Something to Hide
By CleMonPink
Prologue
'What is this?'
She was in a strange place. It might've seemed familiar or maybe not at all; she could've been imagining it.
The faded sky loomed over the stillness of the countryside. It was such a nice summer night and there lay a bright, beautiful mansion.
Too many rooms could be seen from the hallway Hermione was standing in. Her only way anywhere was following the squealing sounds of a baby that disturbed her ears.
She was drowsy. For some reason, when she looked at the ground it made her uncontrollably dizzy, so she kept her head up and ears open.
~)(~
There, at the far end of room where the sun let the last of its light flow through the window, was the baby and a young man and woman.
The woman sat in the chair holding the baby and smiling. While the man whispered in her ear so lovingly.
The bits of conversation could hardly touch her ears in the back of the room.
". . . so adorable."
"You sure . . . not tired?"
'Can they see me?'
She felt sorry to be an intruder, but she could only find this place to go to.
She placed slight steps on the carpet, one foot in line with the other. She started walking. It was hard to see their faces, even peering through the dim sunset.
She treaded quietly up to them.
'Is any of this real?'
She was getting close to them now.
"Our future . . . honestly believe. . ." the man was barely breathing now.
The woman stood up and let the baby continue to watch its parents with curious, innocent eyes.
Then she turned to face Hermione. Hermione froze, but the woman didn't seem to notice her – she was only minding the man.
Hermione still couldn't see who these people were, while they were still standing against the sunlight.
The woman was steaming with anger and she clenched her fists till her knuckles showed white.
The man faced her more disappointed in himself than hurt.
As Hermione moved in closer to them, she was getting dizzier and everything around her was starting to fade dark and harder to see.
He surely reached out for her fists and wrapped his larger hands around them.
"Are you mad at me? I'm sorry that I've upset you. I wasn't-"
"Love, I need you out of here," came the stressed voice that almost seemed to sob.
The man glanced down at the baby, and then looked up with a rigid body slowly forming.
He didn't run away, instead he grasped onto her wrist like it was the end.
"I'm not. I can't," even without still seeing their faces, Hermione could tell his eyes were looking straight and confidently into the woman's.
They stood like that for a hurried moment, staring at each other. The woman was the first to look away.
She lost the battle. Her frustration showed when she tried to slip her arms out but couldn't. The man's strength was more than she could handle.
A big blow sounded at a door. Before Hermione could turn to the direction of the disruption she helplessly fell to the floor.
Everything hurt.
"Your wand. Quickly!" A desperate cry.
Hermione didn't know where anything was, except that she knew she was sorry for their frightened motions, which she could do nothing about.
~)(~