DISCLAIMER: NOT MINE. PLOT IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO J.K ROWLING

Nine

How the bloody hell am I ever going to look at him without remembering THAT! Hermione thought as she slipped into the common room. The fire was still going, dimly though. The students were asleep, or some were up, gossiping or horsing around. Hermione walked to the sofa on legs made of jelly. She ran a hand through her hair, her knees finally giving out. She slid down the length of the sofa, falling in front of the fire. She held her head in one hand, closing her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't erase those images. The moon light, his long white blond hair, stormy gray eyes and those lips.

Stop thinking! Just stop thinking about it! She told herself, annoyed by such a stupid reaction. The fire helped warm her up, but it wasn't even necessary. She was already warm enough. Footsteps sounded and she turned her head to see a sleepy Ginny in her PJ's. She rubbed her eyes, looking at Hermione.

"Blimey, Mione, I know we have no school tomorrow but its twelve thirty and you just came back!" Ginny exclaimed. Hermione stood up refusing the urge to sit back down and let her thoughts go. That would do no good to keep on thinking about the past. Even though the past was just a few minutes ago!

"Oh I am really sorry for waking you up! I just went for a- a walk and-"

"Viktor came after you didn't he?" Ginny demanded, her sleep vanishing.

"Ginny, no it's not like you think-"

"He told us! He told everyone that he went to talk to you but Lucius Malfoy came out of the shadows. Telling you both to go to your rooms," Ginny said, sitting next to her friend. That son of a bitch! Hermione thought. Of course he wouldn't tell them what he was trying to do to her. She felt Ginny grasp her hand and smiled sadly. Her life was so complicated and she couldn't even tell her best friend.

"Ginny, I just want him to stay away from me-"

"Why? I really think Viktor-" Hermione cut her friend off. This was not the time to discuss things. She was too tired and there was too much on her brain. All she needed was a good night's sleep.

"Ginny, look I don't want to discuss this! He needs to stay the hell away from me or I'll hex him until he can't even spell his own name!"

Aghast, Ginny took a step back, shocked. She didn't realize that Hermione could be so venomous.

"O-ok I am sorry," Ginny stampeded. Hermione moved away. She knew she shouldn't have snapped at Ginny like that but she was not in the mood. Honestly why couldn't people leave the past alone? They had the uncanny ability to bring up situations that she was trying not to think about.

"Good night Gin. I'll see you tomorrow." Having said that, Hermione sprinted up the steps until she reached the door. Pulling it open she walked to her bed trying not to wake the others. She had no strength for taking off her clothes. Uttering a spell she had her clothes off and her night gown on. Slipping under the covers, she pulled it up to her face and closed her eyes. There were light snores coming from the other girls, but Hermione was wide awake. Turning on her other side, eventually she fell into a restless sleep.

Looking around, Hermione didn't see anything except for trees and darkness. Complete darkness. Panic began to rise in her. Nobody was there. Not a single soul. Ok be calm Hermione! No need to panic, she told herself. Except that idea wasn't working out too well right now. Turing her head left and right, Hermione was feeling a sense of dread. Something was wrong. Horribly so.

"HELLO! Is anybody there! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" she screamed, but got no response except for silence. Her palms were beginning to sweat and her eyes were filling up with tears. The forest was so black and so thick she couldn't even make out a light. Someone, anyone has to be here! But no, there wasn't. Attest that was what Hermione thought. She felt around for her wand but with a raising horror she realized that she was wand less. That couldn't be possible! She always had her wand!

Then there was laughter, horrible, sly laughter. One of the female laughs she recognized immediately. It was the one woman who Hermione had been haunted by, her evil screams and evil grin had haunted her nights for almost three years. The one woman Hermione had killed with her bare hands. Bellatrix.

Hermione wasn't completely innocent. She had killed her fair share of people. It was a war and they had deserved it, but it haunted her everyday and nigh no matter what excuse she cooked up. It was like a pull on her conscience. The laughter continued to get louder, and Hermione gasped. There were death eaters surrounding her, having trapped her within a circle. Bellatrix look deranged and licked her lips like a predator would when their prey was cornered. That can't be possible! I killed her! Hermione thought, her face losing color as she noticed the wizards standing before her.

Unexpectedly the laughter stopped. The death eaters actually had a look of fear in their eyes, just for a moment. Voldemort. That was her only thought. Hermione stood her ground, her heart beating as though she had run a marathon. The whole scene in front of her was making her brain malfunction. The people were dead and so was Voldemort. Except the thing wasn't Voldemort. It was smoky and black with red glowing eyes. It didn't quite have a shape at all.

"Ahhh. Herrrmioooneeee." The voice sent shivers down her spine. Not in a pleasurable way like Lucius Malfoy's but a more dangerous way, as though she was about to be killed kind of way.

"What the hell are you? These people are dead! Why are they alive!" she shouted, going crazy just looking at the death eaters. There was no way she could be seeing them, not after she had sent them to their grave! This was all crazy.

"Always the curious one, eh? You thought you killed them, foolish girl you are. But remember, nothing can save you from your own deadly thoughts."

"NO! I don't' know you! I don't know what you are talking about! Leave me alone!" The voice laughed at her misery, and Hermione wanted to die. Fear had made her cold and she could no longer feel her body or anything else for that matter. All she could feel was fear. Intense, bone chilling fear. It blocked out everything else. A figure stepped out of the dark, his hair streaming behind him.

"Lucius! Thank God you are here! You have to help-"

"Help? Help a mudblood?" he sneered. Hermione felt like she had been slapped. This wasn't Lucius. This wasn't her Lucius at all.

"No death eater will ever save you. We have killed that pathetic army of your. Mumbling, blind idiots, all of them!" the black smoke said. Hermione shook her head.

"NO! That's not possible! We killed all of them! We won the war!" she shouted.

"We won fool! We won the war!" the smoke shouted. Lucius stepped forward.

"Lucius! NO! Please don't do this!" Hermione pleaded, tears running down her face. Lucius ignored her. His eyes were colder than ice. He took out his wand and pointed it at Hermione.

"NO! LUCIUS NO! STOP! NO!" she shouted but it was too late. A blinding green light erupted from his wand and Hermione felt her heart stop. The breath left her body, inch by inch. Her eyes could see and she saw Lucius smiling down at her cold body and then, finally, the breath left her body.