As Hermione Granger saw Lord Voldemort cast the spell that instead of killing Harry Potter as he had intended, killed the Dark Lord himself, she felt a part of herself die too. There were shouts and there were screams. People were pressing onto Harry, trying to touch the boy who lived but Hermione had turned away.
As she walked though the castle she wondered what she would do now. Defeating Voldemort had been her goal for so long; she hadn't even considered how her life would pan out afterwards. What should she do now? Where should she go? Her parents were in Australia. They were so far away in distance and understanding. Of course she would find them and give them back their memories but not even they could understand. They were muggles. They had no idea about the wizarding world and the life of adult witches and wizards. Heck, she didn't even know much about it.
Surely, Harry would become an Auror. Ron would probably work for the ministry like his father, or maybe a shop in Diagon Alley. But where did she fit? Not with them anymore. Even in their first year of Hogwarts, they befriended her because she was useful to their plots and tricks. Now? She was no longer needed. They were adults. They had brains of their own.
She thought back to kiss with Ron. Had she really felt anything? She had felt so much more kissing another boy from their year... but that boy had changed beyond her recognition. Should she really choose Ron, and he forever feel like the second prize? But indeed did he ever even care at all? Did he just get caught up in the moment and grabbed the first person he saw? Hermione wasn't sure of anything anymore.
"Hermione?" a familiar voice whispered from behind a corner and out stepped a tall, pale, blonde boy with a pinched face.
"Draco" Hermione sighed as she watched him step closer.
Considering they had been enemies for most of the time they had know each other, she felt oddly calm in his presence. She and Draco both knew why. She relaxed further as he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head. This small sign of affection told Hermione, he hadn't changed as much as she had thought.
"Take me away from here Draco" she pleaded to her boyfriend of nearly two years. Draco Malfoy smiled and kissed her lips gently before taking her hand and sneaked with her out of the castle and into the rest of their lives.