Dead and Gone

During the war, Hermione went M.I.A. Everyone thought she was dead and after a few years, everyone moved on. Including Ron. But what happens when she resurfaces, seemingly unharmed?

Chapter Three: Research

George starred off into space as he sat at the table, a cup of tea sitting in front of him. He stirred it absentmindedly, unable to get the nightmare from his mind. He prayed to God that it hadn't happened to Hermione, but he had a horrid feeling in his gut that it had. After all, he dreamt of her in the graveyard and that's where he had found her. What if this dream was true too? What if that's what happened to her while she was missing for those three years? And what did he mean by they were already in Hell? Was she actually in Hell for three years? His thoughts were broken, when the door opened and Hermione walked in with a tired face. His stomach twisted when he saw the scars on her collarbone and wrists.

"I'm sorry about last night." She said.

George nodded. "It's alright. I think I understand now." He said and looked down at his tea.

"What do you mean?"

George looked at her and licked his lips. He could have swore he heard some slur in her voice. Shaking his head, he looked back down at his tea. "Nothing." He stood up and placed his cup in the sink and watched her. She seemed to be swaying gently. "Are you okay?"

Hermione nodded as she got a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water. "I'm fine." She said.

George furrowed his brow. With her standing right beside him now, he could smell it as if were in a bar. She had been drinking. A lot. He looked at her eyes. They were all glazed over and she had dark circles beneath them. He gently poked her shoulder and she stumbled backwards a bit. He quickly grabbed her so she wouldn't fall and looked down at her.

"How much have you had to drink?" he asked, a touch of anger in his voice.

Hermione seemed to be so out of it, that she hadn't even noticed she almost fell when he poked her. She ran a hand through her hair. "I…I don't know." She said, holding her head.

George sighed and wrapped an arm around her. Helping her to Fred's old room, he led her over to the bed. Laying down, Hermione snuggled into the pillows. George tilted his head to the side as part of her shirt rode up, revealing teeth marks on her hip. He kneeled down beside the bed and traced them with his fingers.

"Where did you get these, Hermione?"

Without opening her eyes, Hermione replied. "Had sex last night."

George looked at her to say something but she was already sleeping. George sighed and stood up. Leaving a note saying he'd be back soon, he apperated to the Burrow. Once there, he said hello to his parents and went directly upstairs and knocked on Ginny and Harry's door. When she didn't answer, he knocked again, more urgently.

"Ginny open the door! I have to talk to you!"

He heard muffled swearing, then footsteps and the door unlocking. "What?" she asked, her hair still messy from sleeping.

"Hermione's alive."

"How much did she drink?" Ginny asked, starring down at Hermione.

"No idea. But she had sex." George said. Ginny gave him a look. "She told me." he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, she was defiantly drunk then. She never would have said that if she were sober."

"I'm still trying to get a grip on how she's alive." Said Harry. "She's been missing for three years."

"I don't think she's been missing." Harry and Ginny looked at George. "I think she's been dead."

"She couldn't have been dead, George." Harry said. "Or else she wouldn't be here."

Ginny looked up at Harry. "You died and came back. And no one knows why. Not even you." Harry agreed, silently nodding his head.

"I'm telling you, she's been dead. I had a dream about her being at Fred's grave. When I woke up, I went straight there and she was there. And the scars she has, they're exactly where I saw the gashes in the dreams. There's no way ANYONE would have been able to survive torture like that and live. I think she was in Hell." George said.

"Why would she be in Hell if she died then? She's helped save the Wizarding World." Harry said.

"I haven't figured that out yet." George said as the three of them walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

"What else happened in the dreams, George? You said that she was being hurt." Ginny said.

George nodded and went on to tell them what had happened in his dreams and how every scar he'd seen so far had coincided with the cuts and gashes he had seen in his dreams. Deciding, but not liking, that George's dreams were true, they decided to do some research. Ginny apperated to the Burrow and to Hermione's old room, where she found a large collection of books on almost every subject you could imagine and think of. Placing her hand on a large pile, she apperated back to George's flat.

"Dear lord, where did you get all those books?" George asked, seeing the large pile beside his little sister.

"Hermione's old bedroom at the Burrow. Mum and dad couldn't bring themselves to pack anything up so they left it how it was." Ginny said. "I'll be right back, there's another stack."

Once Ginny returned, they began researching. For what, they didn't really know. After a few hours, Harry looked up from a large book on his lap. "Shouldn't we tell Ron that Hermione is alive?"

"I suppose." Ginny said, not looking up from her book. Suddenly she reached out and began hitting George on the arm, trying to get his attention, still not looking away from her book.

"What? Why are you hitting me?" George asked.

"I think I know what happened to Hermione." Ginny looked up at Harry and George. "She sold her soul."

A/N: If you watch Supernatural, then this will seem very familiar. And it should because that's where I got the idea. lol. Don't forget to REVIEW. :)