The worst part is that I'm not surprised. No matter how much I wanted to believe that you were different… you weren't. And I knew that. I still loved you…

Tears. They seem to be the only company that she has left. Endless, pain filled tears that shook her body and soul so hard that she couldn't function. The tears that she had been crying for what felt like a century were rapidly splotching up the once pristine piece of parchment the held her goodbyes.

I loved you even though every ounce of my mind and senses were screaming at me, telling me that you were just going to hurt me. That you would take advantage of my need to trust, to love… my need to be loved after everything that happened. But in my true nature I had set my hopes on the release, however short lived, that only being with you could bring me, and no matter the consequences I would have it. And have it I did. The time I spent with you was so amazing that I almost had myself convinced that you loved me back. That the things that I saw in your eyes were real and that they couldn't be faked.

I was wrong. It was made clear to me the other night when it happened. You walked into the room with a look so furious that I was frightened, almost frightened to the point that I was going to let you stew until you calmed down. I wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing though, so I gathered my courage and approached you. I touched your arm with only the thought of comforting you. The chance that you might lash out at me had never crossed my mind. You exploded into motion! You swung around so fast that I didn't have time to form a thought until after the pain. You didn't even have the decency to look at me. That one slap shook the foundation to the life that I, that we were trying to rebuild. While shaken I was not broken so I pressed forward cautiously and stretched out my hand to grasp yours. The moment that my hand touched yours you reacted. You knocked me to the floor and looked at me with such hatred that I was reminded of my father. I was assaulted with the memories of my childhood and the abuse that I had barely lived through until you saved me. The abuse that until that moment I had never thought you capable of. At least that's what I told myself. I could have accepted this as an accident until the words came. You told me that you never loved me and that what my father did to me was well deserved, that I was nothing but a toy and that I deserved to be treated like the filthy slut that I am. You added to my pain by covering my body with punches, bruising every part of me that you could get your hands on, all the while breathing heavily in my face. Your breath was drenched with the pungent smell of firewhisky. I realized that sub-consciously this is how you felt and that the alcohol allowed you to express your true feelings. That the delusions of love that I had were nothing but that, delusions. With this realization my body went numb, I was only aware of the breaking of my bones by the sounds and the savage look on your face. There was no pain and I had minutes of 'peace' before you passed out. Like I did when I was younger I assessed the damage while forcing myself to gather my things and floo to my empty childhood home. I healed what I could and the rest will take time, but that is just physical. Whilst preparing myself for my departure I realized that all the work and comforts that you had put into our relationship were simply you means to my end. You had set me up so high that you knew that one day I would fall and that was why you helped me. You sick bastard!

By now you may or may not be wondering why I am writing all of this. I'm writing this because I'm not sure that you are going to remember what happened, and I wouldn't want you to think that I had just up and left and that all of your hard work was in vain. Trust me when I say that your point was heard loud and clear. As I sit here writing this with every visible inch of me covered in bruises, I give you my goodbyes. I thank you Severus for showing me that I truly don't belong here, and I don't deserve another chance at a new life with a past like mine.

Congratulations Severus, you did in one night what my father never accomplished. You broke me, and now I'm leaving. I hope you are proud of yourself.

With one last look at her surroundings she set of for a fresh start in a place that no one would know about her past, where she would start anew. Where she could forget.

Goodbye,

Hermione Granger

A/N: I'm going to leave this as a one-shot unless you guys want me to continue...

Kaozcauser