A/N: In this chapter, Hermione dreams about the past. You will see her switch back to calling Draco, Malfoy early on as she did in that time.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my ideas :) Thanks to J.K. Rowling for allowing us to play with her characters.

Reminder: Words in italics are peoples's thoughts, magical terms, or emphasis in dialogue.

Sorry I am so behind in posting chapters, life has been crazy lately.

Chapter 15

Hermione is startled out of her near panic attack when she hears the loud crack of apparition. She stares at the spot where Draco just stood, thoughts muddled. What just happened? She shakes her head to clear it then stumbles into her bedroom. Sitting on her bed, she pulls out her journal and starts writing about the last hour and a half. Eventually, she dozes off with the journal on her lap, pen still in her hand.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hermione experiences feelings of contentment and peace that she rarely has now. She realizes she is sitting on the large couch near the fireplace in the Gryffindor Common Room at Hogwarts.

Hermione sees faces around her that are not yet scarred physically or mentally by war and she smiles. She wishes there had been something more she could have done to stop the pain and loss in their near future. She looks down and sees her Transfiguration book in her lap, noticing Ron sitting on her left struggling to write his essay. She almost grabs his hand and pulls him into bone-crushing hug as this is her old Ron, but recoils at the thought of Lavender Brown and how she is almost positive he used their relationship to "get back at her".*

She instinctively reaches up and is comforted to feel her new necklace, realizing at this point her subconscious brought her to this time for a purpose. She lets herself slip into the dream where she is looking over Ron's shoulder, pointing out several mistakes on his homework as she normally would. She hears someone pounding down the boy's dormitory stairs, looking up she sees Harry, Marauders' Map in hand with a determined look on his face. Hermione nudges Ron and gestures to Harry. Ron looks back at Hermione, rolls his eyes and whispers, "Here we go again."

Harry settles down on the sofa next to Ron, the evening fire is casting a strange glow on his face that gives him a somewhat sinister look. Through clenched teeth he seethes, "He's disappeared off the map again. That cagey ferret is up to something. I have got to find out what it is and stop him." Each word Harry said has gotten louder and everyone in the room is now staring.

This is a memory from sixth year, not just a dream! With that thought, Hermione's consciousness instantaneously takes over and she uses the Lucid Dreaming technique she learned in her Mentalist training to direct this dream into a recreation of her memories; for her, it works as well as a Pensieve.**

Hermione closes the book on her lap, then leans around Ron and makes eye contact with Harry then raises her eyebrows before cutting her eyes around the room and back at him. She whispers in her authoritative way, "Harry, you are making a scene."

He responds by saying even louder, "It doesn't matter. What matters is what he is doing."

Hermione looks up at Ron imploring him to help with her eyes. He just shrugs then crosses his arms over his chest. She gives him an extra hard good smack on the arm and glares at him.

"OW!" Ron starts rubbing the spot where she hit him and gives her a bewildered look. Some help you are Ronald. She leans back on the sofa and closes her eyes as she pinches the bridge of her nose and huffs. This is getting ridiculous. Then an idea hits her to give them a few days peace. After all, someone has to keep their head about them. She leans around Ron again and keeps her voice low so the others won't hear her, no one else needs to know about the map and if Harry keeps it up all of Griffyndor will, "Let me see it." Harry grins and hands it to her. Leaning back, she studies the map, not seeing Malfoy on it. She is sure something is up with the map but will not go down that road with Harry again as he is convinced it is correct.

She thinks of him even arguing against her theory that Malfoy is using a disillusionment charm, which makes perfect sense. Harry uses all his free time to follow him all around in person or studying his every move on the map. No wonder Malfoy is using a charm to hide. This thought gives her the incentive to complete her plan and give them all, including Malfoy, some peace.

She folds up the map, placing it in her book and leans forward so she can see Harry. He is looking at her with such anticipation she almost caves but knows this is for the best. As the end of the term nears, the professors have loaded them down with tons of homework to prepare them for their N.E.W.T.'s next year and she knows he is behind. She clears her throat and inquires, "Harry have you finished your homework for charms, transfiguration, potions and divination?" The last said with distaste and in a mocking tone of Professor Trelawney. This sudden change in topic baffles Harry and he shakes his head no before he realizes what she is up to.

Hermione shifts, placing the book and map in her bag before standing and putting it on her shoulders. She embodies Professor McGonagall as she looks down at her two best friends, arms crossed and says, "Well then, as you both want to be Aurors, I suggest you complete your homework." As she is walking away she snickers when she hears Ron say, "Blimey, she is scary when she does that."

She makes her way up to her dorm room, thankful none of the other girls are there as she prepares for bed. She decides to check the map once more before she settles into sleep. She pulls the map out of the book where she hid it and locates Malfoy down in the dungeons. That settles it. He is using a disillusionment charm so Harry will leave him alone.

Hermione taps the map with her wand and whispers, "mischief managed," and puts it under her pillow so none of her nosy roommates will see it, not that they look at or speak to her anyway, it is worse now since Lavender broke up with Ron. She punches her pillow which makes her think of the time she hit him, and laughs at the thought of her somewhat violent nature.

Hermione closes her curtains around her bed then lays back, trying to get comfortable. The image of Malfoy enters her head as it has done frequently since they returned from Christmas break. She tries to sort out why she keeps thinking of him. Maybe it is because he seems so different. She ponders this then thinks, ugh, why should I care! Hermione turns over on her side in a huff, pulling her legs up in a semi-fetal position, trying once again to get comfortable. She spends the next hour tossing and turning, working arithmancy in her head until she realizes she is comparing her character, heart, and social numbers with Malfoy's, finding it odd they share the same social number of 9.***

Frustrated with herself she sits up, pulls out the map and whispers, "Lumos. I solemnly swear I am up to no good." She locates him in the dungeon again in what looks like his dorm. He is alone, and she sees he is pacing back and forth across the room, stopping momentarily, then starting again, repeatedly. This piques her curiosity. Obviously, he has some sort of issue. Harry's accusation of him being a Death Eater flits through her mind and she dismisses it quickly as absurd, after all, he is only 16.

Realizing her thoughts of Malfoy won't leave her, Hermione decides to do what she always does with a problem, she analyzes what she has observed so maybe she will be able to sleep.

She checks the map again and sees that her roommates seem to be asleep. Nox. She pulls back one curtain as quietly as she can, and feels around for her bag, smiling as she grabs a notebook and a pen from it. There are certain benefits to being muggleborn, like not having to use a quill, parchment and ink all the time. She pulls her curtain back shut, thankful they block out the light. Then she arranges her pillows so she can lean back against them and use her lap as a desk. Hermione thinks of the incantation for the bluebell flame and directs it into the little jar that she keeps next to her bed. Feeling a tad smug, she smirks thinking about the wordless magic she just performed, then opens her notebook so she can work on her list.

Changes in Draco Malfoy

Physical

-Thinner
-Dark circles & bags under eyes
-Skin is greyish instead of alabaster
-Never smiles or laughs

Social

-No longer playing quidditch
-He paces
-Ignores Prefect duties
-Ignores us: no jinxes/hexes, no insults, no sneers, no baiting, no boasting
-Ignores lessons/homework (i.e. detention with Professor McGonagall after not turning in two assignments
-Argues with Professor Snape
-Skips meals
-Not hanging all over Parkinson
-Never see him talk to anyone

Hermione begins to nibble on the end of her pen as she studies the list, her brows furrow and she bites on her bottom lip as she gets more perplexed. Finally, she realizes what is bothering her about him. He is acting alot like I did in third year while so incredibly stressed out, taking extra classes using the time turner. She tries to deduce what is going on but doesn't have enough information to even guess. Huh. Well, I won't be sharing this with Harry, he'll just get more paranoid.

She shakes her head because it is still full of thoughts of Draco Malfoy and his well being. Maybe l will just watch him for a few days and I'll figure it all out. Harry and Ron wouldn't care if he is sick or hurt, and neither should I. She sighs. But I don't think he has anyone to confide in like I do. She scoffs. I mean who would want to talk to Crabbe or Goyle about problems. Shaking her head she puts an invisibility charm on this page in her notebook then closes it with a snap. She checks the map and sees that Malfoy is now stationary on the map, after watching his unmoving name for a few minutes she decides he is asleep. "Mischief managed." She whispers then douses her blue flame placing the map back under her pillow.

The images in the dream start to swirl and fade and now she is sitting in class next to Harry and he is telling her that Malfoy has been going into the Room of Requirement, with some first-year girls standing at the door. "Of course, that is why he isn't on the map." Her brows furrow as she realizes she still has the map. "How do you know?"

He proceeds to tell her about having poor Dobby and Kreacher trail him. "Harry!" She says with a slap to his arm. "You shouldn't use them like that!" Harry gives her the half smile that makes her instantly forgive him. "Hermione! They were bored!" She rolls her eyes, "Well you should at least pay them something!" Harry cocks his head to the side and studies Hermione noticing she looks tired. "I tried. You know how Dobby is. Harry is smirking then takes a long look at Hermione, who rolls her eyes at whacks his arm again. And unfortunately, Kreacher is mine.

Hermione leans in and whispers, "So I take it you are no longer angry with me for taking the map so you can actually complete some your homework?"

Harry gives her a pointed look then replies, "Nope and I did get it all done." He gives her a cheeky grin, "So can I have it back now?"

Hermione gives Harry a stern look and says, "After I check your work." Harry didn't respond as Professor Snape enters the room and begins teaching. About halfway through the lesson, she glances at Malfoy and he is staring off into space. She can tell he is concentrating, but not on the lesson.

Slytherin green and Gryffindor red begin to swirl around her and when the colors clear she finds herself sitting in the library in her favorite spot. She realizes it is several days later during her free period when different memories of beginning to fill her mind with snapshots of a magical camera, all of Draco Malfoy, mostly looking glum. He is still dressed impeccably but you can see he no longer fills out his clothes and it gives him a disheveled look. With each memory she can see more tension in him, the thin set line of his mouth, his fists clenched, bloodshot eyes and tousled hair.

Hermione huffs since she can no longer watch Malfoy on the map since she gave it back to Harry when they figured out the two first year Slytherin girls were actually Crabbe and Goyle all poly-juiced up. She almost laughs out loud at the thought of their transformation into little girls but manages to only let out a snort, which earns a scathing glance from Madam Pince.

Her thoughts drift back to Malfoy again and she takes out her notebook, turning it to the page where she wrote her observations. "Finite incantatem." She mutters so she can review the list, frowning as she reads it. She knows it is stupid, but she can't help be concerned for him and it doesn't seem like anyone else is. Even his Mum is no longer sending him daily sweets. I am concerned for Draco Malfoy. Is the world ending? Not realizing she is rationalizing her concern, she reminds herself of his warning during the Quidditch World Cup, however uncouth his language, for Harry and Ron to hide her when the Death Eaters attacked. She blows out a large breath, as she reads, and drums her fingers one by one from pinky to index on the table. Her concentration is broken when she hears someone clearing their throat. When she looks up she again faces Madam Pince's death glare. Annoyed with herself she begins packing up her things.

As she stands, she notices movement in her peripheral vision outside. Glancing out the window she sees Draco Malfoy pacing beside the lake.

"Amplio Visio,"**** Hermione utters so she can see him more clearly. He looks even worse than the last time she saw him. His normally impeccably styled hair is sticking up in places, his tie is askew and his clothes look in disarray. His eyes are the worst, the dark circles shadowing them now look like purple bruises and his normally stormy grey iris' look flat and dull, even haunted. For some reason this makes her heart ache. She continues her watch over him. After several minutes he suddenly stops pacing, runs his hands through his hair and leans his back against a tall tree on the bank of the lake. Slowly he slides down to the ground, posture slumped. He pulls his knees up to his chest and bangs his head against the tree several times.

Before she realizes what she is doing, Hermione is out the front door of the castle walking toward him. His head still laying back against the tree trunk and his eyes closed, she thinks he may be sleeping. She doesn't stop to think before she sits down near him and is surprised that he smells so good, like new parchment and spearmint. Hermione looks around wondering why on earth someone would trim the grass so early but realizes when she takes a deeper breath that it is coming from next to her and is actually sandalwood. She stays beside him, quietly watching him and notices his eyes moving rapidly behind his lids, his brows furrows and his breathing becomes labored. He is having a nightmare. She isn't sure what to do but doesn't want to leave him in this state. His hands are now clenched into fists, so she works up her Gryffindor courage. "Malfoy?" she asks, surprised at the tenderness in her voice. She bites her bottom lip not sure what to do then says his name again. Shaken from her thoughts she almost flees but is unable to when Malfoy leans closer to her and he lets out a sigh that sounds almost like a moan and it makes her stomach flutter. "Yes," he says, his voice full of warmth.

She swallows and decides she is going to just tell him the truth. In a rush she says, "I have been watching you this year, and I am worried about you, you do not seem to be yourself. I just…I just wanted to make sure you are okay." Finishing she bites down on her bottom lip while wringing her hands.

She watches him, his eyes still closed, he appears relaxed, but Hermione knows he is not. She begins to wonder if he will answer when he take a deep breath then finally does, "it has been a hard year." She knows there is more but is positive he will not tell her. Forgetting their past she thinks, maybe I can help him feel more at ease and he will open up.

Hermione moves closer to Draco and settles in flush beside him and squeezes his hand, he squeezes hers softly in return. She lets go quickly, but their chemistry is overwhelming so she can't help leaning into him. Although his eyes are still closed, he turns his face toward her. She notices his mouth for the first time and is drawn in by its plumpness. She reaches up to run her thumb across his bottom lip, but realizing what she is doing, she brushes his bangs out of his eyes instead. She can't help laying her hand against his cheek and he nuzzles into her palm. She strokes his cheek, then the pads of her finger caress his jawline before she palms his cheek again. She watches him as turns his head into her palm and kisses it delicately.

"Oh!" She breaths out in a moan. She closes her eyes as he places his hand around hers, moving it slowly as he covers her palm and fingers with soft kisses. She feels his lips trail along her hand again, stopping at the sensitive portion of her inner wrist, sucking it lightly before flicking his tongue over it twice causing her to shiver.

For a change Hermione isn't thinking, she is only feeling desire for her platinum-haired nemesis who turns his head toward her as he continues to hold her hand against his cheek. She watches him closely as he opens his stormy grey eyes to meet her gaze, she thinks she sees a warm inviting look but he blinks a few times, and it is replaced by bewilderment as he releases her hand much too quickly for Hermione. She feels his body tense and his gaze turns to stone.

Her stomach lurches at his reaction and she immediately drops her hand and leans away from him, wondering at his sudden change. She swallows the large lump in her throat and blinks away tears that are threatening to form. What am I doing?

She wants to flee again but stops herself when she looks at him and sees different emotions play across his usually stoic face. It is mesmerizing to watch them grace his features. After several minutes his posture has relaxed and he seems open, so she quietly says, "Draco?"

His eyes immediately meet hers again. She sees no malice in his expression, only what might be whimsy or longing. He sighs and now she can only see pain. His shoulders slump as he lowers his face into his hands. He is completely dejected. To see someone so proud and confident reduced to this breaks her heart. She knows something horrible is happening.

He wipes his face before raising his head and begins to stare at her. She feels uncomfortable under his scrutiny, but the look he gives her roots her in place. It is almost like he is in awe of me. This make her extremely uncomfortable and she instinctively grabs her wand, but instead of pointing it at him, she wraps her arms around herself.

His facial muscles move as if to sneer but instead, twist into a look of utter despair and turmoil. Her heart breaks for him, but it is not out of pity, it is out of concern. She slowly leans closer to him, gauging his reaction. He watches her in wonder, her face just a few inches from his as she lightly touches his cheek again. She watches him as he closes his eyes and takes slow and deep breaths.

"Draco, please, let me help…"

He cuts her off when he grabs her wrist and practically shouts, "DON'T!"

She jumps back and tries to pull her hand away, but he quickly adds his other hand on top of hers and loosens his hold on her wrist as he softly pleads, "don't, please don't." She stops fighting his hold and looks at him, his eyes are squeezed shut so tightly it creates small creases around them. She wants to say more but isn't sure what to say so she just leans into him. He turns his head so that his mouth is in her palm again and kisses it lightly once more.

"Thank you, Hermione." Her heart races at the kiss and the sound of her name being said so tenderly by him. She is dumbfounded when he releases her hand, stands up, and walks quickly toward the castle, leaving her to stare after him.

This image fades out and is replaced by her sneaking into the infirmary around 3:00 in the morning. She was so disappointed in Harry and concerned for Draco that she had not been able to sleep. She is surprised to find him alone. She tip-toes to the edge of his bed and notices a warning from Professor Snape for Madam Pomfrey to leave his care to him. That is why she isn't hovering. She looks at Draco and winces when she notices how many places on Draco's upper body are covered in gauze, she can even see red in some places under the sheet that is pulled up to his waist. She grimaces when she thinks of her battle scar from the Department of Mysteries and wonders if this will mar his skin as well. At least Harry is rid of that vile book, I just wish it would have happened before this. She knows their shared animosity will be worse now.

She sighs softly as she looks down at Draco's still form, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. Then she notices that even though he has lost weight, he still has muscle definition. In the moonlight, his alabaster skin looks like a work of art chiselled from marble. She wets her lips before biting the lower one. It takes all her willpower to not lean down and kiss him. Even after the intimacy shared this afternoon, she isn't sure what would happen, especially considering what Harry did to him right after.

She sits down on the floor next to him, realizing at some point she had taken his hand and he curled his fingers around hers in his sleep. Hermione lays her head on the bed beside their joined hands, only to wake with the rising sun. His hand is now cupping her check. She turns in his hand and leaves a small kiss on his palm, before quietly leaving the infirmary.

The next few images in her dream are of their gazes meeting multiple times a day over the next several weeks, with him always dropping his eyes first. They do not speak again and the scene that comes to her next is Harry telling her about Dumbledore's death. She hears herself ask, "Do you think he would have done it? Draco?" She allows herself to slip back into the dream memory and feels a deep sense of betrayal as she looks out over the grounds of Hogwarts then looks at Harry who says, "No, no he was lowering his wand. In the end, it was Snape. It was always Snape." The knot in her stomach releases.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hermione sits up and rubs her eyes then glances around her bedroom, comprehending that she is truly awake. She takes a deep, steadying breath, realizing she had all but repressed those memories of Draco. She opens her journal, looking around for her pen and accios it off the floor and begins to write what her subconscious mind reminded her of in her dream.

Stretching, with her arms raised high above her head she checks the time, surprised. It had not taken her very long to record everything. So, she decides to go ahead and get up, even though it is early, get dressed and get some breakfast as she feels surprisingly refreshed.

A/N: If you would like to reread Draco's memory of the day at the lake it is in chapter 9. Please review!

*If you have only seen the movie and not read the book (book spoiler alert) of The Half-Blood Prince you won't know 1) Ginny told Ron while defending herself that Hermione and Viktor Krum had kissed and he was already extremely jealous of him (Yule Ball incident) and is then angry about it 2) The confrontation about Felix Felicis was much bigger in the book. After the quidditch win, Hermione calls out Harry saying it was cheating and he responds by saying he only made it appear like he spiked Ron's drink. She insisted that was why everything went right, Slytherin players missing and Ron blocking each goal attempt. Harry finally showed her the full phial and even though Ron had also believed his prowess that day was due to the potion, he is angry at Hermione for not believing in him, exasperating his insecurities, and she was hurt because he was angry at her for believing something he had also thought was true. Although this is touched on in the movie, the book delves more deeply into Ron being insecure/jealous at not being part of the Slug Club. I believe he also thinks Hermione invited him to the Slug Club Christmas Party because she feels sorry for him and he doesn't want her pity. So when Lavender throws herself at him, it feeds his wounded who and pride. 3) In the book, Lavender breaks up with Ron much later, although his and Hermione's friendship does resume when he is poisoned.

**Most psychologists believe we work out issues or problems in our dreams, therefore even though Hermione knows how to control her dreams, she allows her subconscious to control them unless it leads her down the path of a night terror about the war or in an instance such as this when she relives her memories.

***For a deeper understanding of arithmancy google "Beyond Hogwarts Arithmancy"

****Amplio is Latin for enlarge, increase or improve and Visio is Latin for vision.