PLEASE READ ME: This chapter includes the topic of rape, and though nothing about the act is truly described, I understand that the subject may make some readers uncomfortable. Thus, this is a warning.

"Good morning."

Hermione looked up from the report she'd been filling out to see Mallory taking a seat at her desk. "Morning," she replied. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back until next Monday." Mallory had said she'd be taking the rest of the week off after her wedding. That had only been two days ago. And yet here she was. "Did Louis make you come in?" she asked.

Mallory shook her head, eyes cast down and focused on her desk. "Just felt like being here," she said.

Hermione's eyebrows drew together at that. "Are you okay?" she asked. "How was your stay at home honeymoon?"

"I don't…I don't want to talk about it," Mallory said softly.

Hermione caught just the briefest of glimpses of Mallory's face. Her skin managed to be both pale and shadowed at once and she didn't think she had imagined the way the young woman's eyes welled with tears.

Hermione stood and approached Mallory's desk, leaning down tentatively. "Mallory?" she said. "Mallory, is everything okay?"

The woman's lips pressed together and she looked physically torn as she shook her head. Collapsing on folded arms, her shoulders shook as she sobbed.

Hermione bent to be levelled with the desk. "Mallory," she began, and then she saw them. As her forehead rested on her arms, Mallory's sleeves had ridden up to expose the pale skin of her forearms, skin marred, purpled with bruising.

Hermione's mouth opened wordlessly. There was no mistaking how bruises like that came about. There might as well have been fingerprints. That was assault. And she'd be damned if she let it go by unnoticed. "I'll be right back," she murmured.

She stood and left, entering their boss' office, forgetting to knock on the open door as he always requested. She spoke before he could. "I'm going to take my lunch break early."

"Alright," Louis said. "When?"

"Now," she said.

Louis looked from her to the clock and back. "It's nine o'clock," he said.

"Something's come up," Hermione told him.

His eyes narrowed at her before he nodded. He'd always been a reasonable boss. "Take all the time you need."

"Thank you." She hurried back to Mallory, grabbing her bag and coat. "Come on, why don't you come to mine for a bit," she said gently. She got her out of her seat and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and then she took her home.

Hermione said a quick hello to Fred as they passed through the shop, ushering Mallory upstairs and giving him a look to say she'd explain all later. He nodded, but his expression remained perplexed as he turned to George.

Hermione fixed tea.

Mallory cried from the moment she sat down and cried harder still as Hermione coaxed from her the retelling of events. They shared the living room couch as the girl sobbed until she'd exhausted herself.

"I don't want to go back," she whispered. "Please."

Hermione's heart broke for her, anger boiled in her blood on her behalf, her hands coiled into fists, and her magic was desperate for a wand and a target. A human target. One Damien Weiss.

"You don't have to," Hermione told her, a promise she had every intention of keeping. "I'm going back to the office to pick up a few things," she said. "But if you want to rest, go ahead and take the second bedroom." She gestured at where her clothes were kept. "And help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you're hungry, alright? I'll be back. Fred might come up, but don't mind him. You'll be okay?"

Mallory nodded.

Hermione returned home before Fred had left the shop. Mallory was asleep in the bedroom, her empty mug in the sink. Hermione started making dinner for three, making quick work of cutting potatoes and flicking the stove on. The stereo remained silent. She had too many thoughts tumbling through her mind.

The door opened only moments later as Fred entered the flat. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," she replied. "Mallory's asleep."

"Oh." He lowered his voice. "So, that was Mallory then?"

She nodded. "That was Mallory."

"Is everything okay?" he asked. He washed his hands and Hermione handed him the salad bowl to get started. "She looked…distraught."

"She got married," Hermione told him.

"I take it it's not going so well," he said.

Hermione sighed heavily as she stirred the pasta. "No," she said. "Not at all."

Fred turned toward her, suddenly noting the tone in her voice. Leaning against the stove, he ducked to see her face. "What is it?" he asked.

"He raped her," Hermione said.

"What?" Fred stood straight.

"Damien," she said. "Her husband. He…she came to work with bruises. She couldn't stop crying."

His eyes widened. "No," he said. "Merlin, no."

She nodded. "He…" She wrapped her arms around herself and bit her lip.

"Hell." Fred shook his head and took her in his arms, holding her tightly. She let out a long breath and relaxed into him.

"Fred, I'm not letting her go back," she said. "She can't go back."

He kissed the top of her head. "She doesn't have to."

Mallory joined them for dinner. Hermione lent her pyjamas and told her to stay the night. Mallory only declined twice before thanking her and going to sleep. Hermione tidied the flat, gathered her work and then for once, rather than disappearing into the second bedroom, or staying in the living room, she took it into their bedroom, changed into her pyjamas without waiting for Fred to be preoccupied or out in the loo, and then curled up in a corner she quietly created with pillows and his left side. She glanced up at him, gauging a reaction, and when he simply smiled and put his arm around her, she opened the folder she'd brought with her and began editing the document and writing notes to address later.

When she had finished an hour later and Fred had set aside his book, she neatly placed the files on the floor and turned to face him. She licked her lips as her hand touched the side of his face and drew him toward her. Her lips met his firmly and his eyes fell shut, then she pulled away, took a deep breath, and kissed him again. And something in the feel of her lips against his, something in the way they moved, told him this was important. They was a sense of urgency behind it, along with the feeling of something both building and crashing within her, pouring out to him in that kiss.

"Thank you," she whispered.

His eyes blinked open. "What for?"

"For being such a great man," she told him. "Seeing Mallory today, I couldn't help but think what could have happened to me if…well, if it hadn't been you."

Fred shook his head, tucking her hair behind her ear just to keep contact with her. "That's not great," he said. "That's decent."

"You would think," she said. "But that first night…I would have gone through with it, even though I was scared. Being the law after all. I wouldn't have considered it anything but consensual and yet…you still made it better." She sighed and curled under the covers.

"Mallory wanted to get married," she said. "She thought she'd find happiness in this whole mess and now here she is. It's sick."

Fred didn't know what the appropriate response was.

"She can't stay here forever," Hermione said. "It may just be one night. Tonight. But she can't hide like this. It's not fair. Damien can't get away with this." She shook her head. "I think she should report him."

He'd known that that was what she'd think, and while he agreed—he wanted the same justice she did just as much—he hated to be the one to tell her the truth of it. "There's nothing to report him for."

"What?" Hermione asked. "What do you mean there's nothing? He—"

Fred sighed and shook his head. "They were married," he said. "That means that according to the law, the bastard had every right to do what he did."

"What?" Hermione was appalled. "It's marital rape, Fred."

"Is that a…that's law in the muggle world?" he asked. She nodded. And to think any wizard could think himself superior, Fred thought, that muggles were so uncivilized. The irony. "There's no such thing here," he said bitterly.

"That's ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "How can that be? Once a man's married he just, what, owns her? He can do whatever he wants?" she asked in outrage.

Fred shook his head. "The laws are old," he said. "Archaic. Once you're married, everything is supposed to be behind closed doors. So yeah, men tend to have the upper hand."

Hermione looked to be in disbelief. "So, what happens to Mallory?" she asked quietly.

"Well, you're right," Fred said. "She can't hide here forever." He paused. "Where's her husband?"

Hermione let out a short, humorless laugh. "In her flat," she replied.

"Then she'll stay here until we figure something out," he said. "And we will figure something out."

"Okay," Hermione said. "Thank you."

"Did you take your potions?"

"Yes."

"Go to sleep, love."

She curled around him, knowing she wouldn't get much sleep at all. "Goodnight."

Mallory made breakfast. Or, she tried to, at least. The smell of burnt toast had Hermione gagging as she woke from restless sleep and she left the warmth of the bed to head into the kitchen. Mallory looked near tears. "I'm sorry," she said. "I hadn't meant to wake you. I was hoping I could make you both breakfast. To say thank you." She looked at the blackened toast. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Hermione said. "Those eggs look good." Her stomach continued to turn at the smell of the toast and she quickly tossed it away. "I'll fix toast," she said. Mallory sighed in relief and put the eggs on a plate, charming it to keep them warm.

"How're you doing?" Hermione asked, getting out fresh bread, buttering the even slices, and deciding to toast them right in the pan.

"I'm okay," Mallory said. She looked at the time. "I should get going actually. I'll return your pyjamas to you when I've—"

"Mallory, you're not going anywhere." Hermione interrupted.

The girl looked small as she shifted her weight indecisively. "My clothes are in my flat," she said.

"I'll lend you something."

"Pyjamas are one thing but," Mallory looked down at herself and then looked at a slighter-framed Hermione, "I don't think there's anything you could lend me for work."

"I'll find something," Hermione assured.

Mallory shook her head. "It's okay."

"Mallory, you haven't over stayed your welcome, okay?" Hermione said. "Not at all. You don't have to go back there."

Mallory chewed her thumbnail and stared down at her toes a moment. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hermione returned. "Now, are you really okay? Is there anything I can do?"

"You've done everything," Mallory told her gratefully.

"Not until we find you a solution," Hermione countered.

Mallory's eyes lit with hope. "You think—you think we can?" she asked.

"We're going to get you out," Hermione promised.

Mallory nodded. "My sister will be back in town next week," she said. "I'll go there and—"

"No, Mallory we're not hiding you. We're getting you out," Hermione insisted.

"How?" The defeat had returned to her voice and Hermione's heart hurt for her.

"I don't know yet," she admitted. She turned the bread over in the pan before looking at the time. "Fred?" she called.

The grumble of a reply sounded from the bedroom. "Yes?"

"You're awake?"

"No."

"Are you out of bed?" she asked with a laugh.

"I'm…working on it," he replied slowly.

"Up," she ordered. "I'm going to go shower soon."

Fred emerged from the bedroom. "Morning," he greeted. "Wife, Mallory." His chin tipped in acknowledgement.

"Good morning," Mallory returned, blushing at Fred's charming presence.

"Morning," Hermione added.

Fred disappeared into the loo.

Hermione finished the toast and got the pumpkin juice from the fridge.

"Where's the cutlery?" Mallory asked. She had already found plates and was setting the small kitchen table.

"Top drawer," Hermione directed.

"Love, you've taken your potion?" Fred called.

"Not yet," she replied.

"Potion?" Mallory repeated worriedly. "Are you okay?"

Fred brought the vials out with him and handed them to Hermione. She poured herself a glass of juice to take with the unappealing concoctions. "I'm," Hermione looked sheepish, "I'm fine," she said. "I'm actually…I'm pregnant," she confessed.

Mallory's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. She squealed. "That's great!" she exclaimed. "Congratulations!" She hugged her tightly. "Wow," she said. She turned to Fred, who was leaning against the counter with an amused grin. "Congratulations to you too then, right?" she offered unsurely.

"Yeah," Fred said with a chuckle. "I had something to do with it."

"Oh." Mallory blushed. "Well, yes, of course—"

"Kidding," he said. "Yeah, I'm happy about it. Thanks."

Mallory smiled. "Well, I'm happy for you two. That's really exciting." Something shifted in her expression and Hermione looked at her.

"Mallory, are you alright?" she asked in concern.

"Yes," Mallory said. "I'm fine." Her eyes were welling.

Fred took the dishes from counter over to the table, giving the women a good amount of space. "Mallory." Hermione moved to stand in front of her. "What's wrong? Where have you gone?" she questioned.

"I was just…" She was nearly shaking. "You don't think I might…you don't think I could be pregnant now, do you?" she asked.

There was a bang as Fred dropped the plate of eggs on the table angrily. Clearly his hearing was sharp as ever. Hermione opened her mouth to assure her that she wasn't. And then she realized that wasn't fair. She couldn't promise that Mallory pregnant, she very well might be. Hermione felt stuck for a moment. "I don't think so," she said finally. "Even if you are…you shouldn't let that be anything to do with him."

Mallory nodded. "Perhaps I'll feel better if I go to that healer appointment early," she considered. "Do you think you could come with me? If you're not busy?"

Hermione was nodding mindlessly as her mind began to sort through things. There was an answer. She could feel it. And there it was. "Yes!" she said brightly.

Fred raised an eyebrow while Mallory looked at her in confusion, still visibly upset by the idea. "In fact, I'll make the appointment," Hermione said. "Don't worry about a thing." And she meant it.

Author's Note: Hello, dear readers. I have a feeling many of you won't like this chapter and if this is the case I would really appreciate it if you would offer your opinion. If you'd like to offer any sort of positive feedback as well, that is also appreciated. It's always great to read what you think.

Also, I'm sorry I didn't reply to reviews for the last chapter. I started working on the next chapter and reviews got pushed aside. I promise to reply to every signed review this time round.

Thank you so much for reading and please share your thoughts!

Anyways,

Scarlett

Note: Thanks to Cenobite829 for prompting clarification in this chapter (see added line mentioning assault).