The night was fearful, wind and rain battered the windows of the astronomy tower, the rivulets of water running down the cold glass in an endless river, showing nature's rage at having been kept at bay for so long. Here, however, there was silence, only the elements making enough noise to remind the occupant she was in fact not alone.
One footstep, and the crunch of rubble made her see she there was another presence in the room, despite the storm outside.
A hug confirmed who it was.
Nestled against his chest, she heard the frantic beating of his heart, and smiled slightly. A sense of déjà vu cloaked her trembling form when she remembered a moment exactly like this, one year to the day.
The sky had been bright, dawn casting her first gentle rays upon the ruins that was Hogwarts. Voldemort's body still lay within the castle grounds, and as did those of the Light's loved ones. It was as if the castle had became a mortuary, and everyone else either ghosts or spirits, moving around with their faces so pale and sad, that they could be mistaken for those laid out in the Great Hall.
She had been trembling then as well. With the joy at the Dark Lord's defeat also came a sadness, a great sadness that crept up on her in the early hours, and refused to let go. She never knew how he had found her then. She had climbed up to the astronomy tower, the highest peak, trying to glimpse somewhere that was happy, somewhere not under the cloud of grief that was suffocating all who dwelled within.
She hadn't, not before he had shown up anyway.
Harry Potter. The-Boy-Who-Lived now The-Man-Who-Conquered. Here he was none of that, he was just Harry, her friend, and a boy who had lost so much for a cause he could barely understand, that she felt her eyes sting with unshed tears.
He had held her, and she had not cried that night. Emotionally, her heart had been cleaved in two, but here, in his arms, she could almost forget that. She still registered the pain, lingering on the fringes of her consciousness, but he managed to soothe it, act as a balm on her abused emotions, and clutching him, she felt a hope, a hope that was only confirmed with a kiss.
It was gentle, not demanding, but understanding, and as her fingers tangled clumsily into his hair, and he had held her as tightly as he had when they had first kissed, she felt more than hope, she felt the first tinges of love.
Here, a year on, he was still there. He was still comforting her, and she him. From that first night onwards, they had carved a path together, getting through all the nightmares and grief. Whilst they still felt it, were still haunted by what they had witnessed in their younger years, they were stronger because of it, and each year they returned, their own special way of marking what was a day of such conflicting emotions.
Even now, long after their bodies have been taken by the earth, students sometimes catch a glimpse of a man and a woman, their eyes older than their years, just standing at the highest peak, looking not at the surroundings, but at each other, smiles of contentment on their faces, and love, always love.
A/N: Why is it inspiration comes only when you need to sleep? I hope you enjoyed this, it's been a long time since I've done a one-shot, and so hopefully it isn't absolutely atrocious! Either way, I would really appreciate it if you reviewed! Night :)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter :(
I apologise for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes contained within this chapter.