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The war was finally over and Hermione was trying to figure out how to move on. So many had died and so much had changed. Not only did she have to deal with the Ministry and answering all of their questions about how three teenagers did what the grown aurors couldn't, but also they had to handle funeral after funeral.

Hermione was lying in bed at the Burrow staring at the ceiling, waiting for daylight to come through the window between the two twin beds in the room. After Fred died George couldn't stay in the room they once shared, so Ginny offered up her room to him and he took it gratefully. Hermione looked to the girl in question across the room sleeping soundly with the smallest occasional snore. She looked back to the ceiling and continued to wait; she began to count the stars that Ginny had magically added to the ceiling.

She hated this felling, waiting for a new tomorrow. She knew that it wouldn't make anything any better. When she couldn't sleep all she could think of were the people that had died, and when she was asleep that was all she dreamed of. She wrapped the blankets around her tightly as a chill came to her as the thoughts of Tonks and Lupin came back to her. Their funeral was today, which meant it was going to be the day that they are told their last wishes.

Light was finally starting to come through the window. Slowly but surely she began to sit up and swept her legs off the bed onto the floor. She put her feet into her slippers and grabbed her robe and headed towards the door as quietly as she could. Closing the door behind her she proceeded to walk down the stairs. Once she got to the bottom she headed into the kitchen for a large cup of coffee. She sat down at the large table and waited as she had done every morning since the war had ended.

Molly Weasley soon came to the kitchen to start breakfast as she always did once Hermione was half done with her cup. "Good morning dear."

Hermione looked up from her cup. "Good morning Molly."

"How are you doing dear?" Molly looked to Hermione with concern.

"As good as I can be I suppose with everything that has happened." She replied. Molly moved towards Hermione and put her arms around her to console the young woman she had know for so long.

"I know dear, I know." She put one hand on the top of Hermione's head as small silent tears ran down her cheeks. Molly continued to hold her till the delicate tears ended, it lasted no more than five minutes.

"Thank you Molly. For everything I know all of this is hard on you. Probably much harder than it is for any of us." Hermione thought of how Molly must feel having not only lost old friends but also one of her children in such a violent manor. She looked into the elder woman's eyes; the same one that once held so much life and vigor had slowly become dull and hollow as the days passed. Hermione gave a grave smile to the woman who had become a second mother to her. Molly returned the same smile and asked her what she wanted for breakfast. Hermione thought to herself and fell upon a childhood obsession.

She looked back to the woman and gave her the most childlike smile she had ever given since she was a young girl. "Chocolate chip pancakes?" she questioned as she looked up in hope.

Molly looked back and gave a small chuckle. "Chocolate chip pancakes it is then." Molly turned around and began enchanting the kitchenware to begin making breakfast. She spoke across her shoulder, "Hermione why don't you go on back upstairs and get yourself and Ginny ready for the day."

Hermione got up from her chair and did as she was told with her cup in hand. She walked back up the stairs and walked back into Ginny's room. She walked up to the bed Ginny was lying in. She looked so peaceful that she didn't have the nerve to wake her just yet. She knew how many nights she cried herself to sleep and she was finally able to sleep soundly. She moved away from the bed and went to the dresser she was using during her stay. She tried to find a black dress she hadn't already worn but to no avail. Each one she grabbed was scarred by a new memory from a different funeral. This was the last of them. Fred's had been the hardest and this would probably make a rather good match. She went to the closet she shared with Ginny and found the dress she wore to the Yule Ball back in fourth year. At the time things had been so much simpler. She pulled out the dress and looked it over. I may be able to wear this if I just take it out and change the color. She proceeded to do just that.

She finished dressing and the dress was perfect it was just the right color of black and was a perfect fit. Tonks would have liked this dress if she had seen it. She finished her hair and made her way back over to Ginny and sat on the side of the bed. She put her hand on Ginny's arm and moved her slightly.

"Gin, it's time to get up." She spoke softly so not to scare her like she had a few days prior. Ginny moved towards her slightly as her eyes began to open.

"Hi Mione." She took Hermione's outfit in once she had gotten of the side of Ginny's bed. "Mione, is that the dress you wore to the Yule Ball?" Her brows furrowed together.

Hermione smiled to herself when she replied, "Yes it is. I thought that it would be just right for Tonks and Lupin. They never got to see me dressed nicely, I think they would have enjoyed us looking really nice."

Ginny got out of bed and moved towards the closet and spoke over her shoulder, "You know what Hermione you're right." She pulled out a flowing red dress with three spaghetti straps that ran across the back in a delicate manor crisscrossing with the other set making a triple X in the center of her back. "Hermione could you change the color of this for me?"

Hermione picked up her wand and moved it just so and the color changed from a fiery red to jet-black. It turned out the dress looked even better in black than it had in red. Ginny looked at it and smiled. "This is the perfect color. Thank you Hermione." Once they were both done getting dressed they went down stairs for breakfast. As Hermione walked behind Ginny she noticed that the dress wasn't just right, it didn't seem appropriate for today.

"Ginny what do you think about adding a little something to the back of your dress?"

"Like what?" She questioned.

"How about a shear black back so it is a little more reserved?" Hermione replied hoping that she didn't offend Ginny.

Ginny looked back at Hermione thinking about it and then she finally replied, "You know what? I think that would actually make the dress nicer. Would you mind?" She turned back around for Hermione to make the alteration. From the center where the straps crossed the shear fabric formed and expanded out covering her entire back right up to the tip of her shoulders.

"Perfect." They continued back downstairs and headed towards the table to eat. Once they turned the corner into the kitchen everyone was already downstairs much to Hermione's surprise. I didn't hear anyone come down normally these boys are extremely noisy when getting ready!

Ginny walked over to the side of the table that had the last two seats waiting for them, she looked to the table somewhat confused. "Mum, why are there chocolate chip pancakes? You never make those, at least not since we were kids." She looked up at Molly with a bemused face.

"Hermione wanted chocolate chip pancakes today." She said it in her way that meant it was the law and no one should question it. "By the way Ginny where did you get that dress?"

"Oh.." Ginny didn't know how to reply, she had originally bought the dress for an event that was later canceled because of the war and not to mention it wasn't even the same dress after what Hermione did to it. "I bought it a while back, when I saw Hermione I figured a nice dress would be a nice change for today." She hoped that the attention would move to Hermione so she wouldn't have to keep answering any questions.

Molly looked over to where Hermione was still standing in the doorway. Ron was the first one to say anything, "Mione, why does that dress look familiar?" Typical Ron couldn't actually remember when she wore it, but that was just Ron being Ron.

"It's the same dress I wore to the Yule Ball I just changed it up a bit for today. I thought that Tonks would like it, and Lupin didn't get to be there to see us all dressed up." Hermione looked thoughtful as she placed her hands on her flat stomach and moved them over the fabric as a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Everyone looked at her in wonder of how she managed to do something so small yet thoughtful for those they were finally letting go today.

"Mione, why don't you come sit down over here?" Ginny questioned hoping to get the attention off of Hermione knowing it was making her a bit nervous.

"Thank you Ginny," She sat down and looked at the spread in front of her. "Molly this looks delicious!" She practically jumped towards the food in a very Ron-like style shocking everyone. Once she took her first bite she was brought back to the simpler times when she was a child. She had no cares in the world, nor any obligations or responsibilities. How she wished she could go back to those days.

The back door to the kitchen opened and Harry walked through the door with a solemn expression. Hermione had begun to worry about him much more than normal he never seemed to have an emotion other than sorrow, he hadn't even cracked a smile in weeks. He walked over to the table where Ginny was sitting and kissed her on the cheek and sat down next to her. "Morning" that was all he said. He never really said much since the war ended. Hermione thought it was because he was afraid that he would offend someone but maybe he just was out of words. The only time they could get him to say anything was if a family member from a funeral asked him to.

Molly joined them at the table and began to eat. Once everyone had finished they sat in silence. The Burrow had once been a place of jokes and laughter but now it was just like being in the middle of an ocean with no one there but yourself and the sound of the breeze hitting you. Hermione pulled herself up from the table and walked outside she knew that they would want to leave together but she had to go alone. Today was going to be hard enough as it is without a clan of Weasleys behind her all day. Once she hit the cobblestones she followed them out to the apparition point. She then left with the sound of a CRACK that resonated through the area.

Thank you for reading, please review.

~ST