Chapter 2

Hermione landed with a soft thud on the plush carpet of the living room. She wrinkled her noes at the stale smell of the house as walked to glass sliding doors that stretched the length of the room. With great force she slid the practically glued door trying to get some fresh air. The chill sea breeze welcomed her like an old friend. It had been years since she had visited this old house. When Hermione was little she spent practically every summer here. It had belonged to her Grandmother and Grandfather and her parents had kept as a vacation home a`they passed away. With the war Hermione was never able to come back.

Taking in her surrounding in she gave a sigh. It was dark and dirty, with no visitors over the years the house felt sad. She remembered how much life the house used to have when her grandparents were alive. Merlin, she missed them. Immediately Hermione went to work brining the house back to life. As she stepped outside the sound of the sand on porch tickled her ears and the moist beach air brought her senses alive. Using the light the from the tip of her wand she was able to locate the circuit breaker on the side of the house. The light came on and the house came back to life. Once back inside Hermione started to make the house livable again.

Swishing her wand in the air all the white sheets from the furniture neatly folded themselves in the middle of the living room. Clouds of dust suffocated the air and she felt her lungs being clogged. She held her breath as she flicked her wand to make the dust disappear.

In the kitchen she found her Grandmothers old cleaning supplies. Mrs. Weasley had taught and useful trick in making the mop clean on its own. As she danced about with the mop, feeling like Flora from Sleeping Beauty the smell of Pine-Sol tickled her noes. He heart clinched. That was distinct smell of her Mother and Nan's cleaning. It brought the smell of HOME to her. Her eyes stung. If she had it in her still she knew she would be crying but it just wasn't anymore tears left in her. She stopped dancing leaving the mop to clean and pushed on cleaning everywhere in the house.

The sun shown brightly in the house by the time Hermione had finished. Although before arriving she was exhausted before she left, now she just felt exhilarated. For the first time in a long while she could live for her. Do what she wanted. Be the person she wanted to be.

She walked into old lilac room posters of New Kids on the Block still hung on the wall. She smiled at her former self as she sat on the Snow White duvet cover. She silently wondered what life would have been if there was not war, if there was no MAGIC. She shook her head, no she would not want to live in a world without Magic and that good it has brought her.

She thought of all great things magic had brought her. Her friends turned family, her courage, her strength, and her boyfriend, (her heart tugged at the thought of Ron). Her relationship with Ron was not perfect, she doubted it ever would be. They fought like animals but there was a certain comfort to him. He was there for her when she really needed him to be. Even when she was at her lowest. When he had left, her and Harry. He came back he came back to them, to her. He wasn't perfect but he was hers and they fought countless battles side by side. Her mind the wandered to battles and scars, as she absent-mindedly ran her hand over the words MUDBLOOD craved into her skin. Breaking her mind of those nasty thoughts she quickly stood and reached into her bag reaching in for her swimwear.

The sand tickled between her pedicured toes as she walked to the beach in her purple bikini. Thankfully, the house was situated on a private beach for only the residents of the small neighborhood. No one to bother her,

The water was cool against her skin waking her soul even more. Basking in the sun without anything to do, anyone expecting anything was freeing. She went in deeper slashing the water around on the secluded beach. For the first time in her life, Hermione was doing what she wanted to do not what was expected of her and it felt amazing.

After a good amount of splashing she decided to lay out. She conjured up a beach towel and umbrella and sat down with a heavy book from her beaded bag. With a smile on face she decided to read the rest of the morning away.