Fictional vs. Reality

Chapter Three - A different kind of nightmare

Harry walked up the stairs, Remus Lupin and his best friend, Ron Weasley, right behind him. He didn't have his Apparation license yet, so he got some help to get to Grimmauld Place.

"So, do you know what it is Snape was talking about?" Harry asked Remus as they got to his room.

Remus shook his head. "I'm sorry, only Albus knows that."

Ron clapped his hands. "Okay then, the sooner we get you packed, the soon we can get the news!"

"I'm actually already packed," Harry said. "I did it as soon as I sent Dumbledore the letter."

"It's Albus now, Harry," Ron reminded him. "It was Dumbledore when we were in school."

"Right, sorry."

"Okay," Remus said. "Let's get going."

He shrunk Harry's trunk, which he still used as a traveling necessity. They all walked down to the parlor, and Remus pulled out a bag of Floo powder that he had brought. He handed it to Harry.

Dudley sat on the sofa, pausing the same movie he and Harry started watching, and at the same place where Harry stopped watching.

"Hey, Harry!" Dudley called, standing up from the couch. "You want to watch the movie before you go? There are some more good parts, and a lot of blood," he added, hesitantly.

Harry shook his head and grabbed some Floo. "No, not today. Maybe later, okay? Number Thirteen Grimmauld Place!" he called into the fireplace. Truth be told, he didn't much care for the movie, because he knew it was all fiction, and not real.

Dudley shrugged and sat back on the sofa, pressing play. "Tell him not to take long, this is a rental," he told the other two.

Ron looked at Remus, who shrugged, and stepped into the fireplace.

---

Harry looked around the table. All the Order was there, including Fred, George, Ginny, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione. The only person missing was Snape, and that was fine with Harry.

Dumbledore stood at the head of the table, looking at everyone, his usual sparkle in his eye a bit dim that night. He smiled and held up his hands as if he were addressing his students at Hogwarts.

"Well, I'm sure you're all hungry," he said, "so dig in. You will want to eat, because later, my news might not fulfill your appetite."

Everyone began eating, no one speaking. They all had the same thing on their minds - except for Dumbledore, who already knew what it was he was going to talk about, though he, too, ate silently.

Harry looked around the table, and noticed everyone was stressed. Whatever it was Dumbledore wanted to say, it obviously wasn't good, for all the Order - except Snape - was there.

The only difference between one person and the rest, is that Hermione looked extremely tired. She was poking at her food, but not eating. Her eyes were also a dead giveaway. She kept nodding, and her eyelids kept drooping. Through, every time she was on the verge of sleep, Ginny would nudge her.

He furrowed his eyebrows. What was going on with her? She looked like a wreck, and a tired wreck at that.

---

Hermione hadn't had much sleep lately. Her dreams kept coming back, and she didn't know what they meant. She had asked Ginny, who didn't know, and then asked McGonagall, who was as clueless as Ginny, and told her to ask Dumbledore. Hermione had yet to talk to him, but until she did, she was going to stay awake as long as she possibly could, with the help of Ginny. She didn't want to keep having these dreams.

She thought it strange that she hadn't had a single nightmare since her first year at Hogwarts, and it wasn't even that scary. She was standing in front of the Staff Table, with everyone looking at her. Dumbledore held up a piece of parchment, and said, "Miss Hermione Granger has failed in every class, and in making any friends. I am sorry, but you aren't magic material, so you must go home now."

Now that she looked back to it, she wanted to laugh, but right now, she couldn't even smile, and was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

That dream was nothing compared to the dreams she started having the night before. Every time she woke up, heart racing, breathing staggered. She fell back asleep, only to be welcomed by the same dream.

Though she knew it was a dream, she also had her doubts. She knew dreams were only strange images created by the mind, they couldn't hurt you, and they weren't real. Of course, some special occasions one would get a dream that was meant to mean something important.

'Oh, right', she thought, having the urge to smile again, 'Like having a scary guy chasing me everywhere, in a place I have no idea I'm at, wanting to kill me, is a meaningful dream! What am I? A low score Slytherin? Such as one Draco Malfoy.'

What was she doing thinking about him? She hadn't thought about him since the day she decided to make peace with him.

It was graduation, and the insults and hatred had gone long enough. She caught him alone, and decided to put all differences behind her, and make up with him. Who would've thought he wanted the same thing? Of course, she thought he was just playing around with her. But, when he told her what he was doing for Dumbledore the day after they all went home for good, and said 'Good-bye, Hogwarts!' she accepted him. She didn't know if Harry or Ron would, but she and Ginny accepted all apologies for being rude to them.

Ginny nudged her again, and Hermione dropped her fork. Had she really been dosing off? She looked at her food, which had been untouched, besides her poking at it and moving around the plate.

She bent down to get her fork, sat up, and put it on her plate. She looked around, and found everyone looking at Dumbledore. She too looked his way.

He smiled at her and opened his mouth. He sighed, and shook his head.

"Severus has told me of a new terror of Voldemort's," he began. "Something that is very hard to ignore. He told me that Narcissa Malfoy had given him the idea of attacking not just the magic world, but the muggle world as well. I have news that the way he plans on doing this is to - "

There was a knock on the front door, which Hermione thought strange. Dumbledore excused himself, and left to go answer the door.

She looked around, and found Harry and Draco giving her strange looks. Draco looked at Harry, who shrugged, and they both turned back to where Dumbledore had stood.

Hermione thought she must've been dreaming, for the two never even shared hatred looks anymore.

She looked back at the door as Dumbledore walked in, beaming. "We have a new addition!" he said.

Everyone looked around at each other in confusion. Hermione kept her eyes on Dumbledore, suddenly not feeling so tired anymore.

He stepped aside, and in walked in a tall, brown haired, big nosed, Viktor Krum.

Hermione smiled widely at the sight of him, though she didn't know why, she thought she didn't have those feelings for him anymore.

Viktor smiled at her. "I have come to discuss something with you, Her-my-ninny," he said.

Hermione blushed and looked down. He still hadn't gotten her name right. She nodded, stood up, and followed him out to the parlor.

She let the door close, just as she heard Dumbledore say, "Now, where was I?" Viktor stood in front of the fireplace, hands behind his back.

There was an uncomfortable silence going on between the two, and Hermione couldn't stand it. She stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"What is, Viktor?" she asked.

Viktor turned around, and smiled at her. "I missed you, Hermione," he said.

Hermione winced. How could he say her name right so soon, when just a few minutes ago, he had said it worse than ever?

Viktor seemed to read her mind, for he smiled at her and stepped forward, now making the gap between them seem smaller.

"Hermione," he said, "have we ever kissed before?"

Hermione winced again. Where was he leading with this?

She shook her head. "I - I don't think so," she said, nervously.

Viktor nodded. He got a little closer to her. "Have you kissed anybody before?"

Hermione shook her head. She had kissed Harry on the cheek once, but that was about it, nothing serious.

Viktor smiled wider. He lifted his hands and placed them on her shoulders. He slightly pulled her towards him.

Hermione gulped. She knew what he was going to do. Okay, so, maybe just a slight kiss, and everything would be okay? He'll go home, and they never talk about kissing again? She wanted so much to push away and tell him she didn't feel that way about him, but could she do it?

He slowly lowered his head, and closed his eyes. He smiled as his lips very lightly pressed against hers.

Hermione thought she would melt. So, this is what kissing a boy was like? She liked it, even if it was with someone whom she didn't like in that way anymore.

She closed her eyes, and let Viktor take over.

---

Harry looked at Hermione. Dumbledore wasn't that boring, was he? But, then again, she was looking tired. He sighed and turned back to Dumbledore. He knew someone was going to fill her in when the time came for her to ask what she missed.

Dumbledore seemed to notice her as well. He stopped talking and cleared his throat. "Miss Weasley," he said to Ginny, "could you wake up Miss Granger? I don't think this is the perfect time to doze off. This is important."

Ginny turned and looked at Hermione, then back at Dumbledore. She nodded, and began to shake Hermione.

---

Viktor pressed his hands against her back, pushing her more into his body. He grazed the bottom of her lip with his tongue, demanding entrance. Hermione didn't know what to do in that situation, so she just opened her mouth.

Happily, Viktor overtook her mouth, running his tongue over her teeth, her lips, the inside of her cheek, and teased her own tongue.

Hermione liked it, what else was there to say? She liked being kissed. Maybe all guys were like this? No, she thought. She knew that all guys may have a different technique in kissing.

Just when she began to shiver, his feel against her changed. His fingers were long, his hands were bigger, his lips were softer, and his breathing was more audible.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she opened her eyes slowly. She gasped and pushed away from him. His dark brown eyes looked at her questioningly, and his black hair fell over his face as he tilted his head to the side.

"Miss Granger," he said, "I never knew you were such a good kisser. Who taught you? Weasley? Potter?"

"P-Professor Snape?" she asked. She felt disgusted now. She had been kissing her most hated teacher! How would Ron and Harry kill her? Make it quick and painless? Or slow, torturing, painful?

Snape smirked and nodded. He crossed his arms over his chest in the smooth, disciplinary way he always did. He raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to Viktor?" she demanded. There was no way she would believe she had been kissing him.

"There was no Viktor," he said, as if it were the most stupidest question she could've asked. Well, in his opinion, she knew, it was. "I was here the whole time."

"Polyjuice?"

"One of the greatest potions to be created," he answered. "I was Viktor Krum so you would fall into my arms and allow me to kiss you."

"Why did you want to kiss me?" she asked, placing her fingers on her mouth.

"Did you like it?" he asked.

Hermione was speechless, and he took that as a yes. He knew she would've yelled in his face if it was horrible, and she didn't. She couldn't deny it, even to herself, that the kiss was wonderful, though it was only her first one, and she couldn't compare.

Snape smiled, and grabbed her arms, more forceful than before, reading her mind. "You want another go?" he asked.

At that moment, she hated the human body for being so vulnerable to such emotions and feelings. She knew it was wrong, she knew it gross, but she liked it.

Snape crashed his lips onto hers. She looked at him, eyes wide. That was different. She opened her mouth, closing her eyes.

Snape forced his tongue into her mouth, and began going after her own.

Just as she was beginning to feel weak in the knees, he changed once more. His lips were rough, as was his tongue. Something touched her forehead, though she didn't know what. It was hard, but it was soft. He lifted one of his hands and touched her cheek. She nearly gasped at the toughness that Snape's hands hand become.

He moaned into her mouth, but it was deeper and raspy.

She brought up her hands, and touched his face. It was hard, and scarred, she knew. She furrowed her eyebrows again, and opened her eyes.

Two brown eyes looked back at her, but they were surrounded by burnt skin. She screamed into his kiss, and he smirked.

He pulled away, and she continued to scream. He laughed, causing her to stop screaming, but not stop shaking.

"So, that's how you feel about your potions teacher?" he asked. "Can't wait to tell him."

Hermione shook her head. Dreaming. That's what she was doing. Dreaming. This was the same man who was always terrorizing her in her dreams. If this was a dream, then Viktor wasn't real, and neither was Snape! 'What a relief!'

"What do you want with me?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking.

He shook his head. "Nothing." He smiled and disappeared.

Hermione looked around as wind began to pick up. She looked towards the door that led to the kitchen. It sounded like singing, but it was too muffled, she couldn't tell.

She stepped towards the door, the singing getting louder. She grasped the knob firmly, and twisted it. She felt the door unhook and opened it. Inside, everything was gone, as was everyone else, but the singing continued. She stepped into he kitchen, and looked around.

"One, two, Freddy's coming for you," someone sang. "Three, four, Freddy's at the door. Five, six, the crucifix. Seven, eight..."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the man said, behind her. Hermione jumped and looked at him. "I wrote it myself."

Hermione's lip began shaking as the singing continued.

"One, two, Freddy's coming for you..."

The man stepped forward, his hands behind his back, smirking.

"Three, four, Freddy's at the door..."

"Who are you?" Hermione asked, backing up.

"Five, six, the crucifix..."

He smiled, and showed his right hand. Hermione saw it and screamed. She looked at his eyes. He smiled wider.

"Freddy Krueger," he said.

---

Ginny shot up in her bed, and looked at Hermione's sleeping form. She gasped and jumped out of bed.

She grabbed her robe, and pulled it on, sitting next to Hermione. She was having another nightmare. Ginny could tell by her sudden scream that woke her, by the her sweat forehead, and by her hard breathing.

Ginny began shaking her. "Hermione? Hermione. Wake up!"

Hermione shook her head, and screamed again. "Who are you?" she mumbled.

Ginny's eyebrows raised. "Hermione!" She shook harder. "Hermione! Wake up!"

Hermione's eyes clenched.

"Hermione!"

Her eyes shot open. She looked around the room and saw Ginny sitting by her. She broke out in tears, and hugged her friend.

"Oh, Ginny!" she sobbed. "It happened again!"

"It's okay, Hermione," she said. "It was just a nightmare."

Hermione shook her head. Her dream was fresh in her mind. After he told her his name, he lunged at her, just nipping her shirt, and just scratched her arm. It was then she woke up.

She mindlessly touched her arm where he got her, and winced. Pain, there was pain!

She looked at her shoulder, and found her shirt cut, and a small scratch, with blood slowly starting to form. She paled.

"I have to talk to Dumbledore," she whispered.