Breaking Hermione

Power and Control

Give a little, get a lot
That's just how you are with love
Give a little, get a lot
Yeah, you may be good looking but you're not a piece of art
Power and control
I'm gonna make you fall

Power and Control
Marina and the Diamonds

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It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.

William Blake

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I had to find Shalini. Or Jade. But I couldn't seem to move my legs. I slid down the stone wall, feeling my world shattering around me. I couldn't even remember a single word of reassurance Dumbledore had said. All I could feel was Tom's hand around my throat constricting my airways.

I took a deep breath. My hands were shaking, my heart was beating a hundred miles a minute. I couldn't just be weak and give in. I didn't want to give Tom the satisfaction. But he seemed to have the upper hand of the situation, and I really didn't know what to do about it. He was physically and emotionally abusive. I really had to find the others.... if I could just stand up...

You're Hermione, also known to most of Slytherin as Dumbledore's little lying bitch.

I shut my eyes. Tom's voice came so clearly to my mind it was as if he was standing in front of me.

"Hermione!"

I jumped, fearing the worst- but it was both Jade and Shalini running toward me. "What are you doing? We have to go to class." Shalini was calling. She fell at my feet placing both her hands on my shoulders.

"Hey. Hermione. What happened? Are you ok?" She asked in concern. I was barely aware of her and the hundreds of students around us making their way to their next class.

"I don't.... know." I said slowly. "Tom...."
I placed my hands around my neck, Jade gasped. "Oh Merlin." She gasped. "Your neck. It's so ... red. Did he fucking try to strangle you? Oh my god."

I got to my feet unsteadily, Jade put her arm around me. "It's ok." She said. "You're safe now. Come on. We have to tell our Head of House about this. Or Dumbledore."

"No." I swallowed, my throat was extremely dry. "We can't do that."

"Oh come on! Are you kidding?" She said incredulously. "Have you even seen the colour of your neck?"

"We can't tell anyone, Jade." I repeated a little louder this time. "That's what he wants."

Jade's mouth fell open.

"Look, she's right." Shalini said reasonably. "This is Tom Riddle we're talking about. He's going to keep doing this sort of shit until he's got us under his control. That's what guys like him do."

"Um- I'm sorry, what guys are there like him?" Jade exclaimed. "Honestly you two literally sound so brainwashed right now."

I stepped away from the two of them for a minute, dragging my hands through my hair. I had to pull myself together for this.

"There are a lot of guys like him, Jade." Shalini was saying. "I'm not talking about you know, the murderous villain who's probably scheming to take over the world ok I'm talking about the guys who sexually and physically exploit girls and women. I've been with a lot of Tom's type. And this is just the kind of thing they do."