Note: I do not own anything, it is all JK Rowlings, and I'm just using them to create a story for you (and me) to enjoy :) First Fan Fic, so please no flames... but helpful critisim is appreciated. The first two chapters (and start of the third) takes place at The Burrow, just so you know. Please R&R!


Hermione Granger took a drag on her ciggarette then pulled her sweater closer to her, it was cold in the backyard of The Burrow. Hermione was 17 at the time, and smoking seemed to be some sort of a comfort to her. Not that she lived a horrible life, on the contrary, her life was almost perfect. It seemed more boys found her more attractive and at a flick of her wand she got whatever she wanted, without magic.

She supposed some of the credit to her new found attention had to go to her recent appearance change. She had done a charm on her hair, it was now waist length, and she had got bangs. Did all boys like long, straight hair? Or maybe it was just the way her new hair made Hermione carry herself, more confidently.

Hermione took another drag on her smoke when she seen the kitchen light flicker on, then the backdoor opened and Ginny walked out.

"Hermione!" Ginny hissed, "I thought you quit!?"

Hermione sighed, she was allowed to smoke here, Molly and Arthur knew what she was going through, they gave her a small mercy. Ginny, on the other hand, had not liked this about Hermione. Ginny wasn't jealous of Hermione, she just thought smoking was a sick habit.

"Ginny… please… you have no clue what I'm going through… please…" Hermione begged her friend to drop it. Hermione had gotten rather good at manipulating people, but she always used her "powers" for good…well almost always. But, it usually benefited her, in someway.

Ginny paused for a minute, hesitant to ask, but then she blurted out, "Well why don't you inform me then, Hermione? Your so… I don't know. Your not yourself, what are you going through? Can't you tell me? I thought we were best friends?"

Hermione let out a smoke ring then threw her ciggarette butt down and stamped it out with a shiny black high heel. How was she going to tell her best friend this? It wasn't exactly going to be "Topic Of The Year." But Hermione didn't think Ginny would judge her. They were best friends after all. "Ginny…" She started, slowly, taking deep breaths, "I...I'm..."

Ginny was tapping her foot slightly impatient, slightly intrested.

"I... failed Muggle Studies" Hermione lied, she got 97 in Muggle Studies, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Ginerva the truth.
Hermione looked down, at her stiletto covered feet. Although, you couldn't really tell she was wearing them, she had skinny black jeans on, so they covered most of the shoe.

"No, ack-actually... I passed Muggle Studies... but... but there's, there's things going on, things that... that are hard to talk about" Hermione said the last bit in a rush. Her eyes teared up, but she quickly blinked then away, as she fumbled with the zipper on her butterscotch sweater.

"Like...?" Ginny pressed.

"Ginny..." Moaned Hermione, then continued... she knew she would have to have told her sooner or later, she would have rathered it be later, though, "I'm... no... My father has...he's taken on some bad...er... habits, to say the least."

Ginny Weasly stared at Hermione, it was the puzzled expression growing on her face that made hermione start talking agian, "Ginny... this is very hard for me to say... and I'd rather not do it, but you are my best friend, after all, so I... I guess I should tell you. My father is... has become slightly... angry."

Hermione knew that Ginny would understand what she ment, "Angry" was an understatment...

"Hermione..." Came Ginny's voice slow and gentley, "It's okay... by the time you go home next summer everything will be glossed over. It's probably just a phase."

Ms. Granger blushed and mumbled "Ginny... I don't know... and... and your mother said... said that I could stay here... for as long as I, as long as I like... my dad dosen't really want me home anymore..."

Ginny looked down, at her slippers, the cold night air seemed to have stilled at Hermione's words, as if, that, too, had abandoned her. Suddenly Ginny looked up and smiled at Hermione, "So? Your still Hermione Granger. Your still my best friend, the world isn't over. And, look, Harry and Ron are still by your side. Your parents are the only people to blame, not you!"

All of a sudden Hermione's eyes got big and she bit her lip, nervously, before speaking; "No… no… they don't know. You cannot tell Harry and Ron! I know they won't judge me…but… I'm not ready for them to know, not yet, please not yet…"
Ginny frowned, "They'll find out sooner or later."

"Yes…well, I don't so much care about them knowing that, as much as them knowing about why I got kicked out." Hermione muttered.
"Why did you get kicked out?" Inquired Ginny.

Hermione looked away, she would need a smoke for this, she fished out a cigarette and lighter from her purse, and quickly inhaled the chemicals, before continuing, "My father… being very, very angry… and very picky about rules, would hate it if they walked in on their daughter… having… having sex."

Ginny gasped and giggled, along with Hermione, before saying "With who!?"

Hermione blushed slightly and mumbled something.

"Huh?" Ginny asked, on edge now.

"Krum…"

"No way!? What about my brother don't you like him!?" Ginny gasped, again. "Well…" Hermione continued, slowly, so she didn't seem like a whore, "I do really like him. A lot, actually… But I thought if me and Ron were ever to…have… you know…sex, then I would want to be good for him. Viktor was… like practise…See, Viktor's been coming out for a few summers...since fourth year...But this was the first time me...or him as ever... done...it."

Ginny nearly died laughing.

"Didn't it hurt?" She asked, innocently.

Hermione took a drag on her smoke, the answered, "Well… I guess it should have hurt more… It did hurt a little."

"Were you on Painkillers or something?" Ginny wondered.

Hermione tucked her hair behind her ear and said "I didn't take Painkillers… but I may, or may not have been on… Acid… that's another reason my father nearly kille- nearly... hurt me..."

Ginny stared, open mouthed at Hermione.

"What?" Hermione questioned, she knew all about Ginny's fancy for liquor…but that was over now.

Ginny shrugged and said, slightly darkly, "I knew you smoked but I didn't know you did… other things."

"It was only one time!" Hermione yelled, rather loudly. The result of her yell, was Harry looking out of Percy's old bedroom window and snarling "It's one in the bloody morning, go to bed, will you?"

"Dammit !" Ginny hissed, "I was supposed to bring you inside…"

Hermione glanced at Ginny, Hermione wasn't a baby, she didn't need tabs kept on her, not that her best friend was a tab…

"Do you think he heard what we we're talking about?" Hermione asked as they entered the kitchen, warmth flowing through their veins (Hermione had put out her cigarette just before they came in).

Ginny looked up at Hermione and sighed, "No… his voice was too groggy, come on, now, we have to get some sleep."

So Hermione followed Ginny up the steps, and into her room, where one extra bed had been set up. Hermione crawled into the bed she always slept in, when she was there, only pausing to throw off her shoes before falling into a deep sleep.