Summary:
Unable to face the world in the wake of Voldemort's defeat; Harry and Ron leave everything behind including the remaining member of their Golden Trio: Hermione Granger. Hermione broken as a result of her experiences over the past year as well as the death of her parents struggles to adapt to this new world and heal from her trauma. Could the Weasley Twins and some unlikely Slytherins be what is needed to put her back together? If they are, how will Harry and Ron react when they return three years later expecting Hermione to be waiting for them.
This story will be made up of a collection of short chronological ficlet's beginning in the August of 1998.
"I don't want to return to Hogwarts," Pansy spoke quietly clenching the tumbler of Firewhiskey she held so tight, Draco worried that it might smash and cut her delicate fingers.
"There's no point, what are we really going to learn that we don't know already, we fought in a bloody war for Christ's sake, the year we were meant to take our NEWT's we were getting used as child soldiers, I agree with Pan's there's no point returning," Theo told them, grimacing down at the snake branding, the Dark Mark on his left forearm. Draco nodded in agreement, why bother returning to school, the place where the final battle had happened, the place where they had lost so many.
"I'd like to get my NEWT's, but I don't fancy returning. Last year was horrible, the Carrow's tortured us in a place we were meant to be safe. They forced us to hurt children, tiny first years, they made me hurt Tori, I don't think I can go back, face the memories" Daphne whispered her voice shaking; Blaise who was sat beside her wrapped his arm around their blonde friend, pulling her tightly against his side.
"We don't have to go back, we can sit our exams at the Ministry," his Italian friend told Daphne comfortingly.
"I wonder if she's going back," Draco commented nodding in the direction of a curly haired brunette who sat alone on the far side of the Leaky Cauldron, with a line of empty glasses in front of her.
"Who cares," Pansy snorted disdainfully.
"It's thanks to her testimony that Draco and I aren't in Azkaban," Theo reminded the dark-haired witch.
"Do you think the rumours are true," Daphne asked quietly peering across towards the Gryffindor girl.
"Potter and Weasley haven't been seen in weeks, that's what the Daily Prophet say's and Granger's certainly here alone tonight," Pansy sneered.
"Surely they wouldn't leave her behind though, they were always together," Daphne asked them her eyes fixed on the brunet across the room.
"Who knows what happened, why don't you ask her if your so curious," Theo told the blonde as he topped up his tumbler.
"Perhaps I will," Daphne replied shrugging out of Blaise's hold and shimming her body out of their booth, with purposeful strides she approached the brunette.
"What do you want Greengrass," Granger's loud slurring voice carried across the small bar.
"Why are you here drinking alone," Daphne asked loud enough for their table to hear, to Draco's surprise Granger looked angry and tears began leaking out of the corners of her eye's.
"My parents are dead, my best friends have left the fucking country and I have nightmares every time I close my eyes; now fuck off and leave me to drown my sorrows," she snarled at their blonde friend; glaring past Daphne to the table that they sat at. From where he sat Draco could see that her right hand was clenching her left forearm where Draco knew the word Mudblood was permanently etched into her porcelain skin. Draco felt guilty; guilty for every horrible thing he'd ever said or done to her, guilty for watching as his Aunt Bella tortured her, as Greyback attempted to rape her. He'd apologised to her; it had been the first thing he had done when he had been granted his freedom the previous month, but it would never be enough. The broken witch across the bar had faced more than any one person should face in a lifetime and lost so much too. How could her best friends leave her when she so clearly needed help; for years he'd watched the brunet drag Potter and Weasley through school, the brains of their Golden Trio. Potter might have cast the spell that ended the war, but Draco had no doubt in his mind that Granger's brain was largely responsible for the Order's victory on May the second. Draco watched the witch with a frown as she stood on unsteady feet and pushed by his friend stumbling across the bar and out of the door into Muggle London.
"What a wreck," Pansy chuckled.
"Shut up Pan's, she's been through more than any of us and we owe her more than just our freedom, Potter would have never won without that witch," Draco told his friend harshly as he stood up from the booth. Throwing a handful of Galleons onto the table, Draco nodded to his companions before heading over to the fireplace to floo back to Malfoy Manor.