A/N: Look, I'm sorry! I know I can't say that enough, but I really am sorry it took me so long to update! However, I did promise that I wouldn't abandon this story and as long as it takes me to update, I will NOT abandon it. I hate when authors do that! Especially when they have so many faithful readers! It's been done to me toooooo many times and I refuse to do it to y'all as long as you are still reading it!

priscilla penn- yeah, well, I don't think I put a disclaimer to harry potter either… I figure, none of this is mine or it wouldn't be called fanfiction, right?

Original Mercedes Benz:gulp: Now I know why they only allow one review per chapter… is their a fanfiction author protection program I can sign up for? Anyone?

Dark Ice Dragon- I'm certain there are plenty of mistakes in here for you! And actually, I've never had a beta before, but I would be happy to let you do it for me! Still up for the job?

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers!

Chapter 16

A throbbing pain pulsated in her head. It started from the back and then shot through until it reached her eyes, and then one second of painless relief would pass before it would throb again.

This had been happening for minutes now, but Hermione still couldn't find the power to open her eyes, or maybe she just didn't want to. The pain let her know that her birth parents really had taken her, but as long as she didn't open her eyes, she could pretend that her throbbing headache was merely from the amount of alcohol she had consumed thanks to Samantha. Those circumstances, though not good, were not nearly as bad as they really were.

Several more minutes passed by before she decided that she could not stay in this some what tormented ignorance forever and she finally found the courage to open her eyes. Her head seared in pain for one dreadful moment before determinedly resuming its dull pulsating ache and as this happened, she briefly wondered if this is what Harry's head felt like every time he sensed Voldemort.

Looking around as slowly as possible, so as not to cause her any unnecessary pain, Hermione realized that she might as well have kept her eyes closed, because she was surrounded by nothing but pitch blackness.

Hermione groaned half heartedly as she thought about the situation she was in. Who could possibly be willing to pay money for her capture? Certainly no one she could think of in the muggle world. That could only mean one thing. The people that wanted her were wizards and most likely death eaters. She was sure that Voldemort would give the death eater that brought her in a very big reward. The real question here was did her birth parents know they were associating with wizards? Did they know that the wizarding world existed? And why would death eaters even risk being seen with muggles? Isn't that what Voldemort hated the most?

She closed her eyes in frustration, being careful to do it as slowly as possible. It hurt too much to think, there were too many questions and not enough answers. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, she thought if I could just sit down. Unfortunately for her however, that was quite impossible. Her wrists were bound tightly with what felt like a course rope and seemed to be tied to something high above her head. The rope was just long enough to allow her to be in a crouching position, but with great strain to her arms, and since she had just awakened not long before, she was still resting her arms from the strain and allowing her legs to take on some of the burden.

Hermione leaned back against the wall behind her, being careful not to touch her head against. As soon as she found herself in a somewhat comfortable position, considering the situation, she heard a creaking sound from above and without hesitation she opened her eyes. Above her and to the left she saw a thin line of light grow until she could see that her father was opening a door. When the door was all the way opened he casually flicked on a light switch that bleared Hermione's unadjusted eyes. After a few small blinks though, she was able to see a few exposed light bulbs dangling from wires and her father grinning at the top of a rickety looking wooden staircase.

"She's awake!" He called out the open door far too loudly in Hermione's opinion. "I'm going to welcome her home properly." He said as he closed the door behind him and descended the staircase to where she stood, his face resuming its usual harsh lines.

"Welcome me home?" Hermione repeated in a voice that revealed the pain and anger that her old memories of "home" involved. "I suppose you missed having someone to knock around, huh?" Mr. Granger pulled his hand back and hit her with the back of it in the face so quickly that Hermione stood shocked for several long seconds after contact; face still turned in the direction it had been forced.

"You know," Mr. Granger started as Hermione slowly turned back to face him, anger burning in her eyes. "I almost forgot what a smart mouth you had."

"I had?" Hermione said, speaking up once more. "I was only four! How smart can a four year olds mouth be!" Without hesitation Mr. Granger raised his hand and struck her hard on the side of the face once more, but this time she had been expecting the blow and turned to meet his eyes as quickly as possible.

"You know," Mr. Granger started again, acting as if hadn't just backhanded his child in the face as hard as he could. "I just now realized how much I missed having you around. It's nice to have something to take your frustrations out on. Really helps relieve the stress."

Hermione stared angrily into his cold eyes. "Glad to know I was missed."

"Almost makes me want to go work on your bike again." Mr. Granger said, acting as if he didn't hear a word she had just said.

Hermione's breath stopped in her chest and everything around her froze. She couldn't feel the pain in her head or on her face or her wrists or arms or anything. All she felt was pain of the memory her father was forcing her to remember.

It was a beautiful sunny day and Hermione was once again locked outdoors. Today however, she didn't mind, it was sunny and there was a cool wind blowing, outside was a good place to be. Jumping on her tricycle she rode around the yard, laughing and enjoying the weather. The longer she rode, the braver she felt and the faster she went, before long she was going so fast that her foot slipped off the petal, knocking the bike chain on the way down. She lost control of the bike and the two of them tipped off and fell to the ground.

Hermione breathed heavily as she hit the ground, she was shocked, but not hurt. After making sure all her parts were still functional she slowly removed herself from the ground. She moved to her over turned tricycle and set it up straight, but as she remounted the bike and began to petal, it didn't go anywhere. For hours she tried to set into motion and return the bike to working order, but she simply didn't understand what was wrong with it.

As the sun began to set, her father yelled for her to come in and resolutely little Hermione wheeled the tricycle to the back door.

"Um Father… my… bike… broke…" She mumbled, not looking him in the eyes, but if she did, she would have seen his eyebrows crease in anger.

"You mean you broke it." He growled, bending down to look at it. "That's what we get for allowing you to actually have something nice. See, you knocked the chain off and now it's jammed between the wheel." Mr. Granger pulled forcefully on the chain. "Your mother and I should have never gotten that for you."

"But… Grandpa…" Hermione started, but her fathers piercing glare caught her eyes.

"Grandpa what? Say it, now." Mr. Granger's fist tightened around the bicycle chain.

"Grandpa bought it for me." Hermione said in a meek voice, looking down at her shoes.

With one fierce jerk the chain snapped where it was jammed and came off in one long chain, clutched in the hand of Mr. Granger.

"But who allowed you to play on that bike?" Mr. Granger asked, raising the chain in the air and bringing it down on the little girl's shoulder. Hermione sunk to her knees in anguish, covering her face with her arms and crying.

"Answer me!" Mr. Granger yelled ferociously as he raised the chain again and brought it down with a sickening thud onto the girl's back.

"You did…" Hermione cried frantically, "You did!"

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut at the pain of the memory. It was the worst beating she ever remembered getting. If her mother hadn't of stopped him, she would probably of been killed. Of course, her mother only stopped him because of her fear of prison.

Hermione determinedly opened her eyes and stared at the man who had once caused her so much pain. "I'm not afraid of you, not anymore." Her birth father looked almost shocked at the comment, but he quickly wiped the look off his face as he strolled towards a wooden bench that was in one of the corners.

"Not afraid?" Mr. Granger repeated as he picked up something and held it fondly in his hands. "You weren't afraid as a child either, not until I taught you to be. Perhaps you just need a reminder of how afraid you were."

Mr. Granger turned and began to walk towards Hermione, holding a long metal chain in his grasp. She took a deep breath to steel herself for what was about to come. "I kept it, just in case I ever needed to remind you of that fear, and I see that I was right in doing so."

Just as he approached her the door creaked open once more. Mrs. Granger entered holding some clothes. When she saw Mr. Granger holding the chain she sighed.

"Let me at least bandage her head first and don't get as carried away this time, we need her alive."

"I know…" Mr. Granger sighed, gripping the chain even tighter.

Mrs. Granger grabbed Hermione's shoulder and roughly turned her so that her back was facing Mrs. Granger. Roughly she rubbed a clothe against the back of Hermione's head, causing her to wince, but feeling free to do so since she was facing the wall and they could not see her.

"You know that when we get that money we'll be able to get out of the country and live somewhere we won't be recognized or be sought after by the police. It's crucial that the girl lives." Mrs. Granger said.

"Don't lecture me, I know! This was my idea after all." Mr. Granger yelled anxiously.

"Just don't kill her." Mrs. Granger reiterated before tying a bandage around Hermione's head and going back up the stairs, closing the door behind her.

"I'm not afraid of you." Hermione said once more, in an unshaken voice as she faced the wall.

"We'll see about that." Mr. Granger said clutching the chain eagerly, and deep down, even Hermione was doubtful.

MEANWHILE…

"It's been two hours!" Ron yelled slamming his fists on a nearby slide. "She's not here! She's not anywhere she should be!"

"This is the last place that I can think of that she'd be…" Tabitha Granger said dejectedly as she sunk into a swing and allowed a tear to roll down her cheek.

"My scar hasn't hurt all night." Harry said, trying to force a smile on his face. "That means that Voldemort isn't involved, that's good news right?"

Ron glared at Harry before clinching his fists to his side. "I don't care if my parents are mad that we left without their permission and that we're not supposed to apparate around muggles, this is an emergency. I'm going to tell dad what happened, he'll know what to do." And before Harry could say anything, he was gone.

"Maybe… maybe she's already home…" Harry tried to say encouragingly. "We should go back and check…"