Chapter 5: The Escape
Everything was dark. Hermione could hear the sound of steady breathing, the hum of all the magic around her but still, everything felt numb, cold, and dark.
And she felt terrible and so very, very cold.
Is she dead?
Trying to remember what happened was hard for Hermione. She sensed something was wrong with her and had this sudden urge to escape. "I need to get away from here. I don't know where I am but I feel like I am laying on something soft. Is that a pillow under my head?" she thought. Shivers wracking her body, Hermione peered through heavy-lidded eyes towards a dark figure sprawled on a chair. A chair? Where is she?
Panic took over. Maybe it was He-who-won't-be-named-anymore has returned! Impossible, she thought. Harry defeated him months ago, on her 19th birthday (having a time turner in third year automatically made her the oldest student in the school). In any case, there is no way for his return because he was completely destroyed. Eying the dark shape in front of her, however, it seemed to form into her worst nightmare.
What is happening to me? Peering over to the figure, she glanced over to the face which was contorting and melting in her very eyes and she felt the black cloak come towards her like a giant bat. To Hermione, this was worst than a nightmare, it was like she was living in a horror movie.
All of her senses were bombarded with fear and she had to escape.
By quietly and weakly crawling off her bed and towards the door, she escaped into the darkness of Hogwarts and out into the grounds while Snape slept soundly by her bedside, unaware of her fever-induced hallucinations taking over her body and logic.
Hermione ran as fast as she feebly could. It was only April but the weather at night was still cold and damp from so much rain. It also didn't help that all she wore was her nightgown and bare feet treading on rocks, branches and moist grass.
Still believing her dillusions, she found herself in Hogsmeade shivering against the chilled night. Hermione believed that he-who-will-never-be-named-again was following her steps but know one knew. In reality, she was missing, sick, and afraid.