A/N : Hello everybody! I've been meaning to write FanFics for such a long time, but never got around to it. I've had this idea in my mind for a long time, but I just couldn't get myself to write it down and post it.

And now, after thinking and overthinking, I've written this little chapter, and will be updating once a day, I hope.

Also, looking for a beta. All help would be very appreciated. I hope you like what you read!

And yes, ALL THE CHARACTERS BELONG TO THE QUEEN JKR.

I'm making zero money from this (really, if you knew my bank balance you'd probably donate money). But I hope I get lots of love. All reviews are welcome.

Everything looked bleak. She didn't know where to run to hide from all the pain. So many of their friends, who were right there - talking, laughing, pushing and fighting on with a determined look in their eye - were gone. They'd won the war, true, but it felt lacking. There was relief, yes, but no happiness. At least the sacrificed lives of their loved ones weren't in vain.

The Dark Lord was dead.

Remembering she still had a duty to perform, Hermione Granger brushed her tears away with her soot and dust-covered palm, flinching a bit when she realized she had rubbed her wound in her face. She didn't have time for that, though. There were more important matters to take care of. Many of the Death Eaters had fled when they saw Harry was still alive, and more later when Voldemort fell, but there were still many to round up. The wounded fighters were to be patched up. St. Mungo's had been contacted, healers were arriving every second. So were the Aurors. It was decided then and there that Kingsley would be the next Minister for Magic.

Suddenly the weight of it all bore down upon her. Her home of seven years.. the place that looked like a dream come true ever since she first laid eyes on it, was burning. Hogwarts had fallen.. The despondent look on the faces of Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, as they sat near Fred's unmoving body.. It all felt so surreal.. She was almost waiting for Fred to jump up and laugh in their faces for falling easy prey to his prank. But he never did.. She looked at Harry and saw the guilt in his eyes. He blamed everything on himself.. She just didn't want to be there. She wanted to go home and curl herself up in as much as possible, make herself so small that the pain would become smaller yet.. But there was no respite.

Comfort would have to wait. Rest, could wait.

The next few weeks were full of visits to the Ministry and never ending trials and testimonies... And funerals.

Funerals of friends, allies, people they knew and didn't. Even some that they didn't like much.. Hermione would do anything to reverse the guilt she felt at Lavender's..Young Colin Creevey didn't deserve to die.. Teddy didn't deserve to be orphaned.. George deserved to be whole..
She hoped they would all get to act their age now, for once, even though she wasn't sure what that was anymore.

So after all that work, responsibilities, and being strong, she decided, after 25 days of the end of war, that she could safely bring her parents home.
Home. You could never know how much power that one word can wield. How many emotions that one word can summon out of a person. After that impulsive kiss down in the Chamber of Secrets, things got a bit awkward between Ron and Hermione. She realized it was heat-of-the-moment and uncertainty of her life that made her do it, but for Ron it was much more. That was another reason she didn't stay back at the Burrow any more than she absolutely had to - choosing to live at her parents' empty house - other than the emptiness and silence that presided there now.. which made her feel even more lonely and double her efforts in finding them.

Good news came in the form of information about her parents and Hermione felt a smile form on her lips after what seemed like an eternity. They were alive, and safe in Australia. Before leaving, she said yes to Kingsley for working to bring the Ministry, and the wizarding population - by extension - back to its feet, partly because she didn't want to see Ron's accusing eyes following her around and the hurt look on his face. She didn't want to deal with his emotions right then, not when she was so unsure of how to process her own. She would have to deal with it, sooner or later, but she didn't have the energy or the heart to do that then.

So, saying her teary goodbyes to the Weasleys, Harry refusing to let her go by herself, and many, many arguments later, agreeing to drop her off at the airport and with the promise of being contacted the moment she lands, Hermione boarded the aircraft to bring back her old life.. As much of it as she could..

Money. Their saving grace from Day One. Although his father was still stupid enough to believe that he had some influence or authority among the ministry and the wizarding world, in general.

But Draco Malfoy knew better.

He wasn't going to fool himself that they were pardoned because of their power, or their defection from Voldemort's cause at the last moment. They were simply a necessary evil, at the moment.

The Ministry was down on its knees, and they needed money to get back up. To build the community back up. Too much was lost in that madman's charade. And if you asked him, they owed it to wizardkind. There were way more Galleons in his Gringotts account alone than most of the people's accounts combined, and if he could give all of it away and earn a bit of forgiveness, it'd be well worth it. But that wasn't going to be enough.

He would have to suffer the consequences. All of them would. He wanted to go and ask everyone personally for forgiveness, but he was no Gryffindor. So he contented himself with as many donations he could give to the Ministry and St. Mungo's, and gained a bit of peace.

Their name completely in the mud, shunned for their actions throughout the two wars, the Malfoys were now pariahs. He didn't know how he would redeem the family name, that his father didn't think two seconds before sullying. An ancient house, with such rich history.. All gone because of the actions of a reckless son.. Believing in that bull was one thing, practicing it in the confines of your community another ( which was wrong too, in his opinion, but he hadn't been brave enough to voice that with the red-eyed monster breathing down his throat), but trying to eradicate all the muggleborns.. that was taking it too far. To them, family always came first, that's what he'd been taught. But his father forgot that, and now they'll have to deal with the repercussions..

Draco's head felt like imploding with all these thoughts, not knowing how to dust himself off and carry on. He could start on his redemption in the morning, but right now, he needed an outlet.. So he drank, and he drank until he could no longer see straight or think and he drank until he fell unconscious on the floor of his bedroom..

So, here it is! Again, all reviews are welcome.