Disclaimer: I own the plot, a few characters, but sadly, everything else is Jo's.

A.N. Okay, so I just realized a mistake I made. Back in the first chapter, when I was explaining how Ron died, it was because he saw his father fall at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. But last chapter, when the twins invited Oliver over for dinner, they said that "Ginny, Mum and Dad" would like to hear his take on the situation. My mistake. Mr. Weasley is indeed alive, Ron was going after Bellatrix, not realizing that his father really was still alive. Did I clear that up for everyone now? Hopefully I did. Anyways, read on, give me a review to tell me if you like it or if it sucks or what not. Thanks!

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Chapter Four

Molly dropped her knife and scooped down to pick the hysterical child up.

"Charlotte! What's happened?"

"Mummy! She won't move! Daddy hurt her again!" she sobbed.

The boys burst into the kitchen, looking wildly around. Oliver about died when he saw the look on Charlotte's face.

"What's happened?" George asked.

"Hermione. We have to go!" Ginny said, grabbing the Floo pot off the mantle.

She stepped into the fire without another word and with a roar of the flame, disappeared to Hermione's flat, leaving her mother to take care of Charlotte.

She drew her wand as soon as she stepped out of the fire. There was no telling if Matt was still there in the flat. Charlotte didn't say for certain.

The boys appeared moments later behind her. They walked around hesitantly, until Ginny walked into the kitchen.

"Oh my God," she muttered, her chest suddenly constricting painfully. "Come quick!"

She knelt down next to Hermione, her head in a pool of blood.

"What did he do to her!" Fred yelled as he came around the corner.

George and Oliver joined them. George swore loudly and bent down to see if she still had a pulse. Oliver let loose a stream of colorful Gaelic and felt his heart miss a few beats.

When he caught up with Matt McAllister, he was as good as dead.

"She's still got a pulse!" George announced.

Ginny was crying softly. She couldn't believe that Matt had hurt her this bad this time. She always knew what he was capable of, but didn't expect this to actually happen.

Oliver knelt down and gently probed her neck and the back of her skull for the source of all the blood.

"Fred, know any good healing spells?" he asked quietly.

Fred whipped out his wand and pointed it at Hermione's head. Oliver felt the skin stitch itself back together, but Hermione still remained as still as ever.

Oliver carefully picked her up and cradled her gently in his arms, trying to keep her as still as possible.

"She needs to go to St. Mungo's, Oliver," Ginny said, wiping away her tears. "We don't know what else he did to her."

"Is it safe to Apparate there?" George asked uncertainly.

"She needs something," Oliver said, looking down at her pale and bruised face.

"Take her, then. We'll catch up as soon as we clean things up here and tell Mum where she is," Fred said.

Oliver took a deep breath and spun around, holding Hermione tightly. He hoped to high hell that Apparating wasn't going to hurt her anymore than she already was.

Once he arrived inside St. Mungo's holding Hermione, the next half hour was a blur to him. The Healers quickly whisked her away, to where he didn't know, but they assured him that she would be all right as long as they got her help fast.

He sat in the waiting room, staring at the floor in front of him. How was it that his life could be perfectly normal when he woke up this morning, and now, he found himself waiting to hear if an old friend was going to live or die? He had forgotten about Hermione Granger until a few short hours ago, when he found her lost daughter in the grocery store. And now, because of the bastard she was married to, there was a good chance that Charlotte may not have her mother any longer. And then what would happen to her? She would go right back to her abusive father, and if he hadn't started beating her yet, he probably would without Hermione to kick around any longer.

He looked up when the twins and Ginny Apparated beside him.

"What's the word?" Fred asked as he sat down.

Oliver shook his head. "Nothing, yet. They said they'd do their best. How's the little lass?"

Ginny sniffed. "She's a mess. Mum's tried to calm her down, but I think any sense of innocence the little one had is gone. Imagine finding your mum lying in a pool of blood at six years old. There's going to be lasting damage this time."

Oliver thought about that sweet little face again. The tears, the crumpled look, the wide-eyed look of complete horror that was frozen in her eyes.

He looked away quickly as a few tears threatened.

They sat in silence for a long time after that, waiting for a Healer to come tell them the news. They tried not to think about what could be happening to their friend, and tried not to think of what could happen to Charlotte if Hermione didn't make it.

At long last, after what seemed like hours, a Healer came hurrying through the bustle of the waiting room and stopped in front of them.

"You are the friends of Mrs. McAllister, I presume?"

They all nodded, standing up quickly.

"She's going to make it. We've fixed what damage there was, and have her sedated for the moment. She should be sore for a little while, but she'll pull through, God willing."

"Can we see her?" Ginny asked, her mouth quivering.

"Yes, I don't see the harm in that," the Healer said as he beckoned them to follow him down the long maze of corridors.

They walked in quietly. Hermione was lying, as still as she was when they found her, tucked into a bed, her head wrapped in gauze as a precaution. Her bruised face stood out vividly against the white pillow she was lying on.

They all sat down around her bed, exchanging dark looks.

"How could he do this to her?" Ginny asked, her eyes glistening as she smoothed some hair away from Hermione's face.

"I'll kill him myself," Oliver growled, reaching forward to pick up one of her cold and lifeless hands.

"No need, my friend, we'll get there first," George muttered darkly.

They sat there in silence once more, leaving her side only when another Healer came in to shoo them out.

Tired and weary to the bone, they all Apparated back to the Burrow, hating to leave her there by herself, fearing that Matt would find her and hurt her again.

Molly was sitting on the couch with Charlotte lying next to her, rubbing her back soothingly. The hysterical little girl had fallen asleep only a short while ago, her crying stopping only then.

Arthur Weasley sat in a chair near the fireplace. He stood up when the four walked in, looking sad and tired.

"How is she?" he asked when they walked in.

"They've got her sedated," Ginny said, collapsing onto the other couch and resting her aching head.

"She'll make it, but she'll be there for a few days," George offered up.

"How's Charlotte?" Oliver inquired, watching the sleeping child.

"I only got her to sleep a little while ago. I gave her a bit of a Calming Draught to try and quiet her down, but it didn't work. I think she finally just wore herself out." Molly said softly, still rubbing Charlotte's back.

"How could we let this happen?" Arthur muttered angrily. "We saw the bruises! Why didn't we do anything before this?"

"She told us to stay out of it, that she could handle it herself," Fred muttered with his eyes closed.

"We shouldn't have listened to her," George said sadly.

"We never saw Matt capable of doing this. He had us running blind," Ginny said quietly.

"Any idea where he went off to?" Arthur asked.

They all shook their heads.

"He had better hope to stay out of sight. I'll kill him myself when I see him," Oliver growled.

Arthur looked over at him appraisingly, but said nothing.

"Why don't you all get some sleep? We can all go see her in the morning," Molly suggested, lifting the sleeping Charlotte in her arms.

"Mum, I'll take her," Ginny said, standing up and taking her goddaughter with her up the stairs to her room.

She conjured another bed with the flick of her wand and laid Charlotte's sleeping form down carefully, trying not to disturb her.

Ginny threw on some pajamas and crawled into her own bed, turning on her side and watching Charlotte sleep. All she could hope was that Matt wouldn't come looking for this precious child and hurt her as well.

She would do everything imaginable to protect her friend and her daughter from now on.

0000

Hermione awoke, completely disoriented, her head throbbing, and absolutely terrified out of her mind. She didn't know where she was, what had happened, or where Charlotte was.

Worst of all, she had no idea where Matt was hiding.

She struggled to sit up, but her throbbing head, and other lesser injuries, objected most painfully to any movement whatsoever.

She finally figured out where she was when a Healer poked her head through the door.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said approvingly. "How do you feel?"

Hermione gritted her teeth, annoyed. "How do you think I feel?"

The Healer clucked her tongue as she checked her over. "Understandable, after what happened."

She closed her eyes briefly. "What exactly did happen to me?"

The Healer looked at her, concerned. "Slight memory loss," she noted to the clipboard that was following behind her as she worked.

The clipboard made a note.

"Your husband," the Healer said softly, uncertain as to how she should phrase what happened.

It all came flooding back. The pain in her neck and head, the split and swollen lip, the blood, Matt, and the crazed look in his eyes. . .

"Oh God," she groaned. "Where is my daughter?"

"I believe she is staying with some friends of yours. The Weasleys?"

Hermione nodded. "Where is Matt?"

"Your husband?" the Healer clarified.

She nodded again.

"No idea. He hasn't been here though, rest assured. We wouldn't let that happen."

Hermione sank further back into her pillows. "When can I get out of here?"

"When we're satisfied with your condition," the Healer said evasively.

Hermione groaned again and tried to drift back off to sleep.

She just wanted to find someplace where she could feel safe.

0000

Finally, after a few days in St. Mungo's, the Healers discharged her to the care of the Weasleys with strict instructions that she was to take it easy for the next week.

She was wheeled out to the waiting room in a wheelchair, Charlotte skipping along beside her. It was the first time in days that Hermione had seen her, and she was ungodly worried about what kind of lasting effects that Charlotte was experiencing from finding Hermione lying unconscious and beaten like she was.

"Charlotte, are you okay?" Hermione asked her as she was wheeled along.

"I'm fine, Mummy. I was so scared though. Why was Daddy so mad?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know, baby," she murmured.

Later, when Hermione was safely ensconced in a warm afghan on the couch with a cup of hot tea, Ginny came and settled herself beside her best friend, looking at her seriously.

"I'm fine now, Gin, if that's what's on your mind," Hermione said softly, looking at her friend over the rim of her cup.

Ginny shook her head. "No, you're not. I can tell."

Hermione sighed. "You were always able to see right through me."

Ginny shook her head. "If I was, I would have been able to keep this from happening to you."

This time, Hermione shook her head. "No, you wouldn't have. I didn't see it coming. I never thought he could explode like that. . ."

"But he's hurt you before," Ginny stated, watching Hermione for a reaction.

Hermione set her cup down. "Yes, Ginny, he has."

"Then why wouldn't you let us help you?"

Hermione shook her head. "I know you could see what was going on. But I thought that if I just pretended that it wasn't happening, then it would all just go away."

Ginny looked exasperated. "Hermione, even you know that's a bunch of bull."

"I do. I guess I didn't want to believe that my marriage was failing. I don't know where I went wrong."

"You didn't go wrong. Whatever it is, it's his problem, not yours."

Hermione smiled sadly. "You know what he said to me that day? Before he really went nuts? He said he couldn't trust me anymore. He said I was cheating on him. With Oliver."

Ginny made a noise halfway between a growl and a laugh. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"No, I'm not. He also said I was a failure at being a wife. He told me I was raising Charlotte the wrong way, even. How does he rationalize that one?"

Ginny shook her head, disgusted. "You're raising Charlotte the wrong way? What the hell? He's the one that comes home drunk off his ass every night!"

Hermione nodded. "He was bitching about me being gone so long when Charlotte and I went grocery shopping that day. He had me followed."

Ginny looked stunned. "He had you followed?"

"That's why he knew about Oliver. He thought that Oliver was 'making a pass at me.' Whatever the hell that shit's about."

"I think the alcohol is starting to affect his brain," Ginny said finally.

"There's something wrong with him, Ginny. When it all started a few years ago, it was because he was having terrible flashbacks about the Final Battle. I was just trying to reason with him that he needed to talk to someone about it. He wouldn't talk to me about anything, so I tried to get him help. That's when it started to go downhill."

She looked horrified. "You've been putting up with him for a few years now?"

Hermione nodded sadly. "I thought I could fix him, Gin."

"He hasn't hurt Charlotte, has he?"

"Not that I know of. Charlotte would tell me, I could tell if he was."

Ginny shook her head, knowing the answer to her next question. "You're going to go back to him, aren't you?"

"I have to, Gin. If I don't, he'll find me eventually, and he'll make me come back."

Ginny's face hardened. "No, you don't have to go back. He wouldn't find you. You could stay here with us, and we'd be able to keep you safe."

Hermione smiled sadly again. "As wonderful as that sounds to me, Gin, we both know that it wouldn't work. Charlotte would love it, I'm sure, but you don't know what he's capable of. He's got his connections at the Ministry, he's an Auror for Christ's sake! It wouldn't last."

Ginny turned to face Hermione, sitting cross-legged. "I just have one question for you, then."

"What?"

"Why didn't you use your magic to defend yourself all along?"

Hermione looked down, ashamed.

Ginny looked alarmed. "Hermione?"

When she looked back up, her eyes were full of tears.

"I'm a failure, Gin."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"I don't want to use my magic. I may have returned to the magical world after I met Matt, but I don't want to use it. Magic destroyed my life the first time, and I thought that if I just quit using it all together, it wouldn't ruin me again. Magic took Harry and Ron away from me, and I didn't want to lose Matt either. But I guess it's happened anyway, no matter how much I refused to see it."

Ginny knew there was more. "It's not just the beatings, is it?"

A few tears leaked out and trailed down Hermione's face. "He's used the Imperious Curse on me."

Ginny jumped from the couch, completely horrified. "Oh, my God."

Hermione started to sob. "I was completely submissive to his command the first few times. I was disgusted with myself for allowing it to happen."

Ginny stopped pacing and turned to face Hermione, her face completely terrified. "The first few times? Jesus, Hermione! He's done it more than once!"

She bowed her head, completely ashamed. "I began to fight it after awhile. He hasn't used it in awhile. He knows it won't work anymore."

"Christ, that's no reason to stay with him!"

"I stay with him so he can't hurt Charlotte," she gasped out through her sobbing.

"That doesn't make sense, Hermione! He can hurt her just as easily by staying with him!"

"I can't leave him! If I do, he'll find us! And when he does, he'll take Charlotte away from me and lock me away!" she yelled, absolutely distraught by now.

Ginny stopped and looked at her. "What do you mean, he'll take her away and lock you up?"

Hermione heaved a great shuddering breath. "He's threatened me. He told me if I were to take Charlotte and leave, he would find us, and he would have me declared unstable and an unfit mother and lock me up in St. Mungo's loony ward. He would take Charlotte away from me, and I would never see her again. I can't leave him, Ginny, or I'll lose my little girl!"

Ginny sat down right on the floor, her head spinning. There was more to all this than she realized, and it was literally tearing Hermione apart.

0000

Hearing the raised voices in the living room, Oliver and the twins went to investigate. But once they heard snatches of the conversation, they stopped and stayed out of sight, listening to what was being said, and what they knew they wouldn't find out if they revealed themselves.

"He's used the Imperious Curse on me," they heard Hermione say softly.

The three looked around at each other, their eyes wide with shock and anger.

They listened to Ginny cry out in disbelief. "The first few times? Jesus, Hermione! He's done it more than once!"

"I began to fight it after awhile. He hasn't used it in awhile. He knows it won't work anymore."

Oliver stood seething in rage. The bastard thought he could control her with the Imperius Curse, huh?

They listened to Hermione break down in sobs as she explained the deeper root to the problem.

"I can't leave him! If I do, he'll find us! And when he does, he'll take Charlotte away from me and lock me away!"

The three of them froze, about to walk in and interrupt the conversation before Hermione became anymore agitated.

"What do you mean, he'll take her away and lock you up?"

"He's threatened me. He told me if I were to take Charlotte and leave, he would find us, and he would have me declared unstable and an unfit mother and lock me up in St. Mungo's loony ward. He would take Charlotte away from me, and I would never see her again. I can't leave him, Ginny, or I'll lose my little girl!"

"The bastard," Fred muttered furiously.

Oliver felt his blood pulsing through his veins. Never before had he felt more protective of anyone in his life, except for maybe his little sister. There was no reason for Hermione to put up with this kind of treatment, especially if it meant that she would be locked away and have Charlotte taken away from her if she left him.

Oliver couldn't stand listening to Hermione cry any longer. He marched purposefully into the living room, past Ginny, who was sitting on the floor, looking completely stunned, and sat down on the couch with Hermione.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, allowing her to sob unrestrainedly into his shoulder.

There had to be a solution to this mess. He would find a way to make things right for Hermione and Charlotte. There was no reason for them to live in fear like this.

He would make sure of it.