As Life Goes On
After the war everything changed. Hogwarts is being rebuilt and the Golden Trio looked towards completing their 6th and 7th year. However, people change. With no life and death threat, those that remain finally got the chance to be "normal" teenagers. How will this affect the trio? Non-compliant epilogue. H/HR
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor the characters.
Chapter 1- Goodbye
Hogwart's repairs were only seventy percent complete but the repairs made should be enough for her to open her doors come September 1st. The castle had suffered massive damage from Voldemort's final attack which saw its hallowed halls run red with blood. The wards had finally been re-established and students, faculty, and the local wizarding population did what they could to help with repairs.
The dead were mourned, honored, and buried. The heroes hailed. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley were the most prominently honored as heroes.
Heroes. The word left a bitter taste in Hermione's mouth.
"Are you ready?" Hermione turned to looked into the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. Long gone was the arrogance and sneer that he use to direct at her when speaking. In its place was kindness and understanding that she use to liken to one of her best friends, Harry.
"Are you sure about this, Hermione?" asked the third member of their little group. Hermione resignedly nodded her head.
"Yes, Neville. I'm sure. I need a new start. I've done what I can to help Hogwarts get back on her feet but it now holds too many painful memories for me to stay." Hermione whispered sadly as tears spilled down her cheeks. Painful memories of the last few months still fresh in her mind; her parent's death, treatment of two of the people she once called her best friends, and her final conversation with Harry.
"Shh. They're not worth it, Hermione."
The tall lanky boy wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug as Draco laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I wish I could go with you but the Longbottoms have been graduates of Hogwarts for centuries. My leaving would kill my gran." Neville said regretfully.
"I understand, Neville. I would never ask that of you. I promise that I will keep in touch." Hermione reached up and gently kissed him on the cheek. "I will miss you greatly."
"It's time." Draco said quietly.
"Take care of our girl, Draco." Neville said as he shook hands with the Malfoy scion. Draco simply nodded before taking Hermione's hand and apparating away.
Neville let out a wistful sigh as he headed back towards Hogwarts.
I wish I could have gone with them, thought Neville. Still I can't blame them.
Neville thought over the last few months after Voldemort's defeat. Things were a mess. People were celebrating while others were mourning their losses. The ministry was in chaos and not even Gringotts was spared Voldemort's wrath. However, it was not the state of wizarding society that surprised Neville the most but the changes in the survivors; in particular, the students of Hogwarts.
All students were to repeat last year's courses with the influx of first years sitting with the old last years. The war played havoc with Hogwarts learning institution with death eaters as teachers roaming the halls, muggle borns and half-bloods hunted and pure blood dogma being drilled into those remaining.
As students returned, to help with the repairs to Hogwarts, Neville began to notice subtle changes in the form of cliques being made. It started innocently enough with Ginny Weasley taking on the mantle of helping to organize the student populace, most of which did not question her as they were use to taking orders from both her and himself from heading the DA when Harry, Hermione, and Ron were gone during their hunt for Horcruxes.
Ginny and Harry had resumed their relationship and started to date with Ron and Hermione shortly pairing up afterwards. With Ginny and Harry now as the golden couple, students were falling over themselves to get near the two and the popularity bar was set.
Harry had shocked Neville in his easy acceptance of the new situation. When Neville asked him about it, Harry had simply shrugged his shoulders and stated for once, people were giving him credit for something he did and not just surviving a curse that killed his parents. He wanted to enjoy as much of a "normal" teenage life as he can without worrying over someone trying to kill him each school year. Most of Harry's time then became occupied with snogging Ginny Weasley and bowing to her every whim.
Ron had turned into a right arse for a better word. He and Hermione officially started dating but ended shortly after Hermione's return from retrieving her parents. The changes in Ron were not surprising in Neville's opinion. Ron had always yearned for fame and adulation which he finally received as being a part of the Golden Trio and recognized war hero. His ego began to be over-inflated and his continuous sniping of Hermione's studious nature even after they had started dating made it hard press for Neville's newly found back bone to not punch Ron Weasley square in the face. Ron's conduct while Hermione was away had Neville foaming at the mouth. Ron's flirtation with Luna and referencing of Neville as the "spare" had other students snickering at Neville behind his back. Ironically, it was Draco that became a voice of reason for Neville.
Ron had been asked by another student why he nicknamed Neville the "Spare" and in doing so laughed.
"Don't you get it? The prophecy fitted two boys at the time, Harry and Neville. Voldemort just went for Harry first. Harry's parents died while Neville's may as well be stuck in the mental ward at St. Mungo's. Harry was able to pull the Sword of Gryffindor out of the hat to fight a basilisk and Neville was able to do the same to kill Voldemort's familiar. Had something happened to Harry, Neville would have probably been the back up plan. He even led the DA along with Ginny during the war. Thank god nothing happened to Harry. Can you imagine having to follow the Spare around and depending on him to win the war?"
At those final words, Neville proceeded to pummel the life out of Ron Weasley. Oddly enough, it was Draco Malfoy that pulled him off of Weasley and started an unexpected friendship. Harry had come upon the scene and Ron immediately began to spout off that Neville had attack him for no reason. The other students had refused to speak up in Neville's defense other than Malfoy which Ron only used to push his case. After all, who would believe Malfoy after all they had been through.
Afterwards, Harry had sided with Ron (big surprise there as Harry had always sided with Ron even against Hermione) and Neville's ostracizing began by the new forming clique. Since then, Neville had been treated even more of a Pariah because of his friendship with Malfoy which also resulted in his break up with Luna.
Hermione and Ron had a huge row about her leaving to find her parents. Ron had refused to leave stating his family needed him especially in the aftermath of Fred's death and in return he needed her by his side. Hermione stayed for a month afterwards since her parents should, by all accounts be safe, and the Weasleys and Harry needed her more. After a month, Ron still insisted Hermione stay and they fought again. Harry had remained silent and out of it as he tended to do when he did not want to disagree with Ron and tended to agree more with Hermione. Hermione ended up leaving and returning after two months.
Hermione's returned marked the beginning of the end of the Golden Trio. After the ass kicking Neville dished out on Ron, Ron brought being a jerk to a whole new level. During Hermione's absence Ron was seen more and more in the company of the female variety. His new notoriety made him almost as popular with the ladies as Harry with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop. Neville didn't care so much until he Ron turned his advances on Luna. Of all the disappointments Neville had recently faced, Luna was the biggest.
Neville had asked Luna out right after the end of the war and the little blond waif-like girl accepted. Unlike many students, Neville never made fun of Luna or her oddities. Neville had found her endearing in many ways and felt a kindred spirit with her. Growing up as an only child, loneliness was not unfamiliar to either child. Having suffered the lost of a parent or parents only highlighted the similarities in their situation.
They had happily dated for a couple of months until Neville's beat down of Ron. Ron had then decided to focus his attention to Luna and began to flirt with her to get at Neville. Unbeknownst to Neville, Luna had always harbored a crush on Ron Weasley as they were growing up but he never took notice and instead participated in referring to her as "Looney Lovegood" as many had done. With Ron taken off the market by Hermione, Luna had decided to give dating Neville a try. When Ron turned his attentions to her, Luna had been helpless in the face of the unrequited childhood crush she had for Ron and had started to withdraw from Neville. As Neville became more and more of an outcast, she found herself being outcast as well. Luna had been friends with Ginny through out her childhood and feared loosing that friendship as Ginny used her popularity to cast Neville in the role of a villain to support Ron. Not wanting to be socially outcasted again, Luna broke up with Neville.
And where was Harry Potter in the middle of all of this? Not getting involved and too busy snogging Ginny Weasley.
Harry had become another disappointment to Neville. However, Harry's crimes had been geared more towards Hermione than Neville. Neville had once considered himself Harry's friends but after his siding with Ron and treatment of Hermione he now only viewed him as an acquaintance. Since Harry never really actively took part in ostracizing Neville, he didn't considered Harry so much as an enemy like Ron and Ginny Weasley had become but a blind follower with no independent thought since Hermione left.
Upon Hermione's return, the shit literally hit the fan. The Hermione that returned seemed to have an independent strength that was not as prominent at the end of war. Her eyes held a clarity and maturity that the other two of the Golden Trio lacked although a weariness to those she was most close to was new. Neville notice an immediate weariness towards Ron that was not their previously. She flinched slightly as Ron made to embrace her in welcome and he observed a quick look of disgust before it was quickly masked. Neville noticed the exact opposite effect when Harry approached. Harry had received the patented "Hermy Hug" followed by a searching look as she cupped Harry's face between two hands. Ginny broke up the warm welcome with a sour look and a false welcome. Hermione and Harry quickly separated with Harry quickly returning to Ginny's side where upon Ginny set about to perform a public display of removing Harry's tonsil as she possessively groped Harry's body. No one watching missed the smug look Ginny threw at Hermione and every female watching. Harry surfaced with a goofy grin and addle look on his face before dragging Ginny off for more privacy.
Neville and Draco had taken to quietly observing Hermione afterwards. It did not take her long to settle back in and get caught up on the goings on while she was away. Interesting enough, after hearing about Ron's and Neville's altercation, Hermione searched Neville out in order to get his side of the story. Although she frowned at Harry's response, Hermione was truly outrage by Ron's words and subsequent actions of the student body. Her ire continued to grow as it was discovered that it was Ron and Ginny that led to Neville being ostracized.
Hermione had been leery of Draco to begin with. Since she had never experienced kindness of any sort from the Malfoy heir and having suffered torture by his crazy aunt, Draco was very surprised that that she did not receive him with out right hostility. She was reserved but as she viewed Draco's friendship with Neville, she came to slowly accept Draco and build a friendship which would have previously thought to have been impossible. Her confrontation with Ginny and Ron in regards to Neville's treatment only escalated and resulted in the official break up between her and Ron. Hermione's disappointment in Harry's statement that he refused to take side then up and leaving with Ginny and Ron was heart breaking for Neville to witness as she silently cried buckets of tears late at night when she didn't think anyone was around.
Hermione also found herself being ostracized and found herself hanging around more and more with Neville and Draco. Harry never seemed to be by himself and was often seen in the company of Ginny and Ron who would not go anywhere near Hermione thus alienating Harry from her as well. Harry later began to shoot Hermione dark angry looks as time went on and ostracized Hermione on his own. Hermione was heart broken at this turn of events as she was now even denied to the ability to speak with Harry at all.
As time passed and repairs to the castle made it possible to open by September 1st, Neville, Draco, and Hermione grew closer. Neville experienced true friendship for the first time in his life and felt an important place of belonging for once. Draco, having been ostracized for his and his parent's role during the war realized the true power of friendship, love, loyalty, and trust that had no doubt helped Harry survive the trials he faced against Voldemort. Hermione is scarily brilliant. Draco learned that first hand working along side her daily.
Hermione, in turn, opened up to them and spoke of the results of her the search for her parents. It had taken two weeks before she was able to track down the last known residence of her parents in Australia on for it to end in tragedy. Her parents, Emma and Daniel Granger, were killed in a horrific car accident just a month before. They died never remembering they had a daughter. It struck Hermione hard, that had she not waited to tend to the Weasleys and Harry that she would have found them alive and they would not possibly be dead. Her anger and grief at Ron and Harry knew no bounds. She had put her friends' needs in front of her and her parent's own and now she had no one. Ron and Harry had in turn abandoned her. Hermione had been inconsolable as she had not given herself time to fully grieve.
She had spent the remaining time away taking care of her parent's estate. Since the Granger's had assume an alias, all estate information was still listed under Granger and Hermione had inherited everything. Although the Grangers were not millionaires, Hermione's parents planned, saved, and invested well enough for the future that Hermione need not worry about finances. The insurance money alone was enough for her to live on without having to work for several years.
Hermione also found out more of her lineage through her mother's side of the family and found that her lineage dated back to France several centuries previously and that she was not truly muggle born. Her mother's side held family magical lineage that tended to appear every couple of generations but only in the females of the family. The muggle side of the information was obscure at best and Hermione was hoping to find out more in magical France.
Learning about her heritage and how her two former best friends were acting led to Hermione's decision to not attend Hogwarts for her final two years. Hermione asked and was granted a transferred to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic much to McGonagall's dismay and heart break and Headmistress Olympe Maxime's delight.
Draco chose to follow Hermione's path as he also felt he needed a fresh start. Not many knew, but the Malfoys were originally from France and still had several holdings there. Language would not be an issue as both Draco and Hermione were both fluid in French and had taken on to teaching Neville in their spare time. The new trio spent a good portion of their off time together in the room of requirements with Neville and Draco teaching Hermione about wizarding lineage and protocols; Draco and Hermione teaching Neville French; and Hermione and Neville teaching Draco ballroom dancing.
Yes, ballroom dancing. Neville had been hooked since fourth year with the introduction of the Yule Ball. Draco only knew just enough to get by and dancing was one of the few physical activities that Hermione ever took to that did not involve books. It left Neville and Draco dumb struck how they never realized that Hermione's trim and toned physique had to come from more than just lugging heavy books around all day. Hermione's stamina easily out lasted Draco's and Neville's by a long margin at the beginning and her flexibility featured prominently in healthy male's wet dreams. Both boys got to see a side of Hermione that they were sure that Potter and Weasley never knew existed.
Hermione not only worked with them on traditional waltzes but a whole slew of other numbers such as the rumba, jive, cha-cha, tango, etc. With the help of the room of requirements and permission to borrow the pensieve from Headmistress McGonagall, Hermione was able to replicate lessons and show Neville and Draco some muggle competitions that she had been able to witness and actually participated in. Needless to say, Neville and Draco were actually salivating at some of the more risqué performances and costumes (a couple which even featured Hermione in).
Neville shook his head to clear out his thoughts. Maybe he could talk the headmistress into allowing an exchange program. That way he could still uphold the family tradition and still attend classes with his friends. With that thought, Neville headed back up to the castle.