Hello All - This is my first story and I want to say thank you to everyone who writes. Fanfic has opened a new world for me and I found myself addicted to all of your great stories. Please review as this is my first foray into writing and I welcome the criticism. For some reason, I can never seem to feel the balance between narrative and dialogue when I am writing, so let me know. Will start with a slow burn and hopefully lite a fire by the end. Also, forgive if my chapters post incorrectly, I am still learning.

Chapter 1 – And so it is

The sun streamed in through the windows brilliantly, waking Hermione up a bit earlier than she had planned. Since the battle, her sleeping had been sporadic, though it was beginning to get back on schedule. She looked around the small, simple room. The all white furniture and linens seemed clean and refreshing although they didn't do much to distract her thoughts. She stretched and walked in to the small kitchenette. She had found this house on the muggle internet listed "For Sale". With a few well placed disillusionment and silencing charms she was able to move in with no problems. The utilities were still on and a coffee maker had been left by the owner (a plus she hadn't anticipated). Americans and their coffee, she had never been a fan having grown up with tea most of her life, but was finding that she enjoyed the bitter jolt of caffeine in morning. She gazed out of the floor to ceiling windows at the rear of the house watching the ocean crash and the tide rolling out. Hermione had never experienced the ocean in this manner. The water here was gentle, warm, and tropical and had the uncanny ability to hypnotize her. She could stare at it for hours and think of nothing but the birds swooping in and watching for dolphins in the distance. Which, for all intents and purposes, was the reason for her running away.

Dear Harry and my Weasley Family,

I know this is the cowardly way out, but by the time you find this, I will be miles away. I need some time to grieve and work out my thoughts on my own. Your owls will find me if you so desire and I hope to be in a better place by the end of the summer.

All my love,

Hermione

She had left the note on the Weasley's kitchen table a few days after Dumbledore's funeral. The general mood at the burrow was sorrow and isolation. Molly stayed in bed and George locked himself in his room. Ginny and Harry retreated into their own little world and Ron turned into a completely unpredictable ass fluctuating between extreme anger and sullenness. Hermione simply felt awkward and out of place. So at the crack of dawn on the Tuesday after the funeral, she packed all her items and apparated to her parents old house. They were still in Australia living under their obliviated identities and Wanda and Wendell Wilkins. She grabbed some muggle money from her parent's bedroom safe and set off for Key West, Florida.

She had stumbled upon the location a few years before when studying an assignment in History of Magic. Apparently there is an old fort and treasure ship wreckage all over. Though a few Spanish Galleons have been found, many ancient magical artifacts were never recovered and the assignment was to study the routes and estimate areas of highest concentration. Hermione had no desire to become a treasure hunter, but the island had a mystical pull and seemed a world away from her current problems.

After being on the island for a few weeks, she got in a routine, coffee and toast for breakfast, afternoon on the beach or reading in her hammock, PB&J for lunch, and some sort of shellfish or soup for dinner. Some days she would walk to the public beach down the road finding that the noise of children and tourists was a great distraction. It was hard to be melancholy surrounded by people having so much fun. One night about 3 weeks after her arrival, Hermione was sitting at an open bar on Duval Street watching the world go by. The homes and shops were brilliantly colored and the people were completely nuts. Drag queens, old folks, and locals all seemed to mesh in a surprisingly normal way drinking the day away. She had picked up an affinity for rum punch and was watching a rather intoxicated local argue with the bartender about the best preparation of conch (a local mollusk Hermione had become incredibly fond of in chowder) and as he rose to leave he tripped on his own flip flop and face planted on the bar. Despite her effort to control herself she couldn't help it and burst out laughing along with most of the bar. It was the first smile she could remember having in months.

Early on a mid July morning she awoke to a tapping on the window. 2 birds flew in and deposited letters. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a biscuit for each before sending them on their way. The first letter was from Hogwarts.

Dear Ms. Hermione Granger,

You and your fellow classmates have been invited to complete your seventh year at Hogwarts. You will be known as 8th years, however your graduation ceremony will be combined with the current 7th years in order for Hogwarts to be back on track next year. Though you have the option of not returning, I would stress the importance of N.E.W.T.S. in whatever future plans you may have. I would also like to inform you that you have been honored with the title of Head Girl. Please reply by return owl if you intend on returning to Hogwarts and if you decide to accept your appointment as Head Girl. The school train will depart from platform 9 ¾ September 1st.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress

Wow. Hermione was not expecting this. A year ago she would have been over the moon about being Head Girl, and expecting it to be honest, but now she felt so far away from the girl she was. Did she even care anymore? Did she even want to go back? Well, she couldn't stay here forever. As nice as it was she knew she was merely avoiding the inevitable. Yes, she would go back and yes she would be Head Girl and yes she would get every N.E.W.T. she possibly could in order to build her life. What would have been the point of all their heartache and loss if not to rebuild wizarding society for the better?

The second letter held Harry's messy scrawl.

Hey Hermione,

I guess you have gotten your letter by now. I wanted to apologize for not writing sooner, it has simply been overwhelming the last couple months. I will not be returning to Hogwarts. I have been offered a position in the Auror department under Minister Shacklebolt and have accepted. All I ever wanted to be was an Auror anyway and I don't see the purpose of putting it off. I hope you are doing well wherever you are. We were all surprised to find you had left and after an initial bout of anger most of us understand why. I will say things are improving somewhat around here. George has begun to go back to work, Molly has been keeping Teddy as much as Andromeda will allow and seems to be coping better, Ginny stays with me at Grimmauld Place when she needs to get away and Arthur got a promotion to help with the muggle relations left hanging since the war. I'm not really sure about Ron, he comes and goes and is pretty difficult to be around ever since the trial. He and I had a pretty big row about 3 weeks ago and I haven't heard much since. He was just being an incredibly insensitive bastard to Ginny and I ranting about everyone so I told him to grow up that we had all lost people we cared about and he was being selfish. I'm sure it will all work out. Either way, I'd love to hear from you about your plans and Ginny misses you terribly (she was pretty mad at you, but I calmed her down). I know Kingsley would practically write you a blank check if you would work literally ANYWHERE in the ministry. I know I am the "chosen one", but that man thinks you hung the moon! Anyway, I hope wherever you are that you are well and I love you and want to see you soon.

Harry

It hadn't occurred to Hermione until that moment that no one had written her in months. She pulled out some parchment and began to reply to both Hogwarts and Harry.

CHAPTER 2 – Confronting the Past

It didn't take long to gather her belongings. She apparated back to her parents house in England and decided to stay there until school started. Although she supposed it shouldn't, she was surprised to know there was a job waiting for her at the ministry. She had considered the offer briefly, but in the end decided she just wasn't ready to sacrifice the small amount of childhood she had left. She found herself getting excited about buying books and ink, worrying only about homework and Head Girl duties. Yes, she was ready to be a student again for as long as she possibly could.

Draco on the other hand, was livid at being forced to go back to school. His piece of shit father was finally out of his hair, having received a life sentence in Azkaban. His mother was content to stay at the manor and let Draco be the head of the Malfoy family and all of its enterprises, which was fine by Draco, but the ministry had to mess it all up.

During his trial Katie Bell had testified against him about the cursed necklace. He genuinely felt bad about that, but she ended up OK. Then Ron Weasley, the ginger git, testified against him in gloriously exaggerated fashion concerning the poisoned mead he imbibed. To hear it from him, Weasley was an inch from death and in agonizing pain for a years. However, to his surprise, Harry never appeared. He expected a full testimony from the boy who lived and to be sentenced to death immediately. The night before the verdict (which he was certain would come down hard on him) he was sitting in his cell when the guard told him he had a visitor. Imagine his surprise when Potter came in.

"Hello Malfoy"

When Draco didn't reply, Harry continued.

"I know you sent Dobby"

"What?"

"I know you sent Dobby to release us from your dungeon. I also know you ordered Dobby to bring Luna and Olivander food and water while they were being held the weeks prior. As much as I want to believe you are the Death Eater you set out to be, I believe you started turning on Voldemort long before the battle."

Draco didn't reply for a few minutes. He had hundreds of condescending remarks running through his head, but who was he kidding? It didn't matter now. He had no power, no respect, who was he going to instill fear in? "You know, I received my order to kill Dumbledore at the first of the year. The Death Eaters had moved into my house, my house…I never liked Dumbledore, but I never wanted him dead. To be honest, I would have been disappointed to be the one to kill him. I mean could he really have been that great if a little shit like me finally accomplished what Grindelwald couldn't? I know there was always a small part of me buried deep that wanted Dumbledore to be right, to be as powerful as everyone thought. I was in a trap. You don't know how much it pains me to admit to you that I was powerless and scared. My father was terrified, my mother was a shell. Around that time I started to wonder even if Voldemort won, what would we have won? My family was arguably his "favorite" and yet, still I had to come home to a cruciatus curse here and there "just for fun". My father was throwing away his dignity to a wizard who on a whim tortured my mother. What the hell was he thinking?"

"I figured"

"No Potter, you have NO FUCKING IDEA! I know it's been sooo shitty being you, but all the torture you went through, probably similar to mine, but you come out clean on the otherside whereas, I am dirtier than the lowliest muggle. I DO think I am better than muggles. I DO think I am better by money and pedigree than mixed blood wizards and that will never change. But I don't condone torturing and hurting women and old men, that is where I draw the line. Like most things, it is beneath me."

The two didn't say anything for a few moments and Draco broke the silence

"Why are you here"

"I am here to give you the opportunity to fix your position. I am not going to let you go to Azkaban for life when I don't believe you deserve it"

"What are you about Potter? I mean, are you going for immortality? How can one person be so fucking perfect! Wasn't beating Voldemort enough or do you have to save everyone?"

"I'm just doing what I have to do Malfoy. Believe me, if I could sleep at night while leaving you to rot, I certainly would. I am just tired of unnecessary casualties."

Draco sat silently and finally said, "Yes, Potter, I am sorry, sorry for what my father has done, sorry for what my name signifies. I can't promise to be boy wonder like you, but I can promise to live my life for me and the way I want to, meaning without torture and without evil"

"That is all I needed to know"

The next day at sentencing, Harry Potter spoke as a witness for the defense in favor of Draco being put on probation. The council agreed and Draco was put on probation with the stipulations being he continue with his education to graduation, check in with an officer of the ministry for 2 years, and for the first 3 years after school 40% of his adult salary being put toward a fund for victims of the war.

Draco hated Harry. Absolutely fucking hated him. The root of the hate being that he saved him when he knew that situations being reversed he would have spit on Potter and watched him burn. He knew that he simply did not have it in his soul to be good and moral. His psyche was damaged to the point of only recognizing weakness, power and when to exploit either one. If your enemy was weak, you destroyed him. You didn't wait to hear the back story.

When he got his letter, he was astounded McGonagall bestowed the honor of Head Boy on someone like him. There had to be a mistake. Draco planned on quickly getting this year out of the way, head down, nose clean, grades or no grades, just graduate and slip into his family legacy as quickly as possible.

CHAPTER 3 – Off to School

Hermione had tried to venture into Diagon Alley to get her school supplies and found herself overrun with paparazzi. She could have disguised herself with charms, she supposed on further reflection, but that seemed like too much bother. Instead she went home and owl ordered her school supplies and set off by herself to platform 9 ¾. It was so weird arriving alone. She felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes and forced them away. Her parents were fine and she would reunite with them as soon as she was ready. Until then, she would just have to embrace catching the Hogwarts Express by herself for the first time. After passing through the barrier, she caught the eye of Harry standing with Ginny. She hadn't realized how much she missed them until that moment and practically knocked him down with her hug.

"Hey Mi, gosh you are tan!"

"Oh Harry, Ginny I am so glad to see you both", hugging them with wild abandon.

"Where have you been" Ginny demanded. "Do you have any idea how lonely it has been without my sister to talk to?

"I know, I just had to sort myself out and it was impossible to do it at the Burrow. I just really needed some time alone"

"Well, we have the whole train ride for you to tell me everything you have been doing, I guarantee your summer has been better than mine", Ginny said.

The whistle on the train let a long, low whistle signifying its departure.

"Well, Harry, I guess it's time to go, I promise to write much more religiously than I have the last few months"

"No worries, one letter signifies "more religiously". I do want to know what you have been up to. I will be dropping by the castle when I can, you don't think I would let Ginny have the chance to forget about me do you?"

"No, I guess not"

Harry and Hermione hugged fiercely and then he kissed Ginny goodbye. They boarded the train and set out for their final year.

Draco arrived at platform 9 ¾ by himself. His mother was too much of a wreck to even realize what day it was, let alone understand the significance of Draco attending his last, forced year at school. Boy Wonder at least had the decency to nod inconspicuously to him so as not to raise attention, this year would be hard enough without his classmates noticing him being on terms with Potter. As soon as he boarded the train Pansy practically tackled him.

"Oh Drakey, Drakey, Drakey! Why haven't you talked to me all summer! Even though you have been ignoring me I am so glad we have this last year at school, I have missed you sooo much, tell me all about your summer." And then proceeded to smother him with kisses and flailing arms. Barely able to wrench himself out of her grasp he shoved her aside.

"Shove off Pansy"

"Drakey, what's wrong", she pouted.

He knew he would have to face her in a few minutes in the train car, but he just needed a second to adjust without her all over him. God, seeing her after all these months he really couldn't understand how they had dated so long. Had she always been this ridiculous, annoying, saccharine, fake and suffocating? He supposed she had, but why on earth was he just now realizing it?

He shoved his trunk into the overhead and sat down in the car with Blaise, Goyle, Nott and Millicent.

"So Draco, who did you have to blow to get out of Azkaban…oh wait, it was Potter", Blaise laughed as Nott and Goyle joined in.

"Shut up Blaise, being a Malfoy has its benefits" he was not about to admit the conversation he had with Potter. "You know Potter is a sucker for a sad story, a few promises here, a few apologies there, whatever it takes"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I love mudbloods and I can't wait to worship at the feet of the Golden Trio, can I be an Auror?" Nott mimicked while making fawning gestures toward the rest of the car. Pansy was in hysterics.

Goyle stayed silent. "Oi, Goyle, what is your problem? You joining the Order on us over there?" Goyle merely looked over and half snickered, "No just moving slow today."

"Yeah, moving slow everyday", replied Blaise.

Draco could have sworn he saw something flicker in Goyle's eyes. Almost like a flash of regret or sadness, but who ever knew with Goyle?