It was the afternoon after the Battle of Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldemort. The grounds of the castle-school were scattered with broken glass, tree branches, and all sorts of debris from the recent fight; the colored stones that usually recorded house points lay higgledy-piggledy across the stone steps that led into the Entrance Hall. The atmosphere inside the castle had the unmistakable feeling of having recently been witness to a confrontation of epic proportions. The paintings on the walls were bare and blank; the ghosts no longer haunted the corridors. The tables of the Great Hall were situated randomly, not lined in the neat rows in which they sat in happier times. Throughout the castle, there was the oppressive feeling of abandonment. The dormitories upstairs too bore the scars of a fight. Beds lay empty, the students having gone home to their families to celebrate the good news, sheets never straightened by the house-elves who fled the castle after succeeding in scaring away the Death Eaters and who had returned a few hours later to prepare food for those who had stayed the night; only the beds of those few who remained – namely, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger – were occupied.
As the bright mid-afternoon sunshine poured in through the shattered and unshattered windows, Hermione Granger walked down the corridors she had spent so much time in when she was younger. It felt to her as if a lifetime had passed between the last time she had lived in the castle as a student and now. Having been on the run for nearly a year and facing unspeakable horrors, not the least of which was torture, Hermione felt as if she was much older than a person of eighteen years. As she walked, Hermione peered into classrooms; some were layered with dust, clearly having not been used during the school year; others bore the unmistakable signs of having been occupied by Death Eaters. Hermione passed room after room as she made her way down to the first floor of the castle.
When she reached the Great and Entrance Halls – or what was left of them – Hermione found Ginny and Harry embracing and kissing. Smiling, Hermione crept quietly past them and out into the grounds. She carefully wended her way through the glass, stones, and debris from the battle, waved at Hagrid who was putting his house back together and getting settled back in, and made her way to the old beech tree under which she, Harry, and Ron had sat during their school days. She sat down, leaned her head against the trunk, and closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the sun caress her skin and wash away the memory of the Battle of Hogwarts.
After what seemed like a few minutes later, a voice said, "Hermione?"
Hermione opened her eyes and saw Ron standing above her, watching her.
"Hi, Ron."
"Can I sit down?" Ron asked awkwardly.
"Of course," Hermione said, smiling. Ron sat down next to her.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron.
"The twins were always annoying me and making fun of me, or turning my stuffed animals into spiders," Ron said. "But they were still my brothers. And I'm not quite sure if I've comprehended yet that it's just George now."
Hermione slipped her hand into Ron's.
"I can't even imagine how your mother is feeling. It's awful. And poor Teddy Lupin is an orphan now."
Ron nodded. "But he's got his grandmother. And Harry. I mean who better to help Teddy Lupin deal with growing up without parents better than Harry?"
"I guess that's true. Harry'll be a good godfather to him. Although I'm worried that he might do some stupid things like Sirius did," Hermione said, furrowing her brows.
"Eh, Sirius' recklessness never hurt anybody," Ron said. "Except himself, of course."
Hermione chuckled. "I don't think Harry will do anything to endanger himself though. Not after what happened with Sirius and not after Harry's spent all his life doing stupid things that put him on death's doorstep."
"Then you don't know Harry as well as I thought," Ron said, smiling slightly. Hermione smiled slightly too and shifted so she could rest her head on Ron's shoulder.
"Even in ruins, Hogwarts looks beautiful," Hermione said.
"Yeah, it does," Ron agreed. "It's sad we won't be back here anymore."
Hermione was silent for a few minutes and then said, "I thought maybe I would come back."
"You want to come back?"
Hermione lifted her head and looked at Ron. "Yeah. I was thinking that maybe I'd come back, do my last years, and take my N.E.W.T.s. Ginny still has a year left, so we'd be able to graduate together."
"Well, I'm certainly not coming back. And I don't think Harry wants to either," Ron said.
"Will you live at the Burrow, then?" Hermione asked. Ron shrugged and then nodded.
"I think that's good for you mom. To have you there with her while she adjusts to not having Fred. I mean he wasn't living at the Burrow, but still…" Hermione trailed off and put her head back on Ron's shoulder.
They sat in silence for a while and then Ron said, "Hermione?"
"Hmmm?"
"Do you want to go get food from the kitchens and have dinner with me?"
Hermione looked at Ron. "Are you asking me out?" Hermione asked, a mischevious smile playing on her lips.
"I…I…No…no…I just thought, after what happened in the Room of Requirement last night. But never mind," Ron babbled, embarrassed.
"I would love to," Hermione said, kissing Ron on the cheek.
Ron smiled and stood up, holding out his hand for Hermione. Hermione took it, pulled herself off the ground, and swiftly kissed Ron.
Ron blinked rapidly a few times when they broke apart, smiled, and led Hermione back into the ruined castle.