A/N: So first of all...how about that Super Bowl? I was so crushed and disappointed, I couldn't even watch the entire game. I am still a dedicated Broncos fan, but that was pitiful and sad! But hey, reaching the Super Bowl is an accomplishment in itself, and I am proud of my team!

Also, the buzz about J.K. Rowling regretting pairing Ron and Hermione?! What are your thoughts on that? I have my own, but I'd love to hear yours!

Okay, so enough of my ranting on that. This chapter took me about 5 times of rewriting! I still don't know if I'm completely satisfied with it. And I know it's quite a bit shorter than the first chapter, but I'm hoping that the following chapters will be longer. (Personally, I like it when the chapters are longer). But I want to thank my beta/co-writer BekaLynne22 for giving me ideas and helping me get this chapter going. I hope you enjoy it, and let me know your thoughts!

A/N: Feb. 10, 2014: Corrected a mistake I made that I didn't catch until someone (Guest) pointed out to me that Hermionew as training to become a Healer in the first chapter. In this chapter, I had her previously working at Flourish and Blotts. My mistake and thank you for pointing that out to me!

WARNING: Implied rape in this chapter. I'm glad I gave this an M rating.

Memo: Flashbacks are in italic.

Chapter 2:

"Mummy," a little voice whispered.

Hermione woke up immediately and looked at her little girl. "What's the matter sweetie?" she whispered, stroking her hair.

"I had a nightmare," she cried.

"Oh sweetie-"

"Will you shut up? I'm trying to sleep!"

"Adalyn had a nightmare, Toby."

"I don't bloody care! Just take care of it so I can get some sleep!" he grumbled.

Hermione flinched, but didn't argue. She grabbed her daughters hand and walked her out of the room.

"Mummy, why was daddy mean?"

"Oh, he wasn't being mean sweetie, he's just tired and needs his sleep," Hermione said quietly so she wouldn't wake her husband. "Just like you need your sleep," she said while helping her daughter back into her bed. After tucking her in, Hermione sat on the edge of the bed and gently ran her hand through her daughter's long blonde curls. "Now, what's this about a nightmare?"

"I dreamed you went away from me, and you never come back," she said, clinging to her blue dragon.

"Oh sweetie, mummy would never leave you. I love you too much to go anywhere without you," she reassured her.

"Mummy promises you won't leave me? Ever?"

Hermione looked into her daughter's wide, silver eyes. "Adalyn Rose, I made a promise to you when you were first born. I looked into your eyes, and I promised that no matter what happens in this world, I will always be there for you. I will never leave you, I will protect you from harm, and I will love you forever."

"That's a good promise mummy."

"It is. And I will never break that promise. Now, you get some sleep. Momma loves you."

"I love you too mummy," she said softly before going back to sleep.

Hermione sat there for a few minutes watching her daughter sleep. Eight years ago, she and Toby had been blessed with Adalyn Rose. When she first found out she was pregnant, Hermione panicked. She had been with Toby one night, and she hadn't wanted to burden him with her unborn child. But when she told him, he was overjoyed, and had proposed to Hermione. Two weeks later, they were married and had moved into a 3 bedroom flat in muggle London. For the first few months of their marriage, Hermione had finished her training towards becoming a Healer at St. Mungos, but Toby started to worry that she was overworking herself, and demanded that she stop working, for the sake of the baby. She agreed only on the condition that she return to work five months after their baby was born.

When Adalyn was born, Hermione had never seen anything so precious. Her daughter had captured her heart immediately. Toby was over the moon when she was born, and to Hermione, her life couldn't get any better.

Five months after Adalyn was born, Hermione told Toby that she would be returning to work. Toby was furious with her, telling her that she was abandoning her family for some stupid, worthless job at a bookstore. He said she was an unfit mother for wanting to leave her child. She had argued back, and defended herself as a mother, but when he had hit her, she backed down. Toby had apologized to her for it, and Hermione had forgiven him. She loved Toby, and knew he was a good husband and father. They had both just lost their temper. But she let the matter of going back to work drop for good.

They had gone on with their lives as if nothing had happened. Toby continued working at the Ministry in the Department of Security, while Hermione stayed home and raised their daughter.

Things were normal, until five years into their marriage. Hermione had gone to her cousin, Sarah's bachelorette party and had come home late. Toby was furious and demanded to know where and who Hermione was with.

"Toby, I told you tonight was Sarah's bachelorette party. We went out for drinks," she said casually, hanging her jacket up.

"No, you didn't tell me! Now where were you, and who were you with?" he asked, raising his voice.

"Toby, be quiet. Adalyn is asleep," she shushed him, before walking to the kitchen.

"Don't you dare tell me to be quiet!" he shouted, roughly grabbing her arm.

"Toby, let go," she pleaded.

"I won't have my wife sleeping around like a common whore, and then lying to my face!"

"I am not sleeping around Toby! I love you!" she said, still trying to release his strong grip on her arm.

"Don't you lie to me!"

"And don't call me a whore!" she shouted back.

Without hesitation, he backhanded her across the face. Hermione went flying across the floor. Toby walked over to her and grabbed the back of her hair and forced her to look at him. "Don't you ever talk back to me again!" He pushed her head down and stormed out of the house, without looking back.

He never apologized for that, and he hadn't apologized for anything he did to her since. Over the next three years, it seemed to get worse. He wouldn't let her leave the house expect to shop for groceries, pick up the mail, or take Adalyn to school. He refused to let her see or communicate with any of her friends. Hermione was completely shut out from the world, and most days she felt like giving up. But Adalyn was the one thing that kept her going. Thankfully, Adalyn was never around when Toby would get into one of his rages, and Hermione prayed she would never have to witness it. Adalyn loved her daddy, and Hermione didn't want her to have her witness her father whom she adores, acting like that.

Hermione sighed and gave Adalyn a light kiss on the forehead, before closing her door. She walked past her bedroom and went to the bathroom, closing the door. She turned on the light and forced herself to look in the mirror. Brushing away her long, chestnut curls, she winced when she saw her reflection. Her left eye was swollen and already turning black and blue. She had a cut on her lip and a bruise on her cheek.

Toby wouldn't let her use healing ointments, or let her use her wand for treatment or glamour charms. He said it would remind her of what she did wrong. She tried to hide it from Adalyn as best as she could. She always wore her hair down and wore turtleneck sweaters to cover the bruises and cuts on her body. Every night he would check her wand to make sure she didn't use it for anything he didn't approve of. The truth was that he didn't trust her. Hermione scoffed at her reflection.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Adalyn's teacher. He was telling me about a field trip her class will be going on this Friday and he was giving me details about it."

"I don't want you talking to him."

"What? He is her teacher, how can I not talk to him?"

"Find a way! I forbid you to see him."

"See him? I'm not seeing him!"

"How the hell am I supposed to know that? For all I know you're inviting him over to shag you while I'm at work!"

Hermione slapped him across the face before she realized what she had done.

He retaliated fast and punched her in the face. "Don't you hit me whore! I own you! You are mine! I can do whatever the hell I want with you!" She whimpered and he turned her around so she could see his face. "You don't believe me? Why don't I show you?" He pushed her to the ground and held tightly to her hands while he undid his pants and pulled her skirt up.

Hermione sighed. She knew she shouldn't have slapped him. That had pushed him over the edge, and she had paid for it. It wasn't often that he forced himself onto her, but when he did, he would remind her how much of a whore she really was, and that it shouldn't be new to her. She was disgusted with him and herself. She used to be strong willed, but somehow, he had broken her.

Many times Hermione thought about leaving him or turning him in. But she couldn't bear the thought of Adalyn losing her daddy. Adalyn loved and adored her daddy so much, that Hermione didn't have the heart to take her away from him. He had never once raised a hand to Adalyn, and for that Hermione was grateful. She just needed to watch her step and listen to him. If she was punished then she would take it, as long as he didn't punish Adalyn.

Hermione wiped at the tears falling down her face before leaving the bathroom. She walked back to her room where Toby was sleeping peacefully. She hated living in the same house as him; she hated sleeping in the same bed as him, especially what he had done to her a few hours before. But if he caught her sleeping on the couch or with Adalyn, he would punish her again.

Something changed in Toby when he beat her and first accused her of cheating three years ago. He lost his trust in her, and she couldn't figure out why. What had she done to make him lose his trust in her? But not only had he lost his trust in her, but he had also started distancing himself from Adalyn. Hermione would notice the way he looked at Adalyn, like he was studying her and couldn't figure something out. She knew Adalyn was becoming aware of how her father would refuse to play with her, read to her, or put her to bed. She saw the hurt in her eyes when he would ignore her as if she wasn't even there. That was what Hermione the most, seeing the hurt in her little girls' eyes, but Adalyn never asked why, and she never cried to her about it.

Hermione sniffed and wiped her face again. She would get nowhere with her rambling thoughts. She knew tomorrow would be another long day. Grudgingly, she shuffled over to the bed and pulled up the covers.

Suddenly Toby said, "Did you get the brat to sleep?"

"Yes, she's asleep," she replied before closing her eyes, with a lone tear running down her face.