A/N: I'm not decided yet if I'm going to abandon my other HP fic, but here's something I think I'll probably end up finishing because I've got most of it done already.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy:)

Elaborated Plot: Sixth year passes, and in the summer after sixth year, Lord Voldemort is finally defeated. Hermione is disturbed on her vacation with her parents to be told that it isn't over: a new lord has risen. Unfortunately for her, things aren't exactly going right in her personal life; and when seventh year rolls around, she's confused and doubtful. She's doubting herself, and her friends, and questioning things she had never questioned before. It doesn't help that some people are acting strangely, and some things aren't always as they seem.

Sorry, I'm not so brilliant at summaries--read, though! It'll be worth it:)

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to me. haha. I wish. If it were up to me, we all know who would end up together in the seventh book...;) Anyways, sadly enough, my plot is the only thing I own. Everything else belongs to the great and only, J. K. Rowling. not affiliated with the Rolling Stones, which I am currently listening to! How funny.

All right. Here we go.

Made up my mind to make a new start,
Going to california with an aching in my heart.
Someone told me theres a girl out there
With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.

-Going to California-

.Led Zeppelin.

x----------x---------x--------x-------x------x-----x------x-------x--------x---------x----------x

Hermione sat at her desk, tapping her quill against her parchment thoughtfully. Her Potions book sat open before her, but she had yet to make sense of anything.

"Hermione!" Harry sauntered into the common room. "You've been working all day. Care to take a break?"

Hermione started to shake her head, but Harry quickly cut her off. "Let me rephrase that. You're taking a break."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh—but then her face grew serious. "I have to get this done. I—"

"We all do," Harry reminded her. "But we are all also finding time to take a break. Remember those?"

Hermione laughed again and swept some her thick brown hair behind one ear. "All right, fine, you win. Lead the way." She got up.

Harry grinned, and the two headed through the hallways towards the front doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Oh, but I don't know…." Hermione suddenly began again. "Finals are just so soon! You lot aren't nearly as concerned as you should be." She added sternly.

"In a month and a half, you mean?" Harry asked amusedly, ignoring the latter comment, as they emerged out on the emerald green front lawn.

Hermione waved the fact away. "You and your picky details!"

Harry was about to respond, but was cut off. "You made it! See that, guys! Harry really is the Golden Boy. He managed to get Hermione out of her hellhole!" Freckle-faced, flame-haired Ron Weasley shouted exuberantly.

Hermione looked scandalized. "A place that has books cannot be a devil's hole!" She protested, refusing to swear.

Ron smirked. "Oh, yeah? What about the dungeons? I'm pretty sure they have books."

"Oh, stuff it!" She replied crossly. She turned to Neville Longbottom, one of the sweetest, most innocent boys she knew. "How are you?"

"Not so bad." Surprisingly enough, it seemed true, too.

"Good. And everyone else?" It seemed like days since she had seen everyone—and maybe it had been.

The spring breeze blew lazily, perfectly matching the mild temperature. The air almost seemed to sparkle with joviality; everything was so alive. Hermione sat in the grass by the lake and settled her back against a tree.

"Hermione, there's a Hogsmeade trip in a couple—"

"No." She immediately answered.

"But—"

"No." Hermione looked at Ginny Weasley, who had just asked. "I have to study! And you do too! Well…not so much as these boys." She gestured towards the other sixth years.

"Study, my arse!" Ginny huffed.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You're going, understood? Okay. Fine. Here's something you can learn, but not from a book: relaxing. Happy? You're still going to learn something."

Hermione only rolled her eyes, but it seemed to satisfy Ginny.

Hermione stared out at the placid lake, which sparkled and shone like there were a million tiny diamonds glittering just below its surface. The sun shone profusely, set against a sapphire-blue sky. It was a beautiful day, and plenty of students were milling about on the grounds.

How had she almost missed this?

Once again came the battle between books and friends. Her books were practically calling her, telling her she better study if she wanted to do well on the finals and get her dream job.

And then there were the N.E.W.T.'s, next year. She shuddered just thinking about it, but then also felt that familiar thrill.

"So a month and a half till finals, and then summer," Lavender recounted dreamily, as everyone settled into a sort of circle on the grass.

"I'm off to Ireland," Seamus Finnigan announced. "To visit me grandparents."

"Lucky bloke," Ron muttered darkly. "I reckon you'll be off to the Quidditch World Cup."

Seamus nodded and grinned. After everything that had happened during fourth year, the QWC was back.

"That doesn't sound like such a bright idea," Hermione noted.

"Ah, Hermione," Dean Thomas sighed dramatically. "You worry enough for all of us and everyone who'll be there."

Hermione laughed. "I know. I need to relax, right?"

"Right!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"Right!" A cold, taunting voice cut in. "You all sound like you're in a bloody production."

"I'm surprised you even know what that is," Hermione shot back.

Draco Malfoy curled his lips up into a smirk. "Good one, Mudblood. Shall we clap?"
"Can someone get me a cage? The Amazing Bouncing Ferret seems to have escaped again." She said venomously, and the others could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

"I've escaped? Enlighten me on how your magnificent friends dragged you out of your bookworm's paradise on this fine Saturday."

"Enlighten me on why you're standing here, ruining my Saturday." She returned malevolently.

Malfoy's smirk remained. "It so entertains me. Thank you very much, Mudblood." He bowed slightly, and looked around. "Potty, Weasel." He turned and kept walking, flanked by his goons, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Hermione unclenched her jaw and let out a fierce breath, watching them stroll along with her spiteful gaze. "That stupid prick! He's got to ruin everything, hasn't he?"

Harry and Ron both glared after him, but eventually they all began to talk and laugh again, and Hermione forgot all about Malfoy, and somehow, she managed to learn a thing or two about relaxing.

A/N: I know this first chapter isn't too interesting, but it gets better. This is just setting the tone, and if I added in the next chunk it would be wayy too long. So...let me know what you think:)