Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Remember, I own nothing except for the plot. Characters belong to Joann Kathleen Rowling.

Chapter 3: Leave her Alone!

For the next twenty minutes, Harry didn't say anything, even though he felt he should. Hermione had gotten a sketchbook out and was drawing something. He was very curious what, but she didn't seem to want to show him.

His thoughts were jerked out of imagining what was in Hermione's sketchbook when the light caught something on her cheek. A closer look told Harry it was a tear. She was crying. He knew he had to say something soon, or he didn't want to think about the consequences.

"Hermione..." he couldn't think of what to say to her. She just looked at him with brown eyes in which he could see nothing but worry and embarrassment.

"Harry, I ca--"

"Yes, you can! I know you can! You've never let anyone push you down. Not Malfoy, not Snape, and I'm not going to let your father! Hermione, I don't want to see you embarrass yourself."

For a second, she looked like she was going to argue back, but she just bit her bottom lip, thinking hard. She had two choices, but she didn't want either of them. It was either embarrass herself in front of Harry and never be able to look him in the eye again, or face her father. Finally, she decided on the latter of the two. She would rather have more cuts and bruises than lose her best friend.

Hermione closed and put down her sketchbook. She got up and walked over to her closed door, pausing only for a minute. She would have stayed there, but she could feel Harry's gaze on the back of her head, so she took a shaky breath and stepped out into the hallway. Much to Harry's dismay, she shut the door behind her, but he could still hear her footsteps on the hardwood floors since she was still wearing her tennis shoes.

Harry relaxed when Hermione finally gave in to his pleas and left, but that quickly passed when he heard her father's voice.

"I thought I told you to stay in your room!"
"B-but, Dad, I had to--"

"I told you to STAY IN YOUR ROOM!"

Harry heard Hermione squeal as she hit the floor. He jumped up and went out into the hall. Harley's back was to him and Hermione was on the floor at her father's feet. Harry was horrified when Harley reached down and grabbed a handful of Hermione's hair.

"Get up and go to room!"
He threw her toward her room by her hair, but she ended up hitting her head on the wall and fell to the floor once more. Harry couldn't take it anymore.

"Hermione!"

He ran over and placed himself in between his best friend and her own father.

"Leave her alone!" Harry yelled and Harley's face turned a shade of puce that could rival Uncle Vernon's.

"You stay out of this! This isn't your problem!"

"It is when it's my best friend you're abusing!"
Harley looked at Harry as though sizing him up. Harry just braced himself for the attack he was sure to come, but received a shock.

"Fine," Harley said, "help her. See if I care. You aren't worth my time," and he turned and left.

As soon as he was gone, Harry knelt down next to Hermione, who had been laying at his feet the whole time.

"You okay, Mione?" Harry asked, tucking her hair behind her ear, uncovering a bleeding cut.

"I'm fine," she said, a little too quickly to be true, and she tried to get up, but cried out in pain and fell back down.

"No, you're not. Come on, roll over," Harry gently rolled her over onto her back (she had been laying on her stomach) and, just as gently, lifted her up and carried her to her room where he laid her on her bed.

"Harry, you didn't have to do that," Hermione said as Harry examined her face and arms, which were covered in cuts and bruises in various stages of healing. He avoided her legs even though she was wearing shorts because, down the back of her right leg, they were wet.

"Do what? Step in? or carry you to your room?"

"Carry me. Thank you for stepping in. There's no telling what he would have done to me if you hadn't," she said as she touched the cut on her temple, the familiar feeling of blood on her fingers.

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