Hermione didn't move when the bell chimed and an envelope appeared in the now glowing box on the mantle. She was used to the mail system now, and simply swiped the parchment out of the box and went to dump it on the table.

Until she felt her nails dig into wax.

Actually turning her full attention to the envelope, Hermione didn't know how to react to the Hogwarts Crest on the back of the envelope. Breaking the seal, she read the paper inside.

"Headmistress Minerva McGonagall cordially invites the graduating class of 1997 to return to Hogwarts for a ball in honor of their 10 year reunion.

Dinner and Dancing in honor of 10 years! 6pm to midnight. Great Hall, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

Accommodations can be made for families travelling with children or wishing to stay the weekend."

Had it really been 10 years since she left Hogwarts, since the War had ended?

Hermione decided at once she wasn't going. When she had left England all those years ago, she left for good. And anyway, the ball was the first weekend of spring vacation. She always stayed in the city.

After having left England in search of her parents in Australia a week after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione had traveled for almost two months looking for her parents, and another three trying to repair their memories.

It had worked, but the Grangers had built so much in Australia that there was no point in moving back to England. The weather was also slightly more desirable closer to the equator.

Not long after, Hermione had been accepted to a Wizarding University in the United States. Moving out to California to attend Hallsworth University had been the best decision of her life. Within 3 years, Hermione was a fully qualified Transfiguration teacher, and was offered a position at one of the most prestigious magic schools in the entire country- maybe even the world.

"Love?" A voice called out from the front entryway of the house.

A pitter-patter of feet down the hall ended with the door to Hermione's study being thrown open by a little girl, an almost identical boy right behind her.

"I found Mommy!" The little girl chirped.

The exclamation was followed by a deep sigh. "Lyra, what does Daddy say about knocking and shoes?"

"Take your shoes off by the door and always knock before you enter." The boy supplied.

"See? Scorp knows. Now did you do those things?"

A body followed the voice. Tall, well over 6"5 and with a shock of white-blond hair piled on top, Draco Malfoy had certainly become even more attractive as he got older.

"I'm sorry, Mommy." Lyra apologizes.

Hermione smiles softly. "It's okay. Just remember for next time, okay?"

The girl nods violently, her blonde hair whipping back and forth.

"Now go play, you two."

The brother and sister scurry off towards the playroom, leaving their parents alone in the study.

"Did you see the invitation for the reunion?" Draco looked excited. "I haven't seen Theo in years. And Pansy told me that Astoria married Flint. Flint!. Do you think they'll be there?"

Hermione's resolve faltered.

"Is McGonagall still Headmistress? The old bat hasn't died yet?"

"If Dumbledore can live to 150," Hermione quips, "So can she."

Draco doesn't dispute that. He starts to pace around her study, rattling off names and gossip he'd gotten through Pansy. He looked like a kid during Christmas.

Hermione's resolve fizzled out.

"We can leave the twins with my mother. She's love to take them. You know how much my parents adore them"

Hermione sighed. "I'll go tell Amelia about the change of plans. We'll tell the twins tonight. It's only for the weekend, right?

Draco broke out into a full grin. He knew Hermione would have apprehensions about going back, but figured he could win her over. And he did.

-/-

Amelia was the Headmistress of the school Hermione and Draco both worked at. She was extremely good friends with the two adults, and viewed them almost as her children.

Hermione pulls out her wand, tapping the middle of her study door three times. "Amelia Goddard's office." The doorknob turned green and Hermione opened the door straight into the office.

The American version of the Floo Network was a lot simpler (and cleaner). Instead of powder in a fireplace, you simply cast a spell on a door, told it where you wanted to go, and walked right in to your destination.

"Hermione!" Amelia looked up from her desk as her office door opened and the brunette walked in.

"Good Evening, Amelia." Hermione greets, coming to a stop in front of the woman's desk.

"I'm afraid that Draco and I will be leaving the first weekend of Easter Break. We'll be available to the school Monday, through." Hermione says. "We got an invitation to an alumni event that Draco is insistent upon going to."

"Oh that's wonderful! Finally getting out of the city, are you?" Amelia laughs. "Though you don't seem to excited."

"I'm not." The witch admits. "I don't have a very good relationship with all my old school friends. We had a massive falling out before I went Uni, you see."

"About what?" Amelia asks soothingly, knowing Hermione needs to say it.

The woman sinks into one of the chairs by the desk and wraps her arms around herself. "You know about the terrorist war that Britain was fighting within its own borders?"

Amelia nodded. She'd heard about the so-called Dark Lord who had been terrorizing Wizarding Britain for over 20 years. She didn't know a lot though, as international connection had been minimal, and the Ministry had tried to keep it underwraps

But you can't exactly keep a 20 year war hidden. Magical governments all over the world knew, but the general public was a little less informed.

"I was there. I fought." Hermione confirmed Amelia's suspicions on her place in the war. "I was right there in the middle. You heard about Harry Potter, right?"

That she had.

"I was his best friend. There is another one, Ron Weasley. We were the "Golden Trio"." She laughs bitterly. "Golden my arse. Just because we were on the "right" side of the war didnt mean we were any better."

"My point is, I was on one side of the war. Draco was on the other."

Amelia leaned back in her chair. That was news to her.

"That tattoo? Its a brand. Voldemort marked all his followers. He'll be forever reminded of the horrors he was forced to endure as a child."

Amelia looked horrified. What little she knew of Voldemort, he was despicable.

"My friends... The didn't approve, persay." Hermione pulls her legs up, acting more like a scared child than a woman of 28. "They said he was using me to improve his image. That it was an insult to my kind and everything that we fought for."

"And so they just... abandoned you?!" These were not very good friends in Amelia's eyes.

"I wish. They publically disowned me, and convinced the Minister of Magic to repeal his offer of any job I wanted in the Ministry. 'Because of her bad image' they said. 'You can't put a Death Eater's whore as a Department head' they said." Hermione spoke with such bitterness that Amelia swore that no sugar in the world could make her tone sweet.

"I left. I applied to Hallsworth and I took Draco with me. Then you hired us." Hermione sighs, rubbing her eyes. "And I never wanted to set foot in England again. But Draco is so excited to see his friends again."

"They didn't abandon him?" Amelia questioned.

Hermione snorted. "As if. They aren't so petty as to ruin their best friends future over the fact that they dont like their boyfriend."

"Granted, the had good reason." She admits. "Draco may have been forced to do terrible things, but he also did other things out of free will."

"So are you going back to England?"

"I don't want to. But I love Draco and I know the kids want to see their grandparents." She smiles ruefully. "I just have to make an entrance. Grangers hide in the shadows. Malfoys don't."