"Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively from the other side of the door. "Are you in there?"
Harry tried to answer her from where he sat staring blankly at the wall but he couldn't seem to find the strength or willpower to do it. What was the point? What would it accomplish? What good would it do?
"Harry! Open up!" he heard his other best friend call out.
"Ronald!" Hermione scolded. "You can't just talk to him like that, he's in pain!"
"Aren't we all?" Ron countered vehemently. Harry heard him storm away followed by the slam of a door.
There was a pregnant pause before Hermione tried again.
"I know you're in there Harry," she said gently. "Please let me in!" she continued, this time unable to refrain from begging.
"Come in," he said after a moment, his voice croaky from lack of use.
Harry heard a sigh of relief before she opened the door and entered.
"I'd ask how you are doing but it's a stupid question isn't it?" she laughed nervously.
Harry didn't bother answering. He didn't see the point. Suddenly she grabbed his arm and began speaking quickly like she always did when she spoke fervently.
"Harry listen to me," she began. "I know that the battle took its toll on all of us, you especially. But even though you killed Voldemort it feels like he's still winning because we're all acting as though we're dead. And maybe we are dead inside but we need to begin to heal. Wake up Harry! Please come back to me!" she begged as tears began to pour from her eyes. "Come back!"
"Why should I?" Harry roared. "Why do I deserve to come back when Fred and Lupin and Tonks and Dobby and Lavender and hundreds of other people can't? They deserve to live more than me, at least they still had a purpose to their lives!"
Understanding dawned in Hermione's eyes but she astutely let him lead.
"What do you mean by that?" she prompted.
With his shoulders slumped in defeat and the pain in his eyes that never faded Harry looked like a seventeen year old who had lived a thousand years and fought a hundred battles.
"I mean that all of my life I've been defined by my scar. It ruled my life and my destiny. It's strange but now that Voldemort is gone I feel like I don't know what to do with my life. What is my purpose? Do I even have one? My job was always to bring Voldemort down. What now?"
"Oh Harry," Hermione whispered. "There was always so much more to you than that. You've always been a steadfast friend. Ron and I need you now more than ever. And what would Ginny think if she heard you talking like that? I think that she wants to marry you someday. She certainly sees a lot more than your scar. You know," she continued thoughtfully, "It always seemed to me that the purpose of defeating Voldemort was that it would allow us to truly start living. Now is the time that you can truly begin to build your life and fulfil your destiny."
Harry looked at her in wonder. He felt as though the haze that he had been living in the past several weeks was beginning to clear. "You always know what to say Mione," he said affectionately.
"I love you you know," she smiled leaning in for a hug. "What's more, the battle's not really over yet. There's still a lot to do!"
"What do you mean?"
"Well first of all, Ron really needs you as do a lot of other people. Do you know how worried Ginny has been?"
Harry fought to keep the guilt at bay. It threatened to come crashing down and consume him again. So many people dead because of him. Apparently he was still causing harm. He could never win.
As usual, Hermione seemed to read his mind and came to the rescue. "No one blames you of course. I'm just saying that you're needed. Of course there's also a lot of rebuilding to do at Hogwarts," she continued.
"What are you talking about?" Harry challenged. "The castle was rebuilt in a jiffy."
"Yes the building was fixed right away," Hermione replied. "But the people are taking a while longer to be put back together."
Harry felt a sudden sense of purpose. People needed him. He had a mission to help others.
"Alright let's go see Ron," he said resolutely.
xxxxx
"Hey," Harry said from the door.
"Piss off," Ron grumbled. Harry was reminded strongly of the time in fourth year when Ron had refused to speak to him. He was comforted by the fact that they had eventually patched things up. But all he said was,
"Nope."
Ron looked at him in disbelief. "What the bloody Hell do you mean?"
"I mean that I'm not going anywhere. Not this time. I'm done being withdrawn and distant. I'm here for you," Harry said simply.
"Took you long enough," Ron snarled. Harry didn't respond. He had resigned himself to the fact that it would be a while before Ron came around until his best friend cracked a grin and said, "Gotcha there didn't I?"
Laughing, Harry said, "You are such a toss!" before elbowing him in the side.
From where she stood observing the pair from the doorway, Hermione wiped away some of her tears and said, "Boys," as though looking for an explanation from the heavens.
The road forward was not as smooth as the initial reunion. Many days were spent holding each other and crying for themselves and for those who had been lost. Sometimes it all became too much and they would lash out at one another, inflicting wounds that could not be seen but that were felt deeply. In the end however, they always came back to one another. Eventually they were able to pick up the pieces and go and help others rebuilding elsewhere. They went back to Hogwarts to help the rebuilding efforts there. The building was completely repaired, restored to its majestic self. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the people in it. There was still much work to be done so the Golden Trio visited almost every day to do what it could. Sometimes they gave talks about their ordeal and about what they were doing to heal. Sometimes they counselled individuals. Often though, they just went and visited cheerfully. In doing so they demonstrate and taught the most important lesson, the one that people needed to see the most. Life does in fact go on.