When Hermione awoke she could feel the pain. She blinked and gingerly lifted a hand to her temple, wincing in pain she quickly let it drop to her side again. She gently pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around. She was lying on the side of a deserted footpath, the same one she had been following to get to Hogsmede that same morning. She glanced at her wrist and wished there were watches in the wizarding world.

Hermione tenderly got to her feet and this time she cried out in pain. Her head was spinning but the pain was coming from between her thighs. She grabbed hold of a nearby tree to prevent herself from collapsing. She mentally shook herself and started to walk in the direction of Hogwarts. She had to get herself cleaned up before anyone saw her and figured out what happened. As she walked back to Hogwarts Hermione looked up at the sky. The sun was shining through the clouds and she guessed it must have been after lunch time-about 2. No matter how hard she tried Hermione could not focus her thoughts. Her head was swimming as once again she noticed things around her. The air that she had found refreshing just hours ago, now seemed suffocating. When she finally reached the castle she felt even sicker, far from the comforted feeling she had expected. As soon as she stepped inside, Hermione quickened her pace. She headed straight for the Gryffindor common room, checking every corridor on her way to make sure she didn't run into anyone.

Hermione heard footsteps approaching her dormitory and quickly pulled the curtains around the four poster bed closed. The door opened and then shut again and then there was silence. A few moments later, Hermione heard Lavender's voice. "Hermione, can we talk to you please?" There was no answer so Parvati tried. "Harry and Ron are really worried about you, they said you never made it to Hogsmede." She paused but Hermione still did not reply. Lavender was about to say something else but Parvati cut in. "We'll give you some time on your own then." There were more footsteps and they were gone. Under normal circumstances Hermione would have been Grateful and relieved but she found herself incapable of feeling any emotion.

3 days later Hermione was sitting in exactly the same position. Her back was firmly pressed against the wall and her knees were curled up to her chest. She hadn't eaten anything since Saturday, nor had she bathed and the only time she had gotten up was at 3am each morning to go to the toilet. It was the only time she could be confident that no-one would see her. Even then she had slid along the wall so that if anyone came she would have a clear view of them. She had so far avoided looking at her reflection because she knew she would be a puffy-eyed, tear-stained mess. However she had put her hair up and was careful not to show any emotion, apart from sadness which she couldn't help. That way she could never look angry.

After another 4 days Hermione finally looked in the mirror. As she had predicted, she was a mess. She worked up the courage to get in the shower and regretted it instantly. She could see him watching her, hear him speaking to her, feel him feeling her. She pushed her thoughts and memories to the back of her mind and concentrated on the feeling of the hot, almost scalding water, washing the dirt from her hair and her skin. Hermione had been an optimist all her life and she didn't see why the actions of one horrible man should change her morals or her personality. She turned off the water and stepped in front of the mirror. She dried and dressed herself and with a deep breath she removed the hair tie from her hair.