Chapter 6

July 5, 1999

Hermione stirred slightly as she felt someone softly stroking her hip. She sighed, feeling content and warm, and she pushed back into their touch. As she did, she felt something hard against her backside, and she froze, her eyes snapping open. The hand stopped, and she could feel Charlie slowly pulling away.

"Hermione!" He gasped softly, jumping out of the bed, grabbing a pillow to cover his hard-on. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize-"

"It's okay!" She promised, climbing out the other side of the bed. "I meant to leave after you fell asleep. It's my fault." Charlie was averting his gaze and Hermione's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?" She asked.

"Your skirt. It's um, up." He said, motioning to her without looking. She gasped and pulled her skirt down, before running out of the room, closing the door behind her.

A surge of frustration hit Charlie, and he threw the pillow against the door. He suddenly realized his head hurt and went to his bathroom to take a hangover potion before getting in the shower.

When he finished, Hermione was downstairs making breakfast. As soon as he hit the bottom step, she looked up at him and immediately apologized.

"Charlie, I'm so sorry. Last night was all my fault. Can we just please forget it happened? I really don't want this to affect our friendship." The look on her face was so sincere, Charlie could only nod. She breathed a sigh of relief and brought their plates to the table. They ate breakfast in silence and when they finished, Charlie detailed their schedule for the day up to Hermione's departure.

Hermione shadowed Charlie as he visited the dragon and their keepers. Around midafternoon, Hermione was exhausted, and Charlie sent her back to the cabin to relax. On her walk back, she fell in love with the reserve. The sky was the brightest blue and there was lush green grass and trees everywhere. It felt safe and she never wanted to leave.

When she got back to the cabin, she decided to take advantage of the hot tub Charlie had. She changed into her swimsuit, a practical red one piece that covered all the important parts. Tying her hair back, she laid her towel on the side and stepped into the warm water. Making sure that the water wasn't too warm, she laid her head back on headrest and began to relax. About an hour later, she was woken by the water stirring as Charlie slid in across from her. Noticing she was awake, he grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, 'Mione. I was trying not to wake you."

"That's alright, Charlie. I shouldn't be sleeping in here anyway. It was just too relaxing."

"You could use 'relaxing.'" He told her as she adjusted herself, placing her arms on the edge of the tub. He caught a glimpse of a mark on her arm and cocked his head to the side. "What's that on your arm?" He asked, motioning to her right arm. She gasped and dropped her arm into the water.

"It's nothing. Just an old scar. I guess the disillusion went away when I fell asleep." She explained, smiling slightly.

"Can I see it?" He questioned as he moved closer to her.

"Um, it's nothing special. Just a scar." She stuttered, brushing back a stray hair.

"Then why can't I see it?"

Hermione placed her left hand over the scar before she spoke.

"I don't want you to think less of me." She whispered so softly that it took him a minute to understand what she said. He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm up out of the water. She kept her hand on it, as he looked her in the eyes. He watched as tears formed in her eyes. She dropped her hand and immediately looked away, afraid to see his face when he saw it.

Cut into her arm was the word mudblood. There were dozens of thin silvery lines carved through it as thought someone had been trying to mark it out.

"Hermione." Charlie gasped softly. "How did this happen?" He asked, running his fingers gently over the crude word. His heart sunk as he realized the damage that had to be inflicted for the scar to remain.

"Bellatrix." She said, wiping her eyes. "When we were on the run, we got captured by snatchers. We were taken to Malfoy Manor where she was when she thought we took something out of her vault. Who better to torture for information than the mud blood?"

"Is that all she did?" He demanded; his voice hard as he held her arm.

"Along with a few rounds of the cruciatus curse." She answered.

"Did you do these other markings?"

"I was trying to get rid of it. They'll fade over time and mudblood will still be there."

"You've tried that before?" He asked incredulously, releasing her arm.

"Just a few times."

Charlie balled his fists in anger and looked away from her. Not only had she been tortured, but she continually kept harming herself and it seemed like no one else cared.

"It's okay, Charlie." She told him, placing a hand over his fist.

"It's not okay, Hermione. You went through so much, and no one even seems to care. Do Harry and Ron at least know?"

"Yes, they were there. Bill and Fleur too. Dobby helped us escape to their cottage where they fixed us up. I don't want anyone else to know. I don't want to be looked at like a victim."

Charlie didn't say anything else but instead wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that until the clock chimed, reminding them it was five o'clock and Hermione had to leave.

They got out of the tub and dried off before Hermione went upstairs to change. Charlie was waiting by the floo when she came back downstairs with her bag.

"I left your dragon books on the bed." She told him when she got to the floo. "Thank you for letting me come visit."

"You're welcome here anytime, 'Mione." He replied, pulling her in for a hug. "Please write me. Even if you're having a bad day. Let me help you get through it. Okay?"

"I will, Charlie. I promise." He squeezed her one last time before releasing her. She got in the floo and smiled at him before being taken back to the Burrow.