Hermione took the picture under her arm tightly, as not to let it fall, then climbed slowly out of her window. As an adult, fitting through the small space was nearly impossible, but she was trim enough, so she managed. She sat up against the roof, and stretched her long legs in front of her.
'Look at me...' she thought to herself. 'Look what I've become...' She muttered these words with deep disgust. She held the picture out in front of her. Looking at herself, Ron and Harry standing there, all looking so happy, each waving at her, a trickle of tears poured down her face. There was a sudden 'plip' and a drop fell onto the picture.
Hermione turned up towards the sky. A light rain had begun. Hermione sighed with emotion, then began to sing under her breath, the tears still rolling down her face.
As the rain drops
As my tears roll
As I lay still
'Neath this cloudy sky
Watching friends go
Lovers last kiss
Wishing luck
To my Angel on High
Hermione began to moan uncontrollably. She couldn't stand it any longer. Of all people who had to go, why had it been Harry? He had never done anything wrong. Hermione felt foolish for sitting on top of her own roof - a grown woman - crying like a little child. But she did not try to suppress the sobs.
She pounded her fist against the shingles of the house. A sharp pain spread throughout her, but it was already numbed by the pain in her heart.
As the tears swell in my eyes
A hand for thou to ease
Now rests within the body
Of my hero laid to peace
She fell back upon the rooftop, crying without ceasing. She shut her round brown eyes tightly, but her eyelids could not keep out the starlight shining down upon her.
Soaking wet, Hermione at last noticed that it had stopped raining. She slicked back her hair instinctively, then threw her hands down with a futile expression.
'What's wrong with me?' she asked herself. 'Why can't I just let this go...' Hermione heard from deep within her a heavenly voice.
"Because you love him, Hermy, you can't just let him go like that."
Hermione shook her head fiercely. But inside, she did know that she loved him. The last thing Harry had done was kiss her, and the last few words issued from his very own lips were, "I love you."
Hermione could not soon forget.
She gazed out towards the setting sun. Only a faint brim of it was noticeable. The rest of the sky was a deep velvety blue. Violet clouds dotted the sky, as did patches of silver stars. Hermione once again began her singing, as if soothing to her soul.
On the sunset
Oh how the stars rise
Towards the heavens
Sparkling with grace
Spreading blessings
All around me
But there's no more comfort
On this weary face
Hermione could help but feel that this was all true. Her face splotched with tears, and her eyes red, swollen and bloodshot, she gently rose to her feet, and continued singing. This time, much more clearly and loudly.
As the tears swell in my eyes
A hand for thou to ease
Now rests within the body
Of my hero laid to peace
Hermione slowly took a step towards the edge of the roof. She stood stationary, and instead turned her head to the heavens. There to greet her was the moon, round and silver, beaming down at her.
In most cases, Hermione adored the moon, as most girls do. Tonight, it was just a heap of rock in the sky, that only seemed to weigh down Hermione's troubles; her agony, hate, fear, rage, pain, and love.
She then screamed out to the sky, as if thinking and hoping it would respond back, "Why must you do this to me? Why must you torment my poor soul? I work hard, I deserve more than this! Do you hear me?"
The moon only shone gaily back. Hermione balled her fists, and for the first time in her life, Hermione felt the urge to join Harry in death.
Hermione attempted one last call at the heavens. "Why do you do this to people? Why do you let these innocent creatures suffer when they've suffered all their life?"
Again, the moon looked back at her with no attempt to respond to the worrisome troubles of the little girl.
Hermione could take it no longer. Before she knew what she was doing, and with a sudden churn in her gut, she threw down the picture harshly onto the ground. The glass shattered and flew into the glimmering night. A large piece had leapt back up at it's attacker. With a sharp pain in her wrist, and a small trickle of blood, a piece of the glass flew across Hermione's arm and back down to the roof, now bloodstained.
Hermione pulled up the injured wrist and began to nurse it. She then stomped flat onto the piece of glass. She turned her head to make sure that no more surprises were coming her way, and saw only the piece of paper which was the photograph fly away into the night wind.
Hermione turned back towards the edge of the roof without but one flinch.
"I'm ready," she called to the sky. "I'm coming to join you, Harry."
She outstretched her arms, closed her eyes tightly, and towered over the ground, ready to leap. Tears of fear streamed down her face. As her last words, she sang once again to the sky, almost screaming,
Now the moon shines
Upon my eyes
Sparkling sadness
Embracing pain
Just with one more kiss
All would be right
But my mighty God
Has ended that game
Then...
She leapt.
However, as soon as she had taken her first step off of the housetop, she was caught around the waist by a pair of strong arms.
Hermione took this opportunity to scream. "Get off of me! Let go!" She thrashed about wildly.
The person only tightened their grip.
Hermione struggled free and landed safely back on the roof. Her eyes still clenched tightly, she threw a fist at whoever was standing behind her, then backing slowly away to open her eyes, and catch a glimpse of her rescuer. However, she had no need of sight, for as soon as she heard the high-pitched "ow" that had followed her hit, she knew exactly who it was.
In a soft voice, she whimpered, "Ron?"
The valiant red-head could only shake his fist. "Yeah, it's me." He still stood rubbing his cheek. "Hey, Hermy, what was that for? I just saved your life, mind."
Tears fell in torrents down her face. "Oh Ron, I'm so sorry... it's just..."
Ron ran over to Hermione, to clasp her in his grasp. "I know, Hermione," he said, while holding her tightly. "There's nothing that pains you more when you're losing the one you love. It's the most horrible feeling there is, you don't know what to do, or how do act, it just comes naturally, and if you're lucky..." He could only shake his head. "I'm sorry you weren't so lucky with Harry, Hermione."
Hermione broke away from Ron. "Ron... how would you know?"
Ron grinned weakly. "I just got lucky."
Hermione fell back into Ron's arms. "Oh, Ron..."
"You know, Hermione," said Ron seriously. "You and Harry may have loved each other, but there are others that love you too."
Hermione squeezed Ron's shoulders tightly, afraid that she would soon break his skin. "Ron, there are people that love you too... people that are glad you got lucky."
Ron lifted Hermione up into his arms, and wiped away her remaining tears. He then began to sing softly, in a most wretched voice, but was sweet anyway, since he sang with such good intentions,
As the tears swell in her eyes
A hand for thou to ease
Now rests within the body
Of her hero laid to peace
He then said softly, "I do hope that you can find another hero, Hermione."
Hermione - still pained form losing Harry - asked slowly, "How long were you waiting there?"
Ron replied shortly, "Whole time." With the pleading expression in Hermione's eyes, he went on. "Harry was my best friend, you know. When I heard - well, I'm an auror, I thought I would have helped him, but... I came to you. For advice. I didn't know what the hell to do, or how to get myself over it. I had forgotten that you two were in love, that you of all people would take it harder than I. And then, I saw you. Heard you singing. And I knew. That you were going to kill yourself, in agony, in pity. So I waited. I didn't want you to stop your singing, or your battles. You were healing yourself, Hermione, far more than I could have done. But when you jumped - I had to stop you. And now..."
Hermione put her arms around his neck, as he was supporting her entirely in his arms. "Thank you, Ron. I knew you'd understand..."
Ron nodded. "But, dear Hermy..." His eyes suddenly glinted with passion. "I know that only Harry would do for you, and that you still must mourn for him, but..." His eyes told all.
Hermione nodded. "Ron, you know I've loved you from the beginning. Harry held my heart with endurance, I'll admit. And no one will ever fill his place as my dear friend. But Ron... you've always held that place in my heart. And it would only be right. That's just the way it's meant to be."
Ron smiled for the first time since the beginning of the ordeal. "Hermione..." Words simply could not express the feeling that the two of them shared at that moment, as they stood in passionate kiss. It was somewhere between mourning and passion, but it held each with high morale.
As Ron escorted Hermione to bed that night, nothing could have made less sense. All that Hermione knew was that she loved Ron as her own, Harry as her dearest friend... and that in time, everything would fall into place.
Ron kissed Hemione goodnight, then crawled into the sheets. Hermione gave him a quick squeeze around the neck, then turned back towards her open window.
A light breze was playing across a damp paper that had flown in through the wind. Hermione smiled and whispered softly into the still air.
As the tears swell in my eyes
A hand for thou to ease
Now rests within the body
Of my hero laid to peace
With a twinkle in her eyes, Ron's arm around her, and a night full of memories, she added, "I love you, Harry Potter. Don't forget me, after all, no tears past heaven."
The wind danced around gleefully one more moment, and Hermione's eyes closed. But with a misty air, and a faint sparkle in the room, another whisper was heard through the still air. "I love you too, Hermione. No tears, I promise."