were streaming down my face. Ginny felt my forehead.

"Oh god she's burning up. Katie, help me take her to Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing."

I felt myself hoisted up, and I passed out. When I next woke I was lying in a bed with white sheets and a white curtain beside me (it was pulled back, not actually covering my area). Madam Pomfrey was attending another student when she saw me fussing with the blankets. She briskly walked over.

"Now dear, what's wrong? Too hot?" I nodded and she pulled the sheets off of me. "You have a slight fever, but you're doing very well. I think you will be fine to be released today," she smiled at me. I nodded and smiled in thanks.

Over the course of the day a bunch of people came to visit me. My friends would've stayed all day if I hadn't insisted they enjoy their Saturday for my sake. Anna though didn't really listen to me. She only left for a break at 12. I used this time to catch up on some sleep….

I opened my eyes groggily. A figure was standing beside my bed. I thought at first that it must be Anna back from her break, but then my eyes focused more and I saw: it was Draco. His blond hair fell onto his forehead and he was wearing a pair of black pants and a gray shirt that really accented his eyes well. My forehead crunched in confusion and my head was throbbing.

"Draco?" I whispered. He didn't move at all. Then I figured it out. I was still dreaming. That would explain it. Only, why was Draco in my dream? I closed my eyes again…

I woke up to the sound of a whispered conversation. The whispers sounded forceful; maybe someone was having an argument? I opened my eyes and saw the door to the room close shut behind someone. And there in the middle of the room was Harry. My heart started beating rapidly, and I'm sure I must've blushed. Harry walked over and smiled.

"Hey Mia, how are you feeling?"

"Meh. I'm alright. Just a bad dream is all," I told him. His eyebrows rose.

"You got sick because of a bad dream? That must've been a pretty serious dream. What happened?" I hesitated and Harry hurriedly added, "I mean, you don't have to say, I don't want to pry, I completely understand-"

"Harry," I cut him off with a smile. "It's fine. Anyway, in the dream I was my mum. So what happened was… was…" I took a deep breath and calmed myself by staring at the wall across from me, instead of into Harry's eyes.

"A Death Eater showed up at my house. My mum was tortured and, I could feel it. And then-… and then he killed my dad," I said in a strangled whisper. "It felt so real! The pain, the emotion… the death. All of it. But it was only a dream." I glanced up at Harry's face for agreement and was startled to see him looking entirely grim.

"What?" I asked.

"I think you should talk to Dumbledore about this," Harry said. Now I was really confused. Why would Dumbledore care about a bad dream I had?

"Er, why?"

"Just, please do talk to him Mia. Please." I couldn't resist Harry Potter pleading with me.

"Alright, I will…" It was silent for a little bit. Then Harry smiled and I thought his eyes were glazing over.

"I'm just so glad you're alright. I was so scared when I heard that you'd been brought to the hospital wing. I just... I'm glad you're ok," he told me, stuttering near the end and looking down at his hands. My heart rate quickened again and I had a sudden urge to play with his hair; an urge that I stifled.

All of a sudden an angry expression crossed Harry's face.

"By the way, just what was Malfoy doing in here?" I was shocked.

"Wait, what? Malfoy was in here?" Harry gave an abrupt nod.

"Oh. I woke up at one point and saw him but I thought it was a dream. Why would Malfoy be in the hospital wing to check on me?"

"I was kind of hoping you would be able to tell me. He was here when I came in and I asked him why he was here but he said it was none of my damn business. Then as I started to walk over to your bed he grabbed my sleeve and told me I better not disturb your rest, you needed all the sleep you could get. And then he left." I stared up at Harry, completely shocked still.

"Well I… I don't know. That's really strange. Maybe… maybe he just wanted to see how I was doing to see if I would be going to detention tonight. Yeah that's probably it! He wants to get out of detention so he was hoping I'd be in bad shape so we didn't have to do detention today," I said confidently. Harry looked unsure but gave a murmur of agreement. Just then Ron and Hermione came in.

"Hey mate. Hey Mia. Harry, we're about to start practice, you really need to come," Ron said. Hermione scoffed.

"Is that all you boys think about? Quidditch? Mia's in the hospital! It's a nice thing to pay a visit without rushing off rudely for practice you know," she scolded. I chuckled.

"It's all right Hermione, I understand. But thanks for coming by to see me Harry." He smiled.

"Of course. I'll see you in class alright?" I nodded and Harry left with Ron. Hermione stuck around.

"Hey Mia. How are you feeling?"

"Better, loads better. I should be out of here by tonight." I smiled and Hermione smiled back.

"That's really good. It would have been a real shame if you had to miss the test in Charms on Monday. Well that's when my class has the test, is it the same with you?" I nodded and she continued. "Well Harry and Ron are unhappy about it, but I think that what we are studying right now is rather fun don't you?" I struggled not to laugh.

I found it incredibly amusing that when I got sick the first thing Hermione thinks of is if I'll be ok enough to take a Charms test in two days. I nodded again and said,

"Oh yeah, definitely." Hermione didn't catch the sarcastic tone in my voice.

"Finally, someone who agrees with me! Alright well I can see you're ok and I really need to study for the Defense Against the Dark Arts test on Tuesday. So I'll see you around. Bye!"

I waved and watched her exit. I heaved a sigh of relief as she left. Not because I don't like Hermione, just because I felt like being alone. I laid back against my pillows and shut my eyes, hoping I would have no more dreams like the last.