Why?

Why did people become bitter? Why do people die? Why?

Hermione buried her face and cried. Ron was gone, and Harry would talk of nothing but revenge, to avenge his best friend.

"what's wrong Hermione?" a voice said.

Hermione looked up, quickly wiping away her tears. It was Sirius. He looked better than anyone who had com out of the war, though that might be said because he looked so bad from his time in Azkaban and the veil.

Hermione had put a lot of research into figuring out the veil, and had eventually worked out that the veil was just an alternate universe. She found where the muggle beliefs of hell came from.

She came out of her stupor as Sirius pulled her into a crushing hug, whispering in her ear, meaningless comforts.

He pulled back when Hermione had stopped crying. "That's better. No need to cry."

"Yes, there is!" she cried, "Ron is gone! My parents are gone! Harry, Harry… Harry hasn't been himself since last week. I wasn't there to help him all week. He…" she broke off unable to go on.

He pulled her back into a hug "yes but Ron and your parents would want you to be happy. And Harry, well Harry will get better, especially with me and you to help him. You couldn't help not being there, you were unconscious. Okay?"

Hermione nodded and sat back. "what did you want to speak to me about?"

His expression became sadder, and wearier. "I need to give you, a list, of the… fatalities."

She wordlessly held her hand out.

Order of the Phoenix fatality list

Arthur Weasley

Molly Weasley

Ronald Weasley

Ginerva Weasley

Charlie Weasley

Bill Weasley

Percy Weasley

Remus Lupin

Nymphadora Tonks

Severus Snape

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Hannah abbot

Lavender Brown

Dennis Creevey

She didn't read any further, her eyes blurring up with tears. "The whole Weasley family?" she whispered.

"The death eaters exploded the burrow. Fred and George only survived because they were at their shop." He said gravely.

He looked at her with pity. She had no one left except Harry and him. He frowned, and him… his face brightened.

"I have something to ask you Hermione." He asked when she looked up he began, "Hermione, you have no close relatives left. And the only close friends left are Harry and me. we should stick together, and help each other."

She frowned, she didn't understand what he was talking about.

"what I'm saying Hermione, is that with Harry being in this rut and us trying to forget what happened last week. I think that as soon as the last funeral is over, all three of us should go on holidays."

Hermione thought about it, chewing her lip. Sirius found himself looking at her lip as she bit it. All nice and plump and… he shook his head Merlin, he needed to get out more. She was young enough to be his daughter!

"Alright," she decided. "it would be good to get away, and to have a fun time, and to forget what happened. But, where would we go?"

He frowned, he hadn't thought of that. "We'll decide that later," he said.

"Okay" she leaned over and hugged him, "thank you Sirius."

"For what?" he asked surprised.

"For being here to comfort me when I needed it," Hermione answered.

As they were talking, two rooms away, Harry was lying in his bed sweating, and mumbling. "Ron… no, don't go… it's a trap… please Ron… listen to me… where are you?... Ron… RON!... Noooo!"

He yelled the last part jolting up in his bed, his eyes wet with tears. He wiped them away quickly as he heard someone rushing down the hallway. Sirius ran in with his wand out. He stopped and looked at Harry, he sighed and put his wand in his pocket.

He walked over to Harry and hugged him. In the end Harry gave up and just cried while Sirius rocked him back and forth.