DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fanfiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction. I own nothing.

Authors Note (Just read it): Alright, listen. I keep getting messages from people who have clearly dropped this fic after a few chapters whenever I post a new chapter which is totally fine. If you don't like it don't read it. But, but! I do know that I stuck pretty close to the film/ screenplay for Fantastic Beasts from roughly chapter 4-18 I believe. The thing is you readers seem to be split into two-three groups when it comes to this fact. Some like how I was able to slip Hermione into the story of the film, adding some bits while keeping some of it the same. Others think that chunk of chapters is super boring, adds nothing new, is basically plagiarism, etc... While the final group either don't really have an opinion/ just stuck with it while I struggled my way through.

This is my very first story. I don't argue that I relied heavily on the source material at first, I used it as a way to set up the story and integrate Hermione into the timeline and such. That being said from the very beginning I knew I would be writing beyond the films events and into the future. Though that chunk of chapters may seem a bit boring or dull at times, a bit rough (I was still trying to find my style), and perhaps unimportant, what I did add is important to the future chapters so I can't just cut that chunk out.

I do intend to go back and edit all of these early chapters once i've finished the fic but for now they stay the same. I wholeheartedly welcome constructive criticism but messages for these early chapters when i've just posted chapter 23 (which is beyond the films events), telling me how boring it is or how it's basically plagiarism/ you could just rewatch the film again instead of reading this are not helpful. There is little I can now do to change these early chapters and how heavily I relied on the source material since they are the base for the future chapters.

Anyways... I rambled... lost my train of thought. Give this one a try or not, totally up to you!

Now edited thanks to The Queen of Thornes! Thank you!

Five years after the Final Battle, life was good. Many sacrifices had been made in the name of the "Greater Good" but in the end the good guys won. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were defeated and those Death Eaters that escaped during the Final Battle were eventually rounded up and tried for their crimes. The Malfoy's at least, were one of the few families originally aligned with the Dark that managed to escape imprisonment or the Dementor's Kiss. Well, Draco and Narcissa Malfoy at least…Lucius Malfoy, well, that's a story for another time.

It was only a year after the War that the economy began to pull itself together and the Ministry of Magic, while still somewhat corrupt and scrambling to hold their head above the water in this ever-changing time, managed to stay in control. Under the new leadership of Kingsley Shacklebolt however, the Ministry was born anew. Unfortunately many Muggleborn and a rather devastating number of Half-Blood employees were lost during the War… some killed, others imprisoned and many missing. Whether they remained in hiding or had met a more unfortunate end was anyone's guess at the time. In the coming years a few resurfaced, a small amount choosing to return to the Ministry, though a larger number still held a heavy distrust for the system that had very nearly cost them their lives and lives of their loved ones, for nothing more than simply being born to the wrong people.

Furthermore in an attempt to weed out the corruption in the ministry, Kingsley and a trusted few, investigated a large number of employees, many of whom were soon found to be accepting bribes from known Death Eaters. Many were bigots and sympathizers to Voldemort's cause and his blood war, and a handful bore the Dark Mark itself branded on the skin of their forearms. Trials were held and justice was swiftly served.

Another side effect of Kingsley Shacklebolt's appointment as the new Minister of Magic, was a wave of freshly graduated Hogwarts students, of every background, flooding into the Ministry taking up those jobs left behind. For some Muggleborn and Half-Bloods these jobs would have been nothing more than a far off dream for them in the past. The favouritism and prejudice of the earlier regime would have crippled their prospects.

Now that's not to say everything was perfect. After so many years of corruption and greed it was nearly impossible to catch every single bad egg… however, it was a start.

As for our heroes? The so-called 'Golden Trio' and their loved ones moved on with their lives, mourning those who were lost and eventually learning to live again.

The Weasley's, that loving, warm family of redheads lost one of their own in the war, Fred Weasley and the family mourned for a time, his twin, George and their mother Molly taking his death the hardest. Though that's not to say the loss their other family members experienced was any less devastating. Though as we all know everyone deals with loss in their own ways… some better than others.

For years George would be a shell of a man. He continued to operate Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes but it would take time before he could bring himself to create any new products. For many years it stayed this way until finally with a look of determination, he set his shoulders and the still young joker began to create again. In memory of the twin he lost and all those who had lost their lives so soon he began to bring laughter back into the world… one joke at a time. Though it wasn't all fun and games. Some of the shop's latest best selling items became items such as Magical Prosthetics and Memory Spheres, the idea for which, he got from Harry's experience with Dumbledore's Pensieve. As implied these Memory Spheres could hold a number of the owners memories. When activated they would play said memories in a hologram displayed above the shining, sparkling sphere.

Magic could be a truly beautiful thing as many began to learn in the peace after the War.

In the wake of the Final Battle, covered in grime, blood and dirt the Weasley family returned home, exhausted and mourning, the family stayed together. Any other day Molly Weasley would have been ecstatic to have all of her children in one place but today was different… she'd lost one of her own. The final conformation of their loss came in the form of a single hand of a clock. Lying beneath her families' beloved clock, broken into pieces was Fred Weasley's clock hand, a hand that would spin no more. The proof lay bare before her, bringing up long forgotten memories of the first war and the loss of her twin brothers and Molly Weasley cried. For days it seemed as though all she did was cry.

Just like George it would take her many years to finally come to terms with the loss of one of her babies but just like George, on an ordinary day much like any other, she finally began to live again. There would always be a hole left behind from her loss, but her children still had need for her. Her husband, her ever loving and gentle Husband who still held her so sweetly, looked at her with desire and warmth. Wrapped in the warmth of her remaining family with the promise of little Weasley grandchildren, Molly Weasley began to live again.

As for the rest of the Weasley's life continued to move forward. Arthur Weasley, husband to Molly Weasley, assisted Kingsley in the clean up of the Ministry and continued his work in improving the rights of Muggles. Their eldest son, Bill Weasley and his wife Fleur continued to live in Britain and in the early 2000's welcomed their daughter, Victoire Weasley into the world. Charlie Weasley, their second eldest son, continued his work with Dragons and remained unattached much to his Mother's dismay. Following the end of the War Percy Weasley returned to the now reformed Ministry of Magic and became the head of The Department of Magical Transportation. Their youngest child and only girl, Ginny Weasley, returned to Hogwarts to finish her final year before pursuing a short lived career as a professional Quidditch player for the Holyhead Harpies.

Now you all must be wondering what happened to the Golden Trio. No?

Having missed their final year of Hogwarts they were offered a chance to return and finish out their education. However, that was not the only option open to the three. Soon after the final battle all three of our heroes were visited personally by the new Minster of Magic and were offered a chance to become Aurors' without sitting their N.E.W.T.s. An offer presented to all those in their year who fought in the final battle. Both Harry and Ron immediately accepted this offer and began their training.

The Boy-Who-Lived went on to rekindle his romance with Ginny, and the two married in 2003 before welcoming their son James Sirius Potter into the world a year later, at which point Ginny Weasley retired from Quidditch.

Ron and Hermione got together shortly after the Final Battle. Having no interest in jumping straight from a War and into battle hunting Dark Wizards, without even obtaining proper qualifications Hermione Granger decided to return to Hogwarts in order to finish her final year of Schooling and sit her N.E.W.T.s. To no one's surprise she went on to receive some of the highest scores ever recorded in recent history. This choice was one of the first nails in the coffin of Hermione's relationship with Ron. With the distance their Relationship became slightly strained, and even more so with their opposing viewpoints and beliefs. Ron was unable to understand her overwhelming need to return to school and Hermione was unable to understand his willingness to jump from one War to what was essentially another high-risk undertaking.

After obtaining her degree, Hermione Granger began to work at the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, specifically in the Beings Department. Over the course of the next four years she quickly moved through the ranks until finally she was promoted to the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

She couldn't have been happier about all she had accomplished in her career and becoming one of the youngest Heads of the Department in recent history was just the icing on the cake. Her true joy came from being able to truly make a difference in the lives of the creatures and at times Wizards and Witches she met through her job. Though, there was a monumental amount of paperwork involved and ridiculously outdated laws to get around, as well as more than a few bigoted individuals she was forced to regularly deal with. Through her work she came to learn even more about beings, beasts and spirits and never one to pass up on an opportunity to learn, she could often be found in the field or in the plains of some far off place chasing down any number of dangerous and fantastic beasts.

As for her relationship with Ron, it became further strained. Though much of his family was supportive of her career, Ron just couldn't seem to understand or accept her love for her work, or at times her love and compassion for the creatures and beasts she often encountered. Because of the nature of her work Hermione spent much of her time working overtime, out in the field or travelling, though she always tried to make time for their relationship, something always seemed to come up. That's not to say the lack of time they spent together could be solely blamed on her. The job of an Auror was nothing to scoff at either. Ron was often called off on dangerous and secretive missions with little to no warning, sometimes for weeks at a time. This brings us to another point of contention in their relationship. Both of their jobs were dangerous and both often involved travel.

Because of the nature of their jobs and their roles in the previous War neither were without their scars. Though Hermione worried about his safety and would often worry herself sick whenever Ron was injured on his assignments, she understood his love for his for his career and thought him no less attractive with the few small scars covering his body. Hermione saw her own scars as a badge of honour. A visible representation of all she's been through. A reminder of what horrors she's overcome and the memories of some of her more interesting missions with the Department. Though she felt a slight twinge of guilt every time she was injured on assignment and caused her boyfriend to worry, the marks did little to make Hermione feel any less attractive and beautiful. Hermione Granger was not ashamed, however, it was becoming increasingly obvious that Ron had a problem with some of her more obvious blemishes.

He never outright said it but it was easy enough to see in the way he averted his eyes when she wore sleeveless tops, his eyes never lingering on the jagged slur scratched into her arm. How he seemed to grimace at times when he looked at her face, avoiding the mark that ran across her left eye, bisecting her eyebrow before tapering off at the top of her cheekbone.

Worst yet was when they made love. The way he would wince and lower his eyes if he so much as grazed any of her larger and less attractive scars. How he always insisted they do it with the lights off. The large scar curving along her body from collar bone to hip, the gift from Dolohov in their 5th year and four large, jagged claw marks etched into the skin of her right thigh from a nasty run in with a Manticore in Greece were some of the most obvious and the ones he avoided the most.

In the beginning of their relationship she didn't think much of it. Perhaps he was nervous? Neither of them came into their relationship with much experience so initially she wrote it off as nerves, and the slur on her arm? Guilt? Though she in no way blamed him and spent plenty of time reassuring him, he still avoided that scar in particular. She couldn't find it within herself to fault him for that, but it hurt her all the same. She would not be ashamed of her blood and she would not hide away her scar. She was Muggleborn and she was damn proud. As time went by however his attitude towards her scars did not improve… if anything it only worsened.

Because of this and a few other reasons, the spark began to die. There was no screaming or yelling. Neither were completely to blame, they both had their own faults and hang-ups. It wasn't instant, but instead over the course of years, it slowly and steadily began to wane… until finally all that was left of their love and relationship was a small, sad, little flicker in the overwhelming darkness.

Until finally, as if with one final breath the flame died completely.