Hogwarts: A History (Hermione's Version)

Chapter 25

Screams tore through the halls of Grimmauld Place as the grandfather clock continued to tick on. The lights throughout the house ignited as Sirius and Remus tore out of their bedroom, their sight catching Regulus as all three men headed in the direction they knew it was coming from. It had been the same all summer. Hermione's nightmares have come back with a vengeance, leaving the entire house to fitful nights of sleep. As they neared her door, they wasted no time walking into the room. A wave of Regulus's hand, brightened the room so she would know her surroundings but still dim enough not to be a shock to her eyes. Sirius immediately shifted into his Grim form, crawling onto the bed with her as Remus gently sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her curls.

"Hermione, little wolf, wake up," Remus spoke in a calming tone, pushing the damp curls out of her face. "Listen to my voice. It's just a dream. You're safe. Wake up little wolf." Shooting up into a sitting position, she gasped for breath as she took in her surroundings. "There you go love, take it all in. Deep breaths."

A cold snout nuzzled against her hand as the young witch immediately curled up against her father, clutching onto him as if he was a figment of her imagination that she was desperate to hold onto. With another wave of his hand, Regulus intensified the familiar smells that always lingered in her room, helping her to ground herself.

The three men were a well-oiled machine at this point. Night after night had been the same. They had quickly adapted to learning what would help her and what would hinder her. At first, they tried Dreamless Sleep and it worked. The addictive properties of the potion worried them though, so they had switched to calming drought in her tea before bed. At first, it would allow her the ability to sleep but as her tolerance built to it, it no longer helped in the way that they had hoped. Regulus had begun to spend his days down in his potions lab, brewing anything he could think of or dream of to help his niece.

The entire summer had been the same. She had reverted back to the young girl he remembered from the first few months she had lived with them. She never left their home. If she wasn't with her family, she was only found in the library or her bedroom. Her friends had all come and gone in waves, trying to pull her from her self-isolation and convince her to go outside with them. She would utter the same words over and over. It wasn't safe .

Family dinners had become more frequent, all presiding at Grimmauld Place. The one time they had tried to have it at Malfoy Manor, she had ended up with her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth as she tried to breathe. No one wanted to see her in that state again, especially Remus or Sirius.

"Sirius will stay with her," Remus stated, breaking Regulus out of his ruminations. "You should get some sleep. The Order will be here tomorrow."

"I could say the same for you," Regulus pointed out and Remus could only nod in agreement.

"I will be getting some once she is back to sleep and settled."

"At least we didn't come in to find Harry and Draco sleeping on her floor this time," Regulus pointed out and the wolf wouldn't help but roll his eyes. Harry and Draco had been very aware of the state of their friend. In fact, Draco spent most days curled up in the library reading to her and stroking her curls. It annoyed Sirius to no end, but Remus could see what it was doing for the two of them. They were finding comfort and safety with one another and he would be damned before he denied his daughter that.

Harry had adamantly demanded many nights to stay with her and have sleepovers just like they did when they were children. Even when they didn't explicitly ask, there were many nights Regulus or Remus and Sirius had stumbled upon the two boys on cots on their daughter's floor. It had only been once that they came across Draco holding her in bed. The only thing that held the men back, in the end, was hearing the soft cries their daughter was releasing into the young wizard's chest.