Disclaimer: I own nothing. All props to JK Rowling.

Chapter 11 – Bloody Dreams

Hermione was walking through a garden wearing a long, white, flowing gown covered in blood. She had a garland made of dead ivy and wilted daisies on her head. As she walked past the flowers in the garden, their blooms withered and the petals fell to the earth. It was truly a scene out of a nightmare. As she wondered around the garden, she came to a brook. The surface of the water was covered in a ghostly fog. Just to the left there was a tall black rock; it looked like hematite. Blood cascaded down the rock, almost like a waterfall. She approached the bank listening to the eerie sounds from the murky water. She looked to her right and saw him approaching. Her Prince. The man she knew the stars had destined her to be with. The man she loved. He walked up to her and wrenched her into his arms. His tight hold on her wrists was sure to leave bruises. He bent down and kissed her harshly. He smelled like burning flesh. She could barely breathe. She tried to pull away from his embrace.

"Hermione, you cannot fight destiny. Dance with me," he said in a raspy voice. Hermione was forced once again into his embrace and they began to dance to the screams coming from the garden. Hermione closed her eyes and wished that it would all end. The Prince began chanting a dark lyrical chant . Hermione was scared. She didn't know what was going on. She started to cry. Her Prince stopped chanting and looked at her.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked.

"I don't understand," Hermione cried.

"Don't understand what?"

A boat pulled up to the bank.

"Let's go, my Helen," he said as he took her hand and led her to the marred boat.

The boat took them across a lagoon with skeletons floating in the water. The boat arrived on land with a thudding lurch. Hermione got out of the boat as soon as it hit land, and a thestral emerged from the forest. Her Prince thrust her onto its back. Climbing on behind her, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, making it difficult for her to breathe. The thestral took them back past the lagoon, down a twisting path along the forbidding brook, and back into the dying garden. There were now Cornish pixies scattered about, lighting fire to all the dead flowers. The garden was now basked in a fierce glow.

"What's happening? Why is everything so-"

"-terrifying?" Her Prince finished for her.

"Yes."

Hermione felt something hit her cheek. She lifted her hand to her face to feel it. It was starting to rain. Tiny drops were falling from the trees above. Hermione winced as water trickled down her face. It burned. She tried to shield herself from the acid, but it was no use. As the rain fell faster and harder, pelting them, Hermione and her Prince took shelter under a small terrace in the garden.

"I.." Hermione started. She didn't know if this was something she could tell her Prince. She didn't even want to admit it to herself.

Her Prince stared at her, waiting for her to say it.

"I think I love them both," she said after a long wait.

He said nothing again.

"How can I love two men? That's not right!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Since when is love about being right?" he asked.

Hermione stared at her Prince.

"If I'm supposed to love them both, then which one am I destined to be with?"

"Me, Hermione! You're supposed to be with me!"

"I don't even know who you are!" Hermione shouted.

"I am your Prince! I am the phantom that haunts your dreams! I am the only one that can make everything in your world right. Do not renounce me." He stared into her eyes with an icy glare. "Come. Let's finish this nightmare."

Hermione clutched her pillow to her chest as tears streamed her face. She sat, sobbing as she thought about her dream.

Parvati Patil turned over in her bed across the room. Hermione knew she would wake her roommates up if she kept this up. As quietly as she could, she grabbed her blanket, a book, and her wand and headed downstairs. Crookshanks was happily following her.

She walked into the common room and nearly gasped in surprise. Harry was sitting in an arm chair by the fire doing homework.

"Harry?" she whispered.

Harry whipped his head around to see who was talking to him. He smiled as soon as he saw her.

"Hermione, hi!" he said. He noticed right away that she had been crying. "What's wrong?" he asked, standing up.

"It's just a bad dream," she said. "I'm fine."

"I'm your best friend, Hermione. You know you can tell me anything," Harry said as he gave her a reassuring hug.

Hermione appreciated the comfort. She leaned into Harry and inhaled his scent. As the air traveled through her lungs she felt a sense of security. She loved everything about Harry. He was the best friend that she could ever hope for.

"Is it about Ron?" Harry said suddenly.

"What?" Hermione said stupidly due to her abrupt shift in thought.

"Your dream, was it about Ron?"

"Yes. Well, no, not exactly."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I think it was about Ron, but it wasn't very clear." Hermione sighed. She had a lot of explaining to do. "I've been having this dream. It's about a boy who is my 'Prince.' And- this is going to sound so silly to you- but the dream is pretty much always the same. We dance in the rain, we kiss in a glittering garden, we ride on a unicorn through a romantic forest. It's just perfect. And he's amazing."

"And so this is bad?" Harry asked confused.

"No, those dreams are wonderful! But tonight, it was different. Everything was evil. My dress was covered in blood. All the flowers in the garden were either dead or on fire. There were skeletons floating in the lake of blood. And he kissed me like he wanted to hurt me."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"My Prince," Hermione answered. "And I told him that I didn't understand, and he told me that I can't fight destiny and that love isn't about being right and that I wasn't supposed to be with either of them, I'm supposed to be with him but I'm so confused because I thought I knew who my Prince was, but I guess I'm wrong-"

"I thought the Prince was Ron?"

"I thought so, too. For a while. But I don't think he is. But it can't him either because the Prince said I'm not meant to be with either of them." Hermione said going off on her own tangent.

"Wait, so who do you think the Prince is?" Harry asked.

Hermione ignored his question.

"Are you cheating on Ron?" Harry asked in a hushed voice.

"NO!"

"Then who is it, Hermione? Who are you talking about?" Harry said. Hermione knew nothing about Ron's feelings for her; he was too scared to tell her. But he had talked to Harry about it plenty of times. And Harry refused to let Hermione do this to Ron and to herself.

"Harry, please! Listen to me! I haven't done anything with him! But things from the dream keep happening and everything points to him."

"Point to who, Hermione?" Harry said getting frustrated. They were getting no where.

"Draco."

Harry let out a cough.

"What?" he asked.

"I know! I hate it too! When I realized that Draco was my Prince I freaked out! I cried and nearly ripped all my hair out. But I realized something. Something big."

"Which was what?"

"I realized that I love Ron. I don't care if Draco is my Prince. I don't care if he's perfect. I love Ron. I want to be with Ron." Hermione had tears in her eyes.

Harry couldn't stand to see her cry any more. He took her into his arms again comforting her.

After a while Hermione pulled away and wiped the tears off of her face. She sat on the couch and conjured up a cup of hot cocoa.

"Want one?" she asked Harry.

"Sure," Harry said smiling and sitting down next to her. They sat together drink cocoa and chatting.

(A/N: My awesome reviewers:

usagigreenleaf657 – Not ASAP, more like ASAIC (as soon as I could)

Dumdumditz23 – It is a Hr/D story! It's just a Hr/R, too! Hehe.

Elsa – I'm sorry the wait was so long. Please forgive me and keep reading!

Pioja – I wrote more! I wrote more! ï