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Chapter 1

Sometime late June of 1999

It was one day before graduation, and the Great Hall bustled with excitement. Students and professors alike were chatting amicably as owls swooped in to deliver the day's mail and news. The kitchen elves had really outdone themselves today, Hermione noted, with the tables overflowing with mouthwatering delicacies. It was hard to believe that just a year prior, a war had devastated this castle.

Repairs were mostly completed before Hermione's eighth year had started, but as she roamed the familiar corridors and classrooms, there were always something that didn't feel quite right. She was sure the sofas in the common room had been a deeper crimson, the candles that decorated the Great Hall ceiling had been a little brighter, and her favourite studying table in the library, had been a darker colour.

But these physical details weren't the only things that preyed on her sanity. After the war, she had struggled to deal with all the emotions from the deaths of loved ones, trying to find her parents and successfully reversing the memory charm she'd placed, and her own scars from the war, which she was constantly reminded of from the souvenir Bellatrix left on her arm. Taking turns, every painful memory haunted her at night and she'd wake up screaming with tears in her eyes. Jean, her mother, would then comfort her and held her until she cried herself to sleep. Finally, after many urgings from her parents and Professor McGonagall, she met Healer Karen, whose profession was equivalent to a therapist in the wizarding world, and since then, Hermione had improved considerably. As the sessions continue, the scar on her arm stopped throbbing and the nightmares subdued.

When September came, Harry and Ron, along with her parents, kissed her goodbye as she boarded the Hogwarts Express one last time towards the castle. She felt a bit lonely since Harry and Ron had decided not to return for their eighth year, but was also somewhat relieved. For the more familiar faces there were, the more she was reminded of the recent horrors that'd occurred. She had become closer with Ginny and Luna, who were more understanding of her studying habits. And it also did help a lot, that they'd never asked to copy her essays. Most days, she'd buried herself in books. Mainly because of her N.E.W.T.s. Kingsley had already offered her a starting position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but it was contingent on her N.E.W.T. results, which she did not tolerate anything less than Outstanding.

She'd sometimes still wake up from the nightmares, especially when she had a rough day and couldn't managed her emotions as well. Those days, Ginny and Luna sat with her quietly, and she was forever grateful to them. They'd also struggled with their own losses but were always there for Hermione, and on the harder days, they'd cry together in each other's arms, and then make a quick midnight rendezvous to the kitchen, where the house elves graciously welcomed them with warm biscuits and hot cocoa.

On Christmas, her parents (with the help of Arthur) surprised her with a polaroid camera. And for the rest of the school year, she carried it with her as often as her books, capturing every moment that was dear to her. Like when Ginny proudly grinned in her Seeker uniform, presenting the Snitch she'd caught that led Gryffindor to victory, and when Luna wore an absolutely divine fairy costume to the Halloween feast, and her favourite photo, when Hagrid brought Fang to an afternoon picnic, and Fang had sprinted off with the sausages in his mouth, chased by a red-faced Seamus.

Despite everything, she had a calm year, which definitely was a stark contrast to all of her other school years. But that's the cost of being best friends with the infamous Harry Potter, she bemused.

She picked at her breakfast, and feeling Luna's gaze on her, she turned to her friend.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Luna asked airily.

"I am. Thanks for asking, Luna," she replied with a smile.

Though she may not seem like it, Luna was exceptionally perceptive. She was about to re-join the conversation when her attention was distracted to a loud roar of laughter that erupted from the Slytherin table.

"Glad to see our fellow Slytherins also in a festive mood," Ginny commented.

"We're contagious, aren't we?" Hermione winked. Ginny laughed.

"He looks sad…" Luna noted. Hermione and Ginny followed her gaze. Amidst the laughter, one person paid no heed, and isolated himself from the commotion next to him.

Malfoy.

He had been the antagonist of Hermione's previous years at Hogwarts with his taunting sneers and derogatory remarks about her ancestry. But now, his face was devoid of its usual haughtiness. In fact, it had lost all hints of emotions. Despite the awful bully that he was, Hermione still felt sorry for him. Besides Blaise, he didn't seem to have friends. Those who fought alongside Harry, weren't too thrilled about hanging around an ex-Death Eater. And to those who supported Voldemort, the Malfoys were seen as traitors. During the trials, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had testified in favour of Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, for Narcissa's "loyalty to her family and bravery when she lied to Voldemort, which ultimately helped win the war," (Harry's words) and for Draco, who refused to identify them to regain his family's honour that time at the Malfoy Manor. The Wizengamot had proceeded to declare the Malfoys innocent, and Lucius Malfoy's verdict of house arrest and revoked wand privileges were largely in part of Narcissa's actions in the war. Naturally, the public was outraged at this outcome, publicly ridiculing them, of which were often displayed on front page of the Daily Prophet. Though most students avoided him, Hermione occasionally saw Draco clutching a bloody nose, swearing on his way to the dungeons. Her heart ached a bit for him, and as Head Girl, she'd then proceeded to hunt down the perpetrators and punish them with house point deductions and a week's worth of owl poop-scooping. She'd also once came close, to jinxing a sheet of paper and have every student sign it, so if they bullied anyone, their forehead would erupt with boils spelling 'BULLY.'

Bully or not, he certainly did not deserve the harassment. After all, it never seemed like he wanted any part in this. Harry had told her and Ron how Draco almost accepted Dumbledore's offer of protection on the night of his death. Hermione still didn't like him, but she sympathized with him, since she, as a Muggle and despite being the 'brightest witch of her age' in the wizarding world, still felt outcasted at times. Although no one dares to speak ill of her since she was Harry Potter's best friend.

She was about to turn away when Draco turned his gaze on her. Like the haughtiness, the gel was also gone, and his casually-tousled pale hair gave him a boyish look. His grey eyes, she noted, lacked its usual venom, but they suddenly darkened with an expression Hermione knew all too well. He was angry, and abruptly got to his feet, sending his fork clattering against his untouched plate. A parting sneer towards her direction, he left the Great Hall, leaving a confused Blaise and a flustered Hermione.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ginny glared. Hermione shook her head in response.

"I think he was upset because we pitied him," Luna offered.

"It's hard not to," Ginny shrugged, and returned her attention to the Quidditch column of the Daily Prophet.

Hermione sighed, replaying Malfoy's sneer in her head. Some things never change, she thought to herself.

Hope you enjoyed this first chapter as much fun as I've had writing it! Please review :)