A New Beginning

One year ago:

Knock. Knock.

"I'll get it!" Rose ran into the living room to open the door. Hermione wondered who it could have been. Ron had a key, even though he always lost it, Harry, Ginny and the rest of their family usually apparated in after sending a letter informing Hermione and Ron that they were visiting. Her parents were away on a vacation so she knew it wasn't them.

Harry walked into the kitchen. His green eyes were red and puffy and his jet black hair was tousled. Hermione put a hand on her daughter's back. "Rose, darling, why don't you go upstairs for a little bit while I talk to uncle Harry." Rose ran up the stairs without asking any questions, probably picking up on Harry's current mood.

Hermione gestured Harry to the couch. She sat down and waited for him. He hesitated before taking a seat beside her. The fight that he had with Ginny or one of his kids must have been horrendous for him to act like that.  Harry hesitantly put a hand on her leg. "Hermione, I know today was your vacation, and I'm really glad that it was."

"Liked not having the boss there, huh?" She teased. Hermione ran the ministry and with Ron's insisting, she decided to take the day off to recharge.

Harry didn't laugh. He looked into her eyes with his sad, green eyes. "There was an attack." Hermione's heart dropped. Dread filled her, not wanting to hear his next words. "Ron didn't..."

"No!" She shook her head, not wanting to hear what Harry had to tell her. "No, no, no!"

.........

Present day:

Hermione stood on the platform as she watched Rose leave for the new school year. "Hermione." Harry and Ginny came over to her. "Do you want to get some tea?"

Hermione shook her head. "The two of you have work today." They both worked for the Ministry of Magic. Harry was now the head minister after Hermione retired a few months back. After losing Ron, she couldn't risk putting herself in danger anymore. A frown tugged on her friend's lips. "It's okay, I won't fall apart." She reassured them. It had been exactly one year and three weeks since Ron passed, she couldn't have anyone babying her or she would break.

After she said her goodbyes, she apparated to Diagon Alley. She wanted to get a start on Christmas shopping in case she forgot. After an hour of walking around aimlessly, the sky opened up. Rain poured down around her. The rain reminded her of Ron. With tears running down her face, she ran into an alley and sunk down onto the ground, letting the tears run freely.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her to a warm body. The feel of the apparating surrounded her. They landed in a large room out of the rain. Her mysterious companion lifted his wand and a fire began to roar in the fireplace not far from where they were crouched on the floor.

A hand hesitantly patted her back. "It's alright. Let it all out." Her companion shifted her into a more comfortable position. "I know it's hard. It took me a few years after Astoria passed away. You just have to find something to live for."

"Draco?" Hermione looked up to find the blonde boy staring down at her. His grey eyes were filled with understanding. "What did you have to live for?" She felt a tear slide down her cheek.

Draco glanced over her shoulder, looking at something that she couldn't see. "Scorpius." Was all he said.

Scorpius. His son. An image of a smiling Rose flashed in her head. She wiped away the tears. "Thank you, Draco."

Draco chuckled and looked back down at her. A playfulness sparkled in his grey eyes. "You never called me by my first name even after all the years we've worked together." His tone was light and joking.

She cracked a small smile. "You never gave me any reason to adress you as anything else."

Draco pulled away from her and stood up. "I feel like having some tea, care to join me?" He held out a hand for her.

Hermione felt her nose crinkle. "Are you colluding with Harry and Ginny? They asked me the same thing this morning."

A disgusted look crossed his face before it disappeared. It looks like old habits die hard. Draco finally shrugged, dropping his hand back to his side. "I just felt like having tea. You can either join me...or not." He shrugged for a second time before turning around. Hermione watched as Draco disappeared into another room.

She looked into the fireplace, watching as the flames crackled and hissed. The orange glow of the flames casted shadows onto the white walls. Licking her lips, she found that they were dry. Maybe she should take him up on that tea.

Pushing herself off of the floor, she headed toward the room where Draco had disappeared to earlier. The room was a kitchen and a magnificent one at that. It had grand countertops and the walls were painted in light shades of violet instead of white. "I didn't think you liked color."

A faint smile appeared on Draco's lips as he fixed tea the muggle way. "If it was up to me, all the walls would be white but Astoria loved color. The kitchen was her domain, it was her favorite room in the whole house." He chuckled as some distant memory played in his mind.

Hermione wished she had a favorite room in her and Ron's house. She was always so busy with work that she hardly saw him. Even though they worked together, she wanted to keep things professional. She didn't want anyone acuse her of having favorites or not being fair to the other employees. "It must have been nice, having her around."

He chuckled, "Yeah." He turned toward her and his voice was suddenly serious. "It must have been hard on you, being the boss and all." Hermione's eyes widened with the fact that he had picked up on her thoughts. "Don't look so surprised. We did go to school together and we did work together for a time. I know you and I know the way you think." He handed her a cup of tea. The small china cup had violet flowers painted around the rim; they must have been Astoria's.

"You don't know me." She muttered as she took a sip of her tea.

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