Disclaimer: Not JK Rowling…scandalous no?

Authors Note:

I get such a thrill from adding in all the Harry Potter references...so much fun...see if you can spot them all(:

Feedback is appreciated!

xoxo

Chapter 3

Hermione awoke from the sounds of Madam Petunia Dursley screeching. Regular morning occurrence. She stretched and rolled out of bed. The screeching got louder, and she quickly shoved on her clothing. The dress was spotted and old. It was grey in color and smelled horrid. Like someone had washed it in a nasty grey dye. Where it came from, Hermione had no idea. There was a tear around the middle, and she tried to pin the seams together.

She headed toward the main room, and sat down to receive her work for the day. Madam handed the girls papers. Long lists.

"You will work all day. You will have no breaks. If at the end of the day I am satisfied, then, and only then will you receive your dinner," she sneered at the girls nastily.

As soon as Madam Petunia left the room the girls relaxed. Hermione breathed deeply, and rolled her shoulders back. The girls ate their measly portions of breakfast in a hurry, half a slice of grapefruit, and went off to work.

Hermione was bending over the floor in the hallway scrubbing, when she heard footsteps approaching. She wiped a sweaty strand of hair out of her face, and raised her eyes. She froze and her whole body tightened as Dudley Dursley approached.

He smirked as he came closer. She tried to look back down and continue working in the hopes that he would move on and ignore her. No such luck.

"Get up, bitch", he said kicking her bottom.

Hermione stood up slowly narrowing her eyes at Dudley.

"What" she spat.

He reached out his hand to touch her cheek.

"Oh my little bitch, you know you love these moments"

Hermione cringed.

Then in one quick move Dudley reached down and tore the pin from her dress. Hermione gasped as her stomach became exposed.

Dudley sneered at her and grabbed her arms twisting them behind her body. He put his hand on her exposed skin and she felt it creep upwards. She tried to twist out of his hold but he was too strong.

"Let go of me", she warned.

She saw the desire in his eyes and felt sick to her stomach.

She lifted her leg and stamped down on his foot. Hard. He yelped and backed away. Knowing this was her only chance, Hermione fled. She heard Dudley cursing from behind her. She felt fear coursing through her body. She quickly jumped into a closet, and breathed a sigh of relief as he passed. She knew there was no point in returning to the hallway since Dudley would be expecting her to go back. Instead she headed outside to the alleyway. She leaned against the brick wall and closed her eyes. Hermione lifted her shaking hands and tried to tie the middle of her dress into a knot. Her hands were shaking too hard. Tears of frustration filled her eyes.

If only she could get away from this place. But Hermione knew this was her destiny. She was a nobody. Nothing. And she was destined to live this life forever. It wasn't like she had any family. She was part of the common folk. The ones nobody cared about.

Whenever Hermione had asked the Dursleys about her family they had become extremely angry. Enough times and they had finally begun to answer her. It was believed that her good for nothing parents, this was the way Sir Vernon referred to them, had been killed in a crash. A collision of coach's. They had died on impact. It was what they deserved, Madam Petunia Dursley would add, probably drunk. They did nothing with their lives. They were freaks.

Hermione hadn't asked again. She had waited. She had peered through windows while she was supposed to be working. She had imagined the day that her family would show up at the door of the orphanage to bring her home. The years passed. The situation never changed. Same beatings, same yelling, same derisive attitude. And any hopes of a family coming to get her, a family that was the complete opposite of what the Dursley's described, had been dashed.

After a couple of hours, hiding out in the alley way, Hermione stood up and began to make her way back into the orpahange. It was dark now. Hermione knew she would be in trouble since she hadn't completed her days work. Her stomach growled with hunger but she dared not enter the kitchen for food. She hoped to make it upstairs to her bedroom without bumping into any of the Dursleys.

Hermione sneaked through the quiet building. She gasped as a shadow filled the hallway and then realizing it was her own she breathed a sigh of relief. Ten more steps and she would be by the bannister. 3 more steps.

"Where do you think you are going", said a voice that Hermione knew well.

Hermione slowly turned around.

Madam Petunia Dursley was standing by the steps. She was smiling sweetly, but Hermione knew that it was all a show.

"Oh dear, it seems you have forgotten to get your work done"

Hermione swallowed with fear.

Madam Petunia Dursley took slow steps until she was directly in front of Hermione's trembling body.

"We all know the punishment for that, don't we?"

Madam Petunia Dursley grabbed onto Hermione's arm and dragged her down to the basement. Hermione struggled against her hold. She begged, she pleaded, and she yelled, all the while knowing that nothing would help her.

She was pushed inside the cupboard underneath the steps. It was dark. Something was on her foot and she felt her skin crawl. Spiders. Hermione cringed. Her whole body tensed. She hated the dark. And she hated this feeling. Being locked up in such a small space. Hermione couldn't breathe. The walls were coming in on her.

She heard someone yelling hysterically, and with a start she realized that she was hearing herself.

Hermione banged on the door. She slammed her hands against the wooden and splintered door. She felt the skin on her hands tearing. She banged harder. Her voice grew hoarser with each scream.

Please please somebody come help, she thought desperately. But there was no one and Hermione knew this.

Suddenly the door swung open.

Hermione squinted into the thin stream of light coming from the first floor.

Standing in front of her was Sir Vernon Dursley.

Hermione backed away swiftly as his hand came up to slap her.

"SHUT YOUR GOD DAMN MOUTH!" he yelled into her face.

Hermione sat down on the thin mattress cowering from the angry man.

She felt relieved as he left just as he suddenly as he had appeared.

Hermione closed her eyes tight and tried to breathe.