Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine!!!

Hermione continued to run. She had been running for what seemed like hours. Running as fast as she could. She didn't matter where and the grounds were that expansive that it didn't really matter where she went, she just had to keep running. She was exhausted, not only physically but mentally. So many thoughts and feelings had run through her system that her pain rather than her energy, an area that was severely lacking, as she hadn't eaten in days, now fuelled her on. She had given up the one person that she loved above all else, for the sake of her friends, and they didn't understand, or want to know the sacrifice that she had made.

Hermione stopped running to catch her breath, and found herself standing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. All she had to do was enter into the forest and she could disappear forever. So many people had disappeared in there before, why not her? Tear streaks stained her face, her eyes were blood shot and sore and her chest was burning insanely. Disappearing in the forest sounded like a good idea to her.

Looking around her, staring back at the castle, forward into the forest, Hermione made up her mind. Slowly stepping up to the edge of the trees Hermione held her breath. Just a few more steps and she could disappear…forever.

She held on to the trunk of the first tree in the forest steadying herself for the next step. Her mind was that set on entering that she did not hear the footsteps coming up behind her. She was on her way in, when…

"HERMIONE!"

Spinning around Hermione screamed…then passed out, falling to the grassy floor.

When Hermione finally forced herself awake, she was lying in one of the beds in the hospital wing. It was dark outside of the large windows that faced her bed, but the darkness was broken by the few rays of moonlight that forced their way through the clouds that had gathered over the castle.

A large shadow skulked in the corner of the room, a shadow that moved as she sat up in the rather uncomfortable bed. "Hermione?" The shadow asked quietly.

"Hagrid?"

"Yeah, 'tis me." One of his large hands was rubbing the back of his neck, a sign that he was nervous. "Yeh gave us a real scare."

"Why are you here, Hagrid? You made it painfully obvious before that…"

"Aye, and I was a fool. Yeh mean more to me than to let that come between us." He sat on the chair by her bed, his eyes focused on an unseen spot on the floor.

"Oh, Hagrid!" For the first time in days Hermione smiled. She reached down placing her hand onto his. He took it in his, engulfing the delicate and insignificant hand in his large hands. "I thought that you would never want to see me again."

"Don' be stupid. I was jus' upset. It was a shock, you and…well…um…him! 'Specially with everythin' tha' is happenin' with Buckbeak. For the firs' time I was disappointed in yeh. But then I realised that it wasn' done on purpose."

"Of course it wasn't. I didn't want anyone to get hurt, Hagrid you have to believe me. I really didn't. I thought I could handle it, but all the sneaking around and the lies, they got too much for me to handle, and the way he was treating my friends, you most of all, it tore me up inside." As she spoke, finally able to say all the things that she had kept inside for so long, Hermione her words became rushed, her voice rising high and higher, louder and louder.

"Shh, Hermione, you can talk about it tomorrow, but get some rest now. Yeh've exhausted yoursel', get some rest." Hagrid stood, forcing Hermione to lie back down.

"Thanks Hagrid."

"For what?"

"Stopping me from going into the Forest."

"Any friend wouldda done it. Get some rest now."

"Will you stay with me…just until I'm asleep?"

"Yeah, sure."

Hagrid sat back down, Hermione's hand in his once again. It was not long before she was sleeping, her breathing relaxed and steady. Hagrid sat a while longer, watching her, wondering how she had gotten herself all mixed up over a waste of space like Draco Malfoy. Once he was sure that she was truly asleep, he slipped out of the room, thoughts of wonder and disbelief still running through his mind.