A/N: Er, if you couldn't tell it's Hermione and Draco. I mean, even though it's in my Dramione collection I just wanted to let y'all know.

Written For:

Ship Name Comp.: Leather and Libraries (Draco/Hermione)

P.S Isn't our ship name awesome? :)

The Restricted Collection: 7. No Characters Name mentioned

Do Your Worst Comp. : Draco/Hermione Prompt: Choice

The Potions Class Comp. : Dreamless Sleep Potion: Write about a sleepless night.

The girl wasn't sure if the nightmares would ever stop. Night after night they haunted her. Tormented her mind. Till she believed she was going insane.

It was always the same nigthmares.

Not being able to help her friends.

Losing the War.

Killings.

Death.

Unable to do anything at all.

But the most recurring one was torture with the demented witch.

The older witch cackled in joy as she broke the poor girl. She could hear herself screaming and screaming for help but unlike the first time, no help came. She withered on the floor, churning and turning sideways, forwards, backwards, with tremendous pain. The witch always degraded her. She was filth, nothing, mud-blood, and pathetic. In the nightmare, it seemed to last forever. She was on the floor begging for a death that never came. She knew it wasn't real. But the pain she felt betrayed her reasonable mind.

She knew they had won. The Boy Who Lived defeated the Dark Lord once and for all. But that didn't stop the dreams. She also knew she had withstood the torture the first time. If she had done it then, why couldn't it be the same in her dreams? Her mind played out all the what-if's that could've happened but didn't.

She had finally had enough and checked herself in to St. Mungo's psyche ward. She wasn't insane, not yet at least. But she was tired of it all. Having to wake up in the middle of night, screaming her lungs out. Having to install a basin next to her bed so she could splash herself with water. To bring herself into reality. It was ridiculous how serious the nightmares affected her. Many nights she couldn't go to sleep because of the fear of dreaming. It tormented ger. She had gone many sleepless nights avoiding her nightmares.

"-are you alright?"

The girl with the bushy hair glanced at the healer who shook her slightly. She nodded weakly. The look on his face was evident that he didn't believe her.

"You were in a trance again," he said. He knew she didn't like it when they took notes about her condition in front of her. She found it rude and insulting. He made mental notes to write in his clipboard later.

"Was I?" she asked absentmindedly. "I was only thinking, that's all."

He smiled warmly. "You never stop thinking, do you? Never did, even back then."

She made eye contact and smiled genuinely. The man with the platinum hair was her appointed Healer at St. Mungo's. It seemed odd to her that she was able to talk normally with her, despite their checkered past. But the past was past, and they chose to leave that behind and start anew. They had a great understanding of each other even if she had only been there for about a week. Nobody forced her there, she did it herself. They actually discouraged it a bit. Telling her that the nightmares would stop eventually. But she wanted to find out a way to stop her nightmares. And if being in St. Mungo's was what it took, then that's what she did.

"I am happy to say you're getting better," he announced.

She nodded. "All the calming draught's and potions helped."

He chuckled. "Sure, but it's also your mentality."

"My mentality?" she repeated, confused of what that had to do with anything.

"Yes. When you first came here, you were let's face it," he said, his grey eyes rolling. "Depressed."

She blushed. She was pretty darn sure she was, but there was no way she was going to say that to him. Even if already knew, being her doctor and whatnot. "Not that much."

He smirked. "Course not. Now though it's your positive attitude that's helping you fight back in the nightmares."

She nodded hesitantly. She did feel a different in the nightmares than before. Even if it was just a tiny bit, she fought back. She actually tried to withstand the torture then to take it. She tried. And that made the difference, apparently.

"I'd say you'll be free to go in another week," he commented. "That's what matters to you, doesn't it?"

She nodded rapidly. "Of course. It was interfering with my daily life. I couldn't get my work done, it was that horrible."

"Work, really?" Draco asked, incredulously.

She blushed. "Yes."

He laughed at her behavior.

"You know I never though you'd be a healer," she mused. He had been good at playing seeker at Hogwarts and could hold himself in a duel. She had thought for sure he would be an auror.

Her childhood bully raised his blonde eyebrow in amusement. "I never thought you would be working as a bookshop owner."

"Ministry's overrated, anyway," she said with a casual shrug. Her brown eyes shining with humor. "I thought you were going to be an Auror or Quidditch player, honestly."

"Ministry's overrated," he repeated, smirking.

"Sod off," she replied, smiling.

"Oh before I forget," he said, running a hand through his so blonde hair that it was almost white. "Let's got out to dinner as soon as you get out of here."

She looked bewildered at him. Her longtime rival was asking her out on a date? Sure, they let all that behind them but the competitive spirit was still there. Even more so that she was in the psyche ward? "Are you sure? You know I'm insane, right?"

He laughed. "No, I think that's only how you view your state of mind. Your head looks pretty fine to me."

Her cheeks heated up. "Sure, I'll think about it."

He winked before walking out. She stood stunned for a few moments before laughing. Maybe she would put an extra, extra effort -mentality wise- to get better.

It has nothing to do with the dinner date, she repeated in her head. She was doing this for herself. It was her choice to be here, after all. But his offer was appealing, wasn't it?