When did you become beautiful?

Any character or place you recognize belongs to J K Rowling

Hermione was dreaming again. The dreams came often now. This one was about the first time

Her screams echoed in her own ears as he breached her hymen and she heard her own pleadings for him to stop as though from far away. She watched from somewhere on the cieling as he pumped in and out of her with a look of mad pleasure on his face and for the first time she noticed her own face. It was red and tear streaked. She noticed that already she had the look of a deep secret that hurt her in her very soul that she would bear until her dying day.

Hermione awoke and changed the bandages. Every time she woke from one of the dreams she found that her wound had opened again but this time there didn't seem to be as much blood. She had just finished tucking in the bandage when there was a knock at her door and she flew over to it. She fell into the arms of her two best friends when she opened it with a look of joy on her face.

"Oh my god you're here! How did you get in here?" She squealed as they hugged her tightly. She noticed that they had worry in their eyes.

"It's good to see you too Mya but now we need to talk without being overheard. Let's go to the room of requirement." Hermione nodded wondering what it was that they wanted to talk to her about.

The room of requirement this time was merely a cozy living room with squishy couches and a crackling fire. A tray with snacks on it sat on a table situated inbetween the couches. She lay down on one sleepy eyed and looked at her two friends. Harry reached into his pocket and drew something out and slammed it down on the table with a look of sad anger on his face. Hermione saw what it was and knew immediately what it meant. Slytherin's locket lay on the table.

"It was right under our noses Hermione. It belonged to Regulus Anthony Black. RAB. Sirius' younger brother who was a death eater. It totally fits. He stole the locket and was killed. What's more we saw it when we were cleaning the house. Why didn't I remember it? I had seen it in a memory. If I had known that we never would have had to go to the cave and Dumbledore would still be alive." He hunched over and put his face in his hands. Hermione went over to him and placed a comforting hand on his back.

"Harry, Dumbledore would have died anyway. Snape or Malfoy," She choked now saying his surname. Now she liked his first name better, "Would have killed him. And he was old. Older than anyone else alive. He didn't look or act like it but he was. You can't go blaming yourself for this." Harry nodded and cried into her shoulder.

Hermione was surprised. She had never known Harry to show so much emotion unless in anger. It made her feel guilty that she wouldn't show them what was bothering her but she wouldn't burden them further with this so she just comforted Harry.

"Harry now is not the time for tears. Now we have to figure out how to destroy the fragment of soul that is in the locket. I think there must be a release spell or a potion." A bookcase popped into being on a far wall of the room and Hermione ran over to it. The room always provided. She flipped through the pages at lightning speed and soon she found what she wanted. "Harry this will take ages to prepare. You might as well go searching for the rest of the Horcruxes while I work on this because it won't be done until close to the end of March." Harry and Ron sighed. They had known it wouldn't be easy.

"Well we can't stay. We can't delay at all and we can't let Voldemort get wind of where we are. Thank you Mya. I guess you should keep the locket safe and we will visit you again when we find the next one." Hermione nodded and hugged them. Harry grabbed Ron with one hand and a golden ball with the other and they were whisked away in a fall of color.

Hermione looked at the space where they had been and sighed before picking up the book with the potion in it and tucking it away. She grabbed a pastry as well and wandered back to the head's rooms.

Draco was frantic with worry. He had heard movement in the common room but there was nothing there when he looked but when he checked on Hermione she wasn't there. He had waited thinking she had just gone to get a midnight snack but it had been well over three hours. So when he heard the portrait open he rushed over to it and grabbed her in a tight hug.

"Where were you? I was worried!" Hermione smiled weakly and took his hand.

"Harry and Ron came to visit me."

"Did they find a...Horcrux?" He asked and Hermione looked mortified that he knew about them. "I read your diary remember? But don't worry. Your secrets are safe with me. Besides I know you would never forgive me for telling and I don't want to lose you." Hermione felt strange at hearing such heartfelt things from him so early in their relationship but clung to them for her life. She needed that love.

"Yes Draco, they did but we won't be able to destroy it for a while yet and they have left to find the next one." Draco nodded and escorted Hermione back up to her room where he gently kissed her and told her to sleep.

Hermione couldn't sleep. In sleep she would dream and besides, she was too worried. Where on earth would she get the ingredients for the potion she needed to make? She locked the locket in her trunk with the strongest locking charms she knew. She lay on her bed and two tears made their way out of her eyes. Her problems were bearing down on her and she didn't know if she could hold the weight.