Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Hello everyone! This is going to be my first story ever, so please, please review and let me know what you think.

We may still have time, we might still get by

Every time I think about it, I wanna cry

With bombs and the devil and the kids keep coming

No way to breathe easy, no time to be young

(Crazy on you – Heart)

Her eyes were fixed on the wooden ceiling above her. The smell of fresh baked eggs had been creeping up into her room for a solid ten minutes, now, but she hadn't bothered to get up. She didn't feel like moving. She didn't feel like getting ready. She didn't feel like going downstairs and eating. She hadn't really felt like doing anything lately. The war had been decided a couple of months ago and life could finally go back to normal. But it didn't. She had been really looking forward to it. A normal life. It wasn't until about four weeks after the war, when the castle had mostly been rebuilt and the dead had been buried, that she realized she didn't even know what a normal life was. She hadn't had one since the day she entered Hogwarts. For seven years she had been on a journey to save wizarding Britain. Voldemort was dead and this time it was for good. There were no more Horcruxes, no more hidden tricks. It was over. And now, she didn't know what to do with herself.

"Hermione? Breakfast's ready, love." She decided to get up at that. There was no use in trying to ignore Mrs. Weasly. She payed the bathroom a quick visit and headed downstairs.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasly", she greeted the witch as she sat down at the kitchen table.

The matriarch turned towards her with a serious look on her face that was quickly followed by a warm smile as Hermione corrected herself. "Good morning, Molly", she chuckled a bit.

She had been living at the Burrow since the war was over and Mrs. Weasly had insisted to be on a first-name basis. After everything they've been through together, Hermione was part of the family, she argued. Hermione wasn't sure if she shared the sentiment. Her relationship with Ron was rather complicated at the moment. Well, there was no relationship, really. She tried to explain to him again and again that she'd been too shocked to react when he had kissed her at the final battle. That she didn't harbor any romantic feelings for him, but Ron had a hard time accepting that and kept telling himself that there must be something. It made the whole atmosphere at the Burrow quite tense. But Hermione tried to push these thoughts aside as she indulged on her breakfast.

The boys were already out for work, so it would be peacefully quiet at the Burrow until the late afternoon. They didn't go back to school after the war. The Ministry's Department of Magical Education decided that defeating the darkest wizard of all times was sort of enough proof of their magical capabilities and they didn't have to finish their seventh year, unless they wanted to. Strangely enough, Hermione didn't. She'd always loved to learn, but going back to Hogwarts just didn't feel right anymore.

They were all asked to join the Ministry's Auror training, but only Ron accepted. Mr. and Mrs. Weasly opened their finest bottle of Firewhisky that day. They were incredibly proud. Hermione was incredibly shocked. She was sure that Ron held a lot of talents that just hadn't been revealed yet, but she was certain that a cool head, strategic planning and courage weren't among them. She and Harry both declined. The adventures of the last years were enough for a lifetime. Harry knew pretty soon what he wanted to do with his future. He was among the first wizards and witches to study to become a lawyer. The idea that defendants should be represented by a lawyer was relatively new in the wizarding world. With everything that happened in the years leading up to the war the Ministry realized that it was time for a more complex and fairer criminal justice system. Hermione was sure this job would be perfect for her friend. Harry's sense of justice never ceased after the war. Being a lawyer would give him the opportunity to still fight for the right, just without the possibility of getting killed while doing so.

Only Hermione hadn't decided what she wanted to do, yet. Always being the most ambitious one of the three, it probably came as a bit of a surprise to everyone, but they were kind enough not to bother her with it. That also meant that conversations were almost non-existent when she was alone with Mrs. Weasly during the day. Since she didn't do anything, she didn't have anything to talk about. Well, that was not exactly true, Hermione thought as she finished up her breakfast in silence.

She went back upstairs and slumped into her bed. As she looked across the fields surrounding the Burrow she couldn't help but think about that one moment that had been hunting her for months.

Due to all the chaos happening around her Hermione didn't see who the attacker was and she didn't care. She just wanted to get back at him or her. She ran across the grass like she was in a trance, following the attacker down the hill, closer and closer to the Forbidden Forest. While her body seemed to move of its own accord, her heart was pounding and her mind was racing. She was confused by her own actions. This wasn't like her. She wasn't used to the feeling that was taking over her. Revenge. She just wanted revenge for her friend. No, Luna wasn't the only one who had been severely injured tonight. But everybody has a tipping point and Hermione's was reached when she saw the sweetest and kindest girl she knew laying unconsciously and bleeding on the ground.

Now that she had almost reached the attacker she pointed her wand at them, her lips ready to say a spell she had never used before, when all of a sudden the attacker stopped and turned around. Their wands were now directed at each other.

Hermione froze at the sight. She was looking at the most arrogant smirk she had ever seen on someone. She was facing Bellatrix Lestrange.

The spell that was about to leave her mouth just a few seconds ago had vanished. Hermione had been so full of rage that it didn't cross her mind for a split second that she could be chasing the most skilled death eater of these days. It certainly wasn't the first time she had had to deal with her, but this was different. She had been following the deatheater so thoughtlessly, it was only now that she realized she had moved quite far away from the castle. The screams of the fights happening at the castle were only a mild noise down here.

Hermione wasn't sure what to do. She was easily among the smartest witches of her age, but that also meant she was smart enough not to underestimate one Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione was going back and forth between the options she had: Should she wait for the death eater's move or should she dare to attack first?

Their gazes were crossing each other's. These black eyes that were filled with anger and an intense kind of passion at the same time made Hermione shiver. But there was also something else in them. She couldn't quite figure out what it was. A strange kind of tension spread out between the two women. Before Hermione could decide what the next move would be, Bellatrix made that decision for her. A silent Stunner took Hermione by surprise and sent her flying backwards. She quickly got back up, expecting another spell. But all she saw was a muscular black panther running into the depths of the forest.

Hermione took a deep breath. This memory kept playing over and over in her head. The moment she realized whom she had followed, she was sure the situation would end badly. Lestrange would either crucio her to death or just kill her right away. But she didn't.