Disclaimer: Nope, not mine...
Summary: Seven years after graduating from Hogwarts, five years after the final battle, Hermione opens a bookshop in Hogsmeade and attracts the attention of a long-forgotten crush.
A/N: This was written for lunafish as part of the hpsmutfree fic exchange.It is not HBP-compliant. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!
Who Would Have Thought…
"I think this will do," Hermione said as she looked around the vacant shop next to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop on High Street in Hogsmeade. "Yes, this will do just fine."
The shop's former owner, Lucretia Minnerton, smiled at the soon-to-be owner. "Brilliant! We just have to sign a few parchments and exchange the deed, and then I will give you the keys."
Hermione nodded and signed her name on one magically binding parchment after another until all of the business was completed. When Lucretia handed over the keys to the shop, Hermione felt a real sense of purpose wash over her for the first time in five years.
"Good luck with the bookshop idea, Hermione," Lucretia said as she gently shook Hermione's hand. "I think this town could really use a good book store."
"Thank you, Lucretia," Hermione replied as she walked the older woman to the door.
Just before Lucretia stepped past the threshold, she turned back to Hermione. "Oh! I don't know if I mentioned it, but upstairs would make a delightful little flat for you. That's what my son used it for, at least."
The older woman smiled at the delighted look on Hermione's face before she turned and left the shop. "Well, that is quite convenient! I won't have to look for a flat to rent now," Hermione spoke quietly to herself as she watched Lucretia make her way down High Street.
Once the woman disappeared from view, Hermione turned to face the empty space before her. She stared at the walls long enough to envision how the shop would look as a book shop. She could see the many bookshelves that would line the walls, loaded with books arranged by genre. She could see the small display tables set up with various themes – best sellers, current events, holiday features, and anything else she could think of.
She could see the people gathered for the weekly book readings she planned to hold and the list of customers signed up for the book of the month club – things that they had at the muggle bookshop she worked at for the past few years.
She could even picture a modest muggle book section set up in the back corner.
The Hogwarts school books would be stocked for each year, since Flourish & Blotts was destroyed during the war and the students were hard pressed to find all the books they needed in one place anymore.
There will NOT, however, be any of Gilderoy Lockhart's ruddy works in any bookshop of mine, she mused as she turned back to the door to let herself out of the building.
Walking down High Street, Hermione let out a decidedly unfeminine snort at the thought of Gilderoy Lockhart. How in the world did she ever think that man was a suitable crush for a schoolgirl like her? He was much worse than any other crush she ever had...including that one on a certain Potions Master she had in her seventh year.
She never told anyone – especially Harry or Ron – about her crush on Professor Snape. Nor did she give any sign as to her feelings…well, she tried not to show any signs. She didn't doubt that Ginny had an inkling of it, though. The youngest Weasley had always been too perceptive for her own good.
Thinking of Professor Snape led to thoughts of the war and how he barely managed to scrape through it alive.
Just before the final confrontation, Voldemort discovered Snape's true loyalties. How? No one knows, but they do know that Snape did not realize Voldemort's discovery until the Dark Lord confronted him at the end of a Death Eater meeting the night before the final battle.
Voldemort caught Snape by surprise and crucio-ed him to within an inch of his life before the Potions Master was able to trigger his emergency portkey. The portkey brought him directly to the Headmaster's office where he promptly told Dumbledore about the impending battle before he fell into a coma for the next two months.
Hermione shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts.
That was five years ago now. Five years since Harry defeated Voldemort. Five years since Hermione has seen any of her old wizarding friends, acquaintances, or former professors. A lot happened in those five years, she was sure. She just didn't know what or how much had changed because she ignored any owls sent to her - except the intermittent ones from Dumbledore, that is - until they just stopped coming.
Will anyone from my old life recognize me, or even remember me? Hermione pondered as she found herself walking beyond the edge of town towards Hogwarts. She wasn't the same person she had been when she left - in personality or appearance - but there were some similarities between that young woman and this one.
Hermione figured she would find out if anyone did recognize or remember her real soon, since she would need to discuss a few things with Dumbledore before she sent out any orders for school books. And she might as well do it now, since she was already halfway down the road leading to Hogwarts.
After I speak to Dumbledore, I will start packing up my old flat and set up the new one. At least I won't have to commute to work everyday, she thought with a soft chuckle.
A/N: This was originally intended to be a short chaptered fic, but then I was rushing to meet the deadline for the exchange and just made it a one-shot deal. But, now that I have time, I am going to post it in chapters, as I intended, after I fix any little blips that I notice along the way.