Chapter 1

The early morning sun was attempting to make its first appearance in the pale blue gray sky. A crisp wind blew angrily through the leafless trees as Hermione Granger pulled her cloak around herself more tightly, eyes looking ahead toward her destination of warmth, home. She walked into the lonely house shutting the door behind her, she sighed as she looked around at the fake comfort of her home. Hermione's home looks like a staged home up for sale, elegant but lacking warmth, happiness and love, much like Hermione herself.


Much had changed after the war, the battle of Hogwarts robbed Hermione's innocence and smeared her happy memories. Most of Hermione Granger was destroyed and left with the blood soaked rubble that day. A few months after the war had ended Ron was cut off while asking her hand in marriage, she had told him no. From that day onward the trio grew distant. Ron and Harry became Aurors at the Ministry of Magic, Harry later became head of the Auror Office. Hermione found a position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, a few years later she excepted an offer for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, seeing Ron and Harry every so often. The Weasleys and the Potters noticed Hermione's numbness and the withered relationship of the trio.
Hermione walked into the only semi personalized room of the entire house, the study. She started a fire in the fire place with a quick silent flick of her wand as she made her way to her desk to sort out last nights paper work. Work always seemed to follow her home. After a long while she finally put her quill to rest, the all nighter had caught up with her. She stood up with a yawn and walked around her desk to a small potions cabinet mounted on the wall between two large wooden book cases. The cabinet contained very few potions, she easily found what she was looking for. She took a small glass bottle filled with bright orange liquid down and pulled the cork off. "Two swigs will do this this time." She thought as she put the bottle to her lips and drank. There had been two similar occasions in which Hermione had relied on the pepper upper potion, both occasions being the same, one work day running into the next. Hermione instantaneously felt alert and energized, she replaced the bottle and turned back to her desk to gather her papers. Less then ten minutes later Hermione, in a fresh set of clothes and traveling cloak was standing at her front door. She took one last look at the lonely house and headed back out into the chilly morning with nothing but work on her mind.

No one said anything to Hermione as she walked through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement toward her office. Once in her office Hermione sat down and began to pull out her paper work from her travel bag. "Miss Granger?" - "Yes, Miss Evans?" Hermione said without looking up at her assistant. "Sorry to interrupt Miss Granger, but you have just missed Professor McGonagall."

"Why was she here?" Hermione snapped looking up.
Talley Evans hesitated looking away to break the fire filled gaze of her boss. "I don't know, she did seem quite upset that you were not in. She did not say why she was here, nor did she say if she would return, I asked her and she ignored both." Talley took a moment to look back up into Hermione's eyes, the fire was gone and the familiar dull emptiness was back. "Miss Granger? Mr. Vaughn Tipton has not returned."

"When was he supposed to return Miss Evans?"
"Three days ago." Talley said noticing Hermione's eyes hadn't changed. "His desk is starting to over flow with paper work and messages Miss Granger."
"Then why don't you assist him Miss Evans?" Hermione hissed.
"Yes Miss Granger." Talley said backing out of the door frame of Hermione's office.

Hermione sighed and wondered why Minerva McGonagall had paid a visit to her office. It had been twelve years since the war and at least ten or eleven since she had seen or heard from the woman last. The Weasley family and the Potters were the only people Hermione ever visited and even that was very rare. Hermione pushed the images of her past that hunted her from her mind and replaced it with the emptiness she was used to.

"Hermione?"
Hermione again looked up from her desk. There were very few people these days that called her by her first name. A smile played across her lips that did not meet her eyes. She stood up to greet her visitor. Harry walked further into her office. "How have you been?" He said giving her a hug. "I have been great!" Hermione replied. Harry looked at one of is closest friends, she had changed so much. She was not the same Hermione, she was still the same, but something had been lost and Harry knew that that something would never be found again. "How are you? How is Ginny?" Hermione asked.
"We are both doing great! Ginny is considering quitting the Holyhead Harpies to spend more time with the children."
"Wow, really?" Hermione said in the most concerned voice she could come up with. "What is she going to do with herself?
"The quidditch league has offered her a job as a quidditch corespondent. She would not be traveling as much which is what she wants." Harry said. "Hermione, we are having a get together at Molly and Arthur's tonight, will you come? It has been a few months sense you have been by."
It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she nodded her head and smiled. "Of course. Is there a special occasion?"
"No, just a small family get together Molly and Ginny will be so happy to see you there!" Harry said with a big smile.

After Hermione got the time of the event from Harry he left. She could tell that he was happy about her excepting the invitation, she how ever was not. At times it did bother Hermione, she wondered why she felt the way she did, but pushed all of it out of her mind for it was something she did not take more then a mere moment to think about.