Author's note.

Thanks for your lovely comments so far - more reviews please.

Chapter 13- Out of Body Experience

Tonks brought Hermione into the kitchen, sat her down gently before kneeling before her to speak.

"Hermione," the younger witch met her eyes, "we need to find out what happened to Draco, Severus would like to look into your memories if you will allow him?"

Hermione stiffened looking towards he old potions professor and paling, she shook her head.

"I'm sorry Severus," Tonks turned sombrely to the dark haired man but Snape seemed unwilling to give up so easily- if there was any chance of finding Draco alive he had to pursue it.

"Let me try?" he asked quietly kneeling before Hermione so he could look clearly into her face. Snape spoke to Hermione with a gentleness and patients few had ever witnessed.

"Miss Granger," he began formally before realising that using her formal title might not be the right approach, "Hermione," he corrected himself, "you would want to help a person in trouble, in danger-if you could." He told her, it was an assertion not a question and she nodded quietly showing at least some lucidity. "You would even help Draco." At the mention of the blond wizard's name she paled still further. Everyone watched with baited breath, worried the mention of that name might send her over the edge again.

"He's gone, Professor," she told Snape beginning the first coherent conversation she had had in days, "he's dead, I killed him." She concluded closing her eyes to hold back the well of tears that gathered there.

Taking a deep breath himself, struggling it seemed to hold back his own emotions, Snape asked one more question:

"Can you be sure, entirely sure that is the case?"

Something sparked for a moment in Hermione, hope. She slowing shook her head.

"May I see?" Snape asked for her consent one more time.

Hermione gave a barely perceptible nod of agreement.

Hermione sucked in her breath as she felt Snape touch her mind. Slipping through her memories she watched her encounters with Draco slip by as if it was some out of body experience. She watched herself examine his face that first day he arrived in Grimmauld Place, the first time she had realised how handsome he was.; Sitting with him in the garden on the Lutyen's bench, the smell of lily and jasmine heavy in the air, that searing kiss and the feel of his weight against her body, lying on his bed listening to the steady beat of his heart as he slept peaceful. Finally they reached that day;

"You," she saw her accusation replayed, "cost Ron his life."

"How…what?" she could see the confusion as Draco spluttered.

"He knew!" she saw herself scream at him, "Ron knew." Then Draco's body flew through the air and there was a sickening thump as he landed.

"Draco," Hermione sobbed, "I'm sorry."

Snape withdrew from her mind but said nothing.

Had Tonks not known better she would have sworn there was a moment when she saw something glisten in Snape's eyes but perhaps it was just a trick of the light.

"Anything Severus," Remus asked his former colleague quietly.

Snape shook his head, "Only that we can't know that Draco is dead."

It was little hope but, Merlin knew in those dark times, any hope at all was a boon.

Hermione had not thought she would sleep, for nights now she had only had fleeting moments of rest always punctuated by nightmare. She stared at the peeling paint on the ceiling above her bed and wondered why Snape had said nothing. He must have known what those memories meant. He must have seen her guilt at Ron's death and her despair over what had happened to Draco. Snape must have seen that Draco's loss had made her painfully acknowledge that she was in love with her former enemy. She had barely allowed herself to think of Snape's words; could she be sure? No she couldn't she told herself why had she not checked? She wanted to hope, some part of her felt he was not gone but she was afraid to acknowledge it.

Despite the agitation and turmoil she felt somehow Hermione drifted into sleep.

In her dream, in her subconscious mind Hermione saw Draco; he was standing in the drawing room of Grimmauld Place, looking out on the world just like she had seen him do so many times. The window behind him gave him an aura of light. He was beautiful more angel than ghost.

He turned, his shirt open at the front, toned porcelain covered muscle were bisected by a pale scar visible only on his left pectoral. Suddenly she was across the room her small fingers tracing the line of that scar. Gently brushing across his chest, she felt his head dip and then his mouth caress her throat. "Draco," she moaned with desire. Then she felt she was naked before him, his left hand caressed her side gently brushing the edge of her breast, he pulled her closer, she writhed against the heat of him, moaning his name with need. Soft angel wings enfolded her in a lovers embrace and she looked into his liquid silver eyes. "I love you, Draco," she told him, "come back to me," she begged.

Draco's angel began to weep, large silver tears turning to red. Blood flowed down his cheeks and the wings that had encased her so softly grew rough, coarse and blackened to the pitch of hell. Draco's eyes turned red, his beautiful face distorted, his nostrils mere slits. His forked tongue flicking out at her as he hissed;

"You're mine now mud-blood."

Hermione woke up as Harry cradled her in his arms,

"It's okay," he told her, "it was just a nightmare."

Hermione shook her head trying to shake off the visions of the nightmare but those red eyes were burning into her consciousness and she despaired of the living nightmare that her life had become.

"Perhaps you need a little break Hermione; a change of scene," Harry suggested, "Shell Cottage would have been ideal, but not possible now, perhaps somewhere else where you can have a little fresh air, where you are not cooped up between 4 walls."

Where the memories are not so close and so bitter. Hermione silently added for him.

"Perhaps that would be a good idea," she agreed wearily. In truth she didn't care, the nightmares would go with her, but at least she could ease Harry's burden make him feel he was doing something to help.

Author's note:

Okay so I did say this was a slow burn but things are about to heat up a little. Hope it was clear that Hermione was dreaming being with Draco.

Hope you are enjoying this so far- REVIEWS greatly appreciated.