Prodigal Witch

Hermione is back home!!

Hermione heaved a contented sigh and smiled as she stood on the corner in Diagon Alley. It really felt good to be home. She had not realized how much Wizarding Britain was home to her. It had certainly not felt that way when she left four years ago.

Her eyes were drawn to a small corner shop that sold newspapers, snacks, and other odds and ends. She was standing in front of that shop when her life had fallen apart around her. She made her way over to the exact spot and was pleasantly surprised to find the memory only elicited whispers of heartbreak and betrayal, though it had taken years for that to be the case. Hermione smirked as she thought of all the things that had changed.

Although it was not that long ago, the Hermione from back then seemed so much younger - so much more naive. Back then, she had just graduated from Hogwarts, having opted to go back for a proper seventh year and sit for her N.E.W.T.s. She had done exceptionally well, getting the most N.E.W.T.s in the history of the school. Her fiancé, Ron Weasley, had opted to "start his life going," as he put it, and had gone off to play Quidditch professionally. She remembered that he had been irritated that Hermione insisted on returning to school, because he had wanted to start a family right away. Hermione was sure she was not ready for motherhood at eighteen and used her education as a perfect excuse. Harry had gone straight into the Auror Academy to start his training there.

Seventh year at Hogwarts without her two best friends had been strange, but good. Life was quieter that year and Hermione was able to get so much more work done. She made other friends, this time gravitating toward people who were as interested in learning as she was. House affiliation was not a factor and she was friendly with people from all over the school. She corresponded with Ron and Harry, of course, but otherwise was blissfully immersed in academics.

It had been quite a shock to her when she had stumbled across this little shop all those years ago and saw tabloid photos of her fiancé, naked and in a compromising position, with a pair of buxom witches. The headline had read: Randy Ron's Repeated Romps. Hermione felt like her heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. She was in shock and had trouble breathing. She had no idea how long she had stood there staring in the shop window at those photos - photos that were graphic enough to leave no room for doubt about Ron's betrayal. All she could focus on was the motion of his pumping hips and the swaying of the woman's breasts.

Staring in the window back then, Hermione had seen her reflection, which made her feel even worse. She had just finished taking her exams and had a graduation party planned at the Burrow that evening; the whole family would be there for Hermione's party. She'd popped into Diagon Alley for a trip to the bookstore. She had promised to reward herself with some fun books after so much studying. Her reflection showed a small, mousy, dowdy witch. Hermione had thrown on an ill-fitting robe, her bushy hair was sticking out in all directions, and she even had ink stains on her fingertips. She certainly could not compare to those busty, sexually confident witches with Ron in the photos.

Hermione grimaced at the memory. It had been the most painful experience of her life, but Hermione Granger was never one to wallow in self-pity. After the shock came a white, blinding rage. Hermione forced herself to purchase one of the offending tabloids and Apparated directly to the Burrow, where her soon-to-be ex-fiancé still lived. He had money from Quidditch, but did not want to spend it on mundane things like rent. He also liked that his mother still cooked and cleaned for him.

Hermione had disrupted breakfast with a spectacular display of hexes directed at the youngest male Weasley. Within seconds, Ron was stripped down to his pants with the tabloid photos imprinted on his chest. Every other inch of visible skin broke out in boils. The boils across his back spelled out 'Lying Weasel'. Hermione ignored his screams and stomped up to the room she had shared with Ginny. Her trunk was still packed from school, so it only took her a few moments to gather her things. In those moments, however, Harry had come up to try to stop her. It still made Hermione sad to recall how her very best friend in the world had defended Ron, had accused her of over reacting and encouraged her to stay and work it out.