Hello, lovelies. This is the first chapter of a story I'm writing at the moment. It's a SS/HG with a bit of LM/HG in it too, but ultimately it's a Snamione! I just have a weakness for Lumione so had to include it. I hope you enjoy, please tell me what you think.
It was three years exactly since the battle of Hogwarts. A time for celebrations, a time to be grateful for living. Hermione hated these yearly celebrations, as did Harry, probably more so than she did. He often excused himself early from parties that they were forced to attend and he and Ginny went home. Hermione had what most psychiatrists would label as survivors guilt, or PTSD. One of those, or both. She would often zone out in important meetings at the ministry, or wake up screaming at night. To drown out the images of her friends and people she considered as close as family's dead bodies, she kept herself busy. She studied, she worked, she threw herself into her career and people often commented on how driven she was. But what was the alternative? If she didn't, she would lose herself to the darkness that constantly threatened to consume her.
After the war many people got married. Poorly matched people, like her and Ron. Their marriage was a disaster. He was just as damaged from the war as she was, although his coping mechanism was much different to hers. He would sleep with women, many women. Hermione often came home from work to an empty house, and Ron would arrive home late at night smelling of woman. She didn't care though, he knew that she knew, and most probably what ignited his anger which was so present in their relationship was just how much she didn't care. He even brought women to their home, fucked them in their marital bed. Hermione knew, but she didn't care. One afternoon she came home from work early as she had a sudden stomach upset, only to catch Ron balls deep in Parvati Patil on the sofa. An argument ensued. As Parvati scuttled out of the house and left the two of them, Ron's brokenness was evident. "You just don't care, do you?" was all he said. That was the only time Hermione felt a flicker of feeling, a deep sadness, because she really didn't. They rarely had sex, and when they did it was void of passion. Hermione understood that Ron was seeking feeling and emotion, and Hermione couldn't give that to him. Ron packed his bags and left the house. That was the first time in a long time that Hermione had cried. She sobbed so hard for the people who died, for the life lost, for her heart that Voldemort broke when he stole her innocence by thrusting her into a world of death and destruction. Her sadness turned into rage and she screamed at the top of her lungs as she smashed everything within reach. Every vase, picture, decorative plate, ornament. They were all faux normality, a mask that they hid behind and Hermione hated it all. She hated this world, how everyone was supposed to carry on like the war never happened, to have parties, have weddings, have babies and start a new life. It filled Hermione with a burning rage that she couldn't put out. Harry had floo'd to her house that evening and found Hermione curled up on the floor amongst broken glass and china, all he did was hold her while she wept, but somehow having him there was so comforting to her. Someone who had no expectations of her, like everyone else seemed to have, he understood her.
It was two months since her and Ron's split. He was now in a relationship with Parvati, apparently they had been sleeping together for three months before Hermione and Ron's marriage ended. Hermione held no ill will for Ron, she felt much better single and was sure he felt better being with someone more compatible for him. She felt more lonely in a loveless marriage, funnily enough, than being single and living alone.
Hermione was on her way to a party in London, in celebration of the three year anniversary of the battle of Hogwarts. Hermione didn't feel like celebrating, but she wanted to see Harry and Ginny. Ginny was four months pregnant, and Hermione was over the moon for them both. They had become very close in the past few months, since her and Ron's split. Harry was like a brother to her, and Ginny a very good friend and listening ear.
The first person she saw was Luna Lovegood, who beamed at her from across the road while waving wildly. Luna hadn't changed much since Hogwarts, she still had long blonde hair and an interesting wardrobe. Tonight she was sporting a sunflower yellow flowing skirt, with a sky blue strappy top.
"Hermione, you looked very peaceful from over there, I'm glad you are doing ok. I just want to warn you, I felt a Wrackspurt over here a few moments ago, you might want to go inside as they can be quite unpleasant." Luna said with a dreamy smile on her face.
"Thank you Luna. Are you coming inside?" Hermione asked, as the summer evening was getting chilly and Luna wasn't quite dressed for the cold.
"No, not yet. I can see you want to go and find Harry, no need to be polite. Goodbye Hermione." Luna smiled and started looking around her, as if searching for something flying above her head.
Seeing Harry was nice, he embraced her tightly and asked if she was ok.
Hermione nodded and gave a small smile "I'm fine, honestly Harry," she chuckled at his raised eyebrow "Really, I'm fine. No need to worry. Anyway, how are you and Ginny? Where is Ginny, actually?" Hermione looked around, searching the crowd for her friend's vibrant red hair.
"She's not here, morning sickness." Harry sighed and scratched his head. "She hasn't eaten anything but digestive biscuits for the past two days, she can't keep anything down."
Hermione frowned "There are potions for morning sickness, has she not taken any?"
Harry grimaced "She refuses to take them, she read somewhere that taking sickness potions can increase the likelihood for squib babies, I know Hermione, but you know how stubborn she is." Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry.
"She's like her mother." Hermione said with a chuckle.
Harry hesitated "Hermione... Molly still considers you family, you do know that, don't you?"
Hermione had been avoiding Molly since the break up. She couldn't handle someone trying to 'fix' her marriage, as she was sure Molly would try to do.
"I just can't at the moment Harry, I just can't." Hermione felt a lump in her throat and averted her eyes. They landed on someone she never expected to see again and she gasped.
"Professor Snape's here?" She exclaimed, unaware she was openly gaping at him.
Harry smiled, he was very fond of Snape after what he found out from viewing his memories in the pensieve. He viewed him as a war hero, as did Hermione and the wizarding community as a whole. He never attended these sort of events, from what has been written in the Daily Prophet he had become a recluse and left Hogwarts to live a quiet life somewhere in the countryside.
"Yes, it's nice to see him. Lucius Malfoy came with him, it's the first time he's been to an event for a while." Harry trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.
Hermione's searched the room with her eyes and saw that Lucius Malfoy was walking towards Snape with two glasses of champagne.
Society has very mixed views on the Malfoy's since the war. While they used to be held in very high esteem, they have now lost that place in the wizarding community with many people still regarding them as Death Eaters. There was a huge trial that spanned over a year resulting in the Malfoy's being cleared of most charges, they had to pay a huge donation towards re building Hogwarts as punishment though, as the school was almost destroyed in the battle. Many people feel they got off too lightly with a mere slap on the wrist. Draco was accepted by the wizarding community more than his father, since many people feel he was forced to Voldemort's side whereas Lucius was there willingly and had committed more crimes, or at least had been accused of such, few crimes could be proved hence the lenient punishment.
Hermione was lost in her thoughts when Harry announced he was going to talk to Snape.
"Oh, are you sure Harry? He's a very private man." Hermione said as she furrowed her brows.
Harry looked like he was considering it for a second but then said "I can't ignore him Hermione, I'll just say it's nice to see him." Harry patted Hermione on the arm and made his way through the dozens of people trying to talk to him, he was Harry Potter after all and garnered a lot of attention at public events.
Hermione watched out of the corner of her eye and tried not to laugh when she saw Snape's sneer as Harry approached him. "Poor Harry." she muttered to herself with a wry smile. Snape clearly hadn't changed.
She spoke to a few people that evening, and had a nice discussion with Neville about her job in the ministry and his as a Herbology professor at Hogwarts.
"I was so surprised when Professor Sprout told me she wanted me as her apprentice with the intention to train me up to take her place when she retired! I love working at Hogwarts, I reckon you'd be a great professor Hermione." He said with a kind smile.
Harry left the party with the excuse of getting back to Ginny. Hermione was about to call it a night when she saw something that made her stomach drop. A sheepish Ron hand in hand with Parvati, steadily approaching her.
She steeled herself to be polite. Although the split from Ron was the right thing for her, and she didn't care about his numerous affairs and that he'd moved on, it still sent a pang of something unpleasant to her gut to see him happily in a relationship with someone else.
"Alright, Hermione?" Ron said with an uncomfortable smile.
"Hello, Ron." Hermione gave him a small formal smile. She didn't think Parvati could have looked anymore uncomfortable if she tried.
"You doing ok?" He asked.
"I'm doing fine. You?" It was so painfully
awkward, Hermione didn't understand why he even bothered. She just wanted to get home so she could lose herself in one of the books she picked up from Diagon Alley yesterday.
"I'm ok. Look, 'mione. I don't like to spring this on you here, but the house, well, it's in my name too, and um, well Iwanttosellit." He rushed the last few words and she didn't understand him.
"What?" Although she didn't hear him she really didn't like where this was going.
Ron looked helplessly at Parvati, who squared her shoulders and said in a no-nonsense manner, "He wants to sell the house. He will give you half, obviously, but he wants to put it on the market as soon as possible."
Hermione felt a tickle of anger in her chest and felt a little bit like she wanted to cry.
Ron must have seen that in her expression and hurriedly added "I mean, we will give you a few weeks to get your stuff together-"
"Weeks!" Hermione exclaimed, the tickle of anger had formed into a full blown fire of rage in her chest "I am supposed to pack my home, the only place I feel safe in the whole world, and find somewhere else to live in TWO WEEKS?"
People had started to stare, Hermione was beyond caring.
Ron looked mortified "Don't make a scene!"
"How dare you Ronald! You always were a tactless dunderhead, but this takes the cake!" Parvati started to say something but Hermione put a hand up and shook her head in disgust "I will leave my house in a month, minimum. I don't want to hear or see you again, any correspondence will be made through my lawyer from now on." Hermione ignored the stares of people around her and quickly walked out of the building.
It was pouring with rain, drenching Hermione and disguising the steady stream of tears running down her face.