The dress was long and simple, a pure, untouched white. Her long tresses hung to her lower back, flowing in the late afternoon wind. It was the perfect day for a wedding, a perfect day for her wedding. It was with this belief that Hermione Jean Granger walked down the aisle towards the beginning of her future.
The flat was small and empty. The front room combined parlor, dining room, and kitchen. The wood floors creaked under their collective weight.
"How do you like it, 'Mione?" asked Ronald Weasley.
Hermione struggled to find words. Ever since she'd first gotten her Hogwarts letter, she'd dreamed that, after her seven years at school, she'd rent her own apartment, get a magical job, get married. Even if these events were happening in scrambled order, she was happy. Even though the flat wasn't perfect, she was excited. Even though they were poor, she was bursting with love and life and laughter…Hermione's existence was perfect.
"Oh Ronald!" She threw herself into her husband's arms, the weight of her joy bearing down on him. He grinned, his fiery red hair peeking above hers as they shared a celebratory kiss. All he'd ever wanted was her—and now that he'd gotten the girl of his dreams, everything else would sort itself out.
"I know it's not much, but it's a start," he whispered into her hair. "It's our start—our new beginning."
The aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts had left the wizarding world in mourning and disarray. Even though the Dark Lord had been vanquished, even though the Death Eaters had been destroyed, even though their world was peaceful, the memories and the pain from the long war remained.
The deaths, the absences, the missing ones…none of that pain had been healed after Voldemort had fallen. Thousands of funerals were held in the following weeks, thousands of hearts were broken.
Although the Weasley family itself had ultimately been spared decimation, the absence of Fred was duly noted every day. George was a shell of his former self, empty since his twin brother had died. Molly's tears fell when she was alone, when she was folding laundry or washing dishes or cleaning the house. With nobody to comfort her when she needed it the most, the Weasley mother fell into a state of depression that had only been slightly cured after Ron's and Hermione's wedding.
Remus, Tonks, Colin, Lavender—Snape. Each death hit them with the force of a thousand stampeding centaurs. Dobby, Ollivander, Xenophilius, Ted…Sirius, Cedric, James, Lily…Fred—the names flew from their minds and into their hearts as the list went on. The tears had been shed but the pain still remained. Even those they'd never been close to—even Vincent Crabbe—sparked a new flood of sobs.
The thought that Harry had almost joined their ranks broke Hermione's heart, and tore at Ron's, because without Harry they were just two people who could only depend on each other. But Harry hadn't died, and every time they saw his face they were flooded with relief and joy. When Harry started dating Ginny and got a job and a house; whenever he accomplished any of the most mundane things, his best friends were reminded that if he'd been gone, he'd never have been able to do anything, ever again. And such were the reminders.
But the apartment seemed to be, for the newlyweds, the first step to a lengthy and painful recovery. Hermione dedicated their first few weeks to redecorating; furnishing the flat with old Weasley furniture that'd been kept in the garden shed (that seemed too small to store the multitudes of relics it had), and Ron joined Harry in the Auror Department, fighting to imprison or kill the remaining Death Eaters, and bring them to justice—Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa, the most prominent among them.
At first, very little money went to their savings. Food needed to be bought, utensils, tools, curtains, sheets, beds, chairs, books—all were necessary, and quite quickly it became difficult to pay the rent. Although they (to Hermione's discomfort) were forced to Obliviate the landlord several times, the month's lease was eventually paid, and for four weeks, at least, they continued their quiet existence.
It was Hermione who eventually saved the young couple from tumbling headfirst into debt. After Poppy Pomfrey had healed her teeth and cured her of her cat affliction and reanimated her after she had become paralyzed, the young girl was quickly drawn towards the magical art of Healing. It was at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries that Hermione found a job as an under-Healer. It was her extensive résumé from her Hogwarts career that allowed her to nab such an elusive spot before she'd even attended Healing School, but she realized quite suddenly that she would have to, and soon.
And so, even though the young bride had been hired into a well-paying job, the cost of medical school once again brought the couple dangerously close to what Hermione referred to as "bankruptcy."
However, their happiness never ebbed, and even as they struggled they were presented with extremely generous opportunities. For their fame had not faded after the Battle—together with Harry, they were the Golden Trio, who'd fought against Voldemort from their first year at Hogwarts. Interviews were frequently pitched and book deals were thrown in the air. Fan mail was often a source of annoyance for their landlord, Mr. Pratt—being a Muggle, his only reaction to the hordes of owls perched all over his roof and front sidewalk was pure irritation.
Their hectic lives became even more so when Harry and Ginny became engaged. Hermione, in addition to her job at St. Mungo's and her night classes at the Healing Institute, was dragged into the planning process. As always, the wedding was to be held at the Burrow. Hermione was to be the Maid of Honor and Ron the Best Man; every cliché story of a wedding party romance seemed stereotypically true between the happy, tired couple. After the wedding, Harry's and Ginny's new flat also underwent an extreme makeover project, in which Hermione was also included. Although her life was extremely busy and sometimes stressful, she remained, as ever, the sturdy, loyal, and helpful Hermione.
When she found she was pregnant the whole wizarding world rejoiced for their enceinte heroine. In addition to the Weasley-held baby shower, hosted and organized by Ginny, Luna, Cho, Lavender, Parvati, and Mrs. Weasley, gifts poured into the small flat from all corners of the world, further infuriating Mr. Pratt, although, thankfully, he did not realize this was because of the new couple.
Hermione's life seemed, if anything, perfect. She had a husband, a career, friends, a career, and a loving family. But guilt slowly enveloped her soul—she had not yet found her parents in Australia. She missed their smiling faces and confused visages as she described her different magical accomplishments and voyages to them. Even though she'd wiped their memories to protect them, she felt that she should've gone to release them of the curse already.
It was with the weight of her life upon her shoulders that she left the London flat with Ron to go find her past.
