Chapter 4: "Harry, I'm going to tell you everything."
Harry stared at her. He hadn't seen her for two weeks but it felt like two years. She was thin and pale. She was also injured with a black eye, swollen nose and a large cut on her right cheek. Her hair was up in a basic ponytail and she was wearing a light green jumper with jeans. She looked casual and calm.
"Hermione? I don't understand, I, what…"
"Harry!" She interrupted, but Harry didn't mind.
"Harry, I'm going to tell you everything. It all started after the Battle of Hogwarts. For the next few days, Ron was depressed. He couldn't cope knowing that all those people died. He was messed up. I was sad too, but nowhere near as sad as Ron. I tried to comfort him, with long talks and cuddles, but that backfired in my face as he thought I was smothering him. He stayed out later each night, coming home, smelling of weed and booze. Most of the time, he didn't know what was going on.
That's when it started. When he came home, he would hit me and demand things from me, food, money, sex. If I refused, he'd hit me. I tried to stay out of his way, but he came and found me, and brought me back home.
It got even worse. One morning, he went to the pub and didn't come back until the next day's night. He came back with a woman. She sounded young. I was napping on the sofa, with an ice pack on my eye. They were both drunk. I felt disgusted and upset. He was cheating on me in my own home. I kept my head down, pretending to be asleep, but they were loud, I felt like crying.
She came down during the night, looking for a drink of water. I ran after her through the kitchen. She looked startled. I just stared at her, tears running down my cheeks. I don't think that she realised that me and Ron were together as she kept looking up and down awkwardly. I don't blame her for what Ron did, she didn't know, but the funny thing is, I don't blame Ron either. I was still madly in love with him even though he'd hit me, cheated on me, spat at me and told me that he hated me.
He made an effort to go to Snape's funeral…"
"Oh yeah", Harry started, " I saw him there. "He said you weren't ready to see everyone again."
"Yeah, well, while you and him were chatting idly, I was dieing at home. He had had enough of me trying to run for it, so he punched me down and kicked me until I begged him to stop. I managed to get up and he slapped me for it. He threw me down the stairs to the basement and just smiled. He left me there for days, I couldn't move.
I soon got news that you'd killed him. I was angry, but I knew you'd done the right thing. After what he did to me and all drugs and stuff, he was sure to go to Azkaban, and dieing is the better then that place. I also knew that I couldn't have got away from him, he would have killed me in the end. You did the right thing."
Harry thought for a minute. That was a lot of information to take in. There he was, thinking about power, when Hermione had gone through all that in the space of two weeks.
Hermione continued, "That's why I tried to find you. I had nobody. No parents, no friends, no Ron. So I got Rita Skeeter and…"
"Wait, what?" Harry was confused. It sounded like Hermione had just stumbled upon her and left her there.
"Well, I found her, tied her up and left you a note."
Harry needed to know more, Rita was dead when he found her, "What did the note say Hermione and did you kill Rita?"
"Good heavens no!" She started, " I just left her there, to show you I was serious about meeting you."
"And the note?" Harry questioned.
"Well I put something like, Hey Harry, really need to talk, meet me at Borgin and Burkes at 3am, Love H.G."
"I didn't get that note, the note that I got was written in her blood and was written differently. Here let me read it to you." Harry searched in his pocket and pulled it out, " Harry Potter
Let me help you. I have left this body to prove that I can do it. If you would like another sidekick, then meet me at Borgin and Burkes at 3 am. I hope to see you soon."
Hermione looked startled, "I didn't write that, and I certainly didn't kill Rita."
"Then someone must've come along, or heard Rita , saw your note, killed her and left another note in her blood."
Hemione turned even more pale, "But why would someone do that?"
"To spy on us, to strike fear, to confuse me. They're all good answers."
"Do you think they're here now?" Hermione asked shakily.
Harry stared at the moon. It was a quiet night, "I think so."
"I think we should go…"
Harry got out his wand and they both apparated, clueless to who had been watching them.
They appeared in The Shrieking Shack. Ever since the Battle of Hogwarts, it had been out of bounds, so no-one was going to disturb them. Harry's head was full to the brim with ideas. It was still early, about 4.30 am. The shack was quiet and dusty. Hermione was panicking.
"I don't get it, why would someone spy on us?"
"Because they know what I'm up to" Harry said at once. Hermione shut up after that. Harry figured she didn't know what to say. They were both tired so they napped on the floor, not bothering about the dirt. Harry was uncomfortable. He couldn't sleep with a full head, even though his eyes itched with tiredness. He got up and sat next the window. He could only just see out of it as it was so murky. The first thing he saw was the snow. Twirling beautiful down to the ground. The second thing he saw was a face. A face that had white sallow skin and a head that had matted jet black hair. A face that was familiar. A face Harry had hoped to see again for years.