Title: All That Glitters Is Gold
Characters/Pairings: HermioneHarry, HarryLuna, LunaNeville, RonHermione, HarryGinny
Summary: "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic."
Disclaimer: I own nothing
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It all starts on a Tuesday.
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There's a party.
A party of celebration.
Everyone is there.
You, Harry, Luna, Neville, Ron, Ginny.
Even Draco.
All of your friends.
All of the survivors.
::
You're holding hands with Ron.
And it feels ohsowrong.
You unlink your fingers.
"I'll be right back. I just want a drink."
LiesLiesLies
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You watch HarryandLuna as you walk away
You can't help it.
It's like a car crash.
You can't look away,
No matter how painful it is.
::
You're dancing with Ron.
You know Neville and Ginny are somewhere staring at HarryandLuna wistfully.
You know Malfoy is trying ohsohard to forget {you can tell by the drink in his hand}
You know George is hopelessly lost in his memories; fredfredfredfredfredfred
And the only thing on your mind is HarryPotter.
::
It's ironic how you're his best friend but you feel invisible.
It's ironic how you've been right by his side while he saved the world and you still feel worthless.
It's ironic how you're the smartest person in your year but he makes you feel like nothing.
::
It's hours into the night and everyone has had a little too much to drink.
(You think someone spiked the cider)
You stop caring after you can't see HarryandLuna anymore.
Ron's even worse off than you are; spinning around in a circle and whispering fred's name.
You think it's possibly the saddest thing you've ever seen in your life.
And you've seen a lot of sad things.
::
It all starts on a Tuesday.
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Someone has a muggle car.
You don't know who.
Someone gets the bright idea to try and drive it.
You don't remember who (ormaybeyoudontwantto)
Someone gets in the driver's seat and everyone piles in.
You stay behind with a terrible feeling in your chest.
::
Five Killed In Car Accident
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You put your hand to Ginny's tombstone.
Then Ron's.
Then Luna's.
Then Neville's.
And finally, Harry's.
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The Dark Lord couldn't get you, but a car crash could.
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You didn't go to the funerals.
You couldn't bear to look at Draco's haunted frown.
Or George's sadsad eyes.
"A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic."
You read it somewhere.
You think it fits.
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You don't move on.
You don't eat.
You don't sleep.
You're just there.
All of your friends are gone.
What are you supposed to do now?
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"You've got to stop this! I can't lose the only person I have left!" George screams at you two days after the funeral.
His hands are on your shoulders, shaking you, trying to get some response.
Anything.
He eventually sighs and walks away in defeat.
You whisper after him, "I'm sorry."
::
Luna visits you on a Friday.
You're in the library, trying to forget about the screams of your friends.
The flames covering the car.
The horror on their faces.
The broken look in Draco's eyes as he ran back from the scene and stuttered out a single sentence.
"They're all dead."
You shake yourself out of it and your eyes widen when you see the blond girl calmly leaning against a wall.
She smiles at you.
"But y-you're dead!" You say and she shrugs, running her fingers along the table until they disappeared into the wood.
"I wanted to come and talk to you. It wasn't your fault. We all made the choice to get in the car. And don't worry. I knew about you being in love with Harry. I'm not mad. I think you would have been a beautiful thing…if you'd gotten the chance. I think I have to go now. Goodbye, Hermione."
And then, Luna is gone and you're left staring after her ghost with a tear falling down your face.
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Ginny and Neville visit you next.
It's in your dorm room this time. Professor McGonagall let you stay by yourself.
Part of you thinks she can't bring herself to replace Ginny either.
They're sitting on your bed when you walk in, staring at you.
You gasp and back up until you hit the wall.
"Hi, 'Mione." Ginny says as Neville waves beside her.
"Why are you here?"
"Tsk Tsk, are you not excited to see us?" The red-haired girl asks, condescension dripping from her tone.
Neville cuts in, "We're here to make sure you live. Don't die with us."
Ginny circles you as you stand rooted to the spot, "It's too late for you, though, isn't it? You're a dead girl walking."
Her counterpart gives her a disapproving look, "Ignore her. You have to be free, Hermione. We can't hold you down."
And then he vanishes. Ginny soon follows with a final parting shot.
"I still think it's too late for you."
::
You meet Draco's eyes across the room for the first time since the accident.
You think it's a start.
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And then you break.
You cry and throw things and scream until your lungs hurt.
"Why, Harry, why did you leave me? I loved you…and you just left? Why?" You whisper after the anger goes away and you're left with pain.
Sheer pain.
"I never meant to leave. I never knew you loved me."
You turn around and there he is. Harry gives you a small smile before walking up to you.
"Everyone else knew," You tell him.
He shrugs, "I've always been kind of oblivious to those kinds of things. I loved you too, you know."
"Just differently than I love you."
If he notices the present tense you use, he doesn't say anything. He just looks at you sadly and leans down to press coldcoldcold lips to your hothothot forehead.
Your breathing stops.
"Goodbye, Hermione."
And he too is gone.
::
Ron is the last to come see you. His hair is as disheveled as ever and his eyes still shine.
They were never enough for you, though.
"I always knew," He says sadly, "You never looked at me like you looked at him."
Your apology dies on your lips as he holds a hand up and shakes his head.
"I don't blame you. He's the hero. I'm just the sidekick."
You try to speak, but he cuts you off, "Don't worry about it. Before I go, I needed to see you one more time. I hope I made you happy when he couldn't."
"You did," You whisper and he smiles—it's small, but it's there—before he vanishes.
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It all ends on a Tuesday.
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You just can't take it anymore.
You hear Draco sobbing on the quidditch field and you realize everyone is faking.
No one is really okay.
They're just really good liars.
You think that maybe, just maybe, it's time to be honest.
So you write a note to George telling him how very sorry you are.
imsorryforgiveme imsorryforgiveme imsorryforgiveme
You write apologies until your fingers bleed and your tears stain the paper.
And then you put your wand to your temple and whisper a forbidden curse.
One more tragedy won't hurt.
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It all ends on a Tuesday.
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