This story contains spoilers from Book 7.

This story has not been beta read so please forgive my errors.

Second Chances

Chapter One: When it all comes tumbling down.

Hermione ran hard and fast. The rain stung her eyes and soaked her to bone, but still she went on.

She had no idea where she was going, she just kept running. One foot in front of the other, splashing through the puddles. The tears were clouding her vision; her heart hammered so hard it hurt and her harsh breathing made her lungs ache. She stumbled, banging into something metal and blinked to find herself leaning against a familiar wrought iron fence. She opened the gate, rushed inside and finally collapsed onto the ground.

It was silent except for the storm, which raged around her. Of course it would be silent in a graveyard.

Hermione buried her face into her hands, shaking hard as she cried. Her tears mixed with the rain, washing down the sides of her hands.

It was over... All over. Twenty years of marriage to Ronald Weasley was now a memory laced with more hurt than good. Over the years their once harmless nagging grew severe. It hit a high when their children started school at Hogwarts. They pretended that things were fine when the children visited, but the arguing grew worse. Ron wanted one thing and she wanted something different.

It was finally decided this evening that the marriage should end when Ron angrily called her a Mudblood who put more energy into books and a future career than her family. He had been shocked the hurtful term has left his lips and he immediately apologized, but Hermione had had enough.

Rose and Hugo would be devastated when they learned their parents would be splitting, although Hermione suspected Rose had a feeling something was going on. Her daughter always watched them when she was home visiting for holidays, most likely waiting for them to slip up and cease to act in front of her.

Her poor children. They would have to go from home to home to see their parents. And where would Hermione live? The house had been a gift from George after the war when he learned Ron and Hermione were getting married. It wouldn't be right. She couldn't go back to that house. She'd rather sleep out here with the gravestones. At least they wouldn't yell at her and call her a selfish Mudblood.

She heard the sound of one of the gates opening, some distance away and got to her feet, wavering unsteadily. She couldn't bear to face anyone right now, whether she knew him or her or not.

So, she began to run again as fast as her feet would carry her. She was so busy trying to get away; she didn't see the dark robed figure move from behind a gravestone about to place yellow roses on the earth before it.

She ran straight into the person, the roses flying through the air, the petals falling like yellow rain.

"Why can't you watch where the hell you're going?" a low angry voice snarled.

Strong hands steadied and then shook her.

Hermione could see the bruised petals and destroyed flowers and she felt even more miserable. A fresh round of sobs escaped her.

Without a sound, one of the steady hands released her arm and tilted up her chin.

Hermione found herself staring into the surprised dark eyes of Severus Snape.