Title: Love Will Prevail (1/?)

Author: Organyaelf

Email: saracourtney7@netscape.net

Category: Romance/ Drama

Keywords: Hermione, Ron, Harry, post-hogwarts, muggles

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: All the books

Summary: Harry, Ron, and Hermione are reunited after the defeat of Voldemort. Things go well for a whilelove starts to bloom. But Harry's love interest gets kidnapped and the culprit is known to be a dark wizard. Will darkness overcome the wizard world once again? Or will love prevail?

Diclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction. I hope you will like it. I have read others and I love the idea of writing stories that add on to the magic of the Harry Potter books. Also, thank you to Sada Steel for beta reading my storylots of help! I hope you enjoy!

Hermione sighed nervously as she began to put her pearl earrings into her ears. This would be the first time she would see Harry and Ron in a whole year. Part of her was jumping with excitement and the other part was filled with dread. The last time they parted, things had not gone well.

A year ago on March 7th 2007, the famous trio defeated Lord Voldemort. Thousands of innocent lives were lost during the horrible slaughter, including their old friend Neville Longbottom. But through much terror and tears, Voldemort was defeated. Harry, Ron, and Hermione contracted a spell so powerful, it obliterated him in an instant.To this day, they did not know how they did it exactly. Just in that one moment, between life and death, the three grabbed hands and muttered this strange incantation. Green light blinded them and when it finally died down Voldemort was dead. But he lay, not in his frightful, evil form- he lay as a man, a man who went horribly wrong- Tom Riddle.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione parted that day. They all needed to go their separate ways for a while- find themselves again. Constantly fighting evil and corruption tires the soul."

They had not spoken for a whole year- each one equally afraid to contact the othersafraid of the past, the memories. But one day an owl came to Hermione. As soon as it fell down into her lap she knew it came from Hogwarts. Amazingly, Dumbledore lived through all these hard times. He had grown weak and was hardly ever seen. His name was like a whisperbarely there. But he lived still and had written to Hermione. She quickly tore open the letter and read:

Dear Hermione,

It has been too long. I wish to see you again, my friend. Much has happened this year and I feel we need to celebrate. You cannot run from the past or try to forget it. You must face it and learn from it. What you, Harry, and Ron did for the wizard world, no one will forget. We are indebted to you forever.

Therefore, I propose we gather. We shall gather in honor of the three who lived. We shall gather in celebration of our freedom! I have invited all the people that I know, which is, believe me, more than you can imagine. I hope beyond hope you will join us with your presence. It would be greatly appreciated as well as giving me great joy.

First and foremost your friend,

Albus Dumbledore

In reading this, tears streamed down Hermione's face. She must go. Not just for Dumbledore, but for the people.

And so there she was- sitting at her dressing table, staring at herself in the mirror. She was barely ready, but she had time. The party didn't start until 7:00 and it was only 5:30. She sighed again and then straightened in her seat. She was going to be composed. With that she abruptly got up from the chair and walked across her room to the closet. She opened it to find a few dresses hung up neatly and boxes with labels containing her dress shoes. She hardly ever dressed up, so the closet was a little dusty. She coughed slightly and took out a long, royal blue gown. It was the fanciest thing she owned. It was a halter and the bottom flowed from the waist. She didn't like tight fitting clothes. She found it didn't encourage her figure at all for she had rather large hips.

She slipped the silky gown over her head and let it hang on her body. She liked the feel of it. It made her feel pretty and elegant. She zipped up the back and twirled around. She loved the way it flew out in a cupcake shape as she spun. She stopped, feeling slightly dizzy and preceded to pick out her shoes.

She pulled out a dusty box labeled blue satin heels. She lifted the lid and smiled as she gazed at her old shoes. They had a winding strap that zigzagged across her foot. They were her favorites, but she hardly wore them, for they were very fancy. She strapped them on her feet and started to pace around the room, trying to break them in a little.

She walked back over to her vanity table and sat down in front of the mirror. She pulled her hair out of its current, sloppy bun, and proceeded to pull a hairbrush through it, without much luck. She then picked up a bottle of Thelma's Sleeking Solution and squirted a little into her hand. She rubbed it into her hair. Instead of turning greasy from the ointment, her hair began to shine and sleek over. Hermione smiled and tried again to comb her hair, now with ease. Once finished she stuck a few pins in to keep it from falling into her face and let it fall down her bare back.

For another half-hour she put on her makeup and made some finishing touches to her hair. Before she knew it, it was 6:30. She was going alone to the party. She had not had much contact with the wizarding world since the defeat of Voldemort. She had moved to Ireland in a small cottage by the sea. She loved it there, but it was very lonely at times. To avoid publicity she found work at a muggle library. It was quiet and peaceful there, and she was surrounded by her favorite things- books.

She would Apparate to Hogwarts at around 7:15. She didn't want to get there too early. She thought maybe, if enough people were already there, the crowds wouldn't notice her. She needed something to do for another forty-five minutes. She walked out of her room and into the living room where she fell down on the couch anxiously. She picked up the book she had been reading, The Wizard of Albernoch, a book about some wizard's adventures and psychological journey through life. It was quite absorbing and deep, but for the present, did not suit Hermione. She looked at the cover. A frown came over her face and she dropped it back on the couch. She looked around for something to take her mind off the party. She quickly saw her briefcase. She had to fill out some more filing cards for the library; she might as well do it now. Work always took her mind off things.

Before she knew it forty-five minutes came and went. She was now officially late. She hurried over to the counter, grabbed her wand, and Apparated. A swirling sensation came over her body and she held her breath. She had not Apparated for a while, but abruptly found herself standing before the great doors of Hogwarts.

She stared at the large oak doors. How many times she had entered them with out a care in the world? Hogwarts had always been a place of security for her, but now she felt very unsure of herself. She took a deep breath and pulled one of the heavy doors open.

Light flooded her eyes and her ears were filled with the sound of happy chatter. She quickly looked around, unsure of what to do next. She noticed a few people staring at her and then some moreand then the Great Hall quieted down. She felt dizzy all of a sudden. Was she going to faint? Then a voice came out from the crowd.

"Ah! Hermione! How good of you to come! I was afraid you might never get here!"

It was Dumbledore, bless the man. He came steadily through the crowd of staring people.

"Hello Albussorry I'm late."
"Oh no need to apologize!! The party has only just begun! Come now everyone, let's not stand here and gawk! Continue, please!"

And with that the silent crowd again burst into chatter.

"Thank you for that"Hermione muttered gratefully.

"Oh, it's nothing my dear. I'm just glad you're here. I think there are a few people who would like to see you."

And as if his words were a summoning charm, Harry and Ron slowly emerged from the swarming crowd.

Dumbledore edged away with a slight smile on his face while Ron and Harry approached Hermione. Before she could say a thing she was being crushed into a two-person hug, Ron and Harry both embracing her. She returned the awkward hug thankfully, feeling a relief to finally see them again.

They pulled away, and Hermione noticed she had been crying. She quickly swiped away the tears and smiled weakly as her two best friends stood there with happy grins on their faces.

"It's okay Hermoine," Ron said understandingly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"God, it's so good to see you two again!" she managed to squeak.

"You have no idea," Harry sighed.

But before they could say anything else, a loarge bell sound filled the room.

"Dinner" Ron muttered.

The three quickly made their way to one of the elegantly decorated tables. The The floating candles in the middle were sparkling silver. The glasses and plates looked like pure crystal. They were joined by familiar faces. George and Fred Weasley plopped themselves down next to Ron, and Oliver Wood settled himself next to Harry, accompanied by his date, a tall, slender woman with long, straight blonde hair, golden skin and button brown eyes.

"Harry! How good to see you again," Oliver said with gusto. "Let me introduce you to my fiancée Cate."

"How do you do," Harry replied politely. Oliver then engaged Harry into a conversation about Quidditch. Harry was obviously bored to death but he kept attentive and polite as usual. Cate sat patiently, laying her dainty hand on Wood's burly arm.

Fred and George teased Ron about various things and then questioned Hermione about what she had been up to the last year. Fred and George had finally started their own business- Gred and Forge's Joke Shop. They were doing quite well-much to the dismay of their mother, Molly. Hermione laughed along with their jokes, but privately wished she could spend some time alone with Ron and Harry.

Just then Ron nudged her in the ribs. She leaned in closer and he quickly whispered, "Let's meet outsidetell Harry." He then quickly left the table with the excuse of taking a restroom break and left the table. In the meantime Hermione had quietly informed Harry of their plan and had left the table with the excuse that she saw Professor McGonagal and wished to talk to her. Finally Harry just left the table abruptly, leaving the rest with their confused looks. He swiftly made his way out of the noisy crowd and into the star-lit gardens of the Hogwarts grounds.

*************

A chilling breeze enveloped Harry as he strode out onto the green lawns. He wasn't quite sure where to find Ron and Hermione but two voices coming from the gardens told him where he could. He quickly walked through the flowered archway and found the two of them sitting on a marble bench. Ron looked comfortable and happy, Hermione looked beautiful.

"Oh hey Harry," Ron said enthusiastically, "Sorry to pull you away from that intriguing conversation with Wood, but I thought it would be nice if we all got to talk in private."

"Well, Ron, you know how much I love chatting with Wood about Quidditch," Harry joked. They all laughed. It is so great to do that with them again, Harry thought.

"His fiancee was certainly gorgeous," Hermione observed.

"Yeahwonder where he picked her up" Ron wondered.

"Wood told me he met her at party, hosted by his managers. Wood is one of the cannons now and Cate is the coach's daughter. She works for the ministrymuggle relations. She must know your dad," Harry said.

"Yeah"

There was an awkward silence. Harry looked down at the ground waiting for someone to speak. Finally Hermione, of course, started up the conversation.

"So what have you two been up to?"

Ron answered first. "Well, for the last year I've lived with my parentscouldn't afford anything else. And let me tell you it was living hell. I mean, I love my family dearly and everything but Mom and Dad just wouldn't let me alone. They had to know everything I didit was like I was twelve years old again. I've been working with Fred and George in their joke shop. Not my idea of the perfect lifestyle, but hey, at least I'm making some dough."

"Ginny's moved out right?" Asked Hermione.

"Yeahshe's twenty-threeliving on her own. She's working for Gladrags. She's totally obsessed with that fashion stuff. And get thisshe's dating Malfoy!"

"Malfoy?!" Hermione and Harry both sputtered.

"They're here tonightit's too damn crowded to find anyone here, but maybe we'll run into them."

"Well, at least we know Draco isn't a dark wizard," Hermione said thoughtfully. During the wars against Voldemort, Malfoy had turned out to be a double agent, working for their side.

"Yeah, but he's still a Malfoy,"Ron sneered.

"Well, anyway," Hermione said, quickly trying to get off this heated topic as soon as possible, "Harry what have you been up to?"

By this time Harry had pulled up another garden chair and was slightly smiling. It was so perfect to hear them talking againjust talking about nothing.

"Ohtrying to stay low I guess, which is not too easy. I'm renting an apartment in London, it's pretty big actually. Got it for a good price. Actually it was really shitty when I bought it, but hey, used a little magic and it was as good as new. I was unemployed for a while, but then I got really bored so I've recently started working for the ministry. I'm an unspeakable."

"Wowso that means you got the spy thing goin' on" Ron stated.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I enjoy it. It's dangerous but exciting."

"Not like you need more excitement," Hermione tutted.

"So, what have you been doing then?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Well, I live alone in a house in Ireland, work in a library, and miss you two terribly."

"Shucks" Ron chuckled.

"Ireland?" asked Harry with mild shock, "Why so far away?"

"I don't knowI just needed to be far away, find some seclusion. I fell in love with Ireland, but now that I'm back here, I know this is where I belongwith my two best friends."

"Well, listen, if you're not too attached to your abode in Ireland come stay with me in my apartment. You too Ron, unless, you'd miss your mum too much"

"Shut up you gitcourse I would love it!"

"That'd be nice. I mean, it's tough because I own my house, but I'll see what I can do. I love it there, but I can't stand the thought that I'm a whole country away, even if I can Apparate. So yesI'd love to move in with you two."

"Corso when can you guys move in?"

"Tonight?" Ron exclaimed, "I need to leave A.S.A.P." He laughed. "But seriously, whenever you're ready, I'm ready. I can send my stuff over whenever."

"It's going to be harder for me. I have a job in Ireland and I need to quit that respectively. Plus sell my house. So maybe in a month?"

"Fineso Ron, see you tomorrowand Hermione see you in a month. Damn that's too longcome and visit before then?"

"Of course," Hermione answered gratefully, " Well, I suppose we should be getting back to the partydinner is probably just ending."

And with that, the three best friends got up and made their way back to the feast.

***************

"There you three are!!" George exclaimed.

"You missed dessert, you poor souls," Fred said in a mockingly solemn tone.

The three had seated themselves again at the table. No one inquired about where they had gone- that answer was obvious. But before anyone could say anything else, an amplified Dumbledore's voice silenced the room.

"If I could have everyone's attention please," he started, "Tonight I have gathered everyone for this celebration, this celebration of life. Now, all wizards are able to live free. Voldemort (a few gasps from the crowd) has been defeated. But, sadly, all evil has not. There is still evil among us, but it is our duty to try and keep that force to a minute level. But I digress. I came up here to thank three incredible wizards, for these three wizards looked darkness in the face and killed it. These three, the three who lived, used their bravery and wisdom to save our world from utter devastation. So tonight I would like to honor Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter!"

A deafening cheer sounded across the hall. All three of them had turned a deep shade of purple. They stood up and smiled weakly. Wasn't this the one thing I was trying to avoid? Harry thought. After what seemed like an eternity the clapping began to cease.

"And with that I shall end our feast. Now there will be dancing and drinks! Please! Enjoy yourselves! The night has yet begun!"

And as soon as Dumbledore walked off the stage the band appeared. A woman in a bright green sequined dress stood with a microphone floating in midair. It followed her wherever she went as she paced across the stage. People slowly began to drift from their tables to mingle and dance. Oliver and Cate were glided across the floor, with many twirls and dips. Fred and Angelina began to dance, with Fred having fun leading them into other couples.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione remained at the table with George. They made idle talk but mostly watched the other couples dance across the floor. Suddenly Ron burst out, "Hermioneyou wanna dance?"

"Yes"

The two left Harry at the table with George. He didn't mind their dancing, but he felt a pang of jealousy.

"SoHarry, I guess that just leaves you and me" George said jokingly. Harry laughed.

"Sorry, Georgedon't float that way. But hey, Katie Bell is looking your way."

George slyly turned around to find Katie staring at him obviously. He laughed. "So she is! I must dance. Harry, you should ask someone. There's no point sitting here like a bum. See ya!"

And with that he got up and left Harry by himself. He sighed and looked around. Hermione and Ron were dancing and smilinglooking perfectly happy. He was glad they would be moving in.

Then Harry felt someone's presence behind him. He slowly turned around to find Cho Chang standing beside him. She was still very striking, but Harry's long-ago crush had subsided.

"Cho! How are you?"

"Great Harry. Good to see you. UmmI was just wondering if you would care to dance?"
"Yeah, I would actually."

Cho giggled and they walked out onto the dance floor. Cho was wearing a short dress of sapphire blue silk. She didn't have much of a figure but her dress complimented the small curves she possessed. They proceeded to dance. She was very graceful, at least compared to Harry's dancing. He was never very good at it. He kept jerking here and there, forgetting what the steps were. But Cho just smiled and followed his pace. They made some small talk. Cho was working at Hogwarts as the new Astronomy teacher. Soon the dance ended and the two partners separated.

"Well, ummmI guess I'll see you later?" Harry said, unsure of himself.

"Yeah. Listen, its great to see you again. If you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me." Cho was always so sweet; maybe that's why there was so much competition for her during Hogwarts. Harry had actually gone as far as to ask her out, but she replied sympathetically that she already had a boyfriend, some guy named Paul Purnips.

Harry smiled and turned away. He saw Hermione and Ron walking towards him.

"Hey Harry," an out-of-breath Hermione breathed.

"How's Cho doing?" Ron questioned.

"She's fineworking here actually."
"Coryou still got something for her?"

"Nomy foolish childhood dreams are over" Harry said with mock sentimentality.

"RightHarry you want to dance?" Hermione asked playfully.

"Why notbut beware, I have a tendency to really suck."

Hermione laughed, "Then that makes two of us! Come on."

The two left Ron, who had begun to talk with Dean Thomas.

The two didn't say anything for a while. Harry just led Hermione across the floor to the melody of a jazzy waltz. He felt more comfortable dancing with Hermione. Cho made him nervous.

"Did you and Cho ever have any kind of relationship?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"I wish. NoI actually asked her out once in my sixth year. But she was going out with Paul. Why?"

"Oh I don't know. Just wondering. I think she likes you now at least. She keeps staring in your direction."

"Really" Harry said unenthusiastically. He liked Cho, but not like that.

"Harry are you lonely?"

"Yes" he said. He could tell anything to Hermione. It was weird that she could tell exactly how he felt.

"Well, Ron and I are here now. I'll always be here for you."
"I know."

And then the song ended. Harry looked into Hermione's auburn eyes. They held so much wisdom in them. She smiled knowingly and gave him a warm hug. He retuned it gratefully and gently stoked her hair.

"Interrupting anything?" Ron said sarcastically.

They both laughed and separated.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm parched. Want some drinks?" Hermione offered.

"Surewe'll come too," piped Ron.

For the rest of the night, the three drank, danced and laughed. Hermione and Ron danced again while Harry spun around with Parvati. They were having the time of their lives but around one in the morning their lack of sleep crept up on them.

"Well, I think I'm going to turn in," Hermione said wearily.
"Sameback to the burrow for mebut Harry, I'll be at your place at ten kay?"

"Right. And Herm, stop by when you canI'm home on weekends."

The three said their good-byes, each as reluctant to leave as the other. Then they all apparated. Harry felt the familiar dizziness come over him as his spun through the air. He arrived promplty inside his lonely apartment. He smiled to himself, remembering where he had just been. With that he hung up his coat and went to his room to get a long needed rest.