Holidays were getting closer and closer but Hermione couldn't seem to be happy about it at all. Every Hogsmeade weekend Harry, Ron, and Ginny would meet them and the six of them would shop or just talk, trying to get Hermione to calm down and be happy. Of late Draco's been worrying more and more about her, Travis had done all he could to keep him busy but nothing seemed to be working. Travis and Draco decided to have a ball at the Chantry Manor for Christmas, but it would take some secret planning if they were to surprise Hermione with it. She definitely was keeping her guard up, watching her family and friends, her students and fellow teachers, even Dumbledore. She was scared that everyone around her was against her in some way. She couldn't bring herself to be honest with Draco anymore and anytime something was bothering her she would close it up inside and not let anyone know about it.
She had even had moments when she would unintentionally yell at her students for no reason, for instance a couple of weeks ago she was teaching and asked the class a simple question and Lucy had answered wrong and Hermione cracked, throwing the book and the poor girl and taking 20 points from Hufflepuff before sending her to see McGonagall for poor conduct. Since then no one answered a question unless they were sure they were right. Travis had been present at the time of the minor break down and had escorted her out of the room and to bed; he had sat with her until Draco went on his break and could then stay with her the rest of the day with permission from McGonagall. Now she was on anti-depressants because no one wanted for her to have another breakdown in the middle of class or otherwise. At the point Hermione was really hating her life. She just wished that everything would end and be taken care of by someone other than herself.
"Hermione?" Draco called to her through the bathroom door. "Herms are you finished yet?"
She rolled her eyes, "Yes, dear, almost." Hermione felt like she was a child again… constantly being watched and never getting a moment alone to herself. It was beginning to become unbearable. She walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. "Happy now?" she asked sardonically.
He gave her an innocent smile. "Yes, thank you, sweetheart," he replied in the same tone.
As he walked past her and into the bathroom, almost slamming the door behind him, her heart almost broke. She was pushing him away, she was pushing them all away, it was the only way for her to live safely. It hurt her so much to have to push away the only family and friends she had ever known, but in order to keep them safe as well as her it was something that had to be done. She dressed quickly and stepped out of the room, hoping to sneak down to the library for some alone time, but Travis was already in front of her.
"Where are you going, sis?"
"To the library, if you don't mind."
"Oh not at all, this is such a great time to catch up on some reading," he replied to her rejection with sarcasm.
For the second time that night she rolled her eyes. "So I take it you are joining me?"
"Why not, sis, I mean we could spend some more time together."
The lump in her throat grew bigger as she realized how hard it actually was going to be to get rid of her family. "Fine just don't bother me. Anyone who has known me long enough knows that I don't like to be bothered when I'm reading."
"Yes ma'am," he saluted her playfully, hoping to get a small smile from her morbid features, but he received no reward. Travis frowned. "When are you going to smile again?" he asked her with only good intentions.
Hermione came to a complete stop, Travis almost running into her from behind. "How dare you be so cruel to me. Why would I smile after all that I've been through? You tell me and I'll tell you when I'll start smiling again," she said rebelliously, placing her hands on her hips.
"Well first of all, no one is dead. And to top that off you still have all your friends here with you."
She laughed. "Yeah right, any one of you guys could be against me. All I'd have to do is turn my back for a second and be dead."
He gripped her shoulders. "Hermione, listen to yourself. When have your friends ever gone against you? Your friends love you and everyone is doing all that they can to help you. Please just try to think positive. It is so depressing to see you avoiding us."
She quirked an eyebrow. "So on the nights that I thought I actually got a chance to sneak out I actually didn't?" he nodded. "Damn, but you have to understand that sometimes I do need my own space. I don't even get to relax in my own damn bathtub without Draco bugging me every two seconds so that he can get in."
Travis smiled. "I'll talk to him about it and tell him that he can use mine as long as I'm not."
A small laugh escaped Hermione's lips but she covered it with a cough and a blush. "Thank you." She headed back towards her room. "I don't think I can read anymore."
He nodded and followed her back. "I'll see you tomorrow, little sis." He bent down and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Sleep tight."
"Goodnight, Travis."
"Goodnight."
She walked into her and Draco's room and smiled at him as he sat up in the bed, covers falling from his chest. "Dear Merlin, Hermione, you scared me. I didn't know where you had ran off to."
Hermione undressed and slipped into her pajamas. "Sorry sweetie, I just wanted to read a little in the library, but instead I had a talk with Travis."
"Oh and what did it happen to be about because your spirits seem to be a tiny bit lifted. Did he praise your intelligence or your unruly hair."
She gave him a fake scowl. "Haha. No we talked about me and my space."
"Is that all?"
"And the fact that I don't smile anymore."
Draco frowned. "So you'll open up to him but not me?"
"Draco it's not like that."
"Then what is it like? Ever since the incident at the pitch you won't share anything with me."
She stood up from the bed although she had just sat down. "Well excuse me for having to look over my shoulder at everyone who is my friend because they could turn against me at any moment." Tears streaked down her cheeks and her voice clogged with more. "And don't even try to give me that bull that you aren't the one I should worry about because I have to worry about everyone."
She stormed out of the room and across the hall to Travis's door. "Travis!"
The bed squeaked and footsteps were heard coming towards the door. "Yes?" he asked as he opened the door. "Hermione? What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it right now; can I sleep here for the night, I'll be gone before you wake up?"
He nodded and moved aside for her to walk in. "Do you want me to conjure you a bed or what?"
She blushed a deep crimson almost a dead tie with Ronald's blushes. "Can you sleep with me?"
He nodded again and got back into bed as she did the same.
The next couple of weeks were hectic for Hermione she was worrying about the holidays and the students as well as herself. She lingered for too long, everyday, on the subject of her stalker. In a weeks time she would be at her manor, her own home. She couldn't believe it any more than Harry and Ron could. Of late days they'd been sending her more and more letters sometimes three a day, but she didn't mind, she read them all, she had come to accept that Travis had been right that night that she should trust her friends and family because they would never hurt her. Still though, in the back of her mind she was still scared to trust them.