Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not claim ownership over any of the characters, or any part of the Harry Potter World created by J.K. Rowling.
8888888888888888888888
CHAPTER ONE
Hermione Granger heaved a sigh and dropped her bag onto the floor with a dull thud. Leaning heavily against the door to close it, she surveyed the less-than-tidy state of her galley kitchen. Dirty dished were stacked high in the sink, a crusty fry pan from last night's dinner perched precariously from the edge of the stove, and various plastic and cardboard wrappers littered the countertop.
With another deep breath, the 22-year old hung her winter cloak on the hook by the door, kicked off her shoes, and flicked her wand towards to filthy pan on the stove.
"Evanesco," she said, and watched as the greasy remains of her meal vanished.
"Aguamenti," and a jet of water shot from her wand and filled the sink.
With a few more swishes and flicks, Hermione charmed her sponge and dish towel to begin soaping and drying, and the dishes began whizzing across the kitchen into their cupboard, neatly stacked.
Catching a glass as it flew past her, Hermione opened her refrigerator and poured herself a glass of pomegranate juice, peering into the cluttered depths of her freezer. Pulling out a frozen packet of curry, she unwrapped it and stuck it into her microwave.
Stepping through the kitchen, Hermione emerged into the main room of her flat and looked around fondly.
Home. Although she was hardly ever there, Hermione dearly loved her little home in the heart of Notting Hill. She had found the flat, a cramped maze of dirty little rooms, two years ago. It was one of the few homes she had looked at that both was (surprisingly) affordable and had any character.
She had spent a laughter-filled fortnight with Harry and Ron, blasting down walls and stripping paint, and the resulting product was a cozy one-bedroom flat. She had turned the front of the apartment from a series of cramped rooms to a single large room, with a walled off kitchen.
At the back of the space, Hermione had installed a deep soaking tub in the bathroom and magically enlarged the closet of her tiny bedroom.
Her cozy front room was her favorite place in the world, a peaceful place to retreat from her stressful life. A wall of oversized windows draped with gauzy beige curtains made the space feel light, airy, and private. Heavy oak bookcases lined two of the walls, and a suede sectional couch created a seating area in front of the fireplace, which Hermione had taken pains to get hooked up to the Floo Network.
A little-used television was mounted above the fireplace, whose mantel was covered in photographs that grinned cheerfully at her. A large portrait of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, snapped at the Quidditch World Cup during their fourth year at Hogwarts, stood at the front of the collection, and a grinning Hermione stuck her tongue out at her older self.
Hermione had purchased the flat as a getaway from the Wizarding World. She, Harry and Ron had quickly learned that being known for defeating Voldemort came at the cost of a loss of privacy, and for this reason, Hermione was more than happy to take up residence in Muggle London.
Indeed, the only overtly magical things about Hermione's home were the pictures that laughed happily on the mantle – easily frozen with a wave of her wand whenever a Muggle neighbor came to call.
The shrill beeping of the microwave drew Hermione out of her reverie, and she padded into the kitchen. Dumping the plastic bin of curry onto a plate and grabbing a fork, she curled up on the couch and lit a fire, propping her aching feet up on a bolster.
She chewed absentmindedly, thinking over the day. She was almost positive that she had added too much cassia root to her Pepperup Potion that morning, as several patients had complained that their ears had steamed until nearly teatime.
8888888888888888888888
The summer after the Battle of Hogwarts had been chaotic. The Wizarding World was eager to move on from the terror that had engulfed them for the past year, and while those who had fought struggled to grieve and move on, their lives rapidly progressed towards a new normalcy. By the end of that first summer, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry once again stood tall over the ancient trees of the Forbidden Forest.
In an effort to contain the effects of the Battle of Hogwarts on students, the Ministry had given 7th year students the option to take their cancelled N.E.W.T.s at the end of the summer, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had completed their exams with their classmates that August, allowing them to begin their respective careers that fall. Harry had chosen to Apprentice as an Auror, while Ron had entered business with George at Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.
For the past four years, Hermione had been working at St. Mungo's. Last year, she had completed her apprenticeship and was now a full-fledged Junior Healer. She worked in the Children's Ward, and had recently began studying to specialize in Accidental Magical Injuries, a common problem among young witches and wizards whose magical powers are just beginning to manifest.
Between her long shifts in the ward, and evening classes, Hermione had little time to sleep, much less keep up with her social life. Still, she, Harry, and Ron met up for drinks at least once a week, and she had grown close to Ginny over the past few years.
And, of course, there was Mandy. Mandy Brocklehurst, a former Ravenclaw, had become her closest friend during their shared, arduous Apprenticeship at St. Mungo's.
During the first weeks of her Apprenticeship, Hermione had felt desperately alone, especially during the late evening and early morning hours of her shift. It was too easy to get caught up in thoughts of the past while she paced the darkened corridors of the hospital, listening to the often-strained breathing of the patients.
Nearly all of the other apprentices were several years older than she, as the entrance exam to become a Healer was notoriously difficult. Beyond achieving "Exceeds Expectations" on each of the required N.E.W.T.s, Apprentice Healers were required to undergo an additional examination. Each year, three to five applicants with the highest scores were accepted into the program.
Most aspiring Healers would continue their studies abroad for a couple of years before attempting the exam. However, Hermione and Mandy had both managed to pass the exam directly out of school, which, while earning them quite a reputation among the Head Healers, did little to endear them to their fellow Apprentices.
She and Mandy bonded one night over a nearly disastrous attempt to regrow a young boy's leg bones, and had been fast friends ever since.
8888888888888888888888
Hermione nearly dropped her plate when a face popped into her fireplace.
"Hermione! Good, you're home!" exclaimed the figure in the fire.
Hermione put a hand to her chest, feeling her heart race. "Ginny, you nearly scared me to death. I wasn't expecting a Floo tonight!"
Ginny grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I just HAD to talk to you. You haven't been home all week, and I would have owled, but I figured that I'd be more likely to catch you if I just popped over through the Floo."
"It's alright, I know I've been hard to reach lately. What's on your mind?"
Ginny's flame-colored face flushed excitedly. "It's not so much on my mind as…uh…can I come over?"
Hermione quirked her head at her friend, but nodded. Ginny was never at a loss for words. Still, she stood up and away from the fireplace, and moments later, Ginny appeared in Hermione's flat with a small poof of soot.
"What's going on? Is everything okay?" Hermione asked.
Smiling goofily, Ginny held out her hand. Her left hand.
Something small on Ginny's finger caught the light and flashed brilliantly.
Hermione felt her eyebrows raise and her lips purse before she could stop them, and quickly tried to arrange her features into something resembling excitement. Unfortunately, as she seemed to have lost temporary control of her facial musculature, the only affect of this attempt was an odd sort of grimace.
Ginny sighed with exasperation. "Hermione, come on, at least pretend you're excited. I'm getting MARRIED!"
Hermione's brain finally began to function, and she snapped into friend mode.
"Oh Ginny, it's beautiful! Let me see more closely! How did he propose?" she gushed with a smile that she couldn't quite make reach her eyes.
Ginny rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her friend. "That's better. Well, he had the family over to Grimmauld Place for dinner and after we ate, we were all sitting in the drawing room having drinks, and remembering all the summers Harry spent with us over the years."
"Mum commented on how he was practically a part of the family, and then Harry got a really serious look on his face, and said that he considered us to be his family, and would it be alright with Dad if he made it official. Then, I dunno, he got down on one knee, and…" Ginny trailed off with a giggle.
Hermione coached her face into another slightly-too-big grin and said "How wonderful! Ginny, I am so thrilled for you."
Ginny looked into her friend's eyes and laughed. "No you aren't, I know you think we're way too young to be married."
Smiling ruefully, Hermione admitted, "Well…yes, I do. I mean, you are only 21 years old. It just seems…"
"…A bit rushed?" Ginny said, imitating Hermione's voice in a singsong tone. "Hermione, we've been together for ages, and nothing is going to change how we feel. Besides, when Harry's mum was my age, she already had Harry!"
"I know, I know," Hermione said, holding her hands up in mock defeat. "I guess that I just don't feel old enough to get married, so I can't imagine how you lot can be. I am really happy for you, you know. Just a little shell-shocked."
Ginny pulled Hermione into a hug and kissed her firmly on the cheek.
"I know you are, and I know you'll take some time to adjust. That's why I told you tonight. We'll be announcing the engagement this weekend; Mum and Dad are throwing a party on Saturday evening. You'll be there, right?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Hermione said with an honest smile.
"Good, now take a look at my ring and tell me what a lucky girl I am" Ginny said.
Hermione grasped her friend's hand and looked closer at her third finger. A slender platinum band encircled Ginny's ring finger. Set into a fragile, elegant base, a single square cut diamond flashed merrily in the flickering firelight.
"It really is gorgeous – you're lucky Harry has such good taste," Hermione said.
Ginny smiled tenderly down at her hand, moving it from side to side slightly. Looking up, their eyes met in a look of understanding and a little sadness, and Ginny replied, "I'm just lucky to have Harry."
Ginny seemed about to say else when Hermione's grandfather clock began to chime.
"Nine o'clock! I've got to get back, Mum needs me to help her with invitations for this weekend and she'll kill me if we don't get them out by morning!" Ginny said, turning back towards the fireplace.
"Alright, I'll see you this weekend then?" Hermione said.
"This weekend!" Ginny confirmed.
She dug around in her pocket for a handful of Floo powder, and tossed it into the flames.
"And Hermione?" She said over her shoulder, "you're my maid of honor!"
As Hermione opened her mouth to protest, Ginny shouted "The Burrow!" and disappeared into the flames.
Hermione sunk to her couch, the remains of her dinner forgotten beside her, and stared into the flames.
Harry and Ginny getting married. It all seemed so ridiculously…adult. Smiling ruefully, she reminded herself that it just as well could have been Ron and her, if she hadn't always put her career first.
Hermione and Ron had dated all through her Apprenticeship, promising each other that any rough spots in their relationship were due to Hermione's irregular hours, and that things would become easier once she was a full-fledged Healer with a regular schedule.
However, Hermione received her Healer's robes, and began to work a regular shift, and still nothing it seemed to improve. It wasn't that they fought constantly, but their relationship still felt flat and strained, no matter how many romantic dinners they cooked for each other. It was as if a black hole had opened up between them, sucking away at the happiness they had once felt together.
Ron's solution to their problems was to get married and fill the void with children. Hermione's solution was to return to her studies.
Ron had been furious the evening that she announced that she wanted to train to specialize in Accidental Magical Injuries. To him, it seemed that Hermione was pushing him away. Honestly, Hermione couldn't say what her motivation was, but something had cracked between them that night.
Their parting came slowly; it was as though one morning they had each woken up in their respective beds and realized they were no longer a couple. Over the past year, each had seen other people, and any residual awkwardness had long since disappeared. Although their relationship could never be what it was before they dated, Hermione and Ron had achieved a comfortable and cheerful friendship. And yet…Hermione still felt the same emptiness she had felt when she was with Ron.
The truth was that Hermione was lonely. She worked herself to the bone because she couldn't function without a goal. Before, she had devoted herself to her studies, to defeating Voldemort, to becoming a Junior Healer, and now she was slaving at becoming a Specialist. But once her studies were over…what would she have left?
Shaking herself out of her melancholy musing, Hermione summoned a well-worn book from the shelves behind her. Surely, she would find happiness once she sported the doubled navy lines down the front of her robes that marked her as a Specialist.
She opened the book to a random page towards the beginning – she had read this book so many times that she could nearly recite it from memory. The comfort of the familiar words soothed her and carried her away. Soon she was lost, wandering the moors with Catherine and Heathcliff.
8888888888888888888888
NEXT TIME:
"And last but not least, Healers Granger and Brocklehurst, may I introduce your ward's Apprentice," said Healer Whipple, stepping aside to reveal a man who stood leaning against the doorframe.
Hermione focused on the last apprentice for the first time. Her eyes met his, and she inhaled sharply through her nose.
"…Apprentice Draco Malfoy."
A/N: I hope you liked it! Please review and let me know what you think.
This story marks my return to the world of fanfiction- I had several stories here about a million years ago and have lost track of that account.
-Aparecium88