~H ~ ~H~ ~H~
Hermione jerked awake covered in cold sweat and trembling, she hoped she hadn't screamed out and woken her step-father. She took a second to collect herself before climbing off the bed and moving to calm her rather frazzled owl, Fallow. The wooden floor was cold on her bare feet but it helped her shake off her nightmare. "It's okay Fal. It was just a dream this time. And after tomorrow we won't have to worry about it for a while we will both be safe at Hogwarts." Her tawny owl hooted in agreement. He didn't like to come home any more than she did but at least with him she could send letters to her friends, it was her only comfort outside of her school work. She moved away from him once he settled down and started collecting her spell books and homework assignments to pack away. She sighed when she realized she'd have to ask for money, she was nearly out of parchment and her potions stocks were getting low. She had enough on her own to cover her new books from her birthday but not enough for much else.
She stopped when she heard her door creek open. "Hermione are you up already?" Her breath caught and she didn't turn around hoping her step father would go back to bed for once but knowing he wouldn't. Instead she heard him enter and close the door behind himself. "You're packing already? I still have half a day left with you, are you in that much of a hurry to leave us?" He was getting agitated.
"N-no sir, "she stammered and turned to face him crossing her arms around her midriff to comfort herself. He always got so angry at the smallest thing; it didn't take much provocation either, only yesterday she had spilled a small amount of water while pouring it into his coffeemaker and he had grabbed her by the back of her shirt and slung her around at the kitchen table. She had bruises on her stomach where she hit it, she had other bruises but she tried not to remember how she got many of those.
"What if I refused to let you go back to that school, what would you do then?" he advanced on her until she bumped into her writing desk, Fal let out an irritated screech as she unsettled his cage.
"No, you can't, they would send someone to look for me I have to go back." She knew as soon as it left her mouth it was the wrong thing to say to him. He grabbed her by her hair and jerked her until she fell across her bed. Instead of releasing her he moved with her until he was bent at the waist inches from her face.
"I can do whatever the hell I feel like. Or have you forgotten I'm your father, I'm the man that raised your ungrateful little ass." She flinched as he spit the words at her. They weren't true; she'd had a father until her second year, a loving and funny man who loved her more than anything. This man had only been around since her fourth year Christmas break when her mother decided to remarry. Suddenly he let go and headed back to her door. "You'll go to the school, I'll give you your ridiculous stick back before your grandmother takes you to the station but you better be ready to pay for my kindness. You better get to thinking about how exactly you're going to show me how grateful you are or I'll make your last day here hell on earth." He slammed out of her room and the brunette couldn't believe her luck, she knew he would make good on his threat but she had just gotten away with a hair tug, no new bruising to cover up and hide. She pulled herself up on her bed and tugged her legs up against her body, she rocked back and forth allowing herself a minute to worry about her last day and how she was going to ask for the money now.
"No I can do this, just one more year after this and I can get out. I can take myself and Sterling out." Even if he has to die for me to do it, she tried not to think about that, traitorous fancy thoughts of ending his miserable life and earning her freedom when she was able to legally do magic. She'd never do it she doubted she could kill even in self-defense. Just one more day with him, she could no she had to survive she had to protect Sterling from this kind of life.
~H~ ~H~ ~H~
She'd always thought the castle looked beautiful lit up against the pitch black of the night sky. She envied the first years their row trip across the lake where they got to witness their first sight of Hogwarts in all its glory. She'd never forget her first trip, she was sure no one really did it was a bit like putting the sorting hat on for the first time, it all felt so…magical. Behind those walls she was allowed to be herself, the quick witted intelligent witch. It was a gift no one could take away from her, at least not yet.
Someone pushed harshly into her from behind, nearly causing her to stumble. "Push off Granger." She'd known who it was before he spoke by his blonde greasy hair and rude attitude. It had always struck her as odd that two of the most recognizable pureblood houses where first recognized by their hair color before their names. Red haired Weasley was often said in lieu of asking what her friend Ron's name was.
"Git." The redhead in question growled as he made his way to stand beside his friend, he made a rude gesture at the blondes' retreating back. "The ferret can't even manage proper manners." Hermione tried not to smile, honestly that was probably the worst experience for Malfoy but he really was a complete ass. Still Moody shouldn't have transfigured the boy into a ferret for calling her a mud blood in their third year; she'd heard worse and the seventh years hadn't been able to hear his lecture on becoming aurors because he had gotten banned from the school. Still it had been a hilarious sight and she swore she occasionally saw the boy fidget like he had whiskers from time to time.
"Your manners aren't much better, Ron." Ginny smirked at him and hugged Hermione hard while he sulked; she laughed softly at his expression and hugged Ginny back tightly, she'd miss her friends, writing letters hadn't come close to the loving affection she missed in her home life.
"Thought Harry was with you?" Ron muttered darkly, he still wasn't too thrilled with his little sister dating his best friend but even he had to admit Harry treated her better than half the other guys she'd dated and she had always had a crush on the dark haired boy.
"He spotted Neville they started talking about Quidditch." She looked beseechingly at Hermione, "I forgot to do the essay on Sphinxes, Black will kill me please help." The brunette laughed and nodded, she'd finished hers ages ago.
"You can take a look at mine for inspiration, just don't copy too much you know she hates me." She waved at Harry and Neville as they joined them and they began the short trek to the waiting carriages.
Harry groaned, "Be glad you missed your fifth year, Mione, she was absolutely awful." The three boys shuddered together. "She would have given you so much detention that year you'd still be working it off." Hermione grimaced, her own fifth year back hadn't been too much of an improvement honestly, she'd gotten detention the first week and Black had been positively joyful having her favorite scapegoat back. No one but Dumbledore knew the reason Hermione had taken off the year, she'd only ever told her friends it was about her mother, she had no intention of telling Black about it no matter how many times the woman gave her detention, it had infuriated the dark witch. "It's really not fair you know, the way she treats you. Even McGonagall noticed, and Sirius actually said something about it at mom's back to school bash." He laughed a bit."She turned him into a bat though; it took dad three hours to convince her to turn him back." Ginny and Neville snickered; honestly it didn't take much for Bellatrix and Sirius to have a go at each other. "I think you should tell Dumbledore about it, see if she lightens up a bit."
Everyone rolled their eyes, Harry really did have some kind of hero complex when it came to their headmaster, and he practically worshipped the ground the old man walked on. Hermione herself had no confidence in the man, he was a good enough headmaster she supposed but the one time she needed his help he hadn't been able to do anything. She'd sworn to herself she'd never ask anyone to solve her problems for her ever again. "Uh, yeah maybe, we'll see okay." She gave Ginny a pointed look that said 'no hell she wouldn't' and Neville caught her eye and shook his head. His parents were friends with Black and he'd known her his whole childhood, going to someone would likely only make the older witch worse, she wasn't a bully per say she just didn't seem to like Hermione at least she didn't take needless points from Gryffindor like Snape was known to do and Hermione could handle the detentions. She'd never tell anyone but mostly all Black had her do was grade papers and study.
She sighed as they arrived at the carriages, the dirt road was wet from the last rain and her cloak ends were wet and dirty as were the hoofs of the creatures pulling their ride, one launched mud at Ginny who squealed in shock; she couldn't see them after all. The boys managed to clamor up and reach down to help the girls, Ron with his lack of manners had taken a seat and let an apologetic Neville help Hermione up, she smiled at the shy boy. The great winged beast paced nervously in place as the boys continued talking about their dark arts teacher, Ginny tried her best to shuck the mud off her robes but it was a futile gesture. She never told her friends she could see the Thestrals, the winged beasts they all knew pulled their carriage, witnessing a death wasn't really something most people wanted to talk about. They jolted slightly as the magical beasts took off, Hermione's thoughts drifted toward what lay ahead for her this year she futilely hoped Black wouldn't be as bad, she was getting so tired of defending herself and the closer her school life came to being over the less fight the witch seemed to have in her. She looked up at the cloudless sky and wished on every star she saw that she'd be blessed with one peaceful school year.