A New Beginning: Chapter 1: The Start

Note from the Author (me), I don't own Harry Potter and I absolutely adore Rowling and her work. However, after doing my own fan reading, I drew a lot of inspiration from previous 'dramione' fan fictions I have read in the past and wished that some stuff was done and written a little differently. Thus, I give you my take on a dramione relationship. I will not go as far as to credit only myself for this story because I got many of my ideas from redhead414 and her stories as well as Simply Irresistible - bookworm1993. So check out their stories too, if you haven't already.

Hermione sighed as she emptied the contents of the brown cardboard box, carefully placing each item in their designated place. She always hated unpacking and typically used magic to do but today she was tired and distracted. It had been five years since the war, five years since her break-up with Ron and five years since she had been back in the London.

Hermione walked over to the balcony window of her living room and opened both of the white, glass panel doors. She took in her view of London and smiled. She was comfortable in France, in fact she loved it but she knew that there was a part of her missing, the part that was home. She was worried and a bit apprehensive about moving back. She knew that things would feel different this time, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to adjust. As she took in the view, her heart clenched. She missed it. The sounds, smell, and feel of the crisp London air, this was home. Home was London, magic, Harry, Hogwarts, Ron, her parents, and friends. Two of which were no longer the same home they use to be.

After oblivating her parents, Hermione knew she could never go back to them the way it used to be. She was no longer Hermione Granger, their daughter. Instead, she was a patient that saw Mr. and Mrs. Wendell and Monica Wilkens twice a year in Australia for her dental check-ups. Ron, was another story. They grew a part. She was mourning her losses, figuring out herself and her life and Ron had his own agenda. He was caught-up in the fame of being a part of the golden trio and auror training had taken all of his focus. He couldn't understand Hermione's phase and in the end, they went their separate ways. She could still remember the day left and London brought back all the memories.

"Ron, I am leaving." She looked at him with confidence. She had received a letter two weeks earlier, from a philosopher collecting and interpreting runes and ancient artifacts. With the war over, and the wizarding world in its last stages of repair, he had invited Hermione to help him with his interpretations at a museum in France.

"We talked about this already Hermione," Ron spat angrily, "I'm not going. I am already so far with my training here! A transfer to France would erase all of my work."

"I know," she replied softly, "that's why I didn't say we."

Ron looked at her, bewildered by her response and clenched his fists. She always did what she pleased. "I shouldn't be surprised. This is just like the time you stayed with Harry."

"Ron, that was different and you know it! I…. I just need to get away and have time to grow from everything. I'm sad. I feel alone! I feel like there is nothing left for me and you, you are doing so well even without me. I need to start doing things for myself."

Ron picked up his things, walked to the door and opened it. Before stepping out of their apartment, he looked over his shoulder at her. "Do as you please, but we are done. I can't do this anymore," and with that, he was gone.

She blinked back her own tears and sank down to the floor. She never expected him to agree with her, nor to continue a relationship. However, she never thought it feel so cold. She never thought he would be so cold.

A lump formed in her throat as she thought back. Home, she thought, it was bittersweet. Thump, thump! "Mione, I now you are in there, open-up!" She smiled as she recognized the voice. She opened the door and an overly excited Harry Potter enveloped her in a great big hug. Harry looked around the apartment, after releasing her. "Wow, it's quite a big place isn't it?"

"Yes, and I absolutely love it," she replied curtly. She was proud of her find. She had been searching for a nice place to stay for nearly two months, convinced she would have to move into a hotel. To her delight, she had accidentally stumbled upon an old colleague at the museum while collecting her things. Her friend was moving out of her apartment and was also delighted to hear that Hermione was willing to take over her lease.

The apartment complex was just a little ways away from the leaky caldron, and 12 grimmauld place, where Harry was staying and it was beautiful. It was surrounded by gardens and tall metal gates that lined the outskirts of the complex. It included a nice indoor pool and gym for its tenants and even had a small little café and market. Her apartment was on the top floor of the complex, being that is was fairly large. It had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a small study and dining area and a very large living space. The apartment had tall ceilings white cream walls, and smooth wooden floors, with the exception of the bathroom and kitchen that had white, stone tile floors instead.

"Well, it suits you. I can see that you have been busy, you are already almost done unpacking," Harry observed, "you know you really could have waited for me to finish-up at the Ministry and I would have helped you."

She shook her head in reply, "you know how impatient I am."

"Yes I do, which is why I came here first." Harry looked nervously at her. "Ginny, James and a recently close friend of mine are coming over. They are bringing dinner, too. I figured that you would probably be hungry after your trip over and I know you are impatient so I figured you would be unpacking and I also know that you like everything to be a certain way so I figured you wouldn't be done and that's why I thought to have them bring dinner over and plates. I told them to bring plates because I didn't know if you would be done unpacking your utensils and such."

Hermione stopped his babbling with a laugh "What is wrong with you?! Relax. I am so glad you thought of dinner because I have gotten so caught-up in unpacking and moving in that I completely forgot to plan anything for dinner."

"And Tea," Harry said, still a bit fidgety. "I told my friend to bring tea."

Hermione eyed him. She was bemused by his behavior but also skeptic. "Well, lovely. Does this friend of yours have a name?"

Harry looked away from her, gazing at all the pictures and art she had around her living room. "Yes, indeed he does."

Hermione was now a bit worried. "Harry James Potter, that friend's name had better not be Ronald. I told you I wasn't yet ready to face him."

Harry laughed. "No, I am not asking to be cursed!" Though he wasn't sure how she would take to playing nice with Draco Malfoy.

Hermione eyed the nervous Harry. "Is he someone that I know?"

"Yes, and we have gotten very, very close, practically a new best friend," Harry swallowed. "He went to Hogwarts with us."

Hermione eased-up and went to make tea. "Oh, well if it is Neville, I am quite pleased. I've heard he is doing quite well for himself at Hogwarts. With Professor McGonagall as the new Headmaster, Neville is now the new head of Gryffindor. I had wanted to sit and talk with him at some point after settling down here, anyway."

Harry walked over and sat down that the kitchen table, watching as Hermione set out glasses for tea. "I see, you had already unpacked your kitchen things. I suppose asking Draco to bring tea was pointless." Harry gulped, shocked at his own mistake. "Hermione, before you say anything, you should know -"

"DRACO MALFOY?!" She interrupted him, her eyes filled with bewilderment. "You cannot be serious! He was a death eater. Harry. He helped Voldemort kill our friends. He tormented me, us in Hogwarts. He is, is a spoiled, evil, little, rodent of a prat! He -"

"Was just a child, Hermione. We all were." Harry's eyes softened. "He has changed. He is different now and he wants to be better. He wants to help people."

"And how exactly did this, friendship start?" She spat out the last words in disgust.

Harry sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Well I was injured after an auror mission, and my healer at St. Mungos happened to be Draco. We had lunch after and ever since then, he has astounded me with his transformation and earned my trust. He really is quite brilliant you know."

Hermione glowered. "And he being a healer is supposed to make me think differently of him? Does he only heal pure bloods or do they require him to dirty his hands with the blood like mine?"

"Enough Hermione!" Harry shouted, nearly off his chair. "I knew this would be hard for you but you of all people should know that prejudice has change. Draco studied hard in both the wizarding world and the muggle world in order to be the head healer at St. Mungos. He has worked hard and is still trying to earn back people's trust. Even Kingsley trusts him."

She was surprised and anyone would be. Draco Malfoy going to a muggle University to study medicine and on top of that earning the trust of the new minister of magic! She thought she was hallucinating. "How, how did he get out of Azkaban?"

After a year in Azkaban, the year you left, Kingsley order a pardon for Draco and his mother. I advocated the release of Narcissa Malfoy after I talked to her. She saved my life and only wanted to protect Draco. However, Draco was released on behalf of Professors Severus Snape and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Draco never really did anything during the war. He didn't kill anyone and the only wrong he did was follow orders out of fear and let in death eater at Hogwarts."

"And Lucius? Did they let him out as well?"

Harry looked a bit solemn. He knew that Draco resented his father but he also knew what it was like to be without one and he felt for Draco. "Lucius was reported dead. He was caught in a fire and Aurors reported the body."

They looked at each other a bit and Hermione knew that she had lost. Draco was a part of Harry's' life, and Harry a part of hers. It was clear that she would have to learn to forgive.

Thump, Thump, Thump, Rattle "Aunt Mione! Open this door immediately! I'm hungry and mummy refuses to let me have a bite," James yelled in angst.

"James Sirius Potter! You should not shout so much and don't you dare run down that hall!" Ginny scolded James, her hands full.

Harry and Hermione laughed as they walked to the door and let in their friends and family. Hermione hugged Ginny and looked to her swollen belly.

"Oh, I see you have been busy!" Hermione looked mischievously at Harry, whom only gave a sheepish smile. "How far long are you?"

Ginny laughed and handed the bags of take-out Italian food to Harry, instructing him to set the table. "Only 3 months, and I am already tired of it."

Draco walked in afterwards, one hand carrying a bottle of wine, and the other holding a sideways, squirming James. "I got him Gin. The little bugger has been practicing his running I can see. But I am still faster." He winked down at James while he squirmed and James replied cheekily sticking out his tongue, making a face.

"Aunt Mione!" James face lit up immediately after he saw her. Draco let him go and he ran to his Aunt, hugging her tightly. "I missed you so much!" He looked up at her, "I've gotten bigger haven't I? I am almost as tall as Teddy now! I am up to his shoulder blades."

Hermione smiled and hugged him back. Indeed he was bigger than she had remembered. Last Christmas, Harry and Ginny brought James with them to visit her in France and he was 2 inches smaller than he was now. It was then that Harry convinced her to move back to London. She looked over at Harry and Ginny who were now in the kitchen, chatting furiously amongst each other, smiling and laughing, and picked up James.

"You have a lovely home. Have you finished unpacking it all yet?" Malfoy asked. He looked a bit uneasy and Hermione could see that he was different. His features had softened. He was tall as usual, but his posture was more relaxed than it had been before. His eyes no longer scowled and his mouth in a genuine smile. He didn't have his hair gelled back like she remembered,and he wore simple jeans and a plain white button-up shirt, un tucked, with his sleeves rolled-up. He was different and he clearly looked the part.

She sighed and remembered Harry's words and expression. "Almost." She said softly, James looked at the two of them questionably. There was a tension between them that he could sensed but could not explain. "Please make yourself at home." She gave him an awkward smile and gestured him to make his way to the kitchen for dinner.

"Do you not like uncle Draco" James asked Hermione as they sat down.

She looked at him in surprise. Uncle Draco she thought. She could not believe just how close Draco and Harry really were, and Ginny too.

"I don't know why you wouldn't like him. Uncle Draco lives in a really nice house and he has a room for me for our sleepovers. Uncle Draco is fun. He has a room for Mummy and Daddy too and Aunt Cissa stays in it sometimes when she stays with him (referring to Draco's guest room)," James adamantly explained, his mouth full of food. "He has another room too full of junk and boxes. I bet if you are nice to him he can make a room for you too."

"Oh, you don't live at the manor?" Hermione looked over to Draco.

"No, Mother and I had it torn down and rebuilt after we settled back in. It is smaller now and we sold most of the land to make way for new homes and buildings that needed a space." Malfoy smiled. "Mother lives there now but I decided to make something of my own. So I moved and I live just a couple blocks away from St. Mungos now. You will have come by some time."

"That's a wonderful idea, Mione!" Ginny exclaimed. "In fact, why don't we all have dinner there tomorrow night? We, could go after our shopping trip, and Harry and James can meet us over there."

"Sure, I don't mind at all." Draco looked over to Harry, whom nodded.

"Then it's settled. You don't have anything to do tomorrow after our shopping trip right Mione?"

"No" Hermione replied but her head was spinning.