Little side note!- Hello everyone who clicked on this story, thank you so very much! If you're thinking well I've seen this posted, you are not wrong! I had to repost because FF wasn't showing my reviews, stats or anything, and even said at one point my story didn't exist! So this is my next try. If you've been so kind as to review, follow or favorite please give this another shot, you wont be disappointed! Any mistakes are my own, and as I wrote this first chapter late at night, it is not as polished as I would like, so future chapters will hopefully be better!

As always, I own nothing from the Harry Potter Universe, all characters belong to J.K. Rowlings. This story idea however is mine. Enjoy.

It was late in the evening when Hermione Granger was sitting at her small wooden dining room table, a cup of tea steaming away sitting discarded for now and a opened letter in one shaking hand. The late August air was hinting at the colder weather that was to come eventually, but inside it was hot and the steam from the kettle had built up, which made her long brown hair frizz up despite the straightening charm she had put on it.

The little cottage she secured once the aftermath of the horrors that fell on Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding world two years ago, was nestled on the outskirts of a small village in Essex, England. This is where she had secluded herself the last year, when things had changed even more for herself and had become to much. It was charming and had a little garden that was made up beautifully with all sorts of different flowers and large willow trees. She had even done the extensive wards that protected her home herself, and it only allowed her in unless stated otherwise (which she never did)… it was a understandable precaution she thought.

When the battle of Hogwarts was over Harry and Ron had of course been granted honors and became Auror's almost instantly. Which all in all, was perfect for them both since it was full of action and attention. However for Hermione things turned out a little differently.

She had tried to keep up with the boys, after all they were the golden trio, but after weeks then months of "cant's, to busy, maybe next week?" And then finally silence, Hermione decided that she was her on person and no longer part of that group she was apart of since she became a young wizard at Hogwarts all those years ago. Which was fine, honestly…except she didn't quite know who that was. She didn't have many friends she kept in contact with except a few that refused to let her wallow in her self induced seclusion. There was Neville, Headmaster McGonagall, Luna, and sometimes Ginny when she wasn't being whisked away by Harry. Hermione had not been able to return her parents memories.. and after checking on them for the first couple weeks in secret, decided it was best to let them live their lives, which she made sure were safe and was no one to really lean on these days with her many self aware and growing issues.

There was the always looking over her shoulder for someone who may be following her, the nightmares that plagued her he few nights she could sleep, the depression that left her bedridden or the bouts of anxiety that led to hours and hours of thoughts that drove her just about to tears. She had lost a good amount of weight over the last few months in her lost state, her hands with thin, her ribs stuck out a little in places, and the dark circles that weighed under her eyes accentuated the slight hallow in her cheeks. It was a slight embarrassment when she went out in the village when people would whisper about her in passing. Her sad downfall as they called it.

You would think that two years later after the death and destruction of many things she held dear were enough time to pull yourself together and find a way to pull through, but for her it was actually the opposite. The only thing that was a relief for her was that she did not have to work or want for money. The savings she had was already substantial before the war, and afterwords she was bestowed (much to her embarrassment) many financial awards.

But she was utterly bored in the last couple weeks. It was almost her twenty first birthday in a few weeks, and she had nothing that any longer held her interest. The many books in her little library where read and reread, the garden was magically charmed to stay beautiful and taken care of, and trying to find new hobbies had run its course long ago. Which is why the letter that was in her hand made her shake with many different emotions: happiness, desperation, fear and hope.

The letter was from McGonagall, who took to sending a letter by owl once a month after coming by one afternoon early in the year and was greeted by Hermione's new barrier that did not let anyone but her enter the grounds. In neat and precise handwriting was the normal greetings and mentioning about how she was doing and how Neville, who was teaching Herbology to the third years was getting along well enough. It was the last paragraph that had caused the commotion in Hermione's everyday life.

Miss Granger… I know these last two years have been hard on you, as they have been for everyone. As you are well aware, Hogwarts has been up and running the last year as well as expected. Everyone sorely missed you at the reopening, I missed you. I think of you as one of my own, and it pains me to hear that you've secluded yourself into such a state… you my dear, are such a wonder to the world, and not for what you did for us, but for what you bring naturally. You are a talent Hermione Granger, and I can't stand by any longer and watch you disappear. I know that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley have come into their own and have unfortunately forgotten what it means to be loyal to those that have always been there. I will not be forgetting.

That is why I have enrolled you in the seventh year at Hogwarts so that you can graduate and hopefully regain that part of yourself that you seem so determined to let die as of late. A private room has been set up along with a fireplace so that you may floo between here and your estate as you wish, but I hope you find reason to stay at the castle often. I've taken the liberty of gathering all your books and having them already sent to your room.

I know you might see this as a violation of your privacy, and you may not have wanted to come back and instead run away from what you are meant to be. You are an adult, and you are about to turn twenty one, but its time Hermione, its time to come back home. Figure out along the way what you need to, there are people here who miss you. And a few that you may not even know about… ill leave that for you to find out.

Ps. – I will send someone to come and get you two days before the new year starts at noon, if I can not make it myself. Please give it a chance.

This was probably the third time that Hermione had read the letter over. While she was angry at her previous mentor, she still couldn't stop the silent tears that fell at the love she felt. She had given up on herself lately, that was correct. She had let the time with the boys overrun her life, made her life theirs in the process. Had given so much of her life up for the greater good of the world towards the end. Now she was just a shell of what she wanted for herself. Problems plagued her mind and body, habits that she wouldn't admit out loud even to herself unless she was in the darkest throws of her depression.

A very small part of her thought that maybe if she went back and did what people wanted her to do, that they would leave her alone afterwords. They would see what a disaster she was and no longer want any part. But an even larger part of her, was intrigued in what Hogwarts had to offer in terms of academics and friends. There was a challenge here: what could she gain going back to the place where she could once again be a bright wizard and think about her future? Also though, what mask could she put on to fool the people around her, putting them off of how bad she had actually gotten?

So when Hermione got up with the letter still in hand, she went over to the fire place that was rarely used, lit the letter on fire in the corner, and letting it fall after a moment. She looked as it embered out on the stone floor, and walked away forgetting the tea, and turned out all the lights along the way to her room. Tonight Hermione would sleep with the help of a dreamless sleep potion, one of which she had almost every night for the last half year. Tomorrow when she woke up, she would send a reply to the headmaster…and she would put her affairs in order so that in a few days she would start her journey back to Hogwarts.