Stepping into the shower Hermione finally allowed herself to really take inventory of her body and figure out what new scars she now possessed. Grimacing she realized Ron's fit of rage had caused the old wound from the Department of Mysteries to reopen. With a groan she realized that she hadn't even noticed it was bleeding, she stepped into the steamy spray and let the water loosen muscles that had been tense since the war and wash the blood away. She rubbed shampoo into her hair and rinsed away the dried blood from another cut on the back of her head, wincing as she probed the goose egg it was situated over. The tears she'd been holding back came flooding out, as though she needed to wash them away with the blood and stress of her life with Ron. And so she let her feelings about their relationship wash away with the blood, soap and tears.
She emerged from the shower feeling stronger and revived, hoping that she could get a little of the old Hermione back and made up her mind to protect herself and her children once and for all. She would make the trip to the ministry today and file for divorce against Ron and end the terror once and for all.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror, "Why am I doing this to myself?"
Losing my mind on a tiny error, I nearly left the real me on the shelf.
No, no, no, no, no...
Drying off she took a deep breath before embracing her new beginning and what was hopefully the first step to feeling like herself again. Emerging from the bathroom, she felt refreshed and strong for the first time in years. She dressed quickly and simply, hoping that she looked smart enough to make an impression and moved to wake her children to bring them down for breakfast.
Rose woke easily and flung herself at her mother hugging her tightly as though she was unsure that she would ever be able to hold her mother ever again. "It's ok Rosie girl, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." Hermione murmured into her hair.
"I was worried Mummy...Daddy isn't very nice to you...he scares me." Rose sniffed.
"Sweetie I never want you to be scared of your Daddy. He...well he...he changed." Hermione answered her, pulling back to look her daughter in the eyes, "now then let's get you dressed so we can go eat some breakfast with Uncle Harry & Aunt Ginny hmm."
Hermione got Rose dressed and sent her down the stairs to the kitchen before picking up Hugo and making sure he was changed to go to breakfast as well.
She sat Hugo down into a highchair and picked Rose up into a booster seat before taking their breakfast plates from Ginny who had already prepared food for the family, She began feeding Hugo as Rose started picking at the pieces of pancake on her plate, Harry entered the room and smiled to see Hermione looking so normal as she fed her family.
"Harry...I'd like to go to ministry today...it's high time I took the right steps to help my family. I just worry what happens to the kids...no offense Gin but your Mum isn't going to side with me no matter what he's done to me."
Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing, it's ok not to be ok
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart
Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising
Just be true to who you are.
"Mione I don't want you to worry about my Mum, or Ron. Harry and I will testify if need be. Harry you'll go with her and give the details." Ginny said shaking her head.
"Of course Mi, we can give memories if need be." Harry added.
"Thank you…Gin do you mind watching the kids while I go?" Hermione asked
"No problem Mione...you just go protect your family, Rosie can help me and the boys make some cookies. I need a little girl time, sound good Rosie Roo?" Ginny grinned at her niece.
Rose nodded grinning, "Can we make peanut butter chocolate ones? They're Mummy's favourite!"
"Of course Munchkin." Ginny smiled.
"It's probably best that we get there early...beat the rush..." Harry said trailing off at the end.
"Beat the reporters and Ron you mean?" Hermione replied looking at her plate.
"Mione...I didn't - I mean I don't -" Harry stammered.
"Harry it's all right I've already thought of that, that's why I want to get there this morning." Hermione answered.
"All right..." Harry said scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
Hermione finished up her plate and carried it over to the sink for washing. Turning to her kids she pressed a kiss to Rose's forehead, "be good for Aunt Ginny, ok sweetie?"
"Of course Mummy," Rose nodded, "I'll look after brother too."
"That's my good girl," Hermione ruffled her daughter's hair and walked to the entrance hall, assessing her appearance in the mirror Ginny had hung by the door.
Brushing my hair, do I look perfect?
I forgot what to do to fit the mold, yeah!
The more I try the less it's working, yeah!
Cause everything inside me screams no, no, no, no, no
She brushed her hair back over her should and adjusted the blouse as Harry walked up behind her watching her compose herself before what was probably going to be the hardest trip of her life. It killed him to see her so broken down, and he promised himself he would do anything and everything to help her come back to the person he knew. Hermione noticed Harry standing behind her and forced a smile, gathering her courage to step out the door and make the move to the ministry.
The pair stepped out onto the step and apparated to the ministry, appearing with a loud crack, and walking into a media storm whose flash bulbs immediately started going off. Hermione staggered as the flashing lights momentarily blinded her, but gathering her courage she stepped forward, forcing herself to hold her head high regardless of the bruises on her cheeks. She was determined to be Hermione Granger, to be strong for her kids.
"Ms Weasley! Ms Weasley! What is the nature of the bruises on your face?" reporters started screaming at her.
"Ms Weasley! Hermione! Who did this to you?"
"Ms Weasley! Do you have a comment?"
"Mr Potter can you comment on the nature of Ms Weasley's injuries?"
"Mr Potter! Can you tell us who inflicted these injuries on Ms Weasley?"
Harry took Hermione's arm and led her through the crowd, both of them refusing to comment as Hermione shielded herself from the numerous flashbulbs and the press of reporters. They made it to the elevators and as the grills slid shut, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief to be out of the madness and tried to take in a calming breath it had been hard to have that many people close to her and yelling at her. Harry watched helplessly as Hermione tried to regain control of her breathing.
The doors to the elevator opened to the auror offices, and Hermione sucked in a huge breath before taking the first step out of the elevators, Harry pressed his hand onto her shoulder in a show of support.
"You can do this Mi." Harry murmured.
"I have to do this..." Hermione replied, "I have to..." she sucked in a breath and moved forward.
Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing, it's ok not to be ok
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart
But tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising
There's nothing wrong with who you are.
Katie Bell, Harry's co-head of the department came forward when he heard that Harry and Hermione had entered the office.
"Potter, Mione?" Katie questioned, "What's going on?"
"I need to...Katie I need to..." Hermione stammered out, trying desperately to compose her words.
"Mione who did that to you?" Katie asked approaching and turning Hermione's head to get a better look at the bruise marring her face, gasping at the finger marks evident on her neck.
"Who do you think Katie?" Harry spat, anger evident as he again got a close look at the horror his so-called best friend had inflicted.
"Ron?" Katie gasped, "come with me, we'll go to my office...you know you'll have to give a full report Mione."
Hermione nodded, "I just...I don't know if I can really talk about it, I thought I could, but now -"
Katie grasped her friend's hand, "Memories will do Mione, although eventually you will have to testify."
"I know."
"You did the right thing Mi," Katie said crossing her office and pulling a pensieve from a cabinet.
Hermione summoned all of her courage and took Harry's offered wand, placing the tip to her temple and extracting her most painful memories outside of the war, the memories of her terrorizing marriage.
Katie watched Hermione take Harry's wand with confusion, shocked at the number of memories she was extracting. After Hermione finished and returned Harry's wand to its owner, Katie asked "Hermione, where is your wand?"
Hermione's eyes rose and met Katie's across the desk, saying simply, "he has it."
Katie's eyes grew and she raised a hand to her mouth in shock, to take a wand away from a witch, let alone one as powerful as Hermione Granger, was such a betrayal to the wizarding world.
"How could he..." Katie breathed, "How did we not see it! George and I have been over to your house, we've been to dinner's with you...oh my god."
"He's clearly not the Ron we knew, he is the best actor we know...Katie he broke her, he did what the entire war and an army of death eaters couldn't...he broke the strongest woman, the strongest person I know." Harry burst at the seams his disappointment in Ron was palpable in the room.
"I just need to get out, Katie, I need to be out." Hermione choked out. "That man in those memories, he is not the man I thought I had married...my beautiful daughter told me that she was scared of her father...I can't live like this anymore, my family cannot live like this."
"The auror office will support you Hermione, we will get you out of there. I'm going to contact the minister right now, and we will dissolve your marriage, we will make sure you are safe." Katie said, the authority of her office evident in her voice.
Yes, no's, egos, fake shows, like woah! Just go and leave me alone!
Real talk, real life, good love, good night! With a smile, that's my own!
That's my own, no!
No, no, no, no, no
"We need to document your injuries Mione. You'll need it for evidence." Harry said sadly, pulling a camera off the desk.
Hermione swallowed and stood facing Harry, Harry raised the camera, but she stopped him, "Wait...you're going to need to see all of them..." taking a breath she glanced hesitantly towards the closed office door.
Katie noticed her apprehension and crossed the room to ward the door, remaining in front of it which seemed to ease some of Hermione's discomfort.
Hermione nodded distractedly, then sighed, "you won't like this Harry." and she pulled the blouse over her head revealing a litany of scars and bruises things that covered almost every surface of her upper body. A single tear made its way down her cheek as she bent and undid the button on her jeans, before removing them as well. Harry grimaced as she revealed scar after scar, bruise after bruise. The most concerning of which was the variety of hand print imprints embedded on her inner thighs.
Hermione stood tall and closed her eyes as Harry raised the camera, she choked back her tears as the first flash went off. Harry had no such qualms however, and allowed his emotions to overpower him, his own tears streaming down his face as he witnessed the marks Ron had made on her. Katie was staring, unable to turn away as she took in the reality of her friend's marriage.
"You need to turn Mione," Harry choked out. And Hermione nodded, opening her eyes to witness her friend's devastation. She held her head strong as she turned.
"I am strong, I will be strong...I will be strong for my family." She repeated over and over as a mantra, tears streaming down her face. "I am Hermione Granger, I will be strong."
Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing, it's ok not to be ok
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart
But tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising
Just be true to who you are.
Harry finished the photos and had the camera automatically print them out so they could take them to the minister. Hermione dressed the second Harry finished, and swallowed her emotions to be strong enough to get through the meeting with the minister.
A/N: song is Who You Are - Jessie J