Hi everyone! I am still working on The Black Academy for Adult Witches and Wizards, but I wanted to get a couple of chapters ahead before I continue posting so I don't stress myself out.

This fic was my Nanowrimo project for 2022 and has been completely written for a long time, but I am only just getting around to editing. Thought I might as well start posting this one, while I am working on Black Academy.

Hope you enjoy!

Steren xx

-xXx-

Hermione pulls herself upright with a gasp, reaching blindly in the dark room for the lamp next to her bed. Shaky fingers press the switch and she watches with relief as the walls are bathed with a soft, warm glow. A glance at her alarm clock informs her that it is nearly 4am and with a groan, she gives up on the idea of going back to sleep.

Walking into the bathroom, she avoids the mirror, unwilling to see haunted eyes looking back at her. These dreams don't disturb her sleep too often these days, but on nights like this when she wakes up bathed in sweat and shaking, it feels like it has only just happened and she's losing her parents all over again. In the moments between opening her eyes and being fully awake she can still smell her mother's perfume, and feel the weight of her father's arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Resigning herself to a long day, Hermione heads downstairs in search of coffee. She needs it strong, black and with far too much sugar to be healthy. It's the only thing that chases away the sick feeling in her stomach and just what she needs to regain her equilibrium before she has to face the day.

Three hours later and Hermione feels like a new woman. Her morning yoga routine followed by half an hour of meditation before an almost scaldingly hot shower has washed the last remnants of her nightmare away. She grabs her phone and locks up the cottage, hopping on her motorbike and heading into Hogsmeade along familiar roads.

Meliora is quiet when she arrives. Luna isn't due to arrive until 8:30am, so Hermione is at the holistic health centre on her own. After a night like the one she's had, she's glad of the quiet before they need to open. Apart from preparing for consultations and the classes they run, Hermione spends her time on paperwork and ordering supplies. It's not the most glamorous aspect of her job, but she takes a quiet sort of satisfaction in making sure that their accounts are up to date and her admin tasks are complete.

A knock at the door startles her and she looks up, an easy smile on her face when she sees her friend standing there.

"Hey, Luna," she greets the blonde, standing and walking around the coffee table in the small staff area. "Tea?"

"Please," Luna replies, and Hermione pats her on the shoulder as she walks past to the kitchenette, flicking the switch on the kettle. A mint green tea bag in each of their mugs, she turns back to watch Luna complete what has become something of a ritual for them. Shoes kicked off, Luna curls up on her end of the sofa, picking up an old copy of Health Monthly from the coffee table in front of her and Hermione smiles softly at the sight.

This is one of those moments where she is grateful for Luna. Thankful for the way she doesn't feel the need to fill the gaps with unnecessary chatter. Her presence is soothing, like a balm on Hermione's slightly frayed nerves. As she stands there waiting for the kettle, she practises her breathing exercises, feeling her head clear and her shoulders loosen.

She joins Luna on the sofa, placing a mug of tea in front of each of their usual spots, before kicking off her own shoes and pulling her legs up onto the sofa next to her. Eyes flicking up at the clock, she realises Luna is a little earlier than normal, which means they have more than enough time to relax before the first of their clients arrive.

"What have we got today, Boss?" Luna asks, tossing the magazine on the table.

Hermione grins. At twenty-eight she doesn't feel nearly ready enough to be someone's employer, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like the affectionate way Luna refers to her when they are alone.

Picking up the iPad, Hermione opens up their booking system. "I've got a consult at eleven, a new client… Ginny Weasley? So if you can cover the front desk, that would be great," Hermione suggests.

"Weasley?" Luna muses, tapping her fingers against her lip. "The football star?"

"Yes. She's just been signed by the Holyhead Harpies and wants to make sure she's doing everything she can to be at peak performance."

"She'll be good for business," Luna remarks thoughtfully.

Hermione nods, agreeing, "She will. Athletes can be difficult to work with though. They have years of ingrained training and stubborn mindsets to overcome before they can really benefit from what we do here. Hopefully she is as open minded as she sounded on the phone."

"I think she'll be fine," Luna replies. "I saw an interview she did on the BBC about six months ago. Did you know she spent time in Lhasa training with a Tibetan monk?"

Hermione raises an eyebrow. It's not often a celebrity surprises her. "Maybe it won't be too bad then."

Ginny Weasley isn't the first high profile athlete she's worked with, but not all of them are truly receptive to what they do here. The holistic health industry became popular on social media a while back and now it seems like all anyone ever wants is a photo for their Instagram grid, rather than the treatments themselves. There is nothing that Hermione hates more than the pretentious influencers who talk about it, but never truly understand what holistic health really is. It's far more than drinking wheatgrass everyday and doing a yoga class twice a week.

"Who else do we have today?" Luna asks, pulling her from her thoughts. Hermione flicks through the remaining appointment times on the calendar.

"It's a quiet day. We have a consult with Cedric Diggory after lunch. He's a war vet who is experiencing phantom pains in his amputated limb. I think acupuncture would probably help him a great deal, but I'll consult with him fully first to make sure there aren't any other issues we need to be aware of."

Luna nods, turning to face her fully. "It worked well for Professor Moody from the University. He had a lot of success after only a few sessions. With less pain and improved sleep, he said he felt like a new man."

"Maybe you should take the consult then," Hermione suggests. "I'll take your 2pm pilates class for you, if that's okay?"

"That's fine," Luna answers, eyes twinkling. "I suppose I'll get my exercise another way."

Snorting, Hermione rolls her eyes. If there is one person who doesn't need more exercise, it's Luna. The woman runs five miles every morning before she even gets to work, and then most days runs three or four different classes, everything from yoga and pilates, to Tai Chi and Kung Fu.

"That's settled then," Hermione ends the briefing, changing their names around on the appointments in the calendar with a smile. "Are you okay to watch the front desk for a while? I still have some paperwork left to do and I thought I'd go upstairs."

Luna waves her hand dismissively. "Go. I'm sure I can handle things down here. I'll call if I need you."

"Thanks, Luna," Hermione replies gratefully, picking up her mug and getting to her feet. "I'll be back down in time for the appointment with Weasley."

-xXx-

Hermione has been trudging through various invoices and documents for forty minutes when there is a knock at the door and a head of platinum blonde hair appears in the doorway.

"Draco, hi," she calls out, beckoning for him to enter. The studio flat is not her main home, but it's a useful space on days like this. A quiet place above Meliora where she can concentrate, and on occasion, entertain her friends. It has all the essentials that she needs for work and relaxation, and though it might be small, it's cosy and safe.

"Hey." Draco walks in, kicking off his trainers at the door and coming to slump down on the sofa. She smiles, gathering up the paperwork that is on her lap and centre cushion, moving it to the coffee table.

"This is a nice surprise." She appraises his outfit with a raised brow; t-shirt, jeans and a zip-up hoodie. "Day off?" she guesses.

"Just a half day. I'll make a surprise appearance later just to keep them on their toes." Draco smirks and Hermione just shakes her head.

There is nothing Draco likes more than terrorising his staff, and as much as Hermione disapproves of his methods, she has to concede he is right. If they didn't mess around so much when he is not there to oversee them, then his staff wouldn't have to worry about him turning up unexpectedly. The office is run by Vincent Crabbe, and personally Hermione thinks he needs firing, but Draco insists he is loyal and hardworking… most of the time.

"Have you sold the Zambini place yet?" she asks, thinking back on their last conversation.

"She decided to keep it and is renting it out. She's just moved to the next town over, into a mansion on Skiddle Hill," Draco explains. "I think her son is moving in with her."

Hermione lets out a low whistle. "That can't have been cheap."

"Good commission," Draco admits with a grin, before jumping to his feet. "Coffee?"

Shaking her head, Hermione gestures to the scattered bits of paper on the coffee table. "Tea please. I'll just finish this and then I'm all yours."

Five minutes later she lets out a satisfied hum. All her accounts are up to date and there are no discrepancies tripping her up. As far as paperwork goes, it's been a successful morning. One day they will hire someone to do the accounting for them. It's not something Hermione enjoys and it's not a strong point of Luna's either, so she makes a note on her iPad to discuss it at their next morning briefing.

Draco returns with coffee for himself and a green tea for her, settling into the corner of the sofa. She looks at him curiously, wondering why he is here. It's true that he often turns up with lunch from his favourite deli for them both, but he doesn't normally just drop in mid morning like this and he obviously has something on his mind. Still, it's good to see him and it's not that she minds the interruption to her day. She welcomes it, actually.

"So, what brings you to this part of town?" she prompts, when he doesn't initiate a conversation, staring into the coffee cup he is cradling in his hands.

To her surprise he fidgets, his shoulders tensing slightly. "I need a favour," he blurts out.

"Okay," she encourages. "What is it? You know you can ask me anything."

He sighs and turns to face her more fully on the sofa. "I need help with my mother. You know she was released from prison last month? She's been living with us, but I'm worried about her. She doesn't seem to be adjusting to life very well."

Hermione freezes, a block of ice forming in her stomach that even her tea won't thaw. Draco is her best friend and he can ask her anything. Anything at all except this. She has an unnerving sense of where this is leading. Surely he doesn't want her to befriend his mother?

Realising that he is staring at her, she answers. "Ten years in a maximum security prison is bound to leave its mark," she says kindly. "But if you're asking me to be friends with her, wouldn't someone her own age be a better fit?"

"But no one else will give her a chance," he shares, running his fingers roughly through his hair. "They all think she's guilty."

Nodding, Hermione is unsurprised. When members of the Death Eaters gang were finally rounded up and sentenced, Narcissa had pleaded not guilty, adamant that she had been coerced by her husband and had never wanted to be involved.

Narcissa's husband, Lucius, had taken a plea-deal and had implicated her in order to lighten his own sentence. Hermione still wonders how the judge and jury were blind to the fact that he was only doing it to save his own skin.

"I thought she had been absolved of all involvement? His confession cleared her name, didn't it? Otherwise she wouldn't have been released so early?" Hermione clarifies.

Draco offers her a sad smile. "People choose to believe otherwise though. Funnily enough, they don't trust the written confession of a mad man who took his own life minutes later," he mutters bitterly.

Hermione has her own reasons for believing in Narcissa's innocence, but it's not something she has ever shared with Draco, and she can't tell him now. Befriending the woman though? Even after all this time she's not sure if she will be able to look Narcissa in the eye, let alone form a friendship with her.

"What exactly is it you are asking of me?" Hermione asks softly, picking up her tea as she retreats into the corner of the sofa and pulls her legs up next to her.

"She needs help. She needs someone to help her get healthy again. She doesn't take care of herself anymore and she just seems… dead inside. Empty, even, or perhaps lost is a better word," Draco confides, mouth pulling down at the corners. "She needs guidance, and a friend. Someone who won't judge her for her involvement with my father. Someone gentle and patient. Understanding."

A wave of guilt washes over her then, and she concentrates on the tea in her hand. Can she really be those things? Can she put her own feelings aside to be the person that not only Narcissa, but also Draco, needs her to be? She owes Narcissa her life, not that Narcissa knows this. Is Hermione willing to try, knowing how hard it's likely to be? Or perhaps the bigger question is whether Hermione can put her own trauma to one side in order to help Narcissa with hers?

She looks up and meets hopeful eyes, groaning inwardly when she realises that she can't offer him a real reason to say no. Not without confessing to things that she has hidden from him for over a decade now. So she finds herself smiling at her best friend and nodding.

"Let me think about it, okay? I don't know how to help her, but if I can, I will."

-xXx-

"So, Hermione. What brings you here today?" Minerva McGonagall peers over the top of her glasses, her expression unreadable. Hermione can feel her curiosity though, and understands it. It's not every day she asks for an emergency therapy session in the middle of the day.

"I need your advice," Hermione starts, trailing off and lapsing into silence for a moment. Minerva knows more about her than any other person on the planet, but that doesn't make it any easier to talk about this. "Did you see the news last month? Draco's mother has been released from prison."

Minerva nods. "I did. Is that why you're here? It's understandable that her release might trigger some overwhelming emotions, Hermione. I'm glad you felt able to reach out."

"No, that's not… I mean, yes, it does, but that's not why I'm here."

"In your own words then. What would you like to talk about?"

Sighing, Hermione reaches for her water bottle, taking a sip while she tries to tame her turbulent thoughts. She can feel Minerva watching, but she's been in this office enough times to know that the woman won't push her to speak until she is ready.

Placing the bottle back in her bag, she takes a deep breath. "Draco has no idea that his father was involved in the murder of my parents, or that his mother was there. He has asked me if I would mind reaching out to her, as a friend."

"I see," Minerva comments, writing in her notepad. "And how has his request made you feel?"

Crossing her arms in front of her stomach, Hermione takes a moment to think about the question. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth she worries at it, before looking back up into kind eyes. "I want to help her. What we do at Meliora would be incredibly beneficial to her."

"So help her," Minerva answers, and Hermione has to hold back a snort, knowing that she is being nudged - albeit gently - to open up further.

"I'm worried that my own trauma will stop me being the person that she needs me to be. I'm worried that she will recognise me as the same girl whose life she saved that night. And what then? I haven't told Draco about any of this."

"So your primary concern is that Draco will find out who you really are in relation to his parents' crimes?"

"Yes," Hermione answers with a nod. "Everything happened before we knew each other. I never saw myself becoming friends with him, especially given my history with his parents. But… he kind of sneaks up on you, you know?" Hermione shrugs, smiling wistfully.

"What if you talk to him about it now?" Minerva suggests. "Explain to him what happened. It's been more than a decade and he is not the young boy he once was. Maybe he needs less protection from it all than you first assumed back then?"

"I can't," Hermione immediately replies. "He would be devastated."

"But he might appreciate knowing the truth," Minerva points out gently.

"No," Hermione denies stubbornly, fingertips digging into her thighs. "Not now."

"So… how do you see this playing out going forwards?" Minerva asks.

"I think… I think that I have to try. I have to try and help her, you know? She is as much of a victim in all of this as I was, and I want to help her."

"That's an interesting use of past tense when referring to your trauma," Minerva notes, scribbling on the pad in her lap. "Do you feel like you have successfully managed to separate your past from your present?"

Hermione stares out of the window, distracted by the pigeon on the ledge that is basking in the sun. "I think that my trauma no longer controls me. Do I get flashbacks? Yes. Do I still have panic attacks? Sometimes," she admits. "But I feel stronger now. I think I can do this."

She receives a genuine smile from the older woman, and it cements her self-belief. "I believe that you can too, and it might be very healing for both of you if you are able to open up and discuss what happened."

"Absolutely not!" Hermione exclaims. "I can't tell her! I'm banking on the fact that she won't recognise me now. I was so scrawny back then, with long bushy hair and crooked teeth, Minerva. And don't forget she would have known me as Wilkins, not Granger. I changed my name to my mother's maiden name, and I left the country for nine years while I trained."

"And can you put into words why you don't want her to know who you are?"

"I want her to be as open and receptive to my help as possible," Hermione states quietly. "I don't want anything to get in the way of her treatment. She needs this."

"That's very noble of you, Hermione, and it's your decision. But I want you to think about two things."

"Okay," Hermione agrees cautiously. "What two things?"

"One, I want you to consider reverting back to weekly appointments with me. This is potentially going to bring up some overwhelming emotions, and I would like to help you process them."

"That… that sounds good, actually. What else?"

Minerva pauses, clipping her pen to her pad of paper and resting both in her lap. "I want you to at least consider opening up to Narcissa in future. It won't be easy, but she deserves to know the truth, especially if you are planning to cultivate a friendship with her. All relationships should be based on honesty and trust."

Releasing a heavy sigh, Hermione's shoulders sag. "I know. I'll consider it, I promise, but for now, I just need to get to know her."

-xXx-

Hermione steps through the bifolding doors out onto her patio, basking in the evening sun that warms her face. She places the bottle of wine and glass she is carrying on the table, and removes the iPad from under her arm.

Her session with Minerva had been a good one, but there is still a significant amount of doubt in her mind that she is capable of doing this. So she employs an old technique that Minerva had taught her when she was eighteen years old and seeing her for the first time.

"Start with the facts and then acknowledge how you feel about them," she says out loud, her voice an echo of her therapist's as she imitates Minerva's accent.

Start with the facts. Well, this much she can do, she realises with a sigh of relief as she opens up a document on her iPad and begins to write.

It takes nearly an hour of her thoughts spilling out unchecked onto the page before she makes up her mind, retrieving her phone from her pocket. Ignoring the slight tremble in her hands and the ice forming rapidly in her stomach, she brings up Draco's contact. After one final deep breath she hits 'call', teeth nibbling at her thumbnail while she waits for him to answer.

"Hermione," Draco's cheerful voice greets her, and it's then that she knows she has made the right decision. His voice reminds her just how much she loves him, and he loves her. They have been through so much together and she can't let him down now.

"Hey, Draco," she replies, already smiling. "So, I wondered if you want to bring your mother to Meliora tomorrow? I've got the morning free so I can spend some time introducing her to what we do there. I thought… maybe I could take her out for lunch afterwards?"

"Thank you, Hermione. Really, I don't know what I would do without you," he gushes, and the icy feeling inside begins to dissipate with his words. She knows from experience that the sudden nausea will take a little longer to settle.

"You're welcome. Anything I need to know?" she checks.

A short pause gives him away and Hermione waits patiently for him to speak. "She's a little… well, reluctant, I guess," Draco admits. "She doesn't think she needs help, or… maybe that's not it. I think… I think maybe she doesn't believe she deserves it. She carries around a lot of guilt."

"Don't worry," Hermione reassures him. "I'll be gentle with her, I promise. She'll be okay."

"Thanks. I'll try and get her out of the house and be with you around ten?"

"Sounds perfect. See you both tomorrow," Hermione wraps up the call, a hesitant smile on her face.

"Bye, 'Mione."

"Bye," she echoes.

She sits back in her chair enjoying the sun on her face and feeling more at peace than expected. Tomorrow will probably be a difficult day and will no doubt remind her of her losses, but tonight Hermione can relax and be grateful for the things that she still has in her life.