Stars
Hey everyone! Sorry that I haven't updated A Place To Belong in a really long time, but I've been busy, and I chose to write this one-shot for you to (hopefully) enjoy.
Ten points to you if you can find the Very Potter Musical reference.
Disclaimer: I don't own HP, nor do I own AVPM.
I dedicate this to Brandon, for you may look to the stars and remember her.
It was peaceful. The wind blew, the sun set softly in the distance, and there was the faint buzzing of happiness and relief in the air. The only trace of what had occurred was in the rubble and the sound of tears.
Hermione looked around at the many people who were gathered in what once was the Great Hall. Many were smiling and laughing, chatting while they ate. Few, such as Harry and Luna, were secluded in areas of the large space, enjoying themselves. There were people milling around, looking for loved ones. A large portion of those people were in tears, realizing that they wouldn't find their loved one alive. Some of them had even found the dead bodies of their friends and family.
The Weasley family, for example, had found Fred.
The ghost of a smile was still on his face, which seemed paler than before. His red hair didn't have the shine that it normally did, and his blue eyes were closed.
His brother, Percy, laid over him and cried, begging for forgiveness. Charlie was unmoving, and kept his eyes on a large piece of rubble that had a terrible red mark on it. Bill was holding Fleur in the same way that Arthur was holding Molly. Ginny was curled in a ball on the ground, her hands around her knees, rocking back and forth, all as she shook her head, not even trying to conceal her tears, or even attempt to wipe them away.
George was reading a letter. Hermione, not even realizing that she had moved, found herself at George's side.
She didn't speak, she just watched as he read. His face had a mix of emotions. First was sorrow, then happiness, remembrance, and finally, immense grief. Tears slipped out of his blue eyes before running down his cheeks and gathering on the letter.
Hermione tried to hold back a sob as she watched. The back of the letter held Fred's messy scrawl, spelling out the words 'From the dearest Rapier, the better looking twin'.
George looked up at Hermione and their eyes connected. At that moment, George collapsed into Hermione's arms, letting his tears flow out. Hermione felt her own tears drip down and onto the stone. They were hot on her cold cheeks.
It was as if all were oblivious to the pair. They existed to no one, mainly because everyone was grieving by themselves or with others, and were too busy to notice them. George's sobs pierced the night as Hermione silently cried and pulled George closer.
"It won't ever be the same," George managed between his fits of tears.
"I know," Hermione whispered.
George stood and wiped his tears away with his sleeve before holding out a letter. "This is for you," he said before walking away.
Hermione looked stared at the parchment that had a slight bent towards the corner from being in George's pocket. There was a name on the front. Her own.
She was unmoving, unspeaking. After a moment of this, she slowly moved her hand forward and touched the rough material. Touching it shocked her back to reality, and she was suddenly aware of the other people around her. She quickly stuffed it under her jacket.
She stood and surveyed the room before walking out of the remains of the Great Hall. She walked off of the grounds, watching the breeze cause ripples in the Black Lake. The sun was gone and the stars were out. Hermione noticed a star she'd never seen before. She knew just about every star in the sky. This was Fred's star.
There was an old tale about when one was taken to the heavens, a star was added to keep the earth in balance. You couldn't lose a soul completely, so the star would remind you that the person was never really gone. This was Fred's star.
One could wonder how Hermione would know that it was Fred's star. There were dozens of new stars added that day. Those stars included Tonks, Remus, Collin… Hermione just knew, though. It had a certain shine to it.
Hermione held back tears as she walked off of the grounds and apparated home. The house was empty. Her parents had been killed in the months before without knowledge of her existence. It hurt. She didn't have time to properly grieve over them since she had to search for horcruxes. She had time now.
Hot tears were streaming down her face by that time, and she ran to her room and hopped on her bed before tearing open the seal on the letter.
My Dearest Mya,
If you're reading this letter, that means that the world has lost it's most handsome man. Shame, too. I guess all of you ladies will have to settle with Gred. Oh, well.
I'm glad that George got this letter to you. I left him a letter, also. I just wanted to tell him that I love him, and I apologized for dying a valiant death (what other way is there to go?).
I guess that's what I'm saying to you, too. I promised myself that when the war ended, I'd tell you. You'd know by now, so I guess you wouldn't be reading this letter.
I'm trying to say that I love you.
I have for awhile, now. It started in my 5th year. You were always so tired—you fell asleep in the common room dozens of times, and I had to get you up to your dorm (yes, I know a way around the charm, and there's no way I'm telling you what it is… I promise that I only used it to get you up to bed in your 3rd year and your 5th year, when you were exhausted from OWL prep).
I fancied you from then on to the present. I've come to love you over the years. The moment I knew was when you told us to let loose on Umbridge.
George knows that I love you. If you ever need anything, go to him.
I will love you forever. I promise to watch over you, and I'll smile every time that you make a movement for the benefits of werewolves, I'll smile when you are elected Minister of Magic, and I'll smile when you fall in love with someone that isn't me. I'll always be by your side, even though you can't see me.
I await the day that you come to me.
My love will last eternity, forever yours,
Rapier, the better half of the Weasley Twins, your favorite troublemaker
Tears smeared the words all over the page. Hermione sobbed louder than she ever had. She sobbed for her friends, for her family, and she sobbed for lost love. She never got to tell Fred how she felt, either.
"I wish to come to you, now, Fred," she cried, "I'm so sorry, love."
She was hit with the stark reality that she'd never hear his infectious laugh again, she'd never scold him, she'd never see him threaten one of Ginny's boyfriends, and she'd never see him smile.
Hermione cried throughout the night.
In the morning, Harry walked through the door. "Hermione," he called. "'Mione, where are you?"
"She has to be here," Ron said. "We checked everywhere else."
"Isn't this Hermione's room?" Ginny asked. Harry nodded. Ginny opened the door and screamed.
Hermione's body lay on the bed, cold and unmoving. There were tearstains on her cheeks and her stiff arms were clutching a letter to her chest.
Harry ran over to her, grabbing her arms and willing her awake. "What's wrong with her?" he barked to the youngest Weasleys, his emerald eyes not straying from his (almost) sister's face.
Ginny lightly placed a hand on his shoulder and he let go of his friend as the redheaded girl went to go examine the Gryffindor Princess. She placed a hand on her best friend's neck and pulled out her wand, casting a few charms to check her vital signs.
"She's dead," Ginny concluded shakily.
"What? How?" Ron yelled.
"She died of grief."
Hermione woke up in an odd place. It was Hogwarts, but it wasn't destroyed as she'd seen the day before. It was in it's prime.
She looked around before she noticed the doors opening. A certain redhead stepped onto the grass.
Before she knew what she was doing, she ran straight towards him and hopped into his arms, her lips and his colliding.
"I love you, Fred," she announced.
"I love you, too, Hermione," he said, holding her closer. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't tell you that before."
"Me, too."
"Forget about me, eh?" said a playful voice. "Thanks, Herman. We were having a great conversation, but as soon as you get here—nothing."
"Sirius!" Hermione tackled her friend, who looked to be the same age as she.
"So he gets all of the hugs, does he?" Remus laughed, also looking to be in his late teens, early 20s.
"Remus!"
"Wotcher, Hermione," the pink-haired witch on Remus's arm called.
"Hermione, I'd like you to meet some people," Remus said. "This is—"
"I don't need a bloody introduction, Moony," said someone who looked almost exactly like Harry. "I'm James, and this is my wife, Lily," he said, nodding towards the pretty redheaded witch that resembled Ginny.
"Gee, with the Marauders in town, I think that we'll have to work harder for the attention, Forge."
They all turned to see George walking towards them. Fred and George met up in a hug. "What're you doing here?"
"I came for you, obviously," George said.
"Hogwarts is going to be busy with both the Marauders and the Weasley Twins," Dumbledore announced. He was standing next to a man dressed in all red and gold. Even Dumbledore and Godric looked to be her age. She concluded that everyone in heaven came to their best age.
"What else would you expect?" Hermione asked, laughing.
"I was expecting for a grander entrance," said a voice to her left. Someone resembling Fred completely was speaking.
His twin brother was standing next to him. "Yeah, our entry was amazing. Fireworks and all."
"Oh, hush up, you gits—we all know that didn't happen," said a man who looked just like Sirius, but a bit younger. "I'm Regulus Black, by the way. And these two prats are Gideon and Fabian Prewett."
"At your service," they both said at the same time, bowing to Hermione, who was fidgeting a bit.
"Looking for someone, love?" asked Robert Granger, Jean on his arm.
"Mum? Dad?" Hermione screeched, running over to hug her parents.
"Oh, honey," Jean said, holding her daughter close, "We've missed you so much." In a much quieter voice she whispered, "Fred's a keeper."
"Well, now that we're all together, how about we all head into the Great Hall? I hear that there was a surplus of gumdrops, so I'm quite excited," said Dumbledore, a smile lighting up his attractive, young face.
Hermione stood still as she watched the old friends all walk towards the castle. She felt arms wrap around her stomach, and she leaned into Fred's chest.
"You know," he said into her ear, "When I said I'd be waiting for you to come, I meant in the future, not right this moment."
"Are you complaining?"
"No way—I'm happy. I mean, I'm sad that I've got to leave Ginny, Lee, Oliver, and the rest of them behind, but I'm glad that I can celebrate my days with you, George, Big D, Godric Gryffindor, the Prewett Twins, and the Marauders."
"I'm glad that I'm here, too."
"I love you so much, Hermione Granger."
"I love you more, Fred Weasley."
"I think you're mistaken, Miss Granger," Fred joked as Hermione turned around and slid her arms around his neck. He stared into her toffee-colored eyes and let one hand find it's way towards her honey hair before he said, "You know, this would be the moment that I'd ask you to be Mrs. Weasley, but I suppose we can't get married in heaven—can we?"
"Not sure. You've been here longer than I have."
"Point taken."
After a moment of comfortable silence, Hermione said, "Fred, I've fancied you since the World Cup, and I've loved you since I saw you helping the littluns overcome the horrid blood quill. I imagined that you'd be comforting like that to our kids."
"You imagined having kids with me?"
As she nodded, her honey curls bounced up and down. "Red haired and blue eyed, just like you."
"I was thinking brown hair and brown eyes."
"How about red hair and brown eyes or brown hair and blue eyes?"
"I love it. And they'd be the smartest and most mischievous at Hogwarts—they'd make their old man proud." They both smiled and laughed before staring at one another.
"It's too bad that we won't be able to have them."
"You never know," Fred reasoned, a glint in his eye as he leaned forward. "Magic is a wonderful thing," he whispered against Hermione's lips. She felt that magic when their lips touched.
Harry watched the sky. He could hear the sobbing from inside the Burrow, yet he sat under the stars. His eyes were focused on the very star that Hermione had been watching the previous night.
As he was watching, the sky began to shift. He thought that his eyes were playing a trick on him, but he wasn't imagining anything.
Two new stars joined the sky that night.