Two weeks after Hermione's turnaround, Harry almost fainted when she actually accepted an invitation to dinner at his and Katie's house. Katie was just as taken aback when she got his owl post telling her to cook for three. That evening there was good food and good wine as Hermione actually talked and laughed and shared stories.

"Hermione, are you alright? I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I don't know the last time you actually laughed at something," Harry said to her when Katie went into the kitchen to get dessert.

"Harry, for the first time in years, I am actually alright," she said with a smile. "I think you'll be happy to know I'm moving on. Trying to live my life as it is now. It's difficult to do, but I am done beating myself up."

"That's wonderful. I've noticed that you seem much more invested at work these days. You should have seen the look on Johnson and Avery's faces when you actually conversed with them in the coffee room. I walked in as you walked out. They looked like they'd seen a ghost."

"They probably had," Hermione laughed. "I'm never going to be who I was before, Harry, the happy Hermione of yore, but I am going to try and be a new, pleasant Hermione, at least."

Harry stood up and gave her a hug as Katie brought in a lemon tart fresh from the oven. He gave his wife that look that spouses know, the one that means she'd find out soon enough what was going on and why her husband's friend had suddenly graced them with her presence. More than anything, she was just curious as to why she seemed so happy.

*

Upon ending her period of misery, Hermione found herself with an abundance of free time after work. Most weekends she spent time with Harry and Katie or spent hours with her nose in books that she'd forgotten she owned. During the week she would read, but it only took her a couple weeks to catch up on her long forgotten queue of books needing to be read. Some nights she had dinner with Arthur, who had been more supportive than she'd expected when she came clean about her lifestyle, or Harry and Katie if they invited her over.

It was the desperate need for a new way to spend the rest of her evenings that led her to shop at Flourish and Blotts a month after stepping out of rock bottom. After gathering several new books, the sight of Florean Fortescue's was too appetizing to pass up. This was how Hermione found herself a new routine, one that didn't involve any alcohol or self-pity. Each day after work, with a new book in hand, she would venture to Fortescue's and enjoy a sundae or two. For two weeks she did this with great pleasure.

It was the first Tuesday in December when the bookseller at Flourish and Blotts told her she was going to have to start looking harder for new books to sell to Hermione. "Don't worry, everything is new to me, even if I've read it five times," Hermione told her. They discussed the merits of books for a little while before Hermione left with a little novel in hand and made her way down the street. She was comfortably leaning back in her chair on Fortescue's heated patio, fifty pages in and halfway through her sundae, when she heard someone clear their throat.

"You're looking much better."

Hermione froze for a moment before she set her book down carefully, not wanting to lose her page. Every time she came to Diagon Alley, she prayed for no chance encounters with any Weasleys. Raising her eyes, she found an unexpected sight: George Weasley with a pleasant smile on his face.

"George," she said. "Thank you. Been taking care of myself a little better these days."

"You've gained weight. In a good way, I mean," he hastily added. "You looked rather terrible the last time I saw you."

Hermione smiled. It was true that she had whittled down to barely anything with her lack of eating regularly. Takeout food might not be the healthiest of dinners, but when you barely eat it that does not matter much. Having taken up the habit of regular dinners, trips to the ice cream parlor and walking home through London, she was looking and feeling healthier these days.

"Well I suppose that is a compliment. Thank you. I've actually been eating these days. You're looking pretty well yourself. You and Angelina are doing well?"

"Excellent, actually. She's seven months along now."

"That's right, Harry had mentioned she was pregnant. How marvelous! She's handling the pregnancy well then?"

"Well that's actually why I'm here. She owled me at work demanding a sundae immediately. She has been perfectly healthy and happy, but when she craves something it's best not to deprive her. She will wake me up at three o'clock in the morning to get her some cheese and crackers. If I don't oblige right away, there's a great chance of me not sleeping in the bed for the rest of the week. She's not a woman you'd want to make angry. If you thought she was formidable in Quidditch, don't mess with her when she's got a craving."

They both chuckled at this. She felt a tug on her heart with each little laugh. It was so easy to block out the longing she felt for her past, her family and friends, when they weren't around. Ignoring the void that these people had left was much harder when one of them was standing there in front her telling her stories. George noticed as her laughter softened and her eyes met the table again.

"Well, take care of yourself, Hermione. I'm glad to see you doing well," he said. He scolded himself for dragging her out of what had obviously been an interesting book just to end up reminding her of the family life she was no longer a part of. Hermione looked back up and met his eyes. The pain behind them was so visible to him, just as were her efforts were to conceal it. If there was one thing he knew about the woman who had once been a sister to him, it was that she was a proud witch, not one to show her pain easily.

"Thank you, George. I hope things continue to be good for you and Angelina. Please give her my best." Rather than prolong things, George flashed a brief smile and continued into the parlor to order his wife's sundae. Hermione picked her book up, but her eyes were not on the words.

*

Hermione was ready to give up on her new routine after Tuesday's encounter until she was sitting in the Burrow the next Sunday, filing Arthur in on the recent happenings of her life.

"George tells me he ran into you at Fortescue's the other day," Arthur commented as he took a bite of the roast he'd made for her. He noticed her shoulders tense as she took a bite.

"Um, yes. We chatted for a moment." George was comfortable telling Arthur that he spoke to her? She knew he said that he'd forgiven her, but it still felt strange. George Weasley saw her as a regular acquaintance. He felt good enough about running into her to mention it to his father. And here she was wanting to change her life around again just to avoid running into him again.

"That's lovely. He seemed quite glad that you two were on speaking terms. I'm quite proud of him. His brothers may still be holding on to old hurt, but he's made the mature decision to let it be."

Hermione nodded and continued to eat. Not wanting to push the subject, Arthur turned the conversation elsewhere. He tried not push Hermione's emotional buttons, but he'd gotten the gears turning in her mind.

*

Author's Note: Here you go: Small chapter, but an important transition. Thanks so much for the reviews I've gotten so far. I'm glad that so many people are enjoying this and keeping up with it. I promise more updates soon.

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling.