Visions and Prophesies

Visions and Prophesies: Of Snakes and Men

Harry had been back and forward to the Hospital Wing every day for nearly two weeks to see Hermione, but all he managed was being allowed to sit outside the doors. Madam Pomfrey had comforted him during the first few days.

"She's been through a lot, Mr. Potter. She'll see you when she's ready."

This particular morning, he was sitting in the Great Hall staring down at his eggs and sausage. He felt, rather than saw, someone walk up to him and looked up into the face of Professor McGonnagal. Her strict facade was gone and she looked softer, younger than her years... almost vunerable in a way.

"She wants to see you, Mr. Potter."

**She came calling, one early morning

She showed her crown of thorns

She whispered softly to tell a story

Of how she had been wronged.

As she lay lifeless, he stole her innocence

And this is how she carried on**

Harry slowly walked into the hospital wing and was usherd to Hermione's bedside. She was looking out of the window at something and he reached out to touch her hand.

"Don't touch me," she whispered. "I don't want anyone to touch me."

Swallowing the lump in his throat he sat down and stared at her for a few moments. Just as he opened his mouth to speak she began to talk. It came out in a whisper and he knew that she wouldn't venture anything above that.

"He said you didn't love me..."

She turned her head towards him and looked at him with watery eyes. She was shocked to see that he had tears coursing down his face. Why was he crying?

"I thought I'd never see you again Mione... I thought I killed you!"

The tears that threatened to spill over did so and she held her arms out for Harry. As he moved into her embrace, he felt that it was tense and drew back. Looking into her eyes, he didn't have to speak the question. His eyes spoke for him.

Hermione sat back against her pillows and ran a hand through her hair.

"He.. he did something to me.."

"What did he do?"

"He.. Harry, he... he raped me."

Not wanting to see his face, she turned her head back towards the window as she said the last part.

"Who is he?"

**My anger's violent, but still I'm silent

When tragedy strikes at home**

Just as she was about to answer, the curtain by her bed was pulled open, revealing a pale and drawn Draco.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry snarled.

"I just came... I wanted to see how she was doing."

The look that passed over his face startled Harry.

"Hello Draco."

Moving closer to the bed, Draco laid a hand on top of Hermione's still one.

"How are you feeling today, Hermione?"

"I don't know. How am I supposed to feel? I want to thank you, Draco... I know it was a big sacrifice."

He released her hand and smiled down at her.

"You just get better, ok?"

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Sitting down on his own bed, Draco pulled all of the curtains around himself. He was sure to die now. Not only did he rescue a common mudblood, but he intentionally lied to his own father. Lucius had not contacted the boy since seeing him in the manor last.

"I am NOT a carbon copy of you Lucius... I refuse to be."

"You have no idea how disappointed I am to hear that Draco."

The young man whipped his head up and found his father staring at him.

"You have displeased the Master greatly. Soiled the Malfoy name among Death Eaters. And He wants you to pay for spoiling his plans. Imperio."

No one noticed the father dragging the son out of the infirmary.

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"Please remember class, the proper wrist movement... the swish and flick."

Sarin concentrated on learning the new spell with the proper wrist movement. Ever since Hermione had been returned along with Draco and they were both transferred to the Hospital Wing, most of their Charms classes had been on simple mediwizard things. This week's class was on the "Mobilicorpus". As hard as she tried to pay attention and get the spell right on her classmate, Sarin felt sick. She was silent and was rarely ever seen in the Great Hall anymore. Her robes hung too big on her too small frame and her eyes were distressed.

"Ms. Haley, please do try to concentrate harder!"

She looked down at Professor Flitwick and gave a weak smile. Raising her wand again, she looked Ginny in the eye and pronounced "Mobilicorpus" clearly. As Ginny began to lift into the air with a triumphant cry, Sarin became dizzy and everything went black. Later, Ginny was thankful the girl was already out for the count, for what happened next would have surely been painful. As she crumpled to the ground, Sarin's head made solid connection with the sharp edge of the desk she was standing next to. Blood began to pour from a deep gash on her temple and Ginny gave a terrified shriek as she fell to the floor. Toby dropped his partner to the floor as he rushed towards his fallen sister. Professor Flitwick had given order for someone to run and get help and then set about restoring some order to the class. In a few short moments, Madame Pomfrey was in the Charms classroom and rushing to the girl's side. Ginny stood motionless and watched the mediwitch do what she could. Toby stood at her side and Ginny never noticed his hand slipping into hers.

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"Knock knock."

Hermione looked up from her bed and smiled at Harry as he stood in the gap between the hospital curtains. It was a genuine smile and Harry was thankful that whatever ghosts still haunted her were at rest for now. Walking in, he placed a small bouquet of flowers down on her bedside table and reached for her hand.

"Hello Harry. Shouldn't you be on your way to Transfiguration?" Hermione asked, extending her own hand to meet his.

"I should," he said with a slight bow as he lightly kissed her fingers, "but I'm not." He finished with an impish glint in his eyes.

He stepped back out of the curtains and pulled them closed behind him.

"Get dressed Ms. Granger. I want to take you somewhere."

"But Harry..."

"Madame Pomfrey said that you could leave whenever you were ready. Now, get dressed. I'll be waiting outside in the hall."

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Hermione shivered and tugged her cloak tighter around her body. Harry, noticing this stopped and took hold of her shoulders. He muttered a simple warming spell and smiled as she stopped shaking. He just wanted to spend time with her, away from the castle, away from Madam Pomfrey... just the two of them. Hermione, on the other hand, was going through anguished thoughts. She had heard Lucius Malfoy in the wing, but when she emerged from her curtained off bed, there was no sign of him, nor of Draco.

"Mione? Alright?"

She snapped back to reality and looked up at Harry. He had really grown and now stood at least a head and a half over her. There was so much that she wanted to tell him, so much she wanted to ask. But he looked so content to just walk around the lake with her by his side.

~What makes you touch?

What makes you feel?

What makes you stop and smell the roses in an open field?

What makes you unclean?~

"Yeah Harry. I'm ok."

Tears began to fill her eyes and she quickly looked away, hoping that he hadn't seen them. No such luck was to be had though. He gently grabbed her arm and turned her around. The tears were coursing down her face in a steady stream, freezing slightly on her pale cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but a hoarse sob emerged instead, and Harry pulled her towards himself. He stood there, in the snow and wind, next to the lake just holding her. Her hair smelled of the freshness of apples and her body was beginning to fill out again. And all he could do was hold her. After what seemed like years, she stopped crying but didn't make a move to lift her head. Harry pulled her closer and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"What's wrong Mione?"

She took a deep breath and collected her thoughts for a moment. She pulled herself from his embrace and stood staring at her feet.

"In the hospital wing... you asked me a question. You wanted to know who... who raped me."

"Hermione, you don't have to..."

"It was Lucius Malfoy. He..."

She stopped and looked up at Harry. He was slowly backing away from her as if she had grown another head.

"M-m..Malfoy?"

Harry didn't know what to do. His mind was spinning and he found himself getting further away from Hermione, who stood with tears coursing down her cheeks again. Malfoy had done that to her? He could see her lips moving, but he heard no sound. In fact, all he could hear was a mad rushing sound in his ears. She reached out to touch him and he yanked his hand back as if her touch would burn him.

"You hate me now, don't you?" she asked through her tears.

When he didn't answer, she turned around and headed back towards the castle, feeling chilled to her bones despite the warming charm on her cloak. At the doors, she turned around and saw him staring over the lake. Hermione suddenly felt very weak and dropped to the ground, letting the waves of sadness wash over her and the sobs that were choking her break free. He didn't want her. Harry wanted nothing to do with her. She had no idea how long she sat on her knees in the snow, but she felt a pair of strong arms circle her waist and lift her up. The last thing she caught sight of before she lost her fight for consciousness was a shock of red hair.

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There were voices around her. Sarin struggled to open her eyes and gave up, sinking back into the darkness that did not want to let go.

"Gin, go on back to the common room. It doesn't make sense for both of us to sit here."

Toby laid his hand over Ginny's and looked into her eyes. She hadn't budged from Sarin's bedside for the past hour.

"Ginny, go."

She firmly shook her head and planted herself deeper into the chair. Just as she opened her mouth to tell Toby to stop worrying, shouting came from across the room.

"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!"

Ginny burst through the curtains, her heart in her throat and gasped when she saw Ron carrying Hermione in. She rushed over, screaming for the nurse as well.

"Oh God! What happened Ron?" she asked as Poppy came running into the room.

"I found her outside the castle, sitting in the snow. She was crying, but she wouldn't respond when I called her name. I grabbed her and she just... passed out!"

By now, Hermione was being settled into a bed and Pepperup potion was being poured into her mouth. She spluttered a moment and sat up slowly.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Ron asked concerned.

His only response was a fresh wave of tears. After a few moments Madam Pomfrey came over with a potion that would enable the drinker to rest peacefully. It was only after she was asleep that Ron really took notice of Ginny.

"Gin, what are you doing in here? Are you hurt? What happened?"

Ginny explained what happened in Charms and Ron looked torn. Should he stay with one of his best friends, or go check on Sarin? Ginny saw his deliberation and offered to stay with Hermione. After flashing his sister a grateful look, Ron took her place beside Sarin.

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His toes were numb, but he didn't really notice. Hermione and that... THAT?! His rational mind tried to reason that it wasn't as if she gave herself over to him, but his other mind argued that Lucius Malfoy had touched her... had...

"No! I'm not thinking about this!" he yelled out loud. Harry spun around and attacked the tree that stood behind him. His right hand broke upon contact with the tree, but his anger was so great, he barely noticed the pain. Over and over he kept punching the tree until his knuckles were raw and bleeding, and there were wooden chips imbedded deep in the skin. Sinking to his knees, he began to notice the pain in his hand but it held nothing on the pain in his heart. She needed him and he treated her like she was some three headed monster.

"What have I done?" he whispered into the still air.