So. I'm back.

Title: When the Lights Turn On

Pairing: HGHP

Summary: When Hermione & Viktor's marrige takes a sudden and dangerous turn, she thinks she knows what to do, even though Viktor has pulled her away from her best friends for nearly two and a half years. And when she does so, she gets tangled in something she never would have expected.

When The Lights Turn On

Chapter One

Hermione Granger had last seen her best friends two years earlier at their graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Viktor had proposed to her the March before, with a large stone that Hermione was even surprised by. She said yes, and they were meant to be.

Viktor was handsome and loyal and Hermione adored him. But Viktor persisted on living far away from Ron and Harry just because it was closer to where he practiced with the team and she could just Apparate to visit them. But Hermione was stuck as a stay-at-home-wife, where she cooked and cleaned every day. She woke up, sometimes with Viktor still snoring and sometimes he was gone; she showered, dress and did her hair. Then she would fix breakfast for Viktor if he was home or she would fix it for just herself. Then she'd fix up her room, the living room or whatever else needed it most.

Yet, each day she'd promised she'd send a letter to Harry and Ron but each day it slipped Hermione's mind until the next morning where she'd make the same promise over and over again.

"Hermione," Viktor called as he slammed the door to their apartment. "I'm home."

She came out of the kitchen, having almost finished their dinner. Hermione smiled, "How was your day?"

He muttered something and slugged off to their bedroom. She bit her lip but went back to fixing their dinner, just hoping.

"Viktor," she said as went into their bedroom. He was shoving something into his dresser but he followed after her.

"Vhat is it?" he asked glumly as they sat down.

Hermione put her napkin on her lap as she answered, "It's a grilled chicken. I got the recipe from an old TV show my mum used to watch –"

"God, Hermione, not anoffer one uff those stupid Muggle shows," Viktor spat. "You're a vitch, you don't need to fix a meal by hand. You have a vand. That's vhat it's there for."

She looked down and picked up her fork. "I'll do that next time."

He grumbled something under his breath and then shoveled down his whole meal.

"I vill be resting."

Hermione put her fork down as he slammed the bedroom door. Viktor had become grumpy and moody these days and she wasn't quite sure why. He had also become much rougher, she noted to herself.

But she pushed this all aside and put her and Viktor's dishes away, making a point to clean them with magic. Hermione sighed as she saw it was only eight. But she returned to her bedroom, where Viktor was indeed laying on his back, his eyes shut.

"Vhat?" he mumbled. "Vhat do you vant?"

"I-I just came in-" she stopped her sentence and then headed for the bathroom.

But he was up and tightly gripped her elbow. "Vhat do you vant?"

Hermione was lost for words as his face turned sour and angry. He pushed her against the wall. Her breathing became frantic as then threw her on the bed. She tried fighting back but all he was so much stronger and so much bigger, there was little she could do. Viktor used little effort to tear off all her clothes though she squirmed, shouted, scraped and cried. Her cries were useless, as no one could hear her.

Viktor thrust himself into her and Hermione shrieked in pain. Even though she screamed and yelled till her throat was sore Viktor continued to hurt her. But then it all stopped, colors swirling around her sight and feeling incredibly sore.

He pulled his pants up again and then slammed the door behind him. She lay still until she heard the front door slam. Hermione sat up, shivering, and holding her small body with her hands. Tears fell from her eyes as she stared downward. Loving, loyal, handsome Viktor was gone.

As he was not there anymore, Hermione headed towards the dresser that he had hidden something in. But she was hardly surprised when she found the packet and the needle. She trembled violently again, crumpling to the ground as she realized what was happening. Hermione was so sore, so tired ... She did the only thing she thought could help.

She stood up and pulled on a bathrobe. Hermione sat down at the old desk in the bedroom. She picked up a quill and pulled out the parchment. Hermione stared down the paper. What could she say? My husband just violated me and is now a drug user? Write back, love Hermione? No, she thought.

She began with an apology, some lies about herself and Viktor, hoping they would not be angry with her. Hermione stood up, still shaking badly and tied the letter to the leg of her owl. It gave a small hoot and she smiled sadly as she shivered again, quite violently.

"Take it to Ron and Harry."

Hermione could have sworn the owl smiled but she was never sure, even as she watched it go farther and farther into the dark purple sky.