Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

AN: I have obviously changed characters personalities in this story as I had an idea in my head and I wanted to use these specific characters so sorry if the personality changes annoy anyone. Also I have proofread the story but as someone who is still working on her writing there are bound to be some mistakes sorry about them as well. I hope you enjoy! Thanks, bye.

As the war came to a close Hermione Granger looks at all of the ruin and death surrounding her and realizes that nothing in her life was ever going to be the same again. She could see the bodies of students from her year and the year below in the rows created in the great hall. She could see the Weasley's crying over Fred's body and Harry kneeling at Lupin and Tonks. Walking away from the great hall Hermione can feel herself becoming numb to the pain and suffering around her.

"Hermione, where are you going?" Ron asks from the entrance to the great hall, Hermione turns around unsurprised to see Harry next to him. She thought that she could slip away easily and just be alone for a while but unfortunately the boys must have spotted her leaving.

"I just need to get away from here." She replies, glancing down at her feet instead of at them. "I think I'm going to go get my parents out of hiding and settle them back into their house. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Hermione, are you ok?" Harry asks, seeing how hard his best friend is trying to keep it together.

"I'm fine, I just need to be alone for a bit to process. I'll come find you guys tomorrow ok?" She asks, knowing that she is abandoning them when they need her the most but also knowing that she can't deal with this situation at the moment.

"Yeah that's fine, we'll see you tomorrow." Ron says immediately turning back into the great hall, Harry following after giving Hermione one last look. Hermione starts to head for the front gates so that she can apparate away, although where's she going she has no idea as she has no intention of seeing her parents today. Hermione is so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't spot the person walking towards her with their head down until they have run into each other.

"Sorry Hermione." Hermione looks up at her name into the eyes of Theo Nott. Theo was one of the orders spies in the castle and he and Hermione have become friends in the time he has spent with the order.

"Where are you going Theo?" Hermione asks quietly.

"Back to my manor, my mother is dead and my father is on the run so at least it will be quiet and away from all this." He gestures to the destruction around them and Hermione nods.

"Can I come?" Hermione queries, needing to escape the crushing pain she can feel in her chest and not wanting to be left alone to think about it.

"Are you sure you don't want to go see your friends?" Theo asks, looking confused by her request.

"I told them that I'd see them tomorrow, besides you are my friend as well." Hermione reasons, Theo nods and they begin walking toward the Hogwarts gates so that they can apparate. Landing in the Nott Manor foyer Hermione looks around noting the elegance and charm of the manor but not really taking any of its real beauty in.

"Do you want a drink?" Theo asks, looking a little nervous and awkward.

"Got any firewhisky?" Theo looks shocked at the question but nods and begins walking down the hall. Hermione had never really been a big drinker but today she just wanted to escape and knew that alcohol could help her do that. Hermione and Theo walk into a bar at the end of the house and Hermione is surprised at all of the different kinds of alcohol on the shelf. She settles herself on a sofa as Theo grabs a bottle of firewhisky and two glasses.

"Aren't you worried your father will come here looking for you?" Hermione asks, taking the drink Theo has poured for her and downing it in one smooth shot. Hermione coughs as the liquid burns her insides, secretly enjoying the sensation.

"He can't, my mother put up really strong protection wards around the manor before she left for the battle. Only people who enter with me are allowed access." He explains also finishing his drink in one shot. Pouring them each another, Theo takes a second to assess Hermione.

"Why are you avoiding your friends?" Hermione frowns at the question but the alcohol is already working its way into her system and she's losing control of her brain to mouth filter. She had always been a lightweight.

"Because I can't relate to them at the moment. They all lost someone close to them in the battle but I've lost no one except myself." Hermione shakes her head at the last part before continuing. "I can't stand around while they grieve feeling useless, I know I sound like a really shitty friend but I just needed space."

"You're not a shitty friend Hermione." Theo whispers, before continuing at a normal level. "What you're going through sounds a lot like survivors guilt. "

"I'm not guilty that I survived Theo I'm guilty that I made it out with all my closest love ones and friends alive while Ron and Ginny lost a brother and Harry lost another father figure." Theo not knowing how to respond to that allows them to fall into silence the only sound the clinking of the firewhisky as they fill up their glasses. Half an hour later and they are both drunk and finally relaxed, the horrors they have witnessed pushed to the backs of their minds.

"Let's dance." Hermione says, flicking her wand so that club music begins blaring around them. Hermione struggles to stand up and Theo quickly reaches over to help her, grabbing the hand that is helping her stand Hermione begins pulling Theo toward a clear spot in the middle of the room. Hermione stands still for a moment before beginning to sway her hips to the beat of the music. Theo watches Hermione for a moment before moving so that he is dancing with her their bodies pressed up against each other. Hermione grabs his hands as their bodies grind against each other leading them on a path down her body. Hermione feels so alive in that moment dancing with Theo like she hasn't got a care in the world even though her whole world has come crashing down around her in the last few months. She's not sure whether it's the firewhisky or Theo's hands but her skin is on fire and she is slowly forgetting that the rest of the world exists which is exactly what she had wanted.

Turning in Theo's arms she places her hands in his hair pulling him into a searing kiss, loving the way his body feels against hers. She can feel his erection as they continue to kiss and grind against each, when they both can't take the tension anymore they begin to pull at each other's clothing. It takes them less than a minute to rid each other of their offending materials and to end up on the couch, Theo's penis now teasing Hermione's entrance.

"Wait, Hermione are you a virgin?" Theo asks, as he hovers above her. Hermione shakes her head pulling him down so his body is pressed against hers and they are kissing again. After that all talking is abandoned as Theo enters Hermione burying himself fully in her. Hermione moans as she feels Theo's balls slapping against her with each thrust. Hermione has never experienced sex this intense and it isn't long before she is crying out her release. Theo continues to thrust into her each one becoming more desperate as he heads toward his own orgasm. Hermione flips them over and begins to bounce, leaning forward to place her hands on Theo's chest. She screams out in pleasure as she orgasms for the second time and her walls tightening around his cock is the final straw as he also goes over the edge.

Theo summons a blanket to put over them as they lay together in post coital bliss. They both eventually fall into a restless sleep, Hermione's mind plagued with memories of the war while Theo's dreams are filled with his mother and how she lost her life protecting him in the final battle.

…

Hermione is torn from her sleep by the morning sunlight hitting her in the face, trying to roll over to escape the sun Hermione yells out as she falls off the couch and onto the floor.

"What's wrong?" Theo yells out pointing his wand around, thinking that someone has scared Hermione. Looking down at her he lets out a laugh glad to find that she has fallen off the couch and is not being threatened by anyone.

"Stop laughing at me Theo." Hermione whines, feeling slightly embarrassed but also glad that she managed to take the blanket down with her, so she's at least covered. Theo tries to reign in his laughter but he can't stop it, it's just a strange situation they have found themselves in.

"I'm making breakfast, you hungry?" Theo asks, finally over his laughing fit.

"Yeah I'm starving but do you have something I can borrow to wear? My clothes from yesterday have blood and dirt all over them." Hermione shivers, the memories of the battle rushing straight back to the front of her mind.

"Of course, I'll send my house elf to grab them for you and then she can lead you to the kitchen." Theo replies, noticing the look on Hermione's face he quickly adds. "She's a free elf I promise and I offer her money." Hermione nods and Theo heads back in the direction Hermione assumes is the way to the kitchen. Smiling to herself she is surprised by how much Theo picked up about her during their short time as friends especially since there was a war going on around them.

"Miss Granger, here are the clothes for you." Hermione turns to see Theo's house elf dressed in a purple sun dress with a stack of clothes in her hand.

"Thank you very much." Hermione says gently taking the clothes from the elf, the elf nods and turns toward the door so that Hermione can put them on. Hermione casts a quick cleaning charm on herself before putting on the jeans and shirt, altering them so they fit her better. "Ok, now where's this kitchen?" The elf grabs Hermione's hand and apparates them straight into the kitchen, her stomach churns at the action and she leans against the bench for support as she settles her stomach.

"Are you ok? Do you need a pepper up potion?" Theo asks, noticing the sick look on her face.

"I'm fine, it was just the apparation although I'm surprised I didn't wake up with a hangover considering how much we drank." Hermione heads for the table sitting down and tucking one of her legs under herself.

"I don't really get hangovers luckily." Theo admits as he walks over to the table two plates in hand. He sets one down in front of Hermione and she is surprised by the amount of food on the plate. Theo has cooked toast, bacon, eggs and hash browns, Hermione wasn't even aware that he could cook if she was honest. They eat in silence Hermione savoring the hot food and the feeling of being able to eat breakfast without the worry that death eaters could find her any second.

"That was really good Theo." Hermione smiles as she finishes the last of the food on her plate, she takes her plate over to the sink and begins to wash the dishes that have begun to accumulate. Hermione hears Theo begin to approach the sink and decides that now may be the time to discuss what happened between them last night. "Hey Theo." Hermione starts, turning from the dishes to look at him. "I think we should talk about last night." Theo nods his cheeks reddening slightly.

"Look Hermione-"

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea because it was fun and it felt great honestly but I can't get into a relationship right now or anytime soon." Hermione blurts out.

"That's what I was going to say." Theo says looking relieved. Hermione smiles glad that they are on the same page. "I had fun as well." Theo smirks.

"You know just because we don't want to date each other doesn't mean we can't still have fun." Hermione suggests innocently.

"Are you trying to tell me you want to be friends with benefits?" Theo asks cocking an eyebrow, this is definitely not how he'd thought this talk would go, not that he's complaining.

"Yeah I think it's a great idea." Hermione shrugs.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Theo jokes, causing Hermione to roll her eyes. "I didn't think you would ever be this casual about sex, if I'm honest I sort of thought you would be embarrassed and awkward."

"What's the point Theo? We just survived a war that we could have easily died in, so now I'm going to make the most out of life and embarrassment is a wasted emotional state I no longer have time for." Hermione takes a step toward Theo so they are almost touching. "So what's it going to be Theo, yes or no?"

"No one is dumb enough to say no to a proposition like this, especially because you are so sexy when you're confident." Theo leans his head down closing the distance between them as he captures her lips, excited to see what the future holds.

AN: This will just be a one-shot for now but I am contemplating turning it into a multi-chapter story. Thank you again to everyone who reads, follows, favourites or reviews, it means a lot to me.