A/n: Special mention: callieskye for taking that trip and sending us those amazing pics which inspired this fic in the first place.
Story co-creator credits: jenn582 It was her idea that started it all. Thanks, Jenn, for letting me write this for you! Special kudos for suggesting the title!
First Chapter Beta-credits: idearlylovealaugh She is absolutely brilliant- but you guys know that already!
First Chapter coming on the 10th of September!
Prologue
Hermione Granger, daughter of Potioneer John Granger, Hogwarts alumni from the House of Rowena Ravenclaw, had always preferred her solitary country life in Yorkshire. Little in her life had changed since she was fifteen. It was quiet and monotonous- just the way she needed it to be.
She had lived through the Second Wizarding War, attended school during a Death Eater regime and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts when Harry Potter returned with his best mate in tow. Thanks to her astounding command on magic, she survived the dark year with minimal injuries, secretly tending those who were unable to heal themselves.
'Don't draw attention to yourself, my child," her father had instructed the first time she boarded the Hogwarts Express. The perfect daughter that she was, she had done exactly as asked. It wasn't easy- her head of unruly curls always made her stand apart in a crowd, her intellect always seemed to shine through. But she tried her best- tried not to get into the limelight, to keep a low profile, and succeeded. Well, almost.
She was brilliant in every subject she took, but her focus had always been on the delicate art of potion brewing. It was only during her seventh year that she realised Potioneering wasn't her calling- Healing was. The time after the War was tough. It made perfect sense to pursue Medicine; it allowed her to help others- and herself. When St Mungo's started recruiting again, she was part of the new batch of full-time Healers.
Hermione never had many friends; in fact, she barely had any. Not that it bothered her. She cherished the company of her books and her cat, Crookshanks. Nothing changed even after she left school and joined St Mungo's, first as a student and later as a Healer. She was still a loner, partly out of habit and mostly out of need.
Those who knew her unanimously agreed that she was brilliant- but she was also a little strange. Some were sceptical to approach, and others, annoyingly curious. Very few actually tried to befriend her. Not that it made her particularly happy, but it definitely made a lot of things easy. After all, no one could be trusted with the secret she carried in her heart…
Hermione knew a lot, and read a lot more. But what she didn't know was that someone was about to barge into her life and change everything- someone, who had been her batchmate at school but was merely an acquaintance- someone called Auror Ron Weasley.