A/N: Well my dedication for this story is one that's special to a lot of people. This is for my church friend Cassie…a lot of us are really proud of her for admitting to struggling with cutting and I just want her to know that we love her and are always going to be there for her. Because if she weren't here then a set of triplets would lose a best friend and another guy wouldn't have someone to go get slurpies at 7-11 with…but most of all we'd all lose someone who can make us smile and love us with all her heart.
He tensed when he saw her leave the Great Hall they both had just gotten into arguments with two fiery Weasleys. Turns out Ginny had been having an affair with…big shocker here…Draco Malfoy and Ron picked things up with Lavender when he left them. So naturally Harry Potter, the boy who defeated Lord Voldemort left the room after Hermione Granger.
She strode through the gruesome aftermath that was the battlefield and out the gates of a now broken Hogwarts. He watched her apparate with a loud crack and followed her. He landed some feet behind her in front of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. No death eaters or enemies would be here they were all either dead or on their way to Azkaban.
She walked into the house un-phased by the charms Moody had set up. Her foot got caught on the umbrella stand and she tumbled to the ground.
"Ruddy umbrella stand why the hell its even still here astounds me," she muttered and clasped a hand over her mouth with the realization sinking in. Her shoulders shook with violent sobs as she grieved. Harry sat down next to her and she began crying into his shirt. Hot tears were also flowing down his cheeks.
All the memories of their days here played before their eyes like a sad movie. Nymphadora Tonks tripping over the umbrella stand and landing in an ungraceful heap on the floor had Remus Lupin running over and Mrs. Black's portrait screaming and Sirius Black screaming right back at her.
"You all right there Hermione?" Harry asked and instantly remembered one of the last regular Order meetings.
Tonks was making her way down the hallway and tripped over the umbrella stand. "Stupid thing is always in the way," she muttered.
"You all right there Dora?" Remus asked running over.
"Yeah I'm fine Remus," she replied looking up at him. Mrs. Black's screams soon filled the house…along with Sirius' yells.
"Ma, I'm sorry okay, it's pretty ruddy annoying hearing you every damn night. I wish they'd get together too," Sirius yelled at her just going off about everything. "I don't know why we have the stupid thing either, you just keep going on about your damn traitors while I go fight me some death eater ass!"
There was no portrait yelling now Mrs. Black had her peace. This old house was someplace nobody wanted to go after tonight. It held to many memories for everyone. Hermione was now wiping her cheeks and making her way up the stairs...she only started crying harder as they saw the rooms of the house. There was one door that stood out from all the others and that was the one that had 'Tonks' charmed on it in pink writing. She claimed that she wanted to have some whimsy thrown into this creep house. Hermione put her hand on the door remembering all the times she and Ginny gossiped with Tonks.
Harry; however, had made his way down the hall. He stood outside Sirius' old room and rested his head on the door, his shoulders shaking with sobs. Hermione came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle.
The two looked around the hall at all the rooms then up at the ceiling thinking of the next floor that contained rooms for Order members. Hermione pulled out her wand and started a charm. On each and every door the names of the former occupants appeared. Harry looked at Sirius' name on the door.
With the elder wand in hand he made the name Sirius have an "X" through it and 'Padfoot' was written below it in golden letters. They moved through the whole house marking the doors ending with Remus Lupin's door that was given the same treatment as Sirius' and the name 'Moony' appeared in silver letters.
Harry stopped Hermione at the doorway of the kitchen. "There's something I've wanted to do for a long time," he stated and she looked at him with a puzzled expression. He leant down and kissed her on the lips. "I love you," he mumbled.
"I love you too," she whispered. The two made their way to the front door and looked back with tears glistening in their eyes.
The noble and respected house of Black now rested in peace along with The Order of the Phoenix. The couple left silently both still deeply sad but with a new hope for the future.