A/N: This chapter's a tad longer... and my longest chapter! Yay me! And…would 2 short chapters or 1 long chapter be good?? I am waiting for replies! Next chapters…next week! R n R!

Story: Mortal Fear

Author: ∂ลякลиgэl

Summary: To feel the fear, real fear. Not knowing you can escape. It is not as easy as it sounds to survive. A story of love, trust and comfort. 'I never really trusted anyone" I said hesitantly. "Really?" asked Draco as his lips hovered dangerously close to mine. DMHG.

Current Rating: M

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Rest all belongs to the wonderful JKR.

Chapter – 2 – Big girls don't cry

'I am a big girl, now…

And big girls don't cry…' – Fergie.

Hermione's POV – FlashbackThe day before, breakfast.

"My toast!" wailed Ron as Harry and I tried to hide our smirks. Ginny just gave me a wink and a flying kiss for Harry and pranced off somewhere. Ron looked disgruntled, and proceeded to remove his books from his bag. I raised an eyebrow. "Where is my wand?" asked Ron, looking flabbergasted. He jumped off the table and started searching his robes managing to look exactly like a stupid monkey in the process. "Aah! I got it! Why is everything you search in the last place you look?" he asked us, while Harry managed to keep a completely serious face. I was about to laugh when my blood ran cold. Theodore was giving me the signal. Oh no! Not today…I didn't even have the money and I was so tired. My insides turned queasy. I suddenly felt an urge to puke. I shook my head at him. He gave a maniacal smile, which just confirmed something. I had to go.

I was shaken out of my reverie when Ron poked me with is spoon, his mouth full of food "oo 'a ya shtarin' it?" I didn't even have the energy to reprimand him. Suddenly everything felt useless. Hogwarts. Studying. Marks. Me. My face turned into a frustrated grimace. This was going along from too many months now. The seventh year was just about to get over. Today had been the last N.E.W.T. exam. Now just few days and I would be out of this school. I had been ecstatic when I had been chosen as the Head Girl. And the Head Boy had to Be Malfoy. Though we shared a dormitory, we rarely talked to each other except for our daily rounds. We had come to an unspoken resolution and hadn't insulted each other in weeks. Malfoy had even been polite to me in some ways. My thoughts went back to Theodore and I gritted my teeth. And I thought back about my decision which I had come to regret the most.

During Christmas, I had spent my holidays in school, while Harry and Ron had gone to the Burrow. It hadn't been that I was not invited, but I just was tensed about N.E.W.T.s. Malfoy too had gone. From those days, he had started asking money from me. His fortune had been taken by the Death Eaters, and he had gotten into the habit of drinking muggle drinks. He had them specially ordered from owl posts. It was not allowed in school, I was sure. His father had been a death eater as well, and one of those to be killed. I for the first time had given him money, feeling pity, thinking I could help him out of his addiction. Soon, he started to hit me when I didn't give money. I didn't think it was because of money that it had happened. He was simply revenging me for his father's death, as I was Harry' friend. You might wonder, why I didn't fight back, believe me, I tried. He tortured me. He killed Crookshanks, which others thought his death had been an accident. Reporting to the teachers was just out of category, for it was my fault too. I, Saint Granger had thought I could change him. How wrong I was. The more I tried to help him, the worse he became. By now, I was terrified of him. His eyes, violet, the way they turned black when he was angry. He had bruised me before, but I had healed myself obviously, so no one had even a remote idea about it. And I was quite surprised though pleased….or not that Harry and Ron hadn't noticed something was wrong….with me.

I had gotten a haggard look; there were dark circles under my eyes, I had even lost some pounds. This didn't affect my studies as I started to spend more time reading, and less time with Harry and Ron. Ginny was the only one who had voiced her concern. There was a constant ache in the head. I didn't get enough sleep, which resulted in insomnia, as I dreaded the next time he would summon me. I didn't know why I was so scared.

Ron poked me again, this time with a breadstick, looking annoyed. "'Mione, you are not listening to me." he whined pathetically. Harry laughed, "She would be listening if you wouldn't have been talking about your maroon sweaters." I managed a fake smile. I just felt so damned unconnected with everyone. Ron grimaced, and brightened again. I nonsensically noted that it just looked as if an electric bulb had a voltage problem.

"Just two days more for school and we will be free!" he exclaimed. Harry stared at him, "Well, I don't know about you mate, but Hogwarts has been the closest thing to a home to me." He looked around the Great Hall affectionately. I silently agreed. This was the only home for me now, during the war, I had lost my parents to a Death Eater attack, which had left me broken. Then, Professor Dumbledore had advised us to come back here, for our seventh and the final year at Hogwarts. Though we were almost nineteen, we had to finish their education. I had found solace in my books, my world. They let me forget about everything else, everyone else. They didn't expect anything back from me. They gave me company on my worst days. Books don't laugh at you. Books don't make fun of you. I thought I was selfish thinking of having someone who wouldn't expect anything from me. But books were my only real consolation after my parent's death.

Now, even books couldn't help me. And for the first time, I wanted to be out of this school for good. The tension, the fear and anticipation was something that I had been having since my first year over here. This was too much to handle together.

I felt tears in the corners of my eyes, and I hastily wiped them away. A good cry was unstoppable though, for I hadn't allowed myself to cry since my parent's death. I grit my teeth angrily. I won't cry. Hell, I was a big girl now, and big girls didn't cry. –A/N - Yeah….the line from the song. –

Again I was interrupted from my thought by Ronald, "Hermione, are you coming with us to the common room?" I briefly contemplated to throw my cold breakfast on his head. At least I should be able to left alone to think.

I shook my head, "You guys go on, I will come in the evening. I have some packing to do." I lied through my teeth. I was Hermione Granger, how could I have not finished my packing yet?

They both nodded and left the Great Hall, once more leaving me to my own musings. I pushed away my uneaten breakfast and stood up to leave for the Head's dormitory when I was once again interrupted, this time by Malfoy. I seemed to have a lot of interruptions that day. My mother always told me that it was a bad omen.

"Granger, I will be a bit late for today's rounds, so carry on without me and I will meet you near the North Tower by the time we usually finish. Okay?"

I nodded, "Fine." Malfoy left.

Thank Merlin he would be late, I though with an inward sigh of relief. I would have to think for another lie about why I was late. It wasn't that we did the rounds together; I just needed a bit time to compose myself after my meetings with Theodore. Anyway….this was going to be the last meeting. I hoped.

And then I finally made my way to the Head's Dormitory. Little did I know what was in store for me later in the night.

End of Flashback

Hospital Wing, In Madam Pomfrey's office.

Professor Dumbledore was looking at Professor McGonagall gravely. Madam Pomfrey was just trying to take everything in.

"You mean to say that, you lied to her?" said Professor McGonagall, her voice shaking a little.

Professor Dumbledore nodded, "Yes."

Madam Pomfrey's eyes shone as she finally spoke, "But Albus…you…Granger…why?"

The Headmaster simply gave a sigh, not knowing that there was someone outside the door. Someone who had listened to their entire conversation quietly. And wasn't pleased. Wasn't pleased at all.

Outside the door.

Draco Malfoy was always composed. But that didn't mean that he couldn't get off the handle sometime. This was one of the rare times when he did.

He had just come out of courtesy to visit Herm – no Granger, to see if she was better. As he was just about to enter he heard Dumbledore's voice.

"….Mr. Nott is currently locked in one of the dungeons. Severus himself has charmed the door. As we need to see if we can help him, we will be keeping him here. I am under the belief that Ms. Granger has taken the apprenticeship of Filius. But this should not come in notice of anyone out of this room. Am I clear?"

Draco was shaking with fury now. Who the fuck does this old man think he is? How dare he keep a criminal inside the castle? How can he do that? Didn't he know that Hermione had almost been killed because of that asshole? He didn't even worry to correct her name.

He stormed inside the room, not bothering to knock. McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey gasped. Dumbledore simply gave another sigh.

"Mr. Malfoy, I believe that you have heard everything?"

He gave a jerky nod.

"And I suppose you have something to say against it?"

He nodded again and said with biting teeth, "I don't think you should have lied to Hermione."

Dumbledore stared him in the eye with those piercingly electric blue eyes, "Then Mr. Malfoy, what do you think I should have done? Do you think Ms. Granger would have been at ease with the knowledge of Mr. Nott being here? Do you think she would have come out of this frightened state of hers? Wouldn't her condition worsen?"

Draco stared, "But….but….you should have thrown Nott out of the Castle!"

"Mr. Malfoy, I believe in giving people second chances."

"He doesn't deserve a second chance!"

"Now, this is an entirely different matter. And I, as the Headmaster of this school, have the right to do what I should."

Draco felt rage build inside him, but simply stormed out of the door again, this time to see Hermione.

The atmosphere inside the room was tense. Madam Pomfrey was fidgeting.

Professor McGonagall stood, "Albus, I agree with Mr. Malfoy." And with that, she walked out of the door, leaving Dumbledore to give another sigh.

A/N: I know it's been long….but I had my finals. I had finished this chapter before my exams, but my internet was on strike….and still is. ( So anyway…how was it? Please R n R. Criticism is accepted, and reviews even more so.