Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

525,600 Minutes

How Do You Leave The Past Behind, When It Keeps Finding Ways To Get To Your Heart?

"Sweetheart you can't be serious?" Mrs. Granger insisted with a hand on her chest as if her daughter was breaking her heart.

Hermione sat in a plush armchair and focused on holding her back straight and the way the light hit the walls in the living room, to keep her from getting into an argument with her mother.

Mr. Granger sat behind his Chesterfield desk and fought the urge to reach for one of the cigarettes that lay hidden way in the back of the bottom drawer. His daughter had just announced with determination that she would be returning to Hogwarts at the end of the summer.

"I won't have it, in fact I forbid it!" thundered Mrs. Granger.

"I am of age now, mother." Hermione said, sounding tired and strangely older than her parents.

Mrs. Granger sunk to her knees next to her stoic daughter "I don't care, you're still my daughter. I only just got you back."

It was true; it was only a week ago since Hermione had located her parents in Australia and restored their memory. They had been furious to learn what she had done to spare them and saddened when they found out the great ordeals their only daughter had gone through.

Her mother's tears fought through the numbness and apathy Hermione often felt herself consumed by these days and she took her cold hand "I know. But if I don't return I won't be able to graduate. All my years of studying will be wasted."

That was probably a lie on Hermione's part, with the role she had played in Voldemort's downfall she could most likely have her pick of jobs, but her parents didn't need to know that.

Running her hands over the many battle scars Hermione had acquired Mrs. Granger whispered "Look at what has been done to you."

"That is all over now." Hermione tried to convince herself as much as her mother, tugging her arm back.

"Why are you just sitting there?" Mrs. Granger suddenly shouted at her husband, infuriated by Hermione's stubbornness.

"Vivian," Mr. Granger walked to his distraught wife and put his arms around her before letting his eyes rest for a bit on his daughter "her mind is made up. We raised her to honor commitments and stand by her choices. I don't want the rest of our summer together to be ruined by fighting."

"Actually," Hermione stood as well "I am going to join my friends soon. I'll be staying with them until school starts."

"No." Vivian sobbed, turning her head to rest it on her husband's shoulder. Mr. Granger looked lost as he tried to reason his way out of these news as well, tried to find a way to accept it.

The truth was he wasn't as opposed to the idea of her leaving as his wife, because he saw more clearly how much Hermione had changed in the year they had been separated. He found it hard to reconcile with this Hermione and it was easier to let her go and tell himself he was doing it for her sake, rather than his own.

Hermione watched her parents hold each other and felt like she was on the outside of something.

She walked upstairs to her bedroom and promptly fell asleep. The next morning she packed her Hogwarts trunk and left for Ottery St. Catchpole after a silent breakfast with her family.

0o0

Once Hermione was on the train to Exeter she made herself comfortable. It was pretty empty due to it being so early in the summer holiday, so she had a block of seats to herself. When it was almost noon she unwrapped the egg salad sandwich she had bought before boarding and took a sip of her bottled water.

She carefully held the sandwich in one hand while holding her book in the other, it was a new Judy Blume, one of her favorite authors. Although sometimes it startled her when it felt like the author had read her mind and put her thoughts into writing.

Like this line her eyes found instantly on the page "A person without curiosity may as well be dead."

It started a train of thought for Hermione so long that she forgot to read on and eventually she packed the book away. She was more than halfway through her journey to the Burrow and the pleasant weightless feeling it had brought her to be away from her parents, but not yet with her friends, was dwindling down and being replaced with an upsetting mixture of excitement and nerves.

While she was looking forward to seeing Harry and the Weasleys as a family, she was a little fearful about seeing Ron. And Mrs. Weasley as it happened. By now Ron would probably have let it slip that they had shared a kiss and to Mrs. Weasley that could only mean the two were now a couple.

Hermione wasn't sure if they were and she would like to figure it out in peace.

The bus ride to Ottery St. Catchpole wasn't too long and the walk from the village was pleasant enough due to the beautiful scenery and warm weather. Once she reached the Burrow it looked so closed off she peaked behind it first, certain she would find most of the residents caught up in a game of Quidditch.

But the garden was overgrown, one goalpost had been knocked over and gnomes roamed freely. Hermione wondered if anyone was home at all, but still she walked up and knocked, trying to catch a glimpse of the usually bustling kitchen.

Arthur answered the door and Hermione just barely disguised her gasp as a cough. It hadn't been much more than two weeks since she had last seen the Weasleys, but Arthur looked like a changed man. Thinner than ever with pale, waxy skin and hollowed cheeks.

"So good to see you Hermione, please come in." he greeted her and Hermione produced some sort of answer as she took in the state of the house.

Dishes were piled up in the sink, heavy layers of dust covered most of the furniture and it was unusually quiet.

"Harry and Ron are up in his room." Arthur said quietly before offering to carry her trunk for her. Hermione turned the offer down; he didn't look like he had strength enough to lift it off the ground.

Arthur nodded gratefully and disappeared into the darkness of the house with silent steps.

Hermione cast Wingardium Leviosa on her trunk and began ascending the stairs with it levitating beside her, stopping briefly in front of the door leading into Fred and George's old room. The little fact that his name was still painted on the door next to his twin's was enough to sadden her and now her steps were heavier.

It helped a little that as soon as she stepped inside Ron's bedroom both of her friends put their arms around her. Finally she felt like she could breathe without something heavy weighing her down.

They sat on the beds and shared stories of what had happened in the short time they'd been apart, asking questions about Hermione's journey one moment and filling her in on the Ministry's doings the next.

Hermione learned that Kingsley had been made temporary; to begin with, Minister of Magic and it pleased her. He had been kind and taken her statement about the past year quickly so she could go to Australia.

"They're gathering as much information as possible to prosecute the Death Eaters that are still alive." Ron explained.

"They won't need it." Hermione sighed and noticed the pitying looks her friends were giving her, clearly thinking she'd surrendered herself to bitterness.

She tried to clear up her point "The families that have lost loved ones to the Death Eaters won't sit around and wait for the Ministry to first replace all of the officials that have either been killed or were in Voldemorts power and then sit through a trial, letting them have a defense. They'll take matters into their own hands."

Harry and Ron shifted uncomfortably, as if her harsh reality wasn't welcome in the sunlit room that still looked like it belonged to a regular teenage boy.

It was true none the less, the Daily Prophet had already reported how a man, who until recently had earned his keep as a Snatcher, had been found dead in his home in southern England.

While she was telling this story to Harry and Ron, she was suddenly interrupted by loud noises from the sitting room downstairs, it sounded like furniture being thrown over and plates getting smashed.

Raising her wand Hermione bolted down the stairs to catch the intruder, ignoring the way her friends fell behind after trying to stop her "Just leave it, Hermione." they called after her.

Her brain refused to accept the sight before her and she completely forgot to lower her wand. George was stumbling about the living room, knocking into things and occasionally taking a drink from a bottle of firewhiskey in his hand.

Arthur tried to straighten up a little, while Molly, sobbing with desperation, pleaded for George to set the bottle down and eat something instead.

"Eat?" George shouted "Why should I eat? It doesn't help. Nothing helps! Not even this!" he threw the bottle against a wall where it shattered to pieces, leaving a stench of alcohol. Arthur cast a Reparo on the bottle, but the content was lost.

"Of course it doesn't help, son. That's why it would be better for you not to drink so mu-" Arthur was cut off by George, who was so angry he spat as he spoke "It's numbing! At least let me have that, not that I deserve it."

His voice broke and he sunk down on the floor, crying with abandon like a small child. Hermione thought she could distinguish "Why couldn't it have been me instead?" from his drunken ramblings.

As if they'd practiced it Arthur cradled his grown son in his arms and carried him to his bedroom while Molly finished putting everything back to its original place in the room.

"Can I help you?" Hermione croaked, her heart breaking at what she had just seen.

Molly looked slightly confused at the sight of her "Oh Hermione dear, I didn't even realize you were here. Yes please, how kind of you to offer. I think I'll go lie down."

Hermione knew something must be very wrong when Molly Weasley actually accepted help. She could hear her arguing with Arthur and the hateful way they spoke to each other was so foreign Hermione fled back upstairs to Ron's room as soon as she was done.

Ron was busy trimming his broom when Hermione entered the room. Harry was gone.

"He's with Ginny." Ron explained before Hermione could ask.

She nodded "Right, of course."

Measuring to the millimeter before cutting Ron tried to appear careless when he said "So George was drunk again, wasn't he?"

Hermione nodded again, unsure of what to say. She wanted to lie and say everything was fine, but there was no point to it.

"Yeah, he's drunk more time than he's sober these days." Ron sat the broom down and packed away the cleaning kit, Hermione recognized it as the one she'd given Harry for his thirteenth birthday, "Not that I blame him really."

Wiping her own tears away Hermione sat down next to him and took his hand. She understood what he tried to tell her; once again Ron was the overlooked child of the Weasleys, less entitled to grief. Bill and Charlie had been there from the day Fred was born, Percy had been with him the moment he died, Ginny was a girl and the youngest and George of course was his twin.

His shoulders shook from trying to hold back his tears "It's just so difficult. I want my mum and dad to make it better," he admitted "but they're breaking too."

Finally his tears burst and Hermione hugged him close and wished with all of her might that she could just love him, completely and without inhibitions, and make all of his pain go away. She was just not ready yet, so when his mouth searched for hers she gently turned her head away.

Ron seemed to understand and he merely rested his head on her shoulder "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Hermione whispered.

0o0

The following days were long and difficult to get through. Charlie was returning to Romania and during his goodbye dinner, the first meal the entire family had shared in a long while, George got drunk and vomited into the bowl containing their chocolate pudding dessert.

Arthur lost his temper and demanded that George would start acting better, Molly in turn screamed at Arthur for talking that way to their grieving son. Ginny fled the room sobbing and Harry followed her. Bill angrily told George that this was supposed to be a happy night because he and Fleur had agreed to tell everyone they were trying to have a baby. They flooed home before anyone could tell them congratulations.

So it was only Percy, Ron and Hermione left to see Charlie off. Each of them gave him a hug and Hermione tried to make herself invisible when he put his hand on Ron's shoulder "I'm sorry to leave when everything is like this. But I'm needed at the reservation and … well, it's hard to stay under these circumstances. But write to me, alright? Both of you."

He clapped Percy on the arm as well before taking off on his broomstick. Percy told them goodnight and apparated to his home near the Ministry where he was still employed.

The next morning before Arthur had to leave for work Molly conjured breakfast for everyone. Hermione took a bite of her buttered toast and glanced at Mr. Weasley, hoping he was leaving soon. It would be natural for the rest of them to get up too, and she could finally leave the most awkward meal she had ever attended.

George's demeanor was so sour no one dared to speak and the memory of the horrible ending to last night was still fresh for everyone. He poked at his scrambled eggs, but clearly didn't have an appetite. Hermione wondered when he'd last eaten a full meal, his cheeks were hollow, his hair looked greasy with split ends and the circles under his eyes got darker each day.

Finally Arthur rose from his chair, kissed Molly on her cheek and said "I'm going to be home late tonight."

He was very busy in the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, a lot of situations required hiding from Muggles as people took desperate measures to seek out revenge or hide from the Aurors.

George left his still full plate and soon after they heard the door to his room slam. Molly swung her wand furiously setting plates and cutlery flying before it could be scrubbed off. Ginny sighed as she got up, but before she could take one step Molly spoke without turning around "You four go outside and enjoy the nice weather, tend to the garden, it's a right mess."

By the way her shoulders were shaking Hermione knew she was crying again, so she urged Ginny and the boys forward, ignoring their complaints.

The weather at least was nice and the boys quickly got to work trying to raise the fallen goalpost and getting the rest of the 'quidditch pitch' in order. Hermione and Ginny found a nice spot in the sun where they sat on abandoned lawn chairs and cast spells to revive Mrs. Weasley's vegetable garden. If they did a good enough job the strawberries might be ripe for the picking that same day.

"Hermione, can I ask you something?" Ginny looked troubled and Hermione paused her spell casting to concentrate on her friend.

"Of course, Gin."

Shielding her eyes from the sun, Ginny looked in Harry's direction "Do you think it's odd that I can be so happy about Harry the same time I'm so sad about Fred?"

Hermione let her gaze follow that of her friend's and watched Harry for a bit, working and laughing with Ron "I don't think it matters when you're in love, it's not like you can control it. Besides, Fred would be the last person to want us to stop living life."

Ginny looked comforted "Is that how you feel about Ron?"

"Err, well …" Hermione dragged out her answer before a sudden shadow distracted the girls.

George towered behind them "Don't talk about what Fred would or wouldn't have wanted! He's not here, you can't know." he growled at them, bitterly.

Tears welled up in Ginny's eyes at her brother's harsh tone and she stood from her chair and joined the boys, keeping her back to where Hermione was left with George.

"Please, George. You're hurting your sister." Hermione tried to make him see reason.

His eyes were dark "I don't care."

This statement was a true reveal of how lost in his grief George were "I don't care about anything anymore. You don't understand Hermione. You don't understand what it's like to lose your other half, to carry on living like an incomplete person."

Hermione didn't know what to say; George was right. She had never felt incomplete in her own company.

George let out a hollow laugh of his victory over her and summoned a bottle of elf wine, drinking directly from the bottle while keeping eye contact with Hermione, almost daring her to stop him.

Her temper got the best of her "Fred would be ashamed of you." She had only just said it before the bottle went flying right by her ear and smashed against the Burrow, dragging red trails on the stonewalls.

Harry and Ron immediately rushed to her side, while Hermione took a step back, too shocked to apologize. Ron pleaded with his brother to come back inside, but he merely summoned another bottle and walked in the direction of Fred's grave, trampling across the plants Ginny and Hermione had just revived.

0o0

The following night, no one gathered for dinner. After she had conjured a meal, Molly retired to her bedroom, Arthur had his in his shed and George hadn't come out of his room since noon. Hermione and Harry were alone at the kitchen table while Ron and Ginny talked to Bill through the fireplace, asking him, as the eldest, to do something.

While Hermione was picking at her Shepherd's Pie, an owl she didn't recognize appeared by the kitchen window. Harry got up to let it in and received the letter it had carried "It's addressed to George, from Verity at the shop."

Both of them hesitated as none of them wanted to hand over the letter to George, so Harry threw it on the counter in frustration "I don't think I'll stay here much longer." he admitted.

"I know," Hermione nodded "it reminds you of Sirius, doesn't it?"

Harry looked at her like he couldn't fathom how she had found out.

"Well the drinking, the hopeless attitude, everyone walking on eggshells. It must be difficult for you to be reminded of him, during this time when we're trying to heal." Hermione wondered.

"It is," Harry agreed, listening to any signs of Ron or Ginny nearing "I've actually considered going to Grimmauld Place. It belongs to me after all. I could, I don't know, work on it. Restore it."

Hermione patted the back of his hand "I think that's a good idea. Do you mind if I come with you?"

"I'll go too." Ron said from the entry to the kitchen and Hermione had to will herself not to look surprised the he had overheard the two of them.

Looking from Harry to Hermione to their linked hands Ginny asked to come along as well "Just until you and I return to Hogwarts." she said to Hermione.

"You're going back?" Harry asked.

"Yes, of course. Wait, you two aren't going back?"

A/N: I would very much appreciate some feedback for this story. It is not going to be fluffy, nor is it going to be angsty. It's hopefully a realistic view on how our favorite characters deal with the aftermath of the war. Since this is going to be a Dramione story that will of course be OOC. But I hope I can make it believable.

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