For the most part, the enthusiastic celebrating had ended hours ago. Those left among the living were slowly returning from their highs induced by the culmination of Riddle's reign of terror. A somber mood had descended upon the Great Hall, but through the cloud of mourning, hope managed to shine through like early morning rays of the sun.
Like most in the Hall, two of the "Golden Trio" were comforting their family (or "adoptive" family in the case of the brunette). Though relieved the major fighting of the war had ended, neither could deny the crushing pain of losing so many loved ones. They were numb to their numerous injuries and lack of rest; both were still covered in soot from cheating death in the Room of Requirements.
The taller of the two watched as his petite friend conversed with Ginny and grinned when she managed to extract a small laugh from his little sister. He himself was talking to Charlie, trying to make sense of the morning's events. He couldn't help but smile; it was a relief knowing things like laughter still existed in such depressing times. The two women made their way over to them. "Any sign of Harry, or is he still mingling?" said Ginny.
"Last I saw, he was talking to Seamus and his mum," said Ron. Ginny didn't respond, but turned and headed towards Percy.
"I'm goin' a see if I can get a word out George," said Charlie as he walked away. George hadn't left his twin's side since the end of the fighting and had yet to utter more than two words to anyone. "I hope he has better luck than your parents," Hermione said softly as she watched Charlie's retreating figure. Ron took that moment to take in her figure. Her shoulders were bowed slightly with exhaustion; her clothes were singed and darkened by soot and blood; her face was drawn and pale beneath the grime from their adventures in last twenty-four hours. "How are you doing?" she whispered, breaking him out of his thoughts.
Ron stared into Hermione's eyes and tried his best to think of a way to put into words all of the emotions coursing through his sore and tired body. "I have no idea," he said truthfully. "I mean… it's just that, I don't think it's all sunk in yet, you know? When I told Charlie how we escaped Gringrotts, it felt like I was telling him about someone else. And the battle, it feels like it was days ago, but it hasn't been more than a few hours. And Lupin and Tonks a-and…" - Hermione grasped his hand as he faltered - "and Fred… it just feels like a bad dream, you know? I keep expecting Fred to just wake up and finish his joke or something like that." By that time, his voice was no louder than a whisper and was fighting the tumultuous emotions he'd kept hidden all that morning.
Hermione was at a loss for words for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning, so she did the only thing she could do; she pulled him gently into her arms and simply held him. She felt his arms tighten around her weary body as he buried his face in her tangled hair. How long they stayed like that, Hermione didn't know, but when Ron resurfaced he was wiping tears from his tired eyes. He savored her touch as Hermione wiped away a tear he had missed. As he stared down at her face, he was surprised to see her eyes were also wet, but she did not seem to notice. He copied her and brought his hand to her face. A look of confusion crossed her countenance and she brushed away the tears from the other side of her face. "I must be more tired than I thought if I can't even tell when I'm crying anymore," she said with a weak smile.
"Let's sit down then; I think we've earned that right," he said as he led her to a vacant bit of bench. Hermione collapsed wearily down onto it with a sigh as Ron sat and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into the warmth of his worn body and relaxed slightly. As Ron watched his family, Hermione closed her eyes and thought about what he had said, "…it feels like it was days ago."
She felt much the same as him; nothing had really sunken in yet. Their trip to Gringrotts and their escape seemed like weeks ago not within the last twenty-four hours. And she had nearly forgotten about their meeting with Aberforth and the gathering in the Room of Requirements shortly afterwards. Though much of the battle was a blur, some things stood out as clearly as the moment they had happened.
The first of which was Ron's and her decent in to the Chamber of Secretes, his brilliance in that desperate time had astounded her. She hadn't realized he knew Parseltongue (even if it was just one word). And then there was the moment in the Room of Requirements; she still didn't quite understand why she chose that particular moment to express her affection towards her ginger haired friend. She could still feel his slightly chapped lips moving against her own and his warm hands in her hair and on her back… She opened her eyes with a snap; now was not the time to lose herself in that particularly enjoyable memory. She instead joined Ron in watching the Weasley's.
Ginny and Percy were talking to Bill and Fleur, while Charlie was with Molly and Arthur near where George sat with his twin's corpse. They all just seemed so… lost. It was like they were waiting for something or for someone to tell them the next move or plan of attack. The first four wore strained smiles, though not from disguised dislike, but from exhaustion. Charlie was holding his mother as she sobbed, while Arthur knelt beside George and tried to talk to him. It was a heart wrenching sight. Ron and Hermione watched as Percy hesitantly approached George while Ginny and Charlie led Molly to a bench a short ways from Fred's body.
"What are we going to do now?" Ron said quietly. Hermione looked up into his face; confusion and sadness adorned his hansom features.
"We carry on I suppose," she said after some thought. "We mourn and heal and live. We all came here to fight to make our world a safer place, one where we don't have to fear for the lives of our loved ones or our own everyday. To do anything else would be an insult to the memory the fallen."
Ron stared into her fiery eyes, amazed. "How is it that you know everything?" he said with a grin.
Hermione laughed, "I can't remember the last time you asked me that." Ron smiled; her laugh was soothing and contagious. As they sobered up, Hermione once again leaned into his body and closed her eyes. Ron focused again on his family. Charlie had left their mother with Ginny and was talking to Bill and Fleur. Percy and George were embracing while their father watched on with a sad smile. Ron smiled; maybe there was hope for all of them yet.