A/N: I don't own! Enjoy!
Chapter 1- Belle
Hermione woke up with a sigh and swung her legs out of bed. She passed by her cat, Charlie, and shuffled into the kitchen. She put a pot of coffee on and opened her kitchen window, looking down on the village below her.
After the war, about 100 people from the wizarding got together to make a small community. It was quiet and small, and reminded hermione of the villages in France. People lived in small cottages, and they got by doing honest work. There was still a library, hermione basically demanded it. It was a close community that had been around for about 2 years now, putting hermione and the rest of them at 20 years old.
She put her now empty coffee cup in the sink, and walked back into her room to get dressed. She slipped on, a light blue tank top, dark jeans, and a white cardigan. She picked white flats to match her cardigan and grabbed her books, slipping them into her bag. Walking out of the cottage, she waved her hand, locking the door behind her. Hermione started on the path to the library, with a skip in her step. Her little town was really lovely.
She stopped at the small stand picking up loaves of bread from Seamus. She continued on her path to the library, when she passed by the old potions professor Horace Slughorn.
"Good morning Hermione!" he smiled and tipped his hat to her. She smiled back
"Good morning professor, are you alright?" she asked when she noticed him looking around confused. He squinted at her
"I seem to have lost something, but I cant quite remember what it is I lost" Hermione smiled encouragingly at him and waved.
"well I'm sure you'll find it" she turned on her heel and continued on down the path.
Hermione sighed as she tried to squeeze through all of the people.
"That much for eggs? That's way to expensive" She heard from her right
"How is your family" she heard another conversation on her left. She held her bookbag closer to her and tried to not stop on anybodys toes, she was so close to the library, she could see the sign.
"Hermione!" Marcus Flint appeared on her left and clapped her on the back. She cringed and stopped to talk to him.
"where are you off to?" he asked with a smile. She pointed towards the library.
"I'm returning a book" Hermione was about to describe the book when marcus rolled his eyes.
"Sounds boring" Hermiones smile faltered "You really are an odd one" he said and waved as he went down a different road. She rolled her eyes.
"there really must be more to life than this" She sighed and pushed open the door to the library.
"Good Morning Henry" she said to the librarian. He beamed and turned around,
"Ah! Miss Hermione! How is my favorite bookworm?" Henry asked sincerely and stepped down.
"Your ONLY bookworm" Hermione corrected and gave a small smile. She held up the book "Do you have any place new to go?" she asked hopeful. Henry frowned.
"I'm afraid not my dear, but you may read any of the old ones" He gestured to the shelf. Hermione slipped hers back and studied the titles before quickly deciding on her favorite fairy tale.
"Your books make it easy to get away" she slipped the book into her bag and waved before walking out the door.
"bon Voyage!" Henry called after her, shaking his head and laughing.
Up on a hill, Ron and Neville were coming back from their weekly hunt.
"there she is Neville, the most beautiful girl in the town" Ron handed him the binoculars and Neville looked into town. Automatically spotting Hermione. "She's going to be my future wife" Ron said matter of factly. Neville glanced at him sideways. "She's the most beautiful, that makes her the best" this time Ron said that more for himself then Neville.
"But she's so… well read" Neville offered. "and youre so… athletically inclined" Neville finished his thought slowly, as to not offend Ron. Which was all too easy to do now a days. Ron seemed lost in thought so Neville spoke up again.
"Why would you need her when so many other dames are pining after you?" Neville was curious. Ron had constant women at his feet, yet he only wanted Hermione. Who wanted absolutely nothing to do with the new Ron.
Ron had become egocentric. Caring more about his status and looks than he did about friends and those who cared about him. That's what caused a riff between the world famous golden trio. Rons giant attitude got into the way.
"Ever since the war, I've felt like ive been missing something" Neville rolled his eyes. Here Ron goes again, talking about the war. They started the descent into the village and Ron rambled on about Hermione. As they disembarked from their horses, many women came up to Ron.
"what did you catch today Ron?"
"Are you free later?"
"Youre so handsome"
Neville rolled his eyes as he unhooked the rabbit basket from his horse saddle. Ron payed them no mind, handing his reigns to a stable boy and walking away. Neville looked at the ladies and shrugged.
"sorry ladies, it will probably never happen" the ladies frowned and sulked away.
Hermione continued on through the sea of people when suddenly Ron appeared beside her.
"Hello Hermione!" He grinned at her "That's a lovely book you have there"
Hermione merely raised an eyebrow "oh? You've read it?"
Ron stumbled but kept his confident smile on, "well no, but I've read books" Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. He handed her a big thing of flowers.
"Can I join you this evening?" He asked hopeful. She shook her head no. "oh? Are you busy?" She shook her head no again and quickly walked away. He looked stunned as he watched her retreating form.
Hermione looked behind her before quickly ducking into harrys cottage. She leaned against the door and peaked out the curtains to see Ron no where in sight.
"Ah, avoiding dinner again?" Harry asked as he walked around the corner. Hermione nodded and collapsed onto his couch.
"When will he get the hint?" She was exasperated.
"Probably, not ever" Harry offered and laughed when Hermione groaned. "He is Ron after all" Harry offered his two cents.
"Youre right" She agreed and sat back up, "Now tell me, where are you going this weekend?" She pointed to his suitcase.
"I'm going to a convention" Harry said proudly. He gestured to the paintings he had by the door.
"Oh! Another one?" Harry nodded. Hermione grinned and got up to hug her best friend. "well I am certainly proud of you" Harry blushed.
"Will you come check on the chickens?" he asked hopeful. She nodded
"OF course I will, If You-"
"Bring you a rose in return, I know the drill" Harry gave her a small and a playful shove. She grinned and kissed his cheek in a sisterly way. She helped him carry the stuff out to his cart. He got on the horse and waved to hermione as the horse meandered down the path.
She went back to her cottage and was sitting on the porch when she heard footsteps coming up her gravel. Hermione glanced up and held back the groan as Ron wandered up the path. His shoulders square and a cocky look over his face.
"Dinner?" he asked and held up a rabbit. Hermione gave him a disgusted look.
"Honestly Ronald, ive never like rabbit, even before we all moved to this village."
"Well how are you going to prepare for having children?" he asked in all seriousness
She gave him a look of bewilderment "Children? I am not ready to have children" she went pale just thinking about having children.
"Maybe you have not met the right man?" Ron offered.
"It's a tiny village Ron, I've met them all" She rolled her eyes. "we could never make eachother happy" He frowned at her.
"I might be a farm girl, but I'm not simple. And I will never marry you" She said and shut the door in his face. She sighed and leaned against the door.
"Could you imagine?" she thought out loud. She actually laughed at the thought. They could never be happy, she wasn't meant to stay in the village. It was place she was staying to get everything back in order due to damages from the war. But she wanted to go to school, get a college degree. She wanted adventure, and something entirely new. She had to big of a mind and wasn't meant to stay in a small minded.
"and for once it might be grand, to have someone understand,
I want so much more than they've got planned."
A/N: again, I don't own, Review!
