Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to JK Rowling, etc.

After finishing Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione decided to leave the wizarding world (and it's prying eyes) behind. They moved to a small town named Ambleside, just north of Lake Windermere, and opened an old-fashioned sweets shop with the small fortune Harry's parents had left him.

The main reason for the move was, of course, Harry's fame, and his obvious distaste for it. He had never been one to enjoy the spotlight, and he never would be. If it weren't for his desire to end Voldemort's reign of terror, and avenge his parent's deaths, he probably would have left the wizarding world a long time ago.

So after he defeated the Dark Lord, it was only a matter of time before he escaped the spotlight. The only reason he finished Hogwarts was because he knew Hermione wouldn't want to leave before she graduated. It was a struggle for him, especially considering all of the attention he garnered after the fall of Voldemort. He had reporters from every newspaper seeking interviews, and every single eye in the wizarding world on him, even more so than before. He was only able to manage it for her. He had to admit that she was what kept him sane. He needed her.

As for Hermione, after graduating, she was happy enough to follow Harry into his self-imposed exile. While she loved being a witch, she had to acknowledge the wizarding world had cost her a lot - the death of her own parents, most notably.

Then there was the attention she had received, due to her status as Harry Potter's girlfriend. The first time she had seen her name printed in the papers, and read the articles concerning her, she had felt sick. How could these people speak about her like that? They questioned her worth, whether she had somehow tricked Harry into dating her, and all sorts of other disgusting things. They spoke like they knew her.

She remembered, in particular, shortly after graduation. She and Harry had gone out for drinks with the rest of their friends, Neville with his girlfriend Seraphina, Ron with Luna, and the increasingly more withdrawn Draco Malfoy. They had been trying to enjoy themselves and celebrate their graduation, but one particular reporter would not leave them alone.

As they tried to leave, he bombarded them with questions, while his photographer friend repeatedly blinded them by taking pictures. Eventually, he went too far, and blatantly questioned Hermione's worthiness. Harry had sent the wizard flying across the bar.

It was the nail in the proverbial coffin. They left the wizarding world shortly after that incident.

Hermione didn't miss it. She loved the quiet scenic village of Ambleside, the anonymity, and the simple wonder of living an ordinary life. No one knew who Harry was. He was just that guy who owned the sweets shop, and Hermione was just his partner. Life was good. Normal.

'Hey Hermione, quiet day today?'

'As always.'

Hermione smiled welcomingly at one of her regular customers. Grace Bellamy came in almost every day. The nineteen-year-old redhead really had a sweet tooth.

'Just wait until tourist season starts,' Grace said, returning the smile, 'you won't have a free moment.'

'Honestly, we can't wait. It'll be nice to keep busy. Sometimes I think I might just disappear one day, stood here behind this counter doing nothing.'

'It's not that bad.'

'No, I'm just kidding,' Hermione replied. 'What can I get you?'

'Erm…' Grace tapped her fingers on the counter thoughtfully. 'I think I'll go with a bag of pear drops please.'

Hermione grabbed the tub of pear drops, shaking her head. 'You must have a good dentist.'

Grace laughed. 'The best. Where's Harry?'

'He went to pick up a friend,' Hermione said.

'Oh?'

'Yeah. An old school friend of ours. He'll be stopping with us for a few days.'

'That sounds nice.'

Hermione hoped it would be. She couldn't help but feel that Draco was slipping. He was so reserved these days, more so than ever, and from what she'd heard, he was obsessively, and destructively, hunting down Death Eaters. She worried about him.

Harry said she was overreacting and that they should just let Draco be. He wasn't doing anyone (except a few Death Eaters) any harm. Hermione disagreed. It wasn't in her nature to just sit back and let her friends travel down a road of misery.

Harry might be fine to ignore Draco's pain, but he'd always been like that. It wasn't that he didn't care. He just believed in minding his own business. Hermione, however, just couldn't live that way.

She handed the bag of sweets over the counter. 'Will that be all?'

'Yeah, thanks.' Grace paid and tucked the sweets away in her purse. She paused, studying Hermione. 'You okay?'

'Yeah, why wouldn't I be?'

'You just looked… I dunno… concerned for a minute.'

'It's nothing,' Hermione replied dismissively.

'Did you and Harry have a fight or something?'

Hermione laughed. 'No. We didn't. Honestly, I'm fine.'

'Hermione,' Grace said, 'I've been coming into your shop every day for the past two years. I'd like to think we're friends. And I can tell when something is bothering you.'

'You're a stubborn girl Grace,' Hermione replied. 'I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.'

Grace dismissed the comment with a smile. 'So are you going to tell me what's going on, or do I have to camp out here all day?'

Shaking her head, Hermione said, 'it's about my friend. Draco. He's just… going through some things. That's all I can say. And if you see him, don't mention this conversation, because he'll kill me.'

'Fair enough.' Grace grinned. 'His name's really Draco?'

'And don't tease him about his name,' Hermione cautioned. 'He comes from old fashioned family.'

'Okay-okay.'

As if summoned, the bell above the shop door jingled, and in walked Draco Malfoy, followed closely by Harry and the energetic collie Charlie.

'Ah-ah!' Hermione called out, waving a finger at Harry. 'Get that dog out! Round back!'

Harry sighed and began to pull a reluctant Charlie from the store. Finally, with one last heave, the door closed behind them. Draco stood with his hands in his pockets, looking around the store without an expression.

Hermione rounded the counter to embrace him. 'It's good to see you.'

'Yeah,' he replied, patting her back half-heartedly.

Grace cleared her throat.

'Oh, sorry.' Hermione gestured to Grace. 'Draco, this is Grace. Grace - Draco.'

'Hey Draco,' Grace said with a teasing smirk.

Hermione shot her a stern look. Grace just shrugged, watching Draco for his reaction. He didn't even acknowledge her. Instead, he brushed past her and disappeared into the backroom.

'Rude,' Grace said, pouting.

'I warned you,' Hermione said.

'Yeah, I know. Sorry. Hey, I've got a client at one, so I better get going. Thanks for the sweets.'

'Okay. Bye.'

After Grace left, Hermione went to find Draco in the back. He was sitting on the couch, fiddling with his wand.

'Sorry about Grace,' Hermione said. 'She didn't mean anything by it. She's just like that.'

Draco nodded. 'Right.'

Hermione came and sat next to him. She turned to face him. He continued to stare forward. 'Draco, are you…'

'I'm going to go help Harry with that dog,' he said suddenly, standing up and quickly leaving the room.

Hermione slumped back into the couch with a sigh. 'That went well.'

Amado Kelzer surveyed the cramped cabin and the two-dozen Death Eaters packed into it. The animals squatted in filth, reduced to such a state that even cockroaches wouldn't go near them. The dead body of the murderous, raping degenerate lay at his feet. He turned to the wizard standing behind him.

'Remove that one.'

Antonin Dolohov moved to immediately carry the dead Death Eater from the cabin.

Amado faced the rest of the room once again. 'Anyone else wish to die?'

'No one spoke up. He smiled. Good. They already feared him, even without him pulling on their emotions. It was only right they should, after all.

'He walked among them, careful not to let them anywhere near his fine white suit, looking down on them, sizing them up. Completing his circuit, he realised that these made up the very dregs of the Death Eater cult. If he wanted to save the wizarding world, he would need to procure the big guns. The Death Eaters sentenced to life in the wizard prison of Azkaban.

'Dolohov returned to stand in the doorway, imposing as always. Amado could sense him without even turning around. The wizard was under his power and would remain so for the time being.

Amado once again addressed the remaining Death Eaters. 'Your first task will be to free your brethren from the depravation that is Azkaban. It shouldn't be too difficult a task for you. Of course, if you fail, you will join Armadus outside this cabin, as a rotting corpse.' He smiled, enjoying the taste of fear in the air. 'But I'm sure that won't happen. Dolohov here will lead the raid.'

'M-my Lord?' One of the quivering mass spoke.

'Yes?'

'You will not accompany us?'

'Need I?'

'Of course not, my Lord,' the same voice replied with a tremble. 'W-we will g-get the job done, my Lord.'

Amado continued to smile pleasantly. 'See that you do. You,' he pointed at one of the standout Death Eaters, 'see that they are ready by tomorrow night. Dolohov will be in contact to formalise the operation.'

'Yes my Lord.'

'Let us leave,' Amado said to Dolohov, 'before I catch something.'

Dolohov moved to open the door. Amado inhaled the clean air, then disappeared with nary a sound.