Hello there, this is my very first Dramione fanfic :) I hope you'll enjoy it!

Chapter 1 – The new me

It was the beginning of summer break, it was only two weeks ago when I said goodbye to Harry and Ron but I already missed them terribly. Next school year I'd be going back to Hogwarts to finish my seventh year. The war was over and the Light side won, although no one came out without scars. Literal or emotional. I've got them both, thanks to that evil witch Lestrange. Luckily she's dead now, she never understood the love of a mother for her child and Molly killing her proved once again Dumbledore's theory about the power of love.

The Ministry had hold trials for all the Death Eaters they had locked up after the final battle. Most of the Death Eaters knew they'd never win the war after Voldemort fell and surrendered without a struggle. The Malfoy family was among those Death Eaters and underwent their trial. Harry and I showed up there to testify in favour of Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. Ron didn't, he was too stuck in the past to let go of his prejudices. He's not the same person after Fred's death, he's more bitter and angry. But Harry and I stand beside him as always because we know what it is to lose those close to you. For Harry you've got plenty examples ( his parents, Sirius, Remus and Tonks, Hedwig,…) but for me only one: my parents were tracked down during the war by Voldemorts Snatchers and they were killed. I still grieved about them every day but I was finally coping with the loss. Nowadays I lived in my parents' house together with my grandma. She was told her daughter and son in law were killed in a car accident. Ironical, don't you think? Harry had been told his parents were killed in a car crash by his aunt and uncle and now I'm telling my only family the same lies.

But back to the Malfoy trial. Harry and I stood up for Narcissa and Draco because we knew they didn't really wanted to be a part of the whole Death Eather-thing. They got dragged in by Lucius, who by the way, didn't showed any regret at all for anything he had done. He got a life time sentence in Azkaban, together with the major part of the Death Eaters who had been put to trial. Draco and his mother were cleared of all suspects but were obliged to find a summer job for two whole months in the muggle world, so they'd understand the world they always despised.

*FLASHBACK*

"Do you, Draco Malfoy, understand the severity of the crimes you have committed?" The magical amplified voice of the new Minister of Magic , Kingsley Shacklebolt, echoed in the courtroom. "I do, your honour, but I want to emphasize that I was forced to do whatever they wanted me do." Draco Malfoys trembling voice came from the middle of the courtroom. He was seated in an iron chair with chains round his ankles and wrists. I had never seen him so humble and sincere. He had been in Azkaban for three days, just waiting for his trial. They say that even the shortest visit there could change your views on the outside world. I hoped that Draco had seen the light, I believed that he was no bad person and was just a victim of his upbringing.

"And do you swear to tell the truth and the truth only to the members of the Wizengamot gathered here today?" Kingsley asked. "I swear, your honour." Draco said in a calmer voice as before. He must have realised that he would get an honest trial if he told the truth. I couldn't help to think that he always had been a clever boy, in Hogwarts he always came in second. After me of course, I thought smirking by myself.

He answered all the questions of the Wizengamot into detail. Even the worst details. Like the details of my torture by his aunt. That's where I came in to testify: I confirmed his story without looking at him. The memory of the silver blade cutting through my skin was to fresh. The Wizengamot was furious, obviously no one in the Wizarding World knew about my torture, besides the persons who were present that day in Malfoy Manor. I was glad Harry stood by my side in that part of the trial. I couldn't have done it alone, facing all those people who believed I was the Golden Girl, the Brains of the Trio, the smartest witch of my age. But with Harry behind me I told in a calm voice what happened in the Manor from my point of view. And that Draco had no part in the torture, that he even looked disgusted by his aunt. But couldn't do anything without getting hurt too. When I had finished talking a glanced briefly in Draco's direction; his eyes showed gratitude and something else. It was just a brief glance so I didn't saw it properly and got soon distracted by the Minister asking Narcissa to step forwards.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

My grandmother wasn't a person who asked a lot of questions, but she apparently knew that I was feeling lonely and down since the death of mum and dad. I didn't have any friends in the muggle world, everyone in my village thought of me as being a freak. I thought so too when I was younger and didn't knew that I had magic in my blood. Anyway, my grandmother told me to get away from the house, have a vacation on my own. My parents owned a big villa in Italy, and since their death, it was legally mine.

"You really need to spend some weeks there, my love" my grandmother said in a loving voice. "You'll come back as a totally different person! Do you remember how you enjoyed your vacations there when you were younger?" I did remember, it were weeks filled with laughter , I had actual friends back there (since we always stayed for just two weeks, my Italian friends never witnessed one of my magical accidents) and the change in temperature and sunlight always made me feel good.

And that I could use. So I packed my trunk and left the very morning after kissing my grandmother goodbye. I decided to travel by muggle transport, via airplane. I had always loved the feeling of being above the clouds, flying to a warmer destination. After a save and quite enjoyable flight I arrived in Florence airport, from there I took the train to my final destination: Lucca. Lucca is the most wonderful village in Tuscany, it's like a fortress, surrounded with thick stone walls that embrace and protect the habitants from the outside world. It really is a different world inside those walls, like you've been thrown back in time but still saw some modern elements. Like bicycles, the city centre is car-free so everyone uses bicycles to get somewhere and it really contributes to the purity of the city. When I arrived the whole city was crowded with locals and tourists, the atmosphere just screamed summer and I felt home again.

My parents villa…my villa, was located out of the city centre, but since the city was circle shaped every house was pushed against another, so you never felt alone. The villa was a bright place: the outside walls were coral coloured and had big windows with thin white curtains that flowed in the summer breeze. The inside was very spacious with lots of sunlight streaming in. The furniture was antique but my mother decided to paint it all in light colours ( like white, light grey, pastels,…) so it wouldn't be so gloomy inside. The house also had a garden with a single olive tree that was over a hundred years old. A swing was tied on one of the gigantic branches and I remembered flying through the air when I was a little girl with my daddy pushing the swing for me..

Once I had unpacked my suitcase, I decided to go out. I walked towards the city centre and bought a gelato ( ice cream) : chocolate ice cream with brésilienne nuts sprinkled over it. One of my guilty pleasures, and there's no place in the world where the ice cream is as good as in Italy so I had no regrets. While walking further I noticed a lot of new shops had opened since my last visit to the city and when I finished my ice cream I went in one that looked very trendy. When I looked through the racks I noticed it was all typical girly summer clothing and party outfits. I had none of those. When I was in Italy I usually wore shorts ,tank tops and bathing suits, no summer dresses or bikini's for me! I was just too uncertain to wear that kind of clothing..

And that bothered me. As I walked out of the shop and continued my stroll, I began thinking how Ron never had complemented me and since he was the only boy I had have eyes for, it was no wonder that my self-esteem was so low. But me and Ron had grown away from each other and there was just no more spark when I saw him. So I was unbound and in the land of love. It was time for a change…

The first thing on my list was to get my hair less frizzy and more manageable and the perfect place for that was 'Giovanni's'. It was the muggle hairdresser my mother used to go to when we were in Italy, she loved Giovanni's taste for bringing out the best in your own hair. She always got compliments for her hair at home when we returned to Great Britain, so I decided to give it a try. 'Giovanni's' was a popular hairdresser but hadn't lost its authenticity : it was a crowded but yet cosy place, unlike a filial of one of those hairdressers brands. I got to desk and asked for Giovanni himself. The woman who I was talking to asked me kindly if I wanted an espresso or something else to drink and that it would take ten minutes before Giovanni was ready with his former client. Ten minutes later I was seated in a light brown leather chair, sipping on my espresso while Giovanni came over to me.

"Hermione Granger, bella! What a surprise! I haven't seen you in ages , my dear! " Giovanni exclaimed. "Hi Giovanni" I awkwardly answered. "Where is your mamma? And bella, you look gorgeous today!" He squealed. " Gio, my mother is dead..she died in a car crash a year ago, together with my dad." I whispered softly with tears in my eyes. "Oh no! Bella, I'm so sorry! " Giovanni whispered back in a low voice. "But what can I do for you to brighten up your giorno (day) ? "Well, I want my hair to be different, not so bushy and I want to be able to try out more hairdo's " I began explaining. But Giovanni cut me off: "Hermione! I know exactly what to do with your hair!" "You do?" I asked a little uncertain. "Yes! You'll see, it will be beautiful! You'll be stunned!" He shouted. I closed my eyes for a second, and prayed to my mother that I didn't make a terrible mistake. "Ok, have it your way. I'm curious." I said firmly. And with that he put a blindfold over my eyes.

Two hours (!) later Giovanni told me that he was going to take off the blindfold so I could admire my new hair. I slowly opened my eyes and was indeed stunned. My hair was still brown, but it was not the same dull brown colour it had before, it was a warm kind of brown that shined when the light hit my hair. It had an undertone of gold and on the tips of my hair, the brown shifted into a warm honey colour. He had done a ombré effect with my hair! I had read about this kind of colouring in muggle magazines but I never thought I would be able to pull it off. But I was. It was gorgeous. And that was just the colour. My hair wasn't frizzy anymore: it was long and sleek! I never had sleek hair, besides that one night on the Christmas Ball. And I loved it.

"You will have to take care of this hair-do but it looks beautiful on you, my dear! " Giovanni exclaimed, almost ecstatic. I winced about the thought of standing an hour before the mirror every morning but I was determinate to buy some books with witch beauty tricks to maintain this hairdo. Or I could ask Ginny for advice. I was delighted when I thanked and kissed Giovanni three times before paying my visit and leaving the shop.

I walked into the warm Italian air and headed for the shopping streets: it was time for a serious shopping spree.