A/N: Hi and welcome to my story!

Before you start let's make one thing clear: I've had a few reades comment my use of ellipses (...) And I wanted to let everyone know I'm aware it's not a grammatically correct way to use them! I've kept it as a matter of style, knowing it might drive readers away. So, I'm sorry if it keeps you from reading and maybe I'll come back to edit the dots away someday. But at the moment the story is as it is and it's not because I've made a mistake with punctuation. To those who can look past that: Happy reading! Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Anything familiar is not mine! Just playing the part of a puppetmaster!

That night, she dreams of the tropic… white sand washed by blue waves and the sun shining brightly from above.

She feels the sun on her skin, the sand on her feet and the waves as they tickle her toes.

But the beach is empty… She's alone… and that loneliness makes her feel… uneasy.

Like there's something lurking behind the palm trees… like someone is watching her… and she has nowhere to hide… like the beauty hides secrets, she doesn't want to unravel.

The moment her eyes fly open she knows there's something wrong… even before opening her curtains, the pressing silence of the room makes her blink one time more that is necessary.

She shoves the curtains aside and… like she suspected, the other beds are empty… curtains drawn and neatly made… like no one has slept in them in weeks.

But she knows it was just a few hours ago, they all went to sleep.

How can it be she did not hear them leave?

She puts on her clothes and makes her way to the common room, only silence on her heels.

The fire crackling on the fireplace, makes her think of her dream… the eerie feeling like she's been watched, when she's sure there's no one here.

But where is everybody?

The corridors are empty too… no usual sounds of students chattering as they make their way to the Great Hall…

And the portraits, those that usually greet them good morning or give other light pleasantries… they're unmoving today…

Is she still dreaming?

But it doesn't feel like it.

The silence of her dreams doesn't hum in her eardrums as this does… She pinches herself, just in case.

But nothing happens.

She steps into the great hall.

The ceiling glisters in the sunrise, but the tables are as empty as the rest of the castle.

Chills run down her spine.

This can't be real… something has happened… it's not possible that everyone has just left and forgotten to take her with them.

A scary thought hits her: What if she's dead?

Or maybe someone has cursed her in some kind of a dream lock?

But why would they do that?

She goes back to the entrance hall and tries to open the doors.

But they won't budge… no matter how she pushes and pulls.

Panic begins to bubble in her when her mind struggles to find a logical answer to what is happening.

Desperately, she sits on the ground and leans her head against the wall.

"Think!" She orders herself, "There must be something you've read about situations like this!"

But nothing comes to mind.

There are time loops… but they usually include people… same thing with going back in time.

Even in her dreams, there should be someone here… no one can curse a dream where you are completely alone. Right?

Mindlock? Does someone want her to go crazy in loneliness?

The scenarios run in her head… but won't make much sense.

She just doesn't understand who would be capable to attack her while she was sleeping in her form… who would want to…?

"Granger?"

She shoots up the floor, almost ready to draw her wand and defend herself.

He stands on the end of the stairs…a familiar scowl on his face… looking at her.

But apparently, he's not going to hex her on sight…so she just glares back.

"Malfoy…"

They stand like that…facing each other from other ends of the entrance hall… silence still weighing down on them…and seconds tick by.

She's not sure what she's supposed to say…

Not even sure what to make of this twist of events… She's not alone after all…

But if her only company is Malfoy… she's not sure if she's relieved or disappointed.

And she can guess he feels the same.

"The dungeons are empty." He finally tells her, matter-of-factly… like testing the ground.

And she thinks this must be the first time the words directed at her don't start with an insult.

So, she nods, "So is Gryffindor… and all the upper corridors."

He lifts an eyebrow… and the sneer she's waiting for still doesn't appear to his face…

"And the hall?"

"That too." She nods and makes a mental note to draw a huge x on the wall of the first ever decent, however short, conversation exchanged between her and Malfoy.

"So, it's just you and me?"

She nods again.

"Fucking, Great!"

And there it is The sneer… the wrinkling of his nose… the despising look on his face she's so used to rising to his face.

And then he has passed her and entered the great hall… all the hope she might get help to solve what's going on leaving the room with him.

But because she doesn't know what else to do… where else to go… she follows him in.

He has sat on the far end of the Slytherin table… and food has appeared before him.

And when she stares at him eating, she realizes her stomach grumbling.

So, she mimics his movement… sits in front of the Gryffindor table and in a moment there's full breakfast ahead of her…

The magic hasn't frozen with the rest of the castle?

Maybe there are house elves still working in the kitchens?

But it's false hope… because after she has eaten, she makes her way to the kitchen and finds it empty.

After that, there's really only one place for her to go: The library.

That's what she does: When in doubt go to the library!

And what else could she do?

If she doesn't know what's going on… how can she fix it?

So, the library is her only hope.

Days start to go by.

She sits in the library in the middle of piles and piles of books, eats her meals in the Great hall and in the evenings collapses to her bed in the empty Gryffindor common room.

As time goes on, days start to blend into each other… and time loses meaning.

She sees him occasionally in the hall, but they don't acknowledge each other.

Whatever he does to spend his days, she doesn't know… or care.

But it gets lonely and tiresome.

Her brain works on overdrive in lack of physical challenge.

Her dreams become nightmares and she wakes, every night, screaming.

The words in the books start to blur together… and she thinks the silence and the loneliness are making her go crazy… little by little, eating her up inside.

After two weeks… that feel like years… she tosses a book aside and screams in frustration.

It's no use!

The books in the Hogwarts library don't hold the answers she needs!

She bangs her head to the hardwood and closes her eyes.

Why her?

What has she done to deserve this?

What is she being punished for?

And what if there's no answer… if she's going to stay in this silent castle for the rest of her life? Only Malfoy as her company?

What if they're just left here, to waste away?

But why? and how? and by whom?

Who would want to punish her and Malfoy?

They have nothing in common… no crimes they'd both have committed…

But like the rest of her questions…these too, are left unanswered… gnawing in her head… making her feel even crazier!

But she can't take anymore reading… so she starts to run.

Every morning before breakfast she runs… up and down the stairs… along the wide corridors… speeds up until she's sweaty and breathless.

The reading becomes easier after that… but it doesn't take away the lack of company… the yearn to talk to someone.

But she's not going to be the first to initiate conversation with Malfoy!

No, because that would mean she'd give him an okay to be a dick…and she'd still search for his company…

She's not that desperate!

Finally, it's him who gives up.

But not the way she wished him to…

About a month into their solitude silence she's walking away from the library one evening when she sees him slip in the corridor of the astronomy tower.

And maybe it's because she's been dying to know how he spends his days, she turns to follow him.

Later, she would think it couldn't be random… that either he wanted her to see him go… or it was faith interfering with their lives…

Because if she hadn't followed… Draco Malfoy would now be dead!

There's no second-guessing in his steps as he walks to the open railing… no doubt, as he climbs over it.

Based on only his movement, she's sure he would have done it… without blinking an eye.

But he doesn't… because when he's standing on the narrow rock, outside the railing of the tower… wind catching his fair hair… She acts, without thinking twice… rushes forward and grabs his hand, that is just about to let go.

"NO!" She screams.

But he's over already… taken the step already…

And then he's hanging in the air… and the only thing between him and his death is her hand gripping his.

He's not that heavy… but she's not that strong either…

But it seems that the reality of the situation has returned his will to live… because he's not trying to make her let go but gripping her hand, like a lifeline… that it is.

She leans further over, making sure she's not in danger falling herself and reaches her other hand for him too.

The only thing in her mind is, that she can't let him go!

It's not completely clear for her how she finally manages to pull him back over the railing, but she does. And they stumble backward, falling to the rock floor, panting hard.

"Are you crazy Malfoy? What were you doing?" She doesn't know why she's so angry… why this makes her feel… so enraged?

He can't just go and kill himself!

Not when she's working all her waking hours on finding a way out of this silent world!

No! He has to be here! So, she knows not all is lost!

"What did it look like I was doing!? Aren't you the clever one!?" He spits back.

But he won't look at her… his eyes are downcast and lip white… and she thinks briefly that maybe nearly falling to his death made him second guess his will to let go of life.

"Well, no!" She tells him sternly and he briefly flickers his steel eyes to her.

"You can't kill yourself!" She cries out more desperately than she intended.

He snorts, but that doesn't stop her, "I'll find a way out of this! I can't have you give up! I'll find a way to fix this, whatever this is. And we'll get home, and everything will be back to normal!"

Home… because she's sure this isn't real Hogwarts… this isn't the castle she calls home but some kind of a projection… an alternate reality… dream…

"And that's better, how?" He growls.

"Everything will be like it used to!" She tells him again.

"Might as well jump again…" He mutters now.

And she has no idea what power possesses her that moment, but she takes his hand.

"No! I already told you! You can't give up! Otherwise…" She pauses, he hasn't withdrawn his hand, "Otherwise, what reason do I have to try and fix this?"

"You Gryffindors always need someone to save, don't you? Why don't you do it for your fucking self?"

he yanks his hand back…

She doesn't have an answer… why doesn't she?

"And tell them what exactly, when you don't return? If you don't return, I'll be in trouble anyway! How does that help me?"

It's a weak argue… but all she can think of at the moment.

He's still not looking at her but stares at the far wall with an unreadable look on his face.

"Fine," He finally spits out, "Let's stay I'll stick around for few more days, what do I get out of it?"

She shrugs, "You could help me find answers…"

He frowns, "You forbid me to die so that I can read books in the pleasure of your company? In what world do you think it would sound like an appealing deal for me?"

None…to be truthful… so she just shrugs.

He rolls his eyes.

"Fine! I don't feel like dying today anymore anyway! So might as well stay for a few more."

He gets up and heads to the door.

"Wait!" She shouts after him, and to her surprise, he actually turns.

"I want your word, you're not going to try and off yourself again! Not in a while at least!" She raises her chin, to appear certain, still sitting on the floor.

"And what good is my Word" he emphasizes, "for you?"

There's really only one answer she can give… but it embarrasses her to even think of it.

"I just don't want to be left alone here…" She whispers, barely audible.

His dark stormy eyes meet hers… and she knows it's a stupid reason… but the thought of being all alone in this huge silent castle terrifies her… even if he's the only choice of company she has…he's better than solitude…

And somehow, he must know how she feels, because after a pause he finally nods briefly.

"You have my word, Granger… to whatever good it is…"

He's already gone when she whispers a silent 'thank you'.