The mourning and cries of anguish and grief was all that was left. Everywhere you looked, it was destruction. It was as if Mother Nature had decided to take one last toil on the Earth. But the castle, the lone place stood out like a beautiful rose in a field of nothing but decay. The colour, the sights, the smell. Everything and everyone there survived it. But now, their lives were tainted by other's deaths. Each of them had lost someone, friend, a guardian, a blood relative. Blood. It was what started the feud in the first place. It was what ended it too. It was over. The sixteen years of fighting and war was over at last. Sixteen years was how long it took them to realise that they were all one race fighting to survive in the same world. For comprehension to dawn on them that they could do it together and still continue to live. But it was already too late.
Memories
By Amber
Disclaimer: This is not mine.
She literally crashed into the room, her eyes wide but puffy, her face tear-streaked. In her hand, she clutched a newspaper article that was carefully snipped from the Daily Prophet.
It simply showed their faces smiling up at her, but around it, the words were smudged by water-droplets. Tears. Her tears.
He knew why she was there, the piece of newspaper article gave her away. The tallest tower of the castle. It was almost ironic that she would choose this place to end it all.
She stumbled about for awhile before she regained her balance, grabbing the chairs around her, she slowly sank down into one of them, not bothering to acknowledge him, after all, they never did during their past times that they spent thinking up here, why should they now?
The only family she had left after her parents had died last summer when Voldemort had attacked them while she was out. Now they were gone as well, she was grieving for them. Obviously.
He knew better than to agitate her, knowing her fluency with spells, he didn't feel like going to the hospital wing during that time of the night.
"Granger," he ventured softly, her name was like butter, rolling off his tongue.
She looked at him for awhile, as if contemplating whether or not to answer him before she replied in her cool, sweet voice, "Malfoy."
Both of them were quiet, outside, however, it had started to rain. It was coming down in sheets, the thunder roared. The silence was deafening.
She had amusement in her eyes before she opened her mouth, asking, "You think I should jump?"
He looked at her for awhile, surprised that she'd be asking him for his opinion. "Would you actually care about what I said Granger?" when she didn't answer he continued, "You've always been smart Granger, make the decision you think is right."
For a moment, she looked as she if was smirking, but as the cloud passed, it disappeared just as it came, and her face became crest-fallen again.
"They were my family Malfoy. The only family I had left." Hermione said, broken.
Draco was quiet, unable to think of something productive to say to her.
Outside, they could hear the soft rain as it hit the windows of the empty classroom. The rain was falling as if the sky was crying her tears.
"How does it feel though? Knowing that if you do it, you would never ever see the light of day again." Draco asked, not caring if his question sounded a bit rude.
Instead of anger, sadness just reflected in her voice. "Truthfully?" she asked, watching Draco nod in obvious agreement "Brilliant," came the reply.
She had already stopped crying, but she made no movement to wipe away her teat stained face. "What are you doing tonight Malfoy?" she asked.
Outside, the lightning flashed and Draco caught sight of her eyes, the seemed to be more alive than ever, as if she had thought of something that made her glow in happiness, in elation. But at the same time they seemed to be distant, as if she was there, but at the same time not really there.
The question was irrelevant, but having nothing else to talk about Draco decided to answer it anyway. He shrugged, "To think, I suppose."
Hermione smiled faintly, "Memories. Funny how they can make someone happy even during their saddest days."
"Memories?" Draco scoffed, "They're bullshit Granger, complete crap. Every time people start a sentence which makes them smile blissfully, it's always 'I remember when…' It's all bullshit Granger. Why do you think people hold on to them for so long? "
Hermione thought for awhile before realizing that for once, she couldn't answer. "I don't know."
Draco didn't even bother to mock her; he just replied despairingly, "Because it's the only thing that stays the same when everything else changes."
This time Hermione could answer him, "Don't we all need memories to help us through our lives?"
Draco looked at her in the eye as he replied, "Then why the hell are you contemplating suicide?"
Hermione said wistfully, "Because, my memories are going to fade, slowly but surely, away. Because they're gone."
Draco sighed, "Death, Life. They're part of our everyday cycles aren't they? But there's no point in living your life being afraid of Death."
"But Malfoy, they weren't afraid, I was afraid for them. And my fears came true." Hermione sighed this time, "We were stupid weren't we? Thinking that we would be able to defeat the Dark Lord and his army of more experienced men."
Draco smirked for the first time since he entered the room, "Congratulations Granger, you've finally gained what we wizards call common sense."
Hermione's mouth twitched, but she said sarcastically, "Thanks Malfoy."
Draco thought that it was probably his time to leave. "Death. First you. Then me. Slowly the rest of them," he nodded his head towards the door. "It's going to claim us all eventually."
He turned to leave, but stopped, turning around, he looked at her for one last time before he said, "You're welcome…Hermione."
He left the room, but he managed to catch a glimpse of her face as it broke into a big smile.
Hermione watched his retreating back as he walked down the steps, she thought about their conversation before she too, disappeared from the tower.
As Draco walked back to the head's common room, listening to the soft rain taping on the roof above him, he knew that he would probably join Hermione soon enough, but he didn't mind. Not anymore.