Chapter 9-Cause I've Got the Stars

Chaos greeted them once they reached the Room of Requirement. The number of students seemed to have increased significantly since Hermione and Ginny had left. Hermione couldn't be bothered to count but she estimated about four hundred students in total, which was a lot more comforting than sixty students.

Minerva took charge and started a head count, separating students by year. Hermione tried not to notice the angry glares she was receiving. Her attention went to Malfoy who was still surrounded by her protective bubble. She saw Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zanbini standing over his body looking more worried by the second. Hermione left Ginny discreetly and made her way over to Malfoy and his Slytherin friends. They stiffened defensively when she approached and they didn't ask any questions.

"He'll be fine if you're worried." She said softly wishing she didn't feel like she was overstepping her boundaries. What if they started throwing hexes at her just for speaking?

Pansy's defensive wall seemed too crumbled and she grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and very obviously began to sob. Hermione, who was too stunned to do anything but stand there and pat her back awkwardly, looked at Blaise for help.

"She and Draco are like brother and sister. Inseparable." He had a deeper voice than Hermione had anticipated and it kind of through her off. Hermione let his words sink in and though it was hard to imagine Malfoy caring about someone so much, she held Pansy tightly and let her cry. Ignoring the bizarre feeling she had for comforting the Slytherin's she set pansy down next to Malfoy when she had finished crying and tried to explain.

"He was seeing You- Know-Who. And apparently these nightmares can do anything that happens in your dreams. He was tortured and I don't know how many times before I got there." Pansy lost any previous color she had and her bottom lip trembled. Hermione feared she would cry again but Pansy pulled herself together.

"What is this thing around him?" She asked softly, though everyone who was near would be able to hear anyway.

"A protective shield. I had to go with Ginny to look for others and couldn't just leave him without any protection. He was the only Slytherin here when we left and I thought people would panic and jump to conclusion. Better safe than sorry." Hermione said watching their reactions. Blaise spoke up before Pansy.

"And would you be? Sorry?" He asked bluntly. Hermione faltered and glanced at Malfoy before answering, "Of course."

"Can you take it down now that we're all here?" Pansy pleaded and Hermione guessed she just wanted to make sure he was alive herself.

Hermione looked away while Pansy stared down at Malfoy with a worried expression. She had always seen Malfoy as some incapable of loving and regular emotions. She saw now that he was just another boy or rather man. He was a man, she decided. Hermione saw the stubble appearing on his jaw line and how his broad shoulders moved with each breath; then those lips, the ones that had been on hers just hours ago.

Hermione turned away from him completely and crossed her arms against the thoughts she was having. What was wrong with her? What was wrong with him?

"Granger…" Hermione squeezed her eyes shut when he called for her. She felt that she should turn and go to him, tell him what happened. How could she though when he was who he was and everyone was watching and…

"Hermione?" He called and she didn't hesitate this time. She sat down opposite Pansy and took his hand.

"We found Minerva and she's trying to see how many student are here and how many...didn't make it."

He opened his eyes and held her hand tighter. "How many are here?"

"Over four hundred. I don't know the estimated amount of students that attend Hogwarts. It never seemed important." She whispered, feeling uncomfortable under the stares of the two Slytherins.

"There are 468 students attending this year. Most of them are the younger years." He said and moved to sit up. Hermione helped him silently pretending not to notice the bewildered stares of Pansy and Blaise.

"Pansy!" He echoed finally noticing her. Pansy bit her lips and glanced between the two of them. Hermione pulled her hand away and stood up stiffly.

"I'll be back." She said and moved away before he could ask her to stay. Ginny was talking with Harry. When had he gotten here? How did he get here?

"Harry?" Hermione stopped seeing the look on his face. Harry was crying! Ginny was flushed and gripped his arm with unnecessary force.

"Mione? I'm so sorry." Harry whispered in voice filled with horror.

Hermione knew the moment the words left his mouth, maybe she knew as soon as she realized she'd been receiving false letters. Her breath left her in a hit to the chest and she sank to her knees, blinking her eyes.

"You found them then." She asked hollowly, wishing to God he was going to say someone else had died or anything else besides what she knew in her heart was true.

"Yes. They've been…gone for months."

"Where is Ron Harry?" she demanded looking from Ginny to Harry in abject horror. Ron would be standing next to Harry if he could have been. But he couldn't because…

Harry couldn't seem to speak properly and Ginny led him away. Hermione didn't care. She really didn't.

Another hit. Ron was dead too. Her parents have been dead for months. Tear finally sprung from her eyes and a loud sob ripped its way out of her chest. Once the sobs started she couldn't turn them off and they just got louder and louder and more horrifying. Reality was sinking in and the numbness had worn off. It was real. Imposters had fooled her so completely.

A warm hand on her shoulder made her shiver and sob harder. She felt so cold inside.

"Hermione. Look at me." It was him. She could feel the tremors in his body and still her knelt by her and pulled her close.

"My parents." She choked out in a gasp. Her nodded against her and started rocking her gently. Hermione didn't think about how silly they looked or how many students were privy to her private pain.

She just let herself fall apart in his arms.

A/N: It's very short, just about 1100 words, but nothing else would happened no matter how I tried to write it. The next chapter will be longer. Maybe some questions were answered. Review please.