A.N: Hello, here be my first post of 2008. Hip-hip. Hope you all had a glorious Christmas and a refreshing New Year. HP belongs to JK, We Are Broken belongs to Paramore (darn it!) Now, I've tried to explain what I mean in the narrative by using quotes from the song, so I do apologize if it gets repetitive.

Hermione Granger pounded the piano keys furiously. She was sitting in the Room Of Requirement alone, just her and a piano. She was mad at the whole world. Stupid Malfoy for tripping her up, Stupid Ron for starting an argument with her, Stupid Harry for siding with him, Stupid Snape for giving her detention.. The list went on.

Soon her fruitless ponding of the keys turned into graceful cords. After a quick introduction, a song poured out of it's own accord.

I am outside
And I've been waiting for the sun
With my wide eyes
I've seen worlds that don't belong
My mouth is dry with words I cannot verbalize
Tell me why we live like this

She reconized it immedeately; it was on the radio a couple of weeks ago. The truthness of the simple song brought tears to her eyes. She was an outsider in a world which simply didn't belong. She remembered the first time she entered Hogwarts. Her mouth was dry as she entered the Great Hall, joining the throng of students waiting to be sorted. She also remembered when she'd first heard of the war with Voldemort. 'We don't have to have to live like this.' She thought, tears stinging her eyes.

Keep me safe inside
Your arms like towers
Tower over me

All she wanted was to be kept safe, which still wasn't possible, even with Voldemort gone. His crual regime had left the Wizarding World in tatters.

Everyone was broken, some more than others.

Everyone's innocence was lost, some in different ways than others.

Everyone had lost some peice of them in that war. Some their faith, others their spirit, some, like Hermione, their hope.

Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And all the promise we adored
Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

She was almost the voice of reason to others during the war, the good and the bad. She gave those whom were follers of Voldemort a choice. She made sure she gave everyone a choice.

Lock the doors
Cause I'd like to capture this voice
It came to me tonight
So everyone will have a choice
And under red lights
I'll show myself it wasn't forged
We're at war
We live like this

She was once again reminded of that faithless day when her dad was killed. Her father had taken an Avada Kedevra that was meant for Hermione. Then he collapsed on her, his arms around her.

Suffocating her.

Protecting her.

Her mother had committed suicide exactly a week later, as she couldn't stand to be in the some house and the girl who had gotten her husband killed.

Keep me safe inside
Your arms like towers
Tower over me

Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And all the promise we adored
Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

Hermione finished the song with a flourish of keys, and walked out of the Room Of Requirement, straight into the arms of Ron.

'That was beautiful.' He said, and kissed the top of Hermione's head.

Tower over me
Tower over me

And I'll take the truth at any cost

Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And all the promise we adored
Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

Then Ron put an arm around her, and they both walked away, without looking back.