The Truth About Hermione Granger

Slowly, Hermione made her way through the forest. Which forest she was not sure. She couldn't even remember walking into it. But, here she was, in the forest. Boy, she hoped it wasn't the Forbidden Forest.

Behind her, she heard a low growl and she turned around slowly, wand at the ready. She was not prepared for what she saw.

It was a huge, gray wolf. He had fangs the size of large swords and they were covered in blood. He snarled noisily at her as he leapt about, looking extremely frightening. Hermione didn't know what to do. She tried calling out for her father, but no sound came. She was vaguely aware that she had dropped her wand, but that didn't matter. She was too scared to use it.

She turned and ran, hearing the wolf on her heals. She ran as fast as she could, branches hitting her in the face and ankles turning every time she stepped into a hole. She could see the edge of the forest. If only she could get there. Just a little farther....

Just before she reached the clearing, she felt the wolf tackle her to the ground-

And she awoke in a cold sweat, screaming loudly while one of her roommates tried to calm her down.

"Hermione!" she exclaimed. "Hermione, it's okay! You were just dreaming! It's all right!"

"What's the matter?" she heard Parvati ask. "What's happened?"

"I don't know," said Lavender, still trying to calm her down. "Go get her father. RUN!"

Someone ran out of the room and the other girls tried to calm her down, offering her some water, stroking her hair and hugging her.

But, nothing could calm Hermione down. She was shaking and weeping and barely even noticed when her father ran in and pulled her into his arms. "Poppet, what's the matter?" he asked, stroking her hair and holding her tight. "Please, Hermione, calm down and tell me what's the matter."

"I think she had a nightmare," Lily Matthews said.

"Hermione," she heard her father say, sternly, yet gently. "It's all right. I'm here now. Take deep breaths. That's it. Everything's all right, it was just a dream."

Slowly, Hermione could feel her shakes subsiding and her sobs tapering off. Finally, she was able to relate the events of her dream to everyone; the rest of the girls in Gryffindor had heard her screams and come running, followed by a lot of the boys, too. When she finally finished, Harry had blanched and was staring at her with fear in his eyes. She hadn't thought that the dream sounded that bad when she told them all about it, but he seemed even more afraid than she had been.

"Did you say a wolf?" he asked. "With bloody fangs?"

Hermione only nodded.

"I've had that SAME dream so many times, I had to put a silencing charm on my bed so nobody would wake up when I screamed!" he said. "Believe me, it's a horrifying nightmare."

"The same dream?" asked Parvati, eyes wide in amazement.

"The same dream," Harry confirmed, nodding.

"Well, everything's all right now, Poppet," said her father, patting her shoulder. "Try to go back to sleep."

Hermione nodded as her father kissed the top of her head and turned to leave. He shooed the rest of the students out, too, but somehow, Harry and Ron managed to stay out of his sight. Ron sat next to her and Harry stood to the side, his hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be all right?" Ron asked.

"I think so," she said, looking up at him. "Thank you, though."

Harry smiled down at her. "You know," he said. "If you ever have that nightmare again, you'd be more than welcome to come sleep with us!" Ron nodded emphatically, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Oh, go on, you two!" she laughed, punching Ron playfully in the arm. "You'd better get out of here before someone catches you. Like my father!"

Harry grinned and gave her shoulder one final squeeze before motioning for Ron to follow. They left with a final wave and Lavender Brown giggled. "They're so cute!" she said. "I can't understand why you'd want to be with Malfoy over one of them. Especially Ron!"

"Oh, really," said Hermione, exasperated, snuffing out her candle, which had been lit at sometime during the scuffle. "Go to sleep!"

There wasn't another sound the rest of the night.

* * * * * * * *

The next day, in the middle of Double Potions, Hermione felt a sharp pain on her arm. She nearly rolled up her sleeve to see if one of the beetles they had been turning into powder was actually still alive and had crawled up to bite her, but she remembered at the last moment what it was. She glanced up at Draco, who only shrugged and nodded to Snape. She looked up to her father and he nodded slowly. She nodded once, indicating that she understood. They would miss lunch today, but it had to be done.

As soon as the bell rang, Hermione made some excuse to Harry and Ron and hurried to her dorm to retrieve her invisibility cloak. As soon as she made it to the entrance, her father instructed all the students there to slip on their cloaks and they all headed outside.

The trip into the Dark Forest was no more exciting than the first, with the exception that this time, Hermione nearly stepped on one of the Aaronsons' heals several times. He kept stopping right in front of her, sniggering to his friend. Finally, she changed her position, walking instead behind Draco. In a few moments, they reached the clearing and took their places. Her father again took his place next to the Dark Lord.

"Snape," called Voldemort. Hermione hurried forward and stood before him. He hugged her quickly. "How have you been?" he asked.

"Fine, sir," she said. "I mean, Tom."

"Very good, Hermione," he answered. "Were you able to get two of Potter's hairs for me?"

"Yes, Tom," she answered, pulling out the small piece of paper which contained the two hairs she'd pulled from Harry's robes. "Here they are," she said.

"Very good, Hermione," he said, taking the makeshift envelope and indicating that she should take her place in the circle again.

As she hurried back, she heard the Dark Lord call each student to him one by one, talking to each one softly so that nobody else could hear. The last person he called was Draco. As soon as Draco had kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes, the Dark Lord handed him an envelope, speaking to him softly. Finally, Draco returned to his place, looking a bit afraid.

"Thank you, my children," he said. "You've all done very well. Now, you are dismissed." With that, he disaparated and Snape lead all of the students back to the school.

"What did he tell you?" Hermione asked Draco as soon as they were separated from the other students. Draco always walked her to her dormitory before going to his own.

"I'm not supposed to tell you," he answered. "But I don't much like it. I'm going to have to ask your father about it first chance I get!"

"He told you you're not to tell me?" asked Hermione.

"Expressly," he answered. "He said, 'don't tell anyone about this, especially Hermione Snape.' I'm not to tell you. I wish I could. It would make things easier."

"Well, then don't worry about it," said Hermione as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. "But, you'd better go get your books. Don't you have Transfiguration next? You know how McGonogal is about tardiness!"

Draco grinned and nodded, kissing her cheek quickly, and then turning and running down the hall. Hermione grinned as she watched him. He really was very sweet sometimes.

* * * * * * * *

It wasn't until that weekend that she found the appropriate time to tell Harry and Ron that her grandparents had been killed. They had made their way out to the stables and were petting Hagrid's horses when she broke the news to them. Their reaction was nothing less than what she had expected.

"Killed?" exclaimed Harry. "By whom?"

"The Dark Lord himself," she answered.

"But, WHY?" asked Ron. "From the way you talk about them, they were the nicest people that ever lived!"

"Yes, but they were muggles," answered Hermione. "And in order to prove to the Dark Lord that I hated muggles, my father and I had to convince him that my grandparents had rejected me when they found out I was a witch. It's a totally long story, and never mind it all right now. The important part is that he now believes that my entire family hates me. So, he felt it necessary to 'rectify' the situation."

"I can't believe it, Herm," said Ron. "First, you're trapped into dating and marrying Malfoy and now your grandparents are killed? This whole spy business is starting to sound REALLY bad."

"Oh, come on, now, Ron!" she replied. "In the first place, I've told you, Draco Malfoy isn't as bad as he seems. He's abused by his father and his mother can't do much for him and- well, the whole situation is terrible. So, he takes it out on you guys."

"Whatever," said Ron, rolling his eyes.

"Ron, don't start," said Harry. "That's a headache I DON'T need right now."

Ron only rolled his eyes and wrinkled his nose at that, which Hermione was grateful for. She didn't need that headache right now either.

Just then, Draco came into the stables. "Oh," he said, a bit surprised. "I didn't realize anyone was here."

"That's all right, Draco," said Hermione. "I'm glad you came along."

"I'm not," said Ron, sneering openly at Draco.

"Shut up, Weasley," drawled Draco, drawing himself up taller, though he was still a full head shorter than Ron. "People without money can't AFFORD to talk like that!"

"Draco!" exclaimed Hermione. "Stop that!"

Draco whirled on her, but his face softened almost immediately. "Sorry, Mione," he said. "It's second nature."

"I know," she said softly, crossing the stables and taking his hand. "I know you three don't like to be in the same room, so let's go, Draco. It'll be easier for all of us." With that, she led Draco from the stables and they walked, hand in hand around the grounds in silence for a few minutes. Finally, though, Draco spoke.

"I really am sorry, Mione," he said.

"I KNOW, Draco," she replied, smiling up at him. "You haven't got to apologize a million times, you know. I understand. You don't like Harry or Ron and they don't like you and that's okay. They're my friends, after all, not yours."

"That's not what I meant," he said. "I meant.... Oh, good grief! Your father found out about what I did in his office when we got back from Christmas Break. He says you didn't tell him and I believe that. But, he said I'd better apologize to you and beg your forgiveness or else he'll report it to my father. So, please, PLEASE forgive me!"

"Oh, Draco!" she laughed. "Of course I forgive you!"

"No, you don't understand!" said Draco. "If you don't put me through hell for awhile, he'll tell my father and my father will-" But, he stopped right there.

"Will what, Draco?" asked Hermione.

"He'll report me to the Dark Lord, who'll.... Take it out on me," he finished quietly. "He'll say, 'just because she's under protection by you does not mean you can do things like that to her!' And then he'll remove the protection and give you to someone else! I can't bare for that to happen!"

"Draco, I'm sure my father will not tell Lucius," said Hermione. "I'll talk to him and tell him you apologized and I'm sure everything will be fine. I promise!"

Draco nodded, but still looked a bit afraid. "All right," he said. "I only hope you have as much pull with your father as you do with the Dark Lord."

Hermione grinned and the two of them headed up through the snow to Hogwarts castle, where they headed into the Great Hall where students from different houses met to socialize. Hermione knew that she'd be forced to sit with Crabbe and Goyle- her lesson on hand-to-hand combat was that night- and she wasn't looking forward to it, but she supposed they were more tolerable than Pansy Parkinson or Millicent Bulstrode.

So, things COULD be worse.

* * * * * * * *

Slowly, Hermione made her way through the forest. Which forest she was not sure. She couldn't even remember walking into it. But, here she was, in the forest. Boy, she hoped it wasn't the Forbidden Forest.

Behind her, she heard a low growl and she turned around slowly, wand at the ready. She was not prepared for what she saw.

It was a huge, gray wolf. He had fangs the size of large swords and they were covered in blood. He snarled noisily at her as he leapt about, looking extremely frightening. Hermione didn't know what to do. She tried calling out for her father, but no sound came. She was vaguely aware that she had dropped her wand, but that didn't matter. She was too scared to use it.

She turned and ran, hearing the wolf on her heals. She ran as fast as she could, branches hitting her in the face and ankles turning every time she stepped into a hole. She could see the edge of the forest. If only she could get there. Just a little farther....

Just before she reached the clearing, she felt the wolf tackle her to the ground-

And she awoke screaming once more, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown trying to calm her down.

She'd had the SAME exact dream again.