AN: So here we go again. For those of you who have me on author alert and reading No Ordinary Love, don't fret, I will continue it but it is really hard to write something when an idea for something completely different won't leave your mind.
I wasn't really planning on starting another Dramione but this story planted itself in my head and doesn't seem to want to leave much the same way as Can We Make It did and since that did so well I decided to go with it.
Thank you to my lovely Beta Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over for me.
Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this.
Enjoy
The days after the final battle were very surreal for the golden trio and their friends and family. There was great joy over the final defeat of Voldermort, the relief was immense. On the other hand, the sorrow for the losses in the final battle and before it was crippling.
After the battle all the bodies were taken to St. Mungo's to be identified and examined, mainly to convict the remaining death eaters.
The two weeks following saw funerals every day. Fred's funeral the most emotional closely followed by Remus and Tonks. Ginny held baby Teddy the entire time, Harry holding her. Molly comforted Andromeda, both women terribly grieving for their children.
Harry and Hermione were both staying at the Burrow. Harry was another son to Molly and Arthur and they wouldn't hear of him staying alone at Grimmauld place. Harry obliged them as he always thought of them as the closest he would ever have to parents and in all honesty he did not want to leave Ginny's side.
Hermione, not knowing what her next step would be was grateful for the familiarity of the Burrow and the closeness with the family, especially as she had not even come close to extracting her parents from Australia.
They spent a few days just together. George spent most of his time up in his and Fred's old room. The shop remained closed for the foreseeable future and after a few days Molly began to worry that if he didn't leave the room soon he would go crazy.
She mothered them to within an inch of their sanity, constantly cooking, cleaning and fussing. Hermione supposed it was just a coping mechanism for her and was very worried for when she finally let her feelings in.
Arthur coped by pottering around in his little shed, playing around with the wiring on his collection of plugs and eventually going back to work. The ministry needed to be completely restructured now that the dark forces had been extracted and what better way for Arthur to avoid his grief than to go to work.
As days went by the family set into a sort of morbid rhythm. The girls helped Molly clean the already spotless house on a daily basis, but neither complained as it meant they were busy and had less time to think.
The boys played Quidditch out in the orchard, mainly just throwing the Quaffle at each other but at least it meant that their minds were occupied with swooping around to catch the magical ball.
Hermione got up one morning to the sound of sobbing coming from downstairs. She extricated herself from under Ron's arm; as she and Harry swapped rooms each night, Ron and Ginny both needing the comfort of their loved one the most.
She followed the sound down from Ron's attic room to the next floor down and found herself outside Molly and Arthur's room. She felt guilty to be listening outside their door but it sounded like Molly was alone and Hermione could not leave her to her sorrow.
She gently knocked on the door and opened it to find Molly curled up on the bed surrounded by tissues and gripping her family clock. It showed everyone at home except for Arthur whose hand was pointing at work. The hand, which used to show Fred, was now empty.
"Oh Molly, I'm so sorry" Hermione soothed and placed an arm around Molly's shoulders, rather awkwardly as the older witch was still lying down.
"I didn't want you children to see me like this" Molly sobbed and blew her nose on a piece of tissue she plucked from a magically re-filling box on her bedside table.
"We understand, we all lost him too" Hermione tried her best to console the sobbing Weasley matriarch. She felt silly saying what she said, no pain she felt over losing Fred would ever compare to the pain Molly must be feeling.
Molly nodded and made to get up from the bed, but Hermione's hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Molly try to get some rest, I will organise everyone's breakfast and send something up to you, okay".
Molly nodded again and closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep. Hermione was relieved that she didn't put up a fight, but it was unsettling also.
She went down to the kitchen and began to pull ingredients out of the fridge to start cooking breakfast. She had bacon in the pan and the eggs were scrambling themselves when an owl delivered the family post along with the Daily Prophet.
Hermione placed the kettle on the stove to begin boiling and opened the paper. She read the latest news of death eaters to be put on trial, shocked at some of the names there. People she never even considered were in the list.
She flipped to the next page and was assaulted with a large photograph of Hogwarts still in disrepair. Professor McGonagall was standing in front of the old castle, pursing her lips at the photographer.
The article read
'CallingtheWizardingcommunitytorebuildourschool'
During the final battle that defeated he who must not be named Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry took heavy damage. The Professors of the school have spent the last six weeks securing the foundation of the building with the help of several magical building crews, but now they need your help.
In order to have the school ready in time for the new school year, meaning the children will not have to be sent out of the country for their wizarding education, they have asked for volunteers to help finish the rebuilding process and to give our children a chance at a proper education.
There are talks in the work to offer last years N.E.W.T students the opportunity to come back and re-take the year again if the school is ready.
If any person reading this is willing and able to aid this worthy project, please contact Professor Minerva McGonagall.
Hermione read the article twice and considered the prospect. If it meant she could go back to school and finish her education then she was more than willing to help. Having something to do until she decided her next move was also appealing.
The kettle began to whistle and she put the paper down to pour the boiling water into the teapot adding teabags. She placed a warming charm over the food after making a plate for herself and sat down to eat.
The smell of the breakfast quickly brought Ron and Harry down. "Ginny is still sleeping, she spent most of last night crying" Harry whispered to Hermione.
The boys sat to eat and Hermione showed them the article. "I think I'm going to go and help. I would certainly like to take my N.E.W.T's and I think it would be good to do something for the future".
Harry nodded in agreement and Ron sort of grunted around a mouthful of bacon and egg.
"Do you think you would like to come?" Hermione asked her best friends. She was pretty sure they would say no. They had both been offered positions in the Auror training programme for whenever they were ready, but it felt weird to make plans without them so she asked anyway.
"I've already told Kingsley that I'll start my training as soon as the Ministry trials are over, I think there is only a few days left, so many of them have been cut and dry" Harry said.
"What about you Ron?" Hermione asked.
"Don't want to." he grunted. Hermione began to protest that this was not a reason, but Ron lost his temper fairly quickly "My brother died there Hermione, what the fuck would ever make you think I want to go back?" he screamed at her before storming out of the back door.
Harry made to go after him; to tell him off for being so rude but Hermione stopped him. "It's okay Harry, I should've thought about what I was asking".
"It's not okay 'Mione, we all lost Fred, he's the only one who thinks that gives him the excuse to fly off the handle every five minutes. It's like he still has the locket around his neck or something" Harry had really had enough.
"Let him cool off, then I will talk to him" Hermione said, gesturing for Harry to finish his food.
It was hours before Ron came back. Hermione was beginning to get really worried when he finally walked through the back door. Molly had agreed to spend the entire day in bed resting after a lot of coaxing from Hermione and Ginny.
The two young witches were in the kitchen making several pizzas from scratch out of one of Molly's recipe books when he finally decided to come back.
Hermione wiped her hands quickly and pulled Ron back outside into the garden. "I'm sorry for upsetting you earlier, I wasn't thinking" Hermione began and Ron interrupted her.
"Obviously" he grunted.
Hermione took a deep breath "That does not mean you get to keep reacting the way you have been. Your mother heard you earlier and she sobbed for an hour. Harry is about ready to hex you and I'm not far behind him. This stops now."
"Who the fuck are you to tell me that?" Ron shouted at her.
Hermione turned and walked away. She was so pleased that she had written to the school to say she would be coming to help, because she really thought that maybe she and Ron needed some time apart.
Harry, who had heard Ron shouting, promptly went past Hermione and out into the garden. Hermione heard him murmur something to Ron followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh and then come back in holding his fist in his hand, his knuckles were red and one looked like it was already turning purple.
He looked extremely satisfied after grabbing ice from the freezer and left to go and sit with Ginny in the small living room.
….
The next morning Hermione woke up on the couch and decided to start her packing. After Molly and Arthur went to bed the night before she retrieved the blanket from her bed in Ginny's room and went back downstairs saying that she thought it would be best to leave Ron be.
Unfortunately Molly had found her as she was folding the blanket and she had to lie and say she fell asleep reading down there. She really hated lying to Molly but she didn't want to get Harry and Ginny in trouble.
After an oversized breakfast, Molly unnecessarily trying to make up for the day before, Hermione went upstairs and began to pack her old school trunk. She put in clothes and some reading material, and put everything she wouldn't need into her beaded bag and into Ginny's cupboard. Ginny promised to bring it to Hogwarts if Hermione did not come back before the start of term, as she didn't really know how long this would all take.
Harry found them just as Hermione put the last of her toiletries into the trunk. "Are you ready to go Hermione?"
Hermione nodded and they descended the stairs. Ron refused to come down even after Molly threatened him with de-gnoming the garden. Hermione just said not to worry and waited in the garden for Harry who was going to the Ministry to speak on behalf of Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. A decision he had come to after a lot of deliberation of the final few hours of the battle.
They apparated to Hogsmeade together. Harry walked with Hermione up to the school and promised to look after everyone while she was away. He kissed her on the cheek and then apparated away.
There was a sign on the gate welcoming any and all volunteers. Smaller print at the bottom said that the sign was charmed to inform Hagrid that someone was at the gate and to wait. So Hermione waited.
Just as Hagrid came into view, Hermione heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil walking towards her with trunks and she internally groaned. She really hoped that whatever she was doing at Hogwarts, it would not be with Lavender.
Hagrid greeted all three girls with a cheery smile and one of his speciality bone-crushing hugs for Hermione then he led them up to what was left of Hogwarts castle.
They entered through the large doors into the entrance hall, although the hole in the wall next to it would've provided room enough too. Straight away the sight of what was left of the Great Hall assaulted them.
The magically enchanted ceiling was no longer there, most of it now on the floor as rubble. The wall that looked out onto the grounds was also missing. There were a few ex students already there; some of them already using their wands to clear the rubble into a gigantic skip out on the grounds. Hermione assumed that Hagrid and Grawp would be in charge of removing that when the time came because no normal sized person had a chance.
She recognized Oliver Wood and what looked like most of his Puddlemere United team-mates in the group, along with some people that Hermione recognized by face but not by name.
Professor McGonagall joined them and explained what was happening. "It is so good to see you here to help. As it is still quite warm and the castle is still a little unstable so we are setting up tents out near the lake. Hagrid will take your belongings there now. As the paper said we have secured the foundation of the building but you must be careful"
Hermione nodded to indicate she understood and smiled at Hagrid as he took her trunk along with the other two girl's luggage.
"Now the building crews are still here and we are assigning groups of volunteers to each builder to ensure your safety along with making sure the castle is rebuilt properly" the professor continued. "If you would like to get settled in we will be serving lunch near the tents fairly soon" Professor McGonagall left quickly, obviously very busy and Hermione made her way out to the lake.
She crossed paths with Hagrid on the way and he directed her to her tent "I gave ye one of the nicer ones youn' 'ermione" he told her with a wink and went on his way.
Hermione followed the rows of tents to a grey tent. Her name was magically inscribed over the name and a quick scan of the others showed that they all were named. It seemed that Seamus Finnigan would be in the tent next to hers and Dean Thomas in the one after that. She smiled at the thought that most of her Gryffindor year had the decency to come and help.
She entered the tent to find it was very similar to the tent they had taken on the run, except that it had one double bed as opposed to various single or bunk beds. This must be what Hagrid meant by he had given her one of the nicer ones.
There was a small kitchenette but Hermione was almost certain that after all the time she spent trying and failing to cook when they were on the run, that she would make full use of whatever Hogwarts offered at meal times.
A small but nice bathroom, which was the only enclosed area, was next to that and the rest of the space was an open living area.
Hermione was sure she would be very comfortable and looked forward to what the afternoon would bring.
AN: I've already started the next chapter so if you enjoyed this then you won't be waiting too long. As always I love to hear what you think good or bad.