May 1999

12 Grimmauld place

"Bloody hell", Hermione rooted under her pillow for her wand so that she can shut off the alarm. It was 6am and she was due at work early so that she can get into ministry library before everyone else so she could get some research done in peace.

As she got up from bed to get ready for the day ahead she thought back to the the past year since Voldemort had been defeated. She had taken her NEWTs in august last year once the school had been rebuilt. Harry and Ron had joined the auror academy but Hermione knew that spending the next 20 years chasing dark wizards wasn't for her. She'd had more than her fair share of adventure for one lifetime. Instead Kingsley Shacklebolt the new minister for magic had offered her a post as a researcher at the ministry looking at old laws and try to bring them into the new century in favour of everyone in the wizarding world instead of just the purebloods. Some of the laws she had come across were disgusting and it was shocking that no one had looked at some of the older laws, some dated back to the 1600's. She loved her work and knew that she was working to make the Wizarding Britain a better place for the future, it was thankless work but someone had to do it.

Hermione and Ron hadn't worked out since that kiss at the battle, Hermione decided much to the displeasure of Molly Weasley that while her and Ron will always be friends she couldn't really trust him to be there for her since he decided to walk out in the middle of the search for Horcruxs. How could she trust him if they ever got into a relationship to not just leave if they ever came across a problem or to back her up if she should ever incur the wrath of Molly Weasley. Plus any attraction she felt for Ron had long since disappeared, no woman can find a man attractive that abandons them in their time of need. They still remained friends but not as close a before, Hermione just couldn't get over him leaving her and Harry like that. She knew Harry thought she needed to get over it but easier said than done. Her love live was a big fat zero at the moment but she was ok with that, plenty of time for that once she had establisher career. Plus any men that she came across were so immature that they were after one thing, after what she had been through these past few years she needed someone that had more to offer than what she had found in her peers. Not financially but emotionally and intellectually. She needed someone she could connect with but she also knew now was not the time to concentrate on her love live or lack therof.

After the war she had moved in with Harry as her parents were still lost to her and in Australia. When the ministry had made enquiries with the Australian ministry it had taken them 3 months to come back with any information as to their whereabouts. Once she had the location for her parents she had asked for Headmaster Snape's help in recovering her parents memories. She hadn't told the ministry that she had performed an illegal memory charm, they had assumed that she had created false identities for her parents and sent them to Australia with their memories intact. The headmaster had agreed to help with some scowling and some more sarcastic comments as in his own words " seeing as you saw fit to save me instead of leaving me to die in peace, I will help you on the one condition that I never have to be the victim of your help again". Headmaster Snape had been found innocent of all crimes after Harry had told the wizengamot the headmasters reason for killing Dumbledore and all the goings on in Hogwarts the final year. He had along with Harry been given the order of merlin first class. Ron had grouched that the headmaster had deserved azkaban whereas Ron should have got the order of merlin first class instead of second class, that was up until Hermione had pointed out that the Headmaster had stayed true to the cause for 20 years and unlike some he hadn't abandoned his post over lack of food. The headmaster had been reviled, crucioed and merlin knows what else yet he had stayed true.

Hermione's parents had been angry at first but somehow with the surprising help of the headmaster she was able to explain all to her parents. They had moved back to England in January this year after selling their practice in Australia and resettled back into their practice back in Kent. Their relationship was still shaky but getting better and she made an effort to go and see them every Sunday for lunch.

As she made her way downstairs for coffee she could hear Harry moving around in the kitchen, " morning Harry you're up early"? " Haven't been to bed, just got back in from work". As she looked at Harry she could see how tired he was, he didn't have the haunted look in his eyes that he had the past few years. He still sometimes got moody and melancholy when he thought about the people who had lost their lives but all in all considering what he had been through Harry had adjusted very well. For weeks after the war they both suffered from nightmares and one or the other would wake up screaming. They found comfort in each other, they both had no siblings so they both became each others families, Harry sometimes joined her for Sunday lunch. Her parents liked Harry who according to her parents was a polite young man, the same couldn't be said for Ron. Her mother though he was uncouth and her father thought he was a prize prat. Unsurprisingly her parents had never asked for Ron to be invited again

As Hermione raised her eyebrow in question " we had a raid at the Parkinson manor, rumour had it that they may have been hiding some dark artefacts, instead we found a couple of death eaters hiding out on the grounds, we managed to capture one but one was killed."

" did you?" , " no it wasn't me, it was a stray shot from the other death eater, and no I don't want to talk about and I'm fine. Why are you up so early?"

"Research, need to hit the library before the masses arrive to work. How about we order Indian tonight, unless you have plans with Ron?" " no plans, need a quite night in"

"Great I'll see you tonight, right I'm off so get some sleep and enough with the cof...what was that?" There was a crashing sound in the library.

Harry and Hermione made their way to the library with their wands drawn, Harry cautiously opened the door, and both made there way in. Lying in the middle of the room was a little boy covered in glass and blood.

Hermione quickly made her way over to the child and checked for a pulse, "is he OK, who is he?" Harry asked.

"he's breathing and it looks like his hand is the only thing bleeding, how did he get here Harry, Grimmauld place' wards cant be breached not even by death eaters how is a child able to...?"

"I'm not sure, here let me lay him down on the couch"

" Accio first aid kit"Hermione grabbed the kit as it made its way in the room. She cleaned up the child's hand and while she was cleaning up his hand she took a good look at him. He looked to be about 2 or 3 years old. She really had no experience with kids except Teddy and he seemed to be the same size as Teddy. He looked well cared for and there were no obvious injuries, he was dressed in a cloak and underneath the cloak it looked like he was wearing spider man pajamas. On his feet he had on dragon hide shoes that looked expensive.

"Rennervate" Hermione whispered and pointed her want at the child, not taking her eyes off the little boy.

The boy opened his eyes and he frantically looked around the room and finally his eyes landed on Hermione and he smiled

"Mummmmmy"

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