we were golden
warnings for angst, mentions of war (nothing graphic) and some language.
prompts below.
word count: 2,494 (without a/n)
without further ado...
[Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and accept no credit towards it. I am not the wonderful J. K. Rowling nor am I in any way affiliated with her.]
15th October, 1914
Dear Harry,
Oh, you awful, awful person! I still can't believe you and Ron have gone.
It feels so strange to go over to the park and see the tree that we always used to sit under empty. I haven't been back there since you left. It doesn't really feel the same.
Look at me moping! Honestly, I should be asking you, asking you everything that has happened in the few months since I last saw the both of you.
How are you doing? You are coping alright, aren't you? You're eating properly?
How's France? I've been examining the papers and the weather is said to be good - not that that's what you'll be worrying about of course.
Oh gosh, I really, really hope that you are okay. You will write back to me, immediately, won't you? I'd ask Ron but you know he's hopeless at these sorts of things and I thought I'd have more luck with you, Harry.
Tell Ron I'm thinking of him (and that he'd better respond to the letter I'll be writing him.)
Missing you loads.
Lots of love,
Hermione
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21st October 1914
Dear Hermione,
Look who's writing back first, eh?
You don't really think I'm hopeless, do you? Bloody hell, if after eight years of friendship and one kiss, you still think I can't reply to one letter, I think we're sort of doomed at this point, no offence.
I'm doing fine, love, and I've told Harry to tell you that as well, so you'd better believe it.
How are you, though? Is everything alright back home? Mum sent us both hand knitted scarves last week but her letter was brief - everything's okay, right? Is Ginny okay? She's been writing to Harry; you should read some of the things they say to each other; it's disgusting.
France is nice - the weather's great and me, Harry, and some of the lads have been playing football in our spare time - it's not all gunshots and shells like you thought.
I'm thinking of you too. All the time.
Ron
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1st December 1914
Dear Hermione,
Thanks for the socks you sent yesterday - my old ones were sodden through.
So, winter's settling in and morale's dropping a bit. I don't know if I'm allowed to say that actually but it is true. The cold has put everyone in bad spirits - Mad Eye won't stop yelling at us and Malfoy just stalks around snapping at everyone, even his superiors. It's going to get him shot one day, I swear.
How's Ginny? She hasn't written to me for a while - hoping everything's good?
Can I tell you something? It has to be a secret, alright, between us.
I asked Ginny to marry me.
Right before we left, I gave her my mum's old engagement ring and asked if she'd wait for me. I don't think I have to tell you her answer. I've got to say, it cheers me up when things get miserable here, thinking about the girl I've got back home. Malfoy wouldn't stop being a dick about it but I gave him a black eye last week and he's shut up about it since then.
How's life going for you, Hermione? I know you wrote three days ago but more and more I'm thinking we might not be back for Christmas and I don't want any of us three to drift away whilst we're apart.
Write soon (we're moving to Ypres tomorrow and we're all starting to get bored here.)
And do not tell Ron about the engagement. I haven't found the right way to tell him yet.
Missing you,
Harry
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25th December 1914
Dear Hermione,
I can't even begin to tell you how weird it is for us to celebrating Christmas apart.
It feels really strange and, yeah, me and the lads have had a laugh today, but it's not exactly the same as sitting round Mum's dinner table with you and Harry and the whole family, with the chatter and the presents, and the food!
The food here is awful. Honestly. Mum'd be appalled. I haven't had meat in three weeks.
But, anyway, on to the more interesting/bloody incredible part:
I don't even know if you'll believe me but I'll guess you'll just have to trust me.
This morning, whilst we were sitting in the trenches, cold, gloomy, and a little bit glum, when there was a bloody lot of shouting from Seamus who was on duty. I thought it was an attack, so did Harry, you should've seen the look on his face, so we jumped up, got our rifles and we ran over.
Mad Eye was yelling, so was Shacklebolt and Seamus was pointing across no-man's land and, gradually, one by one, the men put their heads up.
It was a stupid thing to do, Hermione, I know that, we could've been killed, but we were curious and you know mine and Harry's fatal flaw has always been finding trouble.
Anyway, we looked.
I can't even begin to tell you what I saw, Hermione. Honestly, I swear the sight will stick with me for the rest of my life.
Fritz was advancing across No Man's land, completely and utterly weaponless; no rifles, or bayonets, or even pocket knives, and they were singing.
It was a German carol, I think, nothing any of us recognised and, anyway, we were all too shocked to listen to the lyrics properly.
We stood there for a second and then they stopped and this guy started speaking really broken English to us.
"Football?" He said and then grinned. "Merry Christmas! We play football?"
I can tell you, it only took three minutes for the whole of our trench to drop our weapons and scramble up into No Man's land. Mad Eye wasn't keen at all, he kept saying we were fraternising with the enemy but Shacklebolt told him to shut it and came and joined us himself.
And, then we played football, Hermione. No war, no enemies, no sides, just us, humans, people, playing football on Christmas Day in the middle of No Man's land.
German, English, Irish, Bulgarian, Prussian, none of it mattered, love. We were just having fun.
I met this guy named Krum - he's honestly not all that bad.
I'm starting to wonder who the enemies are in all this, Hermione.
Hoping for some advice, like you always have.
Love,
Ron
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1st January 1915
Dear Ron,
Happy New Year!
Christmas was...lonelier this year. I mean, we had nearly everybody as usual: my parents, yours, Ginny, the Lovegoods, and we invited Augusta Longbottom too because, seeing as Neville is away, she doesn't have anybody else.
How is Neville? I think his grandma's a little bit worried; could you get him to write to her, please?
Have you heard from your brothers recently? It was lonely without you all.
And how are you? How's Harry? He seemed a bit down in his last letter; try and make him laugh more, won't you?
Did your Christmas presents reach you okay? Your mum spent ages on that jumper and I'm sure you'll be glad of it with the cold weather. Did you like the new watch I sent? I know your old one broke; and I'm hoping you can think of me when you wear it.
I'm sorry. I'm not usually this emotional. I'm just really worried for you, okay?
Stay safe, won't you? For all of us.
All my love,
Hermione
.
12th February 1915
Dear Hermione,
I don't know how to say this.
Mad Eye died today. He was shot by a German sniper whilst on patrol, dead before he even reached the ground.
I guess the Christmas truce really is over.
We're all pretty despondent over here but please don't tell Ginny; I don't want her to worry.
I don't think we'll be home anytime soon but I'm trying not to think like that.
Hoping you and everybody are happy and healthy back home,
Harry
.
14th September 1915
Dear Hermione,
I'm sorry for sounding so down in my last few letters. Cheer up now because if you're reading this, it's your birthday!
I still cannot believe you're ten months older than me. I am horribly jealous.
Have fun today, Hermione, have fun for us. Go out and celebrate and don't think about us for a while. Enjoy yourself and revel in being twenty one. You'll only be it once, after all.
Still missing you,
Harry
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14th September 1915
Dear Hermione,
Happy Birthday! Me and Harry are writing our letters to you now so that hopefully they'll reach you on your actual birthday.
Twenty-fucking-one. Wow. Don't look at me like that, I'm a soldier, I'm supposed to swear. I just can hardly believe it: that this beautiful, brave woman reading the letter I'm writing now is the same bossy, whiny girl we met when we were eleven. Don't get me wrong, love, you're still bossy but not quite as whiny anymore.
I'm joking, of course. You're magnificent, Hermione Jean Granger. I hope you know that.
I'm also hoping that you like the present I sent you.
Love,
Ron
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20th September 1915
Dear Ron,
Absolutely. Yes to the stars and back, yes from the rooftops, yes, yes, yes.
The ring is beautiful, thank you. I haven't taken it off. Ginny hasn't stopped admiring it and your mother started crying - of happiness - when she heard.
You do mean it, don't you? You do want...us? I'll tell you a secret: I've wanted us ever since I was thirteen years old and now it's finally happening, I feel like every silly schoolgirl ever.
Took you long enough, Ronald Weasley.
I love you.
Thinking of you always,
Hermione x
.
6th November 1915
Dear Harry,
You haven't written for a while and I'm starting to worry about you.
I say starting but it's more like continuing.
I know you've never really had a good relationship with death, Harry, and I really don't want you to come back from this war different.
It's naive and I know it, but I want my best friend back, I want the boy who taught me how to play football so the other boys wouldn't laugh at me, I want the boy who was my first friend and let me pester you about homework and exams because we loved each other all the same.
I want you to be happy, Harry, and that's all I want.
I love you.
Ginny is so excited about the wedding.
Lots of love,
Hermione
.
26th April 1916
Dear Hermione,
I think I'm doing a little better today. Lupin keeps handing out chocolate rations: where he's getting it from, nobody knows, but it's giving us a morale boost so none of us are complaining.
The mood here isn't the best but me and Ron do our best to make the boys laugh. I'll tell you, Seamus Finnigan is hilarious when he's drunk. He keeps threatening to set things on fire with wet matches and soggy bits of bark. Last night, he told us that he'd always had a bit of a crush on you when we were younger. You should've seen Ron's face.
Jokes aside, I'm not even kidding. That ginger loves you something bad.
How are you? Ginny tells me she's dragged you into women's football. Good. Remember when I taught you how to play? You were awful at first and you were still awful at the end but you're so much better now. We should all have a game when we get back, boys versus girls. It'll be fun.
I'm not going to lie to you, Hermione, I'm not feeling great right now. But the war can't go on forever, right?
Write soon,
Harry
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14th June 1916
Dear Hermione,
This'll be a short letter; I'm about to go on patrol.
Morale has risen a little bit and there are whisperings of 'The Big Push' which is supposed to end the war.
Shacklebolt reckons it'll be sometime next month so hopefully by the end of July, you'll have us back, all of us: me, Ron, Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill.
I can't wait to see you and Ginny. I can hardly believe it's been two years.
With hope,
Harry
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2nd July 1916
Dear Hermione,
My hand is shaking so likely my handwriting will be even worse than usual.
Harry was going to write and tell you but I told him I'd do, it's my duty, it's...it was my brother.
Fred was murdered yesterday.
Fred. Lupin. The Creevey brothers. Dean and Seamus.
All of them. They're all gone, Hermione.
Mum'll be receiving a letter any day now. Stay with her, Hermione, please. For me.
I don't think I can write. I feel like if I started screaming, all the sound in the world couldn't convey how I feel. Like I'm drowning. Like I'm clinging to a sinking ship and I don't have the courage to jump.
Harry's fine, thank God, but he'll have a nasty scar on his face. He's very shaken up and Shacklebolt's just made him corporal which will be good for him, I think. He's always been a natural leader.
I don't think I can write anything else today. Stay strong, love.
Not sure how much longer I can hang on over here.
Yours,
Ron x
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5th July 1916
Dear Ron,
I don't think words will do any good in this case. Please know that I am here for you, that I love you, I will always wait for you, and that you are not alone.
I cannot even begin to comprehend the pain you are going through and I won't pretend to understand it. Fred was my friend but he was your brother and he was a hero, he died a saviour for his country and I swear to you his memory will be remembered.
There's something I've been thinking about and receiving your letter has made up my mind.
I'm going to become a nurse.
I've been in training the past few months and I arrive in France next week. And the first thing I'm doing is going straight to the Front to help those poor wounded soldiers.
You know me, Ron, you and Harry know me better than anyone in the world and you know that if they'd've let me, I'd've joined up with you when you did. This is my way of helping people. These soldiers, people like you and Harry, you deserve help and if you think I'm going to let you suffer through this war alone, you're wrong.
This something I've been considering for a while and nothing you or Harry can say is going to change my mind.
I'm going to France next week and I'm going to the Front.
I'm really hoping I'll see you both soon.
Lots of love always,
Hermione x
Fin.
Prompts:
Muggle Music Task 7: Soldier!au
Hogwarts Advent Calendar: Character - Hermione Granger
You can interpret the ending however you wish because I couldn't be as cruel as to give them an explicitly sad ending.
I don't know if everything about the war that I described is entirely accurate but I tried to make it so as best as I could. Feel free to correct me if I've gotten anything wrong.
Reviews would really make my day and are really appreciated!
As always, thank you so much to anyone and everyone for reading! Xx