Blood Magic

Why You?

The second Draco vanished from her strange dream, Hermione's eyes shot open. She half-hazardly sat up and fought to get a hold of her bearings. Her hair flew widely around her face, her heart paced rapidly in her chest.

She shook her head and asked herself, what the hell was that?

Why, of all people, was Draco Malfoy running around in her dreams? More importantly, why the hell was he able to chase away the darkness that rotted her mind?

It was almost as if Hermione could still feel the warmth of his arms circling her as he held her close. The blond appeared out of nowhere and scooped her up like she was nothing but a rag doll. He brushed away the hair and tears that clung to her face and soothed her whimpers.

She soon would have expected Neville to be there doing those things before she ever thought Draco to- wait, hold up. Since when did I start referring to him as 'Draco'?

Hermione scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling before flopping back against her mattress. Her arms draped over her head as she stared up at the ceiling. For the first time in, well, ever- the infamous Know-It-All did not know what to think.

Why her mind had crafted such a caring and considerate version of Malfoy was beyond her comprehension. Yet, there was something that felt so natural about the way he moved and spoke to her. It was like he had magically implanted himself in her head just so he could usher away the negative memories that plagued her.

She quickly glanced at the wall clock and shuffled her way to the edge of the bed. Dinner was in just a few minutes and she was ready to surprise her friends by actually showing up. Now that Mione didn't feel as drained as before, she quickly fixed her hair and adjusted her clothes back into place.

Hermione descended the stairs from the girl's dormitory and wandered over to the cozy sitting area in front of the fireplace. She plopped down onto the leather couch and welcomed the much needed warmth. She'd wish her nerves would settle down before someone would take notice of her jumpiness.

"Hey, Mione!"

She jumped in her seat and let out a sharp squeak. Her heart crashed against her ribcage until she saw who had snuck up on her. "Good God, Ginny," she hissed. "You scared me half to death."

A sheepish grin took hold of the red-head as she made her way around the couch. Ginny sat beside her friend and carefully evaluated her. A look of relief passed over her. "Oh thank Merlin, you look so much better," she commented.

"I do?" Hermione arched her brow.

Ginny happily nodded her head and sighed. "Definitely! When Harry and I saw you earlier, you looked as though you were fading."

Mione gave a humorless laugh and propped her head up on her arm. She turned her head to glance into the fire. Part of her contemplated whether or not to tell Ginny about her nightmare and then sudden rescue from a certain Slytherin Prince. No doubt, her friend would goad her for details until they were both red in the face.

Perhaps now wasn't the ideal time to share such a private matter. It was after all just a dream...right?

"Well, I feel a bit better after sleeping for a little," Hermione acknowledged contently. She forced the images of Malfoy out of her mind while she still had the energy to.

Without much more of an explanation, the two headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. As they took their seats, Harry was the first one to notice Hermione's improved condition. His green eyes widened and a chipper smile curved his mouth. He sat up a little bit straighter while Ron hardly paid a single notice.