Hermione Granger sat alone in her room, silent tears gracefully sliding down her cheeks. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Leaning her ear closer to the door, she could hear her parents' distinct shouting from downstairs. Her father was drunk again. She didn't need this the week before she left for her final year at Hogwarts.

"When will you stop bitching at me, woman?! I come home, and you're already bickering about something! What in the bloody hell do I have to do to get you to some making such accusations!"

Hermione was used to him getting angry over little things, but this was the first time he'd been this angry with her mother.

"Oh will you stop complaining, George! I did not intend for you to get angry! All I ask is for you to hinder yourself from getting drunk again! One day things will get out of hand!" her mother was not angry, as George Granger was---Hermione knew this from the way she spoke her words.

Hermione slowly crept down the stairs, and peered into the kitchen. Her mother was preparing dinner, angrily chopping away at a head of lettuce. Her father was standing behind her mother, and his eyes were dancing with flames.

"Please, lower your voice as not to wake up Hermione. I do not wish to argue, love. I did not intend to make you angry," her mother replied softly, in hopes of calming her enraged husband.

Her father's features did not soften, but still his face was cold and angry. Hermione saw in his eyes a look of pure loathing.and it frightened her.

"That freak is not my child," he replied coldly. "And you, my dear, are a whore."

Hermione winced. The knife in her mother's hand fell to the ground.

"Do not call her such names. I have raised her well, and.," her mother replied softly, "George, please, calm down, you're frightening me."

"I'm frightening you, am I! Shut up, did you not her me the first time!"

Her father's hand hit Anne Granger's porcelain face hard. When her mother looked up again, there were tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I thought you loved me," Anne whispered.

His face softened, and he lowered his head.

"I don't," he shouted, "You're a whore, a WHORE!"

She slapped him across the face, and left a red hand mark across his face. He touched his cheek lightly, and looked back at her, eyes full of rage. She instantly regretted it.

"Don't you ever hit me!"

He pushed her pushed her against the wall and began to beat her. Hermione watched all of this horrified. She had fully stepped out into the kitchen, to observe the scene. She saw her mother crying and begging him to stop, but he never did. And finally Hermione watched her mother fall to the ground, bloody and bruised. Hermione gasped, and he turned around to face her. She tried to run, but he quickly grabbed a hold of her arm.

"You're not going anywhere," he said dangerously. "You bastard, what have you done to my mother?! I'll kill you I swear to God I'll kill you!" she began shouting. "You as-"

He threw her against the wall and began to beat her. She tried to scream but she couldn't. All she could do was cry. She managed to crawl towards her mother, and he continued to hit her. Her mother's eyes were on her daughter, and before she passed out again, she whispered to her daughter 'I love you.' Hermione managed to choke out 'I love you too.' She grasped her mother's hand tightly, but was kicked away by her father. Then everything went black.

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Hermione arrived at the station, Crookshanks and her trunk in one hand, a book in the other. She walked along nonchalantly, trying to ignore the recent events, and concentrate on reviewing all of her summer work. She boarded the train almost immediately, and found an empty compartment. 'Harry and Ron will find me,' she thought to herself. She sat down and continued to read her book. But she just kept reading the same line continuously. She had a throbbing headache, and her bruises were painful every time she put any kind of pressure to them. She pulled out a small mirror and looked at her reflection. There was a small bur deep purple bruise on one of her eyes, and the remainders of the bruises were on her sides, arms, and legs. She sighed and attempted to hide the bruises with a few charms, but to no avail. 'I can't even perform a simple charm anymore,' she thought. The compartment door opened and she quickly hid her mirror away and covered her left eye with her hair.

"Oi, 'Mione!" Ron greeted.

"Hello Mione! We've been looking all over for you!" Harry smiled brightly at Hermione.

She smiled sheepishly back. She had forgotten how much she needed them at a time like this. She intended to tell them, but the words could not escape her mouth.

"I'm sorry you guys, it's just I.I wanted to find an empty compartment, so we all had somewhere to sit. And seeing as everyone is boarding the train now, I suppose I was right in thinking that you two would be late and needed a nearly empty compartment," Hermione said, proud of herself for not telling a complete lie.

"Of course, Hermione, you're brilliant," Ron said, taking a seat across from Hermione.

'Ron can be incredibly daft sometimes,' Hermione thought to herself. She stifled a snort, as Harry slid in the seat right beside her. 'Oh no, he's sitting beside me, what if he sees the bruise?!' Hermione panicked to herself.

Harry eyed her skeptically and turned to Ron, "You wouldn't mind going and grabbing us a couple of Chocolate Frogs and a few bags of Bernie Botts Every Flavor Beans, would you, mate?" He was smiling brightly at Ron, and handed him a few Galleons. Ron smiled back, and left them to buy the sweets. Harry's smile faded and he quickly turned to her, his face full of concern.

"Hermione, what's wrong? I know you were lying. I get the feeling you didn't feel like being around us. What happened this summer, why didn't you respond to any of our letters." Harry continued to bombard her with questions. She looked up at him and her hair fell away from her face, and he could see the purple bruise on her left eye. He opened his mouth to ask her about it.

"I.I fell, it's really nothing to worry about Harry." she lied.

"You fell? Hermione you don't have to lie to me. What happened? Does Malfoy have anything to do with this?" Harry inquired.

Just as Harry said the last sentence, the compartment door quietly opened to reveal none other than Draco Malfoy.

"And why, Potty, would I have anything to do with the Mudblood's bruises?" Draco smirked. "Although I would be more than happy to have given her them, I might as well just tell you how she got them."

Hermione's eyes widened and pleaded him to leave, but this only made him smirk more. Harry looked from one to the other, and he looked questioningly at Hermione.

"Sod off, Malfoy. You know nothing of my situation," Hermione stated coldly.

"You'd be surprised, Granger," Draco replied. He turned to leave, and came face to face with Ron Weasley. Draco smirked.

"So the Weasel is just as poor as ever. I guess you're not only poor when it comes to finances, but as well as your friendship qualities," Draco glanced down at the sweets in Ron's hands, then back to his face. "While you were buying food, with Potty's money, the Mudblood is in here hiding her face with her hair, in an attempt to cover the bruises she earned this summer from her father."

Ron dropped all of the sweets, not even bothering to respond to Malfoy, and turned to look at Hermione. Harry was equally stunned by Malfoy's remark. Hermione was glaring daggers at Malfoy's back, as he turned to retreat.

Her eyes were downcast as her two best friends looked at her for an answer.

"He's a liar, are you really going to believe him over me?" Hermione inquired.

Ron studied her face and then turned to Harry, as if expecting him to explain.

Harry hesitated, and then said quietly, "She fell, Ron. Malfoy is just being a prat."

Ron looked relieved, as he retrieved the sweets from the ground, Hermione shot Harry a grateful look. The rest of the trip was spent in silence.