A/N; First of all I want to thank all the followers/reviewers for reading this. I have been away for far too long but I am returning to finish this story. I am tweaking the chapters a little bit so bear with me! Thank you all for reading! I love you all xx

DREAMLESS NIGHTS

CHAPTER

I

Seven months, three days and twelve hours since the final battle and the brown-haired girl lying in the hospital bed showed no signs of waking up. The doctor in charge of her file had long lost hope and had no qualms in telling her family and friends what her professional opinion was. According to her, Hermione Granger would never wake up.

Flowers were brought every day. The red curtains were open every morning to let the early sun brighten up the room and the bed's occupant. Sometimes Harry would read for her. Sometimes Ron would tell her how much he loved her and that he would wait for her forever. However, his heart ached when he thought back to the new girl he met just a month ago. It was a promise he knew he wouldn't be able to keep.

"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for your friend, Mister Potter." The blond-haired woman, the head-chief of St. Mungus Hospital said with her screechy annoying voice, "It is time to come to your senses. She will never wake up."

Miss Riordan had always been the kind of person that spoke the truth no matter what. She believed that hope was something that should not be given to others where there was none. Years of experience taught her to be distant and cold and she displayed the same coldness directly to the patient's family and friends.

Harry Potter's green eyes looked at the sleeping girl as he listened to the head-chief's words. Hermione wouldn't have wanted this. She would have hated the flowers; she would have hated the fact that they kept coming back every day when there was no hope. More importantly, she would have wanted them to move on without her.

With a long suffered sigh, he nodded and moved closer to Hermione's unconscious figure. He moved a few strands of wild brown hair away from her face and then bent down, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "Good bye, 'Mione." His voice was strained as if he had mustered all the courage within his soul to speak those simple words.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good is it? I've tried a few simple spells myself and they've all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, it's the best school of witchcraft there is I've heard - I've learned all the course books by heart of course. I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

.

He looked away immediately as he didn't want to lose his strength at the very end. Swallowing hard, he contemplated the old woman standing by the door with an annoyed expression as if she had much more important things to take care of.

"You'll need her parent's permission."

Miss Riordan rolled her eyes, "Of course boy. Who do you take me for?" she replied with a snort before adding, "Her parents have already signed the permission," noticing his confused expression, she kindly elaborated, "last week."

Harry nodded dumbly, "Right." He muttered quietly, "I guess we'll be back to take her…" he didn't have it in him to actually say the words. The cemetery arrangements had been prepared by the Grangers and they had chosen a muggle cemetery close to their home.

She returned Harry's nod and watched him walk past her, not looking back once as he wandered through the long empty corridor. "Brave kid." She whispered as she turned to look at her patient. Sighing, she closed the door and she too walked away from Hermione's room.

"Harry-you're a great wizard, you know."

"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let him go.

"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things-friendship and bravery and-oh Harry-be careful!"

.

The potion had been prepared especially for her. In a matter of seconds, the drinker's breathing would slow down until her heart beat finally ceased. No one had wanted to be present when it was administrated which only made Miss Riordan's work all the more easy. She didn't like the loud crying and the desperate cries of the patient's family when they finally realized that they wanted more time.

More time to hold hands, to speak words which would never be heard by the patient but would certainly make them feel better. Shaking her head in disapproval she opened the door to Hermione Granger's room, taking in her hand the green potion that she had prepared the previous night.

"Now dear, let's finally set you free." She spoke softly as she stared at the young girl. "Such a young beautiful woman." She added sadly as she lifted the brown-haired girl with a simple spell, positioning her into a sitting position. She gently leaned the flask against Hermione's dry lips and watched as the green liquid made its way in.

She narrowed her eyes in concentration as she began to pour the liquid into the young girl's mouth. Once the flask was completely empty, she laid Hermione back down, her eyes softening up as the girl's breath was now almost non-existing. "May you find peace-"

Squealing, Miss Riordan jumped startled when a wide awake Hermione sat up straight in bed, coughing violently. The blond-haired woman's skin prickled and a cold sensation licked her spin up and down when Hermione's scream echoed through the entire hospital.

It was a desperate scream, one that she would never forget for the rest of her life – nor the name that the girl called in horror.

Salazar.

She sat quietly in bed; her hands were set on her lap, her fingers clenched tightly to the white hospital sheets as the voices seemed to grow louder and louder. The dark rings around her eyes were becoming more noticeable as days went by. Her once bushy-brown hair was losing its strength; her weakened nails cracked and broke when she increased the grip on the sheets. Ronald's voice was too loud and as usual his stupid-self was not aware of other people's feelings – her feelings.

"She's not right in the head! She's absolutely mad, Harry! You can't honestly believe her! She must have hit her head or something!" Ron shouted; his cheeks were red and his eyes looked straightly at his best-friend who looked as if he had been through the final battle all over again.

Harry's emerald eyes made their way back to Ron's, "She believes in what she says…" he paused and swallowed hard, "She's our friend!"

Ron could not believe it. He shook his head in utter disappointment, his eyes reflected just how broken-hearted he felt at the slight betrayal, "I know she's our friend, Harry." He said with a strange softness that didn't fit him in the slightest, "However, just 'cause she's our friend… it doesn't mean we have to believe in it." He stomped his foot on the white floor, "No! Harry listen, even the medics said that her brain hasn't yet fully recovered from the coma!"

A long sigh escaped Harry's lips as he considered Ron's words. He knew very well what the medic's opinions were – Hermione was still suffering from the effects of the strange curse she had been hit with. But he had looked straight into her eyes when she told him about them. She truly believed that she was not mad; that everything hadn't been just a crazy coma dream. She had met them, she said.

"I'm not crazy, Harry. I met them… they're my friends. You believe in me, don't you?"

His chest was suddenly swollen with guild as he hadn't managed to say a single word to her back then. He was speechless back then; he could have at least lied. Yes, Hermione I believe in you. But he said nothing, not even when tears sprung to her eyes. He remembered too well how she whispered the man's name when she curled up, turning her back on him.

"It's enough Ron. Let's not talk about this anymore." He said and moved a hand to her room's door. A cold shiver ran up and down his spine when he opened the door to find the room empty of its occupant, "Hermione?" he asked, listening to the echo of his trembling voice.

"Bollocks!" Ron said as he quickly dashed inside the room, he hurried towards the open window and his brows furrowed with concern, "She wouldn't…" he said to himself as he gazed into the darkness of the night. They were on the fourth floor; surely she couldn't have climbed down in her weakened state. Then something in the back of his brain clicked as he turned around to face a worried Harry, "How did she get enough strength to apparate?"

Harry shook and quickly exited the room having Ron hurry after him, "I think I know where she went."

Ron said nothing as he followed his friend. Guilt came crashing down upon him once again – as it always did whenever he thought about Hermione. It was his fault.

"They're too many!" a tall blond-haired Ravenclaw said as she struggled to deflect another spell thrown at her, "We need to push them back to the east!"

Ron groaned as his entire body ached and he no longer could hear what was being said around him, staying in automatic mode. He would cast protection shields, one after the other and every now and then threw some spells of his own; his eyes glued on the enemy but at the same time tried to keep check of Hermione's whereabouts to see how she was faring.

"HERMIONE!" His sister's voice called out, chilling him to the bone. He turned around, feeling like he was trapped in a slow motion muggle movie as he watched Hermione stumble back, a silent 'oh' escaping from her lips as she fell down, unconscious.

No one believed in her. She could see it in their eyes; the way they thought she was beyond help. She noticed their pitiful looks and it killed her. It killed her knowing that her best-friends did not trust her when she needed them the most. She wished that she was as crazy as everyone labeled her – but she wasn't! She knew that she wasn't. She knew that everything that she went through was real; they were real. He was real!

She shivered as she walked barefoot through the white cold snow. She clung onto her wand as Hogsmeade surroundings suddenly looked very different to her, almost unknown. After a while she came to an abrupt stop, her teary eyes stopped on the omnipotent castle – her home. It was her home alright. But right now it was an empty home because they weren't there.

"Hermione?" a shocked strong voice brought the shivering girl abruptly back to reality. She spun around, wand ready in hand, her gaze stopping on the familiar giant man. She did not relax immediately, her gaze questioning him.

Hagrid looked completely blown away by the image of the skinny young woman dressed in nothing but a white tunic, her skin almost blue due to the cold. Her lips were dry and there was a subtle purplish colour to them, "Bloody hell, let's get ye' in the castle." He said as he suddenly took a step forward.

Immediately Hermione lowered her wand as he mentioned the castle. She looked up at Hagrid and allowed a small and uncharacteristic smile escape, "I missed you Hagrid."

The giant man was completely caught off guard, his cheeks turned slightly pink whether at such heartfelt comment or the incredibly cold weather, "Thou' ye'd still be at t'hospital." He said quietly, frowning slightly as he suddenly noticed her bare feet.

She shrugged her shoulders, "I felt like leaving earlier than expected." She replied, watching as Hagrid undid the protection spells. Once the invisible barrier was off, Hermione let out a loud grunt as she lunged forward, running towards the main entrance. The school… the castle… was her only chance to ever go back. She had no idea how but she hoped it would listen to her pleas.

The young witch whispered a stronger warmth spell and she sighed in relief as it washed over her freezing body, giving her more strength to carry on. She could hear Hagrid call out her name but she did not stop. In fact it only made her run faster. There was a frantic look on her face as she ran through the familiar hallways, thankful that every student was in bed by now. She knew she had to hurry before Hagrid came out with reinforces.

She sped up, feeling her heartbeat climb all the way through her throat as she yanked the girl's bathroom door wide open. A violent shiver took over her still unhealthy body as she stared at what was once the entrance to the chamber of secrets. She shook as she could tell there was a really strong magic surrounding it, blocking any entrance to Salazar's chamber. A loud sob made its way out as she didn't have enough strength to undo it. She shook and leaned against the cold stone; her fingertips softly caressed its surface.

"P-please… please…" she whispered, her voice strangled with pain, "Please, j-just one last t-time…"

She didn't know how long she stayed there but it felt like an eternity to her. She shook as her eyelids became heavier by the second. Once her eyes were closed, darkness took over her and not even the loud bang of the bathroom's door closing woke the bushy-haired girl.