Chapter 1: The Escape to Recovery

Hermione hadn't slept that night. She was certain she would never feel the comfort of a restful night's sleep when she started to hear yelling coming from the room behind her. Hermione's new foster mother had been drinking again. She missed her parents terribly. Hot tears began to drip from her grief-stricken eyes again as she began to revisit the day it had all changed.

Soon after leaving the train station from her 5th year at Hogwarts, she was informed that her parents had been killed in a car accident on the way to pick her up. The image of the police confronting her with the news still haunted her. At this point she couldn't decide what it was that was keeping her from sleeping. The lingering memories being replayed constantly through her mind, or the shouting that was starting to make her ears ring. Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to tolerate it much longer. She threw the covers off herself and reached for her shoes. She found it had become harder to move very fast. Each and every one of her limbs screamed in agony as she tried to get dressed out of her nightclothes. The beatings had started fairly early since she had arrived to their home. Earlier that day, she received her yearly letter from the headmaster giving her a list of supplies to buy for the next year. She had held high hopes that he would allow her to go to Diagon Alley to buy her supplies, but he merely thought of it as another lie to escape him and his awful wife. He made it clear that if she ever told anyone that he was beating her, he would kill her. It hadn't taken her long to figure out their game. They had taken her in only so that they could get a hand on the money they would supposedly need to support her. They had completely missed the part about support.

The voices steadily grew angrier. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the drawer from the their dresser being opened. There was only one drawer in that room, and she knew very well what lay inside it. She had made it her business to know everything that went on in that house.

She darted for the window, her heart racing beneath her chest causing her whole body shake. She could hear the sound of the two wrestling the battle out to get to her room. Thunderous footsteps echoed through the hall, each fighting to stop the other. Hermione knew what her foster mother was on the verge of doing. She had had the feeling that it would only be a matter of time before it came to this. The window abruptly stopped halfway, nearly shattering to pieces. Hermione felt the little strength she had left fail her as the remaining shards of glass stubbornly stood in place blocking her only get away. She snatched one of her many books stacked upon her desk to throw at the window breaking it free, but just as she lifted it behind her head, ready to throw it, a searing pain shot through her right shoulder. The second bullet missed her by just inches, causing the window to shatter before her into thousands of pieces. She grabbed ahold of the windowpane and was half out when gunfire tore through the sound of heaving breaths. Not only had the force from the shot thrust her through the window, but it also left with a horrific gash in her arm below her wounded shoulder to remember it by. Trying to ignore the awful throbbing and endless bleeding coming from her entire right side, she managed to gather herself together. Holding her arm close to her chest while running for dear life, the tired cries of her aching body began to give way, but the threatening sound of gunshots still being fired behind her sent a rush of energy through her legs. They had all fortunately missed her, but the invisible scars were there to stay. The night air soon left Hermione alone in the wilderness…with nothing but the silence of the woods to ease her.

It was not long before Harry and Ron began to invade her train of thought. She needed them now more than ever. Hermione became overcome with emotion as her mind began to dwell on all the people she held dear. She wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry, but she restrained herself. Even guilt was among the many feelings she had to endure. She had been forbidden to even write to them both all summer. Not to mention her foster parents sold her owl for a quick buck. Although, she had been clever enough to hide her trunk and things in the woods so that when the time was right, she could run off with them. But her arm was in too much pain to even be able to make her hand into a fist. Blood was pouring everywhere, drenching her clothes. All she could handle doing when she finally got to her trunk was pull out her wand, which was all she needed. She had read in her third year on how to make a portkey and had already decided where she would go. She could have cared less about what the professors would say once the word had passed around that she had used magic outside of school. She only hoped that they would see that she had good reason…or at least understand how desperate she was.

Without a moment to loose, she began reciting the spell…trying her best to keep her voice from shaking. Before she knew it, the wind around her was whirling in frenzy and familiar surroundings began to envelope her. She had reached the Burrow!

Picking herself up onto the couch, Hermione began to take in her surroundings. The soft sound of the clock ticking and the fresh scent of country air flowed through her senses telling her that she had made it. With her arm still held tightly to her chest, and sweat as well as blood soaking her body, she breathed a long and steady sigh. Her vision became blurry again while her eyes filled with fresh drops of sorrow.

Hermione's pulse jumped when she heard the soft pitter-patters of someone's steps gracing the cold wooden floor. A head slowly peered from behind the corner. She immediately knew it was Harry. Rather than feeling frightening by the wand pointed straight for her heart, she felt relief that he had made to the Burrow for the summer. Still dressed in his pajamas, he gradually turned around the corner to gaze upon the intruder…probably expecting it to be someone possessing pure evil. But the gleaming moon revealed someone else to him…someone he was not expecting to see; and covered in blood nonetheless. Gasping in shock, he stumbled backward into the wall. Almost from surprise more than fright.

"Hermione!" he yelled, waking the whole house. He grabbed the nearest blanket he could find and wrapped it around her arm tightly. He held her close to his side letting her cry into his shoulder, waiting for everyone to come running down the stars. It sounded like a stampede running down the stairs. Ron was the next show up, followed by Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fred and George and lastly Mr. Weasley whom all gasped when they took sight of Hermione…as well as her condition.

"Hermione! What happened?" Ron screamed. He ran by her side helping Harry cover her with more blankets.

Mr. Weasley rushed over to her aid as well. He grabbed his wand preparing to help with her wounded arm.

"Hermione, what happened to you? Talk to us, dear!" Mrs. Weasley pleaded.

"Hermione, why haven't you been writing? We never heard from you after you left the station. We've been worried sick! Then you show up like this?" Ron wanted to go on, but was stopped as George put his hand on his shoulder telling him to quit. Mr. Weasley took Hermione's arm gently into this hand.

"This is beyond my repair, Hermione. We are going to have to take you to the hospital." Said Mr. Weasley.

Before Hermione get a single word out, she felt herself slip away into a deep sleep.

The following few days were spent making trips all over town. They wasted no time in taking Hermione to St. Mungo's hospital to be treated. Although the healers claimed she would be back to her old self in a matter of weeks, Hermione had already begun making a fine recovery as she slept. She would have to wear a sling for a week or so, but there was nothing that the proper amount of potions and spells could not heal over time.

Mr. Weasley had made many trips back and forth from the Burrow to the hospital to see how Hermione was doing. He also made a special trip to the orphanage Hermione had stayed at before they placed her with those awful people. The story then began to unfold. After he had learned the full events of Hermione's summer, he went straight to Professor Dumbledore to tell him what had happened. He was quite stunned by the situation, especially since he had not even heard of the deaths of Hermione's parents. After a great deal of consideration, Professor Dumbledore had made arrangements so that Hermione could stay with the Weasleys until she graduated from Hogwarts; during the summers and breaks and such she would make trips to the Burrow. He wanted to be sure Hermione would be safe and well taken care of.

After three days, Hermione finally awoke in the hospital bed and the first person she saw was asleep in a chair next to her. His head lay by hers on her bed holding her hand. She couldn't help but suppress a smile at the sight of Harry like he this. He slowly began to stir sitting straight up when he saw Hermione looking straight at him, thankfully awake!

"You okay?" he asked.

"No, not exactly...but I will be soon." She said smiling.

"Yes, you most certainly will! Harry and I will make sure of that," said Ron as he walked in. "Dad told us what happened. He went to the orphanage you stayed at and found out everything. Why didn't you ever tell us? Why didn't you write Hermione? We would have come and got you!" he asked.

"He threatened that if I told anyone what happened in that house he would kill me. They sold my owl, and Crookshanks! I wanted to owl you and ask for your help, but they wouldn't hear it. They thought I was lying about having other people being willing to take care of me. I couldn't get away from them until now."She reluctantly broke into tears again. She couldn't remember a time that she had cried so much. The past few months had been full of nothing but misery.

"Well I can assure you that nothing of the sort will be happening again." Mr. Weasley had walked into the room. "You are welcome to stay with us for as long as you like. Professor Dumbledore has already approved of it."

"Really?" said Hermione, smiling in relief.

"Really."

Time seemed to go by quicker while Hermione recovered at the Burrow. Hermione had grown to love the Burrow just as much as Harry did, if not more. She had forgotten how much joy she could get out the simpler things…talking to Ginny every night before going to bed, debating the somewhat sillier side of things with Ron, and the deeper side of things with Harry. She also took pleasure in knowing that Harry liked to discuss certain things with her just the same. He just chose not to show it. She thought perhaps the reason he understood so much was because he had gone through the same thing before every day of his life and not just one summer like she had endured. She knew through and through that he completely understood her when she would have an occasional break down. She was thankful that he was around, along with everyone else. Having people there for her again was a blessed feeling. After going through so many months without someone to care about her, she welcomed the new feelings of hope and gratitude.

Hermione was thrilled when the time came to head for Diagon Alley. She had been needing new reading material for weeks now. But nothing could have made her smile more than when she caught sight of Hogwarts again, glowing through the enchanted night sky. She had a new sense of protection as soon as she walked through the great hall. For a moment, she almost felt herself on the verge of crying again. There was once time she had thought she would never see it again. But self-restraint had become her strong point. Although she could not stop herself from smiling every time she caught sight of a familiar face. A feast made for a king laid out before her in the grand hall for dinner, and she did not intend on letting it go to waste. She couldn't remember the last time she had let herself go when it came to food.

With Harry and Ron by her side, they began walking to the common room. Hermione's began to slow, and soon she was trailing behind them both. Something was causing her mind to drift away…or…someone.

"Hermione…" came a soft voice. An inviting voice… She tried to quicken her pace to keep up with Harry and Ron, but her thoughts became clouded. "Hermione…come to me. I'm waiting for you." Hermione stopped as the voice took control of her senses. Her eyes closed welcoming a dream like vision. "My dear, my dear…I've been waiting too long." A cold shiver took control of her body and turned her head to the door beside her. The world seemed to pause for one long moment. "Come to me…" Then it vanished. Hermione's feet were frozen in place. Alone and in a daze, she felt her mind had been toyed with. Curiosity was the only thing keeping her from moving away.

"Come one Hermione! We'll be in trouble if were late to bed!" said Ron urgently. The sudden sound if his voice seemed to snap her back to reality.

"I know, I just have to go to the restroom. I'll catch up with you later. I'll meet you in the common room." she replied. Hermione paused for second when she saw the face Harry was making. It was one she knew quite well… it was one of concern.

"Uh, Hermione, shouldn't you be going into a different bathroom?" Harry had always been cautious when going near this part of the school. It was the same restroom that Moaning Myrtle haunted… the same restroom that beheld the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Oh please, that's ancient history, I'll be fine. I'll be there in a few minutes." And with that she opened the door she walked in. Ron just shrugged and gave Harry one of those looks that just said, 'Oh well'. Both continued to the common room feeling a little uncomfortable. Had they given it another thought they might have stopped her. Considering the close eye they had had on her as of late, they should have.

Hermione closed the door behind her and stepped in just far enough to see that it was empty. Within moments she felt her mind drifting away again into a place she felt she knew somehow. This someone had control of her mind in a way that made her feel like she was floating. The air became thick and a quiet stillness haunted the room. She tried to speak to this stranger who seemed to know that pathways of her mind by heart. She knew he was listening.

"Where are you?" she thought through to herself, trying to reach him… the one who was causing her body to sway through the trance he had left her in.

"Patience, my dear. I am coming for you."

AN: This story was previously called Trapped In Time before I decided to start re-writing it. Looking back on it months after I had first posted it, I couldn't help but cringe reading over how poorly it was written. It came to the point where every time I received a review I would think to myself, "I wander if they noticed too?" So here it is. Hopefully it will be more pleasing than the past version.

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