Disclaimer: I own nothing!
I was not stalling last chapter I just didn't have time to write the answer because it was going to be a kind of long explanation.
-bookgirl 121 this chapter is dedicated to you as my special way to cheer you up. I hope you like it. :)
Hermione continued to cry into Minerva's shoulder. While she did the older witch would whisper words of comfort into the younger witch's ear whilst her hand rubbed soothing circle along her pupil's back.
It took some time for the young Gryffindor to calm down, but her professor never slacked in her comforting embrace. Finally when Hermione's breathing started to return to normal and her tears weren't flowing as heavily Minerva pulled away just slightly but not all the way. Professor McGonagall only pulled back enough so she could see the young girls face though Hermione refused to meet her professor's eyes.
A stray hair had fallen in the girls face. Minerva gently placed the stray hair behind her protégé's ear. Finally Hermione looked at her professor through puffy red eyes. She looked incredibly sad making her mentor's heart break at the sight. What could be that bad that makes this wonderful child feel this way? Professor McGonagall thought to herself.
Without breaking their eye contact Minerva pleaded to the young Gryffindor saying, "Hermione please tell me what's so amiss that your parents don't even want you home. I can't help you if you don't tell me."
Hermione ran her hand through her hair as she made a decision not making eye contact with Minerva. The younger witch could either, run and not let anyone know or she could tell Minerva everything. Her decision wasn't easy, but she made up her mind.
The young Gryffindor sighed before she spoke, "Can we sit down?" She didn't look Minerva in the eye until she was down speaking when she did she offered the older witch a weak smile.
Minerva smiled back but hers was filled with sadness for the pain of the younger witch. "Of course we can sit down." Minerva turned away from the girl for a moment and conjured up two chairs that Hermione recognized as being from Professor McGonagall's office. The chairs looked uncomfortable, but Hermione knew better. She knew that the chairs had a special charm on them to make them very comfortable. The chairs were made to look uncomfortable in hopes that whoever came to visit the older witch wouldn't get the idea to sit and stay longer.
"Shall we?" asked Minerva gesturing to the chairs. Hermione gave her a weak nod. Both witches took their seats. Hermione sat cross-legged in her chair. She normally sat like that when she was upset about something.
Minerva conjured up tea for the both of them. Hermione gladly accepted the cup and after taking a sip set it on her lap. Minerva waited as she watched Hermione trace the outer rim of her cup with her finger. Professor McGonagall started to grow impatient, "Hermione, you're going to have to tell me eventually. I know this is probably tough for you, but you might as well get on with it."
The younger witch took a deep breath. "Professor it's kind of a long story so I guess I'll start from the beginning, is that ok?"
Minerva felt a pang of hurt that Hermione had reverted back to calling her by her formal title but she didn't let the hurt show. She was Professor McGonagall after all who was known for her stone cold indifference in emotional situations. The older witch laid a comforting hand on the younger witch's knee well she replied saying, "I think it shall be best if you do start from the beginning," she paused before continuing, "Hermione you know you can trust me, right?"
Hermione chose to ignore the question because she really wasn't sure of the answer. Well at least not yet. "Alright so the beginning of the trouble with my parents let's see when did it all start?" Hermione asked herself as she thought back into her past.
Hermione closed her eyes as she began to tell her tale. "So I guess it all started when I was rather young. I'm not really sure how old I was exactly. I think I was around seven or eight when it first started happening. Then everything started to go wrong–"
Professor McGonagall interrupted her for a moment. "What a second, what happened exactly?"
Minerva was looking extremely worried by this, but Hermione didn't notice because her eyes where still closed. The only time she would open them is when she was facing down to look in her cup as she would continue to trace the pattern of the rim.
"Well I think you know. It's when a witch or wizard's power starts to show. Mine started around that age. That's when my parents started to be ashamed of me. They hated that I could make strange things happen."
"What sort of strange things?"
"Oh you know this and that. The first time I can remember is on my eighth birthday. That's when I got a really great present from my grandparents and I was really happy. Everyone was in the other room and I had snuck a peak at the presents that were in the dinning room. The present had been a book that I'd really wanted. I was so happy that I started dancing around the dinning and accidentally knocked over my mother'a vase that sat on a little table in the corner. My parents chose to walk into the room right as the vase got knocked over. I know I read about this in a book. How wizard children have little random times when before they come to school when their powers are triggered. Especially when they're emotions are particularly strong," Hermione paused.
"I guess I should get back to my original point. Well as I was saying I knocked over the vase. It was really big and I was standing really close so I probably would've been hurt from the flying debris. Anyway, it smashed on the ground but all the pieces disappeared as they smashed and reappeared in their given spots back on the table where the vase had sat. The vase was all put together like nothing had happened," Hermione sighed. "My parents were really freaked out. My dad was all angry because my mom was hysterical. She kept repeating, 'how could this happen? How could I have a freak for a daughter?' My dad stormed over to me and smacked me hard enough to knock me to the ground."
Minerva let out a gasp. She hadn't known that Hermione's parents had every physically hurt her. If she had well she'd have most likely taught them a lesson.
Professor McGonagall tried to keep her speech steady but it came out shaky anyway as she tried to control her anger. "Hermione, how many times has this happened?"
"My father was mostly mad because the neighbors and my grandparents were in the other room. He didn't want anyone to know what a freak his child was. They really didn't like me even before that because I wasn't sporty enough for them. I was a disappointment as a child."
"Hermione, answer my question," said Minerva trying to keep calm but failing miserably.
"Umm…well does it really matter?" asked Hermione praying that Minerva wouldn't say yes.
"Hermione dear…listen," Minerva said resting her hand on the younger girl's arm. "Just tell what happened with them."
"Min it's really not important. You see they just started to ignore me more and not allow me to ever be around them and their friends. I became insignificant. Sometimes I would be allowed out with them, but if anything 'unexpected' happened I was blamed. My parents wouldn't get mad if things happened at home. Well they'd get mad but just lock me in the basement or something. If it happened when their friends were around my dad would normally take me into the other room and smack me or hit me with his belt, but that didn't happen too often because I was never around their friends. After he'd hit me I'd be sent up to my room because apparently I'd gotten a migraine or something. At least that's what he told them."
"Is that why your parents didn't want you home?"
"No actually, it's not. Well technically yes, but there's more to it. You see a month or two ago I got a letter from my mother, which was strange because my parents never write me, but that's beside the point. You see the letter was to tell me that my mother was pregnant. Then a couple of weeks later my parents wrote me again telling me they didn't want me home for Christmas or any other time. They didn't want me to infect the baby which still hasn't been born yet mind you with my 'devilish ways' or at least that's what they call it."
"So what are you going to do come summer if they don't want you home when the baby isn't even born yet? They'll probably be worse when it is."
"Oh umm…they also told me about that, but I don't think it's really that important at the moment. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."
"Please Hermione, just tell me. Stop trying to keep these things bottled up," pleaded Minerva her rage growing with each new thing she found out about the Grangers.
"Well they said not to come home for any break at all. I wrote to them saying I have to come home for summer vacation. They replied saying that if I dare step foot in their house that they'd stop being my parents and put me in an orphanage. From what I am to understand my dad has already been looking into disowning me."
"Hermione, why didn't you tell me?" asked Minerva sounding hurt.
"There was no reason to get you involved. I could handle it myself," shrugged off Hermione.
"You can most certainly not handle this all on your own. For Merlin's sake, you're only a child. I'll be paying them a little visit later," said Minerva not trying to control her rage at this point.
Hermione's head turned sharply to look at Minerva. Fear was evident in the young Gryffindor's eyes. She looked like a deer looking into the eyes of it's predator as the predator slinks towards them ready to kill. "Please Minerva I'm begging you don't get involved. You'll just make it worse."
"Hermione, no one has a right to hit you. I just want to have a little conversation with them."
"I told you under confidence. You want me to trust than don't go and see my parents," Hermione yelled her with teary eyes as the young Gryffindor stood from her chair.
Minerva stood as well. "Hermione, if it really means that much to you I won't go see them," promised Minerva as she hugged her star student. Although she had promised to do nothing she hadn't meant it. Well not completely. She had promised not to go see them, but she had said it a little differently in her head, I won't go see them…today.
I hope you liked this thanks so much everyone for reviewing! I really appreciated all of them. They do encourage me to write. :)
-chailatteandmusic even though I haven't heard from you in awhile I would just like you to know that your request shall be granted in either chapter 12 or 13 depending on how far I get in 12.