Chapter 9 - Nocens Somnium

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING SIRIUS?" roared Harry in rage seeing his newly found best friend ready to curse Hermione. What is worse is that Hermione robes were torn, she had bruises all over her body, and she was covered in blood, as was Sirius' shirt.

Sirius turned to see Harry, raged in anger. However, he did not let go of Hermione. Hermione herself seemed to have stopped clawing him. They both looked at Harry. Harry had his wand raised and pointed at Sirius who seemed unsure of what to do.

"Harry this isn't what it looks like! Sirius didn't do anything!" pleaded Hermione.

"Then why is he here?" asked Harry looking towards Hermione and then at Sirius.

"He..He… found me." whimpered Hermione.

"What happened Hermione? Tell me! Who did this!" yelled Harry.

This was the first time Sirius spoke up.

"Will you stop yelling at her!" roared Sirius at Harry. Harry looked crestfallen.

"If she would tell me what happened!" Harry yelled back.

Hermione looked at Sirius with pleading eyes, silently begging him not to say a word of this to Harry.

"No!" said Sirius as he looked at Hermione. "Harry needs to know. After I tell him what I saw, then you tell us why you did it!" said Sirius. "I was wandering around the castle, when I heard whimpering from the girls lavatory. I broke the door and entered and spotted Hermione cutting herself, with her robes torn. I snatched the blade from her hand and threw it, then she started to stuggle so I picked her up. Then she kept on clawing me and YOU CAME IN THINKING I HURT HER!" finished Sirius with a glare at Harry. Harry refused to meet Sirius' eye, he turned a shade of crimson from embrassment.

"Hermione why? Why did you do this?" asked Harry softly.

"I didn't Harry." lied Hermione.

"Lier!" snarled Sirius.

"Then why Hermione." asked Harry.

"It was an accident" protested Hermione.

"An accident? Is that what you call it? An accident! You were cutting yourself purposely, how the hell is that an accident?" snarled Sirius with gritted teeth.

"I drank something I wasn't suppose to."

"But you weren't at breakfast." said Harry almost immediately.

"I was with Dobby in the kitchen when I drank my pumpkin juice. I didn't want to have a meal, just something to drink. So I went to the kitchens." said Hermione.

"Do Dobby spiked your drink?" asked Harry confused.

"NO! He did not! I saw a glass of pumkin juice lying on the table so I decided to drink it." said Hermione.

"What exactly did you drink Hermione?" asked Harry.

"Nocens Somnium potion." said Hermione quietly.

"What!?" yelled Harry and Sirius in unison.

Nocens Somnium other wise known as the Nightmare drought. It forces one to relive their most painful memory. It is often compared to the affects when one enters a pensive, but highly different. It allows the person to go into that memory and meddle with it. Also all the damage one has received from is permanent. It often used for the dark arts to torture people. Its also very addictive, as muggle drugs. A/N: Yes, she did use that.

"It is a potion that allows you to relive your worse memory. I didn't know I drank that. I thought it was pumpkin juice. Some one probably messed it with." lied Hermione.

"Yes! I know what it is you dolt! But why the hell did you drink it?" yelled Sirius. Harry looked angrily at Sirius.

"I didn't know! I've been having little flashbacks all this morning, until I finally came to the lavatory when I faced the full blast of the potion. That's why when you came here because you saw me cut myself, because I was doing it in the memory." said Hermione convincingly.

Harry looked sympathetic and also convinced, while Sirius looked expressionless. Hermione however knew that Sirius didn't buy that load of bull she gave them, but she did tell parts of the truth. They didn't need to know everything.

"Listen Harry. Please don't tell anyone. I am fine. Really." said Hermione. She pointed at her wrists "Look they stopped bleeding and I'll heal them right away." assured Hermione.

"Yeah." said Harry. Hermione took out her wand, and pointed on her wrists. In seconds the blood cleaned, and the cuts on her wrists were closed all that remained were scars. Sirius didn't know if Harry was watching but Hermione had way more than two scars on her wrists, some of them were so light you can't even notice. Harry helped Hermione clean her robes, and repair them, while Sirius still looked at Hermione. He wasn't conviced with her story. Sirius knew that either she was lying and there was more to it. This incident led Sirius himself to realize that maybe it wasn't Draco who hurt Hermione. It was herself. As he was lost in his own train of thought, Harry was leading Hermione out of the lavatory all freshened up. Sirius quickly followed. He couldn't get her off of his mind.

As they were back in the Gryffindor Common Room Hermione at on the couch not really talking to anyone. Neither was Sirius he was lost in his own train of thoughts that consisted of a Bushy haired girl. Harry was there also with them, worrying about Hermione, and what she was slowly turning into. She lost that fire she used to have in her eyes, she wasn't Hermione anymore. Hermione would have never tried to purposely hurt herself. No this wasn't Harry's Hermione this was someone else. Harry knew more than he led on. A/N: NO HE DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT DRACO! Harry could tell that Hermione was lying when she fed him that story. She knew that Hermione had taken the Nocens Somnium on purpose. Harry wanted to know why. 'Why would Hermione want to live out her worst memory?' What Harry didn't know was that a ebony haired (sex god lol) boy with beautiful grey eyes were thinking the exact same thing.

Sirius wanted some privacy so he headed up to the boys dorm. He laid down on his four poster bed thinking. 'What is she keeping from us? Why is she using the Nocens Somnium to relive her past? What happened to her? What is her worst memory? She looks so broken.' As these thoughts ran through Sirius' head, he vowed to himself that he will find out as much about Hermione, as he possibly can. Help her, and get her out of whatever situation she has herself him. Sirius Black for the first time, vowed to help someone out of danger, whom didn't have any relation toward him.

Meanwhile, Draco was pacing in the common room he shared with Hermione. He kept on muttering about her disappearance. He was indeed worried sick. Draco owled both Harry, and Neville but nothing. He received no response from any of them. Draco was angry he wanted to know where Hermione ran of to without telling him. Hermione wasn't allowed to go anywhere without asking him first, and this was the first time she did it. Draco was furious. 'Hermione better have a good excuse for leaving without telling me. God hopes she better. I will make sure she never makes the same mistake again!' thought Draco angrily. Draco finally calmed down and sat in the sofa waiting for Hermione. The thought of being able to beat her calmed Draco. He didn't know why, but it did. It was like a cool breezy wind going to Draco's pounding heart causing him to relax. Yes, Draco loved beating Hermione.

Hermione got up from the couch, as two eyes simultaneously followed her.

"Where are you going?" asked Harry. Whom had had enough of Hermione's escapades for one day.

"Back to my dorm. Draco must be worried sick." replied Hermione, with fear held in between her voice.

"Oh." was all Harry could muster up as he plopped back down to the couch.

Sirius looked at Harry with a hint of disgust. 'Was this dolt that thick? She shouldn't be alone tonight!'

"No" said Sirius suddenly.

Both Hermione and Harry looked at him.

"I mean, I think you should stay in Gryffindor tower for tonight." said Sirius.

"No, I can't. Draco..." Hermione tried to protest but was cut off by Sirius.

"We'll owl him. Is your bed still there? In the girls dorms?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah, its there, Ginny doesn't share with anyone. After Hermione left, she says it hadn't been the same." spoke up Harry.

"Its settled then. You can go sleep in your own bed in Gryffindor tower.

"No, seriously I can't. Draco is going to get really mad." protested Hermione.

"No he won't! I will not let you leave the tower tonight!" Harry almost yelled.

"You don't under.." again she was cut off.

"Understand what? Huh? Please I don't want to argue with the likes of you. Just go sleep." said Sirius as softly as possible but failed miserably.

With a distastefull look, Hermione walked up the girls dorm, and lightly closed the door behind them. Both Sirius, and Harry let out a big sigh. Harry got up form the couch and looked at Sirius.

"Are you coming or not?" asked Harry.

"No, I am going to sit here for a while. Get my head cleared." replied Sirius.

"Okay, I am off. Call me if you need anything." said Harry.

"Fine." muttered Sirius. Harry was about to head to the boys dorm, when he rememebered.

"Owl, Draco. Poor lad's been worried sick." said Harry.

"Yeah yeah" replied Sirius, not really listening. He watched Harry go into the boys dorm.

Sirius was tried, though his mind wasn't at all. His body was aching, while his mind was frantically searching for a reason this day even occured. As reluctant as he was, Sirius knew he should owl Draco. He strolled across the common room, grabbed some parchment, and began the note. Five minutes later as he finished, Hedwig flew off in the direction of the Head's tower.

Sirius climbed back on the couch as drifted off into a well deserved rest. But, the rest soon turned into a dream he did not recognize. A girl whom he knew, and the rest is all history.

Draco still as an statue, sat in the couch still waiting on Hermione. It was now 1:10 a.m. Draco was not worried at all, now, his whole mind was at a different stroke. He was grinning. Grinning like a madman. Grinning like a hungry predator that is about to get his long awaited prey. Draco kept thinking about how nice it would be to drain all the color from her, beat her mercilessly, make her whimper, make her scream, and hear her beg. Draco loved the sounds of pain coming from his dear Hermione's mouth. It was music to his ears. Right then a great white owl, came in and distrubted his thoughts. Hedwig. 'Harry's Owl.' Attached to his leg was a parchment. Draco broke from his trance and snatched the note from the owl, and pushed it out the window. Hedwig gave Draco a distasteful look, as he flew away. Draco opened the parchment and read.

Draco crumbled up the letter, tears escaping his eyes as he vowed, he would make Hermione Jane Granger pay. Pay worse than she ever had. By the time he was done with her, she would have been better off dead. Draco ripped the paper, and smirked dangerously.