Harry Potter screamed as he woke up, and bolted upright on his bed.
He was breathing hard, sweat on his face.
The whole castle was quiet, the silence pounding against his ears.
Then he recalled the dream. Or was it?
"Hermione!" he thought, scrambling against the covers and throwing them aside. Not bothering to get his robes or his slippers, Harry ran down the length of the room and down the staircase. It was freezing cold. He didn't what he would do if Hermione.
No, don't even think about it! Harry chided himself.
And then, as he neared the bottom, he was still running when he saw Hermione also running up the stairs.
"Oh, Harry!" she said, her voice breaking. She was crying, stumbling blindly on the stairs. "Oh, Harry!" she repeated, a look of terror in her face.
"Hermione," he said stopping her. "Hermione, I-"
Hermione stopped for a while, staring at Harry. "Harry?" she asked her eyes wide. "Are you a ghost?" she cried miserably.
"No, I'm alive. Hermione-"
Hermione rushed forward and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, afraid to let go. She squeezed her eyes tight, allowing more tears to flow. "Oh Harry, I had the most terrible dream! You-Know-Who came here and he, oh Harry, he-he killed you!" she cried frantically. "And then he just left me, with you. B-but you were dead!"
"What?" Harry stood aghast. He had the same dream, except it was Hermione who died. "I'm all right, Hermione. I'm all right," he soothed, holding her. He didn't want to tell her his dream yet. She was shaking terribly and couldn't stop crying.
"I don't know what to do, without you, Harry," she whispered sniffling.
"I'm still here, Hermione," he said wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'm still here." They sank together, on the stairs, leaning against the wall. Harry noticed she wasn't wearing a robe or slippers. She shivered against him.
It felt strange. Uncanny, even, how their dream was almost the same. Except in his dream, it was Hermione who had died. And then, Harry remembered what had happened before Voldemort had killed Hermione.
They had kissed. Him, and his best friend, Hermione. Did she dream about the kiss too? Or was it simply his death that she had dreamt about?
"Oh, but Harry, it was just so-" her lip trembled, "-it was so, so real, and he-he," she paused once more looking around as if expecting to see someone else, "You-Know-Who was so real," she whispered her head against Harry's shoulders.
"It's all right, Hermione, it was just a dream," Harry whispered softly.
Hermione took a deep breath. "I was just so scared, Harry. And in my dream, I just stood there, and I looked at your f-face, but you-you were gone," she mumbled. Sniffling, she looped her arms around Harry's waist. "I let it all happen. I j-just stood there and, I-I didn't do anything. Anything."
"You didn't have to do anything, Hermione. I'm here, I'm all right."
Hermione sighed and Harry felt the tension leave. She had calmed down, but she still wouldn't let go of Harry. It was as if she was afraid that if she did, Harry would die and leave her. "Don't leave me, Harry. Never," she said in a shaky voice.
"I'll never leave you, Hermione. I promise."
And it was a promise Harry was going to keep.
The whole castle was quiet, the silence pounding against his ears.
Then he recalled the dream. Or was it?
"Hermione!" he thought, scrambling against the covers and throwing them aside. Not bothering to get his robes or his slippers, Harry ran down the length of the room and down the staircase. It was freezing cold. He didn't what he would do if Hermione.
No, don't even think about it! Harry chided himself.
And then, as he neared the bottom, he was still running when he saw Hermione also running up the stairs.
"Oh, Harry!" she said, her voice breaking. She was crying, stumbling blindly on the stairs. "Oh, Harry!" she repeated, a look of terror in her face.
"Hermione," he said stopping her. "Hermione, I-"
Hermione stopped for a while, staring at Harry. "Harry?" she asked her eyes wide. "Are you a ghost?" she cried miserably.
"No, I'm alive. Hermione-"
Hermione rushed forward and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, afraid to let go. She squeezed her eyes tight, allowing more tears to flow. "Oh Harry, I had the most terrible dream! You-Know-Who came here and he, oh Harry, he-he killed you!" she cried frantically. "And then he just left me, with you. B-but you were dead!"
"What?" Harry stood aghast. He had the same dream, except it was Hermione who died. "I'm all right, Hermione. I'm all right," he soothed, holding her. He didn't want to tell her his dream yet. She was shaking terribly and couldn't stop crying.
"I don't know what to do, without you, Harry," she whispered sniffling.
"I'm still here, Hermione," he said wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'm still here." They sank together, on the stairs, leaning against the wall. Harry noticed she wasn't wearing a robe or slippers. She shivered against him.
It felt strange. Uncanny, even, how their dream was almost the same. Except in his dream, it was Hermione who had died. And then, Harry remembered what had happened before Voldemort had killed Hermione.
They had kissed. Him, and his best friend, Hermione. Did she dream about the kiss too? Or was it simply his death that she had dreamt about?
"Oh, but Harry, it was just so-" her lip trembled, "-it was so, so real, and he-he," she paused once more looking around as if expecting to see someone else, "You-Know-Who was so real," she whispered her head against Harry's shoulders.
"It's all right, Hermione, it was just a dream," Harry whispered softly.
Hermione took a deep breath. "I was just so scared, Harry. And in my dream, I just stood there, and I looked at your f-face, but you-you were gone," she mumbled. Sniffling, she looped her arms around Harry's waist. "I let it all happen. I j-just stood there and, I-I didn't do anything. Anything."
"You didn't have to do anything, Hermione. I'm here, I'm all right."
Hermione sighed and Harry felt the tension leave. She had calmed down, but she still wouldn't let go of Harry. It was as if she was afraid that if she did, Harry would die and leave her. "Don't leave me, Harry. Never," she said in a shaky voice.
"I'll never leave you, Hermione. I promise."
And it was a promise Harry was going to keep.