Disclaimer: I do not own or sell anything affiliated with the Harry Potter series. Some characters, settings, etc. are the copyright of the fabulous J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books (US), Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), and Warner Bros.

Story Summary: (Post Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows)
Hermione Granger is a private investigator and agent for the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. At just 24 years old, Hermione's already had many accomplishments for improving the quality of life for house-elves and other disenfranchised creatures. However, her relationship with Ron Weasley appears to be a lost cause as they are both extraordinarily busy with their jobs and can never seem to find time for one another.

As Hermione increasingly becomes a workaholic and swears off all "distractions", she is given an extraordinary Christmas present – an invitation to spectacular Grandtown. While Hermione thinks the invitation is to a place for relaxation and some alone time, little does she know the town has so much more in store for her to open her eyes and become conscious of a whole other world she's missing out on.

Author's Notes: This story is primarily HG/SS but will stay true to canon ships. Grandtown was originally published in 2005 but was never completed due to new canon development (namely, DH). I hope you enjoy this newly edited and reworked version. Please post a review when you're finished with each chapter; I would be ever so grateful.

Prologue

A piercing laugh roused Hermione Granger from unconsciousness as it echoed through the empty corridor.

Hermione slowly lifted her head and groggily surveyed her surroundings before attempting to move. It was too dark to see properly and the air felt incredibly moist and heavy.

Another bout of cackling laughter broke out, and Hermione knew she had little time. She wasn't certain how long she had been knocked out, or by whom, but she wasn't about to waste anymore time trying to find out.

'Where's my wand?' she thought as she reached for the pocket of her robes that normally housed it. Hermione then desperately felt the ground around her. Various-sized pieces of something sharp and smooth covered the stone floor in every direction she felt.

Hermione concluded from the throbbing pain she had on the back of her head that someone must have levitated something large, heavy, and breakable and magically cast it at her. This definitely wasn't good.

She instantly froze when she heard footsteps approaching from behind her. The footsteps stopped when they crunched on whatever was littering the floor. Hermione felt terribly uneasy about whoever it was standing so close to her when she wasn't capable of defending herself.

"Needin' help, missy?" asked a squeaky, high-pitched, male voice.

Knowing it must be the house-elf she sent there to rescue, Hermione answered gratefully, "Thimble! I'm so glad you're all right! I'm here to help you!"

"Help me?" the house-elf questioned. "Why I needin' help? You be needin' help, missy."

"You won't understand right now, but I need you to come with me! Your master has been killed, and I need to get you out of here!"

"Master's been killed?" the voice asked, cracking on the last word.

"Yes, I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you, Thimble, but I know he treated you dreadfully."

Hermione felt awful when she heard a small sob escape Thimble's mouth. His master had been a Death Eater, but Thimble had served him faithfully for many years.

"You kill him?" Thimble asked shakily.

"No, the Aurors tracked him down. He was a very bad man, Thimble. He murdered several good people."

"You know these Aurors?"

"Yes, I know most of them quite well, actually," Hermione assured. "They have been tracking down Death Eaters for the last few years. I have even helped them on occasion."

After a moment or two of nothing but silence and Thimble's heavy breathing, a burst of light erupted and illuminated the entire space.

Hermione tried to shield her eyes from the intense light but gasped when she recognized her wand in Thimble's quivering hand, pointing directly towards her.

"Thimble! Listen to me! I'm here to help you!" Hermione pleaded.

"But who will help you?" asked a voice which clearly wasn't Thimble's anymore. That same piercing laugh that she had heard earlier came forth from Thimble's mouth, and his lips smiled viciously.

Hermione watched horror-struck as Thimble touched the tip of her wand to his forehead and morphed into a looming, cackling, masked Death Eater.

"NO!" Hermione screamed as she realized she was too late.

Chapter 1: The Escape

"Another drink, Mademoiselle?"

Hermione's glazed-over stare snapped back into focus as she looked up at her waiter.

"Umm. . ." Hermione started, glancing at her nearly empty, fourth glass of wine, "No, I think I'm finished, thanks."

The waiter nodded but paused before leaving as he looked at her.

"Is everything all right?" he asked with obvious sincerity.

Hermione chuckled quietly and sighed before replying, "No, but I'll manage. . .I always do, somehow."

The waiter gave her a sympathetic half-grin before saying, "Sorry to pry. Take as long as you need."

Hermione watched her waiter stroll away to tend to his other tables. She had been waiting for almost two hours at a cozy table set-up for two. She had even requested to be seated on the second level in a quiet corner – once a favorite of hers and Ron's.

Ron Weasley had stood her up on a date he had insistently requested they were to have for the second time that month. Hermione was trying not to count the various other dates and occasions he had forgotten about in just the past year, but it was difficult for her not to be distracted with her current situation.

Hermione and Ron had been dating since that fateful night of Voldemort's death, nearly five years ago. But Ron had been a different person then. Yes, he was still as passionate about defeating the Death Eaters as he was back then, but his passion for Hermione had all but diminished – and hers wasn't too far behind.

Yes, they both had growing careers and great successes with the Ministry of Magic. Ron became an Auror with Harry Potter to defeat the remaining Death Eaters while Hermione went back to Hogwarts to properly complete her N.E.W.T.s and graduate. Shortly thereafter, she applied for an entry-level position in the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Her brilliant mind had her promoted to Agent within her first year there.

Hermione had always been an avoid reader and researcher, so whenever Ron would discuss issues with tracking down Death Eaters who had all but vanished, Hermione would compile whatever information Ron needed to help with his investigation. This led to Hermione using her abilities and the Aurors' investigation techniques to help locate ill-treated house-elves and other disenfranchised creatures.

She was officially able to add Private Investigator to her job title not long after she put her methods into action.

Hermione gradually surveyed the restaurant one last time before gathering her things and tossing money on top of a basket of covered, assorted breads she never touched.

Ron,

We need to talk.

Let me know when you're back in town, and I'll find you when the time's right.

Hermione

"Hermione?"

Ron sprinted out of the kitchen, still holding a dishcloth he had been wiping his hands with. He stopped a good six feet away from Hermione when he saw her face.

"Ron," Hermione acknowledged, latching the door behind her but making no attempt to sit down or approach him.

"Sweetheart, please don't be upset. Let's talk about what happened over dinner," Ron suggested, gesturing towards to kitchen.

"I'm not hungry," Hermione stated with heavy irritation in her voice.

"Rubbish," Ron teased gently, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll bet you haven't had a bite all day. I know I'm starving!"

Hermione narrowed her eyes and took a step forward.

"Well, you could have eaten to your heart's content last night – if you would have shown up!"

"You know how things just come up at work, Hermione. Don't start this with me again," Ron said, visibly becoming irritated as he rolled his eyes.

"Please!" Hermione yelled. "Do you think I honestly enjoy us arguing every time we're together?"

"To some degree, I believe you do," Ron admitted, his face flushing scarlet as his voice became louder. "You always make me out to be the bad guy when you're just as guilty of putting work before a date!"

"You think this is all about a date?" Hermione sputtered, shaking her head in dismay. "This about you never giving a rip about us!"

"That's unfair; you know how much I care about you and our relationship!" Ron started. "I just feel like we've stopped trying, you know? Like we don't try to impress each other anymore. . .That's why I kept insisting we have a date night to bring the romantic spark back."

Hermione laughed cruelly.

"You think one date after countless months is going to 'bring the romantic spark back'? You're a true genius, Ron."

At Hermione's snide remark, Ron took a step forward and pointed a shaking finger at her face.

"No, you're the 'true genius' if you think us having a romantic moment involves watching the clock incessantly so we don't waste too much time so you can get back to your precious work!"

"You do it, too, Ronald!" Hermione screamed back. "Remember how we talked about clearing our entire schedules for Valentine's Day? Gods know I didn't want to, but I knew we needed an evening together with no interruptions, so I did it FOR YOU! But you came home, inhaled your dinner, rushed me into the bedroom and left maybe 15 minutes later!"

"It was not 15 minutes!" Ron snapped. "Stop exaggerating, Hermione! I told you the moment I got home that I really wasn't supposed to leave the Ministry that night, but I did FOR YOU!"

"You only left the Ministry because no one was there to get you food!" Hermione declared. "Gods forbid you miss a meal!"

"That's real mature," Ron commented. "You can't live without food, Hermione, and I burn through it faster than most people! If I don't eat, I feel weak and unfocused, and that's not good for my job!"

Hermione sighed as she folded her arms across her chest. She knew he was right – at least about the food thing – but would it kill him to give up one meal every once in a while to spend time with her? Anymore, any free time Ron had was spend grocery shopping, cooking, or eating. Aurors did have a very physical job, but when Ron was back at the Ministry, he surely wasn't as active as he would be out on an assignment.

She looked over Ron as he waited for her to respond. He hadn't changed much from Hogwarts. Same flaming red hair, maybe slightly longer since he was overdue for a haircut, but Hermione didn't mind it. He was tall, certainly, but his lankiness was filling out nicely. Thanks to being incredibly active in his job, Ron was much more muscular in his arms and chest. He wasn't bulging by any means, but his days of being very thin and gangly were definitely over. Hermione smirked ever so slightly as she admired his physique.

"You really make things hard for us," Ron said, setting his jaw and swallowing hard. "You have double standards that I can't possibly live up to."

"What?" Hermione spat, knowing any good feelings she was having towards him a moment ago had all but dissolved. "I make things hard for us? I'm the one who purposely works less hours and takes more days off so we can be together! Tell me, what have you been doing to make things easier?"

"I run errands for you all the time!" Ron said. "I do chores, I pay bills, I bring you gifts when I'm away for a few days. . ."

"Well, this isn't the first time I've told you that it's not enough!" Hermione said. "You never keep your promises, you don't remember anything I tell you, and you have absolutely no concept of time!"

"I could say the exact same things about you!" Ron shot back. "All you've done this past year is complain about what I'm not doing! You have never once thanked me for anything or gave me a compliment? It makes me want to give up, Hermione!"

"Then why don't you?" Hermione yelled.

They looked at each other for a moment in heavy silence.

"Hermione. . ." Ron started, "I don't want to lose you. . .Things between us are just so shotty right now."

Hermione watched as Ron appeared to be in deep thought.

"Well, if you think things are so bad. . .and they are, I agree. . .then why should we continue to make each other miserable?" Hermione quizzed.

"I just think we need some time apart right now, you know, to figure out what's important to us."

"I think we need more than that," assessed Hermione. "I think we need to end this relationship before things get worse. I think if we make a clean break, there won't be any restrictions or commitments that will potentially confuse us and make us dislike one another more."

"I disagree," Ron said. "I don't want to throw away what we have! We've been building this relationship for nearly five years, and we have so many memories and-"

"Ron, I'm not saying let's forget what we had," Hermione interrupted. "I just think we're at a point where we need to be completely unattached from each other. I don't know about you, but I feel like a prisoner sometimes to this relationship."

"Is this what you really want?" Ron asked after processing everything for a few minutes.

"Yes," Hermione answered, unblinking.

Ron nodded grimly before saying, "I'll get my things and be out of here tonight."

"Take your time; I'm going back to my office to finish up a few things. I'll be home late."

"Don't worry; I won't be here when you come back," Ron assured.

Hermione nodded and gave him a slight, tight-lipped smile before turning to leave.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?" she asked, hesitating before turning back to face him.

"I love you, and I'll never stop loving you," Ron revealed, his eyes glistening with filling tears.

Hermione felt herself wanting to reassure him, wanting to tell him things would be all right in the end. But, instead, she nodded in acknowledgement and left without saying a word.

She didn't know what their future held, but Hermione was determined to find out what it felt like to be free.