Chapter 1:
It was a dream. Another god-damned dream. Hermione wouldn't have minded except it was always the same one — the same one that always woke her in the night with a start, the same one that she tried like hell to avoid discussing with the therapist Kingsley insisted she see ever since the war ended. She certainly didn't have the dream every night — not anymore, anyway — but it still came up once or twice a month, sometimes more often, depending on whether or not she'd seen Ron that day. And she *had* seen Ron that day, hadn't she — looking as fit and happy and wonderful as ever as he entered the Ministry dining room as she headed back to her office.
Damn. Damn, damn, damn.
She rolled over and eyed the clock next to her bed. 1:30 a.m. Damn.
With a huff of exasperation, Hermione threw back the covers, stepped into her slippers, slipped a dressing gown over her naked form and padded her way to the kitchen. She flicked her wand toward the light beneath the cabinets and the room was bathed in a warm glow — just enough light for her to run her fingers over the fully stocked wine rack on the granite countertop and pick out her favorite Rioja. With another flick of her wand, the bottle was opened, and she served herself a hefty pour — another thing she reckoned her therapist would want to talk about if he were there, but he wasn't so screw him, she thought. I'm a 21-year-old woman. I'm the bloody special attaché to the god damned Minister of Magic, aren't I. If I want to have a glass of wine in my own bloody flat, I will, no apologies. God damn it to hell. She smiled despite herself, thinking how entertained Ron would be if he could hear her curse-laden thoughts.
She carried her wine out to through the dining room and into the cavernous living room, winding her way past the Barcelona chairs, zig-zagging past the leather sofa and toward the giant, sliding-glass doors that opened up onto her balcony and afforded her a spectacular view of the city of London, the skyline atwinkle beneath a glossy black sky.
She sighed and sipped her wine as she leaned against the doorframe, letting her eyes wander over the vista before her. She knew what she was in for — another long night of reliving the dream, of wishing it could have gone differently, of cursing herself for her foolishness.
The thing about this god damned dream was that it was so real. Parts of it most definitely *did* happen in reality. Running for her life, Ron by her side, wands drawn. They were so close to completing the mission — so close. They dodged curses coming at them from all sides, leapt and stumbled over fallen debris in their path. And then, Hermione saw it — the sickening sight that she didn't know at the time would alter the course of her life - or her love life, at least: Greyback. Greyback atop a prostate and injured Lavender Brown, his grimy claws gripping her shoulders, his teeth sunk into the flesh of her neck.
In the dream, Hermione acted first, extending her wand and casting a strong Expulso — so powerful that Greyback was thrown off of Lavender, landing in a heap against the nearby wall, the force of the blow so strong that he appeared no longer to breathe.
But that, of course, was the dream. What really happened was entirely different. And what really happened changed everything.
oooOOOooo
Hello, dear readers!
Yes, I know, I *just* finished a earlier today — so why am I launching headlong into yet another fic? Well … I was thinking that maybe I should try my hand at angst. The three stories I've written so far have had their share of angst — a touch here and there, anyway — but I haven't attempted an all-out angst fic. Maybe it's worth a shot.
So I sat down and wrote this very brief intro. I have only a rough idea of where it's going to go from here, so it's possible that I may need to come back and tweak this chapter a bit. So be patient with me as I fumble my way through this.
In the meantime, weigh in and let me know what you think of this opening chappie. Are you into it? Let me know!
More soon …
Holly.
P.S. — If you're a newcomer to my stuff and don't want to wait for more Romione-ness, check out my three other fics: "What's Changed—And What Hasn't" (a canon-compliant, lemon-y romance), "One Punch: A History" (a mix of angst and romance), and my magnum opus (and first fic) "All In" (a totally AU tale). They're all rated M, so be forewarned if smut isn't your thing.
P.P.S. - Apologies to Todd Rundgren for appropriating his song title as the title of this fic. If you haven't heard the song, Google it up, folks. There are many live versions online which are especially good.
Cheers!