Hello Everyone

This is my first fic and so I am sure there will be all sorts of grammar and other errors. Happy to hear what you guys think. Also it is Hermione/Thorfinn fic, and since JKR didn't have any real details about him other than Big Blond Death Eater it was other fanfic writers like Kittenshift17 and Canimal that made him a fleshed out character. If you haven't read their work go and do so at once. I have tried not to use their family names or other details. I am sure some snuck in though. I give all credit and thanks for the inspiration to those authors and Rowling herself. Of course i don't own any of this and am just playing in her sandbox. Thanks!-Maybenotahufflepuff

Chapter 1

Fights Aftermath

Eagle's Glen, Shropshire, England

May 21 1998

Slam

As the door shook the frame behind her Hermione was beyond the usual anger or exasperation she often felt for her friends, usually Ron, though Harry and Ginny were equally at fault this time.

How could they agree with this? Didn't they see what was being done to children and their families?

The war was over. The light side had won. Voldemort had lost but the costs were astronomical. Left standing in the ashes of their world with nothing but the strength of their convictions. Maybe she was the only one left with her morals and sense of fair play. The war had taken much from all involved and each one had come out harder. Sometimes in the few weeks since the final battle Hermione had wondered why the most severe changes had happened after the fighting, running, torture, and pain were over.

Ron had never seen any Slytherin as a person just a blank face of an evil being or something. A green and silver tie condemned a quarter of their population well before the Dark Mark was the symbol of opposing sides. While she understood Harry had a history with a few people like Malfoy, there was no real point that she could remember that told her to expect this. That like their hot headed friend Harry would come down on the side of righteous anger and lock them all up and throw away the key.

Even if they couldn't see the Death Eaters themselves as individuals surely the children were clearly innocent. There should be no question that babies were victims just like they were. More so as innocent wasn't something any adult could claim to be anymore. Even those who didn't wield a wand in the war were complicit in other activities, collaboration, or inaction.

The mere fact Umbridge was involved should have meant they were willing to climb mountains to tear it down but no.

They weren't going to support them figuring out how to reverse the spells. They weren't going to support her trying to get the Death Eaters trials if they could get their memories back. They weren't going to support her not going back to school. They were going to cut ties with her if she kept at this 'foolishness'. None of the three understood why it was important to her, that even if the Death Eaters themselves were sentenced to prison, their innocent family members got their magic back. Why give them money to hurt us again? Why let their spawn inherit huge houses? The world is better off without most of the Sacred 28. Blood purists. Murderers.

It seemed that all were painted with the same brush that tarred the marked ones. Whether done under duress or not. Even financial contributions under pressure were enough, it seamed, to condemn entire families to destruction.

Thank Merlin she hadn't come clean as she was tempted to. If she had told them of her relationship or of her own bloodlines. She wasn't sure what they would have done but it would have been worse than it was today. It would come out though, and she was quite sure that day would be the end of whatever affection her best friends still held for her. Hermione's heart was breaking even as her anger rose, and with it the curls around her head sparked with purple magic . Her chin came up and her shoulders went back. Eyes flashed as the last of the tears were wiped quickly off her cheeks. She would do it alone if needed, though she knew she wouldn't be completely alone.

Stiffening her resolve she turned seeing Luna, who she just realized was in the doorway behind her now. Whiskey eyes met sky blue ones steadily, as a small smile started to curl the corner of the blondes mouth.

"Who have you decided to be Hermione?"

For a moment Hermione just looked at Luna. Seeing the many layers of understanding in her gaze.

"I am Hermione, that will have to be enough."

FLASHBACK

Great Hall

Hogwarts, Scotland

May 2 1998

As soon as Voldemort's corpse had hit the floor of the great hall things had begun to move in normal speed, which felt very fast. Still disoriented and high on adrenaline she had looked around. The habitual flicker of her gaze from Harry to Ron then one red headed Weasley after another followed by trying to find the sandy hair of Remus and cataloguing which heads of hair could be Tonks. Where was Luna's beacon of white blond? Kingsley was here too right? Why was she still standing alone?

Hermione's thoughts rushed and swirled as people started to move in the mass of carnage and joy. Watching the ginger heads move like magnets towards the inky head of Harry she struggled to get there too. Wanting to make sure that the boy she had taken care of like family for years hadn't taken any damage. Rather further damage after his death, or fake death, she wasn't sure what had happened exactly. Her suspicions about Harry's connection to Voldemort had been gaining traction since Mr. Weasleys encounter with Nagini in the Department of Mysteries fifth year.

Yelling and the feeling of collecting magic drew her gaze towards the doors of the Great Hall. Without thinking about it she headed that way. The flicker of light off dark skin registered in the back of her mind as Kingsley moving in that direction as well. She took a moment, as she dodged around a crying woman that she briefly thought might be the Patil twins mother, to revel in the warm feelings of gladness that her mentor and friend had made it through. The press as she moved against the current of people, with smiles and a hectic light in their eyes as they headed towards the Boy-who-saved-them-all, told her that the counts of witches and wizards celebrating behind her we're going to continue to grow.

As she started to get close enough to hear something other than the ambient noise of those around her she heard odd words here and there.

"Azkaban."

"Scum."

"Aurors."

"Dementors kiss."

Pushing harder now that she couldn't see Kingsley, she was getting agitated and her wounds were starting to hurt. Obviously the adrenaline that had been pumping through her was starting to diminish. Exhaustion would follow quickly, she knew.

"-Will be transported to Azkaban immediately!"

"Trials! What about statements? I haven't been gone from the corps a year yet Dawlish, you can't tell me trials and statements are a thing of the past!" she heard Kingsley ask loudly.

"The law states-"

"Whose laws?!" Kingsley yelled back.

Her heart rate started to increase again. The pounding getting faster as she heard the edge of desperation in her mentors voice. Pushing harder now, and pulling her wand , she started to get closer. Until a chest, in grey robes with the double M insignia of the Ministry of Magic, didn't move when she pushed around him. Instead an arm came out to stop her.

"Ministry personal only" a crisp voice said.

Looking up, Hermione met the brown eyes of an Auror she didn't know. He looked about forty years old she noted. Medium brown hair and the first clean person she had looked in the face today.

"Let me through!" She replied.

"I don't know who you think you are girl-"

She cut him off realizing he hadn't fought, Auror or not, in the battle.

"Hermione G-" He cut her off in return.

"Are you? There is a warrant for your arrest."

Hermione's heart rate sky rocketed and her war time reflexes kicked in at the threat. Her wand came up and three spells shot rapidly from her wand, without conscious thought.

"Stupefy"

"Incarcerous"

"Levicorpus"

For a moment all was still around her,then the wands of the six Aurors closest were pointed at her. Instead of at the bound Death Eaters behind them.

She dropped beneath the stunned and bound Auror, that was hanging upside down by his ankle a couple feet off the ground, as a two red stupefys and the ropes of an incarcerus flew through where she had been a breath ago.

"Kings!" She yelled

"Kitten?!" His voice came towards her.

"Stop! What the hell are you doing?" Kingsley roared, while he put a strong shield spell around the little witch on the ground.

The answer given told Hermione right where they stood. How bad it was.

"Madam Umbridge has issued a warrant for her arrest. We were briefed before we came to Hogwarts, to clean up the mess."

Well fuck.