Hermione looked around the battered room where she had sat with friends and enjoyed so many meals and occasions and yet all of that had been erased in a matter of hours. All she could see in the hall now was blood and death and horror. Her heart clenched at the thought and she wondered how it was she had survived when so many hadn't, Not Remus Lupin who had watched all his friends die and who was leaving his own child an orphan. Not even Alistor Moody who was one of the greatest aurors ever, she had lost so many friends...too many and yet now she was worried for a boy who had never been anything but cruel to her. How was it that she had gotten to this point, caring for Draco Malfoy was asking for trouble. Even if he hadn't died in the battle he would no doubt be sent to Azkaban to waste away. She didn't really know when it happened, she thinks it when his aunt was torturing her and even as his face remained passive there was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. Something that got her through all of the pain, her scar burned as if it knew what she was thinking. She wondered into the hall and was still lost in her reverie when shebumped into something.
"Oi! Watch it Granger, I don't need even more bruises" Her heart leapt as she looked up and her eyes collided with stormy grey ones, he survived.
"Sorry." she said distractedly and attempted to walk past but he gripped her arm.
"Are you alright?" His words were so soft she had to strain to hear them.
"I don't think I'll ever be alright again." Her eyes met his again and she saw understanding there. Maybe he had lost even more than her in some ways. As if realising what he had just done he jumped and pulled his hand away and continued past her as if he had just been burned.
Hermioned continued on trying to find her friends she hadn't seen the Weasleys in far too long and when she did her heart broke apart. There on the floor was an all to silent, all to still Fred Weasley, a sob tore from her throat and she ran forward before suddenly stopping short. She wasn't family even if Molly insisted she was and Fred wasn't her anything even if she had always hoped he would be. She saw George a way away from his family, eyes dead and she made her way toward him. He looked up when she was infront of him and before she knew what was happening he had pulled her down and was sobbing into her shoulder.
"It should have been me." the words were barely above a whisper and her heart broke even more at the idea that George could ever think that.
"No, George, no." She cooed not knowing what else to say.
"He loved you, you know." Hermione closed her eyes to hide the flash of pain that was no doubt present in the depths of them. Hermione had become closer with the twins in 6th year when Harry was caught up with his special potion book and stalking Malfoy and Ron had been in love with Lavender Brown. She'd gone to Hogsmeade often because of the special treatment she got from Mcgonagal. She stayed there with George for long until they both dozed of against the wall.
Draco watched Hermione, she looked so broken, so fragile in the arms of George Weasley. He had followed her as soon as she continued on her way. He had seen how she all but ran for Fred's lifeless body before catching herself as if realisng her mistake and heading for George. When the ginger had first pulled her into his arms Draco had wanted to be jealous but there was nothing romantic in the way they held each other. It was simple comfort between two people who had loved the boy lying on the floor with a smile still etched on his face even in death. He had always thought Hermione had loved Ron but it appears he had been wrong. He watched her right up to the point that the Aurors came to him to collect him, they didn't make a big fuss but even so he saw Granger wake up from her slumber and her eyes found his almost immediately. She reached out as if to stop them before catching herself and looking around to make sure no body noticed. Her eyes met his again and he saw sorrow there and he could almost convince himself it was for him. He was turned away from the hall and taken to the Headmaster's office no doubt to be transferred to Azkaban. He would probably be the youngest ever prisoner held there, it was fitting though he was a monster after all. An image of Hermion being tortured on the drawing room floor of the Manor flashed in front of him. He had done nothing as his aunt tortured her,he had stood by and let it happen. He deserved this, deserved to waste away, at least he got to see one last time.
It started in third year when she hit him, that was the moment that everything changed although he didn't know it at the time. It was only when Yule ball came about in 4th year that he could admit to himself that she enthralled him. He remembered looking up as she walked in and having his breath knocked out of him. There she stood in that blue dress and a soft smile gracing her face and that was it, he was a gonner. Maybe if things had been different, if Voldemort hadn't come back on that night in the graveyard, he would have gained the courage to talk to her in the way she deserved. It was not to be though and there was no way he was going to put her in danger by trying to befriend her. That night after Yule ball when Ron had made her cry he had been giddy, thinking that maybe this would be his in. He just needed Krum gone and then he could, he could nothing.
Draco shook his head he needed to stop getting caught up in the past. Hermione Granger would forget him, there was no point in what he was doing. He walked calmly to the office of the man he had considered family, that was wrong, it was Dumbledore's office the man who had put everything into motion. The man he was supposed to kill but couldn't, he could still feel the lashes as they tore into his flesh when he got home. What's worse is Voldemort imperioed his mother into doing it. He clenched his fists, that was the moment that Narcissa had turned against Voldemort completely, even his father became disillusioned by the event, though he made sure not to show it. When he got to the office his parents were there, both bound as well. It seemed this would be a family affair. His father was stone faced he had known this would be coming, his mother on the other hand looked completely lost, her eyes dead. She didn't deserve this, she had been dragged into this because of a deluded husband and an insane sister, she had never done anything to help the Dark Lord, except become a prisoner in her own home. He was put into the fireplace first with floo powder in his hands. He spoke the word that would end his freedom and when he opened his eyes next, he was in Azkaban.
Hermione was more affected by Draco's arrest then she would like to admit, especially now with Fred's death still so raw and new. She would get through this, she had to. She was the brightest witch of her generation, or so everybody kept telling her, she had survived the war and she knew there would be casualties. She knew Draco would be arrested following the victory if he managed to survive. Fred's death was more difficult because though she knew he could die, she had never imagined he would. He was Fred Weasely, he was a brilliant wizard. He should have survived, another sob tore through her, waking up the wizard next to her who looked so much like his brother that their mother had confused them on many an occassion. He pulled her back towards him before finally standing up with her and leading her away from where they had been huddled and towards the body of his brother. They knelt down again and she collapsed on the body of the man that might have become her world if they had only had more time. She loved him and she had been on her way to falling in love with him and now...and now he was gone. She stayed there for a long time, with George rubbing her back as though he hadn't lost even more then she had.
That was the last thing that Hermione could remember clearly from the time immediately following the final battle. The rest was all a blur of tears and funerals, even Fred's, though the tears there were the worst. The days and weeks went on all with Hermione moving around like a zombie with only George able to get through to her at any one time. Ron was furious and Harry, well he was just sad and broken barely able to keep his own head above water. Hermione would remain this way for months right up and until Draco Malfoy's trial started and everything changed.