AN: I honestly have no idea how this came to being, it just came to me as I was driving for three hours, and demanded to be written, it was probably not really good, but I decided to go with it for now, please don't kill me. Harry Potter and all associated franchise does not belong to me and all that, since I must say it...
ONESHOT: I'm tired.
Bang! Sounded through the room, the sound of finality silencing the entire room after the last change to the laws of the land.
Hermione sighed in relief, it was over, they had finally won.
It had been years since they had started this fight, to change the world, to change the wizards, the people, the laws of the land.
Harry's intense drive to make sure another Voldemort never happened, her own wish to make the world a better place for all, house-elves included, surprisingly Neville's strong will and unbreakable spirit in the face of tradition.
7 years had passed since the final battle, since Harry defeated Voldemort, 7 years since the battle became a battle of ideologies, where instead of magical power, it was gold, reputation, and charisma that mattered.
And even here in a stage Harry was completed uncomfortable with, he made everyone else look small, here he managed to be loudest voice, the brightest light, the beacon the world needed to get away from darkness.
"Hermione…" It was silent, if she wasn't so used to it she wouldn't even hear it, but she turned to her best friend, sitting at her side, dressed in muggle clothes, he looked handsome as ever, but his eyes were dulled, she knew that look.
"Yes Harry?"
His breathing was slow, he sagged into himself, the most powerful and influential wizard of today was folding into himself, relief, exhaustion and much more finally settling in.
"I'm tired"
The first time had been back in fourth year.
Harry was sitting in the common room, Hermione was the only one sitting with him by the fire, the first task would be in a couple days, and while Harry studied the summoning charm as much as he could, every day he seemed weaker and weaker, as if he didn't have the strength to keep going.
"Hermione…" He called, in a small voice, so weak she never heard from him.
"Yes Harry?"
"What happens if I just give up?"
She paused, he was under a lot of pressure, but he couldn't really be thinking about it, would he? He still had a life to live, she would make sure he survived the tournament, she wouldn't let Harry die like that.
Harry was her hero, as ridiculous as it was, her belief in Harry was stronger than her belief in books, it had started when a scraggly eleven year old jumped into a mountain troll to save a bushy-haired girl he didn't even like being around.
It had grown stronger as she watched the boy going alone through fire to face an enemy he couldn't hope to match.
It had become stronger than anything else when he came to visit her every day in the infirmary as she was petrified. She never told him she could remember everything that happened.
She knew that she would follow Harry wherever he went when they travelled through time to save an innocent man and an innocent animal.
Through it all Harry had always been strong, he never faltered, he never showed weakness, he never looked around, if the world was against him he might be broody, but he would not stop.
That was the Harry she believed in, and she couldn't allow him to give up now.
"You don't need to Harry, you will master the summoning charm, you will go there, call your broom and outfly a dragon… I will make sure you survive this…"
He didn't answer for a long a time, and she thought he was sleeping when he finally answered.
"I'm tired."
She smiled slightly as he leaned against her.
"Then get to bed, we have work to do tomorrow"
"Thank you Hermione."
Grimmauld place was a dreary place, with little to do besides cleaning with Mrs. Weasley. It seemed to suck the energy out of people.
Hermione had snuck out of her room, hours after Harry's trial and the party following that, she had never been so relieved when she learned the results or as horrified with the ministry when she learned the details.
In the end, her mind was too worked up for sleep.
Especially as she was still kicking herself for actually listening to the headmaster, wasn't it last year she decided to stick with Harry? Only to refuse to talk to him, especially with how horrible the Daily Prophet was being?
She was surprised when she entered the library and the boy who was in her mind most of the time was sitting there, a book closed in his lap, and his eyes vacated, staring at the bookcases.
"Harry?"
He didn't turn or react much, but she could see his eyes focusing a little and a small smile growing.
"Hermione… What are you doing?"
"Couldn't sleep, thought about getting a book to calm myself."
Harry's fond smile at her made her smile back at his as he scooted to the side on his seat, allowing her to sit by his side, despite the fact that there were other arm-chairs, even one in front of Harry's.
"Are you still mad?" She asked timidly as she sat.
"Not really, just… Disappointed? I don't really know…"
She understood.
"Hermione…"
"Yes Harry?"
"Today… As Fudge was talking and Dumbledore came to 'save the day'… For a moment I actually thought about just letting them do it you know?"
"What?"
"Snap my wand, erase my memory, expel me… It just seemed so tempting… All my troubles would be over…"
"Oh Harry…" She lamented as she hugged him.
"Please don't say that again…"
"I'm sorry"
"Don't…"
"You're crying"
"You never cry"
"…"
"Please don't think of that again, we will get through it, one day this will be over…"
"Hermione…"
"yes?"
"Thank you"
They stayed in silence for a long time.
"I'm tired…"
"Then you better get back to your room mister, if you sleep here you will wake up sore."
"Speaking from experience?"
"Prat!"
The next day, Hermione realized that Harry had not been talking about being physically tired, and she decided to make sure he knew he had a life to live.
And so it went, Snape, Umbridge, Voldemort, Sirius, Dumbledore's lessons, the attacks, Dumbledore's death, camping, desperately running around without an idea or a plan, through it all, Harry would always come to Hermione when he was about to give up, and she would bring him back, there was always something else to do, something to do tomorrow, to study, to fight, to live.
The world still needed a Hero after all.
After their talks Harry would always end it with the same phrase: "I'm tired"
And every time he said so, he seemed weaker, his light dimmer, his eyes clouded, and her heart went to him, as only in those moments, only with her did he allow the weight of responsibility to crush him, for only a moment he let it show.
And then they would continue with what they should be doing.
Because the world still needed him.
At the final battle, she had been so desperate to stop him, but she couldn't, and when he came back, joy filled her, and then they won.
She had married Ron, and Harry was their best man, but his engagement to Ginny didn't work, in private, as always he admitted that even to Ginny he couldn't show his weakest, and that's why they didn't work out.
Together they tackled the politics of a changing world, and Harry would always come to her when the pressure was too much, when he needed to admit those feeling of weakness, as he struggled with being the Hero.
It had all come to this day, finally it had been over, finally, the last battle was fought, let the next generation take it over now, his role was over, the world didn't need a Hero anymore.
"I'm tired"
She smiled radiantly to him, happiness swelling in her, this would be the last time Harry would need to say those words.
"That's alright Harry… It's over, you can rest."
His half-closed eyes opened, peering into her, he had long since lost the hope of not being needed anymore.
"Really?"
"Yes Harry, you can rest, you deserve it."
He smiled, a bright smile, the one he always gave her when she came with the answer he just could never find. Even with her marriage with Ron, it still managed to stroke her old crush, as it always would.
"Thank you Hermione…"
She took his hand in hers, the joy of a job well done, his smile and the usual words making this moment intimate, even if they were surrounded by witches, wizards and reporters all around.
"Hermione…"
"Yes Harry?"
He closed his eyes, his breathing slowed down, he was finally resting, a whole life of struggles and hardship, he could finally rest.
"I love you…"
Her breathing stopped, as did everyone else in the room, Harry mumbled it, but he might as well have yelled it.
"Wha… Harry?"
She was so surprised by the unexpected words it took her a couple of seconds to finally realize something else.
Harry's hand in hers had no pulse.
The world had no need for a Hero anymore afterall…