Somehow

Hermione sighed as she looked out of the small window in her room at 12 Grimauld place the rain falling in heavy droplets on her window as she sat on the small ledge next to the window. Picking up her quill she began to write in her small little black journal again as angry tears ran down her face.

" I honestly don't know how much more of this I can take. Ron has turned out to be someone completely different than what I thought he was. If anyone were to find out about the bruises and the broken bones…."

She stopped at this line and placed a finger on her now well swollen lower lip and the cut on her cheek. They had gotten into another fight over what she couldn't remember. He had blamed her for something or accused her of something that of course she didn't do and in return for her standing up for herself she got a wondrous slap across the face which caused the bloody lip and the cut on her check came when she was thrown into her bedroom mirror glass flying everywhere. More tears fell down her cheeks and stung the fresh wound on her left cheek as she took another rather big gulp from the fire whiskey bottle she kept well hidden…. This wasn't her life…. This wasn't Her… she had become an abused alcoholic…. She used to be so bright…. When did things go wrong….she began to write again.

"I fall to my knees screaming oh god please…. Make something of me… cause I've never wanted anything like what I wanna be right now….an angel again… angel again… an angle again somehow…"

Hearing a knock at her door she gasped lightly as she tried to hide her face and the bottle that sat next to her. Clearing her throat she said.

"Come in."

In walked Remus Lupin her old DADDA teacher. Of all the people who lived in this house he had to walk in.

"I thought I heard crying… is everything alright Hermione?" He said as he looked at her and walked over to her. With her hair in her face and her face buried into her knees she tried to make it seem like everything was alright.

"Oh…. Yeah… Ron and I got into another fight is all… Dinner wasn't on the table when he wanted it to be… so he got mad." She chuckled to herself softly. Remus frowned he knew something wasn't right. He could tell. The fire that this young woman that sat before him now was no longer bright and cheerful she was distant… cold… and he noticed the closer that he got the more she drew herself into a ball.

"What happened Mione… let me see… please?" as he reached out a hand to push her hair away Hermione flinched and the bottle that she was hiding fell to the floor in front of her. Racing to pick it up Remus caught her wrist and forced her to look at him. When he saw the split lip that looked like it may need a stitch or two to heal properly and the cut arcoss her cheek his face fell…

"Hermione… Ron did this? Why didn't you say anything? How many times has this happened….." Remus tried to hide the anger and hurt in his voice but she could see it in his eyes how angry he was at Ron and at her for not saying anything sooner.

"And you think this will make it all go away? Drinking never solves anything…How long has this been going on?... Hermione Answer ME!"

She flinched and fell to the floor hot tears streaming down her face.

"5 years…" she said softly.

"He's beaten me like this for 5 years…. Ever since Fred passed away during the final battle…. Every night if dinner isn't done… or the house isn't cleaned the way he likes…. Or if I wear the wrong clothing… I get beat because "That's what a wife is for…" he tells me…. You wanna see more?" She said softly as she removed the extreamly baggy sweater she was wearing. Showing him the bruises the scars… and the fresh cuts that she had her rib cage held a very dark purple bruise that ran the length of her side she hid her face as she began to cry even more.

"The Fire whiskey makes the pain go away…." She said hoarsely as she grabbed the bottle from him and took another long swing mming softly at the familiar burn down her throat. Remus balled up his fists and tried to calm himself down from hitting something that was close to him he didn't want to scare her anymore than she already was. Then he noticed the journal and picked it up reading the last thing she wrote. He frowned… this beautiful young woman in front of him was so worn down and beaten that she wanted nothing more than to be an angel…. It pained him to see that she was writing about death… a release from the pain…

"death isn't the answer Hermione… Mione please tell me that you haven't tried to…."
She smiled and looked up at him bearing her wrists…

"Commit suicide?" She said softly as he looked to her wrists he saw two long pink puckered scars running across them. Remus bent down and wrapped Hermione in his arms and pulled her in closely. She yelped for only a moment when he remembered about her ribs.

"He will pay Mione… He will pay with his life if I have anything to say about it… Don't you worry… you know…. I've always wanted to find a way of telling you that I had wished I was in Rons shoes… coming home to you every evening… sleeping next to you almost every night…" Remus looked down to the woman in his lap and smiled at her placing a soft kiss on her forhead.

"Really Remus?" she said meakly. "You would want me even still…. Like this… beaten and broken…" she said softly and he nodded to her.

"This is not a weakness Hermione… You are a strong woman for putting up with something like this… not many woman would have lasted one year let alone 5… You are stronger and more beautiful then you will ever know. You are smart and talented and an amazing witch and woman Hermione. Any man would be lucky to have you… and I do mean any man."

And with that Hermione smiled a genuine smile for once. Not a fake smile not one to hide the pain inside a real smile. At that moment she knew that she was safe and would always be safe. There would be no more yelling, no more nightmares, no more cuts and bruises. And from that point on the once bright and cheerful woman that she was began to come back and show herself again and in strides. Ron on the other hand wasn't as fortunate. One late night while he slept he got a visit from a none to happy group of people that group being some of Hermione's best friends. Including one Harry Potter, A very pissed and very pregnant Ginny weasley along with Molly and Arthur Weasley and an extreamly pissed off Remus and Sirius. After that night Hermione never saw Ron again mostly because he was told to pack up and leave and to never come looking for her or he would regret it. And from that moment on her life changed from what it was to one of nothing but happiness and love from someone she would have never expected Remus J. Lupin. And as she looked around the table of friends that had gathered for the small party that her and Remus were throwing she smiled as she placed a hand on her tummy.

" So the news that I am sure you all want to hear as to why this party is being held" She said softly as she stood as did Remus beside her. Remus smiled and raised his glass of wine.

"It is with deep pleasure and an over abundance of joy that my dear Hermione and I wish to share in the good news that I Remus Lupin will soon be a father… and a husband."

As everyone cheered and congradulated them Hermione couldn't help but smile and whisper softly into Remus's ear. "Thank you for being my angel."

End