Disclaimer- Nope, doesn't appear to be mine, unless I am secretly a millionaire and have amazing writing abilities...

With a small pop Hermione appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, in front of the house. After the fray with Voldemort, she had been dubbed the "Wonder woman of the wizarding world" although she felt like more of an overgrown girl than a woman, her face was bare of makeup and she still had a little fat making her look more youthful.

Her frizzy brown hair was unkempt and needed a good cut, her eyebrows looked a little like baby slugs growing on her forehead. Her clothes were old and covered in blood and dirt and she was carrying a small purple purse. She was exhausted. After making sure that Ron was ok, well as ok as you can be when your brother has just died, she had given her best wishes to the Weasleys and much to Mrs. Weasley's dismay left the family to get over the death without too much intrusion. She would probably have stayed but relations between her and Ron were confused after the spur-of-the-moment kiss and Hermione had come to the conclusion that it was because she wasn't ready to turn from best friend into lover - even though she had been waiting for long enough!

She had come back to the house of her childhood, a cottage in the village of lower Lambton in little house looked just as it normally did, with whitewashed walls and thatched roof, the garden looked perfect, as if Hermione had charmed it that way only yesterday. The house had been magically made to look as if there were still inhabitants living there, any muggle passer by wouldn't have seen the difference after her parents had move out.

Hermione opened the white gate and walked up the garden path, eager to rid her body of the grime that had presided on it permanently for little less that a year (despite trying to scourgify it every day) , yet not wanting to enter the home without first saving her parents. She had to make sure it wasn't damaged though, the wards she had put up were pretty strong but with the ministry on he-who-must-not-be-named's side he had been able to do pretty much anything, and Hermione didn't want to take the chance, her parents were going to find it hard to forgive her as it was, but if they came home and their house was falling down she felt they might be a more than a little angry. She took out her wand and unlocked the door, far to tired to waste a precious second that could have been spent sleeping or making plans to go to Australia.

As soon as she touched the handle she knew something was wrong. She was so shocked at it turning purple, cursing herself for not checking for any signs of magic, that she didn't think to let go until it was too late. The handle changed colour again this time glowing blue. A portkey.

Landing with a thump on a floor and adding to the bruises covering her already battered body Hermione let out a groan, could she not have five minutes peace? Acting on her instinct she tried to apparate, but found it impossible. Quivering she clambered to her feet and had to remind herself to breathe. She was in a dark corridor, with hangings and a wooden floor. Paintings stared at her, jeering from the walls. They spoke in a foreign language ,Hermione was pretty sure it was Italian, but she could still tell the subjects were angry and upset.

She crept along the corridor as quietly as possible, wand at the ready, trying to find an exit so she could find out what had happened to her house. She had been stupid, she thought, she could have at least asked harry to come along even if he was a little too busy comforting Ginny he would have come along to make sure she was ok. She was heading towards the light, figuring that it was better if she could see properly then at least she could had a chance against any prospective attackers. Looking left and right down the illuminated hallway she headed for some double doors, that she presumed lead out of the awful place, and was just about to open them when a voice interrupted.

'Come quick miss, Corolis is finding your daughter'

Hermione turned to see a small house elf and a woman tearing down the corridor.

A/N : I hope you enjoyed it! Any thing you have to say will be appreciated. I'm not sure how regular updates will be but I will try to get one in once a week – Lucylou122