Hermione Granger glided down the hallway of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, her heels clicking purposefully. Checking her schedule in the main office, she realized that all she had to do that day was check on her recoveries. Hermione double-checked once; just to make sure she hadn't missed any important instructions, and headed down to the recovery ward.

After Hogwarts', Hermione had headed straight to Medi-wizard school, determined to become the best Medi-wizard in St. Mungo's. Now twenty-five years old, she had only been out of school for a year but she was already one of the top Medi-wizards in the hospital. However, being such a well- known "doctor" did have its downsides. Sure she made plenty of money, and she loved her work - but sometimes it just didn't feel like enough to fulfill her. It sounded odd, even to her ears - how could saving people's lives everyday not be fulfilling? Looking back, she hadn't had a serious boyfriend since seventh year at Hogwarts'. Needless to say, Seamus Finnigan was not the greatest boyfriend in the world. Having dated him about ten times over the course of the school year, she had developed an inferiority complex. She felt responsible for every bad thing that had happened in their relationship. She had even blamed herself when she found him sleeping with Lavender Brown. Eventually, with the help of her best girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, Hermione had finally gotten up the nerve to break it off with him - permanently. Also, she no longer blamed herself for things that she had absolutely nothing to do with. She had once again become an independent woman.

"Hello Mrs. O'Conor. How are you today? Hermione asked her first patient of the day. Mrs. O'Conor had been the subject of an accidental jinx. Apparently, one of her sons had gotten hold on his father's wand while they were asleep. Not only had she grown tentacles all over her body, but also her hair had become Medusa-style Basilisks. It had taken weeks of research in the library for Hermione to find a counter-curse for such a unique case, but the older woman was finally turning back to normal. Although the snakes had literally fallen out of her scalp and started squirming throughout the hospital and leaving her completely bald, it was easy enough for the snakes to be captured and a simple hair-growing charm. The tentacles had almost completely disappeared back into her skin and Mrs. O'Conor was to leave in a week if everything went well. The woman had just grinned and replied that she was fine when Hermione's bracelet glowed red. This bracelet was given to all hospital workers to allow them to know when they were needed. Red meant an emergency.

~ * ~

Striding purposefully down the hallway to the Emergency Room, Hermione reflected on her life-an odd time to do so, she had to admit- sometimes the thoughts just snuck up on her. She was happy with her job, true, but she was also alone. Sure, she still had Crookshanks, but he was moving on twenty-two years old, even for a magical cat-that was pretty old. Even though she had a cat, it was no comparison to human companionship. Harry and Ron were still her very best friends but they both worked for the Ministry and had families of their own. Ginny was another good friend who she got together with every once in a while but Ginny had a life too. Hopping from one boyfriend to the next and running her own law firm both magical and muggle, she didn't have much time for Hermione. Even her parents had died. Her mother's last words to her had been to live a little, settle down, get married, and have a family. Hermione sighed. Too late for that now.

Hermione entered the Emergency Room to be greeted by complete pandemonium. Nurses and lower surgeons were running all over the place looking through books, gathering bottles, and chattering noisily to each other. Different colored sparks were shooting off in every direction. Hermione's wand emitted a sharp whistling sound to which everyone's attention was turned. "If someone would please explain what's going on here," Hermione stated calmly, "we can get to working on the patient more quickly." About ten people started speaking at once. "I said one person please." A burly male nurse responded to her. "This patient has been subjected to the Cruciatis Curse for a prolonged period of time. Oddly enough, a house-elf brought him in. The elf told us that the patient had been under the Curse for more than forty-five minutes. The patient, a twenty-five year old male, is bleeding internally. Even if we can help him, he'll probably go insane from the prolonged subjection to the Curse." Hermione just nodded her understanding and walked through the crowd of Medi- wizards. Seeing the patient, she gasped. The patient was none other than Draco Malfoy.