A/N: Last written chapter... and previously was the last chapter. And um, funny story about my wrist... what was it I said in the last chapter? It should be okay? Well... I tried typing a thousand words for another story and that didn't work out so great. So basically, I have no idea when the next 5 chapters will be up. Don't give up though, they'll be here eventually. I'm going to have to get my wrist checked out soon, as I'll be needing it for typing in a week...

Chapter 15 – We're All Hurting, but It's Time to Live

The day Hermione was going back to Hogwarts, a Healer brought her the Daily Prophet.

"Miss Granger, I thought you might like to see this article."

"Oh," she said when she saw the headline. She took the paper. "Thank you."

Golden Trio Falls Apart for Good

-Rita Skeeter, for the Daily Prophet

We have just received confirmation from several reliable sources that Hermione Granger has pressed charges on Ronald Weasley and his younger sister Ginny Weasley. Mr. Weasley has been charged with killing the Granger's unborn child, and assaulting Granger. "From what we've uncovered, Weasley attacked Granger in the hallway because he was angry that she was dating Draco Malfoy. Granger and Malfoy endured harassment from both Weasley's prior to this incident," says Auror Davies, one of the aurors called to Granger's hospital room. Miss Weasley has been charged with harassment.

Granger was hospitalized after Mr. Weasley hit her with an imepediment jinx and pushed her down a flight of stairs at Hogwarts, killing the child he helped create. Mr. Weasley was unaware that the child was his, and blamed Malfoy for Granger's pregnancy. Granger told the aurors that it was "absolutely impossible" that Malfoy was the father of the child. Granger is expected to make a full recovery and will be returning to her studies sometime this week. When asked to comment on the incident, Headmistress McGonagall said that "I know it makes us all look bad, so soon after the war to have this happen, but all I can say is that we are all hurting, some more than others. Hermione found a new friend; Ron found a cell in Azkaban. It hurts to see it happen, but this is life. We can't change what's already happened. If I could go back and change things, I would. But I can't, and we all have to live with what's happened. Miss Granger will be welcomed back. She and Mr. Malfoy are setting the stage for a new generation of unity. Let's just hope it lasts."

The delivery owl dropped the Daily Prophet on the table where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were eating breakfast. Mr. Weasley picked it up, and set down his spoon as he saw the headline. Figuring it was someone else telling lies about Ron and his friends, he began to read, wanting to read the foolish lies these people made up this time. He read the article and continued to stare at the newspaper for several minutes.

"Arthur, what is it?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No-nothing dear," he replied, stuttering, as he tried to hold the newspaper out of her reach. She grabbed it anyways. There was silence while she read the article. Then an owl flew through the window and dropped a letter on the table in front of the Weasley parents. Arthur stood and reached for it, and opened it, with Molly reading over his shoulder.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,

It is my duty to inform you that your son and daughter, Ronald and Ginevra Weasley were arrested at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry yesterday evening, after charges were pressed by one Hermione Granger. Ronald has been charged with murder and assault, and Ginevra with harassment. You may visit your son and daughter in Azkaban once, prior to their trials, which shall occur on the 9th and 10th of June, respectively.

Hoping you are well,

Office of Aurors

"What?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "How could they do this? I never would have imagined Hermione to spin a story like this!"

"And Ron and Ginny. We raised them better than this."

"No. I refuse to believe that this is true. Arthur, find out if this is true. I refuse to believe it. I absolutely refuse. Ron may have some faults, but he grew up during a war! He's just a child. Not a murderer. And Ginny. She isn't even 17 yet. She wouldn't harass Hermione, not after all they went through together," Mrs. Weasley yelled. Arthur just sat back down at the table with his head in his hands.

Hermione was more than pleased to return to the castle and her friends. McGonagall had arranged for Harry, Luna and Neville to come to see her at St. Mungo's, but it wasn't the same as hanging out on the grounds, or even in the common room or her quarters. She packed up her belongings, planning to leave. She needed a break from the castle, as it held too many bad memories from the war. Her first night back, Draco sent her a scroll inviting her to dinner in his private dorm. Hermione accepted, and went to inform McGonagall of her decision to leave the school.

"Miss Granger, I thought you would come to this decision. I wouldn't mind getting out of here for a while myself. I would like to offer you a position as Transfiguration teacher. It would just be the first through fourth years to start, and you would work with me for a year or so, and then the position would be all yours. Of course, if you'd rather go back to the Muggle world, I understand."

"I'll have to think about this Professor. I'll let you know after I get my parents back. I would love to do that though. Thank you very much. I'm sorry I wasn't very pleasant for most of this year."

"It's quite alright Miss Granger. As I told the Daily Prophet, we're all hurting." Wow, Hermione thought, I just got offered the transfiguration post! Of course I'll accept. I just need a little time to accept everything that has happened.

After that rather surprising visit with McGonagall, Hermione went to see Harry, Neville and Luna. She caught up with them before dinner.

Then Hermione headed to Draco's quarters. When she arrived, she found a table set for two, lit with candles. Draco sat beside her on the couch and handed her a glass of wine. The evening progressed wonderfully. They were pretending to be normal young adults. The war, Ron and Hermione's hospital stay weren't discussed at all. Hermione was so busy chatting with Draco that she didn't even notice what she was eating, or when she had finished. They returned to the sofa. Hermione sat down and Draco passed her another glass of wine. Then he knelt before her and pulled out a ring.

"Hermione, I know you've been through a lot, we've all been through a lot. Will you be my wife?"

Hermione was shocked speechless. She nodded.

"Geez, if I had known how to get you to shut up back in first year, we'd've been married for ages," Draco joked.

When she went to bed that night, Hermione couldn't help but think that everything was finally coming together. She had a job offer, a fiancé and she wasn't being harassed anymore.

The next morning, an owl arrived for Hermione. It was from one of the Azkaban guards. Attached was a vial containing a memory. The note read,

Miss Granger,

I thought you might enjoy seeing this. I gave Weasley the Prophet. This is my memory of his reaction. If you'd rather not see it, you can just get rid of it, but I thought perhaps after all he did to you, you might wish to see his shock upon reading the article.

Auror McKinen

Hermione chose to view the memory, thinking that it would be funny to see what Ron thought about the article published in the Daily Prophet. She uncorked the vial and entered the memory.

I locked the door to Ronald Weasley's cell, and handed him the Daily Prophet. He inhaled his food, spilling pieces all over the place, and then turned to the Prophet. Picking it up, he scanned the front page, his eyes stopping at the article about himself, his sister and Granger. I knew immediately when he got to the part about the child being his.

"Bloody hell, how come she never told me? How could I have done that? How? I should have known. I should have thought. Bloody hell. I just killed my own child. My child. And hurt my ex-girlfriend. Oh what have I done?"

"M'afraid you've killed someone, lad, and now you're going to pay for it," I said. If he heard me, he didn't acknowledge it.

"Hermione, I'm so so sorry. I was a jealous git when you started going out with Malfoy. I'm sorry. So sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just we- the war, it was too much. My family was broken. Yours was gone. Lavender's life was pretty much unaffected. I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't mean it. Any of it. Please forgive me," Ron whined.

Hermione exited the memory.

"No. I won't forgive you Ron. You killed your own child. You dumped me because things got too difficult. You are a coward, Ronald Weasley. I will never forgive you. You don't deserve it," Hermione said firmly. That was in a really twisted way, almost funny. Ron, begging for forgiveness for something that is so purely evil that it can't be forgiven. He really is stupid, Hermione thought with a sigh. And that will never change. What an idiot!

That weekend, McGonagall made good on her promise, and travelled with Hermione to Australia to return her parents memories. They were upset with Hermione, but when she told them about the war and what would have happened to them, they did forgive her. She stayed a few days while they sold their house and such things. Then she and McGonagall brought them back to their home in Britain. Hermione unpacked their things for them with magic. She thanked her professor, who had to return to Hogwarts.

Then she sat down with her parents to have a long chat with the help of Dumbledore's pensive, which McGonagall had brought for her to borrow, figuring it would help with the explanation. Hermione showed her parents some of her memories from the war. Of course, she left out things like her torture in Malfoy Manor because she didn't want her parents to go mad worrying about her, plus she didn't want to revisit those memories. By the end, her parents understood why she had to wipe their memories. They would have been killed if she hadn't, and they understood that.

"Mum, Dad, I had a really hard school year this past year. My grades are nowhere near where they should be, but I passed my final exams in the fall. My friends and I had a bit of a falling out too. Ron and Ginny aren't my friends anymore, and most of the school dislikes me because they don't understand. I'm still friends with Harry, who is dating my other friend Luna, and I'm friends with Neville and Draco. I am more than a bit famous. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and I defeated Lord Voldemort, and so we are well known. I am even more famous now that Ron is in prison. I have more than enough experience to get whatever job I could possibly want…"

"Why is Ron in prison? He seemed nice enough whenever we saw him," Hermione's dad interrupted.

"He- it's a long story. I suppose I'll get it over with so it won't ruin my good news," Hermione said. "Ron and I were dating after the war. He dumped me for a former girlfriend and I became really depressed. He was the only one I had. Harry had a girlfriend and they spent all their time together so… yeah. I was made Head Girl, and the Head Boy was a boy who had tormented me for my entire time at school, but he had changed. He noticed that I was depressed. I found out that I was pregnant, and decided to keep the child. I didn't tell Ron. The Headmistress allowed me to stay at school even though I had been less than pleasant towards her for the entire year. Ron and his sister Ginny decided that they didn't like it when I announced that I was dating the Head boy, Draco Malfoy. About a month ago, he attacked me in the hall and pushed me down a flight of stone stairs. I lost the baby," Hermione explained, her voice losing all emotion at the end.

"And then I pressed charges. He killed his own child, and harassed me for no reason. His sister's in jail too. And I don't feel bad about it at all." Hermione's parents looked at her in shock.

"I'm so sorry Hermione. I'm so sorry you had to endure all that," Mrs. Granger sobbed.

"Where is this brat so I can kill him," Mr. Granger said.

"It's okay Dad, he's suffering a fate worse than death right now. Mum, it's better off this way. I have good news though."

"After all this, I'd say we need it," Mrs. Granger said.

"Yeah. Well, it's all over. The war is over. I have a job offer. The Headmistress of Hogwarts, she was the one that helped me get your memories back, offered me the position of transfiguration teacher. I'd only get to teach the younger kids for now, and I'd work with her for the older kids for a year or so. Then the position would be mine."

"Oh Hermione, that's wonderful," Mrs. Granger exclaimed.

"What exactly is transfiguration?" Mr. Granger asked.

"It's turning things into other things. Like this," Hermione explained and she turned the extra chair at the kitchen table into a bunny and back.

"I'm of age now. And done with school, so I can do magic. I have to officially graduate, but I can use magic in the mean time. And I have to retake my apparition test," Hermione said. Professor McGonagall had explained apparition to them before bringing them back to Britain.

"I haven't accepted the post yet, but I'm going to tomorrow. I have a few other things to do in London, and at Hogwarts. Then I'll be home for a while. Mum, we're going to have a huge project."

"Oh, what is it?" Mrs. Granger asked. She missed being a part of her daughter's life.

"I'm getting married," Hermione announced, "to Draco Malfoy. He'll be by tomorrow."

When her parents were done questioning her about her fiancé, she explained that his parents were in jail for crimes committed during the war, and his mother would be out in time for the wedding, because she had saved Harry's life. His father wasn't likely to be out any time soon. Her mother was absolutely thrilled to be able to plan her wedding. And Hermione went to bed happy that night, for the first time since long before the war. She had her parents back, she was getting married, and she had a job offer to accept. Sure, they were all hurting, but the war was over, and it was time to start living again.