A:N/ Hi everybody. I've written the last chapter to this story, so we have about eight chapters in total. Thanks for all reviewing, and I double and triple checked my work to make sure it makes sense. I really want this story to be good and be heart-felt. Enjoy this chapter, but don't freak out too much about the ending. Oh and about Hermione, a reviewer already answered the question, about how it's natural to feel angry at her mother since she's supposed to be protecting her.
Enjoy y'all.
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Hermione, Harry, and Ron all walked towards the oak tree by the lake. They were all laughing and joking with one another. Currently they were poking fun at Professor Snape.
"Hey Harry mate, do you hear this? Hermione thinks we shouldn't be so tough on Snape. It's not our fault he's a greasy old brute, though is it?" Hermione giggled and turned to see Harry's response.
Harry grinned and shook his head. "No, Ron, Hermione's right. We really shouldn't be too mean on Snape. After all, I'm sure he gets enough abuse as it is."
Ron grinned back. "What do you mean?" Harry grinned broadly. "From crashing into walls with that great giant nose of his!" Both Ron and Harry doubled over in hysterics. Hermione smiled and shook her head.
"You boys are so bad."
"Aw, come on Mione!" Harry said. "You know you want to say something bad about our dear old professor, right? After all, he gave you an E on your potions essay. An E! When you so clearly deserved an S.O."
"S.O?" she asked confusedly.
Harry put his arm around her shoulders and they walked in front of Ron. "For super outstanding, just like your brains!" He ruffle her hair, making it even wilder than it currently was. "Harry!" she scolded, but she had a smile on her lips. "You know how long it took to fix my hair up?"
"Yeah, about two seconds," Ron said from behind. Hermione turned around to smack his arm, but he jumped from her reach and started giggling like mad. Hermione pulled away from Harry's arms and walked towards Ron. He giggled and started running to the oak tree, unaware Hermione hadn't followed him. He turned around to see Harry and Hermione laughing.
Ron grinned and ran towards them. "That wasn't funny," he said. "You made me look like a fool!"
"As usual," Harry retorted. Hermione laughed.
Ron grabbed Hermione from behind and grinned at Harry. "You know Harry," he said. "I think little Hermione is being a bit mean, don't you think?" Harry smirked. "Well what do you think we should do, Ron?"
"Well I don't know." Hermione giggled and struggled to escape Ron's hold. He was tickling her unintentionally. "Ronald! Let go of me!" she said in between laughs.
"Oh, you're ticklish are you? Harry."
Harry started tickling her. "No! Harry, stop! Please!" She struggled to stand up, but felt her knees start to give. "No!" she wheezed.
Harry grinned, but there was something sinister in his eyes. Something had changed. "Make sure you hold on to her Ron," he instructed. " I don't want her to escape." He stopped tickling her. Hermione tried to catch her breath.
"You boys are going to get it!" Harry's eyes flashed. "Oh really?" He started to unbuckle his belt.
"What-what are you-what are you doing Harry?" she asked breathlessly.
"Hold her Ron." Ron's grip on her became less friendly and she felt her wrists being squeezed. "Ron. Ron you're hurting me!" Ron sneered at her. "Shut up bitch," he said. Hermione was in shock. Harry moved closer.
"Don't worry Hermione. It wont hurt." Hermione's eyes widened.
Hermione sat straight up in her bed, breathing deeply. As she struggled to catch her breath, she heard the TV playing from the living room, which meant Becca was up.
"Go go go! Race them to the finish line! Yay!"
Hermione ran her hands through her hair and convinced herself it was just a dream. "Just a dream," she murmured. She sighed and let go of her head. She looked at her alarm clock. It was almost 9:00. She made to get out of bed but stopped when she realized she didn't want to get up.
She lied back down and thought about her dream. Even her happiest memories at Hogwarts had to be ruined, she thought. She groaned and tugged at her hair in frustration. She sat up hastily and got out of bed.
"Where's Mum?" was Hermione's first question to Becca. Becca continued staring at the TV and said, "Don't know."
"Was she here this morning?"
"I don't know."
"Is that a yes or no?"
"Uhh…Yes."
"Did she say where she was going?"
"I don't know."
Hermione let out a sigh of frustration. "Don't you know anything? God! Why don't you pay attention for once in you life?" Becca bowed her head.
"I'm sorry."
"Oh shut up."
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Around twelve o'clock their mother finally came home. "Where were you?" Hermione asked.
"Shut up," was her answer. Hermione scowled. Her mother threw her purse carelessly on the kitchen counter and all her items came spilling, including the empty pill bottle now filled to the top with blue pills. The top popped off and all the pills fell to the floor, scattering all over the place. She heard her mother swear softly.
"Hermione clean this up." Hermione sighed and bent down to pick up each and every little blue pill. "When you're done with that," her mother continued, "go to the store and get some milk."
"Mum I got that yesterday."
"Then get some more."
"We don't need two containers of milk."
"What did you say?"
"I said we don't need two containers of milk."
"You don't need to speak to me with that attitude." Hermione rolled her eyes. She stood up and faced her mother as she put the pills on the counter.
"I'm sorry."
Her mother slapped her. Hermione's head whipped around. She turned back to face her mother and scowled at her.
Her mother glared at her. "Now apologize like you mean it!" Hermione stared at her mother for a while before saying, "I'm sorry."
"Good. Now go get some milk from the store." Hermione left to get dressed. Her mother sighed and grabbed a cigarette from her purse. She opened a draw and pulled out a lighter. She shook her head and said while lighting her cigarette, "I don't know what is wrong with that girl. I'll be glad when she goes back to that school of hers." Becca was staring at her mother. Hermione came out from her room.
"Are you trying to look unattractive Hermione? Because you've succeeded marvelously."
"Thank you," was her response.
"Mione can I go with you?"
"Leave me alone."
"Don't talk to your sister like that."
"Oh shut up," she muttered under her breath. Her mother head her. "What did you say?" she asked. "Nothing," Hermione replied. "You must be hearing things."
Her mother walked to Hermione and grabbed her hair and pulled on it. Hermione breathed in sharply. "Now I know you said something. Now what was it?" She let Hermione go. Hermione stepped away from her mother and rubbed her head glaring at her.
"Nothing."
Her mother looked at her. "Get out of here," she said.
So she did.
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When Hermione got back she noticed the apartment was quiet. Too quiet. "Hello?" she said aloud. Nobody answered. She smiled wanly at being home alone. She put the milk in the refrigerator and jumped on the couch, and was about to turn on the TV when she heard a tap on the window. She turned her head to see a large, beaten down gray owl.
Hermione smiled and ran to let it in. It collapsed in her arms and she looked at the letter it held. She brought the owl to the couch and set it there to rest, while she read Ron's familiar scrawl.
Dear Hermione,
How are you? I hope you're having a good summer, I've been having an okay time, Percy's being a jerk, as usual, and Fred and George are playing pranks on him, as usual, with hilarious results.
Anyway, have you heard from Harry this summer? I've written to him every week, and he still hasn't responded. Maybe the Muggles won't let him? In any case, Fred and George have a plan to go rescue Harry from the Muggles. I wont go into specifics, but it involves Dad's old Ford and a bit of flying.
Well I've got to go. Write back, and if I don't see you over the summer I'll see in Diagon Alley.
See you soon,
Ron
Hermione frowned as she read the part about a flying Ford and as she wrote back to him she wondered what on earth he meant, but hoped he wasn't doing anything illegal. She gave the letter to Errol, and after giving him some water and receiving a hoot of thanks, he flew out of the window and to the Burrow, wherever that was.
She watched him fly away, and walked out onto her terrace and leaned on the railing, wishing Ron had invited her to the Burrow. She looked down. Her apartment was on the sixth floor, but Hermione wasn't scared of heights. She wasn't scared of falling.
She thought back to Ron and Harry, and hoped they were okay. Why didn't he invite me? She wondered. It probably hadn't even crossed her mind, but Hermione felt depressed. If he was my friend he'd invite me. She frowned. Probably, a voice said in her head, he couldn't bear to have such a hideous looking girl step foot in his house. She groaned and rested her head on her arms.
"I should be lucky he even writes to me," she said to herself. She closed her eyes tightly. She felt a drop of water hit her head and she lifted her head up. It was drizzling. She walked back inside.
As she was closing the terrace door, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She walked towards it. Her mother was right, Hermione was rather unattractive. Big, buck teeth, crazy, wild hair, and an ugly mug to complete the package. She looked at herself and felt disgusting. "God, Hermione you're so ugly." she muttered. She sighed and tore her gaze away from the mirror. She walked into the kitchen to stuff her fat face. If I'm already fat, she thought, might as well enjoy myself. She grabbed a bag of potato chips and sat at the kitchen counter. The pills were still there, her mother never put them back.
Ignoring her food, Hermione picked up a pill and stared at it. It was small, and had no logo on it. She rolled it in her fingers. She put it down and walked to the bathroom.
When she came out she glanced at the mirror again. She bit her lip. She walked back to the kitchen counter and picked up the pill again. She hesitated, then put the pill in her mouth and swallowed.
When she passed by the mirror later and looked into it, she felt beautiful.