3«««Once wasn't enough»
"Where is she?" Ron muttered under her breath, "She had better not be hiding from me. What has she told that bastard," he turned to face the way he came, "back there?"
~|~
Hermione froze when she heard that voice. Terror struck her hard and she looked around, completely trapped within her mind. The spacious hallways gave her plenty of room to move in, but as long as her mind was trapped, so was she.
She heard his footsteps rounding the corner, she attempted to hide behind a suit of armor, but an abrupt grab on her wrist snapped her backwards, sending her flying to the ground.
"What have you told him, bitch?"
"Nothing! I swear" Hermione buckled under the impact of a body slamming onto her. He wrestled her underneath him, and laid himself flat out, forcefully, on top of her. He breathed into her ear heavily, squeezing her sides in tighter and tighter. "OW! You're hurting me!"
"What, I thought you liked this."
"Get OFF!" she screamed, "Get off, get off, get o-" he slapped his hand over her mouth, silencing her swiftly.
He reached into her robe and grabbed out her wand, throwing it to the side of the hallway, way out of her range of reach. He then tore open her Hogwarts robe, revealing her outfit underneath. "What's this?" he inquired mockingly.
Hermione's outfit consisted of loose cargo pants with a well fitted, black, spaghetti strap tank-top. She tensed her stomach area as he reached for her, still keeping one hand over her mouth. "A little, manly, don't you think?" he taunted her as she twisted underneath him. Ron shoved Hermione's arms underneath herself and whispered, "Remember my last." before slapping her across the face.
She tried to shrink away from him, but he continued to bear down on top of her, pushing her harder into the ground, bruising her all over. He leaned towards her mouth, then quickly removed his hand and slammed his lips onto hers, kissing her roughly.
A group of merry voices, filled with laughter, echoed through the halls. Ron sprang off of her and listened. Dinner was over and everyone was returning to their dormitories. His steely eyes made contact with Hermione's, "We aren't done yet, sweetheart." Kicking her, for one last measure, he took off down the corridors.
Hermione tried to heave herself off the ground, silent tears streaming down her face. Her futile attempts to lift herself subsided as she ran out of strength. She inched over to the spot where Ron had thrown her wand. She wiped her eyes, and sniffed a few times, before picking it up, and weakly mutter "Mirror Imperius". A mirror gently thudded onto the ground next to her. Picking it up, Hermione brushed her hair out of her face. She looked into glass, nearly crying all over again when she saw.
Her image was torn. Her face was covered in red scratch marks and bruises where he had slapped her. She looked down, and stared at her cargo pants, before rolling them up, revealing a new bruise and open cuts underneath; additions to her old scars. Her hair was ripped and messy, hey stomach arms and wrists mangled. Her heart was broken, again.
"Once wasn't enough," she whispered, "once wasn't enough for you. You had to come back. When does the pain stop?"
~|~
Harry wasn't joining in the merriment. Something about Ron's attitude at dinner had severely ticked him off. He parted from the crowd, walking down a less-used corridor. He caught bits of a whispered voice around the corner. Curious, he rounded the turn as saw Hermione sitting there, crying to herself with a mirror in front.
"Hermione?" he said tentatively, unsure of the situation at hand. When there was no response, "Hermione?" he repeated, a little louder than the first time.
Hermione slowly looked up, with a look of shame painted all over her scarred features. Her legs splayed out, one cargo pant leg up, and a ripped, torn tank-top.
"Harry," she sobbed so quietly that he had to strain his ears, "he came back. Again. I knew he would. dreams. broken pieces." Hermione drew her legs up against her chest, and buried her face into them. Her shoulders rose and fells with jerky motions, as she poured herself out onto the floor.
Kneeling down next to her, he reached out to rest his hand on Hermione's arm. She edged herself away, and looked up at him with huge eyes. "I'm so scared. What if he comes back?"
"I can't help you unless you tell me who 'he' is! Hermione! You MUST tell me," his voice rose slightly as anger built up inside him, "You can't go around in fear all the time. You need to tell someone."
"I will," she sniffed, "when I am ready. I can't." she sobbed again, "it would. ruin everything." She folded back into herself again. Harry reached his arm around her, pulling her close, and began to gently rock her back and forth against his chest.
"Sweetie, everything will be alright." Harry said soothingly, though both knew he was lying. Anger was welling up inside Harry just as quickly as determination was radiating from Hermione.
~|~
Letting her eyes focus, Hermione tried to register her surroundings. She had no clue where she was, or how she got here. Giving her eyes a quick rub, she blinked a couple of times before panning to room. The familiar stone walls with squishy red chairs and the fireplace reminded her of something.
"Common room." she thought out loud, "but how.?" Scanning the room again, she rested her eyes on, "Harry. Of course, I should have known." Getting off the couch, she walked over the armchair Harry was crunched into, sound asleep. She groped under her robes, until her fingers brushed against her wand. Gripping it firmly, Hermione Summoned a blanket from her dormitory. The hand-knitted, wool blanket was tan in colour, with fringes on the ends that swung about as Hermione spread it out on top of Harry. He stirred, gripped a corner of the blanket, pulling it over himself more, and then remained still.
The decision on whether or not to return to her dorm was easy. To avoid any questioning on why she had been out so late, Hermione went back onto her couch, curled up and fell asleep.
~|~
Harry awoke in a completely green world. Slightly panicked, he rubbed his eyes, wondering what was wrong with him. Then he reached out, feeling soft wool covering him. He let the blanket slid to the ground as he stood up. The sky outside the windows was still pitch black, and the tower clock by the fireplace read 2:34am. He noticed Hermione asleep on the couch, but in a very different position. She must have woken up he thought to himself and given me a blanket from her rooms.
He gently plodded over to the couch and sat on the edge, next to her. He stared down at Hermione's tattered apparel. She stirred in her sleep and Harry stiffened, hoping he hadn't woken her up. Brushing a lock of hair out of her face, he murmured "Hermione, it won't happen again." Getting up, he thudded up the stairs to his bed, where he collapsed in exhaustion.
~+~+~+~+~+~
A/N: I need some suggestions on how Hermione "relives" her experience. like a dream. or flashback. what?
"Where is she?" Ron muttered under her breath, "She had better not be hiding from me. What has she told that bastard," he turned to face the way he came, "back there?"
~|~
Hermione froze when she heard that voice. Terror struck her hard and she looked around, completely trapped within her mind. The spacious hallways gave her plenty of room to move in, but as long as her mind was trapped, so was she.
She heard his footsteps rounding the corner, she attempted to hide behind a suit of armor, but an abrupt grab on her wrist snapped her backwards, sending her flying to the ground.
"What have you told him, bitch?"
"Nothing! I swear" Hermione buckled under the impact of a body slamming onto her. He wrestled her underneath him, and laid himself flat out, forcefully, on top of her. He breathed into her ear heavily, squeezing her sides in tighter and tighter. "OW! You're hurting me!"
"What, I thought you liked this."
"Get OFF!" she screamed, "Get off, get off, get o-" he slapped his hand over her mouth, silencing her swiftly.
He reached into her robe and grabbed out her wand, throwing it to the side of the hallway, way out of her range of reach. He then tore open her Hogwarts robe, revealing her outfit underneath. "What's this?" he inquired mockingly.
Hermione's outfit consisted of loose cargo pants with a well fitted, black, spaghetti strap tank-top. She tensed her stomach area as he reached for her, still keeping one hand over her mouth. "A little, manly, don't you think?" he taunted her as she twisted underneath him. Ron shoved Hermione's arms underneath herself and whispered, "Remember my last." before slapping her across the face.
She tried to shrink away from him, but he continued to bear down on top of her, pushing her harder into the ground, bruising her all over. He leaned towards her mouth, then quickly removed his hand and slammed his lips onto hers, kissing her roughly.
A group of merry voices, filled with laughter, echoed through the halls. Ron sprang off of her and listened. Dinner was over and everyone was returning to their dormitories. His steely eyes made contact with Hermione's, "We aren't done yet, sweetheart." Kicking her, for one last measure, he took off down the corridors.
Hermione tried to heave herself off the ground, silent tears streaming down her face. Her futile attempts to lift herself subsided as she ran out of strength. She inched over to the spot where Ron had thrown her wand. She wiped her eyes, and sniffed a few times, before picking it up, and weakly mutter "Mirror Imperius". A mirror gently thudded onto the ground next to her. Picking it up, Hermione brushed her hair out of her face. She looked into glass, nearly crying all over again when she saw.
Her image was torn. Her face was covered in red scratch marks and bruises where he had slapped her. She looked down, and stared at her cargo pants, before rolling them up, revealing a new bruise and open cuts underneath; additions to her old scars. Her hair was ripped and messy, hey stomach arms and wrists mangled. Her heart was broken, again.
"Once wasn't enough," she whispered, "once wasn't enough for you. You had to come back. When does the pain stop?"
~|~
Harry wasn't joining in the merriment. Something about Ron's attitude at dinner had severely ticked him off. He parted from the crowd, walking down a less-used corridor. He caught bits of a whispered voice around the corner. Curious, he rounded the turn as saw Hermione sitting there, crying to herself with a mirror in front.
"Hermione?" he said tentatively, unsure of the situation at hand. When there was no response, "Hermione?" he repeated, a little louder than the first time.
Hermione slowly looked up, with a look of shame painted all over her scarred features. Her legs splayed out, one cargo pant leg up, and a ripped, torn tank-top.
"Harry," she sobbed so quietly that he had to strain his ears, "he came back. Again. I knew he would. dreams. broken pieces." Hermione drew her legs up against her chest, and buried her face into them. Her shoulders rose and fells with jerky motions, as she poured herself out onto the floor.
Kneeling down next to her, he reached out to rest his hand on Hermione's arm. She edged herself away, and looked up at him with huge eyes. "I'm so scared. What if he comes back?"
"I can't help you unless you tell me who 'he' is! Hermione! You MUST tell me," his voice rose slightly as anger built up inside him, "You can't go around in fear all the time. You need to tell someone."
"I will," she sniffed, "when I am ready. I can't." she sobbed again, "it would. ruin everything." She folded back into herself again. Harry reached his arm around her, pulling her close, and began to gently rock her back and forth against his chest.
"Sweetie, everything will be alright." Harry said soothingly, though both knew he was lying. Anger was welling up inside Harry just as quickly as determination was radiating from Hermione.
~|~
Letting her eyes focus, Hermione tried to register her surroundings. She had no clue where she was, or how she got here. Giving her eyes a quick rub, she blinked a couple of times before panning to room. The familiar stone walls with squishy red chairs and the fireplace reminded her of something.
"Common room." she thought out loud, "but how.?" Scanning the room again, she rested her eyes on, "Harry. Of course, I should have known." Getting off the couch, she walked over the armchair Harry was crunched into, sound asleep. She groped under her robes, until her fingers brushed against her wand. Gripping it firmly, Hermione Summoned a blanket from her dormitory. The hand-knitted, wool blanket was tan in colour, with fringes on the ends that swung about as Hermione spread it out on top of Harry. He stirred, gripped a corner of the blanket, pulling it over himself more, and then remained still.
The decision on whether or not to return to her dorm was easy. To avoid any questioning on why she had been out so late, Hermione went back onto her couch, curled up and fell asleep.
~|~
Harry awoke in a completely green world. Slightly panicked, he rubbed his eyes, wondering what was wrong with him. Then he reached out, feeling soft wool covering him. He let the blanket slid to the ground as he stood up. The sky outside the windows was still pitch black, and the tower clock by the fireplace read 2:34am. He noticed Hermione asleep on the couch, but in a very different position. She must have woken up he thought to himself and given me a blanket from her rooms.
He gently plodded over to the couch and sat on the edge, next to her. He stared down at Hermione's tattered apparel. She stirred in her sleep and Harry stiffened, hoping he hadn't woken her up. Brushing a lock of hair out of her face, he murmured "Hermione, it won't happen again." Getting up, he thudded up the stairs to his bed, where he collapsed in exhaustion.
~+~+~+~+~+~
A/N: I need some suggestions on how Hermione "relives" her experience. like a dream. or flashback. what?