-1The Downside of Sleeping Spells - Chapter One

Harry Potter sat in a small, square office where he spent most of his time nowadays, twirling his new swan-feather quill; a present from Ginny. Since he left school, he was immediately give the job of Head Auror, as the previous one was killed. That was comforting.

A clock was ticking away in the background, getting closer and closer to midnight. And it was fine by him. Another day passed was another day that meant he got to live. Time was running out, like sand falling through an hourglass. Painful to watch, yet impossible to turn away.

He sighed. He was also expecting someone at midnight. Someone he had expected last week, the week before, the week before that, and so forth. They met every week.

The small fireplace cackled and cracked every few minutes, Hedwig hooted in her sleep, and every once in a while, and picture of a Death Eater he'd imprisoned would yell out at him.

Other then that, Harry felt the room was completely silent.

Finally, the clock started striking.

One. Two. Three.

He stared at the fireplace intently.

Four. Five. Six. Seven.

A spark flew out, then wind, rattling all the papers in the room and waking up a very irritated Hedwig, who was only sleeping from exhaustion from all the letters Harry was sending. She flew out the window just as the eleventh bell resounded.

Twelve.

Snape appeared, dusty and coming out from in the small fireplace without getting stuck. Harry didn't bother getting up; they were only going to sit down.

"Snape."

"Potter."

Harry levitated a tea cup filled to the brim over to the man, spilling some on his leg as his incantation shook. Snape glared at him and healed it with his newly bought wand from Ollivander's and set the cup on the table.

"Do try not to exceed your own limit, Potter." Snape sneered at him.

"Maybe I did it on purpose." Harry raised his eyebrows back at him.

Before they could get into it again, Harry spoke over him, "So, any new brainstorms this week?"

Snape sighed heavily in the chair and grunted, "Nothing. Not a single, fucking thing."

Harry smiled wryly, "I never would've suspected you as a curser, but as I've found out, I was wrong. You have a foul mouth, Snape."

He rolled his eyes in response and crossed his legs. He didn't feel like explaining himself so he asked, "And yourself?"

"Well, all I've thought of is completely irrational. Not even worth a shot."

Snape rubbed his face, tiredly.

Hedwig returned and perched herself on Snape's chair. He reached down and stroked her feathers lightly, absentmindedly, and said, "It's been three months. Three months. And... nothing. Lucius Malfoy is still rotting, Dumbledore is remaining passive even though he knows that asshole- well," he paused and frowned, looking for the right words, "kind of raped her. Hogwarts isn't the same."

"Because I'm not there anymore." Harry said, grinning ear to ear, only trying to lighten the mood, knowing that would do nothing for Snape.

"I hardly think your absence is what I'm missing, Potter."

Harry shrugged and looked outside, just black. No stars could be seen at all.

Comforting.

"Well, then what else has been happening in your life, Potter? You look preoccupied."

The younger man shrugged, "Ginny's been... distant, I guess you could say. I don't know what's wrong, and she won't tell me. Rather, she tells me nothing's wrong, but everyone knows there's something wrong."

"Could it just be all that has happened with Malfoy?" Snape suggested mildly, taking up his tea carefully.

Harry shook his head, "No, it's more than that... I can't explain it, but it's making me nervous."

"Has Ginny ever given you reason to distrust her?"

"Of course not," Harry frowned.

Snape shrugged, "Then I wouldn't suspect any reason to worry."

It grew silent… a thoughtful silence.

"I would ask about you why you look preoccupied; but I think I'd know what you'd say." Harry tried to break it, but found there was nothing really worthwhile to say. It had been like this for the past few weeks. They were out of ideas on ways to revive Hermione.

Snape mumbled in agreement, "Mm."

Silent. Again. They stayed like that for awhile, breathing the night's air gratefully, as if it was their last.

He didn't think he could take much more of this, waiting and hoping she would just wake up. They had to do something; anything. No matter if it was futile, they had to. There was a time he wouldn't try so hard but there was also a time before Hermione.

"How much do you miss her?" Harry asked suddenly, almost making Severus jump.

He considered this carefully.

How much did he miss her?

More than... potions? No. He couldn't even compare her to Potions. More than he'd loved mother? But then, she's been dead for years, and without Hermione it would stay that way. His pathetic attempt to resurrect her had failed and he ended up as an eighteen year old. What else did he love? Anything else?

He smiled sadly, as the answer came to him.

"As much as I miss myself when I was with her."

X

"Aw, you poor thing. I hope yer keepin' an eye on 'im, Fluffy ole' boy. There yeh go…" Hagrid tossed more meet up to the three-headed dog and patted his paws affectionately.

"Hope you don't mind, Malfoy, I think he's got a bit o' a cold." Hagrid chuckled and disappeared once more from the room.

Lucius grimaced as Fluffy sneezed right in front of him. With his hands behind his back, he couldn't wipe off the... remains...

His eyes were bloodshot, his face swollen.

This was probably seventeen times worse than Azkaban. Even when the Dementors were on his side. He had been down here for... longer than he could count, but he wished they would at least put him somewhere else. He'd smelled nothing but dog breath, felt nothing but dog snot, and was always covered in dog hair.

Disgusting.

This was not how the prestigious Malfoy clan was treated. If anything, it should be house arrest. He wondered what happened to the days of old, when kings and queens couldn't be treated in such a way. He was like a king, after all. A Malfoy? Royalty.

He hated not knowing what was going on outside of that damned dungeon. He wondered if there was even any means to break him out. There should be, and he shouldn't be worried. After all, he was the only one who could break the spell on the Granger Mudblood. He grimaced again at the memory of her.

The few good things about the situation was that he now had a perfectly good slave, and leverage. Not to mention he stole her form that treacherous man, Snape. To think he ever considered them friends.

War was dangerous. You never knew who was on which side, or whom was betraying whom.

Filthy, disgusting. He looked down once more at the state of himself.

Lucius Malfoy sneezed.

He spat at Fluffy, causing the dog to growl and bite at him.

Not to mention he was allergic to dogs...

X

Ron and Ginny were visiting their Mum the weekend before Ginny was to return to Hogwarts.

Fred and George were "too busy with sales" to attend, and Bill was stuck in Egypt until Christmas, at least. Charlie was actually in Mungo's for injuries from his newest dragon. He couldn't take outside trips. Arthur Weasley was stuck at the Ministry as well, busy as ever protecting Muggles from Wizards and themselves.

So Molly, Ginny, and Ron sat at the table for breakfast and ate small bites in silence.

"It's not the same without the others." Ron put his fork back and slouched in the chair.

"Sit up straight," Molly said at once, then added, "I know it's not the same dear, but they're busy. We can't change their schedules just to spend one weekend together."

"I know, Mum, but still."

"Harry should at least be here," Ginny added, a little resentfully.

Ron looked perplexed, "I thought you've been avoiding him?"

"Yes, but he could've at least tried to show up." She explained, glaring down at her mashed potatoes.

"But you didn't really invite him, you just mentioned it, you said."

"I know, but he could have taken the hint."

"But-"

"Oh, shut up, Ron." Ginny stormed off up the stairs into her bedroom.

She shut her door tight and locked her charmed locks. Closing her eyes to stop the flow of tears, she breathed deep until she felt a little calmer.

Things hadn't been the same, not since Hermione was put under that spell. Everything changed; everyone changed. Harry spent all his time working and thinking of ways to revive her, not that that was horrible. She missed Hermione as much as anyone, and tried to be of help to Snape and Harry, but the letters she sent Snape at least, were never returned.

She walked past her desk, presenting a picture of her bothers, a table lamp with a red and gold shade, her Head Girl letter and badge, and the last letter she got from Harry.

Collapsing onto her bed, she sighed.

She knew he wasn't going to show anyway. He was meeting Snape tonight. She rolled over and closed her eyes.

Ginny wasn't often depressed. In fact, besides her first year with Tom Riddle, she hasn't been depressed or glum all her life really.

But now, she was alone at Hogwarts. No Ron, Fred or George, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Seamus; nobody. She groaned, depressing herself more.

It's true, there was still Luna, and even Gina and Riley who she became close to last year, after all that happened, but it wasn't the same. She barely knew them. And too much of Luna was enough to get anyone a headache. Then again, there was Snape.

Yeah, he'll keep me company. She thought sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

But she didn't even know if he was coming back to teach or to be a student, or to just be there, where he was protected. Either way, he still didn't like her. And he would undoubtedly spend all his time in the hospital wing with Hermione.

She hugged her pillow and shut her eyes. Before she knew it, she was snoring.

x