Harry craned his neck to see what everyone was looking at. "What's all the excitement about?"
"Oh, Harry, you may not want to see this…" That was Sirius for you, always looking out for his favourite godson.
"Why, what's going on?" He elbowed his way past several people crowding at the scrying bowl, and gazed down at the scene depicted. With a start, he realized exactly what they were watching.
"Run, Hermione!" Ron's voice was strained, as he fought back screams of pain.
"I'm not leaving you here!" Hermione tried to fight her way towards her lover, put was forced to return to her cover as several spells were sent her way.
"Please!"
"No!" Dredging up her final few scraps of determination, she threw herself up from behind her rock. Brandishing her wand, she hollered "Stupefy Esparo."
A blinding flash of red light erupted from the tip, engulfing everyone in the area. They dropped to the dirt like stones, with Hermione the last one standing.
"Oh, blast."
"What did she do that for?! We decided that spell was too risky! She took out members of her own team! She could have taken out herself!" Harry realized he was yelling, and stopped to take a calming breath.
"Harry, I understand that you're emotional, but try to keep in mind that it worked." The ever calming presence of Remus effected Harry as usual.
Harry smiled wryly. "Don't speak to soon. She still needs to get everyone out of there."
"Good point."
They all turned back to watch as Hermione began dragging her unconscious comrades into a pile. Turning, she quickly cast a spell to bind all of the fallen Death Eaters, before pulling a blanket out of her pocket and spreading it over her neat-but-not pile.
"What is she doing?" muttered a bemused Sirius.
They watched as Hermione placed a hand on the blanket, and tapped it with her wand. She disappeared, blanket and persons in tow.
"Oh, I get it now!" Harry stared at his godfather in disbelief. 'I mean really!'
"Come on, let's leave Harry alone now," suggested Remus peaceably as he tugged his best friend away from the bowl. "We'll go get some of that pastry that you love so much."
"Ooohhh, the chocolate one with the whipped cream?"
"That's the one." Harry shook his head at the sight of his godfather – a full grown man – bouncing like a five year old child in his excitement.
He turned back to the story unfolding before him.
If there was one thing you could always count on Hermione for, it was that she resourceful. Damn, but that girl knew her stuff. Knowing this may help you to understand the panicked shouts as she reappeared with her fallen comrades. And the odd looks that she received throughout the following weeks from her fellow order members.
"Miss Granger, what on earth happened?" McGonagall said, as she jumped up from her desk in the headmaster's tower, and rushed over to Hermione's side.
"We're going to need some order members to go back and apprehend the Death Eaters before they wake up," Hermione panted.
"Of course." The professor was all business as she turned to Fawkes. "Send the message, will you?" She turned back to Hermione. "Now, will tell me what this is all about?"
"I used that spell," Hermione muttered, ducking her head embarrassedly.
"What spell?" Minerva's confusion was apparent on her face.
"You know, that one… the one we said we would never use."
Minerva frowned. "You're lucky it worked out for you. That spell has the potential for disastrous results!"
"I am well aware of that, thank you professor!" replied Hermione stiffly. "It was my only option, given the situation."
Minerva sighed, giving up, before she turned her attention to the still unconscious order members on the floor. "Let's get them to the infirmary, then."
Later
"I thought I'd find you up here."
Hermione looked up from her book, and frowned at the man standing before her. "What do you mean by that?"
"It's the library. You're always in the library. It's like your second home," Ron smiled tiredly at her, leaning down to kiss her cheek, before dropping into the seat beside her.
She scowled at him, and he sighed.
"What were you thinking, Hermione? Using that spell? Harry would never-"
"Harry's dead, Ron! What he would or wouldn't do became irrelevant a while ago!"
Ron grabbed Hermione by her shoulders and shook her roughly. "You need to snap out of it, 'Mione. I miss Harry too, but driving yourself like this, pushing endlessly until every Death Eater is dead or in Azkaban is not going to bring him back!"
Hermione frowned. "I thought we were talking about the radial stun spell?"
"Don't change the subject! You know Harry wouldn't like to see you like this!"
Her face became impassive, no emotions betrayed in her expression. His jaw hardened, teeth clenched. "Fine then, block me out. I'll be in our room if you suddenly decide to open up."
Ron left the room, leaving Hermione alone, surrounded by her research.
Harry's face took on a tortured look, as he looked down at his two closest friends. 'I don't understand how this happened. It wasn't that long ago that the three of us were all together – all happy. After I died, taking Voldemort with me, I thought it would be the end of it, that they would be able to be happy. I never expected it to turn out this way - Hermione forever trying to make up for something that wasn't her fault, and Ron put his life at risk all the time, as though dying might make everything all right. But it wouldn't. If anything has been proved by this, it is that death solves nothing.'
All Harry could have hoped for, in the end, was that his sacrifice would make the people he loved most safe and happy. Looking back on it, he felt that nothing had turned out quite right. There were still things to be fixed, wounds to be healed. If only he knew how to do it.
"Hey, Harry, are you alright? You've been here for a while – I was starting to get worried."
Harry blinked up at his father, who had come to stand beside him, "It hurts, to see them like this."
James heaved a sigh. "I know what you're going through. Every single time your mother and I looked down, and saw what had happened to you, and Remus, and Sirius… It was by far the hardest thing I've ever done." James laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Things will get better. I promise."
Harry smiled up at him, but James could see in his eyes that he was still upset. Sometimes the hardest thing was watching someone you care about suffer, and not being able to do anything to help them.
"Please, Ron, we have to talk!" Hermione banged loudly on the closed door before her. "Come on, open up!"
She raised her fist again, and was just about to bang on the door again, when Ginny stuck her head out of the room. Startled, Hermione took a step back.
"Ron-" she began, before Ginny cut her off.
"He doesn't want to talk to you right now. Give him some time. Please."
"I'm not leaving until I've spoken to him, Ginny. Don't try to stop me." Hermione forced her way passed Ginny and stormed up to the man in question.
"Why won't you talk to me?!"
"Hermione, I really think you should leave-"
"Ginny go away." Ron's soft spoken words seemed to startle Ginny, who hesitated.
"I'll be fine, Ginny. Just go." He reassured her, seeing her hesitation.
Ginny turned and left, shutting the door with a soft click.
Ron turned to Hermione and waited. When it became evident that she wasn't going to speak first, he sighed and said, "'Moine, what do you want?"
"I – I just wanted to see you. You shut me out for weeks, and I was all alone. I can't stand being so lonely," she whimpered softly.
Ron's heart lurched, and guilt pooled low in his gut. Reaching out, he gathered her up in his arms.
"It's so hard, since he left," she sobbed against him. "I keep wondering, what did I do wrong? What did I miss? Maybe there was something I missed, something that could have saved him. Something –"
"Hush, sweeting, it's all right. There was nothing you could have done for him. He knew what he was getting into, right from the very beginning. It was never, ever your fault!"
"Like the way it wasn't yours?" Ron stiffened, as he heard Hermione's words. "I know why you keep running head first into fights. You couldn't have taken his place back then, Ron, and trying to commit suicide now isn't going to bring him back! I can't lose you too!"
Ron blinked, as he regarded his armful of weeping, angry, brunette. "I guess we've both been feeling a little guilty. God, what would Harry think of us now?"
"He's probably pissed. All he ever really wanted was for everyone he loved to be happy and safe, and here we are, taking away from his incredible sacrifice by blaming it on us, instead of his own heroic instincts." Hermione giggled and hiccupped.
"You're probably right. He always was trying to get us to stay behind, every time he went in on another adventure."
"But we always just went right ahead with him, never letting him have all the fun!"
"He must be pretty damned pleased with himself right now, having successfully left us behind finally."
"I suppose so," Hermione agreed. "I think it's time we let him go."
"You're probably right. It's time to let him rest in peace."
Harry grinned happily as he gazed down at his two best friends, finally getting married. 'I knew they were always meant to be together. It was ridiculously obvious. I couldn't be happier for them. Well, as long as they name their first born son after me. And their first girl. That would make me very happy!' Harry chuckled as he turned away from the scrying bowl, satisfied that everything he had wished for, for the two of them, had at last come to pass.
"Hey, Harry, are you ready to go?" Harry looked up and smiled at the beautiful woman standing before him.
"Yeah, Mom, I'm coming now."
With one final glance at the couple in the scrying bowl, he turned to go. Now, he could finally rest.