Author's Note: Sorry for the late update guys! I had to take time to type everything I had handwritten and then try to proofread a bit. I have good and bad news. Good news first! I found a Beta !! Bad news... I forgot to make the connection to send my work to be proofread on here. So if I had waited this update would have came reallllly late. So please excuse the mistakes if you come across some while reading. I promise my next update will be proofread by my beta!

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"Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the lord my soul to keep,

thy angels watch me through the night,

And keep me safe till morning's light."

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Day 6, Week 1, Fall Term

II. You Versus the Sea

Death was all around them. It seeped into their pores and filled nostrils until the soul was on the verge of breaking. And yet they did not fear it. They knew it was sure to come as the morning sun. But until then Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed on the path of finding all the Hocruxes to destroy the immortality of Voldemort.

And when it was time, the final battle raged forever until the floor underneath the feet of the living was crying out from the blood of the fallen. It was too many deaths that the count became the stars that beamed with light from the night's sky. The light gave those fighting the warmth to keep going when everything looked bleak. There was no stopping the trio now.

The good will die. But let the darkness devour their good will so that evil may not live another day. Each member of the golden trio was locked in a furious battle of wills. Harry battled Voldemort with sparks of red and green flickering to be absorbed into the darkness. A blue light was shooting off at the distance while Ron was facing off against Rodolphus Lestrange.

There tucked away in a secluded place was Hermione fighting Bellatrix. There was none of Bella's usual cackling laughter but a snarl that broke the silence caused by the intense battle created. Two of the strongest witches were battling for supreme dominance.

"You know you're just like me." A low voice broke through Hermione's concentration and mental wall.

The confused expression crossed the face of the Gryffindor as her response burst out loud,

"What?"

An evil smirk made the devilish face of Bellatrix more maddening, "Oh yes I see it all in your mind." She started to pace around the younger woman, "Your parents..."

Hermione's eyes that were drawn to the darkness snapped back to the bottomless pit orbs of her enemy. She tried hard to raise her mental defenses but there was no strength in the efforts. "Get out of my head and face me like a witch. Wand to wand."

Thats when it all began, the images. Images that were hand drawn by the devil himself in the class of destruction. The pictures of her parents hunched over in pain as another wave of torture hit them. Hermione who was barely holding on now gasped out loud and clutched at her heart as tears filled her eyes. She clawed at her body as if to free her soul from the impending death it was facing by the images.

"I was wrong," Bellatrix kept circling her prey while continuing to assault her victim's mind, "you are nothing like me at all. You are weak with love."

A whimper escaped Hermione's mouth as she continued to fight against the shadows that overtook her dreams again. But it wouldn't let her go. She was shaking. It was not by fear but from strong hands that were breaking through the horrible nightmare.

"Mione come back to me."

The voice startled Hermione as she tried to open her eyes but realizing her face was once again in the books. Raising her head slowly, she was greeted by Ron's concerned hazel eyes and his hands still on her shoulders. She shrugged them off as a light blush of embarrassment stole over her cheeks.

As if to buy some time, Hermione closed the book her head was resting in just a moment ago while taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"This book makes horrible material for a good dream."

Ron realized his best friend was again pushing away his attempts to help. He wanted to shout at her and make her tell him what was wrong. To actually talk about what happened in the dream to make her whimper like a wounded animal. The worse scar to carry is an internal one.

He shrugged and ran a hand through his already messy hair, "And that's why I content myself by not reading them."

Just maybe if he do not bring up the nightmare it will go away on its own. If it is not spoken then it's not truly a reality. Right?

Ron looked curiously at the book, "What is it anyway?"

"Just a potions book I plucked out of the shelves while researching for our transfiguration essay." Hermione tried to make light of the book she had just slept on. It was an advance potion book that held remedies for restless night syndrome. After the war against Voldemort her dreams were consumed by the darkness.

When she had the very first nightmare her instincts were to go straight to Harry in order to see how he stopped his visions. But then reluctance set in, Hermione knew for certain that a memory that caused so much emotional distress could not so easily be forgotten.

A dark look crossed over Ron's face at the mention of the essay, "Blimey Hermione, it's due in two weeks and you already started it! It seems like some things never change."

Hermione smiled at the thought of how her younger more caring behavior. And it all dawned on her when she looked up to truly examine her best friend. Ron's lanky form now filled in with muscle and his hair which he normally kept short has grown to about his shoulders. He now kept his unruly red locks strangled in a ponytail that made him look close to Bill.

She remembered how he use to fawn over the girls and now the girls were falling over themselves to be noticed by him. A rueful grin crossed her lips when the thought came of times really changing.

"What got you all smiling now?" Ron looked up questioningly at his now smiling friend. It made him feel good that Hermione was smiling now and the shadows that normally covered the light in her eyes were not present.

It was a time when all Ron wanted was to be noticed by Hermione. They argued constantly and push each other to the limits but the affection was always lingering in the air. It did not help that she was no longer the first year with bushy hair, big teeth, and book driven. The war had brought out qualities that she may not have been able to do on her own despite some of it's side effects.

"Just thinking that you will never change Ronald." Hermione smirked at the puzzle expression given by her best friend from her answer.

He laughed. "Of course, if I started to do my work on time then it would disturb the whole equilibrium of this magical world." Ron then looked rather grave when he finished, "Just imagine the chaos that would ensue, mate."

A rather loud laugh burst through from Hermione as she shook her head sending longer dark locks to tumble over her shoulders. Ron took a moment to really look at her then. After the war she had made her hair a darker brown and now kept a shimmering tan to her skin. She had kept the tattoos that were on her arm, across her collarbone, and on her back. Although she is healthier then during the war her face still took on gaunt look that only accentuated her cheekbones.

Ron chuckled at one of the things Ginny had described Hermione as now, a female Johnny Depp. Then again, it wasn't far from the truth.

Hermione's brows furrowed at the thought of the world gone crazy because Ron decided to do homework earlier than the night before its due.

"You know what? You may have a point." Hermione's mouth twitched upwards from not being able to control the laugh. Glancing up at the clock, she hurried to pack her bag along with the book she was reading. "I have to get going."

"Blimey! You're always on the move at least let me come with you."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Sure why not?"

The weekend was turning out to be better than expected. Fleur's parents had come to visit her at the school for their days off. Today they decided to tour the Hogwarts' grounds while talking lightly about Fleur's first week of teaching.

Apolline eyed her daughter suspiciously as she spoke, "It was that great, Fleur? Aucuns problèmes?"

A nervous chill went down Fleur's spine at hearing the question. "Of course not, the students are wonderful."

Tristan quietly laughed at the exchange between his wife and daughter. "It seems like your mama wants to hear what you seem to be holding back from us. We are not made of glass, my daughter."

"I know papa." Fleur murmured while staring off into the clearing that created a beautiful scenery.

They walked further along the trees to come closer to a lake tucked away where the sun was free to dance upon it with a cloudless sky. Apolline turned her head to the left and squinted her eyes to see two figures ahead.

"It seems like we were not the only ones with the idea of taking a stroll now." Apolline smiled at her daughter who didn't notice the pair.

As they quietly moved closer undetected they were able to make out who the others were ahead of them.

Of course Fleur's parents knew the pair. The entire Wizarding world owed them gratitude and respect for what they had done in defeating Voldemort. Although the war was over the Wizarding paparazzi still took photos of them whenever it was possible. Hogwarts was the safest place for them to be without the mob of cameras.

As soon as Fleur's blue eyes saw Hermione her temper went up. She shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts of what happened Friday but it would not leave. Fleur was still furious and the emotions were rolling off of her in waves. Both her parents just looked on as if the trees were the most interesting thing in the world.

"We do not have to stay here." Fleur spoke quietly while her mind screamed in anger.

Slowly, Apolline approached Fleur to stand by her side as she looked at the pair as well. "And where would you like to go, ma cherie?"

The half-Veela mind was racing to different thoughts but one idea she was able to pin down to say instantly. "Far away."

The scene was really heating up in front of the small group. It wasn't the sun rays that made Ron take off his shirt to go stand by the quiet lake. He wanted the attention of Hermione but she contented herself with reading her book from the library.

Anyone could sense the closeness of the pair. But no one in the group could determine just how close they were to each other. Fleur's icy blue eyes narrowed at the turn of events but she pursed her lips and stared in silence with her parents.

Ron's upper body had become quite chiseled with a peach marble appearance. Broad shoulders, well defined abs, and strong arms were being bared for Hermione's benefit. Yet she did not look up at the offered plate of desire.

The dark haired young woman sighed but continued to read as she spoke. "Ronald you keep that up and you will not be sun-kissed, but in fact sun-burnt."

He cocked his head to the side while asking. "Is the book really that interesting?" Ron walked up to Hermione and snatched the book from her hands to read the page.

Hermione was livid as she stood up to grab her book that he had taken. As she stretched her hands to reach it her shirt that was managed by a knitted waistcoat started to be untucked from her jeans. He was taller than her and that meant she had to stretch further to get the book out of his hand.

"Give me back my book!!" Hermione's face was flushed from her anger and eyes danced with murder as she looked at Ron's smiling face.

He started to walk backwards to the lake as he kept looking at her. "Can't sleep, huh? You could've asked me for remedies to cure that problem." Ron was trying hard to flirt but gave no effort to look at where he was walking for he stumbled upon a rock and the book flew out of his hand to land into the water.

They both stared in shock as the heavy book floated for a minute at the top of the water before plunging into its depth.

At the same time but in two different places both Hermione and Fleur uttered under their breath the exact same thing about the red-haired book killer.

"Idiot."

A look of embarrassment and guilt overtook Ron's smiling face. "I'm sorry Mione."

Fleur closed her eyes as she spoke the word but Hermione looked past her best friend to stare at where the book went under.

Quickly, Hermione took off her waistcoat, button white shirt, jeans, and shoes leaving her in underwear.

"Mione what are you doing?!" Ron had to tear his eyes away from the perfect sight Hermione's body made to stare at a patch of grass. He cursed at himself for not being a gentleman sooner but the sun was dancing over her skin as if she was the lake.

She walked right past him with no answer as she stared at the lake for a moment before diving into it. There was only a small splash but the water continued to flow as if no interruption had occurred. Ron turned his head back to the lake not believing Hermione had just enter the lake for a book no less.

Icy blue eyes were staring at the scene with her mouth wide open maybe from the drooling but more out of the shock. Hermione was different than what she had expected. Fleur expected soft and delicate but what she got was hard as steel. Oh yes, Hermione's skin look unbelievably soft but stretched over the muscles in her stomach that demanded the attention of any onlooker. Indeed she was well toned but most of all.. she had tattoos!

Behind Fleur, the voice of her papa startled her out of the daze. "It seems to never be a dull moment at this school." He bounced back and forward on his heel as he decided to continue the stroll without the other two.

Just as Fleur and Apolline turned their eyes away from Tristan they saw the book emerge out of the water and then Hermione.

She pulled herself out of the lake and onto her feet. Ron, who was kneeling by the water waiting for Hermione to come back up turned beet red.

And there she was tanned skin with droplets of water clinging to it and hair loosen from its constraints. A nymph. The water was cooling and yet it did not kill the fire in her eyes. It was soothing and yet the rage pounding in her chest desired a victim.

Hermione was wet and angry. Not a good mix.

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A/N: I know why did I leave it there?? Why didn't I keep going? Patience. I love this Hermione. I wanted her to live up to her potential of hotness! Yes we all know Fleur is hot, but Hermione is very hawt as well. I was going to skip a few days but no, this is important. You must know all of this before we can continue. And now that you are finished reading, feed me reviews!

-very evil laugh echoes through the site -