Title: Flashback

Summary: 20-something year old Hermione finds herself suddenly back at Hogwarts, able to relive her 7th year. Everything that she remembers happening that year is seen in a new, more mature perspective. How will making different choices affect her life after the experience is over?

Rating: PG-13 – for sexual themes and language

Disclaimer: I don't take credit for anything, except maybe the plot.

Author's Note: I'm takin' a little break from Torturous.. this idea just popped into my head and I think that its an awesome idea. I don't know if anyone has done something quite like this. If they have, I don't care because I didn't know. Please tell me what you think! This chapter's short b/c its just a prologue-type thing. REVIEW!!

Chapter 1 – Meet Hermione Granger

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"Ha. Yeah right, Gin."

"No, it'll look great. Trust me."

"Ginny, this is a banquet for people who work at a museum. Not a strip club." The red head rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Will you just try it on? It's not tasteless, just a little skimpy."

Hermione shook her head as if she couldn't believe she was about to do this, and then quickly grabbed the crimson fabric from Ginny's hands. She peeled off the corduroy jumper and white turtleneck that she was wearing, and slipped the soft silk over her skin. Ok, so maybe the youngest Weasley was right. It looked amazing.

Hermione stared at her reflection feeling like some sort of sex kitten, her face still impassive. The dress was long and form-fitting, but still flowed loosely over her small frame. It dipped into a low V-neck at the chest and exposed parts of her white cotton bra. Turning around to check out the back, she found that the "back" could be more appropriately deemed a shoelace since it crisscrossed down towards the small of her back.

She had to hand it to Ginny. The girl had good taste. "Wow, 'Mione."

"Not bad," she agreed.

"More than 'not bad' - amazing! Hell, I'd shag you if I wasn't already with Harry!" Both of the young women laughed and Hermione ran a hand through her hair. It had tamed since her days at Hogwarts. Well, that was partly the truth. She had tamed it. She now wore it in loose, glossy curls that cascaded down past her shoulders. She never really took to wearing makeup. Every now and then she'd use a little blush or lip gloss, but since she had never started wearing it, she had never really needed it. Guys tended to enjoy that aspect about her anyway. It's nice to wake up with someone who didn't look any different than they had when you first saw them.

Surprisingly enough, Hermione Granger was living a great life. She was enjoying her commitment-free situation and found that underneath the prude reputation that had built up over the years, there was a party animal that loved to come out at night and play. She wasn't skanky or irresponsible, she was just enjoying the carelessness she had neglected all of her teenage life.

And her friends certainly didn't seem to mind. Ron was more often than not the one that accompanied her to both Muggle and wizard nightclubs. He was also the one that didn't mind when she left with another guy, or protected her from said guy if he seemed unworthy of Hermione. Ron was hands-down her best friend now that Harry and Ginny were practically married, and it was completely and utterly platonic. She was very grateful for that.

She was actually quite surprised that Ginny was here to help her get ready to go to the banquet. Usually she and Harry were spending all their time together – planning the wedding, going out to dinner, snogging at inopportune times – things of that sort. So Hermione was very thankful that Ginny had come over.

This was a very important event and she had to look nice. In fact, the banquet was in her honor. She and her team of excavators had uncovered six very important wizarding artifacts, and there was to be a benefit for their cause to continue the dig, tonight at the London Museum of Magic.

"So am I ready to go now?" she asked Ginny.

"Well, as soon as you take off that bra." Hermione giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Anything else?" she asked as she threw the undergarment to her bed.

"Yes. Lose the knickers."

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