A/N: Ok, first off, I would like to say to WolfKyr, I just DARE you to go to the forest, alone, at night, in the middle of winter when the animals there are starving and haven't eaten in days, and see if you get attacked by a pack of wolves. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE wolves, but you know, saying there is only one case where a person is eaten—not killed, is ludicrous. First of all...if you're eaten, please explain to me how you cannot be killed? And another, if you want to gripe about not knowing about wolves, I would suggest knowing about it yourself first. Because there are WAY more than one case where wolves have eaten people. And therefore killing them.

And yes, wolves do tend to steer clear of humans, but not when their alone, defenseless, and hungry. So blah! And anyway, it's Hogwarts. Anything can happen at Hogwarts.

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Waking up in the hospital wing was getting quiet annoying, and the moment the white ceiling came into Hermione's view, she scowled. Why was she here again? Oh yes, forbidden forest...wolves...She shuddered as she remembered. It was getting quiet old...she didn't want

to be in here again. She was tired of seeing Madame Pomfrey all the time. She took a deep breath, then sat up tentivaly sat up, wincing as a shot of pain went through her shoulder.

"Now what do you think your doing up!?!"

Hermione's head turned to the scolding voice, despair in her eyes. "I'm fine now, aren't I? I'm leaving."

"You are NOT fine! Now lay back down before I have to force you down."

"I don't want to." She said stubbornly, glaring at the plump nurse.

Madame Pomfrey's eyes glittered dangerously, and Hermione instantly knew that she shouldn't have argued.

"U-um..."

"You, how dare you say that! You went stupidly into the Forbidden Forest, made your friends worry about you, had a teacher injure himself saving you, then got yourself carried all the way back to the school by said injured teacher, and you don't even want to take care of yourself!!! That is just...Lay down right now."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "S...save me? Who?"

"Lay. Down."

She complied, whimpering as the movement jolted her shoulder. "W...who was it...?"

"Professor Snape." Madame Pomfrey huffed.

"Why him!?!?" She yelled out, but hearing her words instantly slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Would you have rather have him not done anything!? You are a very ungrateful person, Ms Granger, and I am getting tired of seeing you in here."

"S-sorry..."

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By the time she got out of the hospital wing, it was once again night, leaving her wondering just how long she had been unconscious. Her wound did not hurt all that much, just an occasional jolt of pain every now and then, so she figured at least two days. On her way back to her common room, she made her decision and turned around, walking the other way.

The dungeons were cold, but it was almost a comfortable cold, chilling her just enough that she couldn't feel her body, and she liked the feeling of walking without really feeling like she was there. She was actually very disappointed when she finally reached Snape's office, having successfully avoided him since that night on the tower. For almost two weeks, she would go the other way in hallways, not look in his eyes in classes, and stare at his cloak for hours, wondering on his odd behavior that night. She knocked softly on the door, then more firmly when she heard no answer. She frowned. Was he on patrol duty tonight? She stood there for a few minutes, then was rewarded by a scurrying sound behind the door. She blinked, and knocked again.

It was answered this time, Snape standing there with a prominent frown on his face, wrapped in a long, black, robe. Upon seeing her he startled a bit, probably wondering why a student would be up late to see him, of all people, but he quickly got his composure back.

"What do you need, Ms Granger." He asked coldly, his mask slipping into place.

"Um...do you mind if I come in? If any other teachers come..."

He nodded, stepping aside so that she could walk in. She had been in Snape's office many times before, and each time it had repulsed her to no end. But now, for some reason, the disgusting looking artifacts all over the walls and shelves didn't look half as bad. She shook her head, sitting down on one of the hard wooden chairs that were in front of his desk. He took his seat behind the desk looking at her expectantly, telling her to hurry up and get the hell out of his office with his eyes.

"I...wanted to thank you. Madame Pomfrey said that you were the one who helped me...that night. I'm sorry you got hurt."

"It was simply because I was the closest teacher in the perimeter of Ms Weasley when she ran panicking through the halls crying that you were going to die. Do not read to closely into it."

Hermione felt a blush of rage creeping onto her cheeks, and she glared at Snape so that he wouldn't mistake it as embarrassment. "Well, excuse me for saying thank you, then!" She huffed, standing up quickly and making her way to the door. Her hand faltered though as it reached for the handle. "Um...Professor? I...was just wondering...what day is it?"

"Wednesday."

"T-thank you." She muttered as she turned the golden knob, her feet seeming hesitant to stray from the office.

"Do you enjoy standing in my doorway, Ms Granger?"

"Ah! Um..no...I'll...Good night, Professor." She stumbled, walking out quickly and shutting the door behind her.

"Your welcome...Ms Granger." Snape said to the empty classroom, speaking the words that he had refused to speak to her in person. But Hermione, who had leaned against the door as she closed it, heard the words through the door. She let a small smile cross her face, then said back to him, knowing the words would carry through as his had.

"You see, that wasn't that hard. If you give people straight answers, I'm sure you would get more

interesting conversations."

With that she walked away, eyes on the ground, tracing the lines that graced the stone floors of Hogwarts.

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Dark, cold, filthy, what was this place? Hermione sat up, rubbing her eyes as she looked around, only black meeting her gaze. She stood up, trying to figure out where she was, but when she did, she screamed.

She was covered in blood, drenched all the way down. She brought her hands up to her face, looking at them. What was this...how did this happen...Her breathing quickened, and she looked around again, frightened. She turned in a full circle, and when she came back around, the area ahead of her was bathed in light. She walked forward to it, only to once again have a scream

ripped from her body.

Their bodies, lying, bleeding, on the ground. Their faces, contorted in pain and fear. Her mother...her father...lying there, tears of blood staining their faces. They were whispering her name, asking why she did this to them. If she wasn't a witch this wouldn't have happened. It was her fault. They were a happy family until she left. She left them, and then she lured evil to their house. It wouldn't have happened, it was her fault.

She was crying now, nodding, agreeing with them. It was true, if she hadn't, if she hadn't...

"No."

She looked up, amazed, and the bodies were no longer lying on the ground. She was no longer drenched in blood. "Mother...father..."

"They are not here."

"Why? Where did they go?"

"They were never here. Stop dwelling in the past."

"Who are you?"

"You don't need to know."

"But...I want to...."

Silence. "Where did you go?" Still silence. "Please...don't leave me here all alone...I'm scared...I

don't want to be alone anymore..."

"You were never alone."

"Your back!"

"I never left."

"But...you didn't say anything."

"I was here."

"Who are you?"

Silence.

"Wait...I'll stop asking...just...talk to me?"

"Be strong, Hermione. Don't give into the demons inside of you."

"Inside of me? How? Who put them there?"

"You did."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"How did I do that?"

"You doubted."

"But...everyone does...."

"No...but you doubted their love for you...and you put yourself down. You made yourself weak. The perfect soul for inner demons."

"How...do I make them go away?"

"Be strong."

"I don't know how to!"

"Be strong."

"Please, tell me how!"

"Be strong."

Tears of frustration started gliding down her cheeks, and the blackness was slowly covering in on her again.

"NO!"

It stopped, light radiated from her, causing it the entire place to be filled by a radiated light, warm,

comforting.

"Be strong!" It yelled, and her head swiveled to find the voice, now that it was light. But it didn't work

out the way she wanted it to. Where the voice was coming from, the voice of her savior...it was the only place still enshrouded in darkness.

"You...made the darkness leave everything but yourself..."

"Darkness could never leave me."

"Y-your being a hypocrite..."

"Am I? I never said to get rid of the darkness inside of you...I said not to give into it."

"But..."

"Let the stars guide you."

==============

Hermione gasped, sitting up in bed, sweat trickling down her face, the dream voice's words ringing in her head.

Let the stars guide you...Let the stars guide you...

She slipped out of her bed, feet sinking into the plush red carpet. She grabbed the cloak that was on the wall, slipping it over her shoulders. Let the stars guide you...

She was walking, she didn't know where, and she didn't know why. Her body had just started moving on its own. Stone, corridor, hallway, stairs, winding, door, stairs, door, tower....tower? She blinked, looking up into the dark heavens. She was on the astronomy tower.

The stars...let the stars...

"I thought I told you I would not tolerate you being here again, Ms Granger."

She spun around, eyes wide. "P—professor! I-I-I was

just..."

"A month of detention, Ms Granger, for not listening to me, and 50 points for being out after curfew.

"B-bu-"

"Go back to bed, before I make it worse." Snape snapped, turning to look at her. "Or do I..." He stopped talking, staring at her. At first, she was uncomfortable, wondering why he was looking at her, why he had stopped talking. What was wrong? She blushed under his intense gaze, looking away from him.

"Ms Granger....just what are you wearing?" He asked, his voice sounding slightly strained.

"Huh?"

"Your robes...those are..."

Hermione blinked, looking down at her cloak, wondering what was so special about them, but when she saw them, her eyes widened. She was wearing his cloak, the one that he had put over her that night, for whatever reason had run through that head of his. Her face was

overcome with red, and scrunching closed her eyes, she turned to run, practically diving for the door, but she was stopped in her tracks by a cold hand wrapping itself around her wrist.

"Why are you wearing that?"

At first she struggled, trying to break his grip, but when she was unable to, she let her knees go, slumping onto the ground. "I-I don't know...I don't even know why I'm here...I....I never meant to...I just....the stars..."

"The stars?"

"I let them guide me..."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"C-can I go?"

"Not until you answer me."

"No! Let!" She jerked, "Go!" again, she tried to get away, "Of" Now she was getting desperate, and tears started to roll down her face, fear clenching her

stomach, "ME!!!" At the last yell, she gave one last desperate pull and

then went still, body shaking and sniffling continuously. She felt more than saw Snape sit down

beside her.

"Ms Granger...why are you so afraid?" He asked, his voice sounding almost...compassionate...

She didn't answer, just sitting there.

"....Hermione. Answer me."

She gasped. "Did you just..."

"Tell me why your so afraid, Hermione." He repeated, seeing that using her name was seeming to be working.

"I....I don't know!" She sobbed, turning around and burying herself in his chest, everything she had kept inside of her so long finally bubbling to the surface. "I don't know!! I don't know!!! I didn't want any of it to happen! I didn't want any of this to happen to me! I want them back! I want to go home at Christmas! I want to see them again, smiling at me as they say goodbye! I want to feel their arms around me again! I want to eat dinner with them again! I want to hear their voices! I want to---I want to---"

She broke off, just crying. It was the first time since the day that she figured out that they died that

she cried for them. It was the first time that she admitted any of the things.

Snape, eyes wide, tentively wrapped his arms around her, patting her back awkwardly, trying to calm her.

"M-Ms Granger..."

"I want them back! I want my parents back!"

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Let the stars guide you, for they will bring you to what you need most. Let the stars guide you, because they are the ones that will lead you to what it is that you need the most. Let the stars guide you, because they know everything. They can see into your soul, into your heart, the know the secrets that you keep deep inside. They know what it is you need to heal. They know what it is that will make you feel whole again.

Let the stars guide you.

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A/N: Wahooo! ::google dance:: So? Good? Bad?

Review, please! ::happy happy face::

::jumpy jumpy jumpy:: Review Review!