Broken Home

A/N--oookay are you guys ready for this crazy shit? Now that i have Emma's (Author of Darkness Consumes) blessing i have finally decided to continue posting. I'm sorry for the long wait everyone, but honestly..it was worth it:P This chapter is super long and i hope you all enjoy it!! Can't wait to hear how you all feel about it.


Chapter 10

Hermione, Harry and Draco sat on the couch in their common room, the night before they all departed.

"Two whole weeks...Be careful Hermione." Harry said.

"Remember, if anything happens..come to the manor!." Draco insisted.

"I will, I need to go to sleep." Hermione replied. 'God knows I'm going to need my rest."


*-******

Hermione stepped towards the fireplace. She had left Draco's embrace and slowly approached.

Before she was whisked away she looked at her two best friends.

They looked terribly hurt.

As she dissapeared Draco thought back to the bracelet.

Should he have told her?

*********

Hermione fell out of the fireplace ungracefully. She picked up her bag and pulled herself to her feet.

"I can do this!" She told herself firmly. "I can deny him."

Draco's face popped into her mind, smiling at her proudly.

Harry's voice ran through her head, letting her know that she was strong enough.

This was all shoved away as reality hit hard, Archie was standing in the doorway.

"Hello Hermione, how was school?" Archie asked.

That caught Hermione off gaurd. He was being civil.

"Uhm..Fine." She whispered.

"What was that dear? I can't hear you?"

"Fine" She said, her voice growing stronger.

"Thats good. Well, go on up to your room and unpack. Dinner will be ready in about 25 minutes. A shower would probably help you out also." He said, a smile lighting up his features.

'What...The...Helllll??'

"Okay Dad," She grimaced inside, "Ill be down on time."

With that Hermione slinked past him and ran to her bedroom.

She sat down on the foot of her bed, utterly confused.

'Has he changed? Is he planning something?'

There was so many things Harry and Draco had warned her against, but this wasn't one of them.

She unpacked and quickly showered.

She pulled on jeans and a loose sweatshirt and headed down for dinner.

**********************

Dinner was a completely uneventful affair.

Archie ate, and asked Hermione alot of questions about classes, and how she was doing in them.

Hermione nibbled at her food, too deep in thought to give Archie full answers.

Once he was done eating he stood up and and put his dishes in the sink.

"Well I'm just going to go watch some T.V. in the parlor, and then head up to bed. You look frightful, you should probably get some rest. Do the dishes first though, okay dear?"

Hermione nodded.

Shock.

Confusion.

They rocked through her body. She stood up and did the dishes mechanically, while Archie could be heard chuckling at something on the television.

She slipped up to her room and layed down.

Sleep was hard to come by that evening.

Too many thoughts were clouding her brain.

When she woke up she felt as if she had only been asleep for 15 minutes.

She went downstairs and made some toast, Archie was obviously gone to work.

Hermione basically lounged about, she didn't even get out of her pajamas until mid afternoon.

She was watching the T.V. (something about the muggle world that she didn't really miss that much. There were very few books in this house.) when she heard a car pull into the driveway. She looked at the clock.

5:30

'Shit!'

She ran for the kitchen and started grabbing pots and pans out of the cupboards, slamming them onto the stove, and throwing in food.

The front door opened.

Archie came into the doorway of the kitchen.

"Supper isn't ready yet?" He asked, clearly ticked off.

Hermione looked at him, fear filling her eyes.

"I...I just started it. I'm sorry.."

He crossed the kitchen in three short steps and grabbed her by her arms.

"I have been patient with you, and I am finding it very difficult to find you tolerable. Now you better make something that is quick because I'm starving." He hissed into her face.

"It should be ready soon..."

"It better fucking be ready, or you will be the one to suffer."

He released his grip and stalked back through the kitchen, he turned to look at her, "I'm getting a shower, I expect to be eating when I get out."

Hermione nodded, but he didn't see, he was already climbing the stairs.

'Okay, so he hasn't changed.'

*****************

Archie sat down and smirked at his bowl of soup and his grilled cheese sandwich.

'how ridiculous.' He thought

"This is what you call dinner?" He shot at her.

"Well I didn't have that much time..." she argued.

"You had all day!!" He said.

She cringed backwards.

He took a bite of his sandwich and spit it back onto his plate immidiatly.

"This is disgusting!!!" He verbalized. "If your not going to be useful while you are here, you might as well of stayed at the school."

"It's not like I had a choice!!!" Hermione shot back, instantly regretting it.

He was at her in a moments time, his hand closed tightly around her throat.

He didn't need to say anything, Hermione knew she crossed the line that time.

When he released her he pushed her backwards, she smashed into the floor painfully.

A moment after she had fallen, he picked her up by her shirt and slapped her across the face.

Hard.

"Get outta here, go to your room. I don't even want to see you right now. And tommorow when I get home you better have a meal fit for a fucking king waiting for me."

Hermione nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her face was burning, from the slap or the humiliation, she didn't know.

She turned and started up the staircase.

************

Again Hermione had a horrible sleep. If it continued like this she would need to sleep a week when she got back to Hogwarts just to catch up.

She stood up and pulled on her housecoat, and slipped her feet into her fuzzy slippers, and wandered down the stairs.

There was pictures of her mother lining the staircase.

She had avoided looking at them for years, but now, now she felt as though she needed to see her mothers happy face, smiling down at her.

She studied them closely.

Did her mother look like she was trying to hard? Or was it just bitterness swelling inside Hermione?

Upon really close inspection you could see discolored parts of her face..

Was Archie beating her mother too?

Hermione just shook her head and walked away.

'No wonder im so weak.'

************************

She jumped into the shower and let the hot water beat over her face, neck, arms, it felt so good.

While she was towelling off she heard the doorbell..

'What..?'

She threw on some sweats and walked quickly to the door.

When she opened it, the man on the other side smiled widely.

"Hermione?" He asked.

"Uhm..yea. Hi."

"You don't remember me do you?"

"Honestly...no. Should I?"

"Yea it's me, Chris Jones."

Hermione searched her brain. She could remember the name..but from where?

"Ohh..." She said, still uncertain.

He looked uncomfortable.

"Well..I'm good friends with your dad. I haven't seen you since you were about...hmm I'd have to say since your mother funeral actually. You look good."

The name clicked.

"Ohhh, Chris!!!" She said, he smiled. "Come in, please!"

He stepped into the house.

"Would you like a coffee?" she asked him.

He took one.

They sat at the table for hours, remembering things from Hermione's youth. Reminiscing about her Mother.

The door opened.

"Shit." Hermione said under her breath.

"What?" Chris asked.

"My dad's home."

"So...?"

Archie turned into the kitchen.

"I don't smell food cooking!"

"Hey Archie!! Long time, no see buddy."

Archies gaze fell upon Chris.

He looked livid.

Chris lost his smile immediatly.

"Get out." Archie said calmly to him.

"What?" Chris said, clearly thinking Archie was joking.

"Get the FUCK out of my house!!!" He screamed at him.

Hermione flinched back.

Chris looked from Hermione to Archie.

He new he was defeated, don't fuck with Archie.

He got out of his chair and walked towards the door.

"Nice seeing you again Hermione, Thanks for the wonderful evening....Archie..go fuck yourself." And with that he slammed the door.

Archie advanced on Hermione, grabbing her hard by her hair at the crown of her head.

He flung her towards the floor and started beating her mercilessly.

Punching, scratching, bruising any part of her body he could touch.

"Just inviting people in now are we?" He asked between punches.

Hermione tried to tell him 'No, Just catching up with an old friend.' But she couldn't even get out 'No'

She tried to fight back.

Tried to use Draco's and Harry's words to her advantage, but it was useless.

He was pulverising her.

She was screaming and crying, and he was shouting at her.

Anything he could think of that involved verbal abuse, came out of his mouth.

The last thing Hermione remembered him say was "I'm going to fucking kill you!!" Before her night went completely black.

*****************

Draco and Harry were at the manor. Of course Lucius was upset in Draco's choice of friends, but he couldn't be rude to Harry at all times. He was usually by Draco's side anyway.

They were releived that nothing had happened with the bracelet since their return home for the holidays. It had been two days and nothing!

Hermione must have really changed these last couple months.

"Harry, Hermione is doing really good. She must have just told him where to go and how to get...." Draco stopped suddenly, his eyes widening in shock.

"What is it?" Harry asked him.

Dracos gaze fell to his wrist.

"No..." Harry whispered.

"Grab onto me Harry!!"

Harry did so without any hesitation.

Next thing he knew he was standing in an ugly kitchen, there was something laying on the floor. Something else was looking at them in complete shock.

It was as though he was in a movie.

Everything seemed to slow down.

Draco moved forward, Harry could see his mouth moving, but he couldn't make out any words.

'Am I going deaf?' He asked himself.

His gaze landed on the kitchen window. There was red and blue lights flashing, and he could barely make out the sound of sirens.

He focused himself back on Draco and the man.

The man looked horrified now. His eyes were darting in every direction, from windows to doorways.

He was looking for an escape.

Harry glanced at the thing on the floor.

'What the hell..?'

He focused harder.

'Ohhh my god...' he ran forward. Though it felt as if it took him forever to reach her. He grabbed her by the hand...it was limp.

His hearing suddenly kicked back into action.

Draco was shouting profanities at the man, he looked as though he was about to kill him.

Harry thought he would've done just that.

If a loud banging hadn't brought everyone's attention to the front door. Someone was trying to knock the door down.

"Harrry!!!" Draco screamed. "Meet me at St. Mungo's!! Apparate..NOW!!! I Will be right behind you."

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He held onto Hermione tighter and was gone.

Draco watched as the door busted down and seen a man approaching Archie with something metal.

He didn't wait around.

He dissapeared before anyone would even know he was there.

****************

Harry and Draco sat in uncomfortable metal chairs outside Hermione's room at St. Mungos.

They didn't speak to each other, they were too fearful.

Hermione was in horrible condition. She was almost dead when they brought her here.

'Please please please please let her be okay!!' Draco was pleading. He would feel SO guilty.

He looked at Harry, who was silently staring at the closed door in front of them.

Suddenly the door burst open and wild-eyed, panicked looking nurse flew out of the room.

She started hurrying down the hallway as fast as her stout legs would take her.

"Has anyone seen the Doctor? We have an emergency!!!"


:O:O:OI'm sorry but the cliffie was quite necessary. Now I know I, Once again, Didn't go into too much detail about Archie beating Hermione, but i don't feel i need to. You guys should get the jist of it....Hope you all enjoyed it!!

Shannon