TITLE: All These Years

SUMMARY: It's been six very long years for Hermione, since the war ended. Her relationship broke down in a public media storm, she's struggled with the death's of her parents and friends, and had a very public breakdown. Finally ready to get back to work, she's joined the Ministry, as the Head of the newest department, Educational and Legal Reformation. The man she meets there threatens the new life she'd built for herself. Hermione has far too many secrets left for Blaise Zabini to be finding them out, and she finds that this new, reformed Slytherin is something she doesn't know how to handle.

PAIRING: MAIN Blaise/Hermione, some Hermione/Bill, some Hermione/Harry, mentions Harry/Ginny, Ron/Lavender and others.

WARNING: Descriptions of mental health issues, some violence, some smut.

A/N: Well, Harry Potter lives again! It's been ages since I wrote any Potter stuff, so I've been casting around for something to do. You need to imagine they knew each other at school. That Zabini, after Malfoy, was her biggest tormentor.

The reason I don't write much Potter stuff is because it never, ever seems to get many reviews. Guys, I want one word, just to say whether or not you liked it. I do allow anonymous reviews, so please, please, just tell me what you think! It's really disheartening when you put effort into writing something and nobody seems to be reading it!

Anyway, rant over. Chaptered fic.

HPOV

It has been six years since the end of the war, and I will carry the scars forever. The four long scars, made by Greyback's claws as I ran from him are as fresh and pink as brand-new wounds. They always will be. They run from temple to hip, marring the right side of my face, narrowly missing mouth and eyes. The burn scar from the Unforgivable Curse Rodolphus Lestrange cast at me remains lividly dark against the fair skin of my left side. And then there is the emotional scarring. Only very recently have I stopped waking in the night, screaming in terror as Voldemort bears down on me. Yes, the emotional scars will take much longer to heal.

But it is time to get back to work, back to life. Time to stop grieving and hiding in the darkness of my own mind, and time to live, once again. I am taking up a brand new position at the Ministry Of Magic, Head of the Department for Educational and Legal Reform. I start tomorrow morning, and I have put out my outfit and brand-new robes. Pencil skirt, heels, bright red pretty ruffled blouse, with the "plain black, uniform robes, with Ministry emblem, available to order from Madame Malkins". I need to be busy again, with things to occupy my mind and time once more. A new Department, especially one so vital, will give me plenty of work.

The Minister, namely one Kingsley Shacklebolt, has briefed me already. I know where my office is, and what I have to do. First stop - I have to devise a law or strategy to build back up the Wizarding World. Whether that lies in education, the social sphere, or public sphere, is up to me. But I knew, even before Kingsley told me, that faith in the Ministry is at an all-time low. Whatever I propose must not, under any circumstances, antagonise people. There must be reform, and I see this. But I must tread carefully.

The world is hauling itself out of grief and darkness. It's as if as I woke up, so did everyone else. The Ministry is under pressure. Education is floundering, the legal system is no longer certain. Laws are no longer clear, rulebooks were hurled aside for the Death Eater trials. I know something must be done about Azkaban, and I may well have to call several trials again. I must show the people that the Ministry will act within the bounds of the law.

I go to bed early, and make sure my alarm is set and ready for six thirty precisely the next morning.

I get up, shower, dress and put on some mascara and lip gloss, charming the gloss to stay in place all day. I put some concealer on the dark circles under my eyes and contemplate the same for the scars, changing my mind when I realise that would be vanity. I leave my scars on show, and only leave my dark circles covered because they wouldn't be professional. I leave for the Ministry at seven thirty, arriving at seven thirty-one. I am greeted with enthusiasm and slight awe by several of the people I meet. I run into Seamus Finnegan, now Head of Magical Law Enforcement, and I tell him that I will have my secretary schedule a meeting for us. He agrees, and I move on, arriving at my office at seven-forty five precisely. My secretary leaps up and introduces herself.

"Ms Granger, I'm Anna. Anything you need, you can ask me for, from cups of tea to fetching people." She smiles at me, an easy smile, but with the same shadow in her eyes as almost everyone you meet these days. She has lost a loved one. I thank her, and continue into my office. It's spacious and comfortably heated, cosy with the fire in the grate and carefully controlled so that the room's temperature doesn't ever go past 23°C. I immediately remove my outer robe, and get down to it. I assess my priorities carefully. First thing's first - I must assess all pre-war laws and educational reforms. Look's like Anna will earn her first pay check.

"Anna, I need all pre-war laws, and all educational reforms. You'll need boxes A1 through to A9 for the laws, and boxes B11 to B13 for educational reforms. I need them on my desk inside half an hour, tell whoever is down in Records today that I want them immediately, and if they have an issue, they can take it up with me later today. But I need those files." When she brings them, she informs me that "Gary in Records" didn't have an problem, but his boss might. I can't remember who Head of Records, Legal History and Historical Artefacts is, and decide I don't care.

By lunchtime, my head is spinning. There are ancient Laws written down that have long since been discounted. Interestingly, I find one that makes it illegal to sell Firewhisky to anyone "visibly melancholy and/or in a pre-entry state of drunkenness." I think I may reinforce that one - many wizards and witches are finding that Firewhisky serves for a great comfort, and drunken brawls and duels are becoming more common. Yes, that one is going on the "keep" pile. It'll need a bit of re-wording, but I won't have to fill in any paperwork to enforce it.

And then I find the one that makes my blood run cold. I call for Anna, who comes in immediately.

"Ms Granger?"

"Anna, I have a question to ask of you. Naturally, you are sworn to secrecy. Anything that happens inside my office stays inside the office."

"Of course, Ms Granger."

"Good. Look over this Law, tell me what you think." There is silence for a while, during which I learn she can skim read, which adds points to her.

"I may speak freely?" At my nod, she lets go. "It's barbaric and inhuman. After everything everyone has been through, there would be rebellion if -"

"I quite agree, Anna. If you would be so kind as to message the Minister - no need to go yourself, simply send a missive, and ask him to schedule me an appointment to see him. And then message the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, ask him to come and see me as soon as it is convenient for him. Don't worry - they pass this law over my dead body." She smiles tremulously and departs. I ponder her reaction. I wonder how pure her own blood is, and if she'd be on the better side of a Marriage Law. I re-read the parchment in front of me.

"Under orders of the Minister for Magic, Fildelius Ignatius Gormann, a Marriage Law is to be introduced in an attempt to cut down the number of Squibs produced. We recognize that most Squibs are produced by inter-Pureblood marriages, as many Pureblood families are now inter-related. We therefore set out a proposal that all young wizards must marry a witch who is of either Pureblood or half-blood, or Muggle-born, who will be chosen by the Ministry. Wizard's may decline their partner once, but must remain with the second partner. Once the Wizard has received notification of his partner, he must confirm to the Ministry, and the chosen partner will be notified. Once both parties have been informed of their match, the marriage must take place within two months, or both parties will be arrested. Once married, one non-Squib child must be born within two years. Marriage's are legally binding.

Kingsley sends back word that I can see him immediately, while Seamus says he can make it at five, but no earlier. He too, is overwhelmed by work.

"We've got a problem, and I have to be sure we're discussing it in private, Kingsley."

"Hermione, sit down. Whatever's happened?"

"I was going through all the old Laws, both still in running, and formally negated. I found this. I have spent an hour looking for all appropriate paperwork, and it doesn't exist. This Law, Kingsley, technically still stands."

"Which is it?" I hand the parchment to him, and he raises his eyebrows. "What do you need me to do?"

"Negate it. Formally abolish the Law, before anyone apart from me, you and Anna find out that it even existed, let alone still stands."

"Why would I do that?"

"Why wouldn't you? This is not a solution, Kingsley, this is rebellion on a sheet of parchment. I will not allow such a Law to remain in circulation. Our position is bad enough and the people do not deserve this Kingsley. I will not impose this on them."

"I could order you to."

"You won't, though. You know, and I know, that this is bullshit. Take it out of circulation, Kingsley, legally, or I will, and my way will be decidedly illegal. And when it's out of circulation, when it's illegal and safe, release a statement to the press, announce that we have negated an old and outdated law. The public will respect us for it, and it'll give us brownie points to introduce some laws they might not like."

"I wasn't aware you were working for Press Liaison too."

"I can get Luna to say it if you'll prefer."

"Are there any heads of Department's you don't have willing to do more or less whatever you say?"

"Probably not."

"I'll do the paperwork today. You can talk to the press by Friday."

"Thank you, Kingsley." I have my hand on his office door when he speaks again.

"Hermione, how are you? I mean, really?"

"Kingsley, I am the same as I was during the war. I'm coping."

Well, I'm coping until I hit my office. I walk past Anna and she's slamming at her keyboard with a face like thunder.

"Anna, I can't ask the Budget staff for a new keyboard on my first day on the job."

"He wouldn't listen to me. Dismissed me like I wasn't even human! Stupid Purebloods, just because I'm Muggle-born think they're so superior."

"Anna, I will sort this. Who is it?"

"Head of Records, Legal History and Historical Artefacts." She says it like there's bad taste in her mouth. I cross her outer office, and I fling the door to my office open and take breath to begin the tirade. It doesn't come. My breath leaves with a gasp, and to my pleasure, my temper leaps up multiple notches.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Anna, where is the Head of Records, Legal History and Historical Artefacts?"

"This is the Head of Records, Legal History and Historical Artefacts. And if he speaks to me like that again, you'll probably have to find yourself a new secretary, because I will be tried for murder."

"Anna, why don't you go get us both- as in you and I - something very sweet and sugary, and bring me back a cup of very strong black tea. By the time you return, he will be apologising to you for any and all inappropriate remarks made." She departs, and I slam my office door, with force. "This had better be really good, Zabini, because you didn't catch me on a good day." I'm glad I had the sense to pack everything up before I left, and Conceal it. I don't trust anyone any more. Least of all Blaise Zabini, who I believed had fled the country with his bitch of a mother, to avoid being identified as a Death Eater. Son of a bitch.