Authors Note: This story is quite conceptual, and begins after the battle of Hogwarts. There's not going to be a lot of magic and action in the first few chapters, as I want to focus more on the human aspect of the characters. Without further delay I present the first of what is hopefully the beginning of many chapters.

Chapter One: Escape

" It's been six months since the final battle at Hogwarts, many of our friends, mentors, and classmates have passed on to the next great adventure. They say time heals all wounds but I wonder if time may be working too slowly. It seemed like yesterday we were at the wedding before they attacked. Suddenly we're off running around Britain chasing the horcruxes while everyone else prevailed with us being their only hope. We found them all in the end and soon enough it was time to face Voldemort. The first battle was gruesome and suddenly everything stopped and it seemed like the most eerie calm. Turns out Harry went to meet Voldemort to give his life so that everyone else could live. It all seemed hopeless when we saw his lifeless body; I honestly thought that all was lost. And then Neville swung the sword, Harry rose from the dead, and at the end of it all we had won. Yet the only thing I ask these days are at what cost? He's lost so much and yet here he stands ready to give more at a moments notice for those who need him. Nobody really sees just how broken he truly is, they just see the "chose one," the great savior of Britain. Nobody sees him sitting by a fireplace with empty bottles of Firewhisky at two in the morning mumbling about what he couldn't do and those he couldn't save. I told him it wasn't his fault, we all did. But the unfortunate truth is you can only influence someone's ideals but never change them, only they had the power to do that. I miss them terribly as well. Remus, Tonks, Fred, Dumbledore, Sirius, and so many others whose lives were cut short by one madman's reign of terror. Yet here I am, lost as to what I could possibly do to ease his pain. I guess there really isn't much I could do other than be there for him and hope I don't find him hanging off a rope or at the end of his own curse. I miss you Ronald, and I miss our friendship. And I don't have to tell you that Ginny leaving had its effect on Harry. I understand why you left and why Ginny left shortly after the war to make a life somewhere else, away from all this pain. I hope you may come back someday and I hope this letter finds you in good health. I do hope that you may respond someday.

With Love,

Hermione Granger

Hermione sighed as she sealed the envelope and set it to the side of the desk. It all seemed to have happened so fast. She knew she rambled a bit in her letter but she didn't care, she had to tell someone even if it was just a piece of paper that may never be sent.

Suddenly a crash downstairs woke Hermione from her reminiscing as she grabbed her wand and ran downstairs towards the noise.

"HARRY? HARRY?" exclaimed Hermione as she charged into the living room to find Harry where he always was laid out on the ground with an empty bottle in hand.

"Her.. Hermione?" whispered a barely audible voice

"Yes, Harry, its me." Said Hermione softly as she knelt down by Harry laying his head on her lap.

"You're still here..." whispered Harry with a small sigh

"Where else would I be? Working at the ministry?" said Hermione causing the two to share a quick laugh

The smile lasted a couple of seconds before Harry let out another sigh and closed his eyes. "I don't know if I can do this anymore… These memories… These ghosts… They're so loud.."

"Harry.."

"I know, I couldn't save everyone and I've come to terms with that along with the pain of missing them every waking moment that I live. Well, what about now? What am I to them? I'm just a scapegoat to these people. They celebrate now, they get tired and then they'll start searching, start questioning, trying to expose every fault and suddenly I'm crucified again. This war was all I've known, what I was born for, what everyone seemed to die for. It's over now and that's good. Nobody needs to suffer anymore. They can just continue with their lives, well what about me? What life do I live? How do you live, knowing and seeing the things that I've seen? "

Hermione sat quietly pondering the morality of what she was about to say. "It's killing him; everything that's happened it'll kill him eventually. He doesn't have an anchor and I can't be that anchor, not in his eyes."

"Do you really want to forget?" whispered Hermione looking fixatedly at a painting on the wall.

"Everything, anything to stop this madness going on in here." Muttered Harry as he pointed at his head.

Hands shaking Hermione grabbed her wand from behind and pointed it at the still moving body.

"Obliviate."

The stars shown brightly in the night as the clicking of heels could be heard along with the rustle of shopping bags. The moonlight illuminated her hair allowing a soft silver to glow ever so slightly. With a turn in the road the cobblestone was replaced by dirt as a small cottage could be seen off in the distance amongst the grassy meadows, the sounds of waves crashing off in the distance. But something was wrong. The front door was open and a man with long fiery red hair could be seen at the doorway. He never stood outside to wait, something must have happened.

"What is it, Bill?" Said the woman as she approached the cottage

The man didn't say anything as he simply handed her a copy of the Daily Prophet while taking the bags from her hands.

"CHOSEN ONE GONE AGAIN."

"I don't understand, where could he have gone? Did he tell anyone?" asked the confused woman.

"Nobody knows, I tried talking to mum and some other members of the order but nobody knows where he went." Said Bill

"Well, is he dead?" asked the woman with concern clearly etched across her face.

"No, the goblins and ministry would have known. Maybe he just needed to get away for awhile," said Bill.

"Escape." Muttered Fleur in thought as Bill put his arm around her and lead her into the house.

"It'll be alright Fleur, I'm sure he'll return eventually." Said Bill

"Someday."

Authors Note: I know the chapters a little short but I just wanted to somewhat set the plot. Would love to have some feedback on what you guys think so far on this concept.