Hermione found herself in an unexpected journey of self reflection and healing. She didn't realize just how much she relied on others. From her earlier years at Hogwarts, she was a shy bookworm. Harry and Ron befriended her after an incident in the girl's bathroom had her fighting a troll by herself until they showed up. They heard screaming from the corridor and ran to her aid. The bathroom was nearly destroyed, but all three came out safe and unharmed.

When she began dating Tom, she became engrossed in his life. Her life revolved around his needs. Most of the things she did were for them and their future together. Her only dream was to work at the Ministry and help others without a voice. She worked hard to get to where she was. She dedicated her time to the Ministry and her boyfriend until her world was turned upside down and got her heart torn apart.

It was a long road to contentment. She learned a lot about herself and realized so many things she never thought about. After their break-up and months of getting over the heartbreak, she finally found happiness.

Hermione left her parent's home and moved to her own flat when she received another promotion. Of course, her two best friends insisted in helping her move. Afterwards, she treated them to some food and drinks before they went home to their family. Weeks after, when she was settled into her new place, she invited their families to dinner. It was loud and hectic with children around, but it made her genuinely happy to be able to spend time with them. She was also glad, she didn't rush to having children at such a young age. She admired her friends for being great parents and partners. It wasn't for her, at least not in the near future.

Her relationship with Nicholas remained as friends after her final night with Tom at the restaurant. It gave her freedom to not have to think about anyone's emotion. She only had to worry about herself, which she hadn't done in a long time. They still ate lunch together from time to time and saw each other during coffee breaks, but not as often as before. It made her realize her feelings for him were genuine and not some rebound. Neither acted on it. She knew it was still too soon, and wasn't ready to jump into a new relationship. He respected her choice and never pressured her to anything more. They simply enjoyed each other's company.

Tom still sent her roses from time to time. How he knew her address, she wasn't sure. She ignored them like before and left them out for anyone to take. She refused to go back to her old life. There were moments of happiness that she was glad they shared, but it was no more than a memory.

As the seasons changed from winter to spring then summer, she became happier. Her friend's babies were growing, and she was happy to see them more. She couldn't believe how quickly time was passing by as they began to crawl around her flat.

When they left, her flat was peaceful and quiet. She had no regrets about how her life turned out. She had her career and friends. Somehow, it was perfect. There were life lessons and healing. It was a long road and one she had to go through to find herself.

In the winding road of nature, she breathed in the fresh air and let her arm hang out of the window. The warm breeze clapped her hand as the camper van drove through the dirt road.

"Thanks for suggesting this," she smiled at the driver.

"It was Harry's idea. He told me how much you've been missing it lately. I invited him and his family, but said it would be difficult with their baby," he replied.

"It's fine. Camping isn't Harry's expertise. He's too impatient. We've tried it once and never again. Even Ron got tired of him and almost left. We had to cut the trip short," Hermione smiled at the memory. "Nicholas, I just want to thank you for everything. I don't know what I would have done without you these past few months," she turned to stare at his profile.

"I didn't do much," he said as he kept his eyes on the road, but his cheeks brightened to a pink hue. "What time are your parents coming?" he asked, hoping to avoid any embarrassment.

"They changed their minds last minute. Said they were too tired," she answered, but knew what they were up to. They had been looking forward to it since the weather got hotter. When she was younger, they went camping often. Every summer, they drove around and camped out for days. They spent nights underneath the stars. It made her childhood interesting and filled with lots of memories.

The van came to a halt with a view of the lake. In the area were RV's and other vans like the one they rented for the trip. Some campers were already in the lake doing various activities.

They set up their tent on the back of the van facing the lake. After the first task, they took a break. They sat side by side in the back of the van with the trunk door propped open. They took in the view of the water and watched the small ripples created by the other campers.

"Nicholas," she broke the silence between them.

"Hmm," he turned his head to look at her. "Yea?"

Hermione continued to stare out at the water. There was something calming about their surrounding. It was a much-needed break with their hectic schedules. "Was wondering if you'd like to go out on a date. A real one."

"Thought you'd never ask," he smiled and held her hand in his.