Hermione heard Harry apparate into the hallway near the front door as she was helping Kreacher make dinner.

"Harry?" She yelled from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Could you come here please?" She asked. He walked through the kitchen door to find her at the table cutting up an onion and Kreacher tilting on a stool stirring a frying pan filled with assorted vegetables and what looked like steak. He plopped his school bag on the ground with a thud and sat across from her.

"You received a letter from St. Mungo's today. They are demanding I be committed or this," she placed the form in front of him. "needs to be signed. Now I am going to make this easy for you." She handed him a muggle pen and stared at him sternly.

He looked over the form which stated that St. Mungo's would no longer care for or be liable for Hermione. Glancing at Hermione and knowing full well that she did not want to go back to St. Mungo's, he signed the form without delay and the paper then rolled itself up and vanished.

"Well what are we going to do?" He asked. "We could try a Muggle doctor. But I don't think it will be any better."

"No, that's not an option for me." She pulled the letter from McGonagall out of her pocket and handed it to him. "I've already decided and I will return."

He stared at the letter and knowing full well she would go back without hesitation.

"Well when did you want to leave?" He questioned. Harry was disappointed that Hermione was leaving, he liked having her around. She kept him focused on homework to complete his muggle education since he only saw his tutor 2 times a week.

"The end of term is next Friday. I will go then, avoid the students." She said in a weirdly calm voice that Harry could see through from a mile away.

"You mean Neville?" He eyed he questionably.

"Yes!" She finally admitted. "Are you happy? I want to avoid Neville. Do you know how embarrassing it is to know that you gave your heart to someone and then not even remember it!" She clutched her head and cried out. Harry rushed to her side and Kreacher knowing full well what to do pulled the emergency dose of medication from the ice box and magically heated it up to room temperature and held it to her lips.

"I'll help finish dinner with Kreacher. Why don't you go lay down for a while?" He suggested.

"This one wasn't as bad. I think they are getting better actually." She said hopeful.

"You're right they are getting better, but I still want you to lay down." He helped her out of the kitchen and into the sitting room. She laid down on the couch and almost instantly fell asleep.

Hermione knew she was late to class, but did she care? No. She only cared about the things this man was making her feel. He trailed kisses from her belly all the way up to her neck before finding that pulse point and sucking hard. She arched her back and scraped her nails up his body before burying them in his soft locks. He lifted her hips and plunged two fingers into her slick wet folds moaning in pleasure at the feel of her tight entrance. Pinching her pink nipples, he maneuvered his way down and placed his hot mouth over the sensitive nub and sucked hard while pumping in and out her. She cried out in ecstasy. Lifting his head up off her core she flipped him over and attacked his mouth, delving into him tasting sweetness, almost like sugar quills, and an earthy goodness. He grabbed her hips, digging his fingers into her soft flesh.

Hermione raked her nails down his strong and defined chest, down to the course hairs and the soft yet hard penis. He sucked in air and shuddered at her touch. With his grip tightening, she slid the tip up and down her core letting her juices coat him. She looked at Neville's face and only saw true raw love which she could feel filling her chest and just as she was about to slip his shaft into her waiting folds, he slipped away and darkness took her.

Hermione could hear in the black a soft voice. She wasn't sure but she thought she could hear them yelling her name off into the distance. She called out to them but her voice fell short, instead of a booming cry it was a soft echo. She listened intently moving through the black.

She heard it again, it was getting closer. She moved towards the voice, which was sounding more and more like Harry. She cried out again, and again her voice sounded like an echo. Off in the distance she could see something, she couldn't tell what it was, but something told her to go to it.

"Harry!" She cried running. Tears pricked her eyes. She moved to the object into the distance, but her feet felt heavy, like she was running in quick sand. She then felt a familiar pull at her navel, and instantly she sat up back in her living room with Harry bent over her, a panicked looked on his face.

"Harry..." she choked out. "What happened?"

"You've been out for ages. I was about to send for Madam Pomfrey." He sighed. "Do you need more tea?"

"Yes, my head is throbbing." She rubbed her temples in a futile attempt to sooth what ailed her. Harry offered her tea a few minutes later and handed her a letter that had fallen off the table and laid forgotten about. She quickly tore open the envelope and read:

Dearest Hermione,

I have thought a lot about you and us and our brief time together. I have concluded that I cannot live without you. I understand that you need time and I will wait as I believe we are meant to be. Whatever is happening to you we can figure it out together and we will make you better. I am going to be away for a while. Professor Sprout and I are traveling to the Amazon to continue our research and I will not be back this summer. I hope that you will let me write to you, although I am not sure how reliable the post would be for me to get your letters. That is if you wrote to me. Please say that you will write to me.

All my love Neville.

Hermione didn't know how to respond to the letter. She attempted to write back several times but everything she said fell short. Eventually she gave up on the letter and it sat unsent in the bottom of her trunk.

The week passed quickly for Hermione, and a little too quickly for Harry. Soon enough she was boarding the Hogwarts Express. She found that it was empty except for the House Elf Winky, who was supposed to keep an eye on Hermione as she travelled alone. Hermione spent most of the time sleeping and reading, she was anxious to start her apprenticeship under the Headmistress. When the train entered Hogwarts station she was greeted by a familiar but friendly voice.

"Hermione! So, good to see ya." Hagrid the half giant boomed.

"Hagrid I'm so pleased to see you." She was enveloped in a Hagrid sized hug for which all the air in her lungs were forced out.

"Let's get you up to the castle I suspect Professor McGonagall is waiting on us." She smiled sweetly at her friend and helped him find her trunk for the house elves to take up to her chambers.

They entered the castle and immediately went to the Great Hall. Hermione could see the room had been cleared except for the head table. She took in the ceiling and the magnificence of the starry night with the candles floating about, as well as the smell of freshly baked rolls.

To her, this was home.

Hermione was greeted in the entrance by a familiar face. Minerva McGonagall greeted her favorite student, enveloping her in a motherly hug she held on tight.

"Professor, you're crushing me," Hermione squeaked.

"Oh dearie, my apologies." The Headmistress let her favorite pupil go. "You must be tuckered out, let's see about getting you something to eat." She led Hermione down towards the dungeons, to the portrait entrance. After tickling the pear, Minerva requested food to be delivered to Hermione's quarters.

Leading her back up to the fourth floor, she paused in front of a portrait of a meadow, slightly moving as if being blown by a slight breeze. The painting was not so life like as you could see the strokes of greens and reds and blues from the paint brush.

"It looks like Ariana went to visit Aberforth." McGonagall looked slightly perturbed.

"Ariana Dumbledore?" Hermione inquired.

"Yes, she will be watching over you. In case of another…" Her voice dropped off. Hermione suspected the Headmistress did not want to distress her.

"That is very kind of her," She attempted to quell the negative feelings of the older witch.

"We have placed another of her portraits inside for her convenience," Professor McGonagall glanced around at the others in the hallway and sighed. "I have a meeting with the Board of Governors, I'm sure she will be here soon." The elder witch smiled at Hermione and slightly bowed her head and hurried off. Leaving Hermione to her own devices.

She paced back and forth for a while wondering how much longer the young girl would be. She concluded it could take even longer than the Professor thought, and took it upon herself to make her way to the Room of Requirement. She supposed it could be a good substitute for her rooms for the night and hoped she could procure a change of clothes.

Pacing in front of the wall three time and ornate door opened for her to reveal a crimson covered bedroom complete with en suite and fireplace. She moved towards the armoire and opened to find some out of date looking robes. Spotting a nice aubergine robe with intricate beading hanging off to the left. She pulled the silky garment out and reveled in its softness, light as a feather.

She wished for a bubble bath, the room obliged almost immediately. She stripped and slipped in the scalding hot tub. The aroma of sandalwood rose filled her senses, breathing deeply she felt at peace.

Turning into a prune was never the goal but she had achieved it. Magically drying herself after stepping out. She slid the silky material over her skin. A moan escaped her lips feeling foolish, it reminded her of the dream she kept having. Blushing furiously, she went for her bag and pulled out Neville's letter. Reading over and over gave her some comfort, but she was still not sure of a reply. Her dreams kept him in the forefront of her mind and it confused her even more. She knew there had been something between them and she wished she could remember, but the circumstance prevented her from knowing what happened the last year or so. She wasn't even sure. Crawling into the bed the room had provided she fell asleep thinking of his soft hair and strong arms.

"Miss Hermione must wake UP!" Hermione felt a splash of cold water on her face, she inhaled a bit and began to cough. "Headmistress not happy to find Miss not in her room. She woke every house elf to find Miss, but Winky knew, she knew you'd be here."

Still coughing she waived at the tiny elf to signal she understood.

"Miss must be going to breakfast!" Winky went to throw another douse of water on Hermione before she grabbed the pitcher and yanked it from the elf.

"Bloody hell, why couldn't you just shake me awake?" Hermione snapped

"Winky tried, Miss. Miss not be waking, Winky tried poking and pinching smacking and yelling, last resort was water." Winky began to wring her hands, she was nervous.

"It's alright Winky, I'm awake. Thank You." With a pop the tiny elf was gone.

Hermione quickly changed back into her clothes from the day before not bothering with any cleaning or de-wrinkling spells. She left the Room of Requirement behind for it to fade into a blank wall and headed ack down to her own quarters.

Coming upon the portrait she could see Ariana had returned, the same small smile she had during the Battle of Hogwarts.

"I do hope I didn't make anyone worry too much?" The painting shook her head and opened. She stepped into an open area seeing her new bed armoire fireplace with comfortable looking chairs and a desk overlooking the Black Lake. Hermione smiled knowing this would be her home for the foreseeable future.