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Lying in the darkness Hermione clutched the blankets in her hands and stared teary eyed up at the ceiling. All her life she had been the loner, the bookworm. Now at Hogwarts she had a few friends but she felt that they didn't understand her or want her around. It hurt to think that but she didn't know what else to think.

This is ridiculous She thought shaking her head as if she were trying to erase it from her mind.

She sighed deeply glancing up at the clock across the room and faintly made out 11:00 in the darkness. Dinner had already come and gone and she was just now realizing how hungry she was. I'm not hungry Hermione argued with herself fiercely.

Rolling over to her side she stared out the window but couldn't see the stars for the dark clouds that hung over them. Hermione didn't really even see the stars; all she saw was that deep, cold, silent darkness that had loomed over her for awhile now beckoning for her to come into it.

Frustrated with her dark racing thoughts Hermione pulled the sheets above her head, clenching her eyes shut and praying it was all a dream. Tears began to flow down her cheeks in little rivers of salt water.

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Snape sat back in his chair staring blankly at the book in his hands, his mind to occupied to read. His mind was on a particular student that had been acting oddly in the past few months. He knew that many of the girl's professors, his colleagues were quite worried about her well being and to be completely honest he too was a little worried.

The potion master's thoughts wandered back to a week ago in class.

He had just assigned potion groups and he had watched them silently from his desk as they came up to gather the needed ingredients. Granger had been paired with Longbottom who was currently up to the table. At their seats Granger sat staring at nothing in particular as if she were in a trance. She barely acknowledged her partners existence. Normally when the potions were completed Granger's was always perfect, but to his amazement she had flunked it. What surprised him even more was that she didn't even try to apologize or complain when he took points away.

Something was definitely wrong, but what was it? Snape leaned forward marking his place in the book before he set it down on the mahogany coffee table in front of him. Normally anything that had to do with one or the entire golden trio, he ignored for he believed them stupid. Oddly though something told him inside not to ignore the girl this holiday break.

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It was nearly 3A.M. when Hermione threw back her covers and swung her feet out of the bed. The early morning chill cased her thin body to shake. Slipping her feet into a pair of black bootie slippers she pulled herself out of bed and grabbed her robe, shrugging it on quickly before she left the room.

She no longer feared getting caught, didn't care. No one else would be up at this time of night, not even Filch and his beloved Mrs. Norris. The halls were quiet as she quickened her pace to a rapid walk, the only noise coming from her slippered feet and the soft snores coming from the paintings on the walls.

"Why did I have to be born this way?" She whispered to herself sadly thinking back to her younger years.

Hermione found herself suddenly standing in the astronomy tower having already climbed the stairs without realizing it. In a few hours she would get two letters one from her mom and one from her dad wishing her a Happy Christmas. Their fighting coming to the point that they ignored each other, this caused Hermione to shudder.

"Its my fault they fight all the time." She stated sadly to the air. "I don't want to deal with this anymore."

It was Christmas Eve; the cool night air stung her cheeks as she glanced out at Hogwarts grounds. In the distance she could see the smoke billowing from Hagrid's hut, knowing he would be quite warm there.

She could just go to the very edge of the tower and simply jump, end it all tonight. No one would notice.

Hermione took a deep breathe and stepped forward to lean against the rail, glancing down at the ground far below her. The ground was blanketed with soft white snow it gleamed in the moonlight.

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An odd sensation overwhelmed Severus as he sat at his desk grading papers. Something wasn't right but what. Quickly he got to his feet and strode out the door. His steps quickened as he reached the main hall but stopped glancing around looking for the disturbance

"Granger, where is she?" He thought. "Where would a depressed girl go?"

His heart stopped when it came to him. When he had been a student at Hogwarts and been depressed he had gone one place when he felt so lost and alone that he wanted to end it all.

Snape turned on his heels quickly black robes billowing behind him as his steps quickened.

He practically raced up the spiral stairwell hoping that the girl would be there. When he reached the door he thrust it open and stepped out into the cold air.

There standing silently, grasping onto the railing leaning forward precariously was Hermione Granger.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing you foolish girl?" He asked snidely stepping forward.

Hermione twisted her head around and glared at her professor. "Don't take another step." She hissed.

"Miss Granger you don't want to do this." Snape said in his cool voice.

She glared at him again taking a slim hand off the rail, teetering in the wind. Snape took a step forward.

Without another word Hermione let go with the other hand. She leaned forward and fell into the wind. Snape ran forward wand in hand. She was falling fast and would hit the ground soon.

"Wingardium leviosa…"

Sorry for a short chapter. I'm having a bad writer's block. I hope you liked. R&R!