3 Years Post war-
Asking how it had come to this only seems cliche now. Hermione wondered silently if cliches and irony were all she had left, but as she stood at the edge of the property, the wards gleaming against the stormy sky, she knew she had nothing. He was gone; and with him, her heart, her soul, and her dreams.
A Year earlier-
"Mione!" Ron snapped, his voice edgy with exhaustion, and probably hunger. "I've asked you four times how your day went! Are you just going to ignore me?" The Gryffindor golden girl blinked twice, turning to regard him with a blank stare. Ronald Weasley was never a patient boy, so hoping for him to be a patient man was apparently asking too much. Not everyone can change.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled, hoping to avoid another argument by simply apologizing. "It was fine. I was just thinking about part of the book I was reading." She lied, knowing he would grasp the excuse and hold on for dear life. Ron simply refused to accept the fact that they were growing apart, despite the numerous fights they'd been having, and completely disregarding the fact that they didn't even sleep in the same room anymore. Hermione would simply curl up on the couch with a book and wait for Ron to stomp back to their room and go to bed, before dozing off herself on the couch. The only bright light she could see was that they hadn't decided to go and get married after the war was over. Ron's eyes lit up, and she knew that he'd decided to believe her.
"That's alright, love. I'm just tired. Shouldn't have taken it out on you. Forgive me?" He asked, giving her that lost puppy dog look that she used to be fond of. She couldn't tell you why it had become the bane of her existence. "The Shop was pretty busy today. George was running all over the place, trying to catch little kids pocketing his merchandise. It seems hard for him though... Now Fred's gone. I can't believe it will have been two years tomorrow..." Hermione tuned Ron out, but was grateful that he had managed to distract himself so easily. She nodded sympathetically, then stood.
"Tea?" She offered, interrupting him for a moment. Far from looking upset, Ron nodded with a smile, and a "Please." Hermione pulled her curly hair back into a ponytail, and moved to grab the kettle. "D'you want anything else?" She inquired, looking over her shoulder as she filled the kettle with water.
"Tea cake, maybe? I don't want to spoil my appetite. I want to take you out tonight." He said, smiling, and setting his chin down on his arms to stare at her. She always thought he could love her best with his eyes. They just shone with emotion. It was one of the things she'd always loved about him. He was as transparent as a Patronus. Hermione smiled in spite of herself, moving to put the kettle on the stove and light it. "You know, 'Mione, I'll never understand why you do that the Muggle way."
Hermione shook her head. "I've explained this a thousand times, for Godric's sake." Heaving an exhasperated sigh, she resigned herself to reminding him once again. "I'm a muggleborn. This is how I always did it before. It's just easier to do things the way that I'm comfortable with." Her sharp golden eyes caught his blue ones, and she looked away. She hated that she always managed to get frustrated by things he said. Even if he didn't mean them to be offensive. "So.. Where did you fancy to go then?" Opening the icebox, she grabbed a tray with tea cakes on them and sat them on the table in front of Ron. Mayhaps a bit harder than she meant to.
Ron flinched visibly as the platter hit the table. "Thanks." He picked up one of the cakes and crammed it into his mouth. Hermione turned her head in disgust. She never could understand his eating habits. Thankfully, the whistling tea kettle gave her a decent distraction, and she quickly picked it up with a hand towel, pouring hot water into both of the mugs she had prepared on the counter. Dunking the bags of tea thoughtfully, she listened as her boyfriend started explaining where they were going. "Well, you'll need to put on something nice. We're going to the opening of the new restaurant in Diagon Alley. Several people from the shops along the alley will be there. Ollivander, George, Madame Malkin and that girl who works in her shop... Astoria something or other. I think she was a year behind us in school... Well you get the point." He smiled as she handed him his tea, practically overflowing with milk and sugar. "Thanks."
Hermione thought for a moment. "Well, it could be fun. I'll get ready when we're done with tea." She conceded, deciding that Ron's delighted smile was worth it.
A few hours later found the pair standing in the dining hall at the new restaurant, "The Seer's Star." Hermione's lips were twisted into a half-smirk, half-grimace. Whoever opened the place obviously had a love for Divination that she couldn't say that she shared. She was distracted by a painting on the wall of a centaur gazing up at the planet mars, which the artist had made unusually bright, until a shrill voice filled the air.
"WON?" Hermione bristled as Lavender Brown came flying out of the kitchens, flinging herself at Ron, and kissing his cheek. Ron, looking appropriately confused, grabbed Lavender by the shoulders and pushed her back a bit. "I'm so glad you came! I had no idea you would be here." She turned her head slightly, and her gaze landed on Hermione. "What are you doing here?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Might ask you the same thing." Hermione replied coolly, completely ignoring the sense of deja-vu that filled her. Then realization dawned on her. "You.. You own this place?"
"Of course!" Lavender cried out, looking then to Ron. "Nobody told you?" Ron shook his head, and shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He reached for Hermione's hand, and she let him take it, despite knowing that it was probably just out of spite that she allowed him to do so. Lavender's eyes welled up slightly, and she excused herself to mingle with other guests. Hermione let out a satisfied sigh, and released Ron's hand.
Ron huffed a bit, but let it be. "I'm sorry, 'Mione," He said quietly. "I swear I didn't know it was her place." His eyes sought hers, and pleaded with hers to know he was telling the truth.
"I know." She mumbled, breaking eye contact with him. "Let's go talk to George and Angelina." She said, making her way over to where the pair stood, surrounded by a few other people. Something George said had everyone in stitches by the time Hermione made it over there, followed by Ron. Suddenly, someone turned, crashing into her.
"Oof." The man reached out to grab Hermione around the waist before she fell. "Sorry, I- Granger?" And from the sound of his voice, he was debating just dropping her on the floor. Startled by the tone, she looked up at him, and found herself face to face, for the first time in years, with Draco Malfoy.