Hermione silently pushed open the sleek black door that faced her, peering through to crack, desperate to get a glimpse of what lie on the other side. She was trying to scream but no noise was leaving her mouth. Her shoes were covered in blood, blood that was streaming from the red head laying on the floor in front of her. No, this couldn't be right…

"Hermione! Hermione wake up! You're okay! You're okay!"

Hermione sat up, covered in sweat. She grasped her throat, it hurt like she had been screaming. She wiped tears from her eyes trying to focus on the subject in front of her.

"Ron, oh thank goodness! I just saw you, dead, you were dead!" She was shaking uncontrollably, trying to keep herself from crying she clenched the strong forearms holding her shoulders.

"I'm fine, you're okay. No one is dead."

"She okay…?"

Harry shut the door behind him, joining his two best friends on Hermione's bed. He pushed her bushy hair out of her wet eyes. "It was just a dream." He muttered, trying to calm her down. There wasn't much he could say to comfort anyone anymore, he was waking up from the same nightmares himself.

"I know. I know, it's so illogical for me to be dreaming like this still. I go to bed every night after spending all day with you both. So why are you consistently turning up dead in my head?"

"Post dramatic stress I 'spose." Ron let out a giant sigh and turned to look at the alarm clock on Hermione's bedside table. "3:14 Am, anyone fancy pancakes?"

It was October. Five months after graduation, seven months after the final battle took place at Hogwarts. Both Ron and Harry had been given positions as Aurors – well, Hermione had been offered a position as well but she declined – and were in the process of being trained at the Ministry. It wasn't easy work. They had been prepared to deal with the aftermath of the battle, finding and putting away remaining death eaters. The followers that were still dedicated to Voldemort's vision. But neither of them expected the emotional, physical and mental drain that took place day after day. They were forced to relive their worst memories in Occlumency training, pushed their bodies to the limit as they practiced unforgiveable curses, and spent hours a day studying spell theory. They only had two more weeks of training before they were released to their posts to shadow experienced Aurors.

Hermione had taken a different route, one that didn't involve working at the Ministry of Magic. She worked at the Daily Prophet. Right now she was fact checking articles, but her boss was so impressed with her ability to complete such thorough work that she was in the process of creating her own column. She wanted to continue her work with S.P.E.W. on a larger level. She was determined to free house-elves from slavery.

Both Ron and Harry were surprised when she took a job at the famous magical newspaper.

"Wait, didn't you used to despise the Daily Prophet?" Ron asked one morning, shoving his face full of cereal.

"I despised the Daily Prophet when they were writing rubbish about Harry and Dumbledore, but now I can influence the paper positively. Plus, I think I have a knack for writing that I never discovered. And it would be an excellent platform for me to continue work with S.P.E.W." Hermione then delved into a long-winded explanation about how she intended to change the lives of house elves all over the world but Harry and Ron had stopped listening.

Because all three of them were working in downtown London, they decided to rent a flat. It had been a spur of the moment decision that ensued from living at the Borrow for three weeks after graduation. Though they were all so thankful to Molly and Arthur, it was hard to see George, it was hard to watch Molly burst into tears when she thought no one was watching, to not see Arthur for days because he was tinkering in the shed out back. It was a house filled with sadness, and the trio decided that they had to try to move on. Ginny had been furious. She hated her brother for leaving her there to drown in sorrow, and she held a grudge against Harry for letting him. She hadn't even said goodbye.

It was two months since they moved out, and today the three best friends take turns waking each other up from the night terrors that haunted their minds.