AN: My first multi-chapter fic. I'm very excited about this and I hope my vision comes about in the way that I hope it will. Please be kind!

Summary: Hermione Granger's life is plagued with fear and paranoia after a family tragedy. The surviving Death Eaters are hunting down Muggle-borns and the trio plus Ginny realise that even with Voldemort gone the wizarding world is still a dangerous place to be a part of.

Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny

Set a few weeks after the battle-AU.

Sadly, I still own nothing. I've held a few meetings with J.K Rowling about me inheriting the Harry Potter franchise but we're still in negotiation.

Torture like this, I've never seen before
I dream about revenge and how sweet it will be
when you're locked up in this cage staring back at me

You become the hunted.

Chapter I

Hermione smiled as the cool morning breeze kissed her face from her open bedroom window. Her eyes were still closed, having just woken up from her slumber. She moved around in her bed, clutching the fabric of her duvet in her hands, loving the familiar feel. She had missed her bedroom in Canterbury and not just because she had spent the last ten months sleeping in a cold and dingy tent out in the wilderness. While attending Hogwarts, Hermione found her living quarters quite annoying as it was usually filled with Lavender and Pavarti's constant giggles and gossiping. Hermione had made sure she never spent any more time in her dormitory than she had to.

Finally, Hermione opened her eyes and took a deep breath. It felt so lovely to be home and with her parents. She had travelled to Australia with Ron and Kingsley to find them and restore their memories a week after the final battle. She had wanted to go straight away, but was told that she needed some time to relax and rest-which, after much hesitation, she did. Now, things seemed to finally be going back to the way things were before her life got turned upside-down because of Voldemort. Of course-Hermione added to herself with a tiny smile-not everything was the same as before. Her heart leaped at the thought of Ron and how she would be seeing him today when she visited the Burrow for the weekend. It would be the first time she would be seeing him since they had returned from Australia nearly three weeks ago.

At this thought, Hermione quickly pulled her duvet off of her body, swung her legs over the side of her bed and padded over towards her oval mirror-the one lined with photographs of her and her best friends. She smiled weakly at her reflection, running her fingers through her wild brown curls. She scrunched up her nose, watching as the small patch of freckles she had disappear behind the creases. Her fingers were still trying desperately to tame her mane of hair. She let out a breath and looked at a picture of Ron and her. It was taken at the Burrow during Bill and Fleur's wedding. Someone had snapped a moment of the two of them sharing a dance. It was Hermione's favourite photo. She arms were around Ron's neck, his were around her waist. He was holding her close-much to close for two people who claimed to be "just friends". They were staring into each other's eyes, looking like they were having a deep conversation. Their lips were moving softly, Hermione noted with a loving smile. She remembered exactly what they were discussing-the Horcrux hunt that would take place the following day.

Hermione tore her eyes from the picture and walked towards her window. Sometimes, she would spend hours sitting by this window, looking out at her Muggle neighbours going about their everyday lives, and wondering why she was still alive. It was a morbid thought-she knew this-but she still couldn't help it.

Survivors guilt- she mused as her eyes scanned the deserted street. She had been placed in horrible situations in the past seven years-ones she never even imaged could exist outside of fictional stories. She had watched great people die, innocent people who did not deserve the fate they got-

Remus, Tonks, Moody, Fred-

Even Snape, Hermione added with a small smile. Why is it that they had perished and she was still walking around, thinking about how much she missed her bedroom?

Shaking her head, Hermione pulled herself out of these horrible thoughts. Quickly changing into a pair of jeans and red tank top, Hermione strolled down the stairs to enjoy breakfast with her parents-another thing she had missed greatly while being at Hogwarts and searching for Horcruxes.

"Good morning, darling." Josephine Granger greeted once she saw her daughter appear in the kitchen. "Are you all packed to visit Ronald?"

Hermione nodded and sat down at the kitchen table. "Yes. I'm only staying the weekend, you know."

Josephine nodded her head. "Yes, I know dear, but you wouldn't want to forget anything now, would you?" She paused while cracking an egg on the side of a metal bowl and grinned at her daughter. "Well, I do suppose you could just...what do you call it dear?-Apperate?-" Hermione nodded. "-back home and retrieve it. I do wish us Muggles could apperate. It would make the morning commute much easier."

Hermione chuckled and nibbled on a peach. "Where's father?"

"Paul was called into work early this morning, I'm afraid. Emergency root canal," Josephine said with a sigh. "He said that if he's not back by the time you leave for Ron's, to have a great time and not worry about us."

Hermione sighed and twirled a curl with her finger. Josephine looked at her daughter and walked towards her, abandoning her cooking for a moment. "Darling, I know you feel like you need to hang around the house every second of the day and be with us now that we're back together, and don't get me wrong, I do love spending time with you-but I don't want you to feel guilty about visiting your friend for a weekend."

Hermione nodded, keeping her eyes on her half eaten fruit.

"We have an entire summer before us," Josephine said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Your father was talking about taking another trip to Paris, wouldn't that be fun?"

"Yes, that would be lovely." Hermione said with a smile. "I've wanted to return for ages."

"As have I," Josephine said, returning her daughters smile. "And you know, Hermione, if you'd like, you can invite your friends to stay here for a weekend. You're always running off to Ron's-" she paused and smirked at her daughter knowingly which caused Hermione to blush. "But he can come here, if he'd like. And Harry too of course." Josephine added.

"You mean that?" Hermione asked, hopefully. "Ginny too? I wouldn't feel right leaving her out-"

"Ginny too," Josephine nodded. "In fact, your father and I were just discussing it the other night. He thinks it's a marvellous idea as well. We've got the extra rooms and I would love to get to know your friends a bit more...and Ron, of course."

Hermione felt the heat rising to her cheeks again. "Mum..."

"I know, I know-he's just your friend." Josephine stood up and walked back towards her cooking. "Your father was just my friend once." She added, not looking at her daughter. Hermione saw a large smile playing on her mother's lips and couldn't help one forming on her own as well.

"Well, I should really get my things together." Hermione said, standing up and throwing her peach pit in the garbage bin. "What time did father say he'll be getting home?"

"He didn't." Josephine said, looking at the clock that read 11:05 AM. "What time were you planning on leaving?"

"Noon," Hermione said. "I can leave later if..."

"Nonsense," Josephine interrupted. "He could be all day."

Hermione nodded and continued her way back to her bedroom. Crookshanks was now laying lazily on her bed, stretching in the sunlight. Hermione grinned, knowing he was going to be none too happy later on when he would be crammed in a small cage while travelling by Floo to get to The Burrow. She wouldn't be bringing him at all if it wasn't for Ginny who had demanded it.

Pulling out her small bag that was now filled with clothes, Hermione added a few books and toiletries before zipping it shut again. She had to admit, she was more than a bit excited to go to the Burrow for the weekend. Some of her fondest memories were spent at that home, with one of her favourite families. Now that she and Ron were getting closer-Hermione mused-she was sure this weekend was going to be amazing. And Harry was going to be there as well! She had missed her friends during the past three weeks and she knew that they could have easily met up with each other, but she needed to spend time with her family and Ron with his. Harry, of course, had stayed at the Burrow and had taken Fred and George's old room now that George was living in the flat above the joke shop.

Hermione sighed-it must be so hard for George right now. The week she had stayed at the Burrow after the battle, he had stayed in his bedroom the entire time. The only three people he allowed inside were Ron, Ginny and his father. Of course, Ron was being very strong for his family in their desperate time. He had told her in a letter that he was helping George out with the shop and planned on doing so until his older brother got back on his feet and manage himself again. Hermione smiled fondly and glanced back at the photo of her and Ron dancing. She suddenly couldn't wait for him to spend a weekend here with her-of course with Harry and Ginny too. She knew her parents would love him.

After placing Crookshanks in his cage and hoisting her bag around her shoulders, Hermione walked back downstairs and was delighted to find her father sitting in her vacated seat.

"Hello, kitten," Paul Granger greeted, smiling at his daughter.

Hermione grinned at her childhood nickname and gave her father a hug. "How was work?"

"Thrilling," Paul answered with a teasing grin. "I'm just glad I made it home to see you off."

"See me off?" Hermione asked. "I'm only going to be gone for two days."

"Yes, well-that doesn't mean I don't want to say goodbye."

Hermione, again, felt a pang of guilt. Her father must have sensed this and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Hermione, you can have a life outside your mum and me."

Hermione nodded. "I know,"

"Mum tells me she's mentioned Paris." Paul said, changing the topic of conversation. "How does the beginning of July sound?"

"Lovely," Hermione smiled.

"I knew you would want to be around for Harry's birthday, so we'll return before then." Josephine said from her seat across from Paul.

Hermione grinned and nodded. "Sounds perfect,"

"And your friends staying here," Paul said, nodding at his daughter. "I say that can happen next month sometime, if they are free of course."

Feeling the excitement she felt before course through her, Hermione nodded in agreement. "They will be. Of course, Ron is helping his brother out at the joke shop, but I'm sure he can take a weekend off."

"Yes, I'm sure he could." Josephine said with a small smile. Hermione flushed, her eyes dropping to her shoes.

Paul looked between the two ladies and sighed. He was sure that he didn't want to know what they were going on about.

"Well," he said, breaking the silence that followed his wife's comment. "It's about noon,"

Hermione looked at the clock and saw that it was ten minutes to. She sighed and placed down Crookshanks cage.

"I can write as soon as I get there," Hermione said, moving towards her now standing parents. "Let you know I arrived alright."

Josephine smiled bemusedly at her daughter's behaviour. Even since they had arrived back from Australia and had their memories restored she had been acting like a third parent-being so overprotected of them and concerned.

"If you'd like," she said. "But don't you spend the entire weekend worrying about us."

"I won't." Hermione said with a nod. She gave her mother a hug and Josephine kissed her daughters curly hair. Next, Hermione hugged her father and he repeated his wife's actions.

"I'll be home Sunday night." Hermione said, picking up her cat's cage once again. "Make sure you have the fireplace cleared,"

"We won't touch it all weekend," Paul said with a smile.

"I'll miss you." Hermione said and felt unbelievably embarrassed and annoyed that tears had sprung into her eyes. For goodness sakes it was only a weekend-but it was the first time since she had been reunited with them that they would be separated again.

"We'll miss you too, kitten." Paul said.

Hermione nodded and walked towards the fire place. She took a handful of Floo powder from inside the container on the mantel. She remembered in amusement that her mother had told neighbours that it was their old dog Missy's ashes, when they asked.

"Love you!" Josephine called out.

"I love you guys too," Hermione said before ducking her head and walking into the pit.

"Have fun darling," her mother said again.

"Not too much fun," Paul called out. Hermione laughed and couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"I won't." Hermione couldn't see her parents but she imagined them staring at the fireplace, with amused expressions on their faces. She also imagined that her father would want information about Ron from her mother the moment she was gone. With another chuckle, Hermione threw down the powder and yelled, "The Burrow!"

And just like that-she was gone.

Coming Up Next: The Burrow! Hermione is reunited with Ron after spending three weeks apart.

Review please!