Chapter 3.
It had been two weeks since the second attack. Hermione had changed, everyone had noticed it now, and her false persona was slipping. Most people just assumed it was Exam pressure, which most people were suffering from...they knew how much Hermione cared about exams...but Ron and Harry were the most concerned...they had noticed odd behaviour, and were concerned at how distant she was. They had also noticed she wasn't revising nearly as much as she used to, and this was alarming, as she was usually studying 24/7 in the run up to exams. They had asked her what was wrong, of course they had, but she never gave a satisfactory answer, it was always "I'm just tired" or "Snape's homework is going to be difficult," but they knew that these weren't what was troubling her. They just didn't know what else to say.
Hermione was a mess, as could probably be expected. Despite occasionally seeing his eyes as they passed on the way to classes, she was also tormented by the fact that she couldn't talk to Harry and Ron, especially when they were so concerned about her. She was embarrassed, if someone saw she had a weak side...she felt like she'd somehow be letting everyone down if she told them, oh Hermione with the good grades...but that would happen anyway, whether she told people or not because she knew she wasn't revising enough for exams. This is why she was to be found now, in the library, late at night, trying to concentrate on the book before her. But she couldn't focus on the words on the page...the events of the past month or so kept playing in her head...since the second time, he had tried to do it again, twice, but each time he had been interrupted by something or someone and had to leave her. This still haunted her as much as anything, he knew he had her in his control, he knew she'd never tell.
She sighed and closed the book, and reached for another one which she had piled on the table. She opened it at the appropriate chapter and tried to read. She didn't notice a figure coming into the room and standing over her.
"Hello Hermione! Fancy seeing you here." He spat.
Hermione jumped at his voice. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was that stood behind her chair. Her stomach curled in as he put his hands on her head briefly, before taking a seat next to her. He dragged the seat closer to her and turned it a little to face her. She was frozen to the spot. "No, please no, please." she shakily whispered, making him laugh.
"Awww, little Hermione's scared! Scared! Of big old me! hahaha! How's the revision going?" He asked, as he placed his hand on her leg. Hermione stiffened, petrified. He moved his hand, stroking her leg, loving how uncomfortable he was making her. He reached to the edge of her skirt and laughed again at her shudder when his hand touched her bare skin.
He withdrew his hand quickly at the sound of the door opening. Hermione's heart jumped, so relieved and thankful to whoever had just come in. It was Ginny.
"Hey Hermione!" She started. "Ron was ask....HERMIONE!" She yelled in anger as she saw him, still leaning over her, but with his hands hovering away from her. Hermione was relieved. Shocked, still, that someone else knew, but relieved that it was Ginny, and that she had stopped him. She wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled at Ginny.
Ginny couldn't believe her eyes. "You...you little SLUT!" She yelled, taking Hermione by surprise. "All along...that's why you dumped Ron, wasn't it? You were cheating on him with this...this...I'm surprised at you Hermione." She finished, with her nose turned up and walked out, almost knocking over two second years who were coming in. Hermione was frozen to the spot, and tears fell from her cheeks. He just smirked at her, irritated, and walked away.
When she finally retreated to the common room fifteen minutes later, she was met with Harry, Ginny and Ron. Her heart fell. Ginny had the wrong idea, she was so far from the truth, but Hermione couldn't tell her that. She dreaded to think what was coming.
"Yeah, oh there she is." Ginny said, arms folded.
"Gin, calm down." Ron said, putting a hand on her arm. "You're probably...you're probably exaggerating things!" He said, trying to keep calm as he stared at Hermione, wishing it all to be untrue.
"I'm not. Go on Hermione. Tell him. You were cheating on Ron and that's why you dumped him! Don't lie to me, I saw you two in the library just five minutes ago!"
Hermione didn't know what to say. It didn't count as cheating, did it? She had been with someone else...no, no. She thought, don't be silly. Still, she was faced with three very expectant faces.
"Ginny...I...I...you don't..." She stammered.
"Hermione, is this true?" Ron asked, now looking very worried.
"I, um...yes. I cheated on you, Ron. I'm...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The words fell out, and she kicked herself mentally for saying them. She'd never dream of cheating on Ron, but now there she was 'admitting' it.
"There!" Ginny said, triumphant. "I told you. The little slut." She finished, as she watched Hermione walk slowly towards the girl's dorms. Ron, however, watched her in a different light. It had seemed so out of character that Hermione would cheat...and he saw how upset she was right now, as she closed the door to her dorm. He wasn't sure who to believe. He believed Ginny that she had seen Hermione with someone else in the library...but couldn't believe that she had cheated...but if she hadn't, and this was a new boyfriend, she'd have surely told him and Harry?
"Harry...did you know anything about this?" He asked.
"No, Ron. I didn't." He said, putting his arm on Ron's shoulder.
Meanwhile, Hermione sat on her bed. The rest of the girl's were asleep. She lay back and stared towards the ceiling. Things were just so much worse. It was bad enough that she had been...she sighed...raped. Twice. And abused. But now Ginny hated her, and Ron and Harry were bound to start hating her soon too. She felt so alone.
It had been two weeks since the second attack. Hermione had changed, everyone had noticed it now, and her false persona was slipping. Most people just assumed it was Exam pressure, which most people were suffering from...they knew how much Hermione cared about exams...but Ron and Harry were the most concerned...they had noticed odd behaviour, and were concerned at how distant she was. They had also noticed she wasn't revising nearly as much as she used to, and this was alarming, as she was usually studying 24/7 in the run up to exams. They had asked her what was wrong, of course they had, but she never gave a satisfactory answer, it was always "I'm just tired" or "Snape's homework is going to be difficult," but they knew that these weren't what was troubling her. They just didn't know what else to say.
Hermione was a mess, as could probably be expected. Despite occasionally seeing his eyes as they passed on the way to classes, she was also tormented by the fact that she couldn't talk to Harry and Ron, especially when they were so concerned about her. She was embarrassed, if someone saw she had a weak side...she felt like she'd somehow be letting everyone down if she told them, oh Hermione with the good grades...but that would happen anyway, whether she told people or not because she knew she wasn't revising enough for exams. This is why she was to be found now, in the library, late at night, trying to concentrate on the book before her. But she couldn't focus on the words on the page...the events of the past month or so kept playing in her head...since the second time, he had tried to do it again, twice, but each time he had been interrupted by something or someone and had to leave her. This still haunted her as much as anything, he knew he had her in his control, he knew she'd never tell.
She sighed and closed the book, and reached for another one which she had piled on the table. She opened it at the appropriate chapter and tried to read. She didn't notice a figure coming into the room and standing over her.
"Hello Hermione! Fancy seeing you here." He spat.
Hermione jumped at his voice. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was that stood behind her chair. Her stomach curled in as he put his hands on her head briefly, before taking a seat next to her. He dragged the seat closer to her and turned it a little to face her. She was frozen to the spot. "No, please no, please." she shakily whispered, making him laugh.
"Awww, little Hermione's scared! Scared! Of big old me! hahaha! How's the revision going?" He asked, as he placed his hand on her leg. Hermione stiffened, petrified. He moved his hand, stroking her leg, loving how uncomfortable he was making her. He reached to the edge of her skirt and laughed again at her shudder when his hand touched her bare skin.
He withdrew his hand quickly at the sound of the door opening. Hermione's heart jumped, so relieved and thankful to whoever had just come in. It was Ginny.
"Hey Hermione!" She started. "Ron was ask....HERMIONE!" She yelled in anger as she saw him, still leaning over her, but with his hands hovering away from her. Hermione was relieved. Shocked, still, that someone else knew, but relieved that it was Ginny, and that she had stopped him. She wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled at Ginny.
Ginny couldn't believe her eyes. "You...you little SLUT!" She yelled, taking Hermione by surprise. "All along...that's why you dumped Ron, wasn't it? You were cheating on him with this...this...I'm surprised at you Hermione." She finished, with her nose turned up and walked out, almost knocking over two second years who were coming in. Hermione was frozen to the spot, and tears fell from her cheeks. He just smirked at her, irritated, and walked away.
When she finally retreated to the common room fifteen minutes later, she was met with Harry, Ginny and Ron. Her heart fell. Ginny had the wrong idea, she was so far from the truth, but Hermione couldn't tell her that. She dreaded to think what was coming.
"Yeah, oh there she is." Ginny said, arms folded.
"Gin, calm down." Ron said, putting a hand on her arm. "You're probably...you're probably exaggerating things!" He said, trying to keep calm as he stared at Hermione, wishing it all to be untrue.
"I'm not. Go on Hermione. Tell him. You were cheating on Ron and that's why you dumped him! Don't lie to me, I saw you two in the library just five minutes ago!"
Hermione didn't know what to say. It didn't count as cheating, did it? She had been with someone else...no, no. She thought, don't be silly. Still, she was faced with three very expectant faces.
"Ginny...I...I...you don't..." She stammered.
"Hermione, is this true?" Ron asked, now looking very worried.
"I, um...yes. I cheated on you, Ron. I'm...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The words fell out, and she kicked herself mentally for saying them. She'd never dream of cheating on Ron, but now there she was 'admitting' it.
"There!" Ginny said, triumphant. "I told you. The little slut." She finished, as she watched Hermione walk slowly towards the girl's dorms. Ron, however, watched her in a different light. It had seemed so out of character that Hermione would cheat...and he saw how upset she was right now, as she closed the door to her dorm. He wasn't sure who to believe. He believed Ginny that she had seen Hermione with someone else in the library...but couldn't believe that she had cheated...but if she hadn't, and this was a new boyfriend, she'd have surely told him and Harry?
"Harry...did you know anything about this?" He asked.
"No, Ron. I didn't." He said, putting his arm on Ron's shoulder.
Meanwhile, Hermione sat on her bed. The rest of the girl's were asleep. She lay back and stared towards the ceiling. Things were just so much worse. It was bad enough that she had been...she sighed...raped. Twice. And abused. But now Ginny hated her, and Ron and Harry were bound to start hating her soon too. She felt so alone.