EDIT 12/12: Not important. Just edited one of Hermione diary entires (thanks for the advice Saya-Sato).
While getting ready the next morning Hermione happened to glance at her calendar. July 31st. 'One month,' she thought. 'Then, back to Hogwarts.' But hold on... July 31st... July 31st... There was something else about the date that was strangely familiar...
"Harry!" she exclaimed suddenly. "His birthday! How could I have forgotten."
No sooner had she realised than a large snowy owl swooped in her open window. The swish of its wing startled her and she took a step backwards.
"Oh, Hedwig! Hello." She gave the bird a stroke and untied the letter from its leg."
Dear Hermione,
How are you? Hope you've had a good holiday so far. I've been able to sneak out from the Dursley's. I'm staying at the Burrow until we go back to school. Do you want to catch up?
Ron and I can come pick you up. We should go into London, I haven't done that for a really long time. Try and send your answer as soon as you can. We'll come at around midday to get you.
Harry.
She gabbed her quill and some spare parchment that was lying on the heavy oak desk in her room.
Harry,
That sounds great. I'll see you and Ron at midday.
Love,
Hermione.
Hermione tied the letter back to Hedwig and sent her off to deliver it. She ran downstairs to find her parents sitting in the kitchen; her mother cleaning the dishes and her dad reading the paper.
"Mum, Dad, I'm going out with Harry and Ron today. It's Harry's birthday, we're going into London to celebrate. They coming at 12. OK?"
Steven Granger looked up at her. "Sure, honey." A cheesy grin was plastered to his face. He turned to look at the clock in the kitchen. It was half past 11 already. "Well you better get ready; have a great day!" He kissed her on the forehead. Hermione tried to hide her surprise as she left the room.
Back in her room she pulled out the notebook she kept as a diary.
July 31st
Dear Diary,
They're acting weird again. I just went downstairs to let them know I'm going out today and both of them looked unusually happy. I don't understand; what's going on?! They've never been like this before.
I also keep having this reoccurring dream. I can never remember it, but I hate the way it makes me feel.
With love,
Hermione.
The sound of the doorbell rang throughout the house. Hermione grabbed her bag and a jacket - just incase - and ran downstairs.
"Bye!" she called behind her as she opened the front door and walked through it. Harry and Ron stood in front of her. She threw her arms around both of them and gave them a tight hug. The three of them walked down the path and towards the waiting car.
Hermione, Harry and Ron walked down a busy London street, shopping bags hanging off their arms. The sun was beginning to get lower in the sky and the moon was clearly visible.
"Let's go in here," Hermione said pointing to a small cafe on their right.
Soon they were seated and had ordered.
"Today was great," Harry told them. "Thanks guys. It's been a good birthday." He smiled.
"Well, I'm glad you a good day," Ron said sarcastically. "My feet are killing me. No one told me that Miss Granger over here would insist that we practically walk from one end of London to the other, not to mention the numerous trips we made to Diagon Alley!"
They all laughed and Hermione turned a slight shade of pink.
"Excuse me for a moment," she said as she got up from the table.
She turned to ask the waitress where she would be able to find the bathrooms but was only met with the hard surface of someone else's body. Hermione was knocked back and fell to the ground. Her head hit a table on the way and the world turned back.
She tried to stand up. "Where do you think you're going?" a deep voice behind her asked.
She didn't know who the voice belonged to but it evoked a fear so deep that she screamed and knew she had to get away... somehow.
"Shut up!" it said harshly. A hand wrapped itself around her mouth.
She tried to struggle free, but the man holding her was too strong. She looked around desperately for something she could defend herself with, but saw nothing of use.
Everything seemed so big to her... What was going on? Where was she? She didn't recognise her surroundings at all. The sound of a zipper rang through her ears. Still, she didn't understand what was going on. Then pain ripped through her body. Tears began to fall down her face. She screamed against the hand over her mouth.
"Hermione," a familiar voice called... it was so soft though, so far away...
"Harry?" The pain still wracked her body and she winced. "Harry!"
"Hermione! Please... Hermione, open your eyes," Harry's voice was slightly louder this time.
She screamed as the pain came to a final, almost unbearable point. Her breathing became ragged.
"Herm?"
"Harry?" She opened her eyes. Ron, Harry and half of the cafe patrons were leaning over her. Both Ron and Harry showed a level a fear in their eyes that Hermione had never seen in them before.
"Wh-what happened?" she asked softly.
"You fell over and knocked yourself out," Ron told her.
"But then you started screaming... Are you OK?" Harry's voice was edged with tears, he swallowed slowly. "We were really scared."
She was so confused. 'What had just happened?' she thought. Where had she been? Who was the man? And the pain... what was... "Oh my gosh..." She brought her hand up to cover her mouth in shock. A single tear trickled down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly so that no one saw. The pain... that had been from... She couldn't say it... She couldn't even think it.
"Can we just go? I would really like to leave." Hermione stood up and steadied herself on Harry's shoulder.
"Maybe we should take you to the hospital, or something? You may have a concussion," Ron said shakily.
"NO! Just take me home," Hermione told them firmly.
"O-OK."
The whole car trip home Hermione was silent. The atmosphere in was tense to say the least. Neither of the boys knew what to say, they didn't even know what had happened.
When they arrived at Hermione's house Harry walked her to the door.
"Herm-" Harry began.
"Don't say anything. I'm fine. I don't need you to worry."
Harry knew Hermione. Things weren't fine. But what could he do? She was stubborn and hardheaded, and she definitely wouldn't listen to him. He just wanted her to know that he cared... he cared a lot. What had happened earlier had scared him more than he'd been scared in a long time. Seeing her screaming and thrashing on the floor and not being able to do anything to help her had made him feel so weak and useless.
"Bye Harry," she said and quickly walked inside before he could reply.
Inside, Hermione said a quick hello to her parents and went upstairs to her room where she threw herself on her bed and finally allowed herself to let out the emotion she'd been holding in for the past hour.
Dear Diary,
I'm so confused. I was with Ron and Harry in a cafe today when I accidentally ran into someone and knocked myself out. Then I had this... I don't even know what call it... a dream maybe... but it was so real - I was in a strange house and I was so small and weak. A man grabbed me and then he... he raped me.
But what kind of a dream is that?! And dreams don't hurt. I could feel the pain.
The man's voice; it seemed so familiar... but I don't know from where... I can't place it.
"Steven!" Margaret yelled from downstairs. "We have to tell her!"
"Keep your voice down!"
"She deserves to know. What good do you think it's doing keeping this all from her?!"
Hermione threw the diary onto the floor. It was pretty unusual for her parents to fight, especially so loudly, but she didn't want to hear it right now, whatever it was about. She flopped back onto her bed and tried to block out everything around her.