Hello! A year ago I started publishing this new story called "Remaining Hidden" but I was not happy with what I had written so I stopped writing again. But I decided to modify a few things and to start again with this new story. So here it is, the brand new version. The first chapters are already written and needs just a bit of editting and I've planned to write between 30 and 40 chapters. I hope to update regularly.
If someone is interested to beta-read the story, send me a message.
SUMMARY: Two years after leaving Hogwarts, Hermione and the rest of the world are still threatened by Voldemort and his deatheaters. Forced to live in Grimmauld Place, Hermione will have to find a solution to defeat Voldemort. She and her secrets will have to remain hidden.
Remaining Hidden
Chapter 1: Introducing the story
Hermione was walking down Diagon Alley in search of a fine dress to wear for the little party Harry and Ginny would be holding next Saturday. It was the beginning of July and the weather was quite nice. Hermione enjoyed that kind of days where all seemed peaceful despite the menace which was threatening the British Wizarding society.
She had left Hogwarts two years ago. They had all hoped that Voldemort would have been vanquished by then. But the "Final Battle" never came. Nothing triggered it and Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix were still relentlessly looking for a way to defeat the greatest evil of all time. Voldemort and his Death Eaters continued to attack now and then throughout Britain. Fear was omnipresent, the attacks happened more and more frequently and animosity towards Muggleborns increased. There were more and more casualties. But Wizarding Britain had decided that the show had to go on and everyone kept calm and went on with their daily life.
Hermione was one of these people. She had left Hogwarts and was now studying at St Mungo's to become a healer. True, St Mungo's was full of employees secretly in favour of the ideas developed by Voldemort and more than one Head of Department was in fact manipulated by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named but Hermione liked her job. She had nice colleagues, worked on subjects she found interesting and had plenty of time to enjoy life and her friends.
Harry was training to become an Auror and was currently living at Grimmauld Place with his girlfriend: Ginny Weasley. They had invited her to a party next Saturday surely to celebrate Harry's birthday. That's why, Hermione had seized the opportunity of a day off before the big day to find a nice dress. She entered John's and John's Marvelous Robes Shop and bumped into none other than Lavender Brown.
"Oh Hermione! What a surprise!" she said with the fakest of smiles. "I didn't know you knew this shop."
Hermione rose an eyebrow and remained stoic. Lavender was Ron's stupid girlfriend and had been for two years now. They had started dating just before they left Hogwarts. Hermione had been a little bit sad that her romance with Ron Weasley had not lasted but she was happy that he had found happiness with this brainless girl. She did not like her but two years of having to spend meals at the Burrow with her had taught Hermione to become impervious to her nasty remarks.
"Hi Lavender. Hi Ron!" She said to Ron who waved back to her with embarrassment.
Ron did not really approve of how Lavender was talking to her best friend. But like everyone else he had gotten used to it and apologised every time he could to Hermione when they were alone.
"Are you here to buy a dress for Harry's party? Don't you want to put the black dress you had for Christmas? Because, I hope you don't want this light blue dress next to you? I don't think it'll suit you. It's very feminine and would not suit your haircut. You know, I think that the one over there would be better for you. It's more your style. All strict and plain and all as you like them."
Hermione's fake smile was starting to falter the more the stupid witch kept on talking. And she took it as her cue to leave the shop.
"You know what Lavender, you're right. See you next Saturday. Ron, I'll send you an owl for Harry's gift." Ron nodded. "Really Lavender, it was a pleasure. Good bye".
She almost ran out – but with dignity – of the shop. Once in the street, she let out a sigh of rage. Even if she was accustomed to her tactless remarks, it hurt.
Her shopping afternoon ruined, she decided to enjoy the rest of it by going to Flourish and Blotts. Maybe she would find a nice and old book to read in front of the fireplace at home while sipping a good cup of tea. She spent two hours there flipping through books about arithmancy, gardening, spells, history, potions ... She was interested in everything. She decided to buy a book about ancient spells and left the bookshop.
That is when the cruelty of life hit her. In the street, most of the people were carrying and reading the same edition of the Daily Prophet.
NEW ATTACK IN EDIMBURGH: ONE MUGGLE FAMILY KILLED, TWO MUGGLEBORN WIZARDS KIDNAPPED.
Hermione sighed and a tear fell. It would never end. In her pocket, the coin she had designed for Dumbledore's Army and which was now used by the Order started to burn. She did not even have to look at it to know that Dumbledore was summoning every members of the Order. It was the same ritual after each attack. There would be a meeting where they would talk about the attack, explain the consequences of it, the Order's spy would be implicitly blamed, they would try to find solutions to avoid the next ones, and every member would go back to their activities sad of not having been able to prevent the deaths of innocent people. When would that end?
Being not far from her flat, she decided to go to her building in order to use the floo there. Once arrived, she climbed the stairs. She had to hurry to the meeting, Dumbledore was not very fond of people being late.
In front of her door, she frantically looked for her damned keys in her purse. What is this infuriating law which makes the keys disappear in your bag every time you are in front of your door? She should have put in place this magical system which recognised your palm instead of the good old key system. But she was too nostalgic of her muggle education.
The moment she found her keys and opened the door, it's her phone which started ringing. Yes, she had a mobile phone. She thought it would be better to have one in order to call her parents who were now living in Australia. And she had convinced Harry to get one as well. It was definitely much easier than an owl and much more discreet when you lived in London.
But she cursed against the person who was calling her at such an important moment – either Harry or her mum. It was not the time!
"Hello?" she said but no answer came. Damn these magical buildings! Some days you couldn't even hear your interlocutor and you had to go down in the street. And today was one of these days. She hurried downstairs.
"Hell-"
She didn't even have time to finish her word that she was thrown against the wall of the little café which stood opposite to her building. Part of her building had just exploded and the blast effect of the explosion had thrown her across the street. When her head hit the wall, she lost consciousness.