Wars leave scars…

Chapter One

Hermione rounded the aisle of Flourish and Blott's on a slow Tuesday morning and found herself face to face with a certain blond Slytherin.

"Granger," Draco acknowledged with a raised eyebrow.

"Malfoy," she answered back without heat. Draco took in her thin frame and exhausted features.

"You look terrible," he assessed.

"So do you," Hermione said, noticing his bloodshot eyes underlined with dark circles. His once meticulously styled blond hair was shaggy and disheveled, lacking the copious products and enchantments that Draco had been so fond of back in their Hogwarts days.

"I know, I'm a mess," Draco said, rubbing a hand tiredly over his eyes in an attempt to get some of the stuck-on sleepy bits out. "I'm glad I ran into you," he said on his weary exhale. "I was beginning to think that I was the only wizard or witch actually fucked up by the damn war," he added bitterly. Hermione shook her head as she let out a short caustic laugh.

"My thoughts exactly," she muttered. "You know, the reporters wouldn't leave me alone after the Aurors snapped Harry up and made him their Golden Boy. 'Hermione! Hermione'" she mimicked, "'what's the brightest witch of our age going to do now that the war's over? What fantastic contribution to wizarding society are you going to make next, Hermione?'" Draco growled sympathetically, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"And I bet you still need Dreamless Sleep every night, right?" he asked.

"Yep," Hermione replied. "Being groggy all day, not to mention horribly on edge whenever I'm around people, does not mesh well with jobs in top research departments or apprenticeships or, Merlin help me, teaching at Hogwarts." Draco groaned.

"Minerva didn't," he said.

"She did," Hermione answered. "Muggle studies," she giggled. Draco's eyes brightened for a second as he laughed with her. Suddenly making a decision, he bumped her with his shoulder.

"You want to come over and get drunk with me?"

"Yes," Hermione immediately answered with relish. As they started to walk out of the store to a good apparition point, Hermione froze, grabbing his hand. "You don't live at the Manor…?" she asked fearfully. Draco squeezed her hand back reassuringly.

"Fuck, no," he said. "Snape left me Spinner's End in his will."

"Oh," Hermione breathed in relief. Draco didn't let go of her hand as they walked behind the bookstore, turning his palm to intertwine their fingers which prompted a warm squeeze back from Hermione as she kept her hand in his, swinging them together as they turned the corner.

Draco dropped her hand only to put his arm snugly around her as he prepared to side-apparate her. "You ready?" he asked, looking down protectively into her brown eyes which had grown a little more life-like than when she had first crossed his path a few minutes ago.

"Yes," Hermione answered, looking back up at him with a small but happy smile. Draco smiled back before apparating them to Spinner's End.

Please review! Btw, this story has nothing to do with the Adele song. The title is a nod to the old Ashley Judd/Hugh Jackman rom-com. I'm showing my age, some of you probably weren't even born when that came out. xx