A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fic, so if I make any mistakes please be kind

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If ya really wanna sue me then you can have what I got...Student loans debts!

Thanx for the reviews!


Ron and Harry walked through the door to find Hermione sitting on the small sofa on the far side of the room.

"Hiya 'mione! Heard you had an interesting morning…gave us a nice head start on Slytherin for the house cup too!"

"Hi Ron, hi Harry. Did I miss much in classes today? I wanted to go, but Professor Dumbledore practically ordered me not to…"

"Oh it was brilliant! Malfoy screwed up in transfiguration…guess what he turned into…" Ron trailed off with a huge grin.

"What?" Hermione was trying to sound interested, she really was, but Harry and Ron had wasted no time at all making themselves comfortable on the small sofa next to Hermione. 'Why didn't I sit in the chair?' Hermione thought, edging slowly towards the arm of the sofa.

Not noticing her discomfort, Ron continued his story.

"A ferret! Of all things! Oh, it was so funny, I think even McGonagall was amused!"

"Would you like a drink?" Hermione asked, standing up and crossing the room quickly. She fixed a pot of tea without waiting for an answer, and set it on the small coffee table with three cups, a small jug of milk and a bowl of sugar. Instead of returning to the sofa she sat in the comfy armchair she had been sleeping in earlier.

"But don't you think it's funny Hermione?" Ron prodded, at the same time pouring tea into the three cups. "Not even a little bit?" He handed a cup of tea to Harry, and reached over to give Hermione hers.

She took the cup carefully, nearly dropping it when Ron's hand brushed hers as he handed it to her, and quickly rested it on the arm of the chair so that her shaking hand would be less obvious.

"I…uh, yeah sure, it sounds – funny," she replied haltingly, distractedly. Her attempt to smile was the last straw for Harry. He'd been watching her carefully since they'd arrived, and now she looked more near tears than laughter, her smile almost painfully stretched.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked gently.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong, I'm fine, everything's fine," she replied hurriedly. He had her full attention now. She was quickly heading towards full-scale panic, which would be very bad, because then they'd know something was wrong, and that thought just made her panic even more.

Ron sensed that Harry was the best person to handle this. He doubted humour would be useful here, and besides, he wasn't even sure what Harry was going on about. Hermione seemed fine to him. She was probably just annoyed that they were making fun of the Head Boy, however little she liked him herself.

"Hermione." Harry reached over the table as he spoke, and before she'd realised what he was doing, his hand was softly holding her wrist.

The panic that had been building sky-rocketed, and she leapt from her chair, her tea flying across the room one way as she went the other.

"I said I'm FINE!" She screamed, her whole body shaking furiously.

"Whoa, calm down, 'mione."

Harry had stood up as she flew from her seat, as had Ron, in an effort to avoid being scalded by the flying tea. He raised his arms slightly and made placating gestures as he walked slowly towards her.

"Something's obviously wrong, did something happen this summer? Is that why you were late this year?"

Hermione's mind went almost blank. Only one thought echoed.

'Oh God oh god oh god oh god! They know! How could they know? Is it that obvious? Oh God oh god oh god!'

"Is it something to do with your family? Has something happened to them?" Harry kept his voice soft and quiet, not wanting to startle her again. He wasn't quite sure why she had reacted so violently before.

'Oh God oh god oh g…my family? He thinks…then he doesn't know?' Her panic receded a little, and she quickly realised how close he was to her – he had moved so that he was now only three feet away, with Ron a few steps behind him, looking incredibly worried. She quickly began edging backwards, only to find the wall blocking her path. 'Do something! Get them to leave, make them think everything's fine.'

"Harry."

Harry stopped moving, and Hermione fought to keep her relief from showing.

"Everything's fine, okay? I just…" she fought to keep her voice level – "I guess I'm just a bit edgy. I mean, it's NEWTs this year. They're so important, and I've been reading about them all summer and revising, and I haven't been getting much sleep. It's nothing, really. I'm fine. As a matter of fact, I was kinda napping when you arrived, trying to catch up a bit."

"You sure?" Harry didn't look completely convinced, but it was so completely Hermione to spend the summer doing work.

"Positive." 'Please believe me!'

"Well, okay then," Harry replied glancing at Ron, "maybe Ron and I'll go so you can get some more sleep?"

"If you wouldn't mind, I am kinda tired," Hermione replied easily, adding a little yawn for effect. Her panic was quickly receding now, and she could feel the dreamless sleep potion in the other room practically calling out toher.

"Okay," Harry said, heading for the door. Ron followed closely, still not entirely sure what to make of the whole thing. "Just, don't work so hard, ok 'mione?" A slight nagging in the back of his mind made him continue. "'Mione? If there was anything wrong…you do know you can tell us, don't you? Anything at all…"

"I'll try not to work to hard Harry, I promise. Quit worrying and go do your homework, I'm sure you've got some, 'cos you had Snape and McGonagall today."

Harry and Ron both grimaced at the reminder - they had two rather long essays awaiting them - andsaid goodbye, heading back to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry was gone long before Hermione finally answered his last question. Her whispered words fairly echoed in the almost empty room.

"I can't tell you, you wouldn't understand…no one would, Harry. You don't know…I wish I didn't…" She trailed off as the silent tears ran down her cheeks. Not bothering to wipe them, she headed straight for the bathroom cabinet, retrieved the vial, and went to bed. The spilt tea and broken cup could be cleaned up in the morning.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Godric gazed worriedly at the closed bedroom door. He'd been watching from the corner of his portrait in the sitting room since he'd let Harry and Ron in. Her friends had believed the lie. He would have almost believed it himself, but he'd heard the softly whispered words, and the pain in her voice. He'd heard her crying out in her sleep. Something was dreadfully wrong, and he didn't know what to do.


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