A/N – Love the responses I got on the last chapter! Thank you everyone who has stuck with me through my random post times. I love you all! Now the new chapter!

The next day went much the same as the previous one. Hermione woke up from yet another nightmare and, as she was still staying in Severus's spare room, went to the girls dorm for another change of clothes, making a mental note along the way to grab another set before she went down to the dungeons later that evening.

She practiced that morning, dancing on her skates again. Again when she stopped Ro was standing there watching. They walked to breakfast together and Draco and Ginny sat with her. No one seemed to notice that the headmistress was staring at the young brunette with the strangest expression. Neither, did anyone notice that the flying instructor never took her eyes off her. Jealousy once again flashed through the hawk-like eyes as she watched Draco take Hermione's right hand in his left and begin to massage the tendons and muscles in them.

Lunch passed in the same respect. It was after classes when things started to go horribly wrong. She had spent hours trying to erase the disturbing images from last night from her mind. For some reason the dreams were tormenting her during the day now. Instead of going immediately to the Room of Requirement as she had for the last 2 days she instead ran for the bathroom. What little she had managed to eat during the course of the day, pitched itself from her stomach. It didn't take long before she had nothing left to pass and began to dry heave.

When her stomach finally stopped betraying her she sat back against the stall door and began to cry. Fumbling beneath her shirt for her new razor blade, she yanked the cap off and had just laid the steel, warm from the skin of her chest, against her arm, when a hand on hers stopped her. She looked up into the sad eyes of Ro, who was quickly becoming her best friend. The older witch gently pried the razor from the brunette's hand, then gently reached up and brushed the curly hair away from her face.

"When you didn't show for practice I got worried. I'm glad I got here when I did." She reached over and pulled a bit of toilet-paper from the roll and used it to gently wipe the corners of Hermione's mouth.

"Ro, I…"

"Don't. You don't have to explain. I understand enough that I know I don't need to pry. In time you will tell someone what happened." She conjured a tooth brush and toothpaste and handed them to the young woman with a sad smile. Hermione quickly opted to grab the offered items and ran for a sink to get the taste from her mouth. When she finished she turned to her friend.

"Let's go." Ro grabbed her hand and dragged her from the bathroom.

"Go where?"

"Practice of course. You need the stress relief and I need the practice. So let's go."

"Ok." Hermione hurried to follow and soon they were racing. "Last one there is a rotten egg." Hermione didn't know how Ro was able to turn her moods so quickly. All she did know was that the older woman made her laugh. She needed a bit more laughter in her life right now.

They made it to the door at the same time and collapsed against the inside of it laughing, leaning on each other for support as the slid to the floor. Ro was pleasantly surprised when Hermione leaned over and laid her head in the flying instructors lap. The older woman placed her fingers against the young woman's hair and sifted through the bushy locks. The two of them stayed like this for a long time before Hermione rolled onto her back and looked up at the hawk-eyed witch.

"Thank you." Was all she said.

"What for?" Ro responded.

"Making me laugh again. I believe that I can honestly tell you, that after only 3 days of spending any time with you at all, you are my best friend." Hermione whispered. She rolled and buried her face in her friend's stomach.

"I care about you, Hermione. I want to make you laugh. I can't say that I know how you feel. I have never been in your situation, but I can say that I will do whatever you need to help you feel better." Ro ran a gentle hand down Hermione's arm and back up to her shoulder and into her hair, combing through the tresses gently once again.

Hermione smiled. For the first time in more months than she could care to try and count, she felt content. In only a couple of days this woman had turned her world upside down and inside out from what she had been accustomed to. She snuggled deeper into her friend's warmth and felt herself drifting off.

She was back, chained to that floor in Malfoy Manor. The vaulted ceiling stared down at her, taunting her, daring her to try and get away. She could feel the burning in her arm that told her the vile word was still carved into the flesh. She was shaking uncontrollably. Fear held her body paralyzed in an icy grip. Her eyes darted from corner to corner in the room searching for any sign of Bellatrix.

She felt sick as the bottom dropped out of her stomach and she felt herself fall through the floor. She landed with a hard, sickening crunch as she looked around. There was nothing but blackness surrounding her as she slowly stood. Her legs felt like jelly and barely supported her weight. She took a step forward and fell into a pathetic heap tearing her already ratty clothing even more. She looked up towards the place she had fallen from. 5 small specks of light against the blackness was her only comfort here, one much bigger than the others, all pieces of hope against all the darkness that invaded her senses.

That light was blocked out. "Why would we ever want to be your friend?" a disembodied voice asked.

"You are too weird. Too smart. Unnatural."

"There was no real friendship."

"Too easy to fool."

Too easy to break."

Minerva and Ro's voices swirled around her, invading her mind and taking over her thoughts. She stood and-

"Hermione… Hermione…HERMIONE!" The voice calling her was insistent and called her back out of her recurring nightmare. The only thing that ever changed was the people tormenting her. This time though, she wasn't alone when she woke. Rolanda was still seated, allowing Hermione to use her leg as a pillow. "You were having a nightmare. Are you ok?"

Hermione shook her head and pushed herself away from Ro. Her body trembled as the older witch took notice of her absolute terror and watched as the brunette stood and RAN! The flying instructor had never realized just how fast the young woman could run until she tried to catch her.

Hermione for her part ran for her life, or what felt like it. Ro had been there, in her dream. The one woman she thought she could trust above all others had been there. Confusion took over and she ran harder. Adrenaline and fear were Hermione's only companions now. She had let someone in and gotten hurt. But no? It had only been a dream right? It had felt so real though, and so much of that night was a blur. What if Ro really had been there?

She was stopped suddenly by something that felt like a brick wall. Strong arms went around her and she was trapped. She struggled, fighting against the steal bands that held her immobile. Not finding any relief from the trap she stopped moving and very suddenly dropped, using a maneuver that she had used many times in past bouts on the court, she fell from the circle of her captors arms and rolled to the side. Standing quickly she realized who it was that had held her. Minerva stood in front of her staring at her in confusion and worry. "Hermione?" she stretched a hand towards the girl and once again she took off.

Hermione ran frantically trying to get away from everyone. Spying a small crevice in the wall she slipped in, hoping against hope that she would be safe there. She shrank down and covered her face, crying into her palms so hard that the approaching footsteps were muffled by her sobs. It wasn't until a distinct, hateful voice spoke that she realized there was someone in front of her.

"Oh look, Goyle. The poor little Mudblood. Why couldn't you have the decency to die in the war? No one wants you here." Blaise was standing in front of her. His vicious words cut through the fog of her self-pity. Standing she drew herself up as much as possible.

"Shut up Blaise. The war is over. Enough with the blood purity thing already." She snapped.

Wrong thing to say. Goyle slammed his fist into her stomach and she began to slide down the wall. An arm wrapped, very gently around her shoulders. A soft voice whispered in her ear that she was safe and other random comforting nonsense.

Draco helped his friend stand then shot stunning curses at both his former friends. He hit them both square in the chest. Then quickly cast a patronus and sent a message to the Headmistress. He informed her of what had happened and what he had done, and proceeded to take his friend down to the dungeons.

"Come on Hermione," he whispered into her hair as he kissed the bushy mane, "Uncle Sev can help."

They reached the dungeons and Severus took one look at Hermione, her dark eyes filled with tears, her face red and blotchy from crying, and her arm wrapped around her stomach where she had been hit, and immediately ran for his store room to gather ingredients for a dreamless sleep drought and a pain relief potion. He called for Ginny to assist him as he pulled two separate cauldrons and piled the ingredients in each.

Draco sat next to Hermione, with an arm around her shoulders, petting her hair. She quietly whimpered and leaned over so her head was resting on his chest. The blonde man held her tighter and let her cry. She started to drift off to sleep again when they heard a very loud yelp. Ginny had been working on the dreamless sleep, and had cut her finger while slicing one of the ingredients. Severus moved quickly and grasped her hand before anyone else could move. The two on the couch watched as he drew his handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it tightly around the wound. Ginny watched his face and both seemed to have forgotten that Hermione and Draco were even in the room as the potions master leaned down and kissed Ginny's cheek before whispering something in her ear. Draco gaped at them, his slack jawed expression making Hermione laugh loudly at the utter nonsense of everything that had happened that night.

"You know, if you don't close your mouth, people are going to start calling you frog-boy instead of the amazing bouncing ferret." Hermione giggled and Ginny let out a loud guffaw. Draco glared and tickled Hermione's ribs.

A soft knock sounded through the room and Draco got up to answer it. Standing on the other side was Rolanda. Soft whispering took place and the blonde stepped aside to let the flying instructor through.

"Mia," she began, "I don't know what happened to you, and I don't know where or when, but I wasn't there. Please, don't be afraid of me. I swear to you I wasn't there."

"How did you know what I dreamed?" Hermione demanded taking a step closer to Snape and Ginny on the other side of the room, farthest away from the instructor.

"Lucky guess. I know something horrible happened. It's only logical that your mind keeps flipping through people when you dream about it. Nightmares like that all follow the same pattern." Ro held her hand out to Hermione and waited.

"Draco?" Hermione whispered. Her question didn't need to be asked.

"No, she wasn't." came the immediate response from the blonde man.

Her first steps towards the older woman were hesitant. Then Ro held out both arms and Hermione sprinted to her. Strength and gentleness, power and kindness, hard muscle hidden behind soft curves enveloped her. One of the white haired woman's arms went around her waist, the other curled around and wrapped behind her neck and up to cradle her head in her hand. Ro's head came down and she buried her face in the brunette's hair.

Hermione's face was pressed into her friend's shoulder. Her arms were wrapped around the taller woman's waist. Her finger nails dug into her back. Desperately seeking purchase through the cloth, she held onto her as if her life depended on Ro being there, and for the first time, Hermione had the feeling that at that moment, it did.

A/N – Thank you for reading…NOW go review!