Harry had died during the war against Voldemort and though the madman was taken out, it left everyone with sadness and anger anyway, especially Hermione. Most of his Death Eaters had been sent to Azkaban, except for Lucius Malfoy who had cooperated at the last moment to give information. Hermione was angry about that too, but there was no time to think about it.
She had started working for a company that had offered her a good job, and though she wanted to become an Auror and even got an exceptance letter at the academy, she couldn't bring herself to do it...at least for now. Hermione Granger wanted a break from all of it, she wanted a break from her memories that haunted her when she slept, she wanted a break from violence and trying to bring criminals to justice...because in all honesty, she had lost some faith in the system. The dementors were allowed back to Azkaban, it was the only way to keep any of the Death Eaters at bay and kept them from breaking out.
And now, there she was, thinking about it again...how she missed Harry. Hermione was under more pressure from Ron to marry, saying that 'it's what Harry would have wanted' and that 'he loved her and would take good care of her'. WHAT THE HELL DID RON KNOW!
But Ron didn't know and niether did Ginny.
They didn't know that during the finding of the last horcruxes and the fighting off of constant attacks from Death Eaters, that Harry and Hermione had fallen in love with each other.
It was an accident.
Ron didn't know that the one day he was gone with Remus and Tonks to talk with Mr. Weasley, Harry deliberately stayed behind because he and Hermione were working on new strategies...or at least that's what he told them. Hermione herself didn't know what was really going on, sure, she had developed feelings for Harry but put it out of her mind because of Ginny. Besides, Ron was suitable...suitable, but not Harry. Yet, lately he had said such strange things to her, like when they were laughing he had said 'you know...we should end up together' or 'Gods Hermione, you're so smart...I wonder what OUR children would be like?' At first she thought he was kidding but then that night he admitted to her how he felt and she was so glad, but at the same time felt absolutely horrid. What about Ginny? What about Ron? Would they be angry at them? Most likely.
However, it did not matter now. Her Harry was dead. And that dream of having children, having a life with him, was gone forever. She never did tell Ginny what happened, she couldn't bring herself to do it, or even tell Ron. She didn't want to destroy what little family she had left. Yes. Her parents were killed too, a tactic of the Death Eaters and as far as she knew, Lucius Malfoy was not involved at the time because he was confessing to the Ministry...no doubt to save his own skin. He knew which way the wind was blowing, and like a rat deserting a sinking ship, he scurried off to safety. For a person who claimed he was a noble pure-blood, there was nothing really noble about his actions. Still, rumors had spread that he had become more...gentle, trying to work his way back into high society. But I guess when one loses his son and wife, it does tend to change one...just as it did when she lost her parents and Harry.
She was no longer the fiesty Hermione that everyone knew and loved. She had become distant, quiet, and mild-mannered. Her heart had been shattered into a billion pieces, and with that many pieces laying around, there was no way one could collect all of them and put them back together correctly. No, Hermione was no longer herself and she doubted she ever would be again.
Hermione sighed and looked at the paperwork on her desk, almost finished. After this she was going home. Ron wanted her to owl him when she did so he could take her out to a nice dinner, but she didn't want to. She had to tell him that she didn't want to marry him, that all they would be were friends.
"HEY."
Hermione jumped, "oh, Greg...hi"
"Where were you off this time?"
"Nowhere, just tired. Can't wait to finish the rest of this and just go home and soak in a nice bath."
"Well...um..."
"Greg."
"It's that they called a..."
"GREG."
"A last minute meeting and it won't take long...the new investors wanted to see the new statistics for upcoming year and...I figured..."
"GREG!"
"Well, you're better than me at explaining all this and plus...hey, you look good."
"OH GOOD GRIEF," Hermione spat.
"Oh, please...I'll owe you one," he did a cheeky grin.
"Actually, you owe me three...fine. What else have I got to do?" she sighed and then thought, 'other than see Ron and I really don't feel up to another session of 'we should get married, Hermione'.
Hermione packed up her things, got the charts ready and headed to the boardroom with Greg, "there is one thing though." Hermione stopped and glared at him. "It's just, there's someone on the board that you know...and it's not exactly a favorite someone, but just keep you cool, okay?"
"Who?"
"Just keep your cool. Remember, everyone loves a war hero...so smile."
She grinned sarcastically and opened the boardroom doors, Greg almost ran into her when she stopped dead in her tracks to find Lucius Malfoy staring straight ahead, his head turned and his face dropped slightly and narrowed his eyes.What was that filthy mudblood doing in one of the companies he owned part of! Lucius watched as she straightened her shocked face and went straight to the head of the table to do the presentation. He grinned at her anger and clear signs of being uncomfortable because he was in the room...he still made her nervous. Good. He eyed her, how she had filled out nicely...but he hadn't been with a woman in so long that ANYTHING was bound to look good. None of the pure-bloods would have anything to do with him until his reputation was completely restored. It was a strike to his ego for certain. He was Lucius Malfoy, and normally he could get any woman into bed...but not now, now he was paying his dues.
Lucius watched as she gave the presentation, Granger was at least capable of speaking well. Still, he made her uncomfortable and she avoided eye contact with him but made eye contact with everyone else who seemed pleased with her. This bothered him. It bothered him because he felt he was being disrespected as a business partner and investor. She even made a few jokes and they laughed, but he did not, nor did she seem to care that he didn't. And it was again another insult. She knew it insulted him. She knew ediquette when it came to business, but because it was him, she didn't care. The man standing next to her cared, this 'Greg' was looking at him almost apologetically...because whether or not Hermione Granger knew it...he was the MAIN investor.
Everyone clapped but Lucius only tapped his cane on the floor.
Hermione quickly exited, she didn't care if he was the main investor or not. Greg had scolded her for being disrespectful. She only argued, "WHY is it everyone has forgotten what he's done! I haven't, I was there! You all would sell yourselves to the devil if he offered you enough money!"
"HERMIONE! That's not fair!"
"Then don't yell at me because I refuse to acknowledge the very people who helped kill my family. He knew, I know he knew! He could have given them information that would save them, but he didn't! So just leave me alone about it."
"Hermione...I'm sorry," Greg sighed. "Look, go home and relax, take the weekend and have some fun. You've worked really hard, okay?"
"Alright...thank you," Hermione smiled as he hugged her, he was such a good friend. He left her office and she started packing her briefcase. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw someone standing in the doorway, Hermione turned and froze again...it was Lucius Malfoy. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
He tutted, "now, now Ms. Granger, is that any way to treat a primary investor? I've come here with a few questions."
She sighed, of course he wanted to piss her off even more. It seemed to be a talent of the Malfoys. "Of course," she said flatly. "What are your questions?"
"Am I keeping you from something?" Lucius drawled.
"Yes. But I doubt that matters to you...so go ahead and ask, please."
"Fine. What I would like to know is why you disrespected me in that boardroom this afternoon?"
Hermione's jaw almost dropped, "excuse me? Wh...why did I disrespect YOU? Are you KIDDING? Did the Ministry perform a memory charm on you!"
Lucius narrowed his eyes, "I'd watch your tongue Ms. Granger. It could cost you your JOB!"
"You know what...I don't care," she slammed files into her briefcase.
Why is it that bastard lived and Harry and her parents died? She could have had a wonderful life with Harry...children, they talked about children...marriage, she pictured a big family Christmas every year with a boy and a girl...she pictured her children going to Hogwarts and being there for their first train ride on the Hogwarts Express! The wounds were just scabbed over, it was only a year ago, and he ripped them open again with his mere presence!
"You should," he hissed.
"You know what, Mr. Malfoy...if you want to have me fired, that's fine. I've been accepted by the Auror Academy anyway, I was just taking a break from all the crime fighting...but seeing you again has just rekindled that desire. So if you want this mudblood out of your company, the just say the word!"
Hermione was beyond livid, she didn't care, either way, she'd be okay. Her parents had left enough money in their insurance to take care of her for a long while, it would come in handy not having to work while going to the Academy anyway...she could focus on studying. Hermione balled up her fists, almost daring him...in fact, she wanted him to say it, why would she want to work for a company that allowed someone like him on the board anyway!
Lucius looked slightly uncertain, his eyebrows were raised as he looked down his nose at her. Hermione hadn't realized it, but was almost on top of him. She shocked herself and stepped back, turned around, grabbed her briefcase and left. His eyes narrowed as they followed her small frame.
Hermione stopped for a moment, "If you have me fired, please have my employer be curteous enough to send an owl so I can make my plans and get my things"
"YOU are not the only person who lost things precious to them in the war, Ms. Granger," he hissed.
"You're right, I'm not. You did too, your son and wife, your son not really wanting to be a Death Eater got killed trying to help the Order, your wife got killed trying to protect you...I know these things. We both have lost a lot, the difference between you and me though, is that you lost YOUR DIGNITY," she spat the last part.
Lucius's eyes widened in furry, he wanted to strike her down, "Why you little..."
Hermione didn't even bother to face him, he wasn't worth it...yet another insult to him, "please, there's not need to get upset. Do you really think it was noble of you to abandon your master? Do you think it was noble of you to kill innocent people who didn't agree with you, or muggles who were defenseless against magic? That's a coward's act, Mr. Malfoy. Attacking those that are weaker than you... You're common to me, you hold no nobility to me, because no matter what, I stuck by my friends, I didn't abandon them...I can't say the same for you. You did what you did to save your own skin...meanwhile, while your back was turned, Voldemort got a hold of your family in retalliation. I am sorry for that...I'm sorry they lost their lives. But I'm not sorry for you...every dirty look you get, every comment, every disrespectful gesture you get from someone, is something YOU'VE earned. I owe you nothing Mr. Malfoy, because you are nothing to me..."
She walked away then, not showing the tears that were in her eyes and leaving Lucius shaking in fury, and wanting to strangle her with his own bare hands...he'd gladly take his black gloves off to strangle her with his own bare hands.Hermione raced home, trying to compose herself enough to make it to her flat. And when she did, she broke down...why did it have to be today! Today was the anniversary of Harry's death. Everyday she worked through it, everyday she would remind herself to breathe in and out, everyday she would get out of bed and try to look forward to something new...she couldn't dwell on it forever and she knew it. But seeing that bastard again and on the day Harry had died, it was too much. However, she got to say what she wanted to say to him...and he couldn't do a damned thing about it! Hermione almost wanted to laugh at it now, but she smiled instead. She could die happy knowing she had just insulted to the great Lucius Malfoy.
She took out the photograph that Harry had taken of them together, it wasn't in the best position, but it was a clear enough shot where it showed him holding her, her laughing and smiling as she nuzzled and kissed his neck. It was after they had first made love, it was both their first time, and they were glowing...they had their clothes on thankfully. He was being so silly.
Hermione wiped away her tears and mumbled, "Gods Hermione, stop feeling so sorry for yourself...Harry would be so disappointed in you right now." She put the picture away in secret place where only she could find it, mainly because Ginny always came over and if she ever saw it, well, Hermione wasn't prepared to tell her...and doubted she ever would be. But now she got ready, she was going to the graveyard where Harry and his family lay, where Tonks, Remus, and Moody lay...so many deaths. All because of one madman, but that was the way it usually went.
She never wore black, but today she did. Hermione didn't tell Ginny she was going, this was her time, her time with Harry and the others. She had to admit that she felt him with her. Hermione wasn't one to totally believe in ghosts, but wasn't totally closed minded about it either...she believed that there were things in this life that couldn't be explained, how else could magic be explained? It really couldn't. So, sometimes when she thought about Harry, and she would feel a hand on her shoulder or a caress in her hair, and turned around and no one would be there...she didn't try to explain it. At first it freaked her out and thought her mind was playing tricks on her...but then it happened a few more times, and she believed that it was him telling her that he was okay. It hadn't happened in a while and she felt that it was good in a way, they both had to let go.
Hermione brought roses and left them on each of the headstones...talking to them and telling them how she was doing, which they might know...but told them anyway. Tears were inevitable, but they weren't as bad as before. Then she did a most unusual thing, Hermione put roses on Narcissa Malfoy's and Draco Malfoy's tombstones as well and simply said, "I'm sorry." She walked off not knowing that someone had followed her.
Lucius had followed her, that little mudblood had insulted him and he wasn't about to let her get away with it! He had found her file and was going to her little flat where he would confront her and maybe even kill her if he could find a way to get away with it. Instead, he saw her exit the building and hid behind a large tree. She was dressed in black for some reason, a color he never saw her in except for her cloak. The mudblood also carried roses and wondered where she was going.
He followed at a distance and realized she was headed for the local cemetary and watched as she put roses on each of the graves, she seemed to pay special attention to Harry Potter's where she cried over it the longest. She wiped the leaves off his gravestone with care and even took her fingers, kissed them, and put them on his stone. Lucius heard her say, "I miss you." Yet she said it to no one else...was he something very special to her? Were they together? Then he watched as she headed over to the Malfoy part of the graveyard...WHAT WAS SHE PLANNING TO DO!
Lucius narrowed his eyes, but then jerked his head back in suprise as he laid roses down on thier graves as well and said, "I'm sorry." She walked away hugging herself in the cold evening air and disappeared into the mist. He couldn't believe what he just saw, why would the mudblood remotely care about HIS family? Hermione got an owl from Ron to find out when she wanted to go to dinner, she simply wrote back that she didn't...she wasn't in the mood. How could he forget that it was Harry's anniversary? Ginny didn't. She wrote Hermione a long letter on how she missed him very much as was feeling guilty because she was considering going on a date with Neville Longbottom. Hermione wasn't jealous at all, in fact, she was touched and told Ginny 'to go for it'. She wished she could do the same...but there was no one that she was remotely interested in. Greg had hinted, Ron was obvious...but no, no one touched her heart the way Harry did and she lived with that. Maybe someday...just not today.