Everyday is a Winding Road

Freedom.

Sheryl Crow blaring through the speakers, windows rolled down, Hermione Granger drove until she couldn't think, her singing drowning out that ever rational voice in her head.

The little voice that told her she had just missed her NEWTs, all scheduled the same day, which she was supposed to be attending right now. Hermione was an overachiever, had been determined to beat Professor Dumbledore's records.

But she missed it. Ran away.

Abruptly, Hermione steered to the side of the road, put the car in park, and got out. Not bothering to shut the car door, she walked.

And walked.

The war had been too much, life had been too much, and she couldn't take it anymore. Hermione was drowning in everyone's expectations and she just wanted to breathe, wanted one moment where she didn't have to think.

Her parents wanted her to become a dentist, follow in the family footsteps. Ron wanted to start dating. Mrs. Weasley expected her to marry Ron. Harry was busy being, well, Harry. Professor McGonagall wanted her to become a professor at Hogwarts; she could be mentored in any subject, Hermione just had to ask. Academies all over the world were sending her applications to fill out in hopes that Hermione would attend their establishment and she just wanted the world to stop.

Voldemort was dead. He was finally dead and Harry had lived. She had sacrificed her childhood, her parents, her body to Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione had planned every single second of her life even while they were on the run and she just wanted the world to stop.

She wanted a second to process what had happened, to process that Bellatrix might have irreversibly damaged her. Hermione didn't know who she was anymore, didn't have a plan. She wanted to travel, explore the world, fall in love with life again. Hermione wanted to go one night without nightmares, to not look down at her arm in shame. Hermione wanted to remember why she joined the fight.

She wanted her childhood back.

Determined, she turned around and walked back to her car.

Her parents would understand, it was common for muggles to travel after graduation. She could visit a travel agency before talking to her parents, book her plane tickets, and a hotel. She would just book for a night, so that she could wake up and do whatever she wanted to do. No itinerary, no plan. Ron and his family would be disappointed, but she would make them see that this was the best thing for her. Harry would understand.

Sliding into the driver's seat, she pulled her shorts down before slamming the door shut. Putting it in drive, she started driving.

Florence and the Machine played on the radio. Humming, she kept her eyes on the road. Hours passed before she saw the sign pointing to the right that would lead her to her parent's house.

She kept driving straight. Towards the Burrow.

That was the thing about dreams, they were just dreams. Her parents would convince her to continue her studies. Ron would guilt her into staying. Harry would understand either way.

The Ministry would forgive her NEWTs absence this one time. Hermione would continue her education, get a job at the Ministry or Hogwarts.

Too soon for her liking, the Burrow was in sight. She pulled into the dirt driveway and turned off the car halfway through the song, the words ringing in her head.

"And I've been a fool and I've been blind

I can never leave the past behind

I can see no way, I can see no way

I'm always dragging that horse around."

Shake It Out by Florence and the Machine