A/N: This will probably be an emotional chapter to some. If you think it may bother you then skip it. It is mostly Hermione talking to Harry about the marriage.

Also, Please don't send me anything saying I'm writing about something I have no clue about because trust me when I say this..I do.. maybe not on a physical level but emotional level.. trust me its just as bad as physical.. Everyone has different responses and emotions when it comes to the subject and I'm basing hers on mine. After this chapter, things will start to lighten up a bit.

Over the next few days, Harry hardly left Hermione's side. Her bruises were almost gone thanks to the salve Severus left behind but Harry couldn't get the image of what she looked like out of his mind. His stomach clinched with anger all over again every time he thought about it, but taking his anger out on Blake was next to impossible considering he had gone ' missing '.

Nights were the worst of everything. Harry had let Hermione have half of the bed and he took the other. They were friends after all and his flat only had one bedroom – the couch wasn't fit to sleep on either.

During the second night, Harry woke up to a soft whimpering sound coming from Hermione. He glanced over to see her curled into the fetal position, protecting her sides – his heart broke.

He reached over to wake her up but as soon as his hand touched her, she let out a scream and flung herself off the bed and onto the floor. Harry rushed over and held her despite the screaming, the way she was thrashing around could have caused her greater damage.

She said she remembered nothing the next morning but the emotion in her eyes stated otherwise.

The third night, which was last night did not go much smoother. This time, Harry woke up to her pleading with someone to stop while saying she wouldn't do it again. To hear her so weak put him into protector mode. She was strong and he knew it, but she was also human and being abused physically, mentally or emotionally tended to make even the strong break after a while. She was broken and he hated it.

When Harry woke up for the day, he quickly went into the kitchen and started to make breakfast. He wanted to talk to her about everything and figured a good meal and friendly company may help her along. He needed to know details of the marriage so he could help her properly.

They had been tip toeing around the subject and casually talking about other things but her marriage was not one of the topic even touched.

Hermione finally woke up to the smell of bacon cooking and drifted into the kitchen happily. It had been a long time since anyone had cooked for her and she was grateful.

"Morning Harry" she said in a happier voice then she had managed over the last few days.

Harry turned from the stove and gave her a warm smile, "Morning – you sound better."

"I feel better" she said with a sigh, "I feel... I don't know – free."

Harry nodded and placed the plates on the table. He allowed her to eat for a few minutes before bringing up the subject.

"Hermione... I hate to but I need to ask." He said quietly

She had been expecting as much and prepared herself over the last few days.. she needed someone to talk to and she trust Harry more then anyone else in the world.

"I know Harry" she said with a sigh, "I've been expecting it."

"I want to help you Hermione and I don't think I can without knowing everything."

She nodded and asked, "What do you want to know first?"

Harry sat back in his chair and thought about it before finally speaking.

"If I were to ask you to tell me the first three words of what you feel... what would they be?"

Hermione closed her eyes and looked down to the table, "Lost, broken, and stupid."

"Why Lost?" he asked

Hermione couldn't help but smile a little, Harry was acting like a shrink.

"Lost is for a few reasons actually." she stated with a sigh, "I feel lost because I don't even know who I am anymore... I feel lost because I gave up so much of myself for a man who treated me like shit.. I feel lost because I don't know where I stand in the world any longer."

"And broken?"

"Broken is because I'm weak.. I don't have the strength to fight anymore, I don't feel, I don't care about people the way I use to and most of all I hate the person I've become." she whispered

"And Stupid?" He asked trying hard to keep his voice steady.

"I feel stupid because I went back after the first time, I feel stupid for believing him when he said he loved me, I feel stupid because I couldn't stop him, I feel stupid because... because I should have known better."

"Hermione – I don't think that makes you stupi--."

Harry stop..." she stated, " I was stupid for letting it get this far" she paused for a minute to fight back the sobs, "Do you know how hard it is to look in the mirror and see that the face looking back at you is one you don't recognize? Do you know what it's like to give yourself to someone completely – only to have them treat you like you don't deserve the right to lick their shoes?"

She had to stop for a minute to catch her breath, for some reason it felt like she was suffocating and couldn't breath. Her tears were at maximum unload and her voice was strained.

Harry too had tears in his eyes as he watched her anguish.

"He made me think I didn't deserve to live Harry. It's hard... so hard to wake up everyday, knowing that you will be told your worthless over and over again while inside... inside you know he's wrong and you fight it, you try to ignore it." she had to stop to suck in a breath again, her lungs felt like they were shriveling into nothing.

"But you cant..." she finally sputtered out, "Each name, each smack changes you.. and after a while you start to ignore the inner voice and believe that you do deserve it for some reason.. You think that he has a reason for doing what he's doing.. and each day you are made to feel worthless, each day you have to check you words for double meaning, each day you feel like your walking on egg shells and at the end of each day... you die a little inside."

Harry couldn't handle it anymore and crossed the table, he had to hold her, comfort her. She felt his arms wrap around her and she sunk into him, enjoying the warm body that was trying to offer her comfort... something she hadn't had in a long time.

"I want my life back Harry.. I want to feel with out being beaten, I want to regenerate the pieces of me that have died... I want to be whole again and wake up in the morning with a smile, I want to know that I am worth the air I breath..." she let out a final sob, "I want to know I'm alive Harry."

Harry could not speak, his voice was gone and all he could do was hold the sobbing witch as tight as he could, silently telling her that he was there and she was safe.

How they ended up on the kitchen floor and how long they had been there, he'd never know. But he did know that no matter what happened, she would never feel like she didn't deserve to live or worthless again.

She felt so vulnerable in his arms, like a child who had been abandoned and left alone with no safety, no love and it killed him. He didn't want to let her go because at that moment, all he wanted to do is show her she was safe and she was loved, he wanted to hold her and not let go.

P.S. Blake is not dead...FYI