Warning!
Hermione experiences something un pleasant in this chapter, but I feel like I need to do it to cause Hermione to react in the right way- don't worry, it's a character that wont really be missed.
Guessed yet?

Hermione was awake for the whole night, though Ginny only sent one letter. Hermione had briefly wondered why, but then decided either Ginny had fallen asleep, or Mrs. Weasley (who had extremely good ears) had heard the scratching of her quill and ordered her to bed.
Either way, Hermione wasn't getting any more letters from Ginny to keep her company, or distracted.

One of the sympathetic Witch Doctors had come in and had given Hermione a large, comfortable chair to sit in and wait. She had asked if Hermione wanted a sleeping potion, but Hermione had firmly declined.

So here she sat one of the most powerful and smartest witches of the age, in a large red cushioned chair, about a meter or so away from the bed in which Draco, her once sworn enemy now lay, unconscious.

Hermione's eyes were starting to get red from the lack of sleep, and she was sure that if she closed her eyes the image of Draco would be etched into her eye lids, for ever tormenting her, even if she had managed to fall asleep.

Her stomach grumbled, but she ignored it, and fixed her eyes on the sleeping figure in front of her.

Outside, the sun had risen, and the night had left the room.

"Miss Hermione, I am here to insist that you take the sleeping potion." Ludavin said walking in and standing with hands on hips in front of Hermione.

"No." Hermione said, her voice cracked and horse from not speaking.

"Yes." Ludavin pulled out a bottle of potion and waved it in front of Hermione's nose.

"I'm not taking it." She said stubbornly.

"Please don't make me force it down your throat." Ludavin said pleadingly.

"No." Hermione said, her eyes un focused, as they tried to stare through the body of the doctor, and back onto Draco.

Ludavin sighed defeated and put the vile on a bed side table. "Is he worth dying on the inside?"

Hermione didn't answer. Ludavin sighed again and left the room shaking her head as she went.

Four days had passed. No Ginny, no Harry, no Ron, no letters. Nothing. It was as if the world had completely forgotten her existence.

Then, on the fifth morning, a guest walked in the door. It was unexpected, almost un wanted.

Aj.

"Hermione what have you gotten yourself into now?" Aj asked almost laughing.

Hermione didn't even stir.

"Hermione?" Aj snapped.

This time, the girl made from stone moved her eyes and looked at Aj. What Aj saw made her gasp in surprise.

She saw the girl in front of her, once with eyes so brown they could pass for milk chocolate. They were the eyes of a person who loved life and everything it had to throw at her- they expected and could handle anything. It was a world pool that made you lost to look into them for too long.

Now Aj saw a girl with lifeless eyes- shark's eyes. Nothing but a hollow piece of brown wood, waiting for that axe to come and chop it up, turning it into something else, something that was anything but what it was. It dreaded every moment that it was alive, and just wanted to die.

But it wasn't just that. It was the eyes of someone who had experience something no one could ever understand- something they couldn't get over. Hermione was like a lost child in a large forest. Screaming for help, but her cries are nothing compared to the howling winds of time.

"Hermione." Aj said again, sinking to her knees and gingerly reaching out for Hermione's hands. "You are the walking dead!"

Hermione didn't have the strength to laugh.

"You've died inside." Aj said, desperately searching her friend's eyes for any sign of the previous girl that she knew. Any sign of that fire that attracted people to Hermione and made them wonder how she could be the way she is.

Hermione didn't say anything- she doubted she had the voice box left!- but only looked pleadingly at her friend, whishing- begging- her to help.

Then Aj did something that Hermione hadn't been expecting at all- she stood up and slapped her!

"Now!" Aj said firmly. "Wake up! Get out of this stupor, and look around. The Hermione I knew wouldn't let this get to her- the Hermione I knew would be out there looking for the mongrel who did this to the person she loved!"

Hermione's mouth had dropped open when she was slapped, and she only gapped at Aj like a fish on land.

"You are a friend of Harry Potter- a friend who doesn't quit!" Aj continued.

"Harry wouldn't have spilt!" Hermione screamed, surprised at how loud her voice was.

"See?" Aj said grinning. "I knew your voice was in there somewhere." She sat on Hermione's bed at looked at her.

"Go and get me some tea." She said teasingly.

Hermione looked at her skeptically. "You really…expect me…to go and get…you tea?" Hermione said, her voice taking all the air it could to work.

"Yes. I know your limbs are killing you…go and stretch them out for the love of Merlin." Aj said still grinning.

"Make me," Hermione said, half joking and half serious.

Aj got up again and slapped her. "Come on."

"No!" Hermione said, her cheek starting to get numb from being slapped.

Aj hit her again, this time on the shoulder. "I have all the energy in the world."

Hermione again refused. "ALRIGHT!" Hermione screamed as Aj kept hitting her, though not causing any real damage.

"Good." Aj said satisfied, and sat down, waiting for her tea.

Hermione winced as she got her self out of the chair.

Her legs were dead weights, dangling from her body. Her back cracked and her neck was sore.

She tried walking. Her legs were stiff, but after a few seconds, they recognized that they were still capable of moving, and Hermione slowly walked to the door and walked outside.

The nursing staff were shocked to see her up and about, and many didn't want to go near her as she had snapped so violently at them before. But Hermione ignored them, her head held high as she stumbled up the stairs and into the cafeteria.

Here she got too cups of tea and made her way back down the stairs, balancing the cups.

Once she reached her floor, she saw everyone had gone back to their jobs, running in and out of rooms, scribbling on clip boards with long tailed quills.

Hermione ambled over to her room and went inside. Though once she closed the door, she screamed and dropped the cups of tea which hit the ground and splashed all over the floor, drenching Hermione's legs in scolding hot water.

(I could leave it here…yes…I will…nah I wont…the suspense is killing me!)

Hermione had heard Harry describe this demon of the night to her, but she never in her wildest dreams expected to see one right in front of her, and in a hospital!

Standing before her, dressed in long flowing black robes, accompanied by a skull mask was none other then a death eater, who was currently bent over a body on the floor, grinning.

Hermione's eyes flicked to Draco's bed- he was still there.

Which meant…NO!

The figure, lying on the floor, her eyes wide with shock was Aj. It was clear to Hermione that the life had left Aj, and there was no helping her.

The Death Eater grinned. "Welcome to the dark side of things." He said in a deep voice. Then there was a pop, and the man was gone.

Hermione's insides twisted in her stomach as she walked slowly and unsteadily over to Aj's body.

Aj's eyes were wide with shock, but her mouth hadn't moved. Her right hand however was positioned as though it was reaching for her wand.

Hermione fell to her knees and looked at her friend unsure of what to do. She was shaking uncontrollably, and started convulsing in little crying spits.

Ludavin with two other witch doctors came into the room and looked around wildly.

"Hermione wha-" Ludavin's breath caught in her throat as her hand flew to her mouth.

"Aj!" Hermione was crying, cradling her stomach, trying not to throw up. She gingerly reached out an arm and grabbed Aj's cold, dead hands, as though hoping she could restore life.

Ludavin and the other doctors approached carefully, and slowly Ludavin bent down and put a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. One of the other doctors ran from the room, and returned later with more witches.

Some tried to move Hermione, but she screamed at them to leave her alone. Others tried to get Aj's body, but Hermione shouted again at them. Ludavin appeared to be the only one Hermione let touch her.

Hermione stood, and faced the room full of doctors (everyone had forgotten Malfoy) and stared at them, shaking and crying uncontrollably.

"What's wrong with this place?" she shouted at them. "Why didn't you hear her scream, or the death eater arrive? WHY DID YOU LET MY FRIEND DIE?" she screamed.

Her stomach was full of air, and she felt so weak. Her head was buzzing, but still she managed to produce tears that continued to stream down her face. Hermione felt continuously sick. She gazed over at Aj's lifeless body and hiccupped.

Ludavin and the other people watched her for a minute, not sure what to do. Then suddenly Hermione stood and bowled her way through them, and out the corridor.

Here, she just ran. She didn't care about the looks she was getting, or the cries of the people she pushed past. She had even forgotten about Draco and the room he was in.

All that occupied Hermione Granger's mind was the loss of a dear, dear friend who had only come to help her.

Hermione ran right out of the hospital, and out into the muggle street. She didn't care that the muggles around her looked at her strangely, or that a muggle police man walked towards her, thinking the worst.

Hermione raised her right arm, and climbed aboard the knight bus, commanding Stan take her to Hogsmeade.

The muggle officer looked confused as Hermione was suddenly gone, but shook his head and moved on.

Hermione sat crying and shivering as she waited for the bus to stop. Once it did, Hermione jumped off without paying and ran all the way up to Hogwarts. She wasn't even sure if Dumbledore would let her in, but at that stage she didn't care.

Hermione ran right up the castle grounds and into the Entrance hall. She saw no one as she ran up the corridors and into her old dorm, where she cursed Draco's door open, and collapsed on his bed, wrapping herself in the sheets, hoping for some sort of comfort.

The witch doctors all looked at each other after Hermione left. One snapped out of their daze and took the body away, while another, remembering Mrs. Wesley's firm words, ran to go and send an owl, informing the impatient woman of the unfortunate events.

In minutes, Mr. Weasley and his family had all turned up again at St. Mongo's all looking around sadly and worried.

"Where's Hermione?" Ginny squealed as they reached the empty room- except Malfoy of course.

"She took off after she found the body of the young lady." Ludavin said coming up to them.

"Oh my gosh, the poor thing has been through enough!" Mrs. Weasley said throwing her hands to her sides exasperated.

"Where did she go?" Ginny said; fear twisting her insides as she gripped the closest hand she could find- which just happened to be Harry's.

"I'm not sure." Ludavin said hanging her head sadly.

Ginny squeaked. Mrs. Weasley looked at her. "It's alright Ginny." She said calmly and kindly. "Think of Hermione. You know her to not do anything silly. Now, think you three," she said pointing to Ron, Harry and Ginny. "Where does Hermione feel safe?"

"Her parents house?" Ron answered immediately.

"No, she wouldn't have thought of them- being lost in the magic world." Ginny answered glumly.

"well where then?" Ron answered snappishly.

"Hogwarts." Ginny said the answer coming to her and hitting her in the face.

"What?" Mr. Weasley said frowning.

"Hermione felt safe at Hogwarts because of Dumbledore!" Ginny said, then, forgetting to let go of Harry, she dragged him down the corridor and out into the street, only leaving seconds for the rest of the family to catch up and board the purple bus.

Hermione was sure that she had left an imprint in the bed. She rolled over, hardly sleeping. The sheets offered only minor comfort- Hermione doubted weather the Titanic could have held the amount of comfort she needed.

Soon Hermione became aware of another presence.

She flipped over on the bed and looked up to see the old head master looking down at her, politely confused.

"Miss Granger?" he enquired, studying the blotchy cheeks, the puffy eyes and the clear unhappiness.

"Dumbledore." Hermione squeaked.

Professor Dumbledore didn't think- rather he knew- this wasn't the time to correct her, even though she was no longer a student of his. "Why Hermione are you here?" he asked, though he knew by her face she did not have a pleasant story to tell.

Hermione sat up in the bed and looked at him. She waited for a minute, and was about to invite him to sit, when he waved his wand and a chair appeared. He sat down, gazing at her with mild wonder, and worried expressions.

Before Hermione knew it, again, she was spilling the entire story, exactly what she had told the Weasley family and Harry, and then added on the latest news about Aj's death. Her story was complete with water works that would have impressed the most depressed person.

It didn't take as long as Hermione had thought. She had watched as she spoke, and saw Dumbledore's face get darker and darker, but when she was finished, it stayed the same.

"Is that all?" he asked and Hermione nodded in reply. "Miss Granger, when was the last time you ate?"

"almost six days ago." Hermione said sheepishly.

Dumbledore tuttered and waved his wand. A plate of sandwiches and some drink appeared. "Eat. And I don't mean nibbled. Eat."

Hermione thanked him as he left.

"Can I expect any more visitors?" he asked before he left.

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe. But if they come could you tell them-"

"I shall in form them that you are tired, and need rest. They can stay here until you are ready to talk. I'll send for Madam Pomfrey to tend to you."

Hermione smiled weakly. "Thank you."

"Remember Hermione, Hogwarts is home to everyone, all year long. Help is not far from our doors- all you have to do is ask."

Hermione watched him leave and looked at the food. Her stomach ordered her to eat, but her heart said no, and that it wouldn't be able to work properly.

Hermione nibbled a little on the food, and had nothing to drink. She knew Dumbledore would know, but frankly didn't care.

Again, she laid back down and tried sleeping, but it was to no luck.

However, within minutes, the school's matron appeared, carrying a potion.

"You poor, poor, dear." She said as she walked uninvited into the room. "Here, drink this and sleep calmly."

Hermione rolled over. "what is it?" she mumbled.

"A sleeping potion." The witch answered and looked at her. "My goodness, I'm surprised you could walk out of the hospital in such a sorry state!"

"They didn't exactly have time to stop me." Hermione mumbled again as she took the potion.

As she was lying back down, the witch fussed around her, puffing the pillows and drawing the curtains.

Soon, Hermione was finally asleep, and was un troubled, no dreams or memories of her day taunted her.

The Weasley party, and Harry arrived at Hogwarts door steps and were greeted by Dumbledore within minutes of stepping into the entrance hall.

"It's the holidays." He said looking down at them smiling warmly. "But of course, your not here to give me chocolates or share stories- I know you look for Miss Granger, and are anxious to see her. But I'm afraid she is extremely tired and stressed, and I cannot allow you to see her until she has had some sleep."

"However, I offer you some rooms, were the four ex students and one current can return to their house dormitories and Molly and Arthur can follow me to some other rooms. You shall be Hogwarts guests for the time being, until miss granger is well again." Dumbledore said warmly.

"Is Hermione alright?" Ginny asked desperately.

"I do not know if I can answer truthfully yet miss Weasley." Dumbledore said glumly.

Ginny hung her head.

"Alright kids…go to the common rooms." Mrs. Weasley said yawning. "This has been a very strange start to the holidays indeed, and we are all in need of good, safe rest."

"Your mother is right. Off you go." Mr. Weasley said.

So they parted ways, the teens heading to their old dorms, while the adults in another direction.

All were silently pondering what Hermione was doing, where she was now, and how she was feeling.

Ginny had miraculously held on to Harry's hand all through the bus ride, and as they were walking along one of the corridors, she pulled him aside.

"Harry…will Hermione be ok?" she asked her stomach in knots.

"I don't know…I hope so." Harry said blushing slightly as Ginny squeezed his hand.

"Do you think…do you think she would be better if Draco was awake?" Ginny asked hiccupping.

"Probably." Harry answered truthfully. "But seeing as he's not, we'll just have to make do as her shoulders."

Ginny nodded, her eyes wide with confusion and sadness.

"Come on, you need some sleep." Harry said and gently guided her up to the Gryffindor common room where the other Weasley children sat around the fire, whispering about a curtain lost confused brown headed girl.

Phew, that was a Loong one.

Alright, like I said, it would be sad, but I warned you.

I think ill make Hermione's life a little brighter now…yes, shes been through enough- what do we think?

R&R

Aj (the alive one.)