Ch 4: The Fight
Hermione remembered the first time Ron had ever hit her. She had come home late from a visit with her parents and she could smell the liquor on his breath.
"Where de 'ell 'ave 'ou been!" He slurred.
"I was at my parent's Ron" She responded as she quickly took Emma and placed her safely in her crib.(She was only a few weeks old) Then she returned to the living room where Ron had been waiting for her. "What's wrong with you Ron? I've never seen you like this before." She said worriedly.
"Nuthin's wong wit me! I jus wanned do know where de 'ell 'ou were!"
"I told you, I was at my parent's hou..."
"LIAR! YOU WERE OFF FUCKIN SOME GUY...I KNOW YOU WHERE!" he screamed. Hermione looked at him horrified.
"No! Ron, I..." He then slapped her so hard that she was knocked unconcious.
Hermione regained conciousness hours later with a splitting headache and a sharp pain in her jaw. I cant believe he hit me she thought. She then used a simple spell to mend her jaw and sat at the kitchen table crying. How could this have happened? He loved her. He wasn't supposed to hurt her.
A few moments later Ron emerged from thier bedroom with a look of guilt in his eyes. You should feel guilty..you should rot in Hell, BASTARD she thought, looking away from her husband.
"Hermione..." He said, as if it pained him greatly to speak."I am so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking...Will you please look at me?" Hermione looked away as if seeing him tore her apart. "I was upset last night, because you left without inviting me and I went to a bara and had some drinks...ok a lot of drinks. I shouln't have hit you. I am so sorry and I promise that it will never, ever, as long as I live, happen again.
Hermione, against her better judgement forgave him and began to make breakfast.
For the next month, things seemed to be back to normal, until, one night Ron came home from work very tired and miserable. He again took out his anger on Hermione. She again made the mistake of forgiving him and convinced herself that she had done something wrong.
After that Ron began coming home from quidditch practice (he was keeper for the Chudley Cannons) tired and upset and would continually take his anger out on Hermione, using her as a punching bag. She continually made the mistake of forgiving him and convincing herself that it was her fault.
A whole year passed and even with the help of Ginny, Harry and the rest of Ron's family, she could not change his ways. Fortunately things began to calm down once again until one night, a few months earlier than the letter at her hotel room, she came home from work to find that Ron had gone through her closet. She stared, horrified at the box that lay, open in front of Ron. It was an old, worn out, wand box that she kept her memories of Draco tucked away inside.
"YOU WERE WITH MALFOY!" he screamed. Hermione couldn't come up with the words to respond quickly enough and Ron lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. She screamed for him to get off as his hands clamped tightly around her throat. He's going to kill me she thought as her strength was beginning to drain from her body. She heard the distan cries of Emma from the next room and as Ron looke away for a split second, she hit him and rolled out of his grasp. Many of the other details after that were foggy and Hermione only faintly remembered screaming as Ron threw a hard punch to her stomach, knocking her off balance and causing her to stumble and hit her head on the kitchen table...
Hermione again fingered the cut on her forehead.
When she once again regained conciousness, the house was in shambles and Ron was gone. She heard Emma crying loudly from her bedroom and ran to comfort the screaming baby. I have to get out of here she thought as she bagan to pack as much as she could of her and Emma's belongings and appiratedto the Mundungus Motel where she had stayed for a month before Ron found her and again nearly killed her. She continued to run until she found a small hotel in the muggle town of Dorsley where she had remained for the past two months. . .
Hermione again began to get a feeling of dread as she looked at the sleeping baby next to her. She had to avoid Ron at all costs. And at least she wouldn't be alone, because the rest of the students from her year would be there to keep her safe. . . . .
