Chapter four – The Nightmare

A sudden knock at the door woke Hermione up; she looked at the watch beside her bed. 3 am, who was it that was knocking at the door this time at the day? I knocked again, and again, and again. She got up from the bed, put on her morning robe and went to open. When she reached the hall she heard voices outside the door.

"She's a bad mother; her kid doesn't dare talking to her"

"She's a lousy parent; I heard she abuses her poor daughter"

"See, that's why we have to take this kid away from her, we have to take Rebecca to a real family take can take care of her"

"Yes, that poor girl needs to grow up in a normal family, not with a mourning widow who does nothing but feeling bad for herself because she lost her man"

Hermione's heart started to beat harder and harder in the chest. The people outside the door were still knocking. Her eyes filled with tears, what was she supposed to do? They were going to take her precious baby away from her! They were going to take her only reason for still being alive away and there was nothing she could do about it. Or was it? She could always climb out the window with Becky and escape, and never ever return. That's what she had to do. The voices outside the door suddenly seemed to be speaking louder.

"She's a bad mother"

"She's done harming that poor child"

"We're going to take her"

That's when Becky stepped out in the hall; she looked awfully tired and wore her favourite pink pyjamas with hearts in silver on.

"Aren't you going to open the door mum?"

Hermione looked from Becky to the door then back at Becky again. She screamed, because Becky's face was now covered with bruises and blood.

"She abuses her daughter", a voice from outside the door yelled.

"No I don't", Hermione screamed. "I don't!"

"Mum, why don't you open the door?" Becky asked as blood dripped from her mouth.

"Open the door; we know you're in there!" A firm male voice screamed. Tears started to roll down Hermione's cheeks. She lifted Becky up in her arms and then she ran to the living room and out to the balcony. They lived on the third floor but today it seemed like they were much higher up then usually. She looked out over the railing to see if she could jump, then she lost the grip of Becky.

"Nooooooooo" Hermione screamed as she saw Becky fall towards the ground. "Becky!"

"Mummy, mummy, wake up"

Hermione opened her eyes and saw the red hair of her daughter in front of her. She rubbed her eyes and opened them again, to her big relief Becky didn't have any bruises at all and there was no blood coming from her mouth.

"I think you had a nightmare mum"

Hermione sat up in the bed and noticed that she was all sweaty.

"I'm here now mum, no monsters will come and eat you now, I will save you", Becky said and climbed up on the bed and kissed her mother on the forehead. "I love you"

"Aw, honey, mummy loves you to", Hermione whispered and wrapped her arms around her little daughter. She felt the tears burn under her eyelids. "You know you can always talk to me, right?"

"Yes"

"About anything"

"Yes"

"Why haven't you told mummy about the other kids at day-care? Emily said they're teasing you", Hermione said and looked deep into Becky's eyes.

"Because you're sad"

"Mummy's not sad honey"

"I hear you crying when you go to sleep", Becky said. It felt like someone stuck a knife into Hermione's heart, she couldn't believe that Becky had heard that…

"But Becky, you can still talk to me", Hermione whispered and felt a single tear roll down her cheek. I really am a bad mother…

"I don't want you to be sadder"

"I'll just be happier if you talk to me", Hermione replied and brushed some hair from Becky's face. "Promise me, that from now on you'll tell me everything, ok?"

"Ok", she said and smiled at Hermione.

"Even though I might be sad I want you to know that I'm always here for you, if you need to tell me something or if you just need someone to hug", Hermione said. "I love you more then everything in the whole wide world, you're the best thing that's every happened to me"

A sudden knock at the door made Hermione's heart jump, was her dream coming true?

"I can open", Becky exclaimed happily and climbed down from the bed and ran to the door. Hermione got up quickly, put her morning robe on and hurried out to the hall. She could finally breathe again when she saw her own mother standing there with Becky in her arms.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" Her mother asked.

"I over slept", Hermione mumbled and remembered that today was the day she'd promised to eat breakfast with her mum. "Oh, no, I totally forgot about the breakfast thing, sorry"

"Breakfast thing?" Lydia Granger repeated. "We've planned this for weeks Herms"

"Please don't call me Herms"

"But I've always called you Herms"

"I know, but please, stop", Hermione exclaimed. "I don't feel very well mum, take Becky out for breakfast and then please take her to day-care"

"Of course", Lydia replied and let Becky down to the floor. "Go get your bag", she continued and Becky did as her grandmother said. While she was gone Lydia walked up to Hermione and carefully put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong Hermione?"

"I think I'm getting sick", Hermione lied.

"Oh, then it's probably best if we take this breakfast 'thing' another day, I'll take care of Becky, don't you worry", Lydia said. "You just stay home and rest"

"Thanks mum", Hermione whispered as Becky came back to the hall with her bag. She put on her shoes and jacket, gave her mother a goodbye kiss before she took of with her grandmother. As soon as Hermione locked the door behind them she burst into tears. She sat down on the floor with her back against the door, she cried and cried for what seemed to be eternity. The tears never seemed to end.

"Oh Ron, I really need you right now", she sobbed. "I'm a bad mother"

"Everything would have been so different if you'd been here right now", she continued. "Why did you have to leave me?" She screamed and even more tears fell from her eyes. Then she heard someone tap at the window in the kitchen, she rose from the floor to see what or who it was. It was an owl that came with today's post; the Daily Prophet and a couple of bills.

She dried her tears and looked at the front page and saw a big picture of Draco and the headline said: "Draco Malfoy; New owner of the Prophet"

"At least I still go my job", she mumbled and read true the article. It was perfectly written; at least she was good at something. That's when her eyes stopped at the last part of the article. She had to read it four times…

Writer of the article: Pansy Parkinson

A shower of anger rushed through Hermione she threw away the paper and rushed to her bedroom to get dressed. She didn't care about her hair or make-up, and she didn't pay much attention on what clothes she put on. She went in to the living room and the fireplace; she was going to floo to the Daily Prophets headquarters.

Before she rushed into Draco Malfoys office, without knocking, she grabbed one of today's papers from Brenda Millers desk.

"What the hell is this?" She screamed and threw the paper on his desk.

"That is the Daily Prophet", he replied and smirked at Hermione. She was on the verge of actually ripping his head of, but instead she grabbed hold of the paper again.

"I know that you idiot! But what they fuck is this?" She pointed at the article about him.

"That's the article you wrote about me", he replied and looked slightly confused. "What's up with you today?"

"What's up with me? What the hell is up with you?" She yelled.

"Granger", he begun and noticed that people outside his office started to take interest in what was going on in there, with a wave of his wand the door closed. "I don't really understand what you are yelling about"

"No? Have you read the article?"

"Of course I have, it's brilliant"

"Have you read who wrote it?"

"Don't be silly Herm… Granger, I know you wrote it"

"Read who wrote it!" She shouted and threw the paper at his chest. He looked Hermione in away that made him look like she frightened him. Once he read who wrote the article, he understood why she was so angry.

"Can you explain that?" She yelled. "Did you think the article was too good to be written by me, and you just had to give it to your perfect wife?"

"She's not my wife, and I did not give it to her", he said with a firm voice. "She must have changed the name…" He mumbled and remembered how Pansy had asked to read the article the day before. She must have changed Hermione's name to her own.

"Sure, blame it all on your wife"

"She's not my wife!" Draco exclaimed.

"Do you know what Malfoy? I quit!" Hermione yelled. "I thought I could handle being around you but if this is how you're going to treat I can't stand it!" She continued and rushed out from his office, past all her co workers and out from the Prophet. With tears burning in her eyes she walked fast through Diagon Alley towards her flat. When she came inside the door she immediately broke out in tears.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" She sobbed and covered her face with her hands…