Only Ever You *Dramione*

New Beginnings

Hermione walked along the cobblestone road with the crisp morning air nipping at her skin. Digging into her purse she pulled out a cigarette, placed it between her lips, and lit it. After the first drag she could feel the buzz from the nicotine fill her lungs and hit her system. While letting the smoke leave her lips on the exhale, she looked out above the local business and homes to see the stars slowly fading away with the warm pink sunrise that would slowly take over.

Working late nights at the local muggle pub, The Rising Sun, kept herself busy most nights. The pub's name was rather fitting due to Hermione always volunteering for late night shifts. Merlin knows she never sleeps well anyways after the war, so might as well keep herself busy. There's only so many times she can relive the nightmares of the ceiling of the Malfoy manor while Bellatrix Lestrange carved into her skin before it became too much.

Hermione tried sleeping draught and dreamless sleep potions to help her; however, she still woke up drenched in sweat while trying to catch her breath with the horrid image of Bellatrix's crazed face inches from her own.

For months right after the war, Ron would stay the night with her, staying up late while holding her close in bed once she moved in. She would eventually drift off once her eyelids became too heavy to keep open, only to wake up by Ron slightly shaking her, repeating her own name and reminding her she was safe in her apartment. Ron was always over at the apartment, saying he was there to help Hermione. Due to them being together, he felt it was his duty to do so.

After many nights of this repeating, she slowly saw it taking a toll on him with each day. He grew large eyebags, hardly able to keep up with daily conversations without drifting off, and quickly angered with any slight inconvenience. He thinned out drastically which made his clothes hang on him in a sickly manner. Ginny worried for his health and tried to get him to eat anything; however, Ron refused saying he wasn't hungry. After a bit, she reached out to their mother and got recipes they would always have at The Burrow. Ginny hoped it would help having something familiar. Ron would just push it around on his plate, waiting for other people to be done eating before he tossed it.

His hair was long and unruly, and he held no interest in cutting it or washing it regularly. He only focused on Hermione, using her as a distraction for his own pain from the war. Ron slowly would stop going back home to The Burrow to his family even after his mother sent letters wishing to at least have dinner together once a month. Even though Ron never said it, both Hermione and Ginny knew he didn't want to walk into the house only to see George in a room without Fred cracking a joke behind him. The Weasleys all grew up with a house full of laughter, and, with everyone slowly moving on, it was always difficult having a huge house echo with the wind hitting the outside.

Hermione never wanted to be that dependent on Ron right after the war. At first it was a comfort thing for her, with him being the most familiar with the pain and knowledge of everything that had happened. She tried to make sure Ron knew he was welcome to go back home, but he always refused saying she needed him more.

Sometimes it could cause an argument, and neither one of them had the energy to keep it up. They would end up back in Hermione's bed as she tried to sleep with his arm around her in hopes to ground her from whatever nightmare took her that night. After she noticed the effect of him staying in the apartment, Hermione knew she had to make the first move to give Ron a nudge in the most healthy direction. She hoped if she made her nights busy that he would also realize how much he needed to take care of himself and how he was letting life slip away. Ron spent way too much time taking care of her and Ginny at the apartment that it seemed like he'd forgotten he was in the war altogether and that he was allowed to grieve for the people he lost.

The idea of working at night came to Hermione once she saw a help wanted sign outside the pub while shopping for a new winter coat. With it being a muggle pub, the work would keep her busy, distract her from anything magical, and she wouldn't know anyone. The Golden Girl would soon just be a normal Hermione Granger who was just kind and helpful to customers. She wouldn't be expected to be some hero, and she could finally breathe without the burdens.