Bring Me To Life By Evanescence

How can you see into my eyes like open doors, leading you down into my core where I've become so numb,

without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold until you find it there and lead it back home.

Wake me up inside, Wake me up inside. Call my name and save me from the dark. Bid my blood to run,

before I come undone. Save me from the nothing i've become

Secrets

Chapter Three:

Bring Me To Life

Hermione rolled over in bed, and stretched out her arms, looking for something that wasn't there. She groaned in frustration. She distinctly remembered that someone was supposed to be next to her this morning. Hermione sat up, and threw her legs over the side of the bed, then groped around with her toes for her slippers.

She padded softly down the hall, and heard sounds coming from the kitchen. That was unusual—she wasn't cooking. Hermione passed the living room on her way, and saw a black velvet box on the coffee table, and a bouquet of roses. Even though she was oblivious to the world at this time in the morning, the previous night came flooding back to her. Hermione reached under the neck of her camisole and pulled out the white-gold necklace he had given to her. She read the engraftment, and smiled.

He heard her coming long before she entered the kitchen, and smiled to himself. He stood there in only his trousers, the oil in the pan gurgling and flying out onto his bare torso. He sensed her enter the kitchen, and said nothing, simply tended to the bacon and flipped the eggs.

He felt her hand on his shoulder, and the next moment, his back was to the stove and her lips were upon his. They broke away, and she smiled, and hugged him, resting her head on his chest.

"Good morning, Harry."

They were sitting at her cluttered dining room table, which was directly off the family room. The table was barely visible beneath piles of books and papers, but Hermione pushed some aside to make room for the breakfast Harry had prepared. They ate in silence, and Harry cleared up. When he came back, Hermione was on the couch, feet hugged to her chest, necklace in hand.

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to her.

"Hey," she said softly.

Harry noticed a small tear trailing down her cheek.

"What's wrong?" He asked, wrapping his arm around the small of her shoulders.

"Harry...this baby...it could be born all alone. Fatherless."

"Balderdash. Ron will help you...I know he will. It's his baby, Hermione."

She turned and looked into his eyes.

"No. I don't want him to be a father...a dad. I don't want him in my life."

"Then who do you want...?" Harry asked hesitantly, already knowing the answer.

Hermione smiled sadly.

"You, Harry. But I was sitting here, thinking about it, and I remembered the prophecy. You might not come back."

Harry hugged her tightly.

"Don't think about it. I'll face Voldemort head-on, and I'll be back in time for you to crush my hand during labor."

Hermione gave a small laugh.

"Hermione?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you really want me to be the father figure?"

She smiled, and said,

"More than anything."

He sighed. It had been two weeks since he had returned, and her words were still echoing in his mind.

You might not come back...You might not come back...

He preferred not to think about it. But ever since she mentioned it, he couldn't get the thought out of his mind. Every time the thought of never seeing her again entered his mind, his chest contracted painfully, his stomach went ill, and his heart started beating faster.

You might not come back...You might not come back...

"Harry?"

A voice interrupted him from his thoughts, and he looked up from his Defense Against the Dark Arts book, startled. It was Neville, his ever faithful study partner, who was holding two cups of hot chocolate.

"Oh, hey, Neville," Harry said, taking one of the mugs from him.

"Hullo. Something wrong?"

"No...I was just thinking about Christmas."

Neville nodded knowingly.

"You miss her, huh?"

Harry nodded. His chest contracted painfully again, and he found it hard to breathe.

"Maybe we should study another time..." Neville said hesitantly, knowing that Harry was going through his "routine."

"No, no, I'm fine. Honestly."

Never taking his eyes off of Harry, Neville cracked open his own DA book, and slowly started to read.

His eyes were hurting from the two hours of reading small text. He gathered up his books, and bid goodbye to Neville, then slowly made his way to the Gryffindor common room. He was walking by the Hufflepuff coat of arms when he rounded a corner and strode straight into Ron.

Books, quills, ink bottles, and parchment went flying out of Harry's bag, spilling over the ground. Ron rubbed his head idly while Harry picked up the shards of glass and blotted parchment, and cleared up the mess.

"A bit late for a rendezvous, eh, Potter?"

Harry sighed. So much had changed.

"Sorry, Ron. I was heading back form the library. No rule against that, is there?" Harry asked coolly.

He brushed past Ron, shouldering him. Ron grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.

"That's Head Boy to you, Potter," He said, pointing to the badge on his chest. "And I'd watch my manners if I were you."

"No need to watch them," Harry replied. "I have them under control."

Ron lost his patience, raised his wand, and muttered and incantation.

Ivy ropes sprouted from the tip of Ron's wand, and Harry dodged it, only to have Ron scream,

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry was knocked off his feet, and his wand flew through the air. He crashed into the wall behind him, and his wand landed by Ron's feet. Ron plucked up the wand, and then came close to Harry, and cast the roping spell again. Harry moaned as a cut opened in his head. He looked up at Ron over him, struggling against his bindings.

"You took away the girl I loved, Potter. Now you'll pay."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but was blocked out by Ron screaming,

"Crucio!"

The Cruciatus hit Harry almost immediately, and pain wracked through his body. He felt his back arch dangerously, and he heard a soft moan escape his lips...soft enough so Ron couldn't hear, but loud enough for it to reach his ears.

Just when Harry thought the pain was too great for him to stand it any longer, it stopped, and he heard his wand drop by his side, and then disappearing footsteps down the hall.

Harry struggled to keep his eyes open, but eventually, darkness consumed him.

He woke up in a white-paneled room on white sheets, and moaned at his aching muscles. He knew where he was, although his eyes were closed again. He felt as if he was dead, but the pain was too great.

I'm dead...he thought. I'm dead...oh, god, some one come wake me up. Come on, Hermione. I need you. You promised to be here. Shit, Hermione, be here. Bring me back to life...Bring me to life...