That night, Hermione dreamed of Harry. They were standing in front of the lake, Hogwarts stood majestically behind them in its full glory, and the air was warm and inviting. Harry stood with his back to her, staring out at the lake, watching the Giant Squid bask lazily in the sun. All she could see of him however, was his messy black hair.
Hermione started forward excitedly, she was going to talk to Harry again! There was so much she wanted to tell him. She wanted to rant about how she was transported to Middle Earth, complain half-heartedly about being stuck with Malfoy of all people, but most of all, Hermione wanted to apologize to him. If she had only acted on her suspicions, Harry wouldn't be dead.
However, Harry had not turned around, he hadn't even said anything. Hermione paused in her steps, something didn't feel right about him. Her heart dropped to her stomach, she'd had this same feeling when…Voldemort.
Harry finally pivoted on the spot. Hermione wanted to scream. His eyes were crimson.
Her heart began to pound erratically in her chest. This was just a dream, Voldemort couldn't hurt here.
"Oh, but I can," his cold voice responded, as if being able to read her mind. Which, Hermione noted with horror, he probably could. She struggled to construct her occlumency shields, but as Harry had complained so often of during their fifth year, her mind refused to go blank.
"You may have escaped me, you filthy mudblood, but your friends didn't." Voldemort hissed. "Tell me, what did you expect me to do with them? Spare them?" He let out a cruel laugh. "I tortured them, I caused them so much pain that they begged for death. And the merciful Lord I am, I obliged. I killed them, Mudblood. Would you like to see?"
Suddenly they weren't in front of the Lake, Hermione saw the Great Hall, and she watched Harry collapse in pain, she had seen this all before, and by Merlin did not need to see it again. She witnessed Ron's death once more. Neville had sacrificed himself to kill Nagini, but before he could chop her head off, she bit him in the neck. Dolohov sent crucio after crucio at Luna who was laying on the ground, begging for him to stop. A flash of green, and she too was dead. Ginny was screaming in outrage and abandoning magic, she leapt at him and wrapped her tiny hands around his neck. Greyback tore her off Dolohov and dragged her screeching, crying form out of the Great Hall.
So many bodies lay unmoving on the ground. Hermione looked around with wide horrified eyes as she spotted Lupin and Tonks lying side by side, and George had fallen, trying to protect his twin's body. Kingsley and McGonagall were fighting Voldemort side by side, but with two flashes of purple light, both fell clutching at their bleeding wounds, until they too were dead.
"Stop! Stop!" Hermione was screaming with tears falling like waterfalls down her cheeks. She fell to her knees in the center of the Great Hall, and kneeled as if in prayer for her lost friends, or the ones who had survived and would have to live under this…this monster.
"You see what your friends have suffered? Do you feel their pain?" Voldemort cackled in her ear. "And what did you do? You ran. You're a mudblood and a coward."
"No," Hermione muttered to herself. "No."
"Granger."
"Go away!" She shrieked.
"Granger." But this voice was not malicious, it was kind and held a tinge of worry. "Granger, wake up."
Hermione's eyes flew open. Malfoy hovered over her and his hand rested on her shoulder. She blearily rubbed her eyes and noticed that it was still quite dark, but with dawn on its way. Soft snoring came from all around the dying fire. Hermione glanced around her and noticed Kili and Fili sleeping on both sides of her.
"What happened, Malfoy?" She whispered, careful not to disturb the sleeping dwarves.
"You were having a nightmare," he slowly whispered back. "You were whimpering and crying in your sleep."
"Oh," Hermione's cheeks burned. "I…I dreamed of him."
Her dream flashed before her eyes. So much death. "I saw what happened after we…left. And they're all dead. All of them."
Malfoy looked at her with pitying eyes. The pride in Hermione made her raise her chin defiantly, as if daring him to voice his pity. "We're leaving tomorrow. Or today, at the break of dawn." He changed the topic much to her relief. "You should probably get cleaned up."
Hermione frowned and touched her cheeks. Sure enough, there were tear tracks dried onto her cheeks. Murmuring a few spells, Hermione cleaned herself up, braided her hair, and packed everything into her beaded bag.
Kili let out a soft grunt and rolled over in his sleep. She smiled softly, and a little sadly. Kili and Fili had grown on her since her short arrival here. They had such an eagerness to please Thorin as they bravely fought the trolls and orcs. Yet their ability to laugh and joke reminded her of Fred and George. Suddenly, Kili opened his dark onyx eyes and they locked on hers with such an intense look. But it left almost as soon as it came, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.
"Watching me sleep, My Lady?" he drawled.
"Of course not," Hermione answered briskly, annoyed at the light blush that spread across her cheeks. "I was merely observing the dwarves. It is coincidence only that you happened to waken as my gaze passed over you."
"Indeed," Kili replied sarcastically. "What, may I ask, did you observe?"
"You have dirt on your nose, did you know? Just there." Hermione pointed to a smudge of dirt that trailed across his nose. She smiled to herself sadly, remembering that day when she had first met Ron and Harry aboard the Hogwarts Express.
Kili noticed her saddened wistful eyes, and felt compelled to comfort her. For reasons completely unknown to either of them. "I cannot honestly say I know how you feel," He began. "Nor do I sense that you want my pity."
Hermione glanced gratefully at him at the comment. "But I lost my father when I was young. I don't remember much, but I knew he died hoping for a better life for Fili, my mother, and I. Your friends perished for a noble and worthy cause. Remember that." Kili finished.
Hermione was touched. For once, someone was not offering her pity, which to be honest, she was rather tired of. But here was a dwarf who told her that he didn't understand, but knew to say exactly what she needed.
"Thanks," was all she could bring herself to say.
"Now, no more crying, eh my lady? Come let us wake my dear brother." Kili's serious gaze was replaced with a mischievous twinkle.
He bent over his brother and motioned for Hermione to do the same. She thought it was a rather old practical joke, but agreed that it would be very comical indeed. She leaned forward until her face was mere inches away from Fili's.
"Fili," she crooned, tugging at one of his beard braids.
His head twitched but he did not awaken, a true sign of how exhausted he was. "Fili," Kili leaned closer as well. He tugged on Fili's other braid.
Fili's eyes flew open in shock and he jerked his head up, smashing his forehead onto Kili and Hermione's. The two lurched back in pain and moaned as they felt their heads gingerly. A snort sounded from behind them, and Hermione spun around to see Malfoy smirking at her. She raised her wand threateningly at him, and let an amused smirk creep onto her face as well as he lifted his hands complacently.
"Enough with your foolishness," Thorin's voice cut through their mirth. "We must leave quickly and quietly, so as to not rouse the suspicions of the elves."
Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. Thorin could be a right killjoy sometimes.
"You heard uncle," Fili teased Kili who still rubbed his sore forehead. "Enough with this foolishness. It'll take a lot more than your ugly mugs in my face in the morning to rattle me." He crowed.
Kili scowled. "My face is not ugly. Ask Lady Hermione, for she was 'observing' it very intently this morning."
The air got awkward and Hermione's cheeks flamed. Well, now that the whole company knew about her wandering eyes…
"Was she now?" Fili looked at her bright red face in amusement.
"To tell you about the dirt on your face," Hermione retorted. She still couldn't get the blasted blush to leave her cheeks.
"Fili! Kili!" Thorin snapped. "Smother the fire and cover all traces of us being here." The elves, of course, knew the dwarves were supposed to be where they were, but Hermione had the sneaking suspicion that Thorin just wanted his nephews away from her. Again, she fought the urge to roll her eyes.
She strolled over to Malfoy who watched with light amusement on his sharp features. "Sleep well?" She asked.
"Better than some," he replied, and Hermione saw the images of her dead friends flash beneath her eyelids once more.
"I don't want your pity, Malfoy," Hermione frowned at him.
Malfoy looked deeply offended. "My pity. My pity, Granger? Seriously? After all we went through, after all I revealed, you still believe me to be some spoiled pure-blood heir who is dishing out pity to peasants?"
"No," Hermione retorted hotly.
"In case you haven't noticed, Granger," Malfoy thundered on, "I'm stuck in just as much of a predicament as you! You didn't even consider for a moment there, that I left my mother and father behind. That I had lost friends as well? The war didn't only affect you, Granger. Quit being so selfish!"
Hermione was rendered speechless. Stupid, stupid girl! She berated herself. She had let her pride run wild, and had forgotten that she was not the only one to have lost great amounts. She had refused what she had conceived as pity from Malfoy, when in reality, he was the only one to really understand the empty feeling within her.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered out.
"Save it," he hissed. "I don't need your pity." And with that he promptly stomped away.
The company quietly crept out of Rivendell and returned to the path. Hermione saw Bilbo turn around to get one last glimpse of Rivendell. Thorin told him to continue walking, and Bilbo gloomily turned away from the Last Homely House. Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.
"You will return to Rivendell one day," she told him kindly.
Bilbo blinked up at her and gave her a sad little smile. "I hope so."
They continued the rest of the day trekking across barren lands. Hermione was sure that the landscape would have been quite breathtaking, if only she had breath left. She soon learned that dwarves could travel vast amounts of distance in very small amounts of time, if they wanted to. Since learning about their deadline of Durin's Day, Thorin pushed the company even harder. No one spoke, except for the vague comment once in a while that was never returned.
And then it began to rain.
Bugger, Hermione grumbled. She was shivering violently and wished that she hadn't stowed her wand away for safekeeping while they were running. The group shuffled along the thin edge of the mountain as Hermione would've given anything to have a fire to warm and dry her. Lightning struck and a large boulder crashed above their heads. And so the thunder battle began.
Hermione screamed when the mountain split the group in two. She saw Fili on the other side gesture wildly towards Kili who was on the other leg with her. She clung desperately to the rocks, and could've sworn she heard Malfoy screaming like a banshee for her. But he probably doesn't even want to protect me now, she thought miserably back towards this morning's row.
The giant's leg smashed onto the ground and jolted the group so hard Hermione almost fell off. But Kili, bless his soul, noticed and pushed her against the rocks, shielding her body with his. Suddenly, the giant stumbled and Hermione shrieked as the group was smashed onto the mountainside. Thankfully, there was a ledge and they had avoided being smushed like bugs.
Thorin ran up to them with fear written across his normally expressionless face. He grabbed Kili into a bone-crushing hug. Bombur kindly helped Hermione up. For a moment the group showed only relief until-
"Where's Bilbo? Where's the Halfling?" Bofur shouted.
The company turned and noticed Bilbo's tiny hands gripping onto the ledge and saw his eyes widened with shock and fear. Hermione fumbled for her wand, but Thorin had already swung down to help Bilbo up. After much pulling and grunting they managed to heave both Bilbo and Thorin back onto the ledge.
"I thought we almost lost our burglar," Dwalin sighed.
"He has been lost ever since he left his home. He should not have come, he has no place among us." And with that, Thorin turned around coldly and entered the cave in the mountainside.
Bilbo's face fell. Hermione's heart went out to the tiny hobbit that had yet to be accepted by their leader. Drenched to the bone and shivering, the rest of the company filed into the cave after Thorin.
Unable to light a fire, Hermione pulled out her wand with violently shivering hands and performed a quick warming and drying spell. She made her way around to each dwarf and dried them off. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Malfoy had curled up facing the walls and was apparently asleep. Hermione sighed and settled next to Fili and Kili, she would have to apologize to him soon, no matter how much it wounded her pride.
Exhausted, Hermione slipped into a blissfully dark sleep, without a single thought about the hell the group had yet to encounter.