Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N – Sorry for the late update, but I haven't been in the writing mood ever since I learned about my sister's recent death.

HUGZ to future movie maker, infallallthingsaremadesplended, dmhg, xputteckx, Goddess of life and death, Megan, Emily L. Potter, ktdavey4life, hotaru420, xxCrossOutEyesxx, Melodiah, and xXxThe coldness of lovExXx


Recap - Hermione had changed. It was as if she lost the will to live. He knew something was wrong. He didn't feel any emotion from her. It was as if she were numb from all feeling, but Harry was wrong. Hermione felt loneliness.
Bring Me to Life

Chapter 3 – Soul

without a soul… - Evanescense, Bring Me to Life

Ron, Harry, Ginny, and the other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team had returned from an early morning practice. The team proceeded to the Great Hall for breakfast. Ron, of course, was leading the pack.

Hermione was sitting at her usual place at the Gryffindor table. By the looks of it, she hadn't eaten in weeks. She was extremely pale and thin. She had obviously lost a concerning amount of weight and the dark areas around her eyes indicated that she was losing sleep. Though it may seem obvious to the whole of Hogwarts that Hermione was in some sort of danger, the awakening truth had only revealed itself to Harry.

Harry sat down next to Hermione, still in his quidditch things, and studied her thoroughly.

Good Lord! She's a walking stick!

Hermione, feeling the presence of staring eyes looked up from her potions text to find Harry staring at her.

She pretended not to notice, even though it was point-blank obvious that he was staring.

Little did Hermione know, there was another pair of eyes staring at her: these eyes came from the Slytherin table.

Look at her. She hasn't a care in the world. I was wrong to ever think that she was anything like me. This loneliness, the pain, it's incomprehensible. There's no way she can feel this. She's a God-forsaken Gryffindor! A know-it-all that can't possibly know what the hell I'm feeling!

But Draco was wrong… oh so very wrong.


Breakfast was nearing its end and classes were about to be begin.

Double Potions was the first class of the day. Surprisingly, potions was actually Hermione's third favorite subject (arithmancy being her first an transfiguration second). There were only the minor problems of being detested by the two most influential people in the class, Malfoy and Snape.

But today's the first day of classes, maybe they won't be so bad this year…

Don't we all wish.


Harry had momentarily snapped out of his reverie because the morning bell had rung. He continued to watch Hermione, Malfoy did the same.

Why are they staring?

Hermione knew. She knew that they were staring at her. She knew that she was being watched like she was some kind of helpless and dirty troll, and she hated it. She hated herself.

WHY DON'T THEY JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?

Hermione instinctively moved slower so she would fall behind the rest of the class on their way to potions. She knew there was only going to be one seat left when she arrived. She knew she was going to be paired with Neville Longbottom.

Harry was worried. No, Harry was beyond worried. Hermione was usually the first to arrive in class and Harry knew that if she didn't arrive soon she'd be paired with Neville.

No offense to Neville of course... but he's bloody horrible at potions and he practically guarantees that anyone one who may be stuck being paired with him would most likely end up in the hospital wing during the first 10 minutes of class. The people were often on the borderline of life and death.

How Neville managed to pass his O.W.L.S no one would ever know.

Some believed that Neville had somehow made an Imperious potion instead of the simple sleeping draught he was told to make, thus making his proctor pass him with flying colors.

But nearly everyone also knew that was a lie. How could Neville possibly brew an Imperious potion and not a sleeping draught?

Some believed he copied Hermione Granger's exam, but she was on the other side of the Great Hall.

The rest believed his grandmother had was sent powdered dragon claw because she was just sick and tired of worrying about whether or not he'd be able to graduate.

How Neville managed to pass his OWLS, and with even flying colors no less, no one may ever know, but that's besides the point.

Need to get back on subject.

There were three seats left and if Hermione didn't come soon then she would be practically signing her own will.

Too late. Parvati and Lavander had arrived at the exactly same time, which meant...

Is being paired up with Neville worth it?

These thoughts ran through Hermione's Mind as she walked into the class behind Lavender and Parvati.

Too late now to turn back now.

Hermione stared at the spectacle that had unveiled itself to her.

There was only one seat left, but it wasn't next to Neville.

It was the seat behind him that was empty.

The seat next to Draco Malfoy.

Hermione inwardly groaned and mentally slapped herself.

Even she knew that nothing was ever definite and that she was wrong to think that it was a given that people would naturally stay clear of Neville, but surprisingly, the seat next to Neville was already taken, by Ginny Weasely.

Hermione was being stunned, and scared, and pleased at the same time.

She was stunned beyond words that anyone would pair his or herself with Neville.

Then she remembered. Ginny was considered to be the second smartest witch in the entire school (Hermione being first) and was therefore eligible for taking the NEWTS classes with the rest of the seventh years. In short, Ginny Weasley was bumped up a grade. She would be okay.

But still, people WANTED to be paired with Neville?

It confused her beyond words.

It confused her so much that she hadn't realized that she had continued to stare at the flock of people surrounding the peculiar sight, wanting to see why the hell anyone would pair with Neville I'm-a-walking-bloody-catastrophe Longbottom.

Maybe those rumors that he did take a maximum strength memory potion before the O.W.L.S was true...

Hermione had no time to think of this though, Snape had just walked in and class was about to begin.

Hermione brought her thoughts back on where on earth she could possibly sit now.

With desperate thoughts she willed herself to fall through some random and completely non-sensical black hole in the ground.

She closed her eyes and thought carefully…

C'mon black hole...

Nope.

Nothing.

NADA.

Hermione opened her eyes and quickly dismissed the remainder of her thoughts as she realized that she was the only person left standing.

She took her seat next to Malfoy and prayed silently.

Maybe this won't be too bad. I can make whole potions by myself.

But even this was too good to be true.

"Today we will be brewing the love potion Amor Semper. You will need the help of your partner in order to make it and at the end of class you will be testing the potion on yourselves."

The class looked on in horror and shock.

"The instructions-

Snape waved his wand

are on the board."

Forget about the bloody black hole! I'll jump out the window!

But even in a frantic state she knew that it was damned impossible to jump out of a window when she was in a dungeon.

As the class scrambled to get ingredients from the back of the room, Hermione stood up and made her way to the back of the room. She walked as if she was soul-less, all stiff and trance-like with a look of fear in her eyes.

Harry looked at herand at her fear stricken eyes.

Poor 'Mione.

She had signed herself a fate even worse than death.


A/N- This wasn't my usual style but I've been having writer's block and this was the only thing that came to mind.

another note

Amor Semper is Latin for Love Always