Chapter 6
Hermione didn't know where to go after the final battle was settled, she didn't want to go to the burrow, she knew the grief would be suffocating, knew she would be welcome,but not wanted. She couldn't go home, it might not even be there, and was it even home without her parents? So Hermione went to her aunt house, she lived just out side of london, on a small bit of land,and it was the first place Hermione thought of.
She didn't want to scare her aunt, she would be in her mid sixty's now if Hermione was correct, they hadn't seen each other in years, her aunt had no kids of her own and scarsly left her home if she didn't need it. it was dark out,Hermione guessed around ten o clock, she went to the door and knocked.
Melissa was a beautiful woman,something Hermione had almost forgot,with her hair long and curly,falling into soft ringlets unlike Hermione's wild locks. she had golden skin and smile lines, with the most beautiful hazel eyes.
"Hermione dear,what are you-" she broke off with a gasp when she took in Hermione's appearance,her torn clothing, that had blood and mud all over them. Hermione examines it for the first time, and then she leans over the side of her aunts porch and throws up what little she had in her stomach.
her aunt guides her into her house, she helps Hermione take off her clothes, washes her hair gently and starts to hum when Hermione begins to sob into the red water.
Later,when Hermione is being tucked into the spare room, her aunt grabs hermiones face between her hands and says that Hermione survived the worst of whatever happened.
"-Hermione you need to wake up, please"
Hermione wakes suddenly to her aunt leaning over her holding her shoulders, she jumps from her grasp and pants trying to suck in the oxygen that seems to have escaped the room.
"youre okay nini, just breath with me" the childhood nickname resets something in Hermione and she looks at her aunt,in her pajamas now, looking at Hermione like she is a rabid dog, Hermione felt like she was.
"what happened?"Hermione's voice is raw and cranky when she answers, her aunt gives her some water
"you were screaming, you must have been having a nightmare"
Hermione remembers now, it was almost a nightly routine at this point,Malfoy manner. bellatrix visiting her, from beyond the grave.
hermione thought that it might have been after the seventh crucio that bellatrix began to use her knife
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"so you always remember what you are, what you're worth." Bellatrix whispered into her ear as she grips her hair and uses it to pull Hermione to her knees
Hermione wished she would just kill her, doesn't think she can survive anymore pain.
"I-I didn't take anything p-please" Hermione had never begged for anything before that night
Bellatrix didn't care about her pleas, didn't care that she was someones child, friend,lover, didn't care that she was someone at all.
".Imperio."
Hermione's world went hazy and she sat idly while waiting her executioners call
"Finish it,show me you know your place"
Bellatrix handed her the dagger.
Hermione began to carve
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hermione tried to fight it, but she was too weak.
"hermione can you hear me?" Melissa was looking at her with concern written all over her face
"can you stay with me for the night aunty Mel?" Hermione felt like a child asking, but she was more scared of the dark than child,knew the monsters that hunted the intimitly
"scoot over then" the grey haired woman said, and Hermione did
before she went to bed she mumbled another request of her aunt
"will you straighten my hair tomorrow?"