Chapter 2

I wanted to clarify that in this story, Harry, Hermione, and Ron went on a hunt for the Horcruxes in this the year before a supposedly normal but dark year at Hogwarts because they could never find one specific one.

With Love,

Distorted

The group departed quickly as to not be seen by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They all went into their respected rooms and laid down quickly, pretending to have fallen asleep hours ago. Ron and Harry shared a bedroom and as they laid in bed they spoke in hushed whispers.

"There is no way, I am sharing a house with that piece of garbage!" Ron hissed out, his face the color of his hair. As Harry was about to utter a response, the sound of footfalls could be heard and a shadow appeared from the light under the door from the hallway. Keeping up with their rouse they pretended to sleep. Their door opened and the light from the hallway flooded in.

"How do you think they'll fare with him there?" Molly Weasley asked quietly. She walked into the room and made sure each boy was tucked in snuggly. "I think it will be whatever they make it out to be Molly. Honestly, I think it will do them some good. I haven't seen the boy since last summer but from what I heard he is not faring well. Ever since what happened with Hermione…" Arthur paused and took in a shaky breath. Everyone knew what had happened then during that horrible time, on the run, never being able to know who was friend and foe and there was sweet, intellectual, brave Hermione who would remember that moment until her end days.

The door clicked shut as Molly and Arthur left. Harry's and Ron's eyes met, both remembering the pain that Hermione had been in for months afterward. They would not let that happen again, even if it cost them their lives. Sleep curled her soothing fingers around them and pulled them into a soft slumber.

Down the hall in between sweat-soaked sheets Hermione tossed and turned. Her entire being encased in a vicious nightmare,

"Are you going to catch me? Are you! I don't think so! Hahahha" laughter echoed throughout the halls as Hermione stood in complete darkness. "Hello?" she called afraid. "Ah look what we have here, little mud blood eh. Degusting little whore. Think you can trifle with what doesn't belong to you huh? Think you can stand up to us! Think everything can be fine and dandy!" A shrill feminine voice echoed through the darkness.

Hermione grasped her forearm as it started to burn. She felt her heart start to pound as she made out a pair of cold dark eyes staring her down from across the room. "Pathetic, little waste of space. You have no idea what you are doing, what you are messing with!" Bellatrix Lestrange stepped out of the shadows moving towards Hermione with the finesse of a lion stalking its prey.

"You are ruining everything! Putrid wench!" She yelled as she pounced on Hermione. Hermione yelled as she was thrown on the hard stone ground, her head making an audible crack as it bounced off of the floor. Bellatrix sat on top of her, a knee in her stomach and a knee on the other side of her, a sharp blade in hand. "I'm going to make you regret ever being born." Her foul breath made contact with Hermione as she tried to do her best to fight back. The blade glinted in the darkness and Hermione felt herself panic as she started to do her best to get free.

"Please, Stop! Please! Please! NO!" Hermione screamed as Bellatrix's laugh echoed all around her. Then the pain began as she dug into her arm, blinding white-hot pain seared through her. She felt her insides twist and lurch at the intrusion. She couldn't stop the scream as it ripped through her throat. Bellatrix smiled cruelly above her,

"Hermione!" Bellatrix's mouth moved but her voice did not come out. Hermione stared confused as her mouth continued to move, "Hermione! Wake up! Hermione! It's just a dream! Wake up!"

Hermione lurched out of the dream painfully with a gasp. Immediately trying to curl up on herself in agony. Harry's arms wrapped around her like a shield. "its ok Mione' it's ok, Hermione, we are in the burrow. We are safe. No one can hurt you right here. Just breathe." Harry said as his hands unstuck her dark curls from her moist skin. Hermione did not utter a word, she just shook, her eyes unblinking, unmoving as her nightmare took her back, tears streamed like waterfalls down her cheeks.

'I take it back' she thought numbly. Leaving her parents was horrific, it broke her heart and soul. But Bellatrix Lestrange was the hardest thing she had faced. Bellatrix whose laugh echoed in her brain, whose cold fingers wrapped around vulnerable points in her skin. Hermione shuddered at the thoughts and let Harry pull her closer.

Harry hummed a calming tune as he continued to play with Hermione's hair as she slowly started to relax and loosen up. Hermione stared down at her hands and counted her fingers slowly. When she hit the number five she felt her body slump in Harry's arms. She was safe, it was ok, and it was a nightmare. Hermione shuddered a horrible and disgusting nightmare. Hermione let herself listen to the tune Harry continued to produce, she let herself be lost in the feeling of his hands smoothing out her ever unruly mane and she sighed. Once fully back to reality Hermione pushed lightly off of Harry and stared into his eyes.

"Harry, thank you for helping, you can go back to your room now," Hermione said with a wisp of a smile. Harry's eyes darkened and he shook his head, "You're lying 'Mione. I don't think you can sleep alone after that. Merlin knows I can't. Not anymore." Harry said with a deep frown. Hermione closed her eyes as memories of the year before flashed across her eyes. Hermione felt herself shudder and nodded quietly. Harry stood up and laid down on the other side, Hermione turned to face him. They pulled the blanket over themselves and made eye contact.

After the year that they had. After what they had been through together, nothing could separate them. That was the one thing that they were both entirely sure about. They clasped hands and closed their eyes. So many nights of darkness. So many moments of pure terror. They were not safe outside, they were not safe another day in the burrow. War is coming and all they can do is hope that they will find the last piece and destroy their greatest foe of all. They could handle Malfoy together. They let sleep pull them into the depths as they dreamt of nothing but silence and felt themselves relax in the presence of the other, feeling utterly safe at that moment.