A/N: As Seeker for the Appleby Arrows. Where, for once, Ron isn't a straight up idiot. WARNING: mild profanity. This fic feels a little lost to me but alas, enjoy.

For Queen with Hermione x Ron

JULY 1998

Reaching out, Hermione pushed a lock out of Ron's eyes, securing it behind his ear. Sunlight cascaded into his bedroom, illuminating his hair and spurring the indescribable urge to touch him. If she didn't and resisted, Hermione feared that he would disappear, dissipating like mist.

Hermione shut her eyes, wishing that the content and peace of the moment could last longer than just a moment. However, Hermione always was practical. Groaning and cracking her back, she padded out into the living room of the loft that Ron and Harry shared.

Sighing quietly, Hermione checked a clock. It was early, barely six o'clock, but old habits die hard.

The flat wasn't obscenely big (and Hermione greatly doubted that they could afford larger, even with their new 'War Hero' status) with an open space.

Money had been tight for all of them. Sure there were ceremonies and awards, but as barely of-age adults with no idea of how to be an adult didn't by definition, survive long in an adult world.

Hermione knew that between her and a qualified, NEWT golden, experienced applicant, she would lose. All that they had going for them was renown and even that backfired at times. Hermione Granger? Working as a temp? Practically criminal to the wizarding world newspapers. She's a hero, they'd declare, she's special! She can do better than that!

Every possible wording had been used and reused when all different cries of outrage ensued when Hermione had taken a job (and subsequently resigned) a week ago. Despite what anyone said, there was no money in being a War Hero. Only novelty and memories. The monetary front was, politely, absolute crap.

She, Ron, and Harry, along with the other resistance fighters, had all been, of course, been offered interim pensions. However, Hermione was also rational. She couldn't live off the staggering government. And while she took the interim pension, she promised herself that it would only be temporary. Ron and Harry barely afforded the flat. In fact, it was Ron that kept them above the water. Working under his brother, Ron took the practical route. Hermione could see it from his point of view, she even supported it. He needed an easy fix with a blooming industry. She wished she was brave enough to take a job like that and then be painted as a 'screw up' in the papers but she couldn't.

Admittedly, the flat wasn't in a wizarding neighborhood, nor was it glamorous, but it was clean and it was out of public view.

Harry, oh dear god, Harry decided on the most fanciful thing of all. Perhaps in that secular mind of Harry Potter his decision made sense, but to Hermione it seemed wrong. Of course she cheered with the rest of the Weasleys when he announced his new news of being accepted into the prestigious Auror program (which really wasn't so prestigious anymore, with less then ten members, and a whole corruption issue to iron out). Hermione wasn't surprised that Harry got in. He was a fantastic dueler with a preceding long list of related achievements. Afterall, what where they going to do? Deny the Wizarding World Savior entry into a broken-down division that he could no doubt help? (or help the public image of?)

The Aurors were slowly rebuilding up their reputation with well crafted articles in the Daily Prophet and Harry's face plastered at the front.

Hermione was overjoyed, yet as Harry was only in training, he didn't make any money. Basically, Ron paid for the flat and Harry used his pension to pay for the instant noodles and water that they ate 24/7.

Hermione, proud to say, lived with her parents, but their income was limited too. Apparently, some of the tragedies of the wizard world bleed into the muggle and that somehow affected her parents. Apparently people lost interest in wanted better teeth.

Being a 'War Hero' came with standards and a 'glam' factor that didn't really exist, and it was that standard that kept Hermione out of a job. The Great Second Wizarding War was over and there was no need for 'War Heroes'.

Now, what Hermione needed was a job. And using her brilliance, Hermione also found that she needed her NEWTS. It was simple in concept, NEWTs equaled jobs, and jobs equaled getting what she really wanted in the world to get done. Hermione had larger than life wants with very small prospects. The choice was simple.

When she closed her eyes she could see herself in a pantsuit, walking down the rebuilt ministry with the confidence of someone important and respected. Hermione wanted to be a politician, campaigning for social justice and basic rights with loyal supporters. She wanted to fix the jumbled mess of the world, and politically was the only valid option that Hermione saw.

From every biography and book Hermione read, she knew the journey was long and hard. Ron had agreed with her, though. He thought that she would be, to quote: perfect for such a job. He smiled his perfect crooked smile and told her 'go get it'. Hermione realized that Ron didn't know what her future career would entail but he held out hope that he would stick with her though it all.

Hermione, Ron or not, was building the supports to her prosperous career.

So Hermione brewed herself a cuppa, and read the paper until Ron woke and got dressed for his work day. Harry was already gone, left at midnight for a training excise.

Realistically, there were a lot of things that Hermione wished for, and more that Harry and Ron dreamed of.

Harry wanted to eliminate corruption. Hermione wanted to fix the world. Ron wanted something unknown.

Although, if one were to sit by a tipsy Ron, and really listen, they'd realize that what he wanted wasn't so out of reach. Ron wanted to change the world too.

He wanted to write, but that dream to change the world, when measured up to his wife's, looked small and unnecessary. So in ten years, Ron joined and supported his two best friends. A worthy addition to Harry Potter's well publicly represented Auror Ranks, and on the arm of Hermione Granger-Weasley, the first female Prime Minister, Ron was practical like his genius wife.

So on that early day in 1998 July, Ron smiled against Hermione's neck as she curled his hair around her fingers and relaxed into his quick embrace, because every morning was more proof that both he and she were real and solid and alive.

Hermione didn't seek therapy after the War like Ginny or George. Instead, she forgot her nightmares and buried them under the weight of every singe one of her hopes.

In the end, the title, 'Seventeen year-old War Hero' wasn't the biggest defining feature of Hermione's life. She had a longer list of achievements that she had birthed and cultivated.

In fifty years time, Hermione found that they had all changed some aspect of the dying world.

It was't always practical but the strings that held Hermione up and together were a little looser, allowed for a little more freedom out of the restraining standards and titles. It was that freedom that delivered the Emancipation of House Elves in '29 and achieved Hermione her 'change'.

And just before Hermione's aged and worn strings were cut, she looked back at her model career, far content and stressed because she still had so much more to do. Hermione was never practical when it came to hopes and dreams and ideas.