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This is a re-posting of story that I started a while ago, and took down. However, it is re-edited, so some it may sound familiar, some may not.


Hermione always knew she would be successful in whatever career she chose. Her bestselling books currently raiding the Daily Prophet best seller list were proof of that.

She just never expected the root of her success to be anchored in such heartbreak and sorrow.

Hermione's tumultuous relationship with Ron had ended terribly in a fight in which ugly spells were cast, and Ron proved smart enough to use his words in the worst way. What really kills her, though, is that she had tried so hard to keep their relationship intact. She had done everything she could think of to keep Ron happy and satisfied, but apparently she just didn't cut it.

Shortly after the break up, Hermione found out Ron had been cheating on her almost the entire time. But not with just one girl! Oh no, there had been multiple women sharing the bed with Ron while Hermione worked overtime to pay the bills, seeing as Ron refused to work.

To make matters worse, the breakup had alienated her from her friends. The Weasley's immediately took Ron's side, and, because Hermione was never able to restore her parent's memories of her, she lost her only family. Harry was a bit better because he had at least tried to stay neutral, but, eventually, his friendship with her had caused so many fights between him and Ginny that she had told him it was either her or Hermione. How is a man supposed to choose between one of his best friends and his wife? Hermione didn't want to feel the heartbreak if he chose Ginny over her, which she knew he would, so she just shut him out one day. She ignored his phone calls, blocked his floo from hers, and set up an anti-apparation charm on her apartment.

After a few weeks of severing all ties from the wizarding world, Hermione threw herself into her first novel, Hope. The book had been an instant hit both with magic, and non-magical people. It's a story about a young muggle girl finding her way to freedom out of an abusive relationship. Jasmine, the protagonist, gathers her courage and finds the strength to leave the man who had been holding her back, and pushing her down for years. Hermione begrudgingly admits that it's partly based on her poisonous relationship with Ron. The book made number one on the New York Time's bestseller list, and, surprisingly, also made number one on the Daily Prophet bestseller list, despite it being about a muggle woman.

Which leads Hermione to where she is now, sitting at her laptop with tears falling from her eyes, sliding across her pink cheeks, and dropping onto the scar placed on her left arm.

MUDBLOOD

The first time she heard the word directed at her was in second year when Draco Malfoy had said it, and the word had hit her like a slap on the cheek. The sting faded eventually, but the memory didn't. The next few times she had been called a mudblood had all been from Malfoy, and she found it easier along the years to ignore his taunts. However, that doesn't make it hurt any less.

But that was before the war. Before the angry word had been carved into her skin by Bellatrix Lestrange. It was at that moment a small part of her had started to believe that maybe, just maybe, she was just a filthy little mudblood unfit to learn magic.

''I'm Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend, and I could have any witch in the world I wanted. Why would I want a know-it-all mudblood like you to tie me down?'' The words Ron had angrily spat out as he left the apartment for the last time left an imprint in her mind, and she had long since left the wizarding world behind, her name on the books she writes all that remain in that magical world she once thought of as home.

It's been five years since she has spoken to any one from the wizarding world. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't slowly killing her.

Don't get her wrong, she still uses magic every day. After relying on magic for well over ten years, it's difficult to do things the 'muggle way', but the magic doesn't feel as warm as it used to.

But that's all beside the point. Hermione now has a successful career as a bestselling author, and her well-furnished home is testament enough of that. She earns a sizable commission off her books, and owns many things most people often envy for. Well, everything material wise. No matter how often she tells herself that she's perfectly happy and fine on her own, she can't seem to accept it. It might be a very cheesy thing to say, but all Hermione truly wants is love. Love of family, and friends. And, someday, the unconditional love of a man.

Hermione lets another tear fall onto the raised scar on her forearm, and feels the urge to yell out at the world. Why should she have such rotten luck?! It isn't fair that she's alone in this world when everyone else is happy and surrounded by people they love, and who love them in return!

A sudden chiming rings out, jerking Hermione from her thoughts of self-pity. She wrinkles her eyebrows in confusion at the sound of the doorbell, no one ever visits her. As she slowly stands up from her desk she swipes a hand across her cheeks, erasing all signs of tears. She straightens her blouse as she walks down the hallway to the front door, and pauses in front of the mirror hanging in the hallway. There's no doubt she's been crying. Her cheeks are flushed, her nose is runny, and her eyes are rimmed in red.

The doorbell chimes again, and she knows it's unavoidable to be seen like this by whoever is behind it, so she simply takes a deep breath and opens the door.

''Hello, I wanted to introduce myself, my name is Dra-, Granger?''

She can't quite place the warm, friendly voice as she stares at the man standing before her until she looks into his silver-grey eyes. Eyes that had once been filled with such loathing when they bore into her own, but now only hold a shocked astonishment.

Right there, at her house, blocking her doorway with friendly eyes and a warm smile, is none other than Draco Malfoy.


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