A/N: Yep. I am still here. And this story will be finished. No matter what

~o0o~

Hermione tried to valiantly hold back tears when she returned from the Ministry of Magic with Mr. Weasley the next day late in the afternoon. The entirety of Grimmauld place had been on edge since she had left early that morning, and her blank face only made them more nervous.

"Leave her be, she's had quite a day…" Mr. Weasley said as he entered the kitchen where most of the Order, the Weasleys, and Harry sat. Hermione could be heard clomping up the stairs to her bedroom and a few seconds later, the door slammed. Both George and Fred looked as if they were itching to follow her, but their fathers' words kept them seated.

"Did they drag Krum in?" Sirius asked, his look dark.

"Yes, but only after they extracted her memory of the incident and played it in a pensive. I don't think they believed her at all. And they certainly were eager to expel her at first," Arthur sighed, taking a seat besides Remus. Mrs. Weasley did not look her usual cheery self and Tonks' hair was a deep black shade, which gave away her sadness and worry.

"But they didn't, right? She's coming back with us?" Ron's eyes were wide as he looked from his father to the rest of his family and friends. Mr. Weasley nodded, "Dumbledore came and had a talk with Hermione after the trial. No mark on her record, but Krum was only sentenced to a probation period. She's obviously upset about that…"

"What?"

"That's bollocks!"

"Bloody hell!"

"All of you, please…" Remus interjected, looking at the faces of everyone at the table who were now standing and protesting the verdict, "Krum will get his due, and I am sure there will be another trial, right Arthur?"

"Yes, in a few months. I swear there is bias. They called Hermione some horrible things. Things I have never heard spoken in a place that is supposed to make fair decisions," Arthur frowned, clearly thinking about a bad memory from earlier, "Ginny, could you go and check on her? If she's up to it, maybe the rest of you can see her later. Let's try and cheer her up alright? It's Christmas in a few days after all. Krum is away from her, she's told her story, and she's safe. It's the best we can get right now."

Ginny did not waste anytime excusing herself from the table and running up the squeaky stairs to Hermione's room, not bothering to knock and instead barging in, finding the curly-haired brunette lying face down on her bed.

"'Mione?"

"Go away!"

"We don't have to talk about it…"

"I said go away!" she said, more loudly this time, but the youngest Weasley did not move and instead climbed on Hermione's bed, pulling the pillow out from under her.

"Talk to me, please. About anything. Just let us be here for you…" Ginny brushed her hair out of her eyes and watched tears streak down her cheeks. Finally, Hermione sat up and folded her knees up, wrapping her arms around them so she made herself as small as possible. It worried Ginny, who had never seen the smart, outspoken girl act like this. She couldn't imagine what type of pain she went to, especially reliving it the last two days.

"They didn't believe me Gin. They said I was a lying, attention-seeking Mudblood. They said it to my face. Professor Umbridge was there and she said there was no way a girl like me could ever land a Quidditch star like Krum, so therefore, I had to be lying," Hermione sniffed.

"What a vile woman," Ginny had to swallow back the bile rising in her throat from the anger she felt, but let her friend continue.

"And to make sure I was telling the truth, they took my memory of it and played it…for everyone. Everyone saw him touch me like that and…and I feel weak Ginny. I never wanted anyone to know…" Hermione suddenly threw her arms around her friend and cried as Ginny held her close.

"You aren't weak, 'Mione. You are the strongest person I know. To go through all of this and come out the other side? You are amazing," Ginny nearly started crying herself. She had been through her own trauma in the Chamber of Secrets, but she hardly remembered any of it; Hermione was forced to live this over and over again.

"I just don't want everyone looking at me like I am going to break or fall apart or have a break down. I just want to be Hermione again," she pulled away from Ginny and admitted her deepest wish. She just wanted to forget that it happened. She knew it would always be a part of her, but now that he was at least forbidden from every coming near her again, even if it wasn't Azkaban, she felt safer.

"I won't. But everyone else may need some time," Ginny said, "Do you want me to bring you up dinner?"

"Yeah, I am a bit hungry. And could you tell Fred and George that I would like to talk to them? Just them though…I'm sure I'll feel better in the morning to talk to everyone else," Hermione gave a small smile to Ginny in thanks and the redhead got off of the bed, hurrying back downstairs to deliver the message.

George tackled Hermione in a hug when he entered the room, but Fred held back, standing near the doorway, with pain in his eyes. George's surprise elicited a little laugh from Hermione as she hugged him gratefully back.

"I missed you today. It was hard not having anyone, but your Dad took care of me…" she whispered into his shoulder and he kept her close.

"I thought about you every second. I am so, so sorry for betraying your trust, but I couldn't let him hurt you again. No one is ever going to hurt you again," George said, but it was loud enough for Fred to here. Fred came and sat cautiously on the edge of Hermione's bed, watching his brother and the girl he loved hug and thinking about the hardships they both had faced and would continue to. He tried to put his anger at Krum to the side when George back away and allowed Fred his turn.

"I'll bring up food when Mum has it ready…" George smiled at the pair before closing the door and leaving them alone. Fred situated himself so that his back was against the headboard and he wrapped his arm around Hermione. Even though he pulled her close to him by the waist, she only gave a small shiver of uncomfortableness, just merely wanting to be close to him.

"I'm sorry. Hermione…"

"Fred, I'm just glad it's done. Stay with me?"

"Until someone kicks me out, of course I will," he leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead, and she allowed herself to drift off in his arms, completely exhausted from her day.

A/N: Love you all!