Nightmares

Hermione spent 3 days in the hospital wing, and Draco would visit her every day to drop off her work. Sometimes they would talk, but most of the time, they would do their work, and if someone needed help, they would help one another. Ginny spent most of her time there, talking about everything under the sun. It really helped Hermione take her mind off everything else that was going on. Apparently, Ginny and Harry had already picked a date, and Hermione needed to get better because she needed to go dress shopping with Ginny next weekend when they could go to Hogsmeade. 

No one had told her what had happened to Ron, but she was leaving today, so she figured she would find out soon enough. She walked out of the hospital wing and to her apartment; it was the middle of the day, so she didn't expect to find anyone there. Madam Pomfrey told her she needed to take the rest of the day still and return to class tomorrow. She didn't know what to do with herself, so she decided to pick up one of the books Draco had told her about and start reading. 

She didn't realize how long she had been reading for until she heard the door open. She looked up. Draco half smiled at her, and she did the same back. 

"Feeling better?" He asked her.

"Yes, thank you." She nodded and went back to reading. She had come across a good part and wanted to finish it before she had to go to dinner. She knew that she would be too busy with homework and essays to read these books once she was back in class. 

"Find something worthwhile?" Draco sat down and tried to read over her shoulder, but she was flipping pages too fast and jotting down notes on the paper next to her. 

"I think so; it is unclear though, like it is not full instructions. Hopefully, when I read the other books, it will all fit together. Just another puzzle that needs to be solved is all," She set her notes aside and put the book back on the shelf. "Is it time for dinner yet?" She looked over at Draco. 

"Soon. Are you up to going down there? There is a class tonight we have to attend." He looked nervously at her. 

"Of course, I feel much better. I am ready to eat some real food anyway," She stood up; she wanted to change, but remembered she wanted to ask about Ron, "Draco, do you know what happened to Ron? No one will tell me anything."

"He is at the Hospital." He looked at the floor.

"Why?" Hermione couldn't help but be worried. 

"They call it PTSD. They are borrowing methods that muggle doctors use. To help him get through it. He is getting all the work delivered to the hospital, and each professor visits him once a week. He is still required to do everything also. Harry asked me not to tell you until he could, but I don't think we should be lying to one another." 

"I know all about PTSD. Everyone has it; that doesn't mean they should lock him up in the psych ward. What are they thinking?" Hermione was about to scream. 

"Granger, he tried to hurt himself after he hurt you. They are just trying to keep him safe, so he can be him again. They want to help him." Draco was cautious not to step on her toes. She seemed angry, and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. 

"I...I...I don't think I am going to go to dinner." She finally said. 

"What about the class we have to take?" Draco asked.

"Well...Madam Pomfrey said I am still supposed to be resting until tomorrow; you can have McGonagall check with her." Hermione then turned on her heels and went into the bedroom, locking it in as many ways as she knew how. 

She was supposed to help Ron. He never wanted to be admitted to a hospital; he had told her that a dozen times. She didn't keep her promise, and it was eating her alive. How was she going to speak to him again, knowing she failed him. 

She laid down in the bed and listened for Draco to leave. She kept looking at the clock, supper had already started, and she still hadn't heard the door closed. She finally heard it close when there were 45 minutes left. She sighed and closed her eyes. All she had done the last couple of days was sleep, but she felt like she could sleep forever. Why was the world spinning the wrong way? They had defeated the bad guy; everything was supposed to be alright now. It was far from it. 

She must have fallen asleep because she was back in the forest of Dean, and Ron was leaving. She was yelling his name and chasing after him, but he didn't turn around. He just left her. She started to cry, sat down on a pile of leaves, that is when she appeared. LeStrange. 

"He isn't here to save you now, Mudblood." Her laugh was too much for Hermione to take. She started screaming. It was like reliving the pain again. The burning in her arm wouldn't let up. She didn't know if she could go on much longer. 

"Hermione!" Draco was beating at the door. He had been sent back my McGonagall after telling her what had happened. "Hermione, are you alright!" He was panicking. It sounded like she was being tortured in there. 

He started casting every spell he knew, but nothing was working. He couldn't get the door open. He didn't know what to do, so he just started running into it. Nothing was budging. Suddenly he had an idea. He rushed to get his broom, and he rushed outside. Found their window and flew up to it.

He could see inside she was shaking on the bed, screaming, going through the glass. It was terrifying, and it took him right back to that night. He needed to make them stop this time. He broke open the glass easily and flew in. Jumped off and ran to the bed. 

He had never had to wake someone up from a nightmare before. How was he could to do that? He didn't want to shake her up; she might cast a spell she couldn't undo. He had heard of that before. Then it came to him, Occlumency. He would try and get into her mind and portray good thoughts, something she could wake up from. 

He thought really hard and cast the spell, went inside her mind. All he saw was his aunt torturing her over and over. No wonder she was screaming. 

"Hermione," He said. He could hear it echo through her mind. "Wake up; she is gone. She can't hurt you. I won't let her. I won't let anyone hurt you." Draco kept repeating the same thing until suddenly, his aunt disappeared, and she was looking at him. "Focus, and wake up. Just wake up." 

He felt a jolt and was then looking at her in real life. She was sweating and breathing deeply. He resited all of his instincts and pulled her close. Holding her tight. He wished someone would have been there for him like this after the beating he took from his father, or from him. 

"She just kept saying he couldn't save me, Draco, that no one could save me. The pain seemed so real." She started to cry. She shook underneath his arms, and he hugged her a little tighter. It felt right her being in his arms, and he kind of liked the way it felt. 

"She is gone, Hermione," Draco repeated it. He said it fiercely, too, as he needed her to believe it so that he could believe it himself. He almost believed it at that moment, until she held up her arm, and it was bleeding. 

"Draco..." She went as white as a ghost. They had only been back a little over a week, and this was now the second time he was taking her to see Madam Pomfrey. 

He didn't even ask her; he just picked her up again and started walking swiftly. He passed Harry and Ginny in the hall, and they stopped on a dime and started following them. 

"'Mione, what happened?" Harry looked as white as Hermione did. 

"She was having a nightmare, and when I woke her up, she held her arm out, and it was bleeding." Draco huffed as he quickened his pace. 

"It was about her, Harry. She's going to kill me, just like she said she was." Hermione breathed before passing out. 

"Harry." Ginny stopped and looked at him. Tears came to her eyes. 

"It isn't possible; your mother stopped her. You saw it." Harry kissed Ginny on the head, and they ran to catch up. 

"How could it possibly start bleeding again?" Harry asked as they got to the Hospital wing. 

"Mr. Malfoy, I just sent her out of here." Madam Pomfrey looked concerned, and then she went silent when she saw the arm. She nodded, and Draco put Hermione down where he was instructed to. 

"You don't understand; the knife was riddled with dark magic. It might do this her entire life. Unless they can get the curse out." Draco looked at Harry and wanted nothing more than to hit someone. 

"Draco, it isn't your fault," Ginny walked over and stood right in front of him. "I didn't think I was going to ever do this, but here we are. Fretting over the same person. Wishing for them to be okay. I may not know you well yet, and I may question some of your intentions, but you obviously care about our 'Mione. So you are now officially alright with me. Now tell me how to get this blasted evil out of her." 

"I can't. I don't know how to perform magic like that. I never learned." Draco wanted to cry, but it was manifesting as anger. He was useless again.

"He is right; not even Hermione would be able to perform magic like this; we need McGonagall." Madam Pomfrey said as she wrapped Hermione's arm tightly. 

"I will get her," Draco said calmly. He walked all the way to her office, muttered the password, and knocked on the door when he arrived. 

"Mr. Malfoy, I hear you have broken a window. I told you any nonsense, and you would have to leave." 

"I did it because I couldn't break Hermione's spells on the door, and she was screaming. Madam Pomfrey needs your assistance." Draco looked defeated. 

"Draco, what happened?" McGonagall was already walking to the door, and she was in a rush, which meant Draco was in a rush too. 

"Her scar. It is bleeding. She saw Bellatrix in a nightmare, say she was going to kill her." Draco tried to explain everything, but he knew that he must have left something out. 

"Minerva, I didn't want to try this alone. You and Albus are the only two that have done it as partners. I am nervous that it will just make things worse." Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall whispered back and forth until finally, the headmaster looked at her students. 

"The three of you are going to have to wait outside." She meant business, and they didn't try and argue. Draco was going to, but when Harry didn't, he figured it was a lost cause. 

"What are they going to do?" Draco looked at Harry like he would have the answer.

"I am not sure." Harry kicked the floor and reached for Ginny's hand. Draco only wished he could be holding Hermione's hand right now. At that moment, there was a bright light from under the door and a gasp. Draco clenched his fists tight and put his head against the wall. 

"You are acting like I would if that were Harry. What is going on with you?" Ginny was demanding an answer.

"She is just so easy to talk to. She makes me want to actually get better, if not for anyone else but her. I don't know when I see her, I smile, and I don't smile. It is the strangest feeling. This is killing me. I am supposed to keep her safe. That is what good husbands and fathers do. I want to prove I can do that. I want to be better than him." Draco let one tear fall.

"Draco, what you are describing is love, and if that is how you feel, you must have felt it far before now. That doesn't develop overnight. She is going to be fine. She is determined to survive." Ginny smiled at Draco.

"She hasn't even taken her NEWTs yet, Malfoy; she would be damned to put in all that work for nothing." Harry laughed to himself and went back to looking at the light coming from under the door. Ginny was right. She would survive.