Disclaimer: I own nothing.but my sick and twisted imagination
Time Bomb 87: ha ha ha. eunuch.*giggles* The Used rocks.Oh, and AFI.
Yum, Davy sings like an angel.sometimes..and Brand New makes me
miss surfing.
Willowfairy: Just a funny phrase. I started out with nothing and still have most of it left.
Chaos, panic, and disorder-My work here is done.
Silent-Serpent.LOL. I love your enthusiastic attitude. But you get ahead of me.
Anastasia Ju-Bok: We are devilishly clever aren't we? HA Ha. D-I-D syndrome shall
prevail once more.
Kristina Chang: Flattered. I hope I can hold your attention throughout the next chapters.
Daintress: I am naughty, I know.But I hope to keep Draco in somewhat of his
mischievous character.
JamieGirl: Thanks kindly.
GordoLuvr: A faithful reviewer. :}
Beachglass5387: Thank you. You encouragement is always refreshing.
-----------To all who reviewed, I want to thank you. You keep me pumping out my life's blood onto the pages. I am your addict.---------------------- -----------------------------------
Chapter 6: Nightmares Persevere
Draco and Hermione did not even glance at each other through their Advanced Wand Craft class. Hermione kept her head bowed over her book while her quill flew furiously across her paper as she attempted to keep her notes up to date with everything crucial being said. Oh, why hadn't she bothered to learn shorthand? Hastily she scribbled down the comparisons between this weeks selected woods and their magical properties.
Draco was deep in thought as the class progressed to the next chapter. He was plagued by unanswered question. Why was Hermione having these nightmares? What were they all about? What could he do to cease their nightly assault on her?
He couldn't classify their relationship anymore. He didn't know if they were enemies or friends. There was always the option that they were something more than friends, but that was a little far-fetched, even for him.
He decided that he should be the one to broach the subject of where he stands in her eyes this afternoon while patrolling. That way, he could direct the conversation to his own interests. He liked to be in control of things, particularly conversations about his relationships.
The class passed by slowly. Time dripping like molasses from one excruciating minute to the next, as dull and lifeless as his Slytherin friends. Hermione had not even looked in his direction once. Not that he had been watching or waiting for that girl to acknowledge his presence, but he had thought that she would at least notice he was in the same room.
Hermione had her head bowed discretely almost the entire class. She ignored her comrades joking and playfully teasing her about her study habits and messy writing. She was interested in only one thing, how was she going to ever face Draco again. He had erupted feelings in her core that she couldn't come to terms with.
She needed to talk to someone about this. But who? She searched the faces of her dearest friends. They were trustworthy, but not exactly her first choice in discussing her sexual escapade. She couldn't talk to them about her desires, or her fears.
They had never really broached the subject of their relationships too deeply, afraid of opening Pandora's box. She knew deep inside that Ron still longed for a more fruitful relationship with her.
They had dated, if that's what you would call it, last year for 1 week. It was a juvenile and imprudent romance, with no serious impressions. She realized that they had been better as friends.
Ron had been a loving companion but the experimental relationship had almost driven a permanent rift between the three of them. The situation was just too awkward. So they had called it quits, mutually.
It was her misfortune that Hermione had never bonded with many of the girls in her class. She had befriended Ginny Weasley, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had decided not to allow the little redheaded girl back to Hogwarts this year. They were still apprehensive about her disastrous encounter with Voldemort.
Ginny had become very weak and ill when, after her first year in Hogwarts, she had been discovered with Tom Riddle's diary. The cursed diary acted like a vampire plaguing Ginny, devouring her life essence while reviving Tom's own physical potency. Harry had valiantly rescued her and destroyed the diary, but there were some lasting repercussions. Ginny became susceptible to the slightest illness, or curse.
Madam Pomfrey had explained that the diary had contained some sort of unclassified magical virus, which had left Ginny's immune system fragile. She was still infected with this virus, which had become a recessed part of her genetic make-up from that day forward.
She was currently in Switzerland visiting some of the more "experimental" Mediwitches. They had high hopes of finding a cure to permanently remove the virus, using a number of new techniques.
Hermione sighed. With no one to turn to she decided that this situation was something that she would just have to figure out by herself. Another burden on her already weary shoulders.
It didn't take an expert to realize that this stress was not helping her nightmare situation. As if receiving a back massage from a dementor, Hermione felt shivers run unchecked down her spine. She did not want to recall her nightmare, not now, in the middle of class. She could feel the tears begin to well up into her eyes.
Hermione found that she couldn't stop shaking. The dreams threatened to come, swallowing all around her. The classroom faded and Hermione was left in a black oblivion of a horrific vision.
The dreams were always the same. She would regain consciousness in the dark. Fear consumed her as she speculated if she had lost her vision, until her eyes adjusted to the shadows. The ghastly sights that awaited made her wish that she had gone blind.
She could glimpse a black corridor, damp moss creeping through the aged brick ceiling of the forgotten dungeons. Dankness threatened to devour everything.
A rotting corpse was her sole companion for the moment. Hermione gagged on the bile that rose from the overpowering smell of old death. Decay permeated the very air she inhaled. She was horror-struck from the unsanitary conditions.
Chains bound her to the cold slab wall by clasps at both ankles. The rusted metal bit into her soft and tender flesh. She was crying as she fought against her restraints, causing sticky blood to run down to the soles of her bare feet. She has desecrated herself in her long wait, and the urine had gathered into a foul pool in the center of the floor.
Hermione knew that she had been captive for too long. She was weak without sustenance, and shortly to join her friend on the wall. The familiar phrase came unbidden into her head, "Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever". Hermione closed her eyes. Chanting repeatedly that it was only a dream.
A muffled sound echoed through the halls, but still her eyes remained closed. The captor approached at a leisurely pace, sinister words proclaiming his return. "What you don't understand", the evil tone producing a cold terror in Hermione, "is that I am trying to build an empire, an empire worthy of my greatness. One so powerful that even Dumbledore and his bumbling cohorts can't penetrate."
"You, my dear, are the key to our salvation." The voice hissed its venomous words at her. "Your ultimate sacrifice shall seal their fate and provide us with the weapons of destruction." Serpent-like flickers of a tongue licked at her face. Hermione refused to open her eyes, knowing that in the end, the vision would be far worse than her imagination.
"Of course they shall come for you." The enemy debated, as if she had spoken her negations. "Washed up Aurors and that fool of an old man will not rest until they have discovered your whereabouts. One by one they shall be brought before me. They will either fall at my feet and be embraced by our fold, or they shall perish."
Hermione's screams pursued her into reality. The dreams always had a lasting effect on her. The pain and horror had felt so real.
Time Bomb 87: ha ha ha. eunuch.*giggles* The Used rocks.Oh, and AFI.
Yum, Davy sings like an angel.sometimes..and Brand New makes me
miss surfing.
Willowfairy: Just a funny phrase. I started out with nothing and still have most of it left.
Chaos, panic, and disorder-My work here is done.
Silent-Serpent.LOL. I love your enthusiastic attitude. But you get ahead of me.
Anastasia Ju-Bok: We are devilishly clever aren't we? HA Ha. D-I-D syndrome shall
prevail once more.
Kristina Chang: Flattered. I hope I can hold your attention throughout the next chapters.
Daintress: I am naughty, I know.But I hope to keep Draco in somewhat of his
mischievous character.
JamieGirl: Thanks kindly.
GordoLuvr: A faithful reviewer. :}
Beachglass5387: Thank you. You encouragement is always refreshing.
-----------To all who reviewed, I want to thank you. You keep me pumping out my life's blood onto the pages. I am your addict.---------------------- -----------------------------------
Chapter 6: Nightmares Persevere
Draco and Hermione did not even glance at each other through their Advanced Wand Craft class. Hermione kept her head bowed over her book while her quill flew furiously across her paper as she attempted to keep her notes up to date with everything crucial being said. Oh, why hadn't she bothered to learn shorthand? Hastily she scribbled down the comparisons between this weeks selected woods and their magical properties.
Draco was deep in thought as the class progressed to the next chapter. He was plagued by unanswered question. Why was Hermione having these nightmares? What were they all about? What could he do to cease their nightly assault on her?
He couldn't classify their relationship anymore. He didn't know if they were enemies or friends. There was always the option that they were something more than friends, but that was a little far-fetched, even for him.
He decided that he should be the one to broach the subject of where he stands in her eyes this afternoon while patrolling. That way, he could direct the conversation to his own interests. He liked to be in control of things, particularly conversations about his relationships.
The class passed by slowly. Time dripping like molasses from one excruciating minute to the next, as dull and lifeless as his Slytherin friends. Hermione had not even looked in his direction once. Not that he had been watching or waiting for that girl to acknowledge his presence, but he had thought that she would at least notice he was in the same room.
Hermione had her head bowed discretely almost the entire class. She ignored her comrades joking and playfully teasing her about her study habits and messy writing. She was interested in only one thing, how was she going to ever face Draco again. He had erupted feelings in her core that she couldn't come to terms with.
She needed to talk to someone about this. But who? She searched the faces of her dearest friends. They were trustworthy, but not exactly her first choice in discussing her sexual escapade. She couldn't talk to them about her desires, or her fears.
They had never really broached the subject of their relationships too deeply, afraid of opening Pandora's box. She knew deep inside that Ron still longed for a more fruitful relationship with her.
They had dated, if that's what you would call it, last year for 1 week. It was a juvenile and imprudent romance, with no serious impressions. She realized that they had been better as friends.
Ron had been a loving companion but the experimental relationship had almost driven a permanent rift between the three of them. The situation was just too awkward. So they had called it quits, mutually.
It was her misfortune that Hermione had never bonded with many of the girls in her class. She had befriended Ginny Weasley, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had decided not to allow the little redheaded girl back to Hogwarts this year. They were still apprehensive about her disastrous encounter with Voldemort.
Ginny had become very weak and ill when, after her first year in Hogwarts, she had been discovered with Tom Riddle's diary. The cursed diary acted like a vampire plaguing Ginny, devouring her life essence while reviving Tom's own physical potency. Harry had valiantly rescued her and destroyed the diary, but there were some lasting repercussions. Ginny became susceptible to the slightest illness, or curse.
Madam Pomfrey had explained that the diary had contained some sort of unclassified magical virus, which had left Ginny's immune system fragile. She was still infected with this virus, which had become a recessed part of her genetic make-up from that day forward.
She was currently in Switzerland visiting some of the more "experimental" Mediwitches. They had high hopes of finding a cure to permanently remove the virus, using a number of new techniques.
Hermione sighed. With no one to turn to she decided that this situation was something that she would just have to figure out by herself. Another burden on her already weary shoulders.
It didn't take an expert to realize that this stress was not helping her nightmare situation. As if receiving a back massage from a dementor, Hermione felt shivers run unchecked down her spine. She did not want to recall her nightmare, not now, in the middle of class. She could feel the tears begin to well up into her eyes.
Hermione found that she couldn't stop shaking. The dreams threatened to come, swallowing all around her. The classroom faded and Hermione was left in a black oblivion of a horrific vision.
The dreams were always the same. She would regain consciousness in the dark. Fear consumed her as she speculated if she had lost her vision, until her eyes adjusted to the shadows. The ghastly sights that awaited made her wish that she had gone blind.
She could glimpse a black corridor, damp moss creeping through the aged brick ceiling of the forgotten dungeons. Dankness threatened to devour everything.
A rotting corpse was her sole companion for the moment. Hermione gagged on the bile that rose from the overpowering smell of old death. Decay permeated the very air she inhaled. She was horror-struck from the unsanitary conditions.
Chains bound her to the cold slab wall by clasps at both ankles. The rusted metal bit into her soft and tender flesh. She was crying as she fought against her restraints, causing sticky blood to run down to the soles of her bare feet. She has desecrated herself in her long wait, and the urine had gathered into a foul pool in the center of the floor.
Hermione knew that she had been captive for too long. She was weak without sustenance, and shortly to join her friend on the wall. The familiar phrase came unbidden into her head, "Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever". Hermione closed her eyes. Chanting repeatedly that it was only a dream.
A muffled sound echoed through the halls, but still her eyes remained closed. The captor approached at a leisurely pace, sinister words proclaiming his return. "What you don't understand", the evil tone producing a cold terror in Hermione, "is that I am trying to build an empire, an empire worthy of my greatness. One so powerful that even Dumbledore and his bumbling cohorts can't penetrate."
"You, my dear, are the key to our salvation." The voice hissed its venomous words at her. "Your ultimate sacrifice shall seal their fate and provide us with the weapons of destruction." Serpent-like flickers of a tongue licked at her face. Hermione refused to open her eyes, knowing that in the end, the vision would be far worse than her imagination.
"Of course they shall come for you." The enemy debated, as if she had spoken her negations. "Washed up Aurors and that fool of an old man will not rest until they have discovered your whereabouts. One by one they shall be brought before me. They will either fall at my feet and be embraced by our fold, or they shall perish."
Hermione's screams pursued her into reality. The dreams always had a lasting effect on her. The pain and horror had felt so real.