It's J.K. Rowling's world. I'm just writing about it.
This is a little different from most of my writing, but hopefully you like it. Just let me know.
The girl in the photo was so happy. Her brown eyes glowed so brightly; her mouth seemed barely able to contain her smile. She laughed openly with her whole heart. She swayed back and forth in front of the viewer, seemingly joking with whoever had taken her picture. She blushed and then smiled all over again, completely caught in a moment that was purely hers.
Hermione placed the photo face down and sighed.
She looked around the room once more and couldn't believe it.
She was really moving away.
Sure, she'd gone to Hogwarts more than her fair share of times. She'd even spent summers away at the Burrow and with Harry and Ron at Grimmauld Place.
But she'd never just gone like this. She was leaving, and she knew she'd never be back.
Her parents were already gone. They'd left for Australia that morning, completely unaware of her existence and happy to be there.
That had been hard. Really, really hard.
Hermione took a deep breath and glimpsed another picture across the room. It was her mother, her father, and her at a family picnic when she was only five years old. Her big, toothy grin shone at her in the still muggle photo, and her hair was as bushy as ever. But even in the stillness of the picture, she could still see the happiness in her eyes. She'd lived such a great life here.
Her hands ran softly over the figures of her parents as her eyes filled with tears. She didn't know if she'd ever see them again. Her mother's eyes, so like hers, were just as bright as hers were, and her smile was just as big. Her arm was wrapped around the little Hermione in a tight hug. Her father's strong arm was wrapped around her mother's shoulder, creating a tight bond that so resembled the way their family had always been.
Before Hogwarts, that is. Her parents had been so proud of her acceptance. They'd fully embraced the wizarding world, and they'd encouraged her every step of the way. They were so fascinated by it and so proud of everything she did, even when she risked her life so many times with Harry and Ron.
She wondered if they'd be proud of her now if they knew.
She took another deep, resigned breath. She had known the moment she placed that memory charm on them that it was the only way. They had to stay safe. She had to keep them that way. She wouldn't have been able to bare it if Voldemort had taken them and...
She refused to even allow it into her thoughts.
She lifted her hand slowly and wiped away her tears as she reached for the photo. Soundlessly, she placed it into her bag. It disappeared within the depths as had all the other items she'd packed thus far.
It was time to go retrieve Harry, and it was time to go face the world beyond her childhood.
It was time to leave it all behind.
She took another breath, focused on her destination, and felt the familiar pull as she apparated into the unknown.
A/N: Hey everyone, let me know what you think. Thanks!