Chapter 1

May 30, 1998

Molly and Ginny were cleaning the supper dishes when soft knocking was heard from the front door.

"I've got it," Arthur said answered the door.

They were greeted with the sight of Hermione distressed, on the verge of tears. Harry and Ron hurried to her side, always ready to be her heroes.

"It's not good at home, I need somewhere to stay for the night, if that's okay?" she requested.

"Of course, you're always welcome here," Molly assured her. "Here Ron, take her bag to Charlie's room. Now, what's happened?"

"Well, after we returned from Australia this morning..." Hermione said and told them what happened after she returned to London with her parents.

When her story was completed, she dropped her head to the dining table. "Th-they hate me!" she sobbed.

Molly sat next to her and rubber her arms. "I'm sure they don't hate you, dear. They're your parents and I know they love you. They're probably just... surprised at what's happened and need some time to adjust to the situation."

Hermione shook her head and sniffed. "They know why I did it, and I pleaded with them to understand why, but..."

They had never seen her look so sad, so tired, so lost. It was a bit disconcerting- the Hermione they knew never looked like that.

"Ginny, help me get her to bed, she needs a good night's sleep," Molly said and urged her to her feet. When Hermione was settled, they discussed what to do to help her.

"It's my fault," Harry said.

"How is this your fault?" Molly asked. "I've listened to you repeatedly say that over the years, exasperated each time I hear it. Honestly Harry, how is this your fault?"

"Everything that Hermione has been through is because of me, for being my best friend. She whisked her parents away, not wanting to risk their safety, with the fear that they might never remember her! Now after the war, all she wanted was her parents back. She went all the way to Australia, drained herself mentally and magically, only to have it thrown back in her face. It's no wonder she's so sad and tired. She's only ever thought of everyone except herself."

Harry spent a sleepless night wondering how to help his friend. As the grandfather clock downstairs chimed three a.m. he had a plan in mind. At breakfast, he informed the family of his plan.

"She still asleep?"

"The poor dear was just worn out."

"I've got an idea."

After breakfast, Harry, Ron and Arthur, laden with the last two weeks' worth of The Daily Prophet, arrived at the Granger home. When Harry knocked on the front door, he heard running footsteps from inside and the door burst open. Mrs. Granger, disheveled, looked at them anxiously.

"Is it her?" Mr. Granger called when he appeared in the foyer.

"She's safe at my home," Arthur assured them.

Mrs. Granger slouched in relief. "Thank you! Please, come in. Would you care for tea?"

Mr. Granger led them to the parlor. "We're rather ashamed with ourselves. We were so angry last night that we stormed to our room without a thought to her."

"She must think the worst of us, we said things we shouldn't have," Mrs. Granger lamented, sniffling into a handkerchief.

"That's what we're here to talk to you about, to help you understand why she did what she thought was best," Arthur said.

"Yeah, she's a right smart girl, rarely has a bad idea," Ron said.

"Here, look over these while I tell you a very true story," Harry said and gave the stack of newspapers to the Grangers.

It took an hour and two pots of tea to tell them the tale, beginning with the last year just before the wedding and ended with the last of the funerals four days prior. The Grangers looked through the papers at the various articles as he spoke.

"I've had to hire a public relations wizard to sort out what's gossip and what's not. I won't let them slander anyone I care about, we've been through too much for that," Harry stated.

"Yes, when Voldemort was in power, the news was under his control, and you can very well imagine the rubbish that was put out. Things are better now," Arthur said.

"We've become kind of famous. The gossip can't be helped," Ron added.

"And our Hermione's not too fond of that, is she?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"Mrs. Granger-" Arthur began.

She held up her hand. "Please, call me Evie."

"John," Mr. Granger added.

"As I was saying, she doesn't care for the notoriety," Evie surmised.

"In a word, no," Arthur said.

"Her goal was never to be famous, only to help me, to be my friend. Unfortunately, being my friend has caused some rather bad things to be said about her, things done to her. I don't know if I'll ever be able to make it all up to her," Harry said.

"And this?" John inquired, holding up a newspaper front page featuring Harry, Ron and Hermione receiving their Order of Merlin medals.

"That's the highest honor our world can bestow on someone. She received it the day before she left to retrieve you," Arthur explained.

"She didn't say anything about it," John said.

"She doesn't care about the honors, the money, being famous, any of it. She just wants to go on with her life," Ron clarified.

"With you. She doesn't see a life without her parents," Arthur said.

After an informative morning, John and Evie returned with the three to The Burrow and arrived to an amusing scene in the back garden. Hermione's back was to them and she was holding what looked like a large potato with wriggling arms and legs.

"Ginny, I don't care how annoying and ugly they are, I refuse to throw gnomes," she fussed and pointed her wand at the gnome holes under the tomato pants.

Ginny saw the Grangers walk around the corner of the home and nodded her head that way. Hermione turned to look and dropped her wand arm (and the gnome) when she saw her parents. Her eyes dropped to ground as well. John approached her and raised her chin with a gentle touch.

"Let's go home pumpkin, we have a lot to talk about," he said and drew her into a hug. Evie wiped a smudge of dirt from Hermione's cheek and joined the hug.

After supper, Hermione sat with her parents in the parlor of their detached Tudor home.

"So, what are your plans?" John asked.

"For the first time in my life, I can honestly say I don't know. The Ministry offered me a position with Harry and Ron, but I'm not so sure about it."

"Harry said he's taking the job with… what are they called?" John inquired.

"The Aurors? Yes, he's perfect for it. Ron's working in his brother's shop until George gets back on his feet. Part of me wants to get out there and start working, maybe not at the Ministry. Another part of me wants to finish my education, to finish what I started."

"How about this? Just relax, take it easy, unwind a bit. After all you've been through, you rate it. Be an 18-year-old woman, have some fun," Evie cajoled. "I know of someone who agrees with me."

Hermione looked at her blankly.

"From what I can see, Ronald seems quite taken with you," Evie said.

Hermione blushed blood red, covered her face and flopped back on the couch. "Oh mum, he's going to be so disappointed. I love him as a friend, like a brother - nothing beyond that. I can't believe I kissed him."

"You kissed him?" John chortled.

Hermione nodded, sighed behind her hands, and looked at them dramatically. "That day at Hogwarts, just before the battle. He said something so thoughtful, was so brave, and I thought I was going to die, so I kissed him... like one of those desperate last kisses you see at the cinema."

"So you don't feel for him like he feels for you?" Evie asked.

"No, and it's going to hurt him, I know it will."

"All you can do is be honest with yourself and him," John said.

A few days later at the Weasley home, Hermione found that she was right about Ron.

Sometimes, I hate to be right.

Ron asked her out to dinner in front of everyone.

Of course he would.

"I'm sorry Ron, but I have to decline."

"What? You're teasing me, aren't you?"

"Can we talk about this outside?"

"What's wrong with right here?"

Hermione sighed, closed her eyes and spoke. Might as well get this over with. "Ron, I can't date you."

"Why not?" he asked, confused.

"Ron, I don't-" she said, rubbing her temples, "I don't feel the way you feel for me."

"B-but I thought you liked me, that day you kissed me-" Ron stuttered.

Ginny looked at Harry.

They kissed?

I'll tell you later! Harry mouthed.

This is why I wanted to go outside!

"Ron, I didn't mean to-"

"What? You didn't mean to kiss me the way you did? Lead me on? How stupid of me!"

"You're not stupid and I certainly did not mean to lead you on. Honestly, am I the kind of person who does that?"

"Maybe I don't know what kind of person you are! We're supposed to be together!"

"According to who?"

Ron said nothing, threw down the bouquet he was holding and stalked from the house. Hermione apparated from the dining room.

"Well, that was unexpected," Molly said.

John and Evie returned home that evening after another day of looking at properties for a new dental clinic. From the foyer, they heard Hermione sorrowfully singing and talking to herself. They went into the parlor and saw her laid out on the sofa, waving an empty wineglass.

"Hermione?" Evie asked.

Her teary eyes rose to meet theirs melodramatically. John choked back a laugh.

"What's the occasion?" he asked lightly. Evie nudged him sharply.

Wavering, she sat up and poured another glass. "Good, you can join me. I broke someone's heart today," she said tearfully and raised her glass. "Cheers!"

At the Weasleys, everyone was glad for something light to talk about.

"This means she has to like someone else," Molly hinted, somewhat conspiratorially.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"But who? We've been gone a while and we really didn't keep in touch with anyone while we were out there," Harry stated.

"Maybe it's a muggle," Arthur offered.

"Do you have to keep talking about it?" Ron called unhappily from upstairs.

"Maybe she doesn't fancy anyone," Ginny stated.

July 1st, 1998

Hermione took her parent's advice and relaxed. She liked gardening, so she spent hours each day helping her mum restore the gardens and flower bushes around the property. She helped her dad return the swimming pool to a "swimmable state," as he put it, and proposed a picnic cook-out and swimming day for her friends.

"Sounds like fun, just let me know the day and I'll fire up the grill," John said.

She sent invitations to her friends (and some muggle friends from around the neighborhood) for Saturday July 10th.

"I'll be working, but you all go and have fun," Arthur said, passing the invitation to Ginny.

"On a Saturday?" Ginny asked.

"Yes Ginny, sometimes we adults must work on the weekends," Arthur teased. "Besides, it's taking lot of work to fix what Voldemort broke."

"Where will we be swimming?" Ginny asked.

"She has a pool in her back garden. Didn't you know that?" Harry asked.

"I've never been to her home," Ginny said. It seems there's a lot we don't know about her.

"I've been there a few times in the past to place wards the home and check on John and Evie," Arthur explained. "It's a lovely home."

"It's been in a state of disrepair the past year, but they've been working hard over the summer to get it back to where it should be," Harry said.