Inside Your Mind

all i want

All I Want - Kodaline

November 1st 1999

It was a cold day.

Not unusually cold for the time of year. But it was a biting cold; the kind that could seep into your bones and make it impossible for you to shake off until you step into a warm shower or wrap yourself in the comforting heat of a hot bath.

She pulled her gloves on tighter, balling her hands into fists in an effort to hold in what little heat she could around her fingers, and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. She stepped out of the front door of the dentist's office, locked it with her set of keys, and walked towards her car so that she could go home and have that hot bath in an effort to fight off the day's cold.

She didn't notice the man watching her from across the road as she opened the car door. She didn't notice the man walk towards her as she climbed into the driver's seat and turned the car engine on. She didn't notice the man until he was opening the passenger door and shoving himself into the passenger seat.

She let out a yelp as the passenger door opened, scrambling for her door handle with numb fingers, but it was no good.

'There's no use trying to open the door.' The man said in a low, and surprisingly calm, voice.

'Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my car?' She growled, pressing her body against her door in an effort to put as much space between her and the stranger as she could.

The man laughed. It wasn't a long laugh, more like a jovial grunt, but it was enough to make her blood boil in anger at his callousness.

'Who. Are. You?' She asked again through gritted teeth. She watched as he pulled something from his coat pocket and pointed it at her.

'All in good time.' He whispered, leaning across the seat to get closer to her.

The last thing she registered before the world went dark was the smell of peppermint.

***

The first thing she could hear were voices, swirling around in her mind, as the fog slowly cleared and she came to her senses.

'How could you not think of what the next part of the plan is?' The first voice asked.

Somewhere in her clouded mind she recognised the cold, sharp tone.

'I left that to you. You were the one who came up with this whole thing in the first place.' The second hissed back.

'Alright.' The first voice said. 'I have an idea but they aren't going to react well to it.'

'You're not considering waiting for her to wake up and just explaining everything to her, are you?' The second voice asked with a groan.

She could've sworn that she heard a chuckle from the owner of the first voice.

'It will be fine. They'll understand.' The first voice said. She could tell that the person had gotten closer to her, the smell of peppermint wafting towards her nostrils, as they spoke.

She considered her options; she could try to run away from her captors, she could scream until her lungs were ripped to shreds and pray that someone could hear her, or she could listen to what they had to say. Though she did not know who had taken her, or why, the snippet of conversation that she heard made her think that they had no violent or malicious intent. The thought was insane, she knew that, but there was an air of familiarity that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

The first thing that she saw when she opened her eyes was a face.

A handsome face; chiselled jaw, piercing eyes, and perfect hair.

She knew this face.

***

May 2nd 1998

'Are you ready?' A quiet voice asked from the door.

There was no answer.

'Hermione?'

Still no answer.

'Mione!'

Hermione's head snapped up, the trance broken, and met the concerned eyes of Ginny Weasley.

'Sorry, Gin.' Hermione mumbled as she stood up from her seat by the window. 'I just needed a minute.'

Ginny stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her friends shoulder, and turned them back towards the window. They watched as the injured were transferred to St Mungo's, as the dead were pulled from the rubble, and as the fires slowly burnt out.

The Battle of Hogwarts hadn't lasted long, mere hours of the late night and early morning, but the losses were astronomical. They could be felt throughout the entire castle and the two girls both needed this moment alone to grieve in peace.

Neither spoke a word as tears fell down their cheeks.

'We should get going.' Hermione finally whispered as she pulled Ginny in for hug.

'It's going to be okay.' Ginny said, though Hermione could hear her voice cracking as she spoke.

They pulled away from the hug and looked into each other's tear filled eyes.

'We'll find them.' Hermione whispered. Ginny nodded through silent sobs before Hermione led them away from what remained of the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione tried to stop her legs from shaking as she led Ginny down the stairs. She couldn't afford to grieve any longer, neither of the two Gryffindors could.

The two girls were alone but determined to find out where, and why, everything had gone so terribly wrong.

Ron Weasley was gone.

Harry Potter was gone.

Hermione had a feeling that though the Battle was over, and Voldemort was dead, the war had only just begun.