A/N Hey everyone! So this is repost of a story i had in progress which I took down to re-edit because i didn't like a few things and its taken me a while but i've finally gotten around to reposting it. So far i only have about 8 chapters but don't worry, there are plenty more to come! So yeah that's it basically, I hope you all enjoy it. Oh and this was formerly called She is the sunlight but i decided to change the name and you'll figure out why i did that eventually ;D
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter..Dramione would have been canon obviously.
Pain. That's all she was aware of, excruciating yet familiar pain. She whimpered as she felt another sharp kick to her side and flinched away as the boy leaned down to whisper harshly in her face,
"Have you learned your lesson yet my sweet 'Mione?" He made the word sweet sound like an insult and she nodded. "Good, now get up. You look pathetic just laying there." He said and stood straight.
Hermione struggled to stand up and she let out a cry of pain as her leg protested at the sudden movement. She managed to stand semi straight regardless and looked at her abuser.
"Its almost curfew Ronald..you should get back to the dorms." Her voice was quiet and empty.
Ron stared at her for a few minutes before grabbing her chin in a bruising grip and crushing his lips against hers, she responded because she knew he would hit her again if she didn't but every part of her felt disgust and shame.
He released her and left the Head's dorm without a word. Hermione stumbled up the stairs to her room and shut the door before collapsing on the ground and letting the tears fall freely down her cheeks, this wasn't how things were supposed to be.
Ron should never had laid a hand on her but he did, almost every night. Now, he wouldn't always beat her as harshly as he had tonight but he still hurt her in some way.
Most times it was mainly calling her names and degrading her to the point where she silently and sometimes verbally agreed with him, other times he would slap her, pinch her or hold her wrist too tight.
Tonight however he had been in a rage and she did not know why, he had backhanded her across the face hard enough for the skin on her cheek to split and make her fall to the ground where he proceeded to kick her.
He hadn't always been like this though..there were times in the beginning of their relationship where he had been sweet, kind, perfect and she had been madly in love with him.
She clutched her knees to her chest as she remembered back when Ron had still been well..Ron.
They had started dating during the summer as had Ginny and Harry, everything was perfect. The Light had won the war and while there had been deep devastating losses, their world had managed to slowly rebuild itself.
Harry had become more carefree now that Voldemort was no longer a threat and he got to enjoy being a teenager finally. Hermione was happy for him, he deserved it after all. They all had been through Hell but they had managed to come out alive.
Hermione had thought things would finally be okay for all of them, especially when they had all received their letters to repeat their final year. She had been ecstatic and Harry had agreed with her that going back would be good for them.
Ron hadn't been as happy but he had agreed nonetheless. She was overjoyed and in love, what more could a girl ask for right? But then something had changed.
Ron had become possessive, violent, he had constantly accused her of cheating or spending more time with Harry or the others than with him. Of course no one else noticed, he saved it only for her.
At first they had simply argued, but then he had struck her down one night. He hadn't apologized, he had said nothing even as he had seen the bruise start to blossom on her cheek. Hermione had firmly put it down to post traumatic stress from the war but then it happened again.
It kept happening throughout the summer, no one noticed. No one cared. Hermione kept it to herself because honestly who could she tell? No one would believe her, so she kept silent as the abuse continued.
It seemed that nothing she did was right to him, she knew he cheated on her with anyone he could and a part of her was thankful that he hadn't pushed that on her. Yet.
She didn't know why Ron did what he did to her, she desperately tried to find a solid reason for why he would but she found nothing. She had hoped that returning to Hogwarts would make it better but it hadn't.
The only good thing was that she had been made Head Girl and therefor got her own dormitory. Albeit she had to share it with Draco Malfoy who had returned to school as well and had been made Head Boy but they barely spoke and when they did it was curt.
He hadn't called her any names though and mainly stuck with his friends which had shocked her slightly but then again the war had changed everyone. She knew that better than anyone else.
Ron however took any chance he got to make snide remarks to Malfoy or to pick a fight, whenever he would lose or get angry he would immediately drag her to her room and yell at her, claiming that it was her fault.
She let out a choked sob as the memories played through her head and pulled herself up on to her bed painfully. Crookshanks leapt up next to her and gently nuzzled her hand, she barely took notice as she continued to cry.
She distantly heard the portrait door opening and closing, announcing that Malfoy had returned. She quieted down until she was sure he was in her room before the sobs began again, she desperately wished that she could tell someone about what was happening.
Yet she knew that could never happen, who knows what Ron would do to her if she did. So instead she took careful measures to make sure no one noticed anything amiss, she always made sure her bruises were covered and to never flinch away from Ron when he would come close to her.
Her grades were high as usual, she studied furiously and never once missed a lesson. She laughed and smiled with her friends but her laugh sounded hollow to her ears and she knew her smile was more of a grimace, but that didn't matter because no one saw anything wrong.
Not Harry who as almost like a brother to her, not Ginny who was her closest girl friend. On the outside her and Ron were the perfect couple, If only they knew how perfect we really are. Hermione thought bitterly.
She closed her eyes as the tears continued to fall down her pale cheeks and she buried her face in her pillow, letting out a muffled scream of pain and anger.
She screamed and sobbed over and over again until her throat was hoarse and she finally fell into a fitful sleep, unaware of the boy who had listened to her screaming from the bathroom that sat between their rooms.
The next morning Hermione woke up and got out of bed, her ribs were still sore as she stretched but she did her best to ignore it as she went into the bathroom.
She observed her face in the mirror and sighed. She winced as she touched the cut on her cheek and knew that if she were to put makeup over it that it would hurt. Hermione chewed her lip nervously before sighing and carefully putting makeup on to cover the bruises and the cut.
She winced as she did it but kept on until her skin looked unblemished and normal. She plastered a fake smile on her face before clipping her hair up and getting dressed in her uniform.
She walked into the common room to see Malfoy leaning against the counter in their tiny kitchen munching on an apple, he glanced at her steadily for a second but said nothing. Hermione found it curious but she simply shook her head and ignored him.
Hermione was thankful that Malfoy had backed off this year, she didn't think she would have been able to handle his insults on top of Ron's
Hermione gathered up her book bag and left the dorm to head to breakfast, she walked into the Great Hall and sat down next to Ginny and Harry, "Morning Mione." Ginny said pleasantly.
"Morning Gin, Harry." Hermione said with a small smile, Harry smiled back and nodded in acknowledgment before returning to his discussion with Seamus.
Hermione poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice and took a sip as she surveyed the table, glad that Ron had yet to show up. "Not eating anything Hermione?" Ginny asked and Hermione shook her head, "Not hungry." She said.
Ginny shrugged and returned to her breakfast as someone sat down next to Hermione, she instantly stiffened as an arm snaked around her shoulders but she forced herself to try and relax as much as she could.
"Morning Mione, sleep well?" Ron asked and smiled at her, to anyone else it would seem sweet but she knew it was far from it. She nodded and said, "Yes Ron."
She turned to face Ginny and Harry and said, "I have to get to the library, i completely forgot about a book i needed to get for Professor Binns History report." Harry shrugged and Ginny simply rolled her eyes playfully "You study too much Hermione."
Hermione forced a laugh but said nothing as Ron spoke, "Aw come on Mione i just got here, i'm sure it can wait." Ron said and she turned back to look at him. She could see the warning in his eyes and feel the way his arm around her shoulders tightened but she couldn't sit there for a minute longer.
"It really can't Ron i'm sorry, but i'll see you in Charms. Bye guys." She said and quickly dislodged Ron's arms and all but ran from the Great Hall, not daring to look back at Ron.
If she had looked back however, she would have seen the blue eyes staring after her in anger and she might have noticed the silver eyes that had been watching her all morning darken in confusion.
A/N alright so hopefully if anyone who has read this before reads it again i will just say that I haven't changed too much, just a few minor details here and there. But anyways...please let me know what you think and if i get a few reviews i'll post the next chapter :)