Chapter One:

Hermione quietly began to gather her belongings. Instead of feeling uncontrollable joy for the fact she was heading for Hogwarts tomorrow, she was feeling down and sorrowful. Crookshanks purred at her, slinking around her books.

"Crookshanks, I don't know what to do," she sighed.

She reached out to pet him, but when her arm throbbed she pulled it back again. Hermione lifted up her sleeve and winced; the bruise had turned almost black. She had been hit-HARD. Yesterday's events of buying her books for Hogwarts played inside her mind:

"'Hi, Hermione!' exclaimed a young man with bright red hair. Only one family had such stunningly noticable hair-the Weasleys. His arms were slightly scarred with strange looking indentations.
'Charlie!' she declared in delight, 'Why did you come back?'
Charlie Weasley grinned at her broadly, gripping her shoulders with his large hands. 'Mum wanted me to see the family before the summer ended. So I decided to come visit and wave everybody off to Hogwarts!'
'So I will see you in a couple days before we leave?'
'Yup! Can't get rid of me, can you?'
Hermione laughed, and he hugged her like she was a sister.
'Hermione!' exclaimed a voice.
A rush of dread. She turned around slowly. 'Hi, Maverick.'
'Who's your friend?' Maverick asked with a smile-but she could see the rage in his dark eyes.
'Um, Charlie. Charlie Weasley. Charlie, this is my boyfriend, Maverick,' she looked uncomfortable.
'Nice to meet you, Weasley. I expect you're related to Ron and Fred and George? I would like to speak to my girlfriend.'
Charlie looked worried. 'Hermione, maybe I should-'
'See you around, Charlie,' she mumbled, following Maverick to a more secretive place. Charlie watched her leave anxiously.
''Mione, I thought I told you seeing other boys was out of the question when I started to date you. Are you?' His eyes glinted dangerously.
'No, Mav. Charlie is just an old friend-and plus, he's Ron's brother! He is much too old for me!' she squeaked in fear.
He stepped close to her and her heart drummed in horror. 'Hermione, I have to make sure you aren't being disobedient to me. I have to punish you. You know how much I hate punishing you.'
'Please, Maverick, I-Charlie is just an old friend! I would never!'
''Mione, love, I have to make sure. It's the best for you.'
She trembled, cringing back with fear. He lifted a large, thick metal crowbar and brought it down hard on her forearm of her left arm. Pain rushed through and pricked her arm, right between her elbow and her wrist. She yelped, and Maverick started to soothe her, kissing her neck and stroking her skin, sending shivers down her spine."

A small dark brown owl flew through her window just then and Hermione jumped in terror. "You scared me!" she told the owl. The creature stared at her with its intelligent blue eyes and lifted a leg so she could take off the capsule.

A small note was given to her, from Charlie:
Hi, Hermione!
We didn't get much chance to talk yesterday since you went off with your boyfriend. I forgot to mention that I'll see you at Hogwarts-I'm teaching a year with Hagrid and we'll be doing a project about dragons. Did you take the Magical Creatures class this year?
Love,
Charlie

Hermione eyes widened and she stuffed the letter into the garbage. If Maverick saw that he'd be furious. She took a piece of paper and wrote back,

To Charlie:
Yes, I'll be taking the Magical Creatures class. Except for Divination and Arithmancy we(Harry, Ron, and me) are in the same classes. See you there!
Love,
Hermione

She sent it with the owl back quickly and finished packing her books and robes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione grabbed her trunk and Crookshanks and ran up to Harry and Ron. "Harry, Ron!" she exclaimed, "So great to see you! How was your summer vacation?"

"Hermione!" Ron and Harry grabbed her in a group hug, but she pulled out with a glare.

Ron looked insulted. "What?"

"You hurt my arm!" she snapped, rubbing her arm absently.

"Sorry." Ron's ears turned red.

"Don't worry about it," she mumbled, hugging them again brightly, "did you have a good summer?"

"It was amazing! Did Charlie tell you? He's coming!" Harry exclaimed, "And I spent most my summer with the Weasleys!"

"Hermione!" Charlie pulled her out from the group and gripping her arms. She pulled her left arm to her side. "Are you excited? Ron says you love school, he says you've got everything almost perfect-the perfect school work, perfectly clean areas, perfect boyfriend-" his eyes narrowed slightly. "is your arm okay? You don't seem happy."

"I'm not perfect, Charlie. I hate the stupid fact that everything must be perfect." She felt tears behind her eyes and pushed them back angrily-she couldn't break down now. Especially not in front of Charlie.

"Hey, 'Mione!" called a voice. She recognized it too easily and wanted to bury her head in Charlie's chest and hide. But that was out of the question.

"Maverick," she squeaked.

"Let's go find a compartment together!" he said, gripping her left arm where he had hit her and holding it tight.

She winced at the pain and tried to smile. "I was going to sit with Professor Weasley and his brothers."

"Yeah, I just invited her. But you may sit with us if you like!" Charlie said warmly.

"Oh, alright," grunted Maverick. He wasn't happy, he clutched Hermione's arm harder as they walked onto the train and looked for a compartment. Her eyes blurred from the pain.

Charlie noticed and his eyes narrowed, "Mav, let go of her, mate. She's not going anywhere."

"She's my girlfriend," snapped Maverick.

"You're cutting off her circulation. Let go, now."

With an angry glare, Maverick let go. Hermione blinked her eyes clear and walked a little closer to Charlie thankfully.

"Let's sit here!" Charlie said brightly, walking into Ron's and Harry's compartment.

When Ron kept glaring at Maverick for having his arm around Hermione, Charlie moved over and sat next to her, and Maverick narrowed his eyes. Nonetheless, Maverick pulled his arm back, making a mental note to talk to Mione about that.