Chapter 24-Gone

A/N I just added a balcony to Hermione's bedroom.

Disclaimer: I only own the plot

Hermione hurtled through the doors to the Entrance Hall. The few first and second years that were there stopped to stare, but she paid them no heed, in fact, she went zooming past them so fast that she didn't see them even. She rushed through several corridors, looking for the familiar stone gargoyle. She skidded to a stop so fast that she lurched into Snape, who was blocking her way. She could even see the gargoyle, but Snape stood towering in front of her, not letting her pass. She tried to run around him, but he just stood there. The rest of the potions class was peering at them from behind a wall. They had followed Snape out of the dungeons to see what the commotion was. Hermione tried to get to the gargoyle again, but Snape followed her movements and blocked her as he had the first time, and now he spoke to her. "What are you doing, running around the school like this?" Now another nearby class had joined them, everyone wanted to know what was wrong and what would happen.

"Doesn't matter, I need to talk to Dumbledore," Hermione said, and the urgency in her voice was obvious.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for that remark and for running in the halls," Snape sneered. He was obviously enjoying this.

"DAMN YOU, SNAPE, YOU CAN BLOODY GO TO HELL," Hermione yelled at him there was an audible gasp from their audience of now three classes. She saw her chance and he saw his. Hermione finally dodged around him and ran to the gargoyle, but before she got there his voice rang out behind her.

"A hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor for your smart mouth Miss Granger," He called after her. She didn't even look back as she breathed out the password and took the steps three at a time.

Hermione didn't even knock as she slammed the door to Dumbledore's office open. "Professor Dumbledore, Snape sent Harry, Ron, Draco and me to Hogsmeade to get some potions ingredients for him and we stopped at the Shrieking Shack for a minute to look at it and than someone grabbed Draco and disapparated out of there with him and I ran all the way here and now he's gone," Hermione had tears running down her cheeks slowly, and she felt exhausted. There was a wave of blackness at the back of her mind, and now that Dumbldore knew what he needed to know Hermione allowed the blackness to consume her and she hit the floor in a faint. She shouldn't have run all the way there so fast; it had exhausted her of even the reserves of her strength.

She woke up in the hospital wing and felt the comforting weight of Little Dragon at her feet. She opened her eyes and saw the worried faces of her comrades, except one. Draco. Instantly she remembered what had happened in Hogsmeade. Her eyes filled with tears and she hoped that she might see her love again. She slid out of her hospital bed as the tears slid soundlessly down her face. "'Mione, it'll all turn out okay eventually, we'll get him back," Harry's words were of small comfort to Hermione as she suddenly grabbed Ron (who was closest to her) and started to cry into his chest. Ron patted her back awkwardly, hoping to be of some comfort to one of his best friends, but unsure of how much comfort he was giving her. Finally Hermione pulled back, and Madame Pomphrey was there immediately and handed Hermione a boulder of chocolate about the size of her hand, with a look that told her to eat it. She smiled sympathetically at Hermione, and then was gone.

Hermione went back to her common room, where Susan Bones and Terry Boot were on their couches. Hermione was surprised to see them; they were rarely in their common room, while Draco and she were in it constantly. Draco. She gave a glance at his empty green couch with her red blanket on it and then to her red couch with his green blanket on it. Her lower lip started to tremble and tears filled her eyes, and then she couldn't keep her tears at bay any longer. She gave a small sob and sank to her knees, chocolate on her lap and a puppy licking away the tears. Half of her wanted to go to her room so that she could just go to sleep and forget about what had happened and the other half of her wanted to grab his blanket off of her couch and go lay down on his couch, surround herself in his house color, in him. But her legs couldn't move, much less could they take her weight anywhere. Susan came over to her as well as Terry, who was slightly unsure of what to do. He pried the chocolate from her grasp and set it on a table and sat beside her, concern in his eyes. Susan sat beside her and patted her back comfortingly, then looked up at Terry. Hermione didn't pay much attention when Terry stood up and walked out of the room.

Several minutes later Terry re-entered the room. Hermione was still in tears and didn't notice. Terry transfigured some object or another into a cup and filled it with the liquid in his hand. He handed the cup to Susan who gave it to Hermione who downed it in one gulp, not even noticing what it was. Suddenly she was very, very tired and as much as she wanted to stay awake, she couldn't resist and was soon asleep. Susan and Terry exchanged glances. Susan quickly levitated her limp body up to her bed and settled her down to sleep. She pulled Hermione's green blanket over her head, remembering when Hermione and Draco had exchanged comforters in the common room for the few times that they didn't sleep in the same room. She gave a wry smile, Hermione had told her that Draco was gone, but nothing else was managed to get out of her. With a small sigh, Susan went back down to the common room. "What did you get her?" She asked Terry, hoping fervently that it was a Dreamless Sleep potion.

"Dreamless Sleep potion, why?" Terry was confused, he was sure that was what she had asked him to get. Susan nodded in evident relief.

"She is going to need it. They have been sleeping in the same room since last year. I think that they tried to sleep in separate rooms once, but neither of them slept well and so they both went back to her room. I hope that was a particularly strong draught, I'm going to bed too."

Terry sat down there a little longer, hoping that Hermione would be okay, he didn't think he could stand another episode like that again, it would just break his heart. She was a beautiful girl, and Draco was just perfect for her. He hoped that Draco got back soon, for Hermione's sake, if not everyone's (no, he doesn't have a crush on her).

The next morning Hermione woke up feeling...empty. She looked out of the balcony and thought for a moment. How thankful death would be. Who knew what they were doing to Draco, she had a hunch that it was Voldemort's followers that had done this. They had wanted an heir and so this would solve it easily. But if Draco came back then it would all be for nothing and he would be devastated that she was gone. She stood up on the railing, death on one side, and safety on the other. It was hard for her to make the choice that she did. She turned and jumped...back to the safety of her balcony. She didn't know what was happening to her love, but she did know that she would be waiting for him when he got back. Killing herself would be useless right now.