Summary: Hermione's life is crashing down around her. She is back into her old habits again. What will she do when the only person who wants to help her is her worst enemy.? My first Fanfic.ever!! So what.I suck at summaries.

Disclaimer: OK just to let you know. I don't own anything.except for the plot and perhaps any new characters that might turn up. Trust me if I owned someone like Malfoy. I would be having a lot more fun right now instead of sitting at a computer for hours typing this little story.

A/N: thoughts will be surrounded by the little arrow thingies (^) and I am going to try to put at least one song in a chapter.either within the text or before the opening chapter notes.

*Uh, uh, some deep shit, uh, uh

Momma please stop cryin', I can't stand the sound

Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down

I hear glasses breakin as I sit up in my bed

I told god you didn't mean those nasty things you said

You fight about money, 'bout me and my brother

And this I come home to, this is my shelter

It ain't easy growin up in World War III

Never knowin what love could be, you'll see

I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?

I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?

I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave

Daddy please stop yellin, I can't stand the sound

Make mama stop cryin, cuz I need you around

My mama she loves you, no matter what she says its true

I know that she hurts you, but remember I love you, too

I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away

Don't wanna go back to that place, but don't have no choice, no way

It ain't easy growin up in World War III

Never knowin what love could be, well I've seen

I don't want love to destroy me like it did my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?

I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?

I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave

In our family portrait, we look pretty happy

Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes naturally

I don't wanna have to split the holidays

I don't want two addresses

I don't want a step-brother anyways

And I don't want my mom to have to change her last name

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

We look pretty normal, let's go back to that

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)

We look pretty normal, let's go back to that

(I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything)

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)

Let's play pretend act and like it comes so naturally

(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave)

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)

We look pretty normal, let's go back to that

(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave)

Daddy don't leave

Daddy don't leave

Daddy don't leave

Turn around please

Remember that the night you left you took my shining star?

Daddy don't leave

Daddy don't leave Daddy don't leave

Don't leave us here alone

Mom will be nicer

I'll be so much better, I'll tell my brother

Oh, I won't spill the milk at dinner

I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right

I'll be your little girl forever

I'll go to sleep at night*

~^~ * ~^~Chapter One: Thin white lines~^~ * ~^~

Hermione ran to her window just as a slightly miniature grey owl smashed right into it. She immediately recognized it to be Ron's' owl that was given to him by Sirius a few summers before. Pig, originally named Pigwidgeon by Ron's little sister Ginny, was a very energetic and a slightly, well perhaps, overly stupid owl. He was always smashing into things or getting lost on his way to deliver important letters. Hermione opened up her bedroom window to let Pig in, and after an excruciatingly long minute of trying to catch the retarded bird, she succeeded in doing so. She pulled the letter off of his leg and released him so he could continue making an idiot of himself flying into walls as Hermione read her letter.

Dear Hermione, I was wondering if you had heard from Harry lately. I owled him about a week ago and I have not heard from him since. I would try to call him on that pheletone thing but.well you remember what happened last time. I just hope everything is going fine over at the Dursley's. I heard that his cousin finally reached 400 pounds. Don't know how he manages that. So, how has your summer been going since your parents got their divorce? I know you must be torn up about it, but maybe it was for the best. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I was going to be in Diagon Alley next Saturday if you would like to meet up there. If you do, Mom asked if you didn't just want to come and spend the last week of vacation with us. She and Ginny would love it if you came. I think it's hard for them in a house full of us guys. Send your reply with Pig as soon as possible. Love from, Ron P.S. If you are able to contact Harry, please inform him about next Saturday and about staying with us until school starts.

As soon as Hermione read this letter she was hit by a wave of sadness. Why did Ron have to bring up her parents divorce? She knew he was just worried about her, but still. it hurt to hear it put into words. When her parents had finally told her that they were getting a divorce at the beginning of summer break, it did not come as a shock to Hermione. Hermione had feared her parents getting a divorce since she was about 13. Ever since her second year at Hogwarts, nothing had been the same at home. Her parents fought most of the time, and when they weren't fighting, they were simply ignoring each other, which to Hermione was worse. Hermione had gone through her third, fourth, and part of fifth years at Hogwarts like everything was just peachy at home, but finally in her fifth year she told Harry and Ron what had been going on. Hermione thought about what she could tell Ron to explain why she couldn't make it to Diagon Alley the next weekend. The truth was, Hermione didn't want to face her friends just yet. She wasn't ready to answer the questions that she knew they had in store for her. She decided she would just have to tell him she couldn't because she had to spend time with her mother since she had been with her Dad most of the summer anyways. After fully composing her thoughts on about five sheets of paper which were now scratched out and wadded up on the floor, she grabbed a new piece of parchment and dipped her quill in her ink and began her letter.

Dearest Ron, It is so good to hear from you. This summer has been.well, interesting. Half of it was spent with my Dad and his new girlfriend. Surprisingly, she is quite nice. I just recently returned home with my Mom about two weeks ago. I really need to spend all of the time I can with her and I already have all of me school supplies. I am so sorry to say that I will be unable to come next weekend. I am also sorry to say that I have not heard from Harry since about a month ago. Perhaps, he has just been busy and can't get back to you. I will call him on the telephone, not pheletone (Ron, honestly), to let him know of the trip to Diagon Alley. I will see you soon at school. Love always, Hermione

After completing her letter, Hermione caught Pig again, for he was flying all over her room, and attached the letter to his foot. She then threw Pig out of her second floor window so he could get the message that she wanted him to go back to Ron with her letter. After plummeting almost to the ground, Pig soared upwards and began his journey. Hermione then went into the kitchen and dialed Harry's number. His big oaf of a cousin, Dudley, picked up the phone. Hermione asked if Harry was there and then answered to the inquiring questions of Dudley that she was calling on behalf of Harry's godfather. Hermione knew that that was the only way that Dudley would let her speak to Harry; the whole Dursley family was terrified of what Sirius might do to them, like turn them into toads (or pigs), if he heard that they had been mistreating his godson. Harry was at the phone in a flash, surprised that he was receiving his first phone call.ever. Ron had called him once before, but his Uncle Vernon had never let him speak to Ron because he was screaming into the phone, not knowing how to use the muggle devise.

"Hermione, it's so good to hear from you. Err. how are you. you know, with. everything?" Hermione silently cursed to herself. ^ He just had to bring that up, didn't he? ^

"Hey, Harry. Uh.I'm doing great!" Hermione let the lie roll of off her tongue effortlessly, and actually making it sound believable. She was used to lying now. After all she had to lie a lot to her Mom about her Dad and his girlfriend. She didn't want to hurt her any more than she had already been hurt. "I just received an owl from Ron. Why didn't you respond to his last owl he sent you a week ago?"

"Owl.Last week?!? I never got an owl. I bet that stupid bird of his got lost or dropped it or, for all I know, decided that he didn't want to make the trip to give it to me." Stupid, stupid Pig could be heard in the background through the phone.

"Oh, okay then. Ron is going to Diagon Alley next Saturday and he wanted to know if you wanted to go with him.he said that you could just come home with him afterwards until school. I won't be able to go though. I have to stay with my mom."

"Oh. well I will owl Ron in a minute and tell him that I will be there on Saturday. Thanks for telling me. I really don't want to stay at this house any longer than I have to."

"Alright, bye. See you in two weeks at school." At that Hermione hung up the phone. It was getting pretty close to 5 o'clock so she decided that she might as well cook dinner. She had taken over most of the cooking jobs since her dad was the once that had done the cooking before. After dinner, Hermione retreated to her room where she got out Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7 and began to read.

~^~ * ~^~

Hermione woke up full of trepidation. She would be returning to Hogwarts in only a matter of hours. She would have to face her friends. She would have to answer questions she had been dreading the whole summer.

^ Perhaps it won't be too bad. After all, I won't have to sit with them on the train ride to Hogwarts. I will have my own compartment. Well, almost my own, I will have to share it with the Head Boy. ^

Hermione had received an owl just a few days before stating that she had received the honor of being made Head Girl. She would find out who the head boy was as soon as she stepped into the compartment on the train. She wondered who the Head boy would be this year, even though a small little voice in the back of her mind told her that she already knew who it was.

Hermione struggled out of the bed and fell onto the floor. The pale yellow silk sheets on her bed had been wrapped around her legs during the night as she fought off the nightmares that now plagued her sleep. She clumsily got up off of the floor just as her mother came into her bedroom to make sure she was awake.

"What in the devil were you doing on the floor? And hurry up.you don't want to miss the train. After all, this year is going to be your best. Head Girl. I'm so proud." Her mother had been so happy with the news of Hermione's achievement. When she found out, she was more thrilled than Hermione herself. This new position of Head Girl had actually been something Hermione had wished she didn't receive, although having her own room would be somewhat of a blessing this year. She wasn't really sure if she could handle the extra pressures of being Head Girl in her life. Her mother, having said all she needed to say, turned around and walked down to the kitchen. Hermione just stood there staring back at where her mother had just stood, then she looked over to a picture of her family before the problems arose and a wave of depression crashed over her. Hermione hated the fact that she was lying to her mother, but it had to be done. The fact that it was her father that had encouraged the lies is what she hated even more. How could he really expect her to be able to handle all that was being laid upon her? Hermione went to her closet and got out one of her black lace bras and, after thinking about what she was going to wear, a hot pink thong. She headed to her bathroom carrying her undergarments under her arm. Just then, the phone rang and she heard her mother answer it downstairs.

"Hermione! It's your father." Hermione rushed downstairs to see her mother with a sour look on her face. She walked over to her mother and reached for the phone. "Make it quick. I don't want him making you late for your train," she said coldly. Hermione hated how her parent spoke of each other now. It was almost like they had never even been in love. She couldn't understand how you could dismiss the 20 years of love they had shared so quickly.

"Hey, Dad. How are you doing?" She looked over to her mother and shooed her out of the kitchen.after all she still deserved her privacy.

"Um.I'm doing.doing just fine. I just wanted to call and wish you a good year at school. Uh." There was a long pause. Hermione finally broke the silence.

"Dad. what aren't you telling me?" Hermione had this unnerving feeling in her heart that something bad was about to happen. She heard her dad clear his throat and then take a long breath in. Finally he spoke.

"Well princess, I have something I need to tell you about. You know my girlfriend, Amory. Well, we are.::a hum::.getting married next month." Hermione literally felt her mouth drop. She was surprised it hadn't hit the floor.

"WHAT???" she shrieked. Just then she remembered her mother in the other room and lowered her voice. "What do you mean you are getting married to that .that.woman. I mean.WHY?" She was disappointed in how her voice cam out at these last words. She sounded like a little lost girl. And that was exactly what she was. She really had wanted her voice to be strong, to make her father believe that she could handle this. After all her had entrusted her with this knowledge assuming that she would understand. But Hermione was confused and furious. but she had no idea that the marriage was just the beginning of her problems.

"Honey, I'm sorry for you to have to find out like this. We never meant for it to happen this way.but. Honey, Amory is pregnant. Uhh.You are going to be an older sister." Hermione could not believe what she was hearing. She felt as if her whole world had just crumbled down around her. How could he? How COULD he?

"That's great dad. Real great," she said with a monotone voice. "I would love to stay and talk more, but I have to get ready to go to the train station." With that, she slammed down the receiver, feeling the tears slowly make their way down her face. Slowly, she walked up the stairs to her bathroom and stripped of her clothes and got into the shower. She let the hot water pour over her body as she began to silently cry. She looked down at her arms to see the thin white lines that covered them. She placed her hand over them and thought back to the summer of her fifth year when she had gotten really distressed after she had seen her mother and father fighting in the living room. Her mother had slapped her father and followed by calling him unmentionable names. She had been in the kitchen at the time rummaging through the silverware drawer to get something to make herself a little night time snack. That's when she saw the glimmer of the knife. She had picked it up and went to her room and began to lightly cut. The blood had felt nice running down her skin. Her crimson pain was flowing out of her with each little slit she made into her pale skin. This had continued for quite a long time until her best friends Harry and Ron had seen her arms one day during Herbology. After that they helped her to stop her cutting which had become somewhat of an addiction. Her parents had never noticed what she had been doing to herself. Hermione now thought about what had made her start cutting and began to quietly pray that this year she would be strong enough to resist the razors enticing call.

Just then her mother knocked on the bathroom door and yelled that Hermione had one hour until they had to leave. Hermione quickly washed her hair with watermelon shampoo and conditioner and stepped out of the shower. She put her undergarments on and wrapped herself in a towel and headed to her room. Once there she brushed and blow dried her hair into soft curls that fell just to the middle of her back. She got dressed in her clothes and went to pick out her shoes for the day. ^Hmmmm... hot pink sequined flip flops...or black boots...flip flops it is.^ She then walked over to her vanity and applied a small amount of makeup to help mask the puffiness of her eyes. She also applied a bit of lip gloss to give her lips a bit of a shine. She stood back in front of her mirror and looked at her reflection. ^They probably won't even recognize me^ And it was true. Hermione had changed over the summer. Her unruly brown hair had been tamed into lovely honey-brown locks and. well. let's just say that she had finally matured. she had all the right curves in all the right places. She had gotten her belly button pierced and a little heart tattooed on her hip over the summer, too. She had wanted both of them for quite some time and when her parents split up, her father decided to be overly kind and let her get it done. Her mother hadn't been to happy about it, but even she had to admit that the piercing looked good against her flat tanned stomach and she didn't mind that much about the tattoo since it was really small. She walked over to her jewelry box and picked out one of her favorite belly button rings: a silver star with little diamond dangles. Just as she finished getting ready her mother burst in and told her it was time to leave. Her trunk had been packed in the car the night before so all Hermione had to do was grab her new kitten, Shatter, and her purse and head out the door.

A/N: Hope you liked the first chapter. It is my first Fanfic so please R/R so I can know what I am doing wrong.or perhaps what I am doing right. I would greatly appreciate your reviews.

~Gratuitously yours, Tygerskiss