It was a regular day on the crisp November morning. Hermione Granger was in her 6th year dorm room alone, relaxing a bit with a book or two and of course hot chocolate. Lately her mind had been spinning; she had developed a bit of a crush on her good ol' friend Harry frickin' Potter. 'Great, just great, he doesn't like me like that, why can't I get that through my head?'
She closed her book and put her head in her hands, her thoughts stopped when a rapping was heard at the window. She walked over and opened the window and a black owl flew in, with a black letter attached. 'Black letter' she thought nervously 'those ones inform you of a death in the family'. Hermione hesitantly walked over to the owl and took the letter with trembling hands. She exhaled shakily and opened the letter.
Dear Miss Granger,
We regret to inform you that your parents Helen and Thomas Granger have died along with your sister Raella Granger. They were victims of Voldemort's death eater muggle rampage. We are terribly sorry for your loss.
Minister of Magic.
For a while, Hermione just looked at the letter not believing a word of it. 'No it's not true, I'll write a letter to mum and dad and it'll come back with a message from them, yeah, it'll come back.' However, even Hermione couldn't believe herself. 'I won't cry' she thought. And she didn't, not a tear, just an empty, lingering sadness and loneliness.
She walked out of the dorm, a far off look in her eyes, just staring ahead of her. She reached the bottom and Harry saw her.
"Hey 'Mione!" Harry called. But she didn't hear him, not a word, she couldn't hear anything.
"Mione?" He called. She walked out.
Hermione didn't bother with a cloak just walking towards the lake with the letter clinging in her hands. It was cold, bitterly cold. But she couldn't feel anything but sadness and shame, and blame on her part.
She reached the old willow, and sat down, leaning against the large trunk. She just stared out against the lake, hoping it would solve her problems, but it didn't.
Harry came out with his cloak to find Hermione against the tree, not moving, not shivering, just looking sad and blank. He walked over to her.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" He kneeled in front of her and took her hands. They were ice cold.
She didn't respond, just kept looking, her sanity and resolve slowly slipping away from her pathetic grasp of reality.
"Hermione, tell me, what's wrong?" She didn't respond, Harry let go of her hands and cupped her face in his hands and turned her head towards his, she looked at him and spoke for the first time.
"Yes Harry?" Hermione spoke in a monotone voice, before turning her head back towards the lake.
"What's wrong?" Once again she didn't respond but lifted her hand to give him the black letter.
Harry instantly recognized the meaning of the black letter and hoped what he had feared wasn't true.
He opened the letter and immediately regretted it.
It was true.
He looked at her now, her expression stony and willing. He spoke softly next.
"Hermione it's okay to cry"
"I can't" She responded shakily.
"Why?" He asked.
She didn't respond for awhile until she said "Because, once I start, I won't be able to stop"
Harry got up and kneeled directly in front of her and stared into her eyes deeply.
"Hermione, your parents died-"
"Harry stop please" She begged her resolve crumbling beneath her shattered soul, tears were begging to fall but remained.
"It will make you feel better, because this feeling will fester inside of you and tear at your soul." He was getting to her, she started breathing heavier.
"I can't, don't make me, I hate feeling weak" The tears were gathering faster in her eyes.
"Mione" He spoke softly, placing both hands on her cheeks "You're the strongest person I know, just let them fall." And they did.
It was only one at first, but then 2, and 2 more. She completely broke down, shaking with hysterics, crying a strangled sob.
Harry wasted no time, he quickly gathered her in his arms and held her tight in his embrace, softly caressing her back and rocking her back and forth.
And Hermione clung on to him for dear life, feeling safe for once being circled in his arms. And the crying didn't stop, and Harry knew they would be here for awhile, so he shifted his position against the giant tree, bringing Hermione against his chest and encircling them with his huge cloak.
And they were there for awhile, and when it had finally stopped Hermione just lay in his arms, savouring the moment.
Harry tightened his hold on Hermione and placed a loving kiss to her forehead, while she lay her head in the crook of his neck. They didn't speak, no words were needed. But an understanding was left in it's place of need, they knew they needed each other as much as the other needed them.
A/N: Hey, this is not a one-shot. But it will most likely be a short story-ish type. Trust me you don't have to review, I make these stories more for me than the readers (is that selfish?) anyway, if you do decide to review you can flame, just don't be too brutal. I made up Raella by the way, I don't know if Hermione has siblings.
