Again, it's been a while since the last update, but here's chapter 11. I hope you'll like it! Please tell me what you think. I always enjoy reading your thoughts and it means a lot to me.

Oh and in the next chapter we'll have a Halloween party. If you have any thoughts on costumes, I will be more than happy to hear them.

Thanks! :-)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Hermione ran through the Forbidden Forest. It was dark as always and she knew that something or someone was following her. Wand in her hand, she cast Lumos to see through the darkness, not stopping from her race. A couple of minutes later, she got to a small clearing and she finally stopped, panting. Her side hurt from the effort and she tried to ease the pain by clutching that area. The Gryffindor was still panting and clutching at her side when she heard a small moan from across the clearing. She wanted to go and investigate when she felt a hand on her shoulder. A shiver ran down her spine and she screamed, consumed by fear.

"Granger!" She heard a voice in the distance.

"Hermione!" a soothing voice could be heard once again and she opened her eyes only to close them again because of the light that came from his wand. He set down his wand on her bedside table and he gripped both of her shoulders, rocking gently.

"It was just a dream. It's ok. "He assured her, but she was panting and trembling.

"Hermione!" he raised his voice to distract her from her thoughts. "Look at me!"

Hermione came to her senses. She opened her eyes once again and she finally realized what was happening.

"It was just a dream." He assured her once more and she finally looked at him.

"Malfoy!? What are you doing here?" she asked surprised and she rose to stand at the same level as him, her back against the bed board.

He let his hands fall down from her shoulders as he explained "I heard you screaming. You were having a bad dream…"

Screaming? Hermione knew she had that dream for almost a week, but she never woke up screaming. "Did this… Did this happen before?" she asked.

"I don't know, you tell me…"

"No, I mean, this is the first time you heard me screaming?"

Draco thought about it for a second. "Yes, it's the first time."

The girl exhaled relieved. She didn't want him to see her like that. Vulnerable. This would be the first and the last time she promised herself. She didn't want anyone to see her like that. "Thank you for your… intervention. You can return to your room now." She told him with a small smile.

Draco watched her carefully. She was still trembling slightly and he noticed that her smile was forced. "Are you sure?" he asked concerned.

"Yes, I am sure. Thank you." She assured him. She really wanted to be alone.

Draco retrieved his wand and sat up from the bed. He didn't want to upset her. It was clear she didn't want him there. "Good night." He let out and he got out of the room. "Bloody Gryffindors." He thought as he closed the door to his room.

As soon as her roommate closed her door, she cast a Silencing spell and she made a mental note to cast it again every night until her nightmares stopped. It has been almost a week since that episode in the Dark Forest with Dolohov, but her nightmares hadn't stopped. She looked at the watch and sighed. It was almost three o'clock in the morning and she got up from the bed as always. It was enough sleep for one night. The girl paced through her room, unsure of what to do. She felt tired and she wanted to go back to bed, but she had had enough of those nightmares. She had to do something about them. Hermione wanted to brew a Dreamless Sleep potion but decided against it since the ingredients gathering would take some time. She puffed frustrated and she let herself fall on the bed. Five minutes later, she was soundly asleep.

Hermione found herself running again. She was running through the Forbidden Forest, but now she was blind. It was so dark that she bumped into the trees a couple of times. She finally stopped in a small clearing where a stream of light from the great moon helped her distinguish the form of a man. He was lying on the ground, his back against a large boulder. His chin was propped on his chest and he looked lifeless. Suddenly a cold shiver ran through her and she took a step forward towards the inert body. She didn't know who he was, she couldn't see his face and the darkness made it difficult to identify him, but something about him seemed familiar. A low, guttural moan escaped him and she raced towards him. He was alive. Hermione was a step away from him when something or someone grabbed her from behind and she woke up, screaming again.

Draco crossed the living room he shared with Hermione and he stopped at her door. He knocked once on the door and was just about to knock again when the door opened and he stopped.

"What?" the girl asked a bit irritated.

Draco opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. Instead, he just observed the Gryffindor. She looked… fine. Her curly hair was tamed, her clothes were neat, everything was in order. It was like she spent a lot of time in front of a mirror. He knew that girls in general did that, but his roommate was not like any other girl. He opened his mouth to respond once more but he stopped when he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Of course. He almost forgot about her rough night. So she probably spent a great deal of time in front of a mirror to compensate for her lack of sleep.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked him suspicious.

"I am not staring at you" he defended himself.

"Of course not…"

"I think we need to go if we want to eat and not be late for classes." Draco offered.

Hermione only nodded and she started walking.

"Did you sleep well? I mean… after that dream…" he asked her on their way to the Great Hall.

"Yes, thank you. I slept perfectly fine." She lied.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

When they got to the Great Hall, they both went on separate ways. Hermione took her place next to Neville and across from Ginny at the Gryffindor table as Draco sat next to Pansy at their table.

"Have you seen him?" an angry Ginny asked Hermione.

Hermione looked at her confused. "I don't know what you're talking about"

Ginny puffed in frustration. "Ron. He said that he saw you…"

"Oh, yes. He came at the castle Saturday." Hermione told her as she took a sip of orange juice.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, I didn't know… that idiot of my brother took us all by surprise. I really didn't see that coming!" Ginny pleaded.

"Ginny! What on earth are you talking about? Why are you apologizing? Nothing wrong happened. I have to admit… I was very surprised when he told me, but I am happy for him. For them. I truly am, Ginny. And you should be too. He's your brother after all."

"I know. And I am happy for him. I just think they're moving too quick. They just met, on Merlin's beard!"

Hermione chuckled at that. "Don't worry, everything will be just fine."

Ginny sighed. "Yeah… "

"Gin, what's wrong? It seems like you don't want it to be fine."

"Well, don't get me wrong, I am happy for him, but I always thought that it would be you. That you two will end up together."

"For a while I thought so too. But I don't think we would have been very happy with each other. The truth is I was a bit relieved when I found out about them."

"I guess you're right…"

Hermione finished her last class of the day, Transfiguration and although she loved the subject and her Head of the House made it more interesting, it was still a bit difficult for her to keep her eyes open. She just wanted to go to her room and sleep, but she still had a paper to finish for Arithmancy. Luckily she could go to the library and research for the week of interdiction was over. Hermione sighed as she remembered the interdiction. She could go to the library, but she still had a few more days of detention with Snape. That meant a few more days of scrubbing, arranging, rearranging and even brewing. She was happy with the last one, but unfortunately that didn't happen very often. No, instead of putting her brewing skills at good use, the Professor made her scrub the cauldrons. As if that couldn't be made with magic. No, he wanted to torture everyone with his detention.

"That insufferable man!" Hermione thought, but then she remembered her last encounter with him. He seemed almost human then, on top of the Astronomy Tower. She was expecting him to yell at her and send her away, but he allowed her to stay. "Allowed… as if need his permission to do that!" she puffed. She crossed the Hogwarts corridors in silence. When she got to her destination, she was relieved that she didn't encounter anybody on her way there. She wasn't in the mood for explanations.

Hermione entered the large room. She was expecting it to be empty, but more than a few students were lying in the beds and across the room, in the far corner, Madam Pomfrey was having a heated conversation with no other than Snape. She took advantage of that and she exited the room as quickly as she came. She didn't want Snape to know about her troubled sleep so she returned to her dorm. Five minutes later, she was heading to the library. She couldn't stay in her room. The bed was too appealing. Once she got there, it didn't take long to find what she was looking for, but instead of carrying the books to a free table, she let herself fall to the floor, back against the bookshelf and she started reading.

The heavy smell of old books, the stillness of the room and the semi obscurity of her 'hiding place' as well as her exhaustion made her slowly drift away, book in her lap. It didn't take long for the recurring dream to come and once again Hermione found herself running. She ran until she got to the accustomed clearing. This time though, when she got to the man on the ground, there was no one to hold her back. She took one more step and she kneeled next to him. The light from the moon made it easier to see through the darkness, but she still couldn't see his face because of his long hair. He let out a pained groan and she finally lifted his head carefully. Suddenly her surroundings changed and she found herself in the Shrieking Shack. The realization dawned on her and she didn't have to look at him to see who he was. She had been there before, but it seemed so long ago. Now it was like nothing had changed. But quickly, something changed. He became completely still. And cold. And his pained groans had stopped.

Professor Snape died.

No!" she panicked. "This didn't happen. This can't happen!" she screamed. Hermione wrapped her hands around the wound on his neck in a desperate act to keep him alive, but he was already gone.

"You can't be dead! Sir! Wake up!" she shouted as the tears left her eyes and crossed her cheeks.

"Professor Snape!" she tried once more, but nothing happened.

A few hours later, Hermione walked through the cold corridors. She was heading to the dungeon absent mindedly. She could still see her professor dead in front of her. She shaked those thoughts off and she continued on her way. It took her five minutes or more to get there, but she managed not to be late. The Gryffindor was about to knock when the door suddenly opened.

"Ah, Miss Granger! I was expecting you." Professor Snape told her.

Hermione couldn't help but stare at the man. It was a nice change to see him breathing. To see him alive.

"Granger!" Snape raised his voice and Hermione snapped out of her state.

"Professor?"

"Poppy needs a ridiculously high amount of pepper-up potion. It seems like there's a flu epidemic in the castle and she is running low on medicines. This potion is easy to brew so I hope it won't be a problem. Now get to work." He told her and he walked over to his desk.

Hermione took her usual place at the table and started cutting and slicing the ingredients. It was going to be a long evening. Half an hour later, the professor interrupted her from the tedious work with a question.

"Miss Granger, I couldn't help but notice that you came at the Hospital Wing today, but you left immediately." He took a pause before asking in a low and quiet voice. "Are you unwell?"

Hermione stared at him once again. Was that concern in his voice or was she just imagining things? "Um… no, Sir, I am quite alright. Thank you."

"Then why visit the Hospital Wing?" he asked suspicious. He knew that something was off. She was lying.

"I… I heard about the flu and I thought I had it. Turns out it was just a headache." She lied and she returned to her brewing, not wanting to look into his eyes.

Snape got up from his desk and walked towards her. She didn't raise her eyes from the cauldron. When he was just a step away from her, he raised his hand to her forehead. She could still see the scar from her bite on his hand. "You're burning." He stated.

"Well, I am brewing Sir. My face was too close from the cauldron."

"You look terrible." He stated again.

"Thank you, Sir. That is so nice of you."

Snape threw her a nasty look and he went to his cupboard. When he returned, he was carrying a small vial of brown liquid. "Drink this." He said and he handed her the vial.

"But Sir – "

"If you're not sick, nothing will happen to you. But if you are, you will feel better. And hopefully look better. Now drink."

Hermione sighed. "Again, thanks."

"Granger…" he started.

"Fine." She sighed as she took the vial from him and she drank it all.

"Now finish your job." He told her and he returned to his desk to grade the papers. Ten minutes later, Snape was observing Hermione. She still looked awful. She looked weak, sickly and tired, very tired. "Feeling any better, Miss Granger?" he asked without raising his eyes from the papers.

"Yes, thank you." She told him.

Lies. "Good."

A couple of hours later, Hermione was brewing the second cauldron of potion. She was almost finished so the only thing she had to do was to stir, but she grew pretty tired of that. She was so tired that she could sleep on that table. But she knew better than to do that. Elbow against the table, the Gryffindor supported her head on the heel of the hand. She stirred and stirred and she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. As soon as she closed her eyes, the image of a breathless Snape came into her head and she woke up, startled.

"Granger? Is something wrong?" Severus asked when he saw her rose from her seat and breathing heavily.

"No, Sir, everything is fine. I think the potion is ready."

"Let's bottle it up then and we'll go to Poppy with it."

They worked in silence for the next ten minutes and then they carried the crates of potion to the Hospital Wing. Poppy's face lit up when she saw them enter the large room.

"Severus! Just in time! I have just one vial of potion left and the students keep on coming."

"Well here it is. I have to go, but Miss Granger here will help you administer them."

Hermione only smiled at that. She wasn't expecting it.

"Really? Thank you, my dear. Here, you can start from that corner."

Hermione paced to the far end of the now full of sick children room. She put her crate at the end of the first bed and she retrieved a vial from it. The first student was a second year Gryffindor boy. He drank the potion and then she went to the next bed. Again, a second year Gryffindor was occupying the bed. The next bed, however, was occupied by a small blonde girl.

"Harriet!" Hermione recognized the girl.

"Hi, Hermione!" the Hufflepuff girl exclaimed happy.

"Here, drink this. It will make you feel better." Hermione promised as she handed her the vial.

"Thank you." The girl thanked her and then took her hand and continued. "Can you stay with me, please? I don't like being alone."

"I have to go help the other children, but I will be back as soon as possible, ok?" Hermione squeezed her hand a little.

"Ok." The other girl smiled and she let Hermione go.

When Hermione finished, she counted exactly five Gryffindors, two Ravenclaws, three Slytherins and two Hufflepuffs.

"Madam Pomfrey, how long will it take for the potion to take effect?" Hermione asked the mediwitch when she finished.

"Well, that depends on each individual, my dear."

"I see. And how long will they have stay here?"

"As soon as the steam that comes out of their ears stops, they are free to go."

"Then can I stay here a little more? A first year Hufflepuff needs me here."

"Well, Severus told me he already gave you something so I think you're safe to stay."

"Thank you. Oh, and Madame Pomfrey?"

"Yes dear?"

"My… Roommate is having some problems. I'm afraid he keeps having these… nightmares. He's too proud and stubborn to ask for help. You know how Slytherins can be, but I am quite worried about him. Do you think you could help him somehow?" Hermione tried. She hated lying the witch, but she wanted to avoid any unwanted questions.

"I'm sorry that he couldn't come himself to ask, but I suppose you are right. Just let me see what I can find."

"Of course, thank you, Madame."

When the witch walked away, Hermione took a seat at the end of Harriet's bed. The poor child had steams coming out of her ears and she looked like she was about to cry. She hated seeing her like that. "Hello again, Harriet. Are you feeling any better?"

"A bit. Thank you for staying, Hermione. " The girl told her in a small voice.

"You're welcome. " Hermione told her with a warm smile.

"Miss Granger?" Poppy returned.

Hermione rose from the bed and turned to face the older witch. "Yes?"

"Take this and give it to Mr. Malfoy. Tell him to drink only a sip before sleep. It should keep the bad dreams away."

"Thank you, Madame. I will tell him that."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to examine the patients." The woman informed and she stormed off.

It took almost two hours for the steam from Harriet's ears to wear off, but even then, she wasn't clear to go to her dorm. Madame Pomfrey wasn't taking any risks and she kept all the sick students in for observations. When Harriet finally fell asleep, Poppy joined Hermione and told her that it was time for her to go. Hermione didn't argue. She felt exhausted and she really didn't want to fall asleep there. So she got up from the bed and she headed to her dorm. She wondered what would happen if Snape would see her walking through the corridors that late in the evening. It was his fault after all. He was the one that put her in that position, but Hermione couldn't care less. She only wanted to sleep. By the time she got to her room it was midnight so she quickly drank a bit more than a sip of potion and she let herself fall on the bed, still dressed in her school uniform. Hermione fell asleep immediately. She slept wonderful for a while, but then something changed. A light came on and she opened her eyes. She found herself on a bed made of green muscle, once again in the Forbidden Forest.

"No." she let out and then she heard something moving towards her. She started running as always and before she realized it, she was already in the small clearing, clutching her sides.

A moan of pain came from across the small field and she went to investigate. She wasn't surprised to find a body on the ground. This time she moved faster. When she laid eyes on him, her surroundings changed and they were standing in the Shrieking Shack. Hermione kneeled and extended her hands to keep him from bleeding to death. He was still breathing.

"Don't die! Please do not -" but she didn't have the chance to finish her thought. The professor's breathing became more and more shallow until it was nothing left. Everything stopped. Hermione stood paralyzed in her place.

"No! Not again! This can't happen! This didn't happen!" she finally managed to say before she woke up with a jolt.

A pair of blue eyes was staring at her and Hermione almost fell off the bed. "What on Earth are you doing here?" she asked her roommate.

"I came to check if you are ok. You were talking in your sleep." He told her.

"Well, as you can see, I am quite alright, thank you. Now will you please leave me alone?" Hermione snapped.

"Fine!" Draco snapped as well and he exited the room.

"Insufferable girl!" he thought as he closed the door to his room with a loud bang. He woke up in the middle of the night and he heard her talking, almost shouting. He only wanted if she was alright. He was worried about her and she sent him away. Nice. He was about to jump into bed when he heard a movement outside his door and then a knock. He went and opened the door.

"I am sorry for how I treated you." Hermione excused herself.

Draco sighed. "Don't worry, everything's ok."

"Well good night then."

"'Night." He responded and he closed the door. He waited for the door to her room close, but instead he heard her he heard her collapse on the couch from their living room. The Slytherin sighed once more and he exited the room. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Came a muffled answer. Hermione's face was buried in her arm.

Draco approached her slowly and he let himself fall unceremoniously next to her on the couch. With a swirl of his hand he made a fire in the fireplace and the room warmed instantly. "Can I stay here?"

"Yes." Came a short answer from her.

"Good 'cause I wasn't going to leave."

Hermione let out a small chuckle. "I am sorry about earlier."

"I know. And I told you it's alright." He assured her.

They spend the next hour chatting and then Hermione fell asleep. Draco put a blanket on her and he close his eyes, giving in to his own tiredness.