In the Light of This Experience
"Stand in the ancient ways, but look also into present experience to see whether in the light of this experience ancient ways are right."
-Francis Bacon
CHAPTER ONE – An Introduction
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
-Winston Churchill
The mists that swirled about the grassy lawns of the Hogwarts grounds tickled the narrow ankles of Miss Hermione Granger, War Hero. She had returned at last to where everything began.
Her pace was slow as she approached the towering structure of the school. There was no shadow of her regular determined gait in the way she moved that morning. Instead there was a sense of calm that she didn't quite realize was missing until the school came into view beyond the edge of the forest.
Hogwarts had long been considered home to many, and Hermione was among them. But in all the years she had spent learning and living in those halls she could only remember a few short months at the very beginning when she truly felt safe. And there is something foreboding about feeling unsafe on one's own home.
Foreboding indeed. Would she have chosen this path if she had known where it would take her? Not yet twenty and she bore the scars, inside and out, of the life of a witch in the midst of wartime.
There was a shudder down her spine at the thought of the other path she might have taken.
No. This was where she belonged. Every house has a basement after all. And what child feels safe alone in a basement, even their own.
The grass and dust gave way beneath her feet to the stone slabs that made up the courtyard leading to the entrance hall. The fountain gurgled as it ever had. Perhaps the notion of Historic Recurrence is due in part to the efficiency of post disaster renovation. It is as if the conflict never happened, Hermione thought sadly. Perhaps if the ruins remained we would remember. She unconsciously rubbed her forearm and remembered that some ruins remained after all.
After six years of studying with the purpose of gaining the skills necessary to survive, Hermione finally felt that she might be given the opportunity to study for the sake of learning. This was a feeling she vaguely remembered holding deep in her chest as she sat in the little boat that first night as a Hogwarts student. She held onto it now, fiercely, unwaveringly. There was no villain to take it from her now. He lay as ash.
She had one year left, one formal year of learning she had come to complete.
And learn she would.
AN:
Welcome to the introduction to my first fan-fiction submission!
This is intended to be the beginning of quite a long eventual SS/HG romance. It is my intention to upload weekly, and as the first ten chapters have been roughly outlined already, its likely that we should get on swimmingly for at least a few months before hitting any snags.
I think its best to provide some back-ground info:
I will make every effort to remain cannon complain in all ways except the following:
-Snape lives
-R/HR fizzles out before it goes anywhere serious.
-Lupin and Tonks survive also.
-Snape and Lily WERE the best of friends as children but any romantic feelings he had for her dissipated over the years and turned into a dark sort of obligation after her death. His patronus retained the image of the doe years later because even though he no longer loved her, she still represented the only truly happy time in his life.
DISCLAIMER:
All recognizable material is the property of JK Rowling.
Anything new is my own happy little imagination at work.
Not making money. Not stealing. Simply playing.
Thanks for reading!
And reviews are lovely!
Oh and you all may recognize me from DA. Username is the same.