Wow, been a long time. Dunno how much this chapter is worth the wait, but I hope you enjoy it. I'm still a slow writer, so don't expect another chapter anytime soon. Thank you guys for being so patient and encouraging, I really appreciate it.
...
Chapter Eight
God, how she had missed the library.
Hermione sat alone at a table, the wooden surface almost completely covered with books. It was late, Madam Pince was walking through the aisles, putting books away and extinguishing lanterns slower than usual. She was a strict librarian, yes, but anyone who knew Hermione Granger knew that the books under her nose would be returned to their correct spots in perfect condition. Even with that knowledge and mutual understanding between the book lovers, it didn't stop Hermione from being terrified of the librarian.
She glanced at her watch, it really was getting late. She rubbed her eyes and started closing the books she didn't plan on taking up to the common room. The witch walked down the aisles in the same matter as Madam Pince. She hummed some Muggle pop song that had been stuck in her head the past few days and went back to her table to find two people sitting at it.
For the past few weeks, she had been spending more and more time alone. When Hermione had woken up in the Great Hall, she knew something strange and terrible had happened. The looks on her professors' faces was enough proof. After making absolute sure that Hermione was okay, the Doctor had ran towards the doors, Donna close on his heels.
Hermione didn't follow. She had spun around and started to shake her two friends, worried sick. Her heart had been beating so hard it felt like her entire body was throbbing, and when she saw her arms; her body stopped pounding. They were completely black, like they had been early that day. The dye had faded almost as soon as she noticed, but that didn't stop her heart from restarting and race even quicker than before.
Ron and Harry woke up ready for the fight that wasn't there. Students in the entrance hall where stirring, voices echoing to the Golden Trio's ears. The wizards shot up, and Hermione followed. Not a single one of them was prepared for the sight that they met.
Every single person in that hall was chatting, some walking back towards the Great Hall, others heading off to the dormitories. It appeared as if nothing had happened at all. Hermione had gaped until she met the Doctor's eye, and a mutual understanding passed through them: talk later.
That talk, she wasn't worried about, it was convincing Ron and Harry to leave when something strange was happening that made her stomach drop slightly. And with good reason. It took a good while before those boys agreed to leave, with the Hermione's promise that she would update them every week. All in all, that Monday was one of the worst that she had ever lived through.
The day Hermione's best friends left was the last day that she talked to the Doctor and Donna outside of a professional relationship.
That's why she was so shocked to see the Doctor and Donna sitting at her table, skimming through the books she was about to take to with her. Hermione skidded to a stop, wanting desperately to circle around them and head towards the exit without being noticed. She chided herself, God, how childish was that? Hermione's thoughts slid to their argument, and she sighed. It was stupid, even though she knew she had been right. Everything about her life was ridiculous lately.
It was late when she had walked to the Doctor's office, but it didn't matter. Hermione knew that they had to get this figured out. She walked into the room without knocking and saw her two friends talking quietly, their tea untouched.
The Doctor had perked up at the sound of the door opening, "Hermione Grang-ah! You feelin' alright?"
The witch had smiled without humor, "Perfectly alright."
Hermione had decided to not tell the Doctor and Donna about the blackening of her skin. After all, she didn't entirely know what to tell them. That her skin was randomly becoming black and it was starting to frighten her? Hermione didn't want them to worry, and besides; nothing terrible had happened because of her dark skin. There wasn't anything to be frightened over yet.
That's exactly what Donna and the Doctor had been arguing quietly over when Hermione walked in. Donna wanted her friend to be told, she deserved to know what might be happening to her. The Doctor didn't want to worry her since they didn't have any information on this new disease. Hermione saved her Astronomy teacher from being slapped by walking in when she did.
"Tea? Biscuits? 'Fraid we don't have-"
Hermione cut off the Doctor's rambling, "I'm fine. What I want is to figure out what that...thing, for lack of a better word, is."
The Doctor's face had turned somber, something it rarely did. He ran his hands through his hair, tugging it a few times, "I don't know Hermione. I have absolutely no idea, no idea, and you do you know how frustrating that is for me? Not knowing?"
Hermione smiled, "Oh, trust me, I know."
It was silent for a moment, as each person became lost in their own thoughts. Donna crossed her arms, "Well, at least we got a name now."
"Right! The Nigrum Animarum! What an unusual name. Sounds Latin, I mean I would know. I speak Latin."
"Why does that not surprise me?" Hermione rolled her eyes at the redhead, who smiled, "Alright, what does Nigrum Animarum mean?"
"Oh, haven't the foggiest. I only speak phrases, like "carpe diem," and "sum fessa est."
The witch grab her forehead, laughter bubbling out, "I just-no. No. That doesn't help us."
The man grinned, happy to make Hermione laugh, if only a little, "But anyway, we can at least research the name...Gotta start somewhere."
Hermione sighed, almost happy. Research was something she was good at. She always, always, found the information she needed.
"Alright, we can get started on that tomorrow. I'll tell McGonagall after bre-"
"No!" The Doctor straightened, thrusting his hands out. "Do not tell the Headmistress."
Hermione blinked a few times, confusion etched on her face, "Well, why not?"
The professor groped the air, trying to find the right words, "Just...I don't want McGonagall to be worried over something that we can handle."
"She deserves to know. She could help us." Frustration, the same kind that she feel whenever she would try to convince Harry and Ron to do something, filled her body.
The Doctor shook his head, an unusual expression on his face. He sighed, like he was trying to teach a child something fairly simple, "Hermione, you don't understand-"
That was a mistake, a big one. Hermione stood up, her face blank. "Don't tell me what I don't understand, Doctor. We obviously need help since we haven't been able to figure out what this thing is for four months. This is a thing a headmistress should be worried about."
Donna glanced at the Doctor, her eyebrows furrowed. He was acting different. Whenever he argued, he was animated. Filled with rage or passion. But the man sitting in front of her was passive, an annoying smirk plastered on his face, like he was purposely making this very powerful witch angry.
"Hermione, I am perfectly capable of-"
"Oh like you've done such a good job. A girl died, Doctor."
The Doctor's hearts dropped, but her just intertwined his fingers, "Only a calamity."
Hermione's jaw dropped, "A calamity?!"
He shrugged, "It's a whole big thing you couldn't possibly understand. So you might want to go along. See if you can find anything out about the Nigrum Animarum. After all, your research skills are what we need most."
Hermione remembered standing there, anger and horror pulsing through her body as she stared at this calloused man. Her mind wouldn't wrap around the fact that the Doctor seemed disconnected from this problem, like it was just a maths problem on the board he needed to solve. She left not long after, a horrible disappointment settling in her chest.
Hermione snapped back to the present. Her eyes focused on the two teachers who still hadn't noticed her. She took a breath. The witch walked towards her table, and the two heads swiveled around simultaneously, smiles on their faces.
"Hermione!" The Doctor launched up, his hair bouncing comically.
She grinned, despite how terrible she felt. She saw Donna roll her eyes and a pang went through her chest. She missed the two of them more than she thought. Well, she missed the old Doctor, the one who's hair would bounce, not the one who's tone would suggest that she didn't understand because she was only a teenager. Hermione nodded towards the beaming man, "Professors."
Donna noticed the slight droop in her Spaceman's grin. She honestly had no idea why they were in the library, waiting for their young friend. The Doctor had grabbed her the moment Donna started off towards her office, and no matter how much pestering she did; he wouldn't say what he was up to. Nor did he ever tell her why he was so uncharacteristically distant the night Hermione stepped foot in his office for the last time.
"How are you, Hermione?" Donna's voice was soft, her eyes kind.
If she was to answer honestly, Hermione would've went on and on about how awful she had been feeling lately. Instead, she looked at her professors evenly, "Fine. Absolutely fine."
"Don't lie Hermione." The Doctor's face was blank, not a single emotion etched onto his face, "Just because you're mad-"
"I'm angry because I'm right! And you know it."
Donna tensed, she had witnessed this conversation before, and she didn't fancy going through it once more. "Oi! Would you two shut it!? You're both so thick for being the smartest people I know."
The brunettes looked at each other, anger still burning in their brown eyes. Hermione sighed and crossed her arms, "Is there anything you need from me Professor Smith?"
The Doctor buried his hands in his pocket, rocking back on his feet. "Have you found anything on the Nigrum Animarum?"
Despite their argument, they still fought on the same side; trying to find out what the hell was going on at Hogwarts.
The witch shook her head, "No. I feel like I've read almost every book in this place, and I still can't find a single thing."
The Doctor grinned, "Yeeaaah, well...remember books...books are the greatest and most powerful weapons in the world. We'll find something."
It was quiet for a moment, the dread and worry from the past few months pressing on them. Donna slowly got to her feet, her mouth set into a hard frown. Desperate to lighten the mood, she looked towards her young friend, "Staying here over the break, Hermione?"
For the first time, the witch smiled, "No, going over to the Burrow. Visiting Ron and Harry."
The Doctor visibly perked up, "The Burrow, you say? Ohhhh, I'd love to see that. That'd...that'd be brilliant."
The women shared a look as the Doctor stared into space, imaging that crooked house filled to the brim with magic. Hermione didn't even bother to ask, she knew she wouldn't actually get anywhere. It was like walking through a maze blindfolded trying to get a straight answer from that man. It was one thing she missed most about the Doctor.
Hermione walked past them, gathering up her books and stuffing them into her bag with no problem. Being able to preform the Undetectable Extension charm was one of the most useful things she had ever learned. The witch threw her messenger bag over her shoulder, nodding to Donna and the Doctor, "Happy Christmas."
She heard muttered replies as she made her way up to Gryffindor Tower. Her heart was heavy, and she decided that she didn't want to ignore them anymore. She hated feeling lonely, which is how she had felt the past few weeks. Ginny still had Quidditch, and Hagrid visited Grawp quite often. He had offered to bring Hermione along, but she denied as politely as she could. Without the Doctor and Donna constantly in her life, she spent much of her time alone. Being alone was one thing, feeling alone was another.
She waited for a staircase to come back towards her, tapping her feet. One reason she had avoided the Doctor and Donna was due to the fact that Hermione was terrified that the Doctor has shown his true colors. She wanted to believe that that man was like a puppy dog, excited about everything and always happy. She didn't want to find out that he was calloused and self-absorbed, believing that Hermione wasn't important. She wouldn't figure it out though, unless she chose to forgive him, for the time being. The witch started walking up the staircase, yawning. Well, Hermione mused, I would forgive him faster if he would just tell McGonagall the-
Her bag made a sickening thump as it fell to the floor. She heard her inkwells shatter, and pain radiated through Hermione's knees as they smacked against the hard staircase. Her vision darkened, the air around her vanished until she was gasping for oxygen, blood pounded in her ears. Then it was silent, and dark, and cold, and lonely.
She didn't know how long her mind was trapped in that dark place. When she came to, her head was throbbing. Hermione was trembling and covered in sticky sweat. She pushed herself up, grateful that she was alone. Whatever just happened, she was happy that no one was around to witness it. She seemed fine upon inspection. The witch shuddered at the thought of someone finding her and dragging to the Hospital Wing. She couldn't even fathom the rumors that would circulate after that.
Hermione pushed herself up, her heart stopping cold the moment she was upright. She...wasn't where she blacked out at. She was in a completely different part of the castle. Torches cast shadows over the deserted hallway. Spiders scurried on the floor, but there were no scattered books, no shattered ink wells. Words, old forgotten words circled around in her head. Was she being possessed?
Hermione started running. Not towards the dormitory, not the Hospital Wing, not even towards the Headmistress. The witch ran down corridors, up towers until she was outside the Doctor's office. She burst through the door, not even thinking about knocking.
The smack from the door hitting the wall echoed throughout the room. The energy that use to fill up the office was evaporated, leaving the room gray. She needn't look around for her friend, she could tell that the Doctor was gone. No room that that man lived in could ever be this dull,
The witch tried finding her friends before getting on the train the next day, but they had simply vanished.
…
Donna felt slightly sick, the TARDIS was shaking so much. The second after Hermione wished her and the Doctor a Merry Christmas, her crazy Spaceman didn't stop running until they were securely inside the TARDIS, trembling across time and space. Whenever Donna asked where they were going or why they were even leaving, the Doctor pulled another lever and they raced past another point in time. A part of Donna was frightened that they weren't returning to Hogwarts.
The redhead was about to ask, yet again, where they were going when the machine twitched violently. Donna stumbled and grabbed the first thing she could, the Doctor's hair.
"Ow, ow, ow, oww, OW, OWW, DONNA!"
"Well, if you would properly fly this hunk of-AH!" The time machine leaned violently to the left, causing Donna to crash into the railing. "DOCTOR!"
"Hey! Don't blame me! You're the one who called this beautiful machine a-"
The trembling stopped abruptly, startling both travelers. The silence stretched on until Donna shook her hair out of her face and asked, rather irritated, "Okay, where are we now?"
The Doctor launched forward and grabbed his jacket, "Have I taken you to America yet?"
"Um, no. We've been to Space Florida, but that's-"
"Brilliant! Never been here before. Well, I might've. Hope not. Kinda of ruins everything if I've seen it before." He dashed to his monitor, reading about the outside world. "Nope! New sights! Some little town outside Chicago. Want some deep-dish pizza?"
Donna smiled, excited for the adventure she knew she was about to have, "Only if you're buying sunshine."
The redhead walked towards the door, pulling it open and marching outside. The Doctor quickly followed, "When are we?"
"March of 2009. Nothing extraordinary comes to mind when I think about March of 2009..." He grinned down at his best mate, "Wanna change that?"
…
It was warm inside the Burrow. Voices chirped happily, the radio croaked out Mrs. Weasley's favorite singer, and Hermione was watching her cat lazily bat at Pigwidgeon. It would've been the perfect Christmas atmosphere, if the young witch hadn't been terrified.
Ever since she blacked out and woke up someplace new, Hermione had been feeling horribly panicky and worried. As far as she could tell, when she was unconscious; nothing out of the ordinary had happened. No threatening messages on the walls, no petrified cats or students, no dead chickens. Hogwarts was the same as always, but that didn't stop Hermione from constantly worrying over the fact that when she woke up; she had no idea what had happened.
The witch didn't tell anyone of her black-out. She didn't have answers for the questions that she knew would be asked. Hermione didn't want to worry anybody when there was no apparent solution. She was determined to figure out what was happening to her and fast.
She knew it had something to do with those shadow creatures. What was happening and how it was occurring, Hermione didn't have the faintest clue. She did have a theory, but just the thought of it sent tremors down her spine. The witch was terrified that, slowly, but surely, she was turning into one of those shadows. Until she learned something about the monsters that were terrorizing the school, Hermione was left in the dark.
Ron sat down next to Hermione and swung an arm around her. The witch smiled and grabbed a cookie from the platter the redhead was holding, her mood lifting outstandingly. She munched on her dessert, laughing and talking with her friends. As she reached for another cookie, Hermione vaguely wondered how the Doctor and Donna were spending their Christmas.
…
"What do you mean 'ghost'?" Donna asked, her arms crossed and one eyebrow cocked.
"Just what it sounds like sweetheart. Some angry spirit is set on gankin', apparently, every high school teacher in this small town. You saw what happened to Mr. Fletcher." The man picked up a sawed-off shotgun, checking its gauge and quickly tucking it in the back of his jeans.
There was a brief silence in the alley as the Doctor and Donna processed those words. The Doctor didn't say a word. Donna stopped leaning on a wall in the dirty alley and moved closer to her Spaceman, uncomfortable at the casualness in which the siblings handled weapons.
"Ghosts don't exist." Donna noticed the aggravation start to set in, but she didn't really care for it. She wanted answers.
The taller brother shook his head and continued checking guns, "Look, we don't have time for this. Soon, that ghost is going to kill again, and we have to stop it."
"'Cause that's your job?"
The blonde girl shook her hair out of her eyes, "Sure is, now; we don't need anyone around here. You two could get hurt. So-"
"Ohhh, come now!" The four adults swung around to look at the Doctor, who was smiling maniacally, "A chance to see a real live...Well...a real dead ghost? No way I'm missing that."
…
Hermione stared at the snowflakes drifting onto the ground, like they had all the time in the world. The sun was just beginning to rise, the sky turning into magnificent colors. She listened to the gentle sound of Ginny's breathing, feeling, even though there was a person mere feet away, very alone. Despite being in the company of her favorite people in the entire world, she felt isolated, as if a glass wall were separating her from her friends. Hermione didn't laugh as much as she would have six months ago. She felt...different, and she had a feeling that the blackness inside of her had something to do with that.
She scoffed and rolled onto her other side. Merlin, she was dramatic. It was okay to be sad every once in awhile. No creepy black sickness inside of her was keeping Hermione from enjoying her favorite holiday. The witch sat up, her mind itching to read something, just so she could be distracted.
She just missed the Doctor and Donna, and that was true. It was the guilt of their last talk and the anxiety of not being able to confess what has been happening to her that made Hermione feel so uneasy. It was just normal, human-y feelings that was causing her unhappiness.
As the teenager sat staring out the window, trying to convince herself of that fact; her skin flickered from pale pink to the deepest darkest black. And as the sun rose, it almost appeared as if Hermione was absorbing the darkness.
…
"Run, run!"
"No kidding Sherlock!" The shorter brother grabbed his sister and Donna pushing them back through the hallway, forcing them to run. He aimed his gun at the spirit.
"No!" The Doctor dove for the sawed-off, making the salt-rock bullet shatter a picture frame.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Green, angry eyes pierced through the darkness as he shoved the Time Lord away and shot his target, making the ghost vanished, "You tryin' to get us killed?"
"I'm trying to be diplomatic! Guns never solve problems, maybe if we talked-"
The man gaped at the Doctor, disbelief and a slight disgust written all over his face "Look, Doc, I don't care if you're a tree-hugging, tofu-eating, pot-loving hippie, kay? This thing is not human. It will kill us."
The Winchester reloaded his gun and made a start to follow the path the two women just took. The Doctor grabbed his arm, "Have you ever even tried talking to a spirit before?" Genuine curiosity showed on his face.
Dean's face shut down, his back straightening. Screams erupted from the hallway and the men took off running. They busted through an old door just as Sam went flying, crashing into the opposite wall and crumbling. Donna yelled some very choice words at the ghost, and the Doctor watched as the gun flew out of the blonde girl's hand. Dean took aim at the ghost, Johnathan Ervin, and the shotgun went off with a bang.
"Yeah Dusty! Get out of 'ere!" The Doctor smiled briefly at Donna before a terrible coldness appeared behind him. Excruciating pain caused the Time Lord's vision to flicker as he felt sharp knives slice through his middle. His hearts crashed in his chest and ears, and he barely heard Dean shouting, "Get the salt! Burn the bones!"
Donna's ridiculously loud voice echoed in the Time Lord's head. There was a blast of a shotgun, and a portion of his discomfort started melting away along with the Doctor's consciousness.
…
She got books, as predicted, and chocolate frogs. It made her quiet happy. When Ron gave her the case of enchanted chocolates, she immediately opened one, and was shocked to find her own face smiling up at her.
"Don't go getting a big head now, Hermione," The witch looked up at Harry, her gaping mouth slowing forming into a smile.
"Oh shuddup."
The Weasley's laughed along with Harry and Hermione. Gifts continued to be exchanged, laughter and exclaims filling the air. Snow flurried outside of the windows, making the atmosphere inside of the Burrow that much more enjoyable. Mr. Weasley exclaimed as he opened the gift that revealed a rubber duck, ballpoint pens and a small novel about the acquisition of airplanes, Mrs. Weasley was shaking her head and smiling behind him. Ginny marveled at her camera, twisting it around in her hands. Percy shook his head at the badge that read, "World's Biggest Prat," but he was smiling slightly. His other gifts, mostly books, made him a great deal more happy.
Teddy bounced up and down on Harry's leg for a minute before Charlie scooped him up, tossing him into the hair. The little boy squealed with laughter, overpowering Molly's frantic shouts to be careful. Bill and Fleur held hands on a separate couch, smiling at the chaos. Hermione didn't know how the Burrow could stay together, with all the energy that was contained inside it. The witch looked around the sitting room, happiness filling her chest. She loved being with her family, laughing and having the best time in the world.
There was only one person who was quiet. George sat slightly away from the group, gently fingering the homemade sweater but still grinning all the same. Someone had given him earmuffs, which he was proudly wearing.
It was hard on everybody, especially George, Fred not being there. George didn't smile as much, nor did he joke around as frequent as he use to. No one blamed him in the slightest. It was one thing losing a brother or a friend, it's a different matter when it's your other half.
No one said it, but they knew that George would never quite be the same. They all knew that this quiet brother was a man that wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. He was an absolute wreck after the Battle of Hogwarts, and he had improved so much over the last few months. Hermione was so, so proud of him. She couldn't imagine losing someone who had been as close to her as Fred was to George.
That was the first holiday they celebrated without Fred. Mrs. Weasley's eyes were red when she started handing our presents, and Mr. Weasley was quiet during the first few hours of Christmas.
When George had opened his sweater, there was a collective gasp throughout the room. Two jumpers were stacked on top of the other, one with a "F," the other with a "G." Mrs. Weasley stuttered out how she didn't mean to make two, and she didn't want to just throw it away. Her voice had faded away when her son looked up, his eyes nearly as red as his hair.
"Honestly woman," His voice cracked, but a smile lit up his face, "And you call yourself our mother."
Everyone laughed, and George slipped on the sweater with the "F." Tears were wiped away. Even though they all wanted to mourn the fact that it was the first Christmas without Fred, no one knew how to honor him better than by laughing and having the best possible time. So, even though there was a spot missing on the family clock, and an empty seat at the dining table, the atmosphere was joyful and full of love, just like every Christmas should feel like.
…
The Doctor was bleeding profusely, his two hearts making more blood than expected to pour out of his chest wounds. Donna ran to his collapsed body as the Winchesters dashed outside into the cemetery. She ripped off her jumper, pushing it onto her best mate's injures. She hit the Doctor's stupid face, muttering, "C'mon, c'mon, wake up. Wake up!"
Fear clutched her throat. The Doctor was never the one in trouble, not dire, almost fatal, trouble. He always had a plan, always had a way. Panic started crawling up Donna's throat, and she was having trouble breathing. Her hands pressed harder on his wounds, trying desperately to get the blood to stop gushing.
"Doctor, come on. This isn't funny." She swore she felt his two hearts start to slow, and her own heart skipped a beat." Doctor. DOCTOR!" His back arched, and panic sparked through Donna's body. Gold energy starting flowing over the redhead's hands, and she could feel the gap closing. She gasped, stumbling back on her heels, horror and awe filling her chest.
There was a moment of silence as the blood stopped gushing out. The Doctor coughed, his hair bouncing. Donna gaped, her fear melting away as she watched her friend wipe the dust off of his blood-stained suit. He pushed himself up on his elbows, grinning almost drunkenly, "Time Lord cheat code. Keeps me in tip-top shape. Although, didn't have to use it. Came in handy though, less panic for you."
Donna stared, and the Doctor was worried she slipped into shock. She reached over and for a wild moment, he though she was going to caress his face. Anger made her eyes glint as the red head slapped his head, hard, "Why didn't you TELL me you could grow new limbs like a flippin' seastar?" She pushed herself up, anger visible in every muscle.
The Doctor got to his feet, rubbing his head."Well, technically-"
"And I wasted my favorite jumper on your freak-o Martian blood, you dumbo!"
Donna stalked off in the direction of the siblings as the Doctor gaped, "I-Donna...I'm-I'm still not from Mars."
…
It was the night before they were due back at Hogwarts, and Hermione couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, frustration making it harder to get comfortable. The witch punched her pillow, anger masking the dread she felt for a moment. She wanted to ignore the fear in her chest, say it was nothing, but for the first time; she didn't want to go back to school.
Hermione sat up quietly, trying not to make the mattress creak too much. Ginny rolled over, and for a moment, Hermione was scared she woke her. When the redhead didn't wake up, Hermione brushed her thick hair out of her face, sighing. She stared out the window, thinking. She didn't want to go back and face the problems she didn't have answers for. The witch was frightened.
As soon as she admitted that to herself, a wave of shame covered her body. She was Hermione bloody Granger. She was the brightest witch of her age. She helped defeat Voldemort for crying out loud, and now she was scared of a little shadow. A little, murderous, creepy, shadow.
Hermione looked out the window, biting her lip. It was alright to be scared. It was irrational not to be, but she couldn't let this stupid creature keep her from going back to the place she loved most. It's not like the mystery wouldn't be solved. The witch smiled. She never faced a challenge she couldn't solved.
She laid back down and drifted in a slightly uneasy, but restful, sleep.
…
Everyone was breathing heavy as the fire flickered in the grave. The five adults were covered in dirt and sweat. The wind rustled the leaves, but other than that; it was quiet. When the companions had dashed out of the house and towards the cemetery, they saw that spirit had knocked two of the hunters down and was going after another. Donna had rushed forward and grabbed a fallen shotgun, shooting the ghost to smithereens.
"When did you learn to shoot?" The Doctor had screamed, helping Dean to his feet.
Donna blew hair out of her face, "Five seconds ago. Get a lighter!"
Johnathan Ervin appeared again, and The Doctor pushed Dean away protectively. He didn't know what the hell she was talking about. What was a lighter going to do? Help the ghost get afterworld lung cancer? The shorter brother had brought out his lighter and tossed it into the grave. The ghost wailed, well, ghostly, fading away. Sam slowly got to his feet, groaning. Donna tossed the sawed-off towards Dean, who caught it easily. The Winchesters didn't even blink when they realized the Doctor was upright and alive. Apparently, it took a lot to surprise the siblings.
The Doctor stared down at the burning corpse. Even though he knew Dean had been right, he wanted to try and see if there was another way to get rid of the ghost without killing it. He looked up at the family and put on an overly cheerful grin.
"Well!" The four adults jumped and looked over at him, "Not that it wasn't fun...what was the word you used Dean? Oh yes, ganking that ghost, but me and Donna got to be off."
He looked at his best mate, "We didn't park far from here, did we?"
The redhead was still angry but there was a tad of amusement in her eyes. She tilted her head, "'Bout thirty meters that way, I reckon."
Sam clutched his arm, grimacing slightly. He furrowed his eyebrows when he saw where Donna indicated, "Parked? You can't park there, it's nothing but woods."
The Doctor dug his hands in his pocket, swinging back and forth on his heals, "Yeah, well, I'm not too good at following the rules."
The Winchesters all glanced at one another. Dean sighed, "Doctor, I can't say we'll miss ya, but it sure as hell was an experience."
"That's the closest thing to a compliment I think I'm going to get. Come on Donna. I forgot to grade papers, so we really need to be getting back."
The woman held her hands out, "Wait, you're both teachers?"
The Doctor grinned, "Oh, I never said that."
The companions walked towards their mobile home, not saying anything. The siblings didn't call out, and soon the sound of the fire crackling faded away. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, lighting the way. Sooner than expected, the TARDIS came into view.
"Ah, how you doing old girl?" The Doctor patted the side as he went inside.
He noticed how quiet Donna was being. After flipping a few switches on the console, he stated, "You know, I know a perfect little solution to get blood out of clothes. All-"
"Shut up Doctor." He felt himself being jerked around, and was more than surprised to see the absolute anger on her face, "This crap is done now, you are going to tell me what's goin' on."
He looked down at her, frowning, "It's called a regeneration process, I-"
"Stop. That's not what I mean." She pushed her hair back and took a breath, "I don't care at the moment about your freak-o abilities. What I want to know is what the hell is wrong with you when it comes to Hermione."
He blinked, "Where did that come from?"
Donna tossed her jumper away, "I've been avoiding askin' about it 'cause I know you'll just block me out. After seeing you almost die, I realize; I don't care anymore. You are going to tell me what your problem is."
He turned around, playing with the controls and monitors, "I don't have any-"
Anger spiked through her heart. Donna grabbed his blue sleeve and forced him to turn back around. again. The TARDIS trembled for a second as she started to disappear, but the redhead took no notice, "No. You are not doin' that. That stupid little fight that you purposely caused, the running away every time you talked to her, the dodging around corners so you wouldn't even have to talk to her. You loved Hermione, Doctor. I know you did 'cause you love every brilliant person you meet."
She pushed him away, spinning around. "I don't understand why you do this. You push away every-"
"She's fading away."
Donna stopped as the monotonous voice echoed throughout the TARDIS. It was silent for a few moments as she slowly turned back around to face the Doctor. His arms were crossed, and he stared down at his shoes; his face completely expressionless. She ignored the fear clutching at her throat, "Hermione's what?"
The Doctor buried his face in his hands for a moment before dragging his palms across his face, "Donna, don't you see? She's not real, but we met her. Her future is already written out, but we were never mentioned in her past. We were never a variable in the beautiful equation that is Hermione."
The redhead stared for a second before stating, "You're gonna have to dumb it down for me Doctor. What do you mean she's fading."
"She's disappearing Donna! Part of her existence, no matter how fictional, is being erased from this universe." He pushed away from the console, dropping to his knees and fishing out the giant trunk under the floor.
"But, she's a fictional character...she can't just fade away."
The Doctor didn't look up as he hurriedly looked through the trunk, "That's what I thought. That what I told myself for weeks. I am so thick. Thick, thick, thickety-thick-head. I need a new one." He pulled out a huge yellow and green book. He launched to his feet, leafing through the pages so quickly Donna thought they would rip.
Confusion and worry was threatening to drown Donna. But she couldn't let herself worry, especially since the Doctor was going through his shout-about-everything-before-I-figure-out-a-way-to-fix-it phase. She took a deep breath, but before she could ask another question, the Doctor shoved the book under her nose.
"Look!" He instructed.
She did, and she read. Nothing stuck out, nothing seemed any different. She cocked an eyebrow, "So?"
"So? S-oops, wrong page." The Doctor flipped back and gave the book to his best friend.
Donna rolled her eyes and read quickly. After a minute or two, she looked back up, "I don't understand."
"It's changed Donna. I've read it a million times, maybe a million and one. Do you know who one of the main characters are? Hermione."
Donna flipped through the epilogue, searching for that name, reading as quickly as she could, "Was Hermione in the last chapter before?" Her voice was quiet."
"Yes. And now she's not. Don't you see? Ever since we showed up, Hermione's future has been fading away. "
Donna gaped at the Doctor. He ran his fingers through his hair, "Donna, I don't know how she exists, I don't know how it's possible, but Hermione is somehow a living and breathing person. And this living and breathing person is going to die, and I don't know if we can stop it."