A Harry Potter Fan Fiction; Hogwarts University

Chapter 22

A/N; HI and thanks to Shannon :D

Hermione

I was shaking with the fear of my dream- or what I thought was a dream, as I wasn't too sure- and sobbing.

The room was coated with darkness, except for the gentle light of the moon, which shone through the open windows. I suddenly felt unsafe in my environment, and decided to close my eyes again.

I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

★★★★☆★★★★

The next morning, Ron and Ginny came to collect me from the hospital wing.

Ron took my hand and helped me up. Ginny rushed foward, ready to help me to walk.

"I'm fine, really. I can walk." I insisted.

I was terrified half the way that they were going to abandon me for being a Mudblood...

Halfway there, Ron turned to me.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing..." I lied.

He stared at me for a while before forcing me to sit down.

"Tell us."

Ron crouched in front of me and Ginny sat beside me.

Shaking, I began to tell them about my dream. They both looked worried, and the emotion on their faces grew as I told them.

"And all I could think was that I'd always hoped that.... that I was loved..."

As I said it, Ron grabbed my hand.

"Hermione... please... you are loved... I love you..."

"And you're my best friend. And Harry's." Ginny said urgently. "We don't care if you're Muggle-born... it doesn't make a difference to us..." she squeezed my shoulder.

I felt a sudden surge of love for both of them- a wave of emotion so powerful it brought a lump to my throat.

"I love you. Both of you." I told them. "And could you do me a favour and not tell Harry?"

"We won't. We promise."

"Thanks." I sighed and tried to fight off the fresh wave of tears that hit me when the two of them smiled at me.

Ginny

I really didn't like the way Hermione was thinking. We didn't care that she just so happened to be the first witch born into a muggle family... but I don't know why she keeps calling herself a you-know-what... it is a horrible word that only the most stuck-up pure-bloods use (MALFOY!).

I really regret the fight we had at the start of the year; if it hadn't happened, none of this would have happened.

Hermione suddenly turned to me with a sad and pleading look.

"Do you want us to leave you alone for a while?" I asked. She nodded, so me and Ron stood up and left, casting glances over our shoulders until Hermione was out of sight. I sighed. "I feel sorry for you."

Ron looked shocked. "Why?"

"Becuase you must have felt terrible when you couldn't do anything to stop Chio from doing what she was doing."

"I did. When she succeeded, I felt as though I'd let Hermione down. I'd promised I would protect her. But it couldn't have been so good for you, stuck on your own in the common room."

I shrugged. "It wasn't so bad."

"You know... Hermione said to me that no one cares about a... you-know-what, though she said the actual word, getting injured or.. ill or..killed." he whispered the last word.

I put my hand on his shoulder.