After the war, Hermione finds that she had drifted apart from Harry and Ron, as their lives head in different directions. As new opportunities come to her and she makes new friends, will the Golden Trio ever reconnect? Cedric lives. HG/CD.

.o.O.o.

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own it – I wish! Unfortunately, Harry Potter belongs to JKR and not to me; I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Author's Notes:

» Updates will be infrequent, however, I do intend to finish this story, no matter how long it may take me. Thank you to everyone who has the patience to wait for updates.

» Thank you to my beta, the wonderful StrongHermione, for all her help and support. I highly recommend having a look at her stories – especially her multi-chapter fics, "Lily Potter's Biggest Secret" and "Against Their Will." They're well worth reading.

» Thank you for all the reviews, alerts and follows; they're all appreciated.

.o.O.o.

Chapter 7

All too soon it was time to leave Australia so that Hermione could sit her NEWT exams in Hogwarts. On Friday the seventh of August, a rather tearful Hermione stood with Cedric in the entryway of her parents' home, clutching the portkey that would take them back to Britain.

"It's all right, sweetheart," Helen soothed her distraught daughter. "We aren't in hiding any more. We'll be right here waiting for you, with our memories intact, when you get back. It's only two and a half short weeks, Hermione."

She handed her daughter into the waiting arms of her boyfriend. "I'll take good care of her," Cedric reassured Helen and John.

"I know that, Cedric," Helen smiled at the young man. He nodded and said the password to activate the portkey and a moment later he and Hermione were gone. They arrived outside the wards of the Diggory home and took a moment to catch their breath and recover from the dizziness caused by the long distance they had portkeyed. Then Cedric took Hermione's hand and led her to the house.

"Mum? Dad?" he called as he pushed open the front door.

A moment later a woman appeared. Cedric's mother had the same colour hair and eyes as her son but Cedric's features came from his father. Cedric stepped forward and hugged his mother tightly. She stepped back and, holding his shoulders, gazed into his face.

"It's good to see you, son," she said. "You're looking much more carefree and relaxed than you were when you left. Australia obviously suits you. Or is it Hermione that suits you?" she added mischievously as she turned to Hermione.

"Welcome, Hermione," she added holding out her hand to the blushing witch. "It's good to see you again."

"Thank you, Mrs Diggory. And thank you for inviting me to stay with you while I'm in Britain."

"It's time you started calling me Amaryllis, my dear. I understand that it became difficult for you to stay with the Weasleys while they were in mourning after the war. I want you to know that you have an open invitation here for whenever you would like to visit."

Hermione smiled at the sincere invitation and thanked her hostess warmly. Amaryllis Diggory tucked her hands into each of the youngsters' arms and drew them into a cosy sitting room.

"Now," she said once they were all sitting comfortably, "tell me all about Australia."

Hermione and Cedric began to tell Amaryllis about all their experiences. Hermione sat back and listened, amused, as Cedric expounded enthusiastically about the muggle world and all the new things he had experienced. She giggled silently to herself, thinking how much Cedric reminded her of herself during Christmas in her first year of Hogwarts, when she spent the entire holiday babbling incessantly to her parents, with the enthusiasm of an over-excited twelve year old, about the new and exciting world of magic she was experiencing.

The two youngsters had left Australia in the late evening, arriving back in the UK in the early afternoon, figuring that the best way to adjust to the time difference would be to force themselves to stay up and then go to bed at a normal time. Despite their best efforts, however, it was not long before their yawns overtook them.

"Go to bed, the pair of you," Amaryllis laughed. "Have a nap for a couple of hours and I'll wake you when Amos gets home from work. You can spend the evening with us and then have an early night."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Muuuum," Cedric yawned. "Come on, Kitten. Let's get some rest."

He showed Hermione to a pretty guest room, decorated in serene colours. The windows were wide open, letting in a pleasant breeze and the scent of flowers from the garden. "Bathroom's across the hall," he said, waving tiredly in its direction. "Sleep well, Kitten." He kissed her and disappeared into his own room. Minutes later they were both sound asleep.

As promised, Amaryllis woke Cedric and Hermione when her husband returned home from work. "We'll be eating in twenty minutes, so come down and join us," she told the young couple.

Wearily, they each clambered out of bed and dressed again, making their way downstairs to join Amaryllis and Amos at their evening meal. They ate leisurely, talking all the while about the life Hermione and Cedric were beginning to make in Australia. Amos and Amaryllis were quite happy to hear that Cedric had been accepted by Gringotts to train as a curse breaker. They knew that he would not be happy at the Ministry and this offered the opportunity of a career that would suit him well.

"What are you going to do after your NEWTs, Hermione?" Amos inquired kindly.

"I thought for several years that after I finished Hogwarts, I would go and work in the Ministry, in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The first house elf I ever met was freed quite callously for something that she didn't do and wasn't her fault, and it upset me enormously. I also later got to know quite well another elf who had been treated abominably by his masters, until Harry managed to trick them into freeing him. That elf died a few months ago while saving our lives. I really wanted to work towards the better treatment of magical beings but, like Cedric, I don't think that the Ministry and I would be a good fit for each other. I know that as a muggleborn I have little chance of advancement and that people who are far less capable than I will advance rapidly, simply because they're purebloods. I'd have to fight continually to be treated even reasonably fairly in the Ministry and, quite frankly, I don't really have any fight left in me at the moment.

"I've considered training as a Healer, as it'll suit my need to be a do-gooder," she said wryly. "I've also considered a Mastery in Potions but I'm not sure about that. I did some research…"

She ignored Cedric's muttered "There's a surprise!" and continued.

"…and I discovered that although Britain has plenty of potioneers, people who can follow potions recipes and brew to acceptable standards, in the last twenty years, there were only two Potions Masters here: Horace Slughorn and Severus Snape. Professor Snape is no longer with us and Professor Slughorn is getting older and isn't interested in innovation. To be honest, I don't know if I'm capable of that myself. I'm good at following recipes and I know and understand the properties of ingredients well enough that I can usually rescue a potion that's going wrong, so I definitely have it in me to be a good potioneer.

"However, I don't know if my mind-set is such that I would be able to adapt potions or create new ones. In school, it never occurred to me to experiment and I would have been horrified if anyone had suggested it to me, because I had such a great belief in books that I truly believed I had to follow the recipes exactly. Professor Snape used to criticise me for my research habits and for regurgitating facts from books. At the time I couldn't see it but I think he was trying to get me to experiment. He had to maintain his cover as an apparent Death Eater and so couldn't be seen to encourage me openly, and I was so focused on his snide manner and his apparent dislike for Gryffindors that I simply didn't realise what he was trying to say to me. I guess I just don't have the subtlety of a Slytherin," she shrugged.

Amaryllis laughed at that last comment. "But how could you decide if you have the skill to be a Potions Mistress? I doubt that many Masters would want to invest time and effort only for it to go to waste if you change your mind partway through your Mastery."

"I'm hoping that over the next few months I might have a chance to work with the Gringotts Potions Masters, as well as doing the research for the curse breakers that has already been planned. Also, at the university in Australia, I can do a general course for a year before specialising. I was thinking of taking Potions, Charms and Arithmancy during my first year, as those are the subjects that interest me most. If I decide to pursue a Mastery in either Potions or Charms, I'll need to continue with Arithmancy as well, since experimenting with either Potions or Charms will require a thorough understanding of that subject. I'll have the opportunity during that first year to see if I have it in me to become a Potions Mistress or if my skills are only that of a potioneer. If I do pursue a Mastery in Potions, perhaps I can try working on a cure for lycanthropy. I'd like to do that for Remus Lupin, even though it's too late for him. Anyway, I'll be able to decide after my first year if I want to proceed with a Mastery in one or more of those subjects and if I decide against the Mastery, then it will probably be to pursue a career in Healing. The Healing course offered by the university in Australia comprises both muggle and magical healing, so if do choose to become a Healer, I'd definitely prefer to study there than at St Mungo's."

"That seems very sensible," Amos approved, slightly pompously.

For all his fascination with the conversation, tiredness was beginning to overcome Cedric and he yawned a jaw-stretching yawn. Of course, yawns are infectious, and Hermione immediately followed suit.

"Why don't you two go back to sleep, since you can barely keep your eyes open any longer?" Amaryllis shooed them off bedwards with a laugh.

After bidding Amos and Amaryllis a pleasant evening, Hermione and Cedric shuffled off to bed. Cedric paused outside Hermione's door to say goodnight. "Are you absolutely certain this is what you want to do, Kitten? It's very different from what you originally had planned," he asked worriedly, as he hugged his girlfriend.

Hermione nodded. "Perhaps it's selfish of me but I think I want to do something for myself for a change. Besides, becoming a Potions Mistress or a Healer isn't exactly a selfish career choice."

"Don't become a Healer or a Potions Mistress unless you really want to. You have to have a vocation for both of those professions. Just because healing is a do-good type career and you feel a need to help others, or because you're concerned the UK needs a Potions Mistress, aren't good enough reasons to make those your career. Whatever you do has to be right for you as well, Kitten."

"It's all right, I'm not going to sacrifice myself for the 'greater good'," she said. Cedric could almost hear the quotation marks around the last two words as she spoke. "But I'm considering my options and these all interest me at the moment. I don't need to decide which I want to pursue until I've completed my first year at university, so that will give me plenty of time to decide what suits me best."

Cedric groaned. Leaning his forehead against the top of Hermione's head, he asked, "Why do I think you're going to end up doing three Masteries? One each in Charms, Potions and Arithmancy?"

Hermione just smiled sweetly at him instead of replying and Cedric wisely decided drop the subject for now. There would be plenty of time to discuss this further, at a later date. "Off to bed with you, Kitten. The NEWTs start on Monday, so weekend or not, you can't sleep late in the morning as you need to get into a normal routine so that you'll be acclimatised in time for your first exam." With that, he gave her a quick kiss on the tip of her nose, then turned her round and gave her a gentle push into her room.

"Good night, Cedric," she smiled sweetly as she closed her door.

Early on Monday morning, Hermione apparated to Hogsmeade and made her way up to the castle. Pausing, she pensively regarded the gates of Hogwarts, mentally willing herself to enter the grounds. Suddenly, she heard a pop of apparation behind her and she spun around, her wand in her hand.

"It's all right, Hermione; it's just me," Neville exclaimed, as he came over and hugged her. "It's good to see you. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Neville. Very good, in fact. I'm sorry about pulling my wand on you, it's just that being back here is making me a bit jumpy, you know?"

"I know. It's taken me a while to stop pulling out my wand at every sound, too. Come on," he replied, taking her hand and dragging the reluctant witch through the gates. Laughing, the pair chatted easily as they made their way to the front doors of the castle. They made their way as instructed to the Great Hall, where they saw a group of OWL and NEWT students, all chatting amiably as they gathered over breakfast.

"Well, look at that," Hermione murmured in surprise. Neville cocked an eyebrow in a silent question. "They're not all sitting according to the House tables, all the Houses are mixed," she explained.

Neville looked and saw that she was right. Even the Slytherins were mixed in with all the rest of the other students. "That's a good sign, isn't it?" he asked quietly in response and Hermione nodded vehemently, too overcome to speak.

"Hey, what are you two doing hovering over there?" cried Lavender Brown¹. "Come and join us."

Hermione beamed at her former roommate and ran over to hug her. "I'm so glad to see you," she whispered in Lavender's ear. "How are you?"

"Thank you," said Lavender emotionally. "I was told it was you who blasted Greyback off me. I wouldn't have survived otherwise. I'm fine, though. I'm scarred, but I don't transform and everyone's being really supportive. I know it'll probably affect my job prospects but I can live with that. At least I'm alive to live with it."

Tears were quietly running down Lavender's and Hermione's cheeks as they hugged. "Another reason to try and become a Potions Mistress and find a cure for lycanthropy, so no one else has to suffer being attacked by a werewolf. It's not just about Remus, it's for everyone." thought Hermione. "What do you want to do after you get your NEWTs?" she asked her friend quietly.

"I want to make jewellery. Not the traditional, classic stuff, but younger, more fun. These earrings and the bracelet I'm wearing are my own design. I figured I could do owl order if people don't want to deal with me face-to-face."

"Those are gorgeous, Lavender. By the way, have you ever been shopping in the muggle world?" Hermione asked the uncharacteristically subdued Gryffindor. "Blast Fenrir Greyback!" she thought, as she catalogued the changes his attack had caused in the formerly bubbly young witch.

When Lavender shook her head, Hermione grinned. "Right, I'm taking you shopping once our exams are over. Covent Garden, Camden market, Accessorize, Claire's Accessories, perhaps go to a shopping mall and visit some of the department stores, so you can see the types of things they sell. Oh, and Lav? You can also sell to muggles if you want, without even needing a store for them. There's a wonderful thing called the internet that I'll introduce you to."

"Thank you," the other girl whispered as she hugged Hermione again.

Other Gryffindors from their year – Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Parvati Patil – came to join the group and they all shared an affectionate group hug before sitting back down at the long tables.

"No Harry or Ron?" Seamus asked Hermione, who cocked an eyebrow at Neville inquiringly.

"You've seen them more recently than I have," she said blandly.

"They still haven't written to you then," Neville replied, rolling his eyes. "Figures. Kingsley has offered a waiver on the NEWTs requirements to anyone wanting to become an Auror if they fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, so I doubt they have any interest in sitting their exams. I'm planning to join them in their Auror training but I wanted to sit my exams. Prove that last year didn't break me or something like that. A bit silly, huh?"

"Not silly at all," Hermione replied emphatically. "I've been in Australia with my parents for the last couple of months and I'm planning to go to a magical university there. I have so many nightmares about my experiences while at Hogwarts and during the war that the last thing I wanted to do was come back here. I could have easily sat the Australian equivalent of NEWTs but I came anyway. If my last memories of Hogwarts were of the Battle and its aftermath, I don't think I would ever manage to come back again in the future. I needed to remind myself that not all my experiences here were dark. I need to remember the good."

All around her, people were nodding in agreement and a sly smirk crossed her face. "Besides, I want to ace all my exams and prove that a muggleborn witch is just as good as anyone. I know I shouldn't still feel that way but after everything I went through over the last seven years – and especially after the way muggleborns were treated last year – I want those exam scores. I want that validation. Then, perhaps, I'll be able to put the past behind me and look to the future."

At that moment Minerva McGonagall entered the room by the teachers' entrance and made her way to the head table, where she asked for their attention.

"Welcome," she said. "I know that we all had a difficult year and that we lost many people who should be sitting here with us today but I'm very pleased to see so many people have come back to sit their exams. A schedule of the exams has been posted in all the House common rooms and also on a noticeboard outside the Great Hall, for those of you who will not be staying in the castle during the exams. Please take note of where and when the exams you each plan to sit will take place. The first exams begin at nine o'clock. Good luck to you all."

After that, the Headmistress walked through the Great Hall on her way to the main doors, pausing on her way to exchange greetings with many of the students present. Finally reaching Hermione, she stopped and smiled at her. "I'm pleased to see you, Miss Granger. Would you care to drop into my office for tea this afternoon, when your exams are over for the day? I'd like to catch up and I also have a proposition for you that I would like to discuss."

Surprised, Hermione nodded at her former Head of House. "Of course, Headmistress."

"Very good. I'll see you later, Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall and she left the room, leaving a bemused Hermione behind.

"A proposition for you? What's that all about?" asked Seamus, once Professor McGonagall was safely out of hearing distance.

"I guess I'll find out later," shrugged Hermione. "Come on; let's go check out the exam timetable. The first exam starts soon and I'd like to check if it's one I'm meant to be sitting."

"But aren't you sitting them all?" joked Neville and everyone laughed.

"Well, I'm not sitting the OWL level exams, nor am I sitting Divination," she smirked. This caused another round of laughter, as Hermione's distaste for Divination was legendary.

"Which subjects are you sitting?" asked Parvati curiously.

"Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes," she replied. "I did think of sitting the Muggle Studies exam as well, since it's one of those subjects that pretty much all I have to do is turn up for it, but it's so out-of-date and derogatory that I just couldn't bring myself to take that exam."

"There isn't a Muggle Studies exam this year. Apparently last year under the Carrows, the course consisted of nothing more than harping on the supposed fact that muggles are nothing more than filthy animals, so the Ministry decided not to offer exams in that subject this year," explained Dean.

"Thanks, Dean. That's good to know. Come on, let's go and check out the timetable."

"Typical Hermione," teased Neville, slinging his arm around her shoulder as they made their way out of the Great Hall. "Can't wait to dive into anything academic."

"Oh, I can wait all right, or have you forgotten what I'm usually like around exam time?" chuckled Hermione as Neville blanched. "I just don't see the point in missing any of my exams because I didn't bother looking at the timetable, when I'm right here in the castle, ready to sit them."

"Fair point," he conceded, with a grin.

They quickly checked the timetable and made a note of the times of the exams they were each planning to sit. Today's NEWT level exam was Defence Against the Dark Arts, which everyone was sitting, knowing that they had gained sufficient practical knowledge over the course of the war to be more than proficient in this subject. They had the written test in the morning and then after the afternoon's practical was over, Hermione bade her friends farewell for the day and made her way to the Headmistress' office.

.o.O.o.

¹ In the movie, it's made clear that Lavender dies, however, in the book it's never confirmed either way. From the passage in the book it's probable that she was bitten before Hermione blasts Greyback off her, however, I've chosen to have her survive her injuries and end up like Bill Weasley – scarred and with a fondness for raw meat and possibly a bit irritable once a month! – rather than becoming a full werewolf.