A/N: I don't own Harry Potter
Warning: derogitory language, mentioned non con, being drugged. Weasley bashing.
Word Count: 1943
"Drink your milk, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. Hermione felt her hand raise the glass to her lips, felt the cool liquid pour down her throat. She swallowed, fighting the reflex. Her eyes glazed over slightly. Next to her, Ginny grabbed a roll and started buttering it.
Butter mellow. The words flittered like exotic birds in Hermione's mind. She had no clue what they meant or who had said them. She felt Ginny looking at her.
"Yes?"
"Nothing," Ginny replied. Hermione set the empty glass back down on the table. Hermione nodded slowly.
"Good, because I was hoping you could take Hermione shopping today," Ron said. "She needs some new things."
"What's wrong with my old things?" Hermione started to argue. She found that suddenly words were hard for her to say. Her eyes widened, but Ron smiled at her and put his hand on hers, reassuring her everything was alright.
"Right, I guess I need a few things," Hermione said after a moment.
"Then it's decided," Ron announced. Ginny glared at her brother, but nodded.
"I need somethings myself," she muttered. "I'm done, can I be excused?"
Mrs. Weasley nodded her head, going back to the conversation she'd been having with Ron. Hermione watched Ginny leave. Ginny paused, looking back at Hermione, her hand on the railing to the stairs. For a brief moment, Hermione thought she saw a sadness in Ginny's eyes. Then it was gone again.
After excusing herself, Hermione found her way to Ginny's room.
"What do you want?" Ginny snapped when Hermione knocked.
"Sorry, I thought, we could get an early start on shopping? Then grab some lunch?" Hermione suggested. "Unless I'm supposed to be home by then?"
Ginny turned away from Hermione as to not meet her eyes.
"No, no, I'm sorry. That's fine. Go grab your bag while I get ready and we'll head out, alright?"
Hermione nodded, giving Ginny a fairly empty smile. Ginny felt herself crumble inside. How long could she keep this up? How long could she keep pretending everything was alright? Those questions haunted her day and night.
When Ron had brought Hermione home after the war, she was different. She was compliant with almost everything Ron said. She seemed dumber somehow. Ginny had hoped it was just shock and as time went on, Hermione would become herself again. That did not seem to be the case.
Finally Ginny had asked Ron what was wrong with Hermione.
"She was on the receiving end of a nasty spell, one of the Death Eaters that slipped away from the battle. Physically, she's fine, but her mind's been... addled," Ron whispered. Ginny bit back the retort that someone would have to be addled to be fawning over Ron like that.
"Is she going to recover?"
"They're not sure, but if she doesn't, I mean, I don't want to give her false hope, you know," Ron said, shrugging. Ginny nodded. She could understand that, but at the same time, what if Hermione could help herself? She was brilliant after all.
"Could you also not, you know, remind her of how things were, how she was? I don't want her getting depressed at having lost so much," Ron added.
"Alright," Ginny agreed, reluctantly.
"Thanks, Gin, you're the best," Ron had said, darting off to go do something else. Ginny sighed and wondered if she should keep her word and not tell Hermione anything, but something, something she couldn't place felt wrong.
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"What do you think of this one?" Hermione asked, holding up a pearl and diamond necklace. Ginny shrugged.
"It's not really your style," she commented. Hermione laughed.
"I know, but I think Ron's going ask me to marry him soon and I need to make sure I have the perfect jewelry to go with my dress," Hermione replied. Ginny bit her lip. Ron was going to ask Hermione to marry him? She knew how her brother felt about Hermione, knew that was what he'd wanted since his and Hermione's last year of school, but...
"Do you love him?" she asked. Hermione stared at Ginny, her mouth parting slightly.
"Nnnn. Yes, of course I do," she said, quickly, putting the necklace back in the case. She gave Ginny a simple smile, the kind she'd given since the war ended, since she'd been injured. The smile never reached Hermione's dull brown eyes. Now that Ginny thought about it, what had happened to the sparkle and fire she used to see when she looked at Hermione. Had she lost that as she'd lost her mind?
"So, do you think Ron's picked out a ring yet?" Hermione asked. Ginny only shook her head. This was not what she wanted to be discussing with Hermione.
"Hermione, have you noticed how things have been different since the end of the war?" Ginny asked. She knew she was probably about to break her word to Ron, but in her heart of heart, she couldn't keep this up. She couldn't keep treating Hermione like this. The girl deserved so much more.
"A little, maybe. I mean, I moved with Ron and you, Harry's an auror. Ron's been taking real good care of me," she laughed. Ginny felt her heart shatter at the sound. Once upon a time, Hermione's laugh had sounded like wind chimes blowing in the breeze, now it reminded her of the sound glass made when you shattered it with a bludger.
"I meant you, Hermione. I never see you reading any more. We never finished that discussion about the advancement of charms' theory either," Ginny said, holding her breath. Hermione blinked a few times, looking at Ginny.
"Reading is kind of a waste of time, isn't it? I mean, it's not going to help me raise a family with Ron," she said, her voice breaking as if she was about to cry. Ginny reached out and grabbed her hand.
Slowly, she led Hermione from the shop and to a small cafe. They grabbed a table in the corner.
"Hermione, listen to me. You don't have to marry Ron if you don't want to," Ginny stated, looking at Hermione. Hermione looked down at the tabletop and refused to meet Ginny's eyes.
"Hermione, do you want to marry Ron?" Ginny asked, keeping her voice low.
"He's perfect, isn't he? I mean, he loves me and takes care of me. I know there's something wrong with me, my thoughts are all cloudy and sometimes I remember things that never happened. Ron's always there for me, and so is your mum. She's going to help me learn to knit something that doesn't look like a woolly bladder," Hermione said. Ginny felt her blood run cold.
She remembered how Mum had always said Hermione and Ron would make the perfect couple. She remembered how much Mum loved to interfere, manipulate. A spark of an idea formed in her brain. If she was right, then what she was planning to do could end very badly. If she was wrong, then there'd be no point in crying over spilled milk, now would there?
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Ginny held her breath as she and Hermione sat down for dinner. Dad wasn't home. He was still pulling late shifts to help fix everything that had gone wrong at the ministry. It was just her, Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley. Ginny watched as her mum poured Hermione a cup of milk.
Ron was watching Hermione, smiling at her as she started to raise the cup to her lips. Ginny leaned over on her elbow, as if reaching for something. She tumbled forward, knocking the glass from Hermione's hand. It fell to the floor and shattered, spilling milk everywhere. Ginny couldn't help but notice the milk had a slight iridescent gleam to it. Her heart pounded in her chest. She'd been right. Merlin, she'd been right.
Hermione looked at Ginny, having knocked her drink from her hand. Slowly, her eyes seemed to brighten, the dullness disappearing. Ginny could see Hermione's body shift position, going from relaxed to tense. Slowly, Ginny reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Don't do anything," Ginny hissed in Hermione's ear. Hermione gave her the slightest nod as Mrs. Weasley started fussing over the broken glass. Ron put an arm around Hermione, pulling her to him. Ginny slid her hand away as the meal continued.
Hermione was given a new glass of milk, which Ginny managed to silently vanish before Hermione was forced to take a drink. Ginny could see that Hermione, the real Hermione was back.
"I'm not feeling well, could I be excused please?" Hermione asked. Ginny watched as she was given permission and then followed her. Once they were back upstairs in Ginny's room, Hermione turned to her.
"Ginny, explain now!"
"I... I don't know everything. I didn't... I thought Ron was telling the truth."
"Truth about what? What did he tell everyone?"
"That your brain had been addled during the battle," Ginny whispered. Hermione stared at her.
"And you believed him?"
"You were acting different, Hermione. What was I supposed to think, that Mum and Ron had you under the influence of something?" Ginny yelled. Hermione blinked at her.
"It does seem a stretch, doesn't it? I knew something was wrong, I could feel myself doing things, things I normally wouldn't do. You really thought I'd been mentally damaged in the battle?"
"Yes, I thought, maybe you'd come back, be yourself again, and then today you were talking about having babies with Ron."
"What?!" Hermione exclaimed, wrinkling her nose.
"That was what made me realize something was really wrong with you. I mean, I know Ron was all over you and then you were talking about marrying him, I thought, maybe you'd fallen in love with him."
"I haven't," Hermione said coldly. "We shared one kiss, that's it."
"I'm sorry. I should have realized something was wrong sooner," Ginny whispered, sinking onto her bed. Hermione sat down next to her and grabbed her hand.
"Ginny, your mother... she's involved in this. She was the one giving me the glass of milk? Everything is fuzzy."
"Yes," Ginny whispered, trying to choke back the tears. "I think, she and Ron, she's always said you two were perfect for each other..."
"I can't stay here, knowing what she's done, what he's done. I wasn't strong enough to escape whatever they were doing. I can't let them make me into that again, I just can't."
"I know, I couldn't ask you to. I can't let them take you away again. Luna's staying at the Rookery. She'll let you stay there for the night, I'm sure."
"Thank you, it's not too far."
"No, just over the ridge, honestly. Hermione, if you're leaving, I mean, I know you are, but... um, I can't stay here knowing what they've done to you. I know you probably don't remember anything from before-" Ginny started to say. Hermione grabbed Ginny's face and turned it to hers.
"Genevra Weasley, you really think I could ever forget you?" Hermione asked, looking into Ginny's eyes and kissing her passionately.
"You still love me?" Ginny squeaked. "Even though it took me so long to save you?"
"You did save me in the end, and yes, we do still need to finish that conversation about charms, but I think it can wait until tomorrow, come on. Let's pack what we need tonight and see if Luna will host us," Hermione stated, grabbing her bag. Ginny smiled, grabbing hers as well. Hermione was back. Ron and her mum were both idiots and tomorrow, she would be going to the ministry and making sure they paid for what they'd done to her girlfriend.