I do not own Harry Potter or any of the amazing characters. This is one of my first fanfics. Be nice, please please PLEASE review, and enjoy:D

"GET UP YOU DISGUSTING PIECE OF FILTH!" my father yelled as he banged me to the hardwood floor. I heard a deep 'thud' as my forehead met the cold ground. I moaned in pain, but he wasn't having it.

"HERMIONE! I SAID GET THE HELL UP!" he continued to scream. I could feel the tears brimming beneath my eyelids as I forced my aching body to push itself up. "I'm sorry sir," I sniffled, not daring to make another move.

"Oh, you WILL be sorry! I'll make sure of it!" With that, he kicked me flat in the ribs as I screamed as a result. This had all been continuously happening since before I had been attending Hogwarts. That place was my real home, my only home. It would be tomorrow that I got on train 9 and 3/4 and escaped from this hell I called home. Of course, my mother had no idea what has been going on since I was little. Father usually hurts me where it can't be shown. But I remember on one occasion when he had bruised my arms from gripping them tightly and my mom had noticed.

"Baby, what happened to you?!" she cried, taking my arms into her hands. She looked terrified at how bruised they were.

"It's nothing Mommy," I sighed, holding her face with my cold hands. I couldn't possibly have her worrying about me. She had enough to worry about, and if she ever knew that my dad had done this to me, it just might lead to the same exact thing happening to her. I cried just thinking about my sweet, kind mother suffering my same kind of pain. I knew that one thing was for sure: she could and would never ever know.

As reality struck back to me, I realized I was wrestled to the floor as my dad continued to beat me; slapping, punching, and kicking every inch of my body. I was aching in excruciating pain.

"You worthless little pig! You're so stupid; get up this instant!" he further threatened. My sobs were helpless, mournful. I was worthless, I knew it. I felt it in my blood, my veins. I was worth absolutely nothing to everyone. I was, after all, a Mudblood, but this didn't change the fact that I had feelings. As I tried to put these thoughts aside, I felt my jaw dislocate slightly as I felt his knuckles press deeply into my flesh. I felt blood ooze, not only from my face, but the rest of my body as well. 'This is it,' I thought. 'I'm really going to die.' I couldn't move as he wished, my legs would collapse, resembling Jell-O, I just knew it. I had no strength what-so-ever. It was pointless trying to save myself now. No one cared about me, no one except my mother and close friends Harry and Ronald. But it wasn't like they wouldn't simply forget about me once I died. They wouldn't be missing out on anything except a filthy bookworm who's way too smart for anyone's own liking.

As my father repeatedly bruised me, he continued to yell. "I can't WAIT until you go to that shitty school tomorrow! You'll be away from me and your mother! We never really loved you, you piece of dirt! If I see that by tomorrow afternoon you're still here, I swear..." he muttered as he trudged out of my room, leaving me sobbing on the hard floor.

Tomorrow would be the start of my seventh year at Hogwarts; the final year. This made me feel dejected as ever. It only meant that I one more year until I had to return home only to be beaten repeatedly until the end of time. As long as I was in the muggle world, I belonged to my father, as if he owned me. Hogwarts, of course, was my only way out. I've never told anyone about the abuse I've been suffering---no one. And I intended to keep it that way.
Ever since the very first night that my beatings began, I've kept a journal describing it all. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe just to let all of my emotions out; not that it's helped too much. But I can't seem not to write in it after my abuse, it's like an addiction I've grasped on to.

I still had one problem---I couldn't move from the hardwood floor of my bedroom. I was in too much pain, pain that I couldn't bare. I forced my legs to numb themselves as I slowly rose and collapsed onto my bed that was just a foot away. I rested there for what seemed like hours until I finally had little strength and forced myself to pack a trunk-load of clothes for the long train ride ahead. I could barely wait until I saw Harry and Ron tomorrow. I squealed with excitement just thinking about them. Of course, I wasn't allowed to send letters out to anyone. When Ron and Harry would ask why, I would always just shrug and start a new conversation. I was rather good at that.

Before I knew it, the morning had come, and I only had an ounce of sleep in me; I didn't give a crap. I had told myself that I wasn't coming back home; never. I couldn't. I wouldn't. There was absolutely no way I was going to put up with all of the abuse, and I was sure my father wouldn't care anyways. But my mom...I was worried about leaving her. What if all it did was cause my dad to beat her, too? She was still asleep, so I wrote her a long letter: Dear Mum,
You know I love you with all of my heart and more. You mean the world to me, Mum, and I love you. I want to thank you for always being there for me in every single way possible. But the whole truth is, I cannot stand life at home anymore. I swear it has nothing to do with either you or father, but I need time to myself. I'm moving out, yes, on my own after Hogwarts. It's not important where I'll be, but I promise to send you mail as often as possible. I've saved up money from over the years, so really, there's absolutely no reason to be worried about your Hermione. I love you so much, Mummy. Never forget that.
From the daughter who loves you,
Hermione Granger

I folded it slightly as I placed it next to her pillow. I silently cried as I kissed her cheek and she stirred in her sleep. We really did look alike. I was going to miss her, and I couldn't bear to think about it any longer. I zoomed out the door and ran to the train station.
-----
I saw Harry and Ronald standing in line to board the train.

"Harry! Ronald!" I exclaimed, grabbing them both in a bear hug. Ron gave me a confused, yet happy look. I didn't care if it made him feel awkward, I was happy just to see them.

"Hermione!" the squealed back. I was smiling brightly, tears brimming my eyes with tender happiness. They took me into another hug and I welcomed it warmly.

I was barely ever hugged, never by my father anyway. He always just pretended to love me while Mum was around, and of course, she bought every piece of it. It made me want to vomit.

"Wow, you've umm...changed, 'Mione," Ron stuttered. I wondered if he meant that in a bad way when I saw him smile as a result.

"I agree with Ron," Harry said.

"I..I have?" I babbled. "How?" I asked. It was more of a rhetorical question than anything.

"Look at you, Hermione," Ron started, "no more bushy hair to tease, no more round face, no more baby fat." I couldn't help but notice him checking me out as he looked me up and down several times. Smiling, I rolled my eyes. I really had changed this past summer. I was taller, lost all traces of extra pudginess noticable, and my face and body had gotten its womanly structure I had always wanted. I just never really took my changes into account...

I let them walk onto the train before me. I was about to take my first step onto the train when I heard a sneer behind me. Malfoy.

"Out of the way, Mudblood!" he snorted, pushing past me with disgust. I was used to his usual name-calling. It was nothing new. I seemed to get better at ignoring him over the years, but in a way, it always got harder. With the abuse, the worthless feeling just seemed to grow and grow. His "bullying" didn't exactly help my situation.

"Whatever, ferret," I retorted, allowing him to get on. I made my way on, sitting in the compartment with Harry and Ronald.

"What took you so long?" Harry asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Harry, I was only gone for about thirty seconds or so. Just some ferret trouble, that's all," I replied with a disturbed expression.

Of course, they both understood what I meant. No doubt they didn't have trouble with Malfoy in the previous years. All through the ride, the only person I could seem to think about was Mum. Her sweet smile, contagious laugh, beautiful face. I sighed, knowing I was sure to cry sometime soon. It was a somewhat cruel act, leaving her without clear explanation. But I had good reason not to, and I knew it.

I sighed as I leaned my forehead against the cold glass, letting the frigid air numb my head as I drifted into pointless sleep.