Chapter Sixteen
Dead

"...Harry?"
Harry jumped and he spun around to face Hermione.
"Oh! Er, Hermione! What are you doing up so late?"
"Working on the encoded letters we found," Hermione gestured to the papers before you.
"And you?"
"Couldn't sleep," Harry mumbled.
He turned back to stare at the fire, flickering and dancing in a manic sort of way. Hermione regarded him carefully.
"Harry, do you have nightmares?"
"Huh?"
"Nightmares...do you have them?"
Harry looked at her for a moment. "Uh...yeah. Do you not remember fifth year at all?"
"I meant now."
"Oh...uh...I just can't sleep."
"I'd have nightmares, if I were you," Hermione said.
"That makes me feel great, Hermione."
"I didn't mean it that way."
"I know," Harry was silent for a moment. "I don't have nightmares right now...I did a few months ago...but now they're just sort of...I don't know it they're dreams or not."
"Erm?"
"It's like...there's this darkness. And it's so empty. And I feel trapped. And when I wake up, I can't tell if that's just dreaming...or just me sleeping. If it's a nightmare...or just...my life."
"Oh...Harry..."
"Don't "Oh, Harry" me. I'm being overdramatic. I'm just restless these days. To get it over with. I'm tired of waiting to die."
"WHAT?"
"Be quiet," Harry gestured at Ron who was snoring.
"Harry...you aren't...going to die! That...waiting to...die!"
"I didn't mean it that way! Ignore me, I'm tired! I...don't think I'm going to...well I might...but I...er..hope not!"
"Harry, you can't die. You just CAN'T!" Hermione slammed down the papers, her voice shaking.
"Uhhh...Hermione...you are aware that unlike Voldemort, I am not currently immortal?"
"I meant NOW."
"If I feel a heart attack coming on, I'll let you know."
"Stop being SARCASTIC."
"Ha! You're always sarcastic."
"Since when?"
"When you think Ron and I are being stupid..."
"Ah, all the time then."
"See?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. There was another moment of solitude before Harry muttered, "Wish we could Apparate out of here."
"Yes. Though I suppose Borgin would put an anti apparition spell on this shop. We'll have to come up with a plan. Still, we need the time to heal."
"Heal..."
"Or sleep. We seem not to be doing that very well though."
"So we're healing...?"
"Mostly you."
"I'm sorry I dragged you two into this."
"Oh, not this again. Honestly, Harry, you did not so much drag us into this as it was Ron and I clinging onto your legs and refusing to let go while you tried to walk away from us."
"Nice metaphor there."
"Honestly..."
A rattling snore filled the room. Hermione looked to the side, seeing Ron lolling in his sleeping bag.
"There's one person not having nightmares..." Hermione smiled.
"Wait...do you have nightmares?"
"No," Hermione tried to sound truthful. Harry had enough problems, she figured. Harry accepted this with a nod. Ha. No matter what Ron said, she was a good liar after all.
She sighed and returned to her code, pausing occasionally to smile at Ron's snoring countenance or glance at Harry's still one. Really, to make sure they were still there.

"And that is how I saved the world," Ron finished grandly.
"That's not how it happened," Hermione snorted.
"Yes it is!"
"You did not "fling yourself in front of me" or tell the queen to...er..."
"Piss off..."
"Yes! Nor did you make that long-winded speech. And I NEVER WHIMPERED!"
"You did."
"You're full of it."
"It what?"
"Honestly..."
"You should have that tattooed on your forehead, you like saying it so much...I was a macho man..."
"You were very brave, but you were NOT this...knight in shining armor over muscled..."
"Actually..."
"Okay, you were a knight. But you're story is about as ridiculous as me saying...er...I wrestled with the Devil's Snare with my bare hands..."
"While screaming "OH MY GOD WE NEED WOOD!"
"I did not!"
"Did too!"
"I'm Muggle born all right! Sometimes I don't-"
"I hate to interrupt your bickering, but I have a plan to get us out of here!" Harry said suddenly emerging from the back of the room.
"Really?" Hermione and Ron spun around.
Harry pulled up some silvery material. "Invisibility Cloak!"
Hermione gasped. "I forgot we had that!"
"Me too...stupid right? We can just sneak past the Death Eaters."
"Fantastic!"
"We have to be careful though...the cloak doesn't cover us as much as it used too...but I say we strike tonight..."

Through the silver folds of the cloak, Hermione unlocked the door. Ron was kneeling like a hunchback...Harry looked alert with his wand out...Hermione led them, tiptoeing ever so carefully through the halls. They made it out the front door and past the black robed figures in the mist...sneaking closer and closer to the fireplace until...Somehow, Ron's foot became entangled with Hermione's. She tried desperately not to trip, and almost succeeded, but Harry fell against them as well...and they tumbled down with a crash the cloak flying up around them. Death Eaters spun and began shooting spells at them. Ripping the Invisibility Cloak off Harry began shooting spells back and Ron and Hermione joined in.
"Oh my God! That's Harry Potter!"
"STUN HIM! The Dark Lord needs him alive! Kill the others!"
The three of them ran for it dodging the various spells. A pink flash of light caught Hermione in the ankle just as they reached the fireplace. Horrible pain shot up her leg and she fell forward, screaming. Harry and Ron caught her and dragged her into the fireplace. Ron screamed "THE BURROW!" with all his might, and before the Death Eaters could reach them, the three disappeared in a cloud of flame.

The trio tumbled down helplessly onto the cold kitchen floor, Hermione was writhing in pain now, her eyes had spots in them.
"BLOODY HELL!" Ginny's ringing tones reached her ears. "What the- you three- what?"
"Hermione's hurt!" Harry stated the obvious empathetically to Ginny and the two boys heaved Hermione up on the table.
"What's wrong with her?" Ginny cried.
"Curse...we need to counter it..."
Hermione was practically blind now, her leg was aching terribly, the voices pounding her head.
"There's bound to be a countercurse in one of her books...get them!" she heard Ron command.
There was a shuffling and she heard Ginny muttering titles until..."Advanced Countercurses! Here! Description..." She heard a flipping of pages. "...Inflamed skin, blood red veins, sweating...those are her symptoms...though the curse has devastating effect the countercurse is relatively simple..."Just concentrate and say Arsineal Abenwick!"
Harry said the words, pointing his wand at Hermione's ankle. Very suddenly, her pain receded and her eyes were filled with dazzling light. She was dizzy and drenched with sweat.
"Hermione?" Ginny's fuzzy face appeared before her. "Are you okay?'
"Yes...I think so...Hi Ginny..." Hermione said weakly.
Ginny wrapped her in a hug and Ron squeezed her hand. Harry grinned at her hugely.
Suddenly they heard a knock on the door.
"Ginny???!!!" Mrs. Weasley's voice trilled. "I'm home!!!"
The four teenagers stared popeyed at each other as they heard the door click open.
"You three are dead..." Ginny whispered.

"People living deeply have no fear of death."-Anais Nin