Trapped in a Dream

Hermione quickly released her hands from Draco's waist and slid sideways off the broom while he waited, keeping the broom to a hover so she wouldn't fall. As soon as both students had made their way off safely, the crowd was upon them. Hermione turned in shock to see Ron storming up to them, face beet red, with Harry numbly at his side.

As soon as they were close enough, Ron stuck his face in Draco's, their noses only inches apart as Ron began to scream. "What the bloody hell are you trying to do, pulling a stunt like that, Malfoy? You could have killed her, slimy bastard!" He pulled back his hand, which he had balled into a fist, and smashed it into Draco's stomach. "How many times do I have to tell you to keep your hands off my girlfriend?"

Malfoy bent over, clutching his stomach in pain as he rolled his eyes. "Ugh, not this shit, again. Shut your mouth, Weasley!" Draco gasped through clenched teeth. "I wouldn't touch the filthy mudblood if someone paid me to. She's the one who got in the way and made me loose the damn Snitch; go bother her for a change! Honestly, you'd think even she could manage a jump out of the way if she saw someone coming towards her."

At this comment, Ron started, pulling out his wand. "Don't you dare, don't you dare call her a mud - you-know-what again or so help me, Malfoy, when I get through with you there won't be anything left to apologize with!" He made to shout a curse at Draco, but instead found himself knocked over on the pitch, his Quidditch robes covered in slimy, green grass stains, 10 feet away from everyone. "Blimey! What the hell was that?" He got up dizzily, storming back over, only to find Hermione with her wand out, standing in front of a very shocked but smug Malfoy.

"Hermione?" Harry couldn't believe her behaviour lately. First she had yelled at him at breakfast, and then she had given Ron and him a good blast during Defence against the Dark Arts class and walked out. This was definitely going overboard - she was defending Malfoy. "Are you sure you don't have a concussion or something? You just blew Ron, one of your best friends, across the pitch for Malfoy, who would leave you for dead if he had the chance."

"I'M FINE, POTTER! WHY CAN'T YOU AND WEASLEY JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE AND GET THE FACT THAT I'M NOT SOME HOUSE ELF TO DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU THROUGH YOUR THICK HEADS?" Hermione raged, heaving over in anger. "MALFOY'S THE ONLY ONE AROUND HERE WHO DOESN'T TREAT ME LIKE I'M SOME POOR GIRL. DON'T YOU DARE COME NEAR ME AGAIN OR I SWEAR I'LL, I'LL ..."

Just what exactly she planned on doing they never found out, for at that moment, Hermione began shaking uncontrollably, her eyes rolled back into her head so that only the whites were showing. Her face drained of its entire colour as if someone had pulled a plug and she collapsed in Draco's arms, who disgustedly dropped her and took a step away.

"Out of the way! Make room for her to breathe." Everyone turned to stare at the speaker, a mouse-looking creature by the name of Madame Hooch that coached the Quidditch match and flying lessons. Her small pointed nose and owl-like eyes passed their way through the crowds and came upon the unconscious girl. "You three there, help me take her up to the hospital wing immediately before Madame Pomfrey has my neck. Then, I want you all to meet me in my office to discuss the matter at hand."

"But I didn't do anything!" Harry protested indignantly. "I just asked if she was feeling all right, which she obviously isn't considering how she reacted, and that happened!" He spread his arms in front of him to the spot where Hermione was lying and frowned.

"That's enough from you, Mr Potter; we'll discuss this after you come back from the hospital wing. Now, march!"

The other students had all been sent off to their common rooms after the ordeal with Hermione had occurred and the Gryffindors waited patiently for Ron and Harry's return to find out what had happened.

***

"Back, are you? Good. Now that's been taken care of, you can all take a seat. Mr Malfoy, as I take it, you know the most as to what happened, so I'll let you go ahead and explain."

Madame Hooch had been waiting in a small room overlooking the grounds when the boys had returned from the very dangerous task of handing Hermione over to the Healer, who had ferociously turned on them as if it were their fault, so they had turned and ran. The room was covered in sketches and diagrams of different moves the Quidditch players had been trying out, as it was usually named "the drawing room" and nothing in the room was clean or unused. "There will be no interruptions from you two until he is completely finished, then I will get your own opinions in turn. Understood?"

Harry quickly nodded, but Ron, who was still furious with Draco for calling Hermione a mudblood and shocked that she had hit him with a spell, simply stared at the floor with bloodshot eyes, thinking about Hermione's limp body. Draco acknowledged the teacher and went to clear his throat, smoothing back his silvery blonde hair as he stood and began to pace around the room.

"Well, Professor, it was like this: I spotted the Snitch from where I had been flying and noticed Scarhead over there," here he motioned towards Harry's chair and sneered, "diving in, so immediately I followed him and went after it. Potter pulled out for some reason and I had no idea why, but to tell you the truth, I didn't really care as long as I won. Once I realized where I was headed, I tried to pull out - luckily the crowd had enough sense to duck out of the way - and I was almost free when that - when Granger shows up out of nowhere. Before I could stop her, she had jumped onto my broom and I -"

"Liar! You knew she was there and you ran straight into her! You just couldn't stand to see us win again!" Ron immediately jumped up, clawing at Draco from the other side of Harry, who surprisingly had remained silent in deep concentration but was now trying to push back Ron. "Right, Harry?"

"Mr Weasley, please, restrain yourself! I'm trying to see what happened and your accusations against Mr Malfoy are not helping." Ron passed Draco a malicious grunt before sitting again. "Now, if you're all settled, again. Please continue, Mr Malfoy."

With a quick glare at the duo, Draco ran his fingers through his hair again and went on. "As I was saying, before I was interrupted, I suddenly found myself in the air with that mudblood - I mean, Granger," Madame Hooch gave him a look of warning, "clinging onto my broom! I had no way to control it with her weighing it down, so I immediately dropped to the ground where I was greeted by Weaselbee here."

Ron looked like he was about to explode if he didn't go after Malfoy soon. Harry however, just kept staring into space, nodding here and there as if to confirm Draco's story, almost oblivious to Ron's restless movements.

"I was surprised to find him in my face pointing his wand at me, after he had punched my stomach, the coward. Then suddenly Granger did this thing with her wand and stepped in front of me, sending Weasley flying and stopping his idiotic notions; she may the only one in that lot with some sense." Madame Hooch noted the hint of awe in his voice as he said the last part, as if he couldn't believe what he was saying. He seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts and his tone went cold again. "Then Potter asked why she was protecting me, the idiot, and she went mental, but what more would you expect from someone with her background?"

"Don't you start, Malfoy! I still have my wand and I'd gladly use it to hurt you in any way possible." Ron glared at Draco in pure dislike and loathed that he had touched Hermione - HIS Hermione.

"Careful, Mr Weasley, or I'll have your wand revoked. I won't stand for any threats or intolerance, is that understood? Good. Well then, I'm guessing that's all you have to say for yourself?" Madame Hooch looked at Draco and he carelessly shrugged. "And I think you've expressed your opinions quite well already, Mr Weasley, with those outbursts, so there's really only one more person left to hear from. Any thoughts to add, Mr Potter?"

"No, well not really anyways." Ron gasped.

"What are you talking about, Harry? You saw how the bloke went after Hermione, and you know he's jealous of Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup, he did it on purpose!" How could Harry disappoint him like this? He was agreeing with Malfoy, even though he knew perfectly well that hadn't been everything that had happened. Why?

"That's actually about the way I saw it. I was in front blocking Malfoy's view of the Snitch, in case he decided to pass, so he would get confused. I just don't understand, Professor, Hermione never acts like this."

"Listen, Potter, Miss Granger is growing up, she's experiencing things you may never know about. I suggest you leave her be for a few days and see what happens - that goes for you, too, Mr Weasley. As for the matter, as far as I can tell you seem to be telling the truth, Mr Malfoy; all three of you are free to go. 10 points will be taken for each of your actions and I warn you not to act so childish next time. Be thankful, Mr Weasley," she added, seeing Ron's mouth opening, "that I'm not giving you detention after this."