Chapter 4
Chapter 4 of 17
nogod1215After nearly being killed by her husband, Hermione returns to Hogwarts. (Ultimately a SS/HG, but starts out a little different.)**NOW COMPLETE**
ReviewedDISCLAIMER::: Everything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. I just love them so much I wanted to play with them a little.
Summary::: Hermione gets some questions answered.
New Beginnings
Chapter Four
It was close to midnight, and Hermione was still sitting at the desk in her office marking essays, when a house-elf popped in and startled her. Deciding that it was time for her to head to bed, she stood and started for her private chambers. She had just approached the portrait to her rooms when her stomach growled loudly.
"You had better get down to the kitchens and take care of that, Professor, or none of us portraits will get any sleep tonight," the young lady in a white dress standing in a garden of yellow roses stated. This portrait had always been one of Hermione's favourites, and she used to converse with it often as a student.
"I think I will do that," Hermione agreed, turning around and heading down toward the kitchen.
When she entered the kitchen, all the house-elves inside started rushing around, piling her arms up with food. She tried to explain to them that she could never eat all this in a week, and all she wanted was a nice fresh salad.
From behind her came that now familiar voice, "Will you get the poor girl a salad, already?"
Turning around, she said, "Thank you, Professor, but I have everything under control."
He met her eyes for a second, and then, looking at the food in her arms, smirking, he met her eyes again.
"I can see that, Professor Granger. So what were you planning on doing with all that food in your arms? Or were you just holding it so they would have space on the counters to prepare your salad?" he drawled sarcastically.
Her eyes flashed with anger as she leaned over a nearby table and deposited her load of food. Ignoring his comment, she put her hands on her hips and asked, "Are you stalking me?"
Looking shocked for a moment, Professor Snape asked, "Stalking you? Why in the name of Merlin would I be stalking you?"
Smiling, Hermione's eyes danced with mischief. "Every time I turn around, there you are, ready to throw a comment at me just to see if you can get a rise. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Professor, but you don't scare me. You never did."
That being said, she turned around, took the salad she had requested from the elves, and walked over to a small table in the corner of the kitchen. Sitting down, she began to eat, completely ignoring the fact that Professor Snape asked for a piece of pie and, after receiving it, walked over and joined her.
They each ate in silence for awhile until Hermione's curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "What kind of pie is that? It smells delicious."
Not looking up, Snape simply stated, "Peach."
Before she even had time to ask one of the elves for a piece of her own, one appeared on the table next to her salad. Grinning, she started in on it, too. They ate companionably until they were done. When a tea service appeared on the table between them, Professor Snape poured them each a cup and asked, "How has your first week of classes gone? I hope they have improved since Monday."
Hermione picked up her cup of tea and sipped it before responding, "The week did improve, thank you."
Then as if she just couldn't wait any longer to know, she asked, "How long have you been back at Hogwarts, Professor? The last I heard you were out of the country."
"I returned just last term. Yes, the last time I wrote to Draco, I was still in Tibet, so he would not have known I was back here. We don't keep in contact like we used to when we were first pardoned," he said, never looking up from his tea.
"How did Professor McGonagall get you back here? I thought the Ministry said you could never return to Hogwarts?"
"Oh, they did, but like Albus, Minerva can be very... convincing when she needs to be. She just frankly told the Minister that if he wanted her to stay on as Headmistress, he would have to give her free rein of the hiring and firing of professors just like Albus had had. Of course, he agreed, and she even talked him into signing a Wizarding contract attesting to it," he said, a small smile playing across his lips.
Shocked, Hermione said, "Who knew that the personification of Gryffindor could be so Slytherin." Then smirking, she added, "If she doesn't watch it, she just might turn into you."
Hermione giggled a little at the thought. Snape, on the other hand, laughed all out. He tilted his head back and simply laughed.
Not understanding this new side of Snape she had never before seen, she felt compelled to ask him about these changes.
"Who are you? If Harry ever saw you laugh like that, or even smile, he would die of shock on the spot, and then Draco would be forced to kill you out of revenge. I don't understand."
"Well, Professor Granger, as you know, I spent four years in the hills of Tibet after I was pardoned by the Ministry, when they discovered I was not really responsible for killing Albus. The poison he drank to get that fake Horcrux killed him the instant I cast the silent levitation charm on him to get him over the edge of the tower. It took some convincing and demonstrating that I could indeed perform a different spell silently than the spell I said out loud. Sometimes people just don't realize that it is the power of thought and feeling that is the strongest magic."
Sipping his tea again, he continued, "Anyway, while I was in Tibet, I lived with a group of Muggle Buddhists. They taught me about inner peace and forgiveness. They helped me to see that all the anger inside of me was toward a person that had only done to me what had been done to him, a person that had been dead for almost thirty years--my father. The Buddhists showed me how to move beyond the past and live for today. They believe that every day is precious, and that if you ignore the little things in life, then the big things don't matter as much."
Hermione was fascinated by listening to him talk about the Buddhist monks as if they had saved his life. And in a way, she guessed that they had. After the war had ended, everyone had tried to go on with his or her lives, and Snape had been stranded. He was a wanted man, so he couldn't go home. He had 'killed' Albus Dumbledore, so he couldn't go back to Hogwarts. He was no longer needed by the Order, and so he couldn't go to Grimmauld Place. He was stuck.
After the trial that freed him and Draco of all charges pertaining to the death of Dumbledore, Draco had been able to marry Harry, but Snape had no one. So he left the country. From what Draco had told them, Snape had travelled the world, spending very little time in any one place, but constantly moving. That is, until he had arrived in Tibet. All he would tell Draco in his letters was that he was alive and staying in the mountains. They had all pictured him living in a cave like the overgrown bat they had all considered him.
"It must have been difficult," she said finally.
"What was difficult?" he asked. "Do you mean the releasing of all the anger and hatred that I had carried all those years, or living as a Muggle for four years? In my opinion, the fact that I had to do chores without magic was the hardest part."
Picturing Snape on his hands and knees scrubbing floors made her chuckle, and Snape started to laugh too. Once they had settled down, the Potions professor set his teacup down and stood up.
"Well, Professor, it is late, and as we have a Hogsmeade trip to supervise tomorrow, I bid you good night." He bowed low, and then, looking up into her eyes, he smiled.
Smiling herself, she said, "Goodnight, Professor. Sweet dreams." Then she stood as well, and they walked out of the kitchens, going their separate ways toward their respective rooms.
TBC
AN::: I would like to thank my betas Pixie and Allison. Without them you would never have gotten to see this. In the next chapter Hermione visits Hogsmeade.
AN2::: IF YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW ARE BEING ABUSED Physically,mentally, or emotionally you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799 SAFE (7233)
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Latest 25 Reviews for New Beginnings
237 Reviews | 5.8/10 Average
So sorry to read that you had to write this from real life experience. Nobody should have to go through anything like this. This story is so plausible it is frightening, and I guess we now know why. I hope writing this helped you and very glad to see you are not in that relationship anymore. Thanks for a compelling read and my thoughts go to you for love and healing for the rest of your life.
Wow! Great story! I wish this kind of thing happened in real life as well - where the abuser/rapist was given the harshest possible sentence and the woman was protected by all means necessary. I like your world in which that happens. Too much of the time of course, the judge gives out a useless restraining order or worse, doesn't believe the person making the charges and she gets killed by her abuser. I can't wait to finish this story. Thanks for writing it.
Very well written! Congratulations for having the courage to leave your ex! That takes a LOT of strength and determination to do, so kudos to you!
Missy/LovesRickman
ii do love when ron gets smacked down i have always felt JKR never shouldhave married ron and hermione!
Thank you so much. It's a great story and really well written. I had enjoyed it up to the point that you mentioned your personal experience. That knocked the wind out of me to be honest.
It's hard to believe how cruelly people can treat each other. Hope writing brings you some relief. x
Really liked the story, just one thing bothers me greatly. On your warnings list, you have BDSM listed, and nothing in your story is true BDSM. I would ask that you research what true BDSM is before trying to pass off rape and sickness as something that has nothing to do with it. Yes, BDSM is different than regular sex, but everything is consentual, no one is taken against their will and forced into acts they don't want to be in. There are numerous safety guildlines used in almost all places, and while, yes sometimes things happen, and someone gets hurt, its not rape, not anger or hate or violance in any way shape or form. BDSM gets a bad rep because of luntics that use it as an excuse to be sick and hurt others without their consent, and polute something that can be truely beautiful. And yes, there are a lot of things claiming to be BDSM, that are not really truely about the power exchange that happens in a BDSM relationship. So again, please consider researching BDSM and try to understand why rape and violance has nothing to do with healthy BDSM. Thank you for a wonderful story.
Response from nogod1215 (Author of New Beginnings)
Response from nogod1215 (Author of New Beginnings)
,Thank you for your comments in your review. I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond, but I kinda lost the password to this acct and it took me forever to find it again.As far as your concerns about me equating BDSM with rape, I would like to first say that No BDSM isnt rape when performed in its proper fashion. However, there are many people in the world who see tieing your girlfriend to the bed posts and have consentual sex with her as just as perverse as rape. I personally am not one of these people.Second, I am sure you have come across authors who over rate and over warn just to be on the safe side. This is what I have done. I would rather warn someone of BDSM to prepare them for something they might not be interested in then to not warn them for it and get blasted or even removed from the site by the mods.I am sorry you feel that I was demeaning a lifestyle and those who participate in it. I did not mean to offend, just to caution.Thank you,nogod1215 
Response from AlanaVawn (Reviewer)
Thank you for clearing that up. I understand over rating a story rather than underrating and getting the story pulled. I feel strongly about this, because I've been on both sides, raped and in the lifestyle. They couldn't be more different. It would mean the world to me and other if you would be willing to write a note at the bottom, disclaiming that what was written isn't bdsm, it's pure rape. This would again, mean alot to me and also clear up any possible confusion. :) Thank you again!Alanavawn
Response from nogod1215 (Author of New Beginnings)
Response from nogod1215 (Author of New Beginnings)
,I changed the warnings to not include the BDSM warning. If the mods want to contact me about it I will deal with it then.nogod1215
Response from AlanaVawn (Reviewer)
THANK YOU! I really appreciate that you did that! I didn't want to ask you to do that, simply because I understand why authors have to be careful about not reporting things, but that's so wonderful of you! Thank you!!!!! :)Alanavawn
A heartfelt Thank you or providing the DV Hotline here. Why not see if anyone around here knows the UK equivalent since we have so many from the Old Country as readers and autors here?
The description of Ron 'giving up' on a job and deiding to booze to make up for it sounds eerily like Marvolo and Morfans Gaunt. Hmmm. Did you pictue that while writing this?
That was a very intense story. Some aspects of the characterization were way off. I don't mean canon off, as in real life reactions off. However, looking beyond that, this was a very intense story.
And so we have reached the end. An excellent story, and painful. both you and I as well as billions of women and millions of men have been through abusive relationships.
Abuse is a sneaky thing and starts out like a small virus. It can be little things at first, Jealousy, extra overprotectiveness, OBSESSION with most, if not ALL aspects of ones life, then it progresses faster from there, usually manifesting in physical abuse. But dont forget! Abuse can be Physical, mental and emotional. Even spiritual (Think REV. JIM JONES) AND men, YES men can be victims too! It does not have to be your partner. It can be a friend, relative etc. Domestic Violence charges can be filed against ANYONE who has abused you in any way. One does not have to be involved in a sexual relationship or even living with the person. Once again the National Domestic Violence Hotline Toll-FREE number is 1(800)799-SAFE (7233). If you or someone you know are being abused or suspect that you or they are, CALL. Help is out there! PLEASE, take it from me and the author of this story's footnote. Remember if they are violent, especially extremely violent, like RON was in here, DO NOT CONFRONT THEM ALONE! It will incite more anger if you are threatining them with leaving or calling the police and could get you seriously hurt or (sorry to say) killed. Wait until you can slip away (but dont wait long!! I left when my EX husband passed out drunk and left that day. He woke up in jail with a lifetime restraining order from me. But mak3e sure once you are gone, you get a close support network of family friends etc. to check up on you until the person gives up or you know its finally over. Unfortunately, a piece of divorce paper and a restraining order did not stop a lady in my town from being shot in the head by her boyfriend. I apologize for being so blunt, but its necessary. Peace be with you.
IF YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW ARE BEING ABUSED Physically,mentally, or emotionally you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799 SAFE (7233)
Response from nogod1215 (Author of New Beginnings)
I have added this information to the author notes for each chapter... I hope it helps!nogod1215
Ummm, 8 wizards with 8 wands, most of them extremely skilled and they need Harry to trick the resident in #1 to buzz them into the flat? THEN they use the Alohomora to get into #3? Tsk, tsk. The shame! I'm kidding with you!
(figured I could use Ginny for Bill Cos the long hair and another set of redheads for Arthur and Charlie!
Once again the number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1(800)799-SAFE (7233)
Once again the number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1(800)799-SAFE (7233)
'The number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1(800)799-SAFE (7233)
The number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1(800)799-SAFE or :(7233)
The number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1(800)799-SAFE or :(7233)
Once again, if you are being abused emotionally, mentally or PHYSICALLY, you DONT have to put up with it! There is help out there. The number to The National Domestic (and you dont have to be married or residing together for it to BE domestic violence, it could be your own mother in some cases!) Anyway The number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1(800)799-SAFE or :(7233)
~The number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is Toll-FREE:1-800-SAFE (7233The number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is Toll-FREE:1-800-799-SAFE (7233)~I agree. Bill would be the best of the Weasels and he DID save her life a few times, and got his bro exiled, BUT it was about ten years too late, dontcha think? Anyone decent wouldnt watch that continue. I like this story because I know how it goes, but I have always had a couple of problems with it. First of all, it is waaaay too OOC for Hermione (even under threat of death, or misguided love) I would know I was abused by 2 different men, that she would have stayed with him after the second beating. Maybe even the first. Her persona is right I just dont find her sticking with Ron feasable. Maybe dull it down to a couple years instead of 10 and have it start out with mild abuse if you want to make the beginning situation more in character. 2. (okay I really have 3 problems:] ) HARRY would NEVER let her go through this for 10 years or even one. He would kidnap her himself just to 'play the hero' or kill Ron in her defense. 3. I DO NOT believe half of the Weasleys would have let this go on at all. Since you need Molly to be a bitch (in canon she would KILL her son herself!!) I understand, BUT Arthur, Bill, Charlie (whenever he's around) maybe the twins and surprisingly but DEFINATELY stick up his arse PERCY would have never let this go on. Percy is so to the letter of the law he would have 500 feet of parchment in notes to hand the minister and lock Ron up himself, just to get ahead!!! OK Im done picking at you. But I have something to say: *TO ALL WOMEN OUT THERE: IF YOU ARE BEING HIT, or called terrible names, or your mate doesnt like you to even go to the store SEEK IMMEDIATE HELP! THERE ARE PLENTY OF HOTLINES FOR BATTERED WOMEN, The number to The National Domestic Violence Hotline is Toll-FREE:1-800-799-SAFE (7233)~~YOU DONT HAVE TO UP AND CALL THE POLICE TO GET HELP, EVEN IF HE/SHE THREATENS TO KILL YOU. I have been there. Dont stay with an emotionak/mental abuser or anyone who hits you, in MY opinion the emotional abuse is worse. PLEASE get help.* AND REMEMBER: Emotional/mental abuse is STILL abuse, it just takes longer to heal from and statistically wont kill you, but I cut my wrists and a friend saved me 5 YEARS after I left the jerk!
Response from nogod1215 (Author of New Beginnings)
I know that canon Hermione would never put up with something like this, but using the Harry Potter characters was a therapeutic way for me to fight my own demons of spousal abuse.nogod1215
not to be a nettle in your side, cos it is semantics, so it does'nt matter: ME<------GRAMMAR FREAK! Hagrid always said 'yeh' when referring to one or more individuals. JK Rowling never had Hagrid use the old english (which I know you weren't meaning it that way, just making his garbled hackney accent) 'Ye'. There was always an 'H' on the end. Sorry Im a butthead, but the story is great, Ive read it once.
Glad to see that Ron got what he deserved.
Gosh, the things that Hermione has put up with, but I know that she is strong and that she will through it--at least I hope so.
I just knew that Ron had to the one to nab Hermione, and I cannot get over Molly helping her git of a son. Wonder chapter as always!
Another awesome chapter! I just knew that Bill was a good man, however, his brother, Ron... not so much.
