Hermione walked the corridors of Hogwarts with Harry and Ron, her two best friends, as she had been doing for the better part of the day. She took care to look at every last thing, to take it all in while she had the chance.
"Our last day," she murmured, more to herself than to her friends. "I can't believe it." She gently shook her head.
"It's not like we won't be back," Ron said quietly to her. "I mean, we're all living in Hogsmeade, Dumbledore'll be happy for us to visit, I'm sure."
She smiled at him.
I know,
she thought. We'll be back. But….."I'm going to miss this place so much," she said. "Everything about it. Everything we used to hate."
"Everything?" Ron asked, eyebrows raised as Peeves zoomed past them, pursued by a small first year whose trunk he appeared to have stolen.
Harry and Hermione laughed.
"Well…."
Hermione didn't say it, but she suspected she might even miss the irritating poltergeist. He was as much a part of Hogwarts as anything else.
Ernie Macmillan walked by, his arm around Hannah Abbott's waist. Neither of them looked to be their usual cheerful selves.
"Hi Hermione," Hannah said. "Are you going to the ball?"
The leaving ball for seventh years was tonight, after the end of year feast. Hermione was going with Ron, who had finally worked up the courage to ask her out after four or more years. She smiled.
"Of course!" she said.
He was so shy, she thought, amused. It had taken him so long to even ask her for one date. But then, she hadn't had the courage to ask him either, she supposed. She took his hand. He looked at her and blushed slightly. Still shy then.
"Hey!" said Harry suddenly, pointing to a painting that hung on the wall nearby. "Look, here's Sir Cadogan! Cadogan! We'll miss you!"
"Do you dare to challenge me?" the tiny knight said upon noticing them, brandishing his equally tiny sword. But his voice lacked its usual, eccentric enthusiasm. In fact, minute tears appeared to be running down his face.
"Stand then, fight me," he added feebly, then sank to the ground, weeping uncontrollably.
"Cadogan, what's wrong?" Hermione asked. She was rather fond of the insane knight.
"Stand and fight, you cowards," he sobbed.
"Hey, what's up?" Ron asked.
"You're all leaving!" Sir Cadogan managed to gasp between sobs. "Going! You're leaving!"
Hermione could hardly believe what she was hearing, and couldn't help but smile.
"You're sad, 'cause we're going?"
He struggled for a while to control himself.
"Of course," he said when he'd finally succeeded. "You are the most honourable of people, a fair maiden of steely courage and two knights as brave as any. Miss you? Indeed I will." And once again he broke down.
After assuring him that they'd come and say their farewells before they left the next day, they left the little man to his misery and headed toward the great hall for the feast.
*
The feast was just as grand as usual. The food was exceptional, and the decorations were as impressive as always, more so even. The atmosphere, Hermione was sure, was happy and excited, as it always was at the end of a year, but then she wouldn't know. Enjoying herself as she knew she should be, she was immune to the cheer that the younger students evidently felt. She thought she was probably the only one who felt like this, but a glance at Ron's subdued face made her change her mind.
She looked over to Harry, who was talking to Ginny. He too seemed subdued. She felt even more sorry for him than for herself. She knew it would hit him harder. This had been, she knew, the first place he had known happiness.
She could no longer look at her friends' downcast faces, and so looked around the Great Hall. So many memories.
Gryffindor!
Voices screamed inside her head. Remember Cedric Diggory, she heard them whisper. Cool logic in the face of fire. The quidditch cup to Gryffindor! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. And so, here we are at the end of another year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She closed her eyes, the memories, painful or otherwise, echoing in her head, making her more than slightly dizzy.How could this be it? How could it be over?
*
"Hermione, you look great!"
Ginny and Hermione were getting ready for the dance. Although Ginny was not leaving Hogwarts this year, she had been invited by someone who was, and was therefore allowed to go.
"Thanks, Ginny, you do too. I LOVE your robes! They new?"
"Yeah, mum got me them for my birthday," Ginny replied, smoothing her beautiful midnight blue robes, which had tiny silver stars embroidered around the cuffs, hem and collar.
"I felt awful," she added. "They must have cost…..well, loads. I like yours too."
Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing silken robes, sky blue at first glance, but lilac in some lights, grey in others. They were her favourites. Perfect, she thought, for her date with Ron, for her last dance.
"Hey," said Hermione. "Who is it you're going with?"
Ginny had refused to tell anyone who she was going with. So, she realised, had Harry.
"Surely you can tell me now?" she said, a suspicion forming in her mind. "I mean, I'll find out in a minute anyway…."
"Yes, so you can wait!" she said, smiling happily.
"It's Harry, isn't it," Hermione said. Ginny had been in love with Harry for years, and Hermione had been starting to suspect that he had feeling for her too.
Ginny's smile widened.
"Yeah! How did you know?"
"Oh, well, I just….knew."
"Hmmm….oh yeah, I meant to ask you, can you do that charm for me, you know, the sparkly hair one? I've never been able to do it properly."
"Yeah of course. Hey, good idea, I might use it too. Do you think I should wear my hair up or down?" she asked her friend as she touched her wand to her flaming hair.
"Oh, down, it looks so great when it's loose."
"Harus glorelemberus! Ok, yeah. I love it now it's straight! Harus glorelemberus!" Hermione repeated the charm as she held the tip of her wand to her own tresses.
"OK, ready. Is that alright?"
"Yeah, brilliant, thanks!" Ginny said happily, admiring her hair which now glittered and sparkled.
"Let's go!"
"You go on," Hermione said. "I'll, er……I'll catch up. Tell Ron I'll just be a minute."
Ginny gave her a strange look.
"Are you…are you alright?"
Hermione made herself smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Go on, I won't be long!"
So Ginny, looking entirely unconvinced, left."
Hermione sat down on her bed, running her hands over the deep red velvet. She could not cast off the despondent mood, although she knew the dance would be fun, and was looking forward to going out with Ron. She smiled. She had been in love with him for years, but had never had enough confidence to say anything, just in case….
She looked around. Half her stuff was already packed in her trunk, but some things she had wanted to keep out for as long as possible. She did not want to admit that she was really going, that it could really be over.
She stood up and walked to the dresser. In front of the mirror stood a photo of her friends Viktor and Fleur, who were now married. She had once been out with Viktor, but he had lived in Bulgaria then and it could never have worked out. She remembered Ron's crush on Fleur, who really was beautiful. She remembered her jealousy, and almost laughed. In another photo frame were her parents, smiling and waving cheerfully. In the third frame was a picture of her, Ron and Harry, taken in what must have been the second year. She looked from the photo to the mirror. How things changed, she thought.
She walked to the door, turning back to look at the deserted room for a short moment before she headed downstairs.
*
In the common room she found Ron, patiently waiting, the only one there.
"Sorry to make you wait," she said. "I had to….do….stuff."
"It's alright," said Ron. He was wearing smart, dark blue robes. Hermione smiled. He really did look quite handsome.
"You look….amazing," he said.
"Thankyou. You don't look too bad yourself!"
Ron laughed.
"Shall we go?"
He took her hand. She liked touching him.
"Hermione, before we go…..I want to tell you….." He faltered.
Hermione frowned, concerned.
"Ron, what's wrong? What is it?"
He smiled.
"Oh nothing's wrong, it's just that…..Hermione I love you."
He blushed, and looked nervously at her, his eyes questioning.
She laughed.
"You…you love me…"
"Yes! Yes, I love you! I've loved you for ages! Forever! Didn't you know?"
"I used to think….I used to….hope…oh, Ron I love you too!"
She put her arms around him and pulled him close to her.
"I love you."
Ron pulled back slightly, then leaned down and kissed her gently. She felt his hand stroking her back, his other playing with the ends of her hair. She held him as close as she could, truly happy for the first time today. His kiss became stronger, more passionate. She was content to stay here, like this all night, forever, but she felt tears running down her face. She buried her face in Ron's shoulder and cried.
"Hermione, please, don't cry. What's wrong? I'm sorry Hermione."
"Ron, it's not you," she gasped. "It's…this place. I don't want to leave. I can't bear it! This is it. The last dance."
"Hermione, it had to come. We have to leave but it's not the end. It's never the end, alright? It's just….moving on. And you still have your friends. You still have me."
"I have you," she murmured, and smiled.
"My friends. Harry, Ginny. And you. That's all I need."
She took his hand once more, and together they left the common room.
*
The atmosphere at the dance was happy. People's depressed mood seemed to have lightened. Hermione had never been one for dancing, really, and neither had Ron, so they found Harry and Ginny and the four of them went for a walk in the cool night air.
Ginny kissed Harry gently on the lips and left as they came to the lake. Ron, Hermione and Harry stood by the water, calm as a millpond as it was. This was their time, almost a rite. Goodbye, they were saying to the castle that had been their home. The stars in the clear sky were reflected in the water. Hermione threw a stone into the lake, and stood up as she watched the ripples spread across the surface.
"This is it," Harry said slowly, staring out over the vast expanse of water. "It's the end."
Hermione took Ron's hand, and looked up at him. Suddenly it no longer mattered that they were leaving Hogwarts. It did not matter that it was over, because it was not, not really. Perhaps, Hermione thought, it was just beginning.
"It's not the end," she said. "It is never the end."