The inevitable

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Hermione stared dully out of the window as the countryside rushed by. She was alone, no Harry or Ron around to keep her occupied. A rat known as Ginny Weasley had seen to that.

She still couldn't believe how easily the boys had turned from her, over Ginny.

The boys and Hermione were curled up by the fire at Grimauld Place when Ginny burst into the room in tears. "I can't hide it anymore!" Ginny cried dramatically, throwing herself at Harry.

The three exchanged confused looks. "Hide what, Gin?" Harry asked kindly.

Ginny glanced at Hermione. "I...I can't."
"You just said you wanted too." Ron said with his usual tactless approach.

Ginny pulled up her sleeves to reveal several bruises littering her pale arms. Hermione and the boys gasped in horror.

"Who did this to you?" Hermione asked, approaching the younger girl.

Ginny flinched back. "Please, don't hurt me!" She whined.

"What?"
"You'll hurt me again!" Ginny wailed, curling up into Harry's lap. The boys glared at Hermione.

"You've been hurting Ginny? Does it make you feel big and important? Hurting girls younger than you. You make me sick." Ron growled, glaring at his curly haired best friend.

"You don't think I did this?" Hermione gasped in horror.

"You think Gin would do this to herself?" Harry spat, his emerald eyes filled with hate.

Hermione's own chocolate eyes bore into his, pleading with him to see sense. "I would never..."
"And she still denies it! Even though the evidence is right in front of us!" Ron hissed.

"But..."

"Enough." Harry cut her off. He stood, scooping a sobbing Ginny into his arms as though she were a baby.

"You really are a sick one, Hermione. All this time, we thought you were our friend. Ginny's friend. Now we find you just liked the power that came with being our friend." Ron added.

"No! You know me! I couldn't..."
Ginny met Hermione's eyes over Harry's shoulder and smirked. "She's lying!" Hermione yelled.

Harry shook his head. "You've sunk to a new low, Hermione. From this day on, you are no longer our friend. You can leave Grimauld Place tomorrow and don't ever come back!"

Hermione's heart had broken when she was cast out by her once best friend. The worst thing was that Ginny had gotten what she wanted and no one knew.

For the rest of the summer she had spent her time living alone in her childhood home, once full of happy memories but now housing haunted ones and gathering dust. She would wake up screaming every night in that house, the house where her life began to go wrong.

Hermione shook her head slightly to dispel any dangerous thoughts. She was so tired. Her eyelids began to droop as the soft rocking and rhythmic chug of the train began to lull her to sleep. As soon as her eyes shut, the nightmares would begin.
Hermione sat with her faithful cat in her living room, one of Shakespeare's many works in her hands as she read it avidly. Each time she read it, she found something new.

The front door opened and her father's voice rang out into the otherwise silent house. "We're home!"

Hermione leapt off of the sofa and ran to his side. "Hi Dad. How was work?"