Harder To Breathe
By Samantha Turner

A/N Sorry it's taken me so long, but to anyone who wants to go back and read the prolouge and first chapter, I corrected alot of the spelling errors, and I re-wrote a few sentences to make them sound better. Just thought I'd let you all know.

Chapter Two

The feeling of tears bit at my eyes as I swallowed painfully. I havent had a thing to drink for the past 48 hours. I'm not going to risk getting slipped Veritaserum. My head ached dully as I slowly turned over onto my right side. I would die before telling them anything. I've already managed to force most of it out of my mind, I'm not going to try to force it back in.

"Hermione." I hear a voice say at the door. I recognize the icy tone as Malfoy's. I don't turn around to look at him, and no words pass my lips.

I hear him sigh slightly, then I jump in a bit of shock as I feel his weight on the bed, and a hand slide onto my shoulder. I tense as he tries to turn me over.

"Just look at me, will you?" I hear a slight whine in his voice and almost manage a smile. I let out a bit of a sigh, and turn over to glare at him.

"What do you want?" I croak. I see him wince as he holds up a glass of water.

"You need to drink something."

"No." I croak a little louder at him.

He sighs again. "Hermione, I promise you, there's no Veritaserum in it."

"Why in the world," I begin, sitting up and looking him in the eye, "would I believe a Malfoy? Can you tell me that?"

He smirks at me. "Because this Malfoy is on your side, that's why. Now drink." He tries to shove the glass in my hand, but I refuse.

"Oh for gods sake!" He finally, after a few minuets of trying, cries. "Look! There's nothing in it!" To prove his point he takes a large gulp out of the glass. "See?!"

"What color are my eyes?" I ask, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"Blue." He lies. I let out a sigh of relief and snatch the glass from him, taking a few large gulps, whimpering at the pain in my throat as I do so. I see him smirk at me, but for some reason, it doesnt affect me.

"Good girl." He says dryly. I glare at him as he takes the now empty water glass.

"Thanks." I reply, with just as much enthusiasm. He takes the glass and leaves the room.

My vision starts to blurr, I suddenly feel light headed.

"That bastard..." I whisper, then fall back into a dead sleep.

I look into the hospitale room I had just left. I watch Granger fall back into her pillows. I sigh, feeling slightly ashamed of myself.

"Good work, Draco." Fudge says clapping me on the shoulders. I grit my teeth as I hear him let out a small laugh. He turns to Professor Snape. "Well then, shall we get on with it? We want to try to break in before she awakens."

I see Snape nod, and I let out another sigh. Why the hell do I feel so bad about tricking Granger like this? I go to follow Fudge and Snape back into the hospitale wing, but Snape puts a hand on my chest to stop me.

"Stay here," he whispers, "Or go find something to do."

I glare. "But I want to be there!"

"No," Snape whispers. I look up into his eyes, and am suprised to find that he is unnerved. "when it happens, you won't want to be there."

I nod and step back, going back to my place at the window. I watch Snape raise his wand, and close my eyes when I hear him say, "Legilmens."

I'm snapped awake suddenly by a feirce pain in my head. I cry out and bolt upright, slightly suprised when two male healers wrestle me back onto the bed. I twist and turn painfully aware of the odd feeling that replaces the pain. I manage to get halfway up, before the white room in front of me goes blurry, then the nightmarish visions of the night Voldermort attacked my house flash before my eyes.

I let out a frantic shriek as I once again watch Voldermort throw my Mother into a wall, then levitates her towards the ceiling. I can see pain mar her face as he puts the Cruciatus Curse on her.

Tears burn their way down my face as I watch scene after scene, of the torture me and my Mother endured. I cry out as I watch both me and my Mother get propelled down the stairs. The pain in my back returned as I watched myself crash to the ground. I scrambled to get up, pulling my Mother with me.

Then we were at the back door, she was trying to shove me out, I was crying.

Then the door to the kitchen was blown up.

Then I was on the wet pavement, hair clinging to my face.

Then.....it all ended. I was once again in my room at St. Mungo's. The male nurses released me as I cried weakly. I looked up and saw the Minister of Magic clapping Snape on the back, telling him it was a job well done.

I felt the hate well up inside of me as I looked at Snape. It wasn't enough that he tortured me, Harry and Ron at school, it wasnt enough that he humiliated me every chance he got. Now he had to pry into my mind.

Snape had been inside of me. Inside of my mind.

How could he?

I shot a contemptous look over his way, but I don't think he saw. His head was hung, and he nodded every now and then, obviously pretending to listen to the Minister.

With tears streaming down my face, I lay back and stared at the cieling, the betrayal and hate still raging inside of me.

Finally, I drifted off to sleep, ignoring the nurses, doctors, and Ministry members that came in and out of the room.