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Hermione woke up with a stiff neck, she hadn't slept well. Rolling over all night wasn't exactly her idea of beauty sleep. Stretching she looked around, no classes, it would be a very good day if her dumb uncle wasn't coming to see her, she felt like puking at the thought. Looking around she noticed Lavender and Pavarti were already sitting up on their beds, they all liked to wake up early, that is not including Ginny, the girl could sleep for hours and hours. She gave them the best encouraging smile she could manage.

"Morning." She looked at both girls, they smiled back. She could see tiredness in their eyes.

"Good Morning." They said in union. They all looked over at the snoring girl, sleeping comfortably on her bed, what they would give to sleep the way Ginny could, even in the worst of times she slept and slept. Lavender stood up; walking over to Ginny's bed she poked the sleeping beauty.

"Wake up!" Ginny didn't move, she poked her harder.

"C'mon! Get up!" Ginny looked around, it was all blurry, she wanted to go back to sleep, but she knew Lavender would never let her stay in bed after what she thought was a good time to wake up. Standing up they looked at each other, looking from the bathroom to the others they smiled, the girls raced for the bathroom, if there was one thing you learned from leaving with three other girls was that they took forever to get dressed, it was madness, their hair, clothe, every bit had to be right.

As they finished dressing they went down to the common room. Harry sat there with Ron and Neville on his side. Hermione could feel Ginny tense up a bit, they didn't move, finally Ginny took a step, than another, it took long but she got to the guys, sitting next to her brother she looked at him. Hermione, Lavender and Pavarti had made their way quickly behind her.

"Hi." He looked down.

"Hey Gin." They staid silent for a minute, it felt like decades.

"What's up?" Pavarti asked trying to make this less strange.

"Not much, mum isn't coming, apparently dad got sick and she's taking care of him."

"Oh." Silence…

"Umm, we're going to go down for breakfast, we'll se you guys later." Hermione pulled Pavarti, Lavender up to their feet, looking over to Ron and Neville she gave them the 'come.' Look. They thankfully got it and stood up to follow, Leaving Ginny and Harry by themselves.

"So, what have you been up to?"

"Ginny, I can't do this, I …I …cheated on you with Cho." She stood there, frozen; after it all sank in she looked at him disbelief written all over her face.

"You what?"

"I'm sorry, but I should have ended this a while ago, but I …I …please forgive me." She had tears in her eyes, nevertheless she held then back bravely; he wouldn't be the one to see her tears, no, not him. Closing her eyes she nodded, opening them again she said with what she thought was a somewhat ok voice.

"I…umm…I understand." She gave him a small smile.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have, not before talking to you, I mean you're so important to me, I just didn't want to loose you." Yeah and cheating with another girl made it all that much better.

Standing up she looked down at him.

"I expected so much more from you, and yet I was wrong, shame on me for closing my eyes so tight when you kissed me, shame on me for believing you." She shook her head.

"Ginny, I'm sorry!" she turned and stormed out, not that she was that sad about them ending, in fact she was somewhat happy, he wasn't her ideal guy, but how could he have cheated on her? No, he hurt her, after saying that she was so damn important to him, that's the way he showed that to her? Walking down the corridors to breakfast she couldn't believe what had just happened, her thoughts ended though when she saw her friends waiting for her. Walking to their table she sat down, looking at them she grinned, Ginny didn't have any tears in her eyes.

"So?"

"He broke up with me."

"Oh, Gin, I'm so sorry."

"I know." She fell quiet; Ron and Neville looked at their hands, after a minute she said weakly.

"He cheated on me with Cho." The girls gasped in union.

"He did not!" she nodded; a tear fell down her cheek.

"We're sorry Ginny, we kind of knew." Neville said. Ron nodded. She shrugged her shoulders, who cares?

"Umm… let's change the subject, ok guys?"

"Ok, so? Lavender, is your mom still coming to see you?"

"No, I…told her I had to study." She looked at Hermione, she didn't know Lavender's mom was coming, Lavender gave her a knowing smile, Hermione returned the smile back warmly. Ron and Neville didn't get it, who cares? They started to eat, well the boys started to eat, all girls were playing with the food on their plate, worries forming up in their minds, how the hell were four teenaged girls suppose to hold back a huge uncle Ben, and they realized what they had gotten themselves into, but they couldn't step back, no Hermione needed them, and they weren't going to leave her, not now, the time she needed them most.

Hermione looked from her plate to the teachers table, Snape sat playing with his food as well, he was watching her, once again, he had dreamed about her, lately all Severus thought about was her, he killed himself mentally just as he realized he was feeling more than pity for the troubled girl, student, person she was. He noticed her eyes falling upon him; he looked down immediately, damn! Hermione smiled inside, she knew he was worried, but why? He had hated her for so many years, why now? He probably just feels bad that was what she always told herself. What Hermione didn't realize was that she suddenly felt weird close to him, of course she knew how much she admired him and his work, but that had to be all. That's what she told herself over and over again.

They finished breakfast and went their separate ways, Ron and Neville were going to the Quidditch game, Dumbledore thought it would be a pleasant idea to have the kids relatives watch one of their games, today Slitherin would be playing against Gryffindor, Ron went to meet the team, he had managed to stay in the team, and Neville was just going to watch, his grandma was probably coming to see him Hermione thought. The girls went up to their common room; it was empty, completely empty, now there were only about twenty minutes until he came.

Pavarti and Lavender sat down close to the fire while Ginny and Hermione paced about. They were nervous, they hadn't thought it all through, 'what if' questions zoomed in their minds. Their heartbeat raced, twenty minutes passed, and they were so afraid, suddenly their brave Gryffindor hearts kind of disappeared. They were sweating, they heard the door swing open, they froze, it was him. They just knew it. Standing up in union, they looked at each other, Hermione felt how afraid her friends were, she smiled trying to relax them, at least a tiny bit, but it didn't seem to work. A big broad shouldered guy came walking in; he held a whiskey bottle on his left hand. He looked at the four trembling girls, he had been drinking a lot, Ben suddenly couldn't stop drinking, it was bottle after bottle, then he remembered her, his favorite niece, and the visiting day, he groaned. Ben had walked over to the four girls, they smelled the alcohol.

"Hermione, come, I need to talk to you." He ordered; she stood her ground.

"Umm, we…we…could talk here." He came closer to her, grabbing her arm painfully he whispered.

"Come!" she had hot tears falling from her eyes.

"Umm, sir, you could talk here." Ginny tried sounding brave, Hermione thanked Merlin for such good friends.

"Shut up! Come!" he started to drag her up the stairs, he knew where her room was: he had been there before, when he used to be nice and used to bring her presents. The girls stood there frozen, they couldn't walk, they couldn't talk, it was all so fast. Hermione didn't blame them, she knew she'd not be able to stop him either, than a tiny voice small but vivid screamed at her, Help!

"Get help! Go get someone!" the girls jumped up as they heard her voice, why didn't they think of that before, they didn't because they were young and innocent, never had something like that happened to any of them, running off they ran to the corridors, corridor after corridor, Damn! Stupid Quidditch game, after quite a few corridors they passed by they saw someone with greasy black hair walking up to them, Severus Snape, they groaned, he'd have to do, running towards him they almost hit him, he glared at them, breathing heavily they started all in one.

"Help…"

"Room…"

"Now…"

"Fast…" he shushed them.

"Now, one of you tell me what's going on." He told them as though they were four.

"Come, Ben… Hermione, she's in trouble." Pavarti tried explaining, they were still out of breath, and caught up with the situation. He knew what they meant, but he was sure it would take place after lunch, not thinking twice he asked while sprinting to the common room.

"Where?"

"Bedroom." He rushed by the fat lady, Lavender had shouted the password before they were actually getting there, he ran up the stairs, he heard screaming, it was her, his heart tightened as he heard her screams for help. Snape instinctively knew where her room was, well that's basically because her shouts became louder and louder. Kicking the door open he looked inside, there stood he uncle pressing her against the wall, her face turned so she'd not be able to see him, his hands all over her, taking his wand out he shouted.

"Stupefy!" Ben went flying off her; Hermione fell on the floor unconscious. He mumbled something and Ben was gone, he sent him to his house, and a note to Dumbledore explaining, looking down he saw Hermione lying on the floor, he shirt ripped, her lip swollen, bruises all over her legs and arms. Pavarti, Lavender, and Ginny stood at the door way staring into space, they failed, they had let her down, tears fell on each girl's face; he went over to them.

"She'll be fine." He closed the door on their faces, how typical. Turning he went over to Hermione picking her up in his arms he carried her over to one of the beds, Severus laid her down, she was a lot lighter than he had imagined. Looking at her he took his wand out again, he fixed her lip, her bruises, her cut eye, and everything else that needed fixing. He stared down at the girl lying down lifelessly in front of him, she was gorgeous, Snape had never seen her so clearly, so closely. Suddenly she sat up screaming, it got him off guard for sure, his arms held her by the shoulders tying to calm her down, Hermione flung her eyes open.

"Shush, relax, you're safe." She heard his now smooth voice talking to her, falling back she closed her eyes, he sat next to her. She cried silently. Opening her eyes she looked at him beside her.

"Where is he?"

"Don't talk, he's fine at home." She closed her eyes and touched her severely bruised stomach, that's when she noticed her destroyed shirt, she tried covering herself up blushing furiously. He rolled his eyes but looked away. Sitting up she looked around. Hermione sighed.

"Why didn't you tell Dumbledore?" he asked irritated.

"I…don't know." She didn't, it would have been the right thing to do, but her fear was incredibly big.

"Silly girl…" he murmured to himself.

"Ok, I get it, I'm a stupid, silly, girl filled with problems, anything else you might want to add?" she laid back down, her back hurt even more while she sat up, Hermione closed her eyes, maybe if she ignored him, he'd disappeared.

"Sorry." She opened her eyes rapidly, what! Did he just apologize?

"What!"

"You heard me, you still should have told someone."

"Fuck you; you've never had that kind of problems." She whispered to herself, after she said it she regretted it painfully, he swung towards her, gripping her arms painfully. He whispered dangerously into her ear. Hermione shrieked in surprise.

"Don't talk about what you do not know of! You think you are the only one that has problems? Than I misjudged you, you are way stupider than I had thought!" she was surprised by his strength, his look and by whatever she saw in his eyes, Hermione couldn't quite see it all, but there was definitely sadness there. Sighing he released his grip slightly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have. I guess you're right, I'm just a stupid girl." He closed his eyes trying to get rid of his madness. Sitting back up straight he said in a somewhat calmer voice.

"I shouldn't have."

"Who cares?" She stood up, walking over to her closet she took out a clean white shirt, putting it on she turned to him.

"Thanks…for…you know." He nodded. Severus stood up, walking over to the door he opened it, he looked back at her for a second, than left. Hermione staid put for a second then heard her friends hurrying inside. They all apologized eternally, but she knew they had saved her no matter what, it was almost dinner, but she wasn't hungry, laying down she fell asleep tiredly, today had been a hell of a day.