Disclaimer— characters/setting property of J.K.Rowling; lyrics property of Louis Armstrong
They say you see your life flashes before you're eyes when you're about to die. Harry closed his eyes but he didn't see into his past; his eyes turned towards the future.
The sun shined so that its crystallized beams seemed too cruel in this field of death. 'Where is the thunder? The darkness? Why not send them off properly?' Hermione thought bitterly as she raced through. Her dull eyes blankly gazed around the school meadow. The sun, indeed, could not disguise the flattened trees, the grass crimsoned by the flow of life ebbing away—neither the bodies. Hermione refused to look at their faces, however, and ran on. She would look at a face when she knew it was him.
She stopped short and almost tripped over as she saw a lying figure, propped against the shade of a lonely tree. Her eyes swept over his form but refused to tear at his frailty. She hesitated before treading over.
She stood over him, her eyes roving his face. His face was pallid with a sheen of sweat gathered around his brow and lip. His robes were immaculate, though in disarray. He opened his eyes and blinked up at her. "Hey" he grinned. Hermione couldn't smile—she'd throw up if she did. But she managed. "Hello, Harry," she said softly. He weakly laughed up at her. "Why are you standing like that? The sun makes a shadow around you. You look like a Death Eater!" Hermione's face froze. How could he say such a thing? She frowned but before she could do anything else, Harry had grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him. They didn't say anything for a couple minutes as Hermione just smoothed back his hair, until Harry suddenly gave a gasp of pain. He clutched his stomach. Hermione instantly grabbed her wand and desperately cried incantations to lessen his pain. At last, all she could do was draw up a pillow for him to lie on. "Harry, let me get someone—McGonagall or Madam Pompfrey. There are some Healers around—oh Harry!" she choked. Harry drew her to him and they lay there for a while, just enjoying the sun beat warmly on them. But Hermione felt Harry getting colder beneath her. Desperately, she whispered, "Harry, you can't leave me, ok? You promise you'll stay alive? I-- we can't live without you." She squeezed her eyes shut willing away the tearing pain of her heart breaking. Harry didn't answer, but only drew her closer.
The sun was on its descent into the underworld.
Harry, sensing the time, whispered urgently, "Hermione, listen to me. You need to tell the Order that it was an incredible journey for me to fight alongside them. Tell my aunt that I thank her. And tell Ron, when he wakes up from the Petrificus spell, that I couldn't have asked for a better brother." Hermione buried her face into his chest and wept silently. Harry tried to wrap his arms around her with his waning strength. "And to you, only that I love you. Live long, be happy, and be brave 'Mione" he murmured. "I won't leave you." The sun cast brilliant reds, pinks, golds, and oranges into the vast sky. Hermione whispered, "Are you afraid Harry?" Harry smiled dreamily and said, "I see a beautiful, peaceful future, 'Mione. I'll always be here to experience it with you and everyone."
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"
I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Harry could hear Hermione sighing softly, struggling to keep her tears in as she gently leaned against him. He gasped again in pain, and she started to tell him a story to keep his mind off his internal wound. "Once upon a time…" she shakily started. Harry smiled into her thick hair as he watched the rest of the sun go down and the resplendent colors lingered. He was so tired after his earlier battle. He closed his hooded eyes, content to let Hermione's soft voice wash over him.
The sun disappeared and in the blue-gray dusk, Hermione finished her story, "…and they lived happily ever after." She became quiet, but suddenly stiffened. "Harry?" she whispered. "Harry? Are you awake?" her voice became stronger. She didn't dare to turn around. So even as tears streamed down her cheeks and her voice, along with her heart, slowly broke, she stayed in his cold arms, telling every single Muggle fairy tale she could think of. And when dawn came around and the sun, having traversed the world, peeked up again, she let herself be led away by Tonks and Lupin.
Summer rains rustled down even as the sun was out. Hermione looked out across the lake, and when she saw the rainbows of colors reflected in the water and the sky, she smiled and said, "What a wonderful world we have now because of you, Harry."