Chapter 10

A Dream or Reality

A/N- Before I start I want to say thanks for all the reviews. I also want to clear up some confusion that might come from this chapter. What happened in last chapter was real, NOT a dream.

"Harry, you have to go to class," Dumbledore said waking Harry up. Harry slowly got up, dreading going to class without Hermione. On his way he met Eliza walking through the hallways to her first class.

"Did you hear what happened?" Harry asked her.

"Yeah, theirs talk all over school."

"It was pretty bad."

"Did you ever decide whether or not to tell her?"

"Hold on." He said pulling her into an empty classroom.

"So, did you?"

"Yeah, I did. It was after she got hit though." He answered.

"Could she hear you?"

"Yeah, she was alive and alert. I could just tell.

"There's only one bad thing, Voldemort knows. One of the death eaters heard me telling her."

"That's not good."

"They're not going to let her; I'm going to make sure of it!"

A few days later (in the hospital wing)

Ginny and Eliza sat on the bed next to Hermione's wishing she would wake up. Harry had to go and tell everyone he canceled the DA meeting, or else he would have been there with her. Hermione slowly started moving. She then opened her eyes, slightly. She was very weak; you could tell just by the way she looked. You could still see some of the large incisions that had been made into her that night.

"Hermione, you're awake!" Ginny said excitedly.

"Thank god nothing bad happened." Eliza said happily.

"You guys, I had the craziest dream" Hermione said.

"Hermione, it wasn't a dream, you've been knocked out for days" replied Ginny, trying to clear things up.

"No, I remember the attack. This was about Harry." Hearing this Eliza quickly pulled her full attention over to Hermione. Ginny looked over at Eliza, not trusting her. Hermione noticed this and gave her one of her 'don't worry looks'.

"He said that he loved me and that he wasn't going to let anything happen to me. It was really freaky. You can't even imagine how real it felt. Then a stupid death eater had to come and interrupted the whole thing."

Eliza felt a sudden urge to leave after hearing Hermione say she thought it was a dream. She needed to go talk to Harry, now before he went and made a total and complete fool of himself.

"I'll be right back you guys. I'm really glad you're awake Hermione," Eliza said walking out the door to go find Harry. She ran all over Hogwarts but still couldn't find him.

"Hey Kristi, have you seen Harry?"

"Yeah, he just went down to the hospital wing to check on Hermione. Is she awake?"

"Yeah, I have to go." Eliza said running back to the hospital wing.

Back At the Hospital Wing

Harry walked into the hospital wing. Ginny and Hermione just sat there, talking about the events.

"Hey honey, glad to see you're awake." Harry said to Hermione, walking over to her about ready to give her a kiss. He acknowledged the weird expressions on both Hermione's and Ginny's faces and got very confused.

"Please tell me that you still remember when I told you that I —"

"HARRY" Eliza screamed running into the hospital wing. "Can I talk to you outside" she said gasping for breath.

"Eliza, this isn't really the time. I have to tell Hermione that I-"

Eliza stepped on his foot getting him to shut up. "Okay, fine if you have to" Harry said. They both stepped outside the hospital wing to talk in private.

"She thought it was a dream!"

"What?" Harry asked confused.

"When you told her you loved her, she thought it was a dream," Eliza told him.

'A dream, maybe she does like him then' Eliza thought.

"So I just made a total fool out of myself?"

"Um…kinda… Now the real question is are you going to tell her again?"

"Yeah, I have to; I'm in love with her. I just have to come up with the perfect plan. I just wish she knew what I thought."

"Everything will be alright I swear.

While Harry and Eliza were conversing, Ginny and Hermione sat there very confused.

"Do you think it was real?"

"No, it's just a dream, he doesn't care about me."

"But he called you honey. And maybe he was going to say that he told you that he loved you. It all adds up Hermione. You have to admit it"

"No, it doesn't. These things can all just be coincidences, we don't know anything."

"But he says he has a crush on his best friend, you're his best friend."

"For all we know he could have been talking about Eliza. I'm not his only best friend, you know. I just wish he knew that I have fallen in lo—"

She was interrupted by the opening of the door. Harry and Eliza walked back in.

"Now what were you saying before?" Ginny asked, suspicious.

Harry blushed and tried to come up with something to say. "Oh yeah, I said that I wasn't going to let anything happen to you" He said. Once again the hospital wing door opened.

"Glad to see you're awake," Ron said. "Harry, mate, can I talk to you outside?" Harry and Ron both walked outside of the hospital wing.

"What happened?"

"Seriously, I don't really know much. I found her like that."

"No, I meant what happened to you? You've changed so much."

"What"

"First you've been treating Hermione like she's queen…"

"Well she is my friend; I'm supposed to care about her." Harry snapped back.

"Whatever you say" Ron muttered under his breath. "And you've been treating Ginny like dirt. She told me everything. I don't know how you could ever treat a girl like that." Harry wanted to smack him right then and there.

Inside the room Hermione knew that Harry and Ron outside, alone was not a good idea. She could tell Harry was getting mad.

"Uh, guys, am I allowed to walk?"

"Yeah, I guess" Ginny said.

Hermione got up and slowly walked towards the door. She knew she had to get her friends back to being friends, or at least make sure they don't beat each other to a bloody pulp. Hermione made it to the door and overheard some of their conversation.

"Shut up Harry, we all know you fancy Hermione. That's why this whole fight started, you and Hermione."

"RON"

"All Harry Potter can think of is himself, selfish."

"Hermione is in there hurt and all you can do is fight."

Hermione grabbed onto the door handle and opened it. Each of them quickly quieted down.

"What are you guys fighting over now?" she asked.

"Uh…Ginny" Harry said quickly, not wanting her to know they were talking about her.

"What's there to fight about Ginny?" Hermione asked even though she knew this wasn't the same conversation she had walked in on.

"You see Ginny kissed me the other day," Harry said.

"And Harry threw her away like a pile of rubbish." Ron said thinking he knew it all.

"Yes, she told me about that. She said that she was a little bit upset but that she accepted the fact you didn't like her in that way. Ron you are making a big deal out of nothing. Harry can you please go back inside, I want to talk to Ron alone." Harry followed his friend's wishes and went back into the room.

"Bloody hell, I'm glad you got rid of that bastard, he wouldn't shut up."

Slap

"I want to know what the hell is going on with you." Hermione asked.

"Nothing, it's him that is acting so stupid. He's changing into Malfoy."

Hermione lifted up her hand to smack Ron across the face again but lowered it when he flinched,

"Harry is not changing!"

"Well he's definitely acting selfish"

"Yeah, right. I have never seen Harry selfish in my life. Since you're acting so stupid, I don't want you talking to him again, unless I'm there." Hermione slowly walked back to the hospital wing. When Harry saw her walking in he ran over to help her. He wished he could have just picked her up and carried her over to the bed but he didn't want anyone to get suspicious.

"Well, I better get going. Dulude said he has to speak with me. I probably am getting in detention for calling him Richard (A/N- that's Professor Dulude's first name.) " Eliza said.

"Yeah, I better get going too," Ginny said leaving Harry and Hermione.

"Harry, why don't you come sit over here" Hermione said patting on the bed. He walked over and sat on the foot of her bed.

"So, Hermione, do you remember anything that happened that night?" Harry asked her.

"Yeah, most of it, until I blacked out. Then I could only hear voices, I couldn't see anything."

"What spell did she use on you?"

"She didn't. She used the old muggle ways, she stabbed me."

"Are you serious? Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, Harry I'm fine don't worry. Did you get hurt?"

"No, not really. I tried to hurt her but she apparted to quickly.

Dumbledore then walked into the room, staring at the two of them. Harry got up ready to leave so Dumbledore could give one of his famous speeches to Hermione.

"No, Harry, you can stay, this involves you to. Dumbledore said. "But first I want to know what happened that night."

Harry and Hermione explained everything that happened that night in great detail, except for the dream part. After, of course Dumbledore was ready for his speech.

"Well, I'm going to give you two a word of advice, watch your back a lot this year, I know this isn't the last attack." Dumbledore said. "Oh yes, and I also have some news for you Hermione"

"What?"

"I found out whose pensive that was."

A/N- Cliffy, lol. Well I don't have much to say about this chapter. Sorry about leading you guys on with Harry's confession, but it's too early for anything to happen. But trust me something will (wink). Well please review.

Kelly