Hermione shuffled through the streets. The air was certainly chilly tonight, she thought, pulling up the collars on her coat.
She despised the cold, and even more so when she had to run errands for her Boss. Her night errands included getting beer for her boss, buying some beauty product for his wife, getting the occasional grocery, and similar degrading tasks.
For the most brilliant witch at Hogwarts School of magic and wizardry, she was living a completely odd life.
Still, she was thankful for this chance, with her memory intact.
Ever since the death eaters and ministry workers fought for power, the war ensuing had resulted in a very strange decision and a kind of treaty between the death eaters and Dumbledore's Army. The magic world had been abolished. Shacklebolt Kingsley had taken care of it personally. The number of casualties has been dreadful for Kingsley. He and the Azkaban escapees decided a truce.
Both sides wanted peace and a shot at normal life. They agreed to obliviate the memories of the remaining families and put an end to the magic world. It had caused enough deaths, loss and pain to the magic world, and the magic itself was not helping.
Every remaining single witch and wizard had their memory erased. The last remaining magic folk left were: Harry, Kingsley, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Hermione and Minerva McGonagall.
They had been the ones carrying out the oblivating tasks.
Hermione had a plan from the beginning. She was very much in the favor of peace, but she had had too many good memories of the magic world to erase. Never having a sibling herself, and now no parents, she did not want to go the alone muggle world.
Ron had been relocated to France, along with Fleur and Bill. The trio had to be broken up. For their relationship was so strong, they were sure to break the oblivate curse if they met.
Hermione, kissed her favorite Transfiguration professor on both cheeks, both of them had tears in their eyes, and obliviated her memory. She then performed a few spells to attune Professor to her new muggle life story and portkeyed her sleeping body to her muggle residency.
Lucuis kissed his wife and Narcissa smiled a teary smile. They both were ready. Kingsley performed a similar execution on both of them.
Only three remained in the room.
"Harry, my dear boy, Dumbledore asked me to trust in you. You have completed your prophecy. I want to end his life of sorcery. I want to marry the girl I love who used to live in my neighbor hood, I want to be rid of this life of war and gore. This war has no end to it. Just do it, perform the spell."
The two men mutually embraced and Kingsley removed his earring and gave it to Hermione as a parting gift. "I hope you remember me somehow", he smiled. Hermione was shamelessly crying by then.
"Goodbye, dear ones. Harry, do it", Kingsley looked completely at peace.
Only two remained.
"Harry, I want to tell you something important," Hermione whimpered. She pulled herself together, wiped her tears and cleared her throat.
"Harry, we are the sole remainders of what used to be the wizard world. Let us remain this way. Let us stay as we are and build muggle lives. Let us keep our wands and protect our magic brethren", she said.
"Hermione, I was never going to give up my magic. I was going to ask you and try to make you understand the same thing, seems like you had been thinking along the same lines!" Harry grinned.
Hermione started to say something but Harry cut her off. "Look, Herms, it's nothing selfish, I don't mean to stay superior. When the Death Eaters were attacking the castle, Trelawney was hurling her crystal balls at them. Do you remember we were confused at that time and we were pulled apart?" Harry looked like he was trying to explain the inexplicable.
"Yes, Harry, I do remember, she hurled them so well!" she smiled at the memory, "What about it?"
"Well, she pushed me to side and went into one of her trances where her voice became all raspy and she said in a whisper 'Don't empty yourself of magic, for there will come a time when all is lost and only two remain. Let the two share the secret. Let them continue as they are. Their memories are too precious to be thrown into oblivion'…. This makes perfect sense. She was right once, she will be right again, and what do you think?"
"Harry, All my life I was out casted by my school peers for being a queer, know it all, which occasionally, in her anger, caused winds to blow and thunder to strike and break furniture. Hogwarts was my home where my queer ways were accepted, magic enabled me to save many people and fight for the good, and I have had all my memories. All my confidence and strength comes from the past Seven years. I cannot give it up. I have to be selfish. This is who I am. These seven years I cannot simply FORGET!" Hermione was about to burst into tears again.
Harry and Hermione said no more. They just held hands and kept sitting side by side for what seemed like days and months.
Hermione finally spoke, "Let's get out of here, Harry. We have lives to live".
He smiled a little. "I'm going after Ginny", he said.
"I'm going after someone too", she said.
"Ron? Krum?", Harry asked.
She smiled a wide grin, "I'm sure to bring him over to your place some time!" she gave an impish grin.
Harry narrowed his eyes, "Make sure you don't forget!" he winked.
The cold is really bothersome when you don't have a car to drive. Hermione was smiling when she thought of the last words Harry said to her. Though they kept correspondence through owls, they had not met since that night. Hermione had had a clear plan from the start. Stage one was done. Stage two was to establish herself. She was in process of that. It was just very difficult to get a decent job because she had had only 11 years of muggle education and it wasn't helping when you've only studied till 5th grade.
She changed many third rate jobs from a waitress to a house worker. From a lawyer's helper to a dish washer in a pub.
This job was somewhat satisfying. It paid enough for her needs. She was more than happy with it, she got to collect and write stories of the muggle world. Except for these night errands that were NOT what she got paid for.
She dropped off her Boss's requirements at his bungalow and headed home, still thing of Stage Three.