A/N: I'm sorry this chapters on the shorter side, but I wanted to stop it where I did. I hope you still enjoy!

Also, I'm going on vacation for a few days, where I won't have time to update, but I'll probably think of plenty ideas on the plane ride, so that's good! :D

Happy reading, and happy new year!

We're Okay

"Hermione. Hermione, wake up."

"She's still out. She's been through a lot, Blaise."

"She's lucky we found her in time."

"Why'd they just leave her there, anyway?"

"I suppose they didn't think she'd live after the potion they gave her."

Hermione tried to move her hand, but found it felt like a bag of flour was on top of it. In fact, her whole body felt heavier than it should. She willed her eyes to open, and eventually managed to squint into the seemingly bright light.

"Merlin, is she opening her eyes?"

"Hermione. Are you alright?"

Hermione looked to the person and saw Blaise Zabini there, staring down at her intently.

"Blaise?" she asked, and found her voice was incredibly hoarse, and it hurt her throat to talk.

She blinked a couple more times and things started getting less bright and she could finally focus on where she was. She looked around and saw she was in St. Mungo's - Blaise and another man she didn't recognize were leaning over her, and she tried to remember what had happened before this.

"What happened? Why am I here?" she asked, bringing a hand up to clutch her throbbing throat. In fact, her whole body felt sore.

"You were attacked back in Knockturn Alley. They were the Death Eaters who are chasing Draco. They put the Imperius Curse on you, and then gave you a potion that we can't identify. They probably mixed a number of potions into a possibly fatal mixture. Luckily, a couple other Aurors and I found you in time. Some of us were keeping watch around the area because of Draco's situation, and someone had heard you screaming for help. You've been here for about a day and a half."

Hermione listened as the memories slowly came back to her. She put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. She stayed quiet for a long time, but finally looked to Blaise again.

"Thank you," she whispered, for that was all she could manage for the moment. Then, she looked to the other man. "Thank you, too. I suppose you were one of the Aurors?"

He smiled and bowed his head respectfully to her. "Yes, I was, Ms. Granger. My name's Andrew Garcia. Blaise is the one who brought you here in time, though. He's the one who really saved you."

Hermione smiled to Blaise. "I owe you one," she joked lightly, chuckling, "I didn't even know you were an Auror."

He shrugged. "I don't tell many people, and I'm usually out doing assignments than in the Ministry."

"Thank you." she said again, and tried to say more, but her voice failed her. She sighed and the other two seemed to understand.

"It's alright, don't strain yourself," Andrew comforted her, patting her shoulder and glancing at Blaise. "We should tell her friends she's awake but not well enough to see them."

Hermione wanted to protest, but she knew there was no use in seeing them if she couldn't insist she was feeling okay - even though she wasn't. All her friends had a knack for blowing things out of proportion, and she was afraid of Draco's reaction especially. Surely he was blaming himself.

She groaned and put a hand on her forehead, letting her head fall back. The other two seemed to take this the wrong way.

"Tell the nurse to give her something to knock her out," Blaise murmured to Andrew, "She's hurting again."

Hermione would've argued, of course, if she'd been able to talk. Andrew pushed a button on the side of her bed, and the next thing she knew, she was out again.

XXX

Hermione had a dream. Or maybe she had awoken and it was a hallucination. Either way, it wasn't real - but it felt like it was.

She had been caught by the Death Eaters once again, and they had blindfolded her as they dragged to someplace secret. She kept seeing skeletal faces in the blackness behind the fabric, and she fought ruthlessly against their vice-like grip on her. When they finally set her down somewhere, they took off her blindfold and she found she was in a clearing in the middle of a dark forest. She was bound at her hands and feet and everything was very choppy, like scenes patched together haphazardly.

She looked up blearily, and saw a distorted image of someone she'd only seen clearly once before: Lord Voldemort.

She wanted to scream, but she couldn't find her voice. No, you're dead, she thought desperately, You're dead. You're not really here.

Then, the most horrible smile she'd ever seen spread across his face, and she looked to the side desperately, anything but looking at his death-white face. What she saw a couple feet away was Draco, bound just like her, except he was gagged with a cloth so he couldn't yell out to her. She could hear his muffled screams, and he struggled against his bindings, but he was held back by the masked Death Eaters. Hermione could feel their elation at the scene before them.

She saw a desperate fear in Draco's eyes, and she couldn't bear to look at him. Even Voldemort wasn't as frightening as the look in Draco's eyes - it was like he'd given up hope. If he'd given up hope, what was left for her?

Voldemort was still smiling down at her, and he took out his wand. "Little child," he hissed, his grin now morphing into a cruel sneer. "I might be gone, but there's no way you can run from what I've left behind. Don't you see? You'll be running forever. . . ."

Hermione heard herself panting as Voldemort raised his wand. You're dead. He's dead, Hermione. This isn't real . . . this isn't . . .

"You cannot hide any longer. . . ."

It's not real. . . .

"We will find you - "

He's not real. You're safe. You're -

"And we will kill you!"

No, no, no, he's not real -

"AVADA - "

Hermione awoke screaming. It was dark, and there was one frantic nurse and a determined doctor on either side of her, attempting to soothe her. She exclaimed random nothings and grabbed onto the doctor's shirt, needing something solid, something safe, to hold onto.

"Please, don't let me go back to sleep." she breathed, finally quieting down.

The doctor held her to him, and she knew his expression was uneasy as he exchanged glances with the nurse. "We won't Ms. Granger. I think it's time you return to the comfort of your home. Marie, contact the visitors that were here the other day."

She didn't say anything, she just clung onto the doctor, squeezing her eyes shut.

He's not here, Hermione. You're safe, she encouraged herself, taking deep, soothing breaths.

"Hermione, your friends will be here shortly," the doctor said calmly, patting her back rather awkwardly. "It'll be okay."

Only minutes later did Hermione hear a commotion outside the door.

" - need to stay calm, she's in distress - "

"Let me see her."

"Mr. Malfoy, you need to calm down - "

"Let me see her."

There was a pause before she heard the door open, and the doctor gently pried her hands off him. She had to give him credit for not doing so earlier. Then, she turned to Draco, and saw he was still in his flannel pajama pants and white T-shirt with a leather jacket over it, his hair a complete mess. His eyes were desperate and a bit crazed as they found her sitting on the tiny cot.

She probably couldn't have launched herself at him faster.

"Oh, Hermione," he whispered into her hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She really didn't want to cry, but the constricting in her chest and the stinging in her eyes soon became overwhelming, and she buried her face into his jacket. He slid her into his arms so he could pick her up, and he brought her over to her bed again, murmuring soothing words into her ear and rocking her lightly.

"It's okay, I'm here," he breathed, "We're okay, Hermione. We're okay."

She let those words sink in and she held onto him tighter, her watering eyes staring at the wall opposite of her. She wasn't crying from her dream anymore, or from the relief of seeing him - not even from the memory of being abducted.

She was crying as one thought went through her head. One thought in response to his murmurings.

Why then, did she feel like they wouldn't be okay?

Not at all?