Preface
Hermione and Ron have been in a relationship since year 7 of Hogwarts, and got together at the end of the Wizarding war, in the chamber of secrets (1998)
The year is now 2000
Harry and Ginny have been married for a month, and have just arrived back from their Christmas honeymoon
They look after Teddy every so often, when he is not with the Weasley's or with Andromeda
Ron started domestically abusing Hermione in the month of June 1999, when Harry and Ginny got engaged, and he began to become jealous of Ginny and Harry's success as a couple, while Hermione and himself have grown to become more and more distant over their final year at Hogwarts
Draco and Hermione have become close after sharing similar interests in their last year at Hogwarts, and their mental stimulation of each other, and competitive relationship. They were also head girl and head boy together, and stayed in the head dormitories together over their final year
Luna has been dating Seamus Finnigan for a year three months, after he helped her recover from her mental breakdown, occurring after the war, which she suffered following the death of Neville that October.
Chapter 1- 10th January 2000
"I bloody swear to you Hermione, if you don't fucking pull yourself together, I'm done!" Ron nearly screamed at Hermione, her face frightened, and her filled with tears, as he threw his bottle towards the opposite wall smashing it with his force, as he reached for another. He slowly moved towards her, his presence nigh overpowering.
"This is the last time I'm going to tell you; I haven't even decided where the fuck I want this relationship to go! I've put up with you nagging me these last few months but… Merlin..., I don't know how long I'm going to be able to last like this. All you care about is that bloody job of yours, and you'd think you're dating your books rather than me!" He exclaimed, his pride as a boyfriend obviously clouding his judgment, as Hermione's tears she'd been holding back, began to run down her cheeks. Staying silent was the only way she knew she was safe.
Ron, not wanting to be guilted by Hermione's crying, reached forwards, one hand gripping her upper arms and the other around her neck, pulling her up to his face. She turned her head and choking with tears in tears, trying to escape him.
"Look at me." He said
"Get away from me!" She cried, as he started to shake her.
"LOOK AT ME!" He shouted at her, as she began screaming for help. He threw her backwards like a limp doll, onto the floor. Hermione, with pain radiating through her whole body, gazed up at Ron, with her innocent and frightened eyes, turning into a sullen glare. She reached to her neck, and could feel bruises beginning to form from where his fingers had held her.
This was not the man she fell in love with. He was a drunk. Ever since he had started heavily drinking, following the war, and their graduation from Hogwarts the year after, he had become increasingly violent, and Hermione felt as if she was being made into an outlet for this pent-up anger.
With that, she grappled for her wand, lying on the sofa behind her, disapparating to Harry and Ginny's house, in order to escape this monster. She was racked with fear as she landed on their plush white carpet in the entrance to their house.
"What was that?" Hermione heard a woman's voice coming from upstairs.
"Not sure… do you want me to check downstairs?" Came a man's voice. Obviously Harry's. Still in shock, she began crying again, with her hands clasping onto one another trying to rid the memory from her brain, and take her back to a time of innocent bliss when Ron hadn't hated her. With the way he treated her, she'd assumed she was dead to him already.
Since June she'd put up with this abuse. It started out lightly, and she'd always blamed it on his mental health, but now, it was becoming more and more common. He would get drunk and do this almost every night. She got a shiver down her spine. One of the worst ones was about a month and a half ago, when he'd come back late, and stumbled in the door, while yelling accusations of her having slept with multiple other men, and calling her names. He then proceeded to beat her, abuse her, leaving bruises and scars all over her body.
Every time, she knew it was his fault, but each morning, he would buy her flowers, and apologise, begging her forgiveness, and her soft-sided nature, knew that she couldn't stay mad at him.
She heard footsteps creaking towards her across the floor.
"Hermione?" A familiar voice came from across the room. The footsteps then hastened, before she felt a warm hand pushing on her back, moving her body from the foetal position she was in, into an upright one, where she saw Harrys green eyes, looking over her body with disgust, his pupils glinting in the moonlight.
"Hermione… what happened?" He asked, knowing full well who's fault this was.
"Harry? Who is it?" Came Ginny's voice from the stairwell.
"Come downstairs Ginny, it's Hermione, Ron's hit her again…" With that she heard a rush of footsteps, as the ginger haired girl came running towards her in a white dressing gown, crouching next to her.
"Oh fuck… what has he done this time" she gasped, tracing the bruises on Hermione's arms and face. Black, blue, purple, red, brown, you name it. Every colour of the spectrum seemed to be marked across her, otherwise perfect, pale skin.
She wept softly while the couple fussed around her, trying to calm her down. Ginny rushed to the kitchen to brew her some tea, which she knew was the only way to calm and normal British person down. Harry gently lifted Hermione to lie on the sofa, propping her head up with a pillow. Ginny then handed her the tea, and they both sat down beside her, and began asking her how it had happened this time.
"Well… wh-when I came home from work… just like I usually do" she stopped, taking a moment to breathe, regaining her composure, "well, he wasn't home yet s-so I went upstairs to grab a muggle book I'd been reading, and-d a few hours later, he came home, and he was flushed, just like he always is when he's been drinking and… as soon as he came in the door… and I did nothing… he came up to me, took my book o-out of my hands, threw it across the room and s-started yelling at me," she winced, tears proceeding to wet her cheeks, running into her mouth, and into to pillow on which her head rested.
"Go on…" Harry prompted, nervously. He hated his two best friends fighting, but recently he had begun to admit to himself, with this happening so often, his opinion of Ron had fallen, and however much he loved them both, he had begun to pity Hermione, and hate Ron for what he does to her.
"He told me that-t this is all I do nowadays, I never act the same as I did when we were still in school… I don't dress up… I don't cook dinner, and we don't fool around anymore because I'm always so busy." She sighed, trying to release the tension in her jaw. "Then it went on and on for about half an hour, and he wouldn't stop accusing me of not loving him, and how I was drifting away… and what he doesn't realise that… t-though that's kind of true… It's not my fault for drifting away… it's h-his fault for pushing me!" she cried, sitting herself up, and pushing herself into Harry's warm and comforting arms. She honestly couldn't imagine life without Harry and Ginny. They keep her sane.
There was a child's wale coming from upstairs…
"That's Teddy" Ginny stated, "I'm just going to go and put him back to sleep," she muttered, leaving the sofa, with her pitying gaze lingering on Hermione's drained and blotchy face.
Hermione's head rested against Harry's shoulder, her chest sporadically rising and falling as he rubbed his hand against her back. Her breathing settled within a few minutes of them just lying there, in silence, with Harry's company being enough for her to know that everything was going to be alright.
Finally, Harry spoke, "Hermione… Don't think I'm trying to tell you how to run your life… but I think this has gone on for too long," He said, calmly, unsure how to finish the sentence. "If he's treating you like this, it's going to be too much for you to live with, and… I don't know, but I think..."
"That it would be better if I just… left him." Harry nodded solemnly, knowing that it would be hard for her, after having been through so much together.
"I mean, I'm not trying to push you into anything you don't want to do, but I really think that he is hurting you… physically and mentally, and it's only a matter of time before…" He was cut off by a cry from Teddy, coming from upstairs. Hermione knew what he was trying to tell her. She just didn't know if she was ready to hear it.
She closed her eyes, her body melting into Harry, as her fatigue set in after all the emotional exhaustion.
As she shut her eyes, she heard a small cracking sound… someone else was among them. Harry sat up suddenly, letting Hermione's feeble head fall from his shoulder onto the sofa. She turned her head around to face the door.
It was Ron.
She felt her stomach tense up as Harry made his way over to Ron, who was disorientated by the toxic liquid running through his veins. Hermione sat up suddenly, causing a rush of blood to go to her head.
"What are you doing here Ron. Can't you see you've hurt her again. I think it'd be best if you leave." He said, taking a step closer to Ron, who, though Harry was menacing enough, was fundamentally, overpowering, standing three feet taller than him, with muscles itching to attack. "Calm the fuck down Ron," Harry warned, as he could see Ron's face getting angry when he saw Hermione sprawled across Harry's sofa.
As he advanced towards her, she pulled her knees up towards her chest.
"Get away from me!" she wept, as his face grew angrier. Ron pushed against hard to try and get to her, but he resisted.
"Ron, listen to her, she told you she doesn't want you here. Just go back home." He said, in an affirmative tone, pushing back on his shoulder.
"Hermione, come with be back home, Harry she has no right to stay here!" He said, his glare flickering between Harry and Hermione. Harry's conflicted stare didn't know whether to cast Ron out, or to protect Hermione. He could, however see the pain which Hermione is in due to Ron's presence.
"Ron… I think it best that you leave." Hermione stated, in a calm manner, watching Ron fall back at the sound of her voice.
"This is all your fault Granger! You've done this to me!" He bellowed, as the guilt tore her down, causing her to sit back and shut up, just like he'd wanted.
"Ron, stop it, can't you see she's had enough of this. You're fucking abusing her. Can't you see that! It's messing her up. I'm bloody surprised she hasn't left you already." He spat at Ron, unsure whether the message has registered. He paused for a moment, a silence lingering, between Hermione's sobs.
The silence was interrupted when Ginny came stomping down the stairs, an outraged look on her dainty features. When reaching the bottom of the stairs, and seeing they were not alone, she gasped and took a few steps back, realising the state that Ron was in. She then, took several strides forwards in Ron's direction and, barely tapping with her hand, as he fell back, surprised by his sister's presence, and angered features.
"Ronald Weasley, I suggest, that you apparate yourself back home immediately. Hermione is staying at our house tonight, and at least until you have regained a sober state. You are in no condition to be here, or to even speak to her!" With that he took two drunken steps back, and disapparated without another word. Once he was gone, there was a sigh of relief from Hermione, Ginny and Harry, simultaneously.
"Hermione, come with me… upstairs" called Ginny to the tearful girl on her couch. "You should probably have a shower, and I'll give you something to sleep in," she said, reaching towards her, and holding her hands as she stood up. Ginny, resting her arms supportively around her waist, as she brought poor, shaken Hermione, up the stairs to the guest bedroom, being shortly followed by Harry.
None of them knew what to think. It was quite an experience from them all.
Another cry from the child came from further upstairs, before the showered, and petrified Hermione lay down in the cool sheets and drifted into the sleep that she so craved.
Hermione Woke the morning after with a start, her dream fading into the blackness, and the memories of the night before flooding back to her. Her eyes flickered open.
She needed to leave him. This had become too much over the months. The abuse was wearing away at her with time, and though she had a strong personality, as she began to heed to the abuse, it had weakened her. Her flame had been put out, and as far as she knew, could not be re-ignited.
It was a Saturday morning, with the harsh winter light reaching through the cracks in the curtains, shining onto her face as she lay there. She sighed, contemplating her next move, but before she could make a decision, she heard a faint knock on her door, as the door handle was pushed down, and Harry's morning voice flowed through the crack.
"Hey, can I come in?" He asked, clearly wary of the reaction he might get from her after such an emotionally trying night beforehand.
"Yeah, sure Harry," she said, sitting herself up. She realised she was wearing some of Ginny's old pyjamas from Hogwarts, which were quite worn down, but nonetheless comfortable. Funny, she didn't quite remember putting these on last night. After Ron had left, everything became quite a daze.
"How are you feeling… after last night?" He asked, fearing the answer.
"I'm… not sure really. I'm still quite shocked… but I've kind of realised that I need to make a change. I wouldn't exactly call this a functional relationship…" She said, all the while absorbed in thought.
"Honestly, I love you both but…" he paused, as if doubting his next words "… I think it would be best, personally if you, at least for now, spent some time apart." Harry knew all along that this was what he had been trying to say, but just didn't know how to say it without causing any fuss.
She sighed, miserably. However much she wanted to deny it, Harry was obviously right. She needed to start the next chapter of her life, or at least fix whatever went wrong.
"I know" she replied simply. Pulling herself out of bed.
"Are you going to be alright today?" He asked, leaning his weight on the door frame.
"Yeah… I think I'm going to go to diagon alley in a bit, to just clear my mind. I also need to hit up a wizard library or book shop, because I've been reading way too much muggle fiction as of late" they laughed heartily together.
"Okay, well, try and stay out of trouble." With that he left, and she walked to the bathroom to have a quick shower, before casting a cleaning charm on both her clothes from the day before, and the pyjamas Ginny had lent her. After putting on yesterday's clothes, she then made up the bed and wrote Ginny and Harry a little note, which she left on their kitchen counter, just to thank them for all their help.
She was wearing a scruffy t-shirt, with some muggle band name on it. She probably got it from her parents when she was younger. They were always buying her lots of muggle things after she discovered she was a wizard. Must've been something about them not wanting her to forget her muggle origins.
She didn't feel she had the strength to apparate, so she grabbed some floo powder, which was conveniently kept by the fireplace, threw it to her feet, muttering 'diagon alley' as she vanished, reappearing in a cloud of dust, in just the bookshop she'd hoped to arrive at. She bent her head down to escape the confinement of the fireplace, dusted off her worn t-shirt and black trousers and began to browse the books.
She hadn't realised how cold it was going to be when she dressed herself. Wrapping her arms around herself, her eyes wandered over the covers. Her eyes fell on the title 'the rise and fall of the dark arts.' She hadn't seen this book before; however, she'd remembered a few months ago reading about its publication. There was apparently a large legal battle before the rights to publication were granted. Must've been an old dark wizard, or the ministry trying to confine the public knowledge.
She lifted her right hand to trace the leather binding with the tip of her finger. She pulled the book amid the others into her grasp, staring at the front cover. It had been designed to look as if it were an ancient book. The title had been inscribed into the front in cursive.
Looking inside the front cover, she almost dropped the book in itself. Twelve galleons! She gasped, her mouth agape. She'd have to run to Gringotts if she wanted this book. It was bloody expensive though, she thought, placing it back among the others.
As she hurried down the alley to reach the bank, she couldn't help thinking of the books beauty. She then thought of Ron, and how upset he'd be if he knew, even after last night that she was still making all this fuss over a bloody book. Sighing, she made her way into the bank.
She was in and out quite quickly, considering the long underground trip to her vault. She'd taken out fifty galleons. She then ran to the bookstore, hoping to get a hold of the copy she'd fallen in love with.
Thankfully, on arriving in the near to empty shop, she could still see the book, and she snatched it up before anyone else could. She then went to pay for it at the till.
"That'll be twelve galleons," the man said, Hermione giving him the exact change almost immediately. As he was packing the book into the bag, she shivered, wondering if she'd be able to afford a good quality coat with the thirty-eight galleons she had left. Probably.
Thanking the cashier, she picked up the little bag and made her way to Madame Malkin's robes shop. She remembered having gone here to pick up her wizarding robes, once before her first year at Hogwarts, and once about half way through, when she no longer fit into her first year robes (after hitting her growth spirt). They sold lots of other wizarding garments there, but she just needed something simple in order to keep her warm, before she was able to brave going back home.
