Chapter One
The Battle of Hogwarts
They had won. It was over. The grounds were littered with the aftermath of the fight; rubble being pilled high by those able bodied enough to lift the large rocks. The bodies of the injured and dead were being carried through the grounds and placed in the great hall to be grieved over or healed. The rest of the grounds crawled with witches and wizards, limping along, looking desperately for loved ones or for some semblance of normalcy amongst the horror of what had happened that night.
The sun began to rise on the trio as they walked back from Dumbledore's Grave. The grounds lit up with the hope of a new day. With Voldemort gone the Wizarding World was safe, people could finally celebrate and enjoy their lives without the fear of death or torture. Harry, Ron and Hermione linked arms and stood in the courtyard surveying the wreck. Wordlessly they grieved for the lost and the dead and began once again to walk forward. The trio unlinked in order to stumble over the piles of rubble and brick. Hermione fell a few times, her legs refusing to cooperate after all the strain they had taken from running around the castle for such a long time. Harry and Ron helped her through though they were both suffering just as much.
Reaching the entrance to the castle they saw that Colin's body had been moved along with those who had died in the courtyard and entrance. Hermione looked to Ron then Harry and began to walk forward again, approaching the great hall on the left. As they reached the doors, which were open allowing people in and out, Ron took one look at his family and broke free of the pair and ran towards his family to be engulfed in a motherly hug by Molly. The Weasleys in a sea of red surrounded their youngest brother and let him drop to the floor next to Fred's head. The family could be seen visibly sobbing, understandably over the younger twin's body. Hermione stood back as Harry approached the family and was too hugged by Molly, her obvious relief that he was alive evident.
It had, since their 1st year at Hogwarts, become evident to Harry that he was like a son to Molly and Arthur, both of them accepting him into their family with open arms. Hermione however always felt distanced from the family although she knew now after the battle, as Harry broke from the circle of Weasleys and pulled her in with him, she would never feel apart from her second family again. Dropping to the floor by Fred's side, Hermione grasped his hand to say goodbye. Leaning down to kiss his forehead she noticed a slight movement in his lips. Hermione's face shot up, studying Fred's closely. Just as she decided it was her imagination and hope playing tricks on her, Fred's lips once again moved along with his nose flaring. Not wanting to give false hope, Hermione discretely pressed her index and second finger to the inside of Fred's wrist. To anyone else it looked as if she were merely holding his hand to say goodbye.
Her breath hitched as she felt a pulse, weak and almost undetectable, but there all the same. Screaming for Madame Pomfrey, Hermione began to push down on Fred's chest in order to keep his heart beating. After compressing his chest she breathed in through his moth while pinching his nose. Just as she was beginning to get tired from the compressions, Madame Pomfrey came running over wand in hand. Thanking the young brunette Madame Pomfrey got to work on Fred, casting spell after spell, her wand work fast and effective as Fred's chest began to rise and fall quicker and at a better rate, showing more signs of life. Hermione stood back as others began to notice the commotion, some running to help and others stepping back as she did to watch.
Harry came up behind her, grabbing her shoulders and pulled her further away from the ruckus. They turned and began to walk out of the great hall, heading nowhere in particular.
"I noticed he was breathing. I gave him CPR so I don't know…" Hermione broke off as they found their way up the stairs of the astronomy tower. Harry pulled her to him and they stood like that, entwined in each other's embrace, Hermione shedding a few tears over the chaos of the day. Harry smoothed down her unruly hair, soothing her as she cried into his shoulder.
"Let's sit down 'Mione. No-one's going anywhere." Harry led Hermione to the edge of the tower, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge and patting the space next to him for Hermione.
"You know I hate heights Harry." The brunette cautiously sat down next to Harry, linking her arms in his and tried desperately to control her breathing.
"And yet you still sit down, you're the bravest person I know Hermione. They're going to remember us for this you know. For whatever we did and for everything we'll do from now on." Hermione could hear the worry in his voice as he spoke. Momentarily forgetting her fear she leaned forwards to look at the castle below.
"Don't tell Ron that, it might go to his head." They both began laughing, softly at first but eventually with the stress of the battle it became a full belly laugh, releasing some of the tensions they both felt.
"I kissed him you know, I think I love him." Hermione's voice was soft and quiet, making Harry strain to hear the confession she was making.
"About time too." Harry turned to her and smiled, her eyes watering as she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him with a force that rivalled Molly Weasley herself.
Suddenly a blood-curdling scream echoed across the castle, causing Hermione and Harry to shoot up from their seats and run full pelt down to the source. People were staring to gather in the courtyard and as Hermione and Harry pushed their way through the bodies and caught sight of the source of the scream. Ginny sat hunched over Ron's body, which lay limp in her arms. Ginny's shoulders heaved as she sobbed over the body of her brother, her hair forming a curtain around his head and flowing over his shoulders into the pool of blood that lay around him. Small cuts marred his body and as Ginny was pulled away by a grief stricken Bill, Hermione and Harry were able to see his face properly. He had been fighting with Augustus Rockwood. Apparently Percy hadn't fully gotten to him before and just as Rockwood lay dead, Ron's eyes stared glassy into the morning sky as the bird song began and the clouds parted to illuminate the courtyard. Hermione turned into Harry, great heaving sobs leaving her body as she cried into his chest. Harry took one last look at his best friend, the man that had stuck with him through thick and thin and realised that they had both lost a man they loved. A best friend, a brother and a son, lost to the war and lost to his loved ones. Hermione would never get to profess her love and Harry would never again express his gratitude for their best friend was dead.
A/N: Please don't hurt me, I'm merely a lowly writer. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I hope there'll be many more to come! Do comment and review if you have time, I'd love to hear any feedback you have. Don't worry I do have a line to go one with this one, but suggestions are always welcome. Thanks for reading, much love! Molly