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Summary
Hermione always dreamed of working at the Ministry of Magic and making a difference in the magical world. But several years after the war’s end, her dream career has become a meaningless slog, and her personal life isn’t much better.
Severus survived the war and was acquitted of a permanent stay in Azkaban, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t in prison. Reviled by magical Britain, Severus lives alone, friendless and jobless except for one small, shady contract.
Desperate for something different, Hermione heads impulsively to Knockturn Alley, where a newspaper and a chance encounter with a stranger open her eyes to sex work. It isn’t long until she’s heading to Knockturn’s brothel, The Scarlet Witch, with ideas of undertaking a drastic change. Along the way she runs into Severus, who’s taken to reading in pubs to try and make his life feel less pathetic—when he can get out of bed. Angry at the world that’s rejected them, they form a close friendship. But when the magical world begins weighing in on Hermione’s new career and their friendship leads to feelings, they start to wonder: are people like them allowed happiness and love, or is the best they can hope for a half-life lived alone in the shadows of the world?