Harder To Breathe
By Samantha Turner

Chapter Five

The door opened queitly, but I still heard it. I could hear his footsteps. My eyes snapped open, then shut quickly again as the light from the window blinded me. I uttered a small moan as I felt his hand lightly brush my arm.

"Hermione," He whispered. "Wake up."

"Go away, Malfoy." I spit at him. My whole body felt stiff from the leather straps that held me down. I heard his sympathetic sigh.

It only engraged me more.

"Your going home today." He said, with another sigh.

My eyes snapped open again. I felt a small glimmer of hope stir deep down inside of me. Home? With who?

"So I'm going to unstrap you," I heard him say, unease tinging his voice. "You can go change and all, I have your stuff right here with me." He help up a black backpack so I could see it. I recognized it as my own, and bit of pain flittered through me. That was the backpack my Mum has bought me when we had gone to France that one time in my third year.

I felt his hand brush my side as he grabbed onto one of the straps.

I started to strain against them, listening for the buckle to unsnap.

I heard him let out a battered sigh, then I felt them all come off at once. I sprung up in my bed, stretching my back, which had been paining me for the past three days. I looked over at him, satisfied to see that he has scurried backwards into a wall, eyes shut slightly.

"Don't worry." I say, somewhat happily. " I won't snap on you." I grinned. "Who am I going home with?"

I gulped, I felt my body tremble slightly. How was I supposed to tell her?

"Uh..." I finally managed to say. "Umm..."

"Out with it, ferret boy." She said, still smiling. How was I going to break it to her?

"Me and Snape..." I whispered, almost incoherently.

I watched as the smile slowly faded from her face. The look of terror on her face was clearly visible.

"What?" She hissed.

"Y-y-your coming home w-with me and S-s-snape." I stuttered, pressing myself closer to the wall and sheilding myself from her. I kicked her backpack over to her. She leaned over the edges of the bed to get it. Shock was still plain in her eyes.

I watched her sift through her bag. She pulled out a pair of old, torn, baggy black jeans and a black t-shirt. She slowly got up from the bed and stumbled for the bathroom.

The door shuts, and I hear the lock click. I let out a sigh of relief.

That went better then expected.

After changing into my clothes, I turned on the sink. I wet my hands, then run them briskly through my hair. It still looks greasy, but that will change when I go home.

I look at my pale face in the mirror, and let out a shaky laugh. I could have sworn that Malfoy had said I was going home with him and Snape, but I must be mistaken. That would never happen. Never. Not in a million years.

Tucking my hair behind my ears, and looking one last time in the mirror, I walk out of the bathroom, grabbing my backpack and slinging it over my stiff shoulder. I look to the door, which is wide open. I can see the white halls, and healers rushing past my room, not even giving me a glance.

I cautiously step towards the door, waiting for the healers to come and pin me down. I let out another shaky laugh and shake my head briskly. Yeah right. I'm going home, they wouldn't do that to me.

I step out into the hall and look at Snape and Malfoy. I sock Malfoy playfully in the shoulder, grinning as he jumps back in suprise.

"You bastard," I quip lightly. "I thought you said I was going home with you two."

I watch Snape look at Malfoy, then look back at me. Snape's black, mournful eyes meet mine, in a sympathetic way.

Snape? Showing sympathy? My stomach begins to flutter nervously. That's not right.

I let out another shaky laugh. "Come on guys, quit joking around!"

Snape and Malfoy both look at each other again. I let out another laugh, but this time, it's tinged with more uncertainty then casual nervousness.

"Ms. Granger," Snape said lightly, his black eyes still holding onto mine. "I'm afraid you are coming home with us. I signed the guardianship papers this morning."

I feel my jaw slacken. I feel as if a firecracker has gone of inside of me. I let out a gasping breath.

"Hermione?...?" I faintly here Malfoy say.

I suck in another breath, then look over at Snape. He nods, confirming the ugly truth once more.

I throw my head back, and let out a long, loud, howl.