War is over, or is it?
The war was over.
The dust was still settling but it was over.
For a minute, it felt like slow motion as Harry stood up before running over to Ginny and crushing her into his arms.
And with that, everyone was moving, Ron and Lavender embracing, friends helping each other up, the Weasley family gathering and Hermione, standing there on her own. She watched as everyone ran to their loved ones. She watched the Weasley family surround Harry, bringing him into their family circle. None of them looked around to see where she was.
She looked around and watched Aurors apparate in and take death eaters one by one. She made eye contact with a scared and sad Draco Malfoy as he was whisked away.
She was numb but relieved. She stumbled over to one of the castle walls, sinking against it, unable to keep herself upright any longer. She had the perfect angle to watch as her friends comforted each other and the family supported each other. She desperately wished one of them would look around for her but she knew they wouldn’t.
She rested her head against the wall and sighed. She should feel the weight of the world lifting off her shoulders but instead, it was as if only a pebble was removed.
She closed her eyes, not knowing where or who to go to.
Her eyes fluttered open to see McGonagall coming toward her. When she got to where Hermione was sitting against the wall, she looked down at her star pupil alone after fighting for her life. She looked more broken than ever. Hermione looked up at her head of the house, the only family-like figure she had right now. She helped her up, not saying anything as Hermione slumps against her. Hermione only has a second to prepare for the squeeze of apparition before being whisked away to a cottage. Hermione assumes that it is her home outside of Hogwarts but she doesn’t have much time to think before she falls asleep on the bed that she had been laid on.
6 months later, she is working in the ministry, trying to sort through old laws and analyze what legislation needs updates. McGonagall has helped her get back on her feet. She stayed in the cottage for a bit, safe under the protection of her head of house. After a month, she started looking for a flat, but with little money, it was difficult to find a place. Hermione argued with McGonagall but a few days later, allowed her to rent a flat in her name. She even helped Hermione move in and sent a letter of recommendation to get her a job at the ministry. She is so thankful for the help she has received and she will never be able to repay Minerva’s kindness.
But Hermione is still miserable and lonely. With the war over, she thought everything would be different but her craving for someone to love lingers. She has tried to make her flat as homey as possible and enjoys it but something is missing; Or more accurately, someone. The flat feels lonely. She has taken to sleeping in the guest room because the queen bed in her room feels too big when she is the only one sleeping in it. The emptiness of the bed mocks her. She likes her job at the ministry but she works alone. Her position was made just for her as the laws had not been analyzed this intensely in quite a while. Her office just had her desk, out of the way of the regular offices.
She was the only one in her office until one day, she walked into her office to see another desk against the side wall. She stared at it like it was an intruder. This sudden change was odd. The desk remained empty all day and faded out of her mind as the day passed. The next day, she was even more shocked to see Draco Malfoy standing at the new desk. She couldn’t hide the surprise on her face.
All of a sudden, she remembers the day of his trial where she testified for him, defending a teenager who was forced by his parents to do unspeakable acts. She remembers the disappointment and anger on Harry and Ron’s faces. She sat quietly on the side of the courtroom while his sentence was revealed. 3-6 months in Azkaban followed by a year of service at the ministry to prove that he can positively contribute to wizarding society. He will be supervised by another employee and there will be required outings that the employee must facilitate. His sentence will be reevaluated after a year and a half.
He barely made eye contact with her as she stood in front of her. He holds out a letter addressed to her. She can already predict what it says before she opens it.
She is the assigned ministry worker to supervise him and reintroduce him into society.