After the war, everyone seemed to move forward, repairing what was destroyed, buried and mourned those that were lost, and tried to reword hundreds of years of laws so that such a thing could never happen again. Everyone that is except for Hermione Granger. She had watched on as her friends, people she loved as family, did all of this, unable to make herself help or even be remotely active in the activities. All she could do was stay at the Hogsmeade cemetery day and night, sleeping on the ground beside the freshly laid dirt that was where her first love was buried.

Frederick Gideon Weasley had been a year older than her, the older brother of one of her best friends Ronald, and for many years he had been the bane of her existence, the complete opposite to herself. Between he and his twin George, they had caused mayhem throughout Hogwarts with the pranks and their joker personalities. But then the war had come to light to those of their community and suddenly Hermione, or Mia as she was known more commonly as, hadn't hated the laughter that they brought with them, she had relied on it heavily after her parents were murdered before her 6th year at Hogwarts.

That had been what brought them together. She had been staying at the Burrow when Dumbledore had appeared, taking her down into the orchard that connected the Weasley and Lovegood properties, and told her about the attacks that had made her an orphan. Her screams had brought the family she loved to her, and Fred had been the first there, collecting her fallen body and carried her back to the house.

After that, he hadn't left her side, even with a booming business to run as well as Order work to complete, he was always there for her, forever with a grin and a joke to make her smile when she really didn't want to. They hadn't meant to fall in love, they hadn't been looking for it, but it had happened and they shared their first kiss together as the witch was waiting for the Hogwarts Express, hiding in an alcove so that the family wouldn't see them.

Fred had snuck into Hogwarts constantly, buying his own invisibility cloak so that he wasn't spotted, and had even shown that he knew how to bypass the security charms on the girls' tower staircase by flying up and sleeping beside his girlfriend on more than one occasion. They had shared their first times together, in the Room of Requirement, after running away from Mrs Norris one night that Mia had slipped out to see him. When the holidays came, they weren't hiding their relationship from anyone, not that it was that big of a surprise, even Ron had realised there was something going on, though he had also caught them out one morning after seeing his brother flying down from the tower with his friend along for the ride. Molly Weasley was over the moon and had truly embarrassed the pair by starting to add in their name when talking about the coming marriage between her eldest Bill and his fiancée Fleur.

When she had been on the run, Mia had created two necklaces, one for them each, so that they would always know where the other was, so that they could safely meet up. It also helped in that they could send messages back to each other, and Fred, along with George and Lee Jordan, ran an illegal radio station that he would send coded messages to her over.

Then the final battle happened. She and Fred had spent many days together beforehand at Shell Cottage but when they met back up at the school they had seen as another home, there was something greatly different and it wasn't just because of the danger. Had she known that it would be their last time together, the brunette wouldn't have chosen a broom closet, but they hadn't known. Fred had been killed soon after, one minute joking around with Percy, the next he was buried under a portion of the castle.

Both she and George had dug furiously for him, but they'd both known in their souls that he was gone. They'd carried him into the Great Hall and clung to each other tightly, feeling like they would shatter into a million pieces if they let go. Then the family had joined them, the sadness was overwhelming to the woman and she had run for air. She'd been the first to see Hagrid walking towards the castle, carrying Harry in his arms.

Her sadness was pushed aside, replaced with blinding anger, and more than a little bit of hope that she would join her love soon. Many fell to her anger, though she was pissed when Molly had killed Bellatrix Lestrange, she had a large bone to pick against that evil woman, but making mincemeat out of Antonin Dolohov was a reasonable substitute.

And finally the war was over, and Harry had found her curled up on the battlefield, covered in blood, and instantly thought she was dead, until he heard her sobs. Carrying her inside, he had gotten her checked over and placed her into the same bed as George, who was in a similar state.

That had been a month ago. They'd buried Fred as the sun was going down over the mountains of Hogsmeade the same day, George had been carried away by Hagrid but when Harry, the closest person she had ever had to a brother, had gone to move her, she had sent a Stinger hex at him. With the deadness in her eyes, everyone knew it safer to simply make sure she didn't catch a cold and had everything she needed, so got it all together and someone had come down every day to make sure she was well.

Today was Harry's turn, and when she saw him, Mia knew that her brother was over it, he was marching towards her with a look in his eyes she had seen only a few times before, "That is it Hermione Jeanne Granger, we are going home this instant."

All around her, her belongings began to pack into her backpack, the book she had been reading out loud flew from her hands, "Hey! Harry, I'm not ready."

"I don't care Mione, you are coming with me right now even if I have to fight you over it," grabbing her bag and putting it over his shoulder, the green eyes softened as he lift his sister, "He wouldn't want you to be acting like this."

She had no more tears left but the sadness welled inside, "I know Harry but he, he kept me alive these past two years."

"And he will continue keeping you alive," a hand went into his coat pocket, "We found this today. George needed some clothes so Gin and me went to the apartment, it was pinned to a photo of you both."

It was a letter, written in the elegant writing that Fred only let a few people see, and it looked like it had been cried on a bit, when the witch held it she could feel it was still damp, "Who…?"

"Gin, she saw it first," the worry was there to be seen easily, "We've been struggling too."

"I'm really sorry Harry," in all of her despair Mia had forgotten that there were others much closer to Fred who were mourning also.

He brushed the apology off, "It's alright. You can read that when we get back."

Slowly the pair made their way out of the cemetery and Harry then apparated them both to the front gates of Hogwarts, where the family had been staying since the battle. Mia was trying to take deep breaths to calm herself but the further into the grounds they went the harder it became, the memories of both the battle but more painfully, the memories of the good times were flooding through her.

"I can't, I'm sorry," Mia cried as she ripped herself from under Harry's arm and ran off.

The raven haired teen was going to go after her when he saw she wasn't heading to either the front gate or the forest. Shaking his head and sending a prayer to the gods that his sister would recover, he continued into the castle, finding his girlfriend and putting Mia's things into the classroom designated as hers.

Mia ran blindly for a while before realising where she was and choked down a half sob/chuckle at seeing the beech tree. The tree had been the Golden Trio's area of relaxation but in her 6th year it had also been a hidden spot for her and Fred. The dense foliage of the tree had given them the perfect hiding spot, helped along by a few well-placed charms, and as she climbed the branches, the witch felt a tiny glimmer in her heart that wasn't filled with pain.

Sitting on the largest branch, she ran her fingers gently over where their names were diligently carved out before turning and removing the letter from her pocket. Caressing the parchment for a moment, Mia opened it and began to read.

'To my Mia,

If you are reading this then the unimaginable happened and I was killed during the battle. I can only say I am grateful that it was not you and that I died having known the love of my life, and will forever watch over you as you go forward in that wacky event called life. And you will go forward, I know that it seems unimaginable at the moment but you must not let yourself stop living.

Mia, you and I never had the chance to have the life together we wanted but I am so proud that I have gotten the time we have had together, I wouldn't change it for anything, well maybe my being dead but other than that.

I want you to do me some things now though my love. The first is to stop everything, think about all of the times I've annoyed the living daylights out of you, and laugh your heart out. Next, go hug the family, tell them you love them, that I loved them, that I will miss them but they are not to stop living because I did, and make sure you tell George that he was always the prettier twin.

The last thing though Mia, that will definitely be the hardest and you will hate me for telling you to try and you will fail in doing it but never give up. I want you to go on living. Go travel the world like we said we would. Take WWW to newer heights. But the hardest one, and it is certainly hard to bloody write, but the one thing you MUST do no matter what is you must find love again. Find a man who will make you laugh, hold you when you cry, make your heart flutter with a look, and know when to duck when you get pissed off. I will always love you but I'm not there anymore, you are too young to give up on love and I know that there is someone out there who you will love, not as you loved me but will love all the same and with all of that gigantic heart of yours.

My love, this is the end, I'm about to head to the castle now, George is getting worried but knows that this needs to be written. Just know that I will always watch over you, as will your parents, Sirius and Dumbledore, maybe even Mad-Eye if he's truly bored.

I love you so very much,

Forge.

P.S. I bought this a year ago but well, I never got the nerve to ask you even though I'm certain of the answer. I'd like you to wear it, even though I'm not there, a way to always remember me.'

At the bottom of the envelope there was a ring and through the tears that wouldn't fall, Mia removed it from the parchment and sobbed, "Oh you stupid man, of course I would have said yes."

The ring was white gold in the shape of a flower, with red diamonds on the leaves and a canary yellow diamond in the centre. Laughing wetly, she placed it onto her finger and pocketed the letter before starting her climb down, she knew that what her love had asked of her was going to be hard but she wasn't about to deny him his final request.