Author's Note: I got some good suggestions on making my story better, easier to read and understand who is talking. I am going to change my writing a little bit. My POV's are now going to be denoted with *name*. I hope that this makes reading my stories better. I am sorry that I have taken a while with this chapter. I had a bit of writers block, please forgive me. I am making this chapter longer to make up for that. Please read and enjoy, and review if you would like.

Chapter 8

*Hermione*

Hermione sat at her desk and looked at her ring. She couldn't get over the fact that she was so happily engaged. With her engagement to Ron, it was more about doing what was right than doing what was wanted by both. Of course Ron wanted to marry her, and that is something that made Hermione's heart ache, Hermione just couldn't keep up with the childhood crush she had on him. Thankfully since the night she and Draco got engaged Hermione has not had a nightmare or a flashback to the war.

Looking at the clock on the wall Hermione decided she had enough time to grab a cup of coffee and a smack before her next class came in. As she walked down the hall she felt as though she was being watched. Slowly Hermione stopped and turned around. Instantly she knew the face she saw. It was ghostly white and had two slits where the nose should be. He looked at her with curious amusement. Hermione couldn't breathe.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance mudblood. You will never be safe; I still have followers who will continue my goal of ridding the world of people like you" In the distance Hermione heard screaming and assumed that a muggle had seen the grotesque snake face.

"Miss Granger, wake up! Are you ok? Someone go and call for a medic. Give me my jacket to put under her head." Hermione slowly opened her eyes. She was on the floor with a dozen students standing around her. Quickly sitting up Hermione had a rush of lightheadedness. The students took a step back as the campus nurse came up and took charge of the situation. She felt Hermione's forehead and handed her a bottle of water. With the help of a couple of students Hermione got up off the ground. They proceeded to walk back to her classroom. The few early students looked up in concern.

"I'm fine Jessie; please just go back to your office. I guess I just got a little lightheaded and fainted." Hermione could see the concern and questions reflecting in everyone's faces. Hermione just busied herself with the folders and papers on her desk. She carefully avoided eye contact until Jessie left and the rest of her students took their seats.

"I am fine everyone so get those looks off of your faces. Ok, today we are going to discuss split personality disorder. I want to start by showing a little of the movie Sybil." She dimmed the lights and started the movie. Instead of watching a few minutes of the movie Hermione decided that she was in no way able to really teach today, so the class got lucky and got a movie day. Throughout the evening Hermione would hear his voice echoing in her head. Her heart which was light from being happily engaged and in love was now heavy with dread. Hermione knew that she would have to talk to Harry soon.

That evening as she fixed dinner Hermione could tell that Draco was concerned about her lack of chattering. She usually filled their time together with wedding ideas and the happenings in her classes. She tried to keep the talking going but this evening it all just tired her too much. That night she had a nightmare. It was the first one in a very long while. In it she was battling Voldemort waiting for Harry and Ron to show up when they showed up on his side. The three of them point their wands at her and Hermione can hear the killing curse coming her way; and as she floated up and out of her body she saw them laughing at her and muttering about staying pure.

"Hermione, sweetheart wake up, you are having a nightmare." Hermione sat up panting. She got up as soon as her legs would let her and made her way towards the bathroom. The feeling of nausea hit her suddenly and violently. She could hear Draco making his way to the bathroom door; thankfully he stood on the outside of the door.

"Is everything ok, are you sick? Do you want me to get you anything to help?" At that particular moment Hermione just wanted him to be quiet and leave her alone. She moaned a response of being ok and heard Draco go back to bed. They were back. The dreams that had ceased have started up again.

It had been a while since she'd had the nightmare; it was always the same one. She could still hear their laughter long after she'd woken up. She tossed and turned the rest of the night but every time she closed her eyes she saw their laughing faces, or her own dead face staring blankly back at her. It was the latter that flashed at her during the day, usually when she was least suspecting.

For the next week she didn't get much sleep, trying to stave off the nightmares as best as she could. Hermione could tell that Draco was getting more and more concerned but Hermione just couldn't tell him about this. At least she couldn't tell him about it just yet.

*Draco*

All Draco could think about was how much Hermione was concerning him. The night that she got sick he could tell that she wanted her space so he lay back down in bed waiting for her to join him. He heard her slip out of their bedroom and just assumed that she was getting something to drink to settle her stomach. A day or so later he had the thought that maybe Hermione was pregnant. It was known that neither one of them was using protection of any kind. His heart skipped a beat and he had a vision of their future children and it was all Draco could do not to grab Hermione and see immediately. When no mention of anymore nausea happened the dream flickered out.

It all just made him worry all the more because if she wasn't ill or pregnant then why did she throw up? He had tentatively brought up having Hermione see a doctor but she flat out refused it.

"I am NOT going to see a bloody doctor Draco, how many times do I need to say it. I am FINE so just drop it." He could tell that Hermione was anything but fine, she was drinking more often than she had when they first got together.

Draco sat on his bedroom balcony sipping some firewhisky thinking about the past few months. He and Hermione had broken up not long after their fight. He could tell that the breakup was coming a few days before it happened. Hermione started staying at her townhome. She had started pulling away from his touch. She started staying later and later at work, claiming finals were coming and her students needed her. Draco could see that she was growing distant and she had started recoiling from his touch.

The last conversation they'd had was the hardest one Draco has ever had. Her words still echo in his head and break his heart each time they reverberated.

"Draco I've had enough of you trying to control me. I don't want to talk about it means just that, I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. What the hell good would it do? It wouldn't change anything. God you are becoming Ron, all needy and clingy. I'm done." She slapped the ring on the kitchen counter and turned to walk out.

"Hermione, if you don't deal with this then you are going to continue having issues, not just with me. I know that your parents are concerned about you, and if I am like Ron it's because I love you and want what's best for you."

"What's best for me," Hermione snorted in condescension, "what's best for me is to leave it alone. I am dealing with it on my own and don't need you or my parents or anyone else's help. We are through, maybe now you can understand that I don't need a nanny." Before Draco could even counter her statement Hermione was already out of the door and he heard a second later the slamming of the front door. Falling to his knees Draco wept. He'd been holding it in for a while and he couldn't hold it in anymore.

Coming out of his memories, Draco looks at the ring he'd lovingly placed on her finger. It even seemed to have dulled since being off her finger. Draco sighed and put his glass down and walked into his bedroom. He'd wanted to avoid this for as long as he could but he knew that he'd have to talk to him eventually. Letting his mail owl out of his cage, Draco attached the letter and headed towards an open window. Draco hoped that he wouldn't be rebuffed.

*Ron*

Ron had long since given up on Hermione; she hasn't made any attempts at contacting Ginny about the quickly approaching wedding. He didn't dare go to see her; Hermione had made it plainly clear that she would light him on fire the next time she saw him, and knowing her as well as he did, Ron knew well enough not to cross her when mad.

He heard the squawk of an owl coming in close to him. He looked up and saw the owl flying right at him. Instinctively Ron put his arm up to shield himself from the impact and was surprised when he felt the bird's claws gently land on his arm. Upon closer inspection Ron noticed the note in the bird's beak. It was a beautiful owl and Ron wondered as it flew off whose owl it was. Upon opening the letter there was no doubt.

Ron,

I know that you don't want to hear from me but it's about Hermione. I am frightened for her and I have no one else to turn to. Please don't think that this is a joke. Hermione has pulled away from everyone and she is having nightmares and hallucinations. She won't talk to me and I know that she desperately needs help. Please don't turn me away because of our past. This is for Hermione and I know you still care for her.

Please,

Draco

Not more than a couple of hours later they had spoken on the phone and Ron could hear the genuine concern in Malfoy's voice. He consented to meeting up the next day at the Leaky Cauldron. As Ron sat waiting for Malfoy he thought about his life since the incident at Hermione's apartment. He'd known when he left that things were truly over and in an attempt to get over Hermione Ron had started dating. He'd met someone from the school that Fleur went to. They seemed to be hitting it off and Ron could feel his heart healing.

"Ron, again thank you for coming and speaking with me." Ron was a little startled by his first name being used. Apparently the surprise showed across his face because Malfoy nodded and looked away. Malfoy began telling Ron what had happened with Hermione and his concerns as soon as their food arrived. Ron sat there knowing the pattern that was happening it had happened with him.

"Malfoy, thanks for letting me know what's going on, I will let Ginny know and maybe she can help Hermione." With a smile of relief Malfoy paid the bill and left. Ron sat at the table for a while afterwards. He knew something like this would happen. Nobody can go through something as traumatic as she has without needing help of some sort. Looking at his watch Ron figures he has enough time to go and see for himself how Hermione is doing.

Knowing that Hermione wouldn't want any sort of acknowledgement from him Ron waits outside to catch a glimpse of her. It was still a little surprising to think that he is now dating someone other than Hermione. Lost in thought Ron barely recognized the woman who responded to Hermione's name. Her hair that was once tamed is wild again. Her clothing is dirty, and not in an I spilled coffee kind of way. Ron's heart ached for the girl who has lost her way. It was with a start that the feeling of love and devotion, while still there, were muddled. He knew he would always love her but his need for her to return it was fading. Ron stood there for a while after Hermione had left trying to figure out how to help her. He knew that he alone would not be able to help him. It was time to call in reinforcements. As soon as he was back home Ron sent owls out to gather everyone for the intervention nobody wanted to give. By that evening all the owls were returned with confirmations and surprise. He knew that Hermione would hate him but hopefully she would also get the help needed.

*Draco*

Draco was glad that Ron didn't just completely disregard what he had said at lunch and was surprised to get the owl asking for his attendance. He'd replied so quickly that the owl hadn't even finished his snack before being given another note. Draco had tried to contact Hermione once prior to going to Ron, figuring she might have sold her house and needed some help. Apparently the sale never happened. Nobody was interested in it, or that was what Hermione had said. He didn't understand it but for the first time in a long time Draco was actually nervous. He desperately wanted Hermione happy and knew that if that meant they couldn't be together he would deal with it as best he could, just so long as she was happy.

They had all gathered at Ron's house. Every one of them knew that it was a life or death issue they were about to face. Looking around the room, Draco realized that at one point in time he'd regarded them all as his enemies, never to be helped by him no matter what. Ron stood by his fireplace while Harry paced, stopping occasionally to look lovingly at Ginny. Their wedding, from the word around town, was equivalent to a prince and princess getting married. With a sigh Draco stood up and turned towards the stilled room.

"Thank you for coming, I wanted to say first off that I-"before he could finish Ginny had gotten up and walked over to him. Putting her hand on his arm and effectively silencing him.

"I know, we all know, what you are about to say. Don't. The past is the past and grudges aren't being held. This is about Hermione and that is all. From what Ron has told Harry and me, she is really sliding down hill fast. I tried speaking with her about a week ago and she completely ignored me and when I finally showed up at her house she yelled at me to leave and then slammed the door in my face." Draco could see the hurt in her eyes. In a flash the look was gone and one of determination took over.

For the next few hours the group discussed different scenarios and different ways to confront and help Hermione.

*Hermione*

"Ok class today we are going to have a discussion about autism. Matthew will you please start the discussion?" Hermione knew her class could hear that she wasn't into teaching that day and sat and waited for the clock to run out. She just plain didn't bloody care anymore. What was the point in teaching kids when they would just as easily lie, cheat, or steal to get whatever they wanted? For the third time in as many weeks when the discussion was not lively enough Hermione dismissed the class an hour early. At lunch that day, eaten in the solitude of her office, Hermione noticed that the shirt she was wearing was the same shirt she'd worn the day before, and the noticeable ketchup stain from yesterday's lunch mocked her. Annoyed, and rather exhausted anyway, she taped a note to her door and cancelled the rest of her classes that day.

Sitting at home with the curtains drawn against the warm sunlight, Hermione felt safe, at least reasonably. Her nightmares had taken over her once restful sleeps and made them exercises in frustration. Walking towards her bedroom, having given up on eating anything and leaving her nearly full plate of food on the couch, Hermione stops and glances at herself in the mirror. She can see the haunted look in her eyes along with the dark shadows underneath them. Her hair has gone back to its unruly state. She just can't muster the energy needed to actually take care of herself; it has been far longer than she would like to admit since she showered. Lying down in bed, Hermione did not try to fall asleep. Asleep was where the nightmares were. Asleep was where she could not control the situation. Asleep was where she was vulnerable. Hermione prided herself on not needing anyone's help. Even though she tried to avoid it, inevitably sleep would find her and take her to the battle she never wins.