DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters used hereafter.
CHAPTER 10: DREAMS (edited)Hermione writhed in pain. Every inch of her body felt like it was on fire. She blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. Suddenly the pain stopped leaving a dull aching feeling all over her body. Above her she could see the ceiling of the girls dorm, but it didn't seem real to her. As though it was just a ghostly vision.
Pushing herself up, she peered into the darkness surrounding her. Standing in the centre of the circular room was a cloaked figure. It looked like a tall, thin man with his back to her. His black cloak covered his whole body including his head and it seemed to blow around him as if in a strong wind. He turned slightly and she gasped, his pale white face was now partially highlighted in the yellow moonlight. He seemed only vaguely aware of her presence as she watched him. As she opened her mouth to speak, he seemed to become aware of her presence in the room, his focusing on her and widening. Turning to face her fully, his skull like face was now clearly visible to her. Opening his mouth wide he began to scream.. It was the most horrifying scream Hermione had ever heard. Squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her hands to her ears, Hermione tried to drown out the horrendous sound. Feeling suddenly dizzy, Hermione felt herself falling backwards onto her bed. She lay there for a while the world apparently still rocking, afraid to move, before she felt someone pulling her hands from her ears.
"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" shouted a panicked voice.
"NO! GO AWAY! STOP SCREAMING AT ME! STOP IT!" yelled Hermione before a sharp slap across the face made her stop and her eyes snap open.
Lily was standing over her, her face full of fear. "Hermione! Are you okay? You were writhing around and then you started screaming! I tried to wake you but I… I couldn't… I didn't know what to do! I'm sorry," she shouted hysterically.
Hermione shook her head and pushed herself up. What had that been? Was it a dream? A vision? Her imagination? Whatever it was, she needed to talk to Dumbledore. She hadn't had a fit of any kind in a few days, but this one was different to the others. She had actually seen something.
"Hermione?" whispered Lily apprehensively drawing Hermione's attention back to the present.
Hermione looked up at her still slightly dazed and forced her eyes to focus.
"I'm sorry Lil. It was just a bad dream. That's all." She muttered.
"Are you sure Hermione? It didn't seem like just a dream and you looked like you were in pain. Was it another fit?" asked Lily clearly distraught.
"No Lily, I'm okay. Please go back to bed now." Murmured Hermione wanting to be left alone.
"Okay Hermione but I think you should go to see Madam Pomfrey in the morning." Sighed Lily.
"I'M OKAY LILY! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" yelled Hermione angrily.
Lily opened her mouth to say something but instead took a step backwards before turning and moving back to her own bed, drawing the curtains behind her. Hermione stayed staring at the closed curtains around Lily's bed for a moment, already regretting her outburst before rolling over and falling back into and uneasy sleep.
Not too far away, Remus jerked awake drowned in sweat. It had just been a dream. Just a dream he reassured himself, still shaking slightly. Pushing back the covers he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Looking across the room in the direction of Peter's bed he could see no sign of movement. If it was only a dream why had it seemed so real? That dagger, the image was still clear in his mind. Shaking himself for being so stupid he turned back to his bed.
Suddenly a hand came down on his shoulder and he wheeled around ready to face his attacker but instead came face to face with James.
"James" he breathed. "You scared me."
"Sorry mate, I was just wondering what you were doing up." Whispered James.
"No reason. Just felt like a little walk around" replied Remus.
"A little walk around? How far did you go? The ten feet between here and the door?. Goodnight anyway Remus." Said James turning to go back to bed.
Remus climbed back under the covers and soon fell asleep himself, but the memory of his dream was still stuck in his mind. It had been so vivid.
The next morning when Hermione awoke she went straight to Lily's bed to apologise for her outburst, but she wasn't there. Where could she be? Hermione dressed quickly; glad it was the weekend because it meant she could talk to Lily properly.
Down in the common room she spotted Lily huddled in the corner with the Marauders. They were all whispering about something and as Hermione approached they stopped abruptly and looked up at her, innocent looks on all of their faces. It was obvious they had been talking about her. Lily was probably telling them everything that had happened. Hermione didn't blame her. It must look like pretty strange behaviour to someone who didn't know the whole truth. Sighing to herself Hermione sat down beside the others.
"Morning." She said.
None of them said anything and they all just looked at her for a moment before Remus replied "Good morning Hermione."
Hermione noticed that he looked drained. The same way she felt. She pulled her eyes away from his tired face to look at Lily.
"Lils, I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean it. It was another fit. Kind of. It just scared me and I took it out on you."
Lily smiled, "It's okay Hermione. I understand. You know you can tell me anything. I just want you to be all right. We don't even know what this is, you really should go to see Madam Pomfrey or at least Dumbledore."
"You're right. I will later, I promise." Replied Hermione.
"Good." Said Lily a bit too cheerily, "Now what should we do today?" she asked turning back to the boys.
"We could start with breakfast." Murmured a sleepy looking Sirius.
"Breakfast it is. We can't let sleeping beauty go hungry now can we?" teased James.
They all stood and went through the portrait hole. It wasn't until they were down in the entrance hall that Hermione noticed that Remus wasn't amongst them.
Quickly excusing herself she rushed back up to the common room to find him still sitting in front of the fireplace.
"Remus? Aren't you coming to breakfast?" she asked cautiously.
He looked up at her his eyes full of pain.
"Remus! What's the matter?" asked Hermione sitting down beside him and putting her arm around him.
"It's nothing." He muttered.
"Come on now. It can't be nothing." Said Hermione softly, "Please tell me."
"Well alright, but you'll think I'm stupid." laughed Remus.
"No I won't! Now please just tell me." persisted Hermione.
"I had a bad dream last night. It was about Peter. It was night time. We were all in bed asleep and I woke up. I heard someone crying so I got up to see who it was. It was Peter. He was lying in bed crying. I asked him what was wrong and he snapped at me and pulled a dagger out from under his pillow. He stabbed me. Twice. I tried to call out to the others but I couldn't and then I woke up. It's stupid isn't it?"
Hermione who had been staring open mouthed at him the whole time pulled him into a bear hug. "Oh Remus. I'm sorry it was only a dream it's not stupid at all. You shouldn't be upset about it."
Even though she said this she knew it wasn't true. This was definitely something to worry about.. She knew that sometimes dreams were premonitions and she also knew how Peter would eventually turn out. It was too much of a coincidence to be true and perhaps her coming back in time had changed things slightly? Perhaps Peter had already turned?.
"I guess you're right. I just… I just can't get the look in his eyes out of my head. It wasn't the Peter I know. I'm sorry for worrying you. Should we go down to breakfast now?" Remus muttered.
"Only if you're up to it." Said Hermione softly.
"Not really actually. Sorry." He replied looking up into her eyes.
"That's ok. Don't be sorry. I'm just going to run upstairs and grab a few books so I can finish my homework. Maybe you should too, to get your mind off things." Hermione said.
Remus smiled, that was one of the things he liked about Hermione so much, she was someone he could talk to easily and she always seemed to know just what to say to make him feel better.
Hermione smiled back and stood to leave but before she reached the stairs up to the girls' dorm she felt a hand grab her hand and pull her back, turning her around. She was now face to face with Remus.
"Thank you." He whispered before planting a soft kiss on her lips.
A/N: A thousand million apologies to you all. I'm really sorry I haven't updated in ages. I've just started a new job and I'm working crazy hours. It's madness. Anyways, here's the next chapter, please R & R. Thank you!
Fk306 animelover: thank you for your review! As you can see he's alright. Yay!
pyro the dark angel: I know, I know. I couldn't resist. Sorry. Thanks for the review!
runaway mental patient: my sentiments exactly. Thanks for the review!
Kidden: thanks for the review! You have another 6 chapters to go to catch up! Keep reading and reviewing please!
Remmy's Gurl: damn you're good! Stop knowing what's gonna happen before I do! It's not fair! Hehe. Cursors have a bad habit of misbehaving don't they? I feel the same way sometimes. Thanks fot the review! Hope you like this chapter too!
singingbookfreak: hehe, he's not dead so you can like that part now ;) thanks for the review!
PaulC: no where near the climax. I think. Hehe. You'll have to tell me what you meant by the characters being to good. Glad you liked it thanks for the review!
need-courage-to-write: finally someone who doesn't want to break my legs because I left it hanging! Thanks siney!
ilovefireyredheads: he aint dead yet! Thanks for the review!