Trapped in a Dream

Hermione quickly changed into her robes and ran down into the common room to meet Harry and Ron, not caring that her hair was a bushy mess and tangled in front of her face. At first they looked at her strangely, glancing at each other in a silent conversation, but Ron ended it with a shrug and ran over to hug her, gently placing his lips on hers.

Hermione leaned into the kiss slightly, felling Ron awkwardly moving his mouth everywhere, but abruptly pulled away, seeing Harry rolling his eyes from the stairs, and led them out of the room through the portrait hole. Ron bounded after her like a puppy dog and Harry unwillingly trudged along after them, smiling faintly at their happiness.

Ron raced through his breakfast as soon as they reached the Great Hall, while Harry, on the other hand, barely touched a bite. Hermione shakily raised the cereal spoon up to her mouth and back down again in a slow repetitive motion, completely ignoring everyone around her while staring at a spot somewhere on the table in deep thought. Normally, this wouldn't have bothered anyone, considering how Hermione often drifted off and then went into a long rant about something completely inappropriate when she came back to reality, startling everyone around her. Then again, she normally noticed if she was eating out of an invisible bowl with invisible cereal.

"Er, Hermione, are you sure you're feeling well?" Harry glanced anxiously at his best friend, who continued to pick the spoon up and bring it back down on the wooden tabletop with soft clinks, oblivious to the fact she was being spoken to. He had been watching her for nearly 10 minutes now and the noise was starting to get on his nerves.

He was about to shake her when suddenly she stopped in mid motion, quickly whipping her head sideways to stare into his emerald eyes. A burning red energy seemed to emit from her and outrage was clinging to her voice. "Well? Of course I'm felling well, you little prat! Now stop bothering me and mind your own damn business!"

Harry pulled back, his eyes burning from the red glow Hermione had sawn into him with her own. His mouth gaped open, a flush of embarrassment rising in his cheeks as everyone in the great hall turned at the commotion between them. Even Ron, who had been too busy munching down on everything he could get his hands on, noticed the sudden hostility the girl had obtained and froze.

"Hermione!"

She blinked repeatedly, looking into the horrified eyes of her best friends, and was thoroughly confused. "Sorry, I must have dozed off, what were you saying? Harry, aren't you going to eat anything? You have that huge Quidditch match against Slytherin today and if you fall off your broom from malnourishment and miss the snitch, Malfoy will be completely unbearable."

They just stared at her, mouth's gaping open, looking uncannily like frogs.

"Oh, for heaven's sakes, what's gotten into you two lately? You're acting like idiots and the entire Great Hall is watching. If you two can't learn to act more mature, I'm going to the library."

With that, she gathered her belongings and went to leave the great hall, but stumbled over the bench and fell face first onto the ground. A sharp pain coursed through Hermione, travelling from her smashed up bloody nose to the very nerves of her body. She let out a loud howl of pain before finding herself in blackness.

***

"My, my, dear! Took a little slip in the Great Hall, didn't we? Not to worry, I've fixed you all up and your nose is as good as new. It's a good thing your friends brought you here as soon as they did, otherwise I would have had to give you something a lot stronger. Just try to avoid touching it until the potion's effects wear off or you might find yourself back in here with a trunk like an elephant."

Hermione groaned as she stared up at the timid-looking, yet stern, Madame Pomfrey. "Can I leave?"

"Why of course! Wouldn't want you wasting class time cooped up in here, now, out you go. Just remember what I said."

Smiling, Hermione jumped up from her bed and raced to class, Madame Pomfrey's shouts of "slow down, you silly girl, you're going to fall again!" melting behind. She opened the door and, despite the healer's words, raced down the corridor, eager to get to charms.

She rounded a corner and suddenly smacked into a very solid object. She was knocked to the ground on her rear end and rolled on her side, clutching her nose in agony. Hermione groggily looked up to see a familiar, blurry, blonde object shouting and pointing at her and restrained a groan.

"Stupid mudblood! Should have watched where you're going ... you could have seriously injured me ... your filth's all over my clean new robes ... my father ..."

Hermione's eyes adjusted slightly, just enough so she could make out the clear picture of Draco Malfoy standing over her, clutching his stomach in pain, gasping out random phrases. Apparently she had rammed into him pretty hard, judging by all the whining sounds he was making, either that or he was simply a weakling.

When he finally got his breath back together he stood up straighter and adjusted his tie, looking down at her in disgust. "This had better not stop me from playing Quidditch, Granger, or so help me I'll make you pay with your life."

The more he spoke, the more annoyed and angered Hermione became until the air around her practically shivered with fury at his insolence. "Oh, stop complaining you sorry git! It was nothing you didn't already deserve. In fact, after all those years of your arrogance and pureblood hogwash, I think I owe you a proper muggle beating." She smiled at this comment, watching his eyes widen in memory of their third year when she had punched him unjustly - or, at least, that's what he believed. She got to her feet in one quick movement and began to advance on him until he was backed against a wall, where she cackled with laughter and he tore off in the opposite direction.

In a flash she dove at him, catching him by the waist where she pinned him to the floor and rolled him over so he was looking up at her. "Now you know what it feels like to have someone looking down at you, intimidating, isn't it?"

Malfoy shook his head, half in horror, half in disbelief, and opened his mouth to reply with a snide remark when a classroom door opened and Professor Snape swept out of the room to face them. He gave them both a menacing glare, watching them scurry back into a standing position, and looked at them in disgust.

"Dear me, fighting, is it? I don't believe the Hogwarts rules allow for students to be attacking each other in the halls, nor to be skipping classes, and you will both be punished accordingly. Mr. Malfoy, I suggest you head straight to the hospital wing to have yourself checked out, I can't have my seeker out of action for today's game, and we will discuss what will happen to you upon your return."

"Yes, sir," Malfoy replied, dramatically regaining his clutch on his stomach in pain with one hand and holding his face with the other. He cast Hermione a deadly glance as he passed by and mouthed, "You'll pay for this later, mudblood."

Hermione could only match his tense stare before Snape's harsh voice filled her head causing her to shrink backwards.

"Trying to hurt another houses' member, now, are we? What, getting tired of showing up fellow students from your own house?" Hermione stared at him, not moving or accepting his challenging remarks. When he saw she was restraining herself, he scoffed and continued. "You'd better watch yourself, Miss Granger, or next time I might not be there to save you. I will speak to Professor McGonagall about this, to ensure you are properly punished, you needn't worry about that."

With a scowl Hermione braced herself. "Am I free to go now, Severus, or must you make me waste more of my time listening to your meaningless babble? I haven't got as much leisure time as you seem to, I have a class to get to. If you need me, I'm sure you know where to find me."

"Stop right there, Miss Granger!" Snape fumed, steam practically flowing from his nostrils. "Just where do you think you get off addressing me by my first name? 50 points from Gryffindor and I warn you, don't ever cross me again or I'll make it 100 house points."