"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Ginny asked for the tenth time.

"Yes, Ginny. I am sure that a potential new flat mate would find it strange to be interviewing both me and you for the bedroom space," Hermione responded. "Just keep an eye out for any police officers. I don't particularly like the idea of you encountering a muggle law officer without me present, so if you see one, confund him, but please Gin, do it subtly!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. As if she would confund a law officer in any other way than "subtly". "Good luck," she said instead and opened the latest addition of Witch Weekly to pass the time while she waited for Hermione.

Hermione looked up and down the quite Westminster street before crossing the road and ringing the doorbell to apartment 2a. She retreated down two steps to inspect the front of the property, whilst waiting admission. The converted town house fit in perfectly with the others along the street; small fenced off greenery in front of a white building with a black gloss door. Hermione smiled to herself thinking that this was exactly the fresh start she needed, quite little road in a busy London town, not too far from the correct tube line to get her to Ministry every day. The black door opened and a pretty woman approximately in her mid twenties appeared in the space between the entry hall and the terrace.

"Hi babe, I'm Andy. So nice to meet you, would you come inside?" This all came out in such a strong London accent, that Hermione had to repeat it in her head once over to remember the woman's name. "Oh hi, yes. Andy. So nice to meet you, too. Hermione," she introduced herself, holding out her hand to shake as she moved into the entry way of the town house. Hermione glanced around the entry way before following Andy up the stair case and noted the polished concrete flooring and staircase along with the crisp white walls and the classy indoor plants.

"Unfortunately, this grand old place has no elevator system, so we have to take the stairs. It's usually not an issue, but when you're moving furniture in, it can be a hassle. Luckily, we're only on the second floor, so with a little help, it shouldn't be too difficult to get you settled in." Andy opened the door to the apartment and held it open for Hermione to step inside. A welcoming open plan living, kitchen and dining area greeted Hermione with a fire place taking up centre stage in the living room. There was no television in sight and Hermione was already in love with the place. "So, this is the common area," Andy started, waving her hands around to indicate the dark wooden floors and modern country decor. "My bedroom and bathroom are through to the left of the living area and yours, provided you can pay the rent and are not a serial killer, are through this door here," Andy grinned and pointed to the right of where Hermione stood. "Go on, take a sqiuz," Andy insisted. "I'll pop the kettle on. Do you take tea or coffee?"

"Tea, please," Hermione smiled and opened the door to her potential bedroom. Lovely, she thought. The dark wooden floors continued into the bedroom space with eggshell blue walls. The room, while not large, did have a small walk in closet. Hermione made a mental note that she would not need to bring the wardrobe, only the dresser, bed, her favourite reading chair and of course a large bookcase. Her non essential books and the ones that could not pass for muggle books would have to be concealed in a undetectable extension charm. After some very quick measurements made with her wand, Hermione continued through to the ensuite bathroom and was intensely happy to see that there was a clawfoot tub wedged into a space with a shower head hovering on the wall next to it. Whilst a shower was the most convenient, a nice bath did wonders to get the brain juices flowing or simply to unwind from a stressful day in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Next to the bath was a simple vanity and toilet. Completely satisified that this apartment was exactly what wanted to begin building her life anew, Hermione exited the bedroom to find Andy perched on the light blue love seat with a pot of tea and two teacups on the coffee table in front of her. "Andy, the room is just lovely and I cannot get enough of this living area. While the kitchen seems perfectly adequate, I am afraid that if I were to move in, you would not be getting a chef as a flat mate, so I hope that is not a prerequisite," Hermione smiled.

"Actually, that is a little bit perfect," Andy was pouring the tea and offering Hermione milk and sugar.

"Just a touch of milk, thank you." Hermione told her. "How is that perfect?"

"I really hate people cooking in my kitchen," Andy laughed. "I have trouble even letting others do so much as chop the vegetables!"

Hermione sat down opposite Andy on a wingbacked chair, took a sip of her tea and grinned. "Well. That does sound perfect!"

"Ok, Hermione. Let's get down to business."

Hermione stopped grinning as Andy's face lost all animation and became deadpan.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty Five"

"Where do you work?"

"I have a Government job"

"Ok, good. I assume that means that you can pay the rent. Are you a serial killer?"

Hermione gave a chuckle and replied "Certainly not!" Though, this was strictly true, she had no intention of informing Andy that she was in fact, some sort of killer. Harry had tried to press upon her that people dying in a war did not qualify her as a killer, even if it were by her hand. That a war was what they had all signed up for and people died as a result. We could feel the loss, mourn the loss but we could not lay blame for the loss on ourselves or others, no matter how much we wanted to. This of course, was easier said than done and years later, Hermione still felt the pang of death all around her. Of those she had lost and of those she had taken.

"Ok, then I have one more question."

"Shoot!"

"Why are you looking to move in here with me?"

Hermione sighed and finished her tea. "I just went through a particularly difficult break up. He, Ron, my ex," she struggled to keep the tears in check, "well, we had different priorities in life and after a few years of ignoring this, I couldn't take it any longer. We had to end it before we made some mistakes that could have devestating effect and oh, I'm sorry, I'm blubbering all over the place like an idiot."

Andy handed her a box of tissues and said "when would you like to move in?"

The next day Ron had been mysteriously absent from the house when Hermione had come to pack and collect her things. She thanked Ginny for the intervention when she arrived with Harry and George with the car and small moving trailer. Hermione took one last lap of the house, said a silent goodbye to Ron and left the glittering diamond ring on the dining table, touching it one last time and then had left the house forever, locking the door behind her and pushing the key through the gap in the bottom of the door.

Hermione, Harry, Ginny and George were pretending to struggle with Hermione's furniture up the flight of stairs to the new apartment. The feather light charm that Hermione had hit all of her belongings with created a much easier time of moving than what they could let the muggles believe and lovingly shooed Andy away when she offered to help.

"Why the need to move to Muggle London, Hermione?" Harry had asked a few days ago when Hermione had made her decision. "We wouldn't need to go through the act of moving all this stuff if you were to live in the Wizarding section of London"

"I need a fresh start, Harry. I want to remember what it's like to be a muggle, to do things the muggle way. I am done with the life we have of autographs, photos and constant concern that someone will report that I so much as scratched my leg on the weekend. I want escape. I want a little bit of normal again." No one had questioned her on the subject again.

Once her belongings were all situated in the vicinity of her bedroom, she bid goodbye to George and the Potters with a kiss on each of the cheeks and a hug of thanks. "I'll see you at work on Monday, Harry. Ginny, George, thanks again for all of your help today with the heavy things. I promise to be in touch soon."

"Hermione?" Ginny paused at the doorway. "Would you mind getting in touch with Mum? I'm afraid she's not taking Ron's word for all of this very well. It'd be a help if you could have a cuppa together and discuss it further. She misses you."

"Oh Ginny, I miss her too, but I need to settle first. I'll try to gather my courage and get over to see Molly and Arthur as soon as I can. I promise. You can tell her that for me. Send her my love."

Some time later, Hermione had set up her bathroom, made her bed and was busily prioritising her books over her clothing when Andy knocked on her door. "Hey babe, how goes the unpacking?"

Hermione slid another book onto the shelf and turned to the doorway where Andy stood. "Good, I think. Just making sure that I get the important parts done first," she smiled, indicating the books and their shelving unit.

"Bit of a book worm are you?"

"Oh, some may say that," Hermione confirmed with a grin.

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but I have some of what I consider to be excellent break up advice to offer you. How long were you and your ex together?"

"Oh, umm. We were what I guess you could call 'high school sweethearts'. I'd loved him for a couple of years before we got together around graduation and we'd been together since. So, together for about four years or so and engaged for nearly one of those years." Hermione shrugged it off as if this wasn't a big deal while her insides were experiencing a hurricane of emotion. "What is this advice you have for me?" To hide her face from Andy, Hermione retrieved another two books and arranged them on the shelf.

"Well, that sounds positively shitty. I've never managed to keep a man around for that long, so I can't be sure that this will help, but it has been my experience that a trip to the hair salon can well and truly help one feel like a whole new person and I happen to have an appointment at my favourite place in an hour. Shall I see if they have another seat free at the same time? I promise that even just a wash and cut can help you feel better. Plus, it will be a nice way to get to know each other before drinks out tonight?" Andy added the last little bit hastily and hopefully. Hermione puffed out a laugh.

"It's a yes for the salon and a maybe for the drinks. It's been a long day already and I'm not really a very big drinker. I would like to get to know you better, though."

"I'll make the call to the salon and let you know how it goes. We can continue to discuss drinks after that," Andy grinned and left the room to phone her hair stylist.

Exactly one hour later, Hermione was sat next to Andy in a stylish hair salon, trying to figure out exactly what she was doing there. This was not her normal coping mechanism. This was not her normal anything to be perfectly honest. Whenever she needed to reign her hair in, she used a potion or a charm, not a muggle salon. Yet, there she sat with a woman buzzing around her showing her magazines with examples of the latest styles and colours. This was overwhelming. Meanwhile, Andy was in deep discussion with her stylist. "I think that I want you to chop it all off. Give me a pixie cut!"

"You think you want to chop it all off or you know you want to chop it all off?" Hermione inquired, trying not to sound as horrified as she felt. Andy had silky long blonde hair that perfectly framed her petit face.

"Well, what I didn't tell you was that I also went through a break up recently. This appointment was my advice to myself as well as to you. We're bonding, you and I. I want to erase him from my life. He loved my hair, so the hair has to go. Yes, Susan. Chop it off," she gave a firm nod to her stylist.

"Well. I'm sorry to hear about that, Andy, but I am definitely not as brave as you. I think I'll just have a trim," Hermione directed to her stylist.

"Are you sure I can't convince you with some blonde highlights?" The sytlist suggested with a touch too much sugar in her voice.

"Er, no. I don't think so. Thank you, though," Hermione replied.

Two hours later, Hermione walked out of the salon with Andy, some new blonde highlights and a plan for the evening to go and get some drinks. The two women stopped by a conveinience store, bought some dinner and a six pack of some strange vodka and fruit drink before heading home to get ready for their evening. After a drink and some pasta, Andy had left Hermione to her own devices whilst she showered and dressed for a night on the town. Hermione shut her bedroom door behind her and accio'd her clothes from the boxes, spread the best clubbing candidates over her bed and took to the shower herself. When she emerged, she found Andy wrapped in a towel, examining the clothing laid upon the bed. "Do you have anything that is a little less, er, business like?"

Hermione blushed furiously, she would never wear a skirt that short to work. It came two inches above her knees for Merlin's sake! Andy took her blush as the correct answer of 'no' and ushered Hermione into her bedroom to select from her clothing.

"Andy, nothing you have will fit me. I'm two feet taller than you. A dress on you will be a shirt on me!" Hermione protested as Andy threw a few items at her.

"Out! Try those on! Especially the blue! Let's meet in half an hour in the living room and be ready to go, agreed?"

Hermione left Andy's room mumbling under her breath. Once in the safety of her bathroom, Hermione cast a glamour charm on her face and used another to straighten the kinks that had already appeared in her hair since she left the salon. Happy with the results, she left the bathroom to ponder the issue of what to wear. She picked up Andy's blue dress and held it up in front of her. It was a simple, royal blue singlet dress and boy was it tight and short. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and tried to pull the dress down whilst trying to pluck the fabric off of her skin. Both were unsuccessful. One small slip and no one would be questioning what she'd had for breakfast. One small altering charm to slightly lengthen the dress to mid thigh was all she had time for before Andy knocked on her door. Once her wand was safely concealed on her body, Hermione opened the door for Andy, stepped into a pair of heels and caught a clutch bag off of her bed. Andy let out a low wolf whistle and handed Hermione the last bottle of the sweet vodka concoctions, taking a swig of her own bottle, Andy said "Huh. I didn't think that dress would be so long on you. That's about where it sits on me. Weird. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be"

Standing in line at a hopping club, Hermione started to feel the little vodka buzz wear off, but even considering this, she realised that she was having a good time with Andy and that they were bonding successfully. Hermione had never actually been to a club, muggle or otherwise. She had never found the time for it, nor had she had the inclination to be caught inebriated or compromised in any way by any members of the Prophet, specifically Rita Skeeter. So, as anxious as she was feeling, she was equally as excited to get into that club and try to let off a little steam. She was twenty two years old, a young woman who had yet to experience much of life beyond the immediate and the things that had tied her down. Was Ron one of those things? She wondered to herself as she stepped into the pulsing lights and pounding music.

Andy had gone to get them drinks and left Hermione to observe the grinding of the dancers from the balcony above. Drinks in hand, Andy returned to Hermione and strongly suggested that they should join the dancers down below. Apprehensive, Hermione agreed to be pulled along.

Hermione was not sure how much time had passed, how much vodka she had consumed or how badly she was dancing, but what she did know was that she was sweaty, laughing and having a great time on that dance floor. She was really getting in the spirit of the evening when Andy told her that there was a "gorgeous specimen of a man staring at her" Hermione turned to look at this so called gorgeous specimen, but Andy quickly pulled her attention back telling her that she couldn't let the guy know that he'd been noticed. Especially not when he was heading this way.

"Just go with it, have some fun. Dance with him, let him buy you a drink," Andy had shouted to her, before melting away into the crowd. Nervous as hell, Hermione continued to dance, seriously feeling the absence of a partner. Ten seconds later, there were two large hands on each of her hips and a warm chest at her back. Feeling bold from the affects of the vodka and Andy's words of encouragement, Hermione drew a deep breath, pushed it out and continued to sway her hips in time with the music and the body behind her. A face beside her own, a stranger's lips next to her ear, Hermione fought to be brave, to be the one in control of this situation. Strong, independant woman. No one would be doing anything to her tonight that she did not wish to participate in, emboldened, she continued to dance suggestively against the crotch of the man behind her.

"My, my, Granger. What a saucy little minx you've become," a deep drawl sounded in her ear. All sense of self esteem, boldness and sexuality abandoned her as she spun to star into the face of Draco Malfoy.