Several months had passed. Six months since the end of the war, since the fall of Voldemort, since Hermione Granger lost the only love she had ever known. Percy Weasley. Sure it had been unexpected, but everyone could see they made the perfect couple. Both were headstrong, both were extremely intelligent and both believed in following the rules.
They had fallen in love when Percy was Head Boy during his seventh year. Hermione had asked him to help her with an essay she needed to write about the uses of pomegranate root in potion making. They started out studying in the library, but soon he took her back to the head dorm, seeing as it was quieter and Harry and Ron couldn't bother them every five minutes like they had been.
That night, after many hours of writing and research Hermione made to give Percy a hug to thank him for his help. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, amazed at the feeling of safety and warmth she felt in his arms. She didn't want to move, but had already held him longer than she had intended.
As Hermione pulled back, Percy did something that she had never expected, but was pleased with: he held her tight against him. They looked into each others eyes and answered each others need for physical contact. Their lips met and sparks flew. After that moment, they were inseparable. Ron had been disturbed at first, but realized he was in love with Lavender. Ginny was ecstatic and Harry was just happy that Hermione was now glowing every time he she was around.
Nearly six years later, during the final battle, Bellatrix had sent a killing curse at Hermione, and Percy jumped in front of it to save her. Seeing his lifeless form hit the ground filled Hermione with a rage she had never known. She unleashed spell after spell, hex after hex, and curse after curse. Bellatrix fell lifeless only seconds later. Hermione knelt at her lover's side and pulled him into her arms crying. She stood and pried the wand from Bellatrix's cold hand.
She was on a rampage of destruction that night. She cursed and killed several death eaters that night, and faced Voldemort with Harry and Ron. Once the trio, who held the power of love for each other, overcame the darkest wizard in the world, Hermione went back to her fallen love's side. She didn't want to leave him but was drug away by Ron and Harry.
The rest of the Weasley's did their best to comfort her, even though they were in great mourning as well.
Hermione felt like there was a crater in her heart where his death hit, causing a large crack right down the center. She tried to stop crying, she tried to be happy. But happiness just wouldn't come to her.
Six years she had been with him, six years of happy memories and blissful moments, millions of kisses stolen at Hogsmeade while she was still in school. She was desperately in love with him, and he with her. He had asked her to marry him, but they hadn't been married yet. They were to get married that next fall, with Ginny as the bridesmaid and Bill as the best man. Regrettably that wedding would never happen.
Hermione was lying in the bed in Ginny's room crying uncontrollably. She looked at the ring on her left hand, a platinum engagement ring, a 1 ½ carat diamond shining brightly, as if all was right in the world. But it wasn't. Nothing would ever be right again.
Hermione couldn't bring herself to face anyone other than Ginny. Ginny had been Hermione's rock, her shoulder to cry on when the pain became too great to bear.
Hermione knew she was being a burden and depressing everyone, but she had lost the one man she had ever loved. She lost the man whom she was supposed to have children with. She lost the man who comforted her through her parents' death and took care of her when she got the flu last year.
Percy would never be there again, would never again wipe her tears away. She would never again feel his arms around her, shielding her from harm, she would never again feel his kiss, sending electricity through her body, and she would never again feel his naked body against hers, sending currents of pleasure to every nerve ending.
She wanted so bad to have him walk through her door and hold her tight. But she knew it would never happen. She knew he was gone. She hated that the Weasley's and Harry were all so worried about her. She had to try, for everyone's sake, to feel better.
Sniffling and wiping tears from her face, Hermione decided to finally get up and get a shower. It had been days since she had even stepped foot out of the room and she could feel that her hair was matted and her face puffy and red.
She slowly got up and felt the soreness that had developed from the stillness she had maintained for days on end. Her lungs were sore from the sobbing, and her stomach hurt from lack of food. She was a mess, but she couldn't bring herself out of it.
Once reaching the bathroom she slipped out of Percy's white button up shirt. She had taken to wearing his clothes, spraying them with his cologne so she could smell him as she slept. She peeled off the black jogging shorts and her white cotton underclothes and stepped into the warm running water.
The shower was refreshing, and made her physically feel better, but emotionally she was drained. She decided it might be best for her to try to eat something, even if it was some toast with a cup of hot tea. Everyone looked shocked when Hermione came down the stairs. George, Fred, Ron, Lavender, Ginny, Remus, and Tonks stood with their mouths gaping open.
Every person present noticed she had showered and gotten dressed. It was the first time the group realized her true condition. Her bushy hair had lost the little luster it held, her eyes were dull, her mouth was drawn into a permanent frown, and the pink shirt and jeans she wore were hanging off her from the incredible weight loss she had experienced.
Molly walked over to Hermione, hoping she wouldn't scare her back upstairs.
"Hermione, would you like anything: some tea or a bite to eat?" Hermione noted the worry in Molly's eyes, and tried to smile a bit, but it only looked and felt awkward. She let the smile fall and just simply replied with a nod.
Hermione followed Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen, everyone's eyes on her. They were all worried about her, no one had ever seen Hermione this much of a mess, not even when her parents were killed. But she had Percy then, now she didn't.
They all tried to relax and ignore the fact that she was there, just to give her space and privacy. Anytime one of them had tried to talk to her in the past, she mumbled something about the red hair just like Percy's and ran upstairs to cry. They didn't want to push her back now that she was trying to come out a little.
"What would you like, dear?" Molly had hoped she would ask for a meal, something substantial to put some meat on her bones. Merlin knew how much weight she had lost in the past few weeks. Molly thought Hermione was too skinny before, but now, it was truly unhealthy.
"Some tea and some toast would be great if it's not too much trouble."
Molly smiled, seeing that Hermione was making an effort to live a life without her son. Mrs. Weasley was torn up about her son being gone, but she knew that no amount of mourning could bring him back. Instead she was trying to care for the kids she had left, and that included Harry and Hermione. Anything Molly could do to help Hermione would make her feel a little better. She had already moved about the kitchen to get started when she replied.
"Of course, it's no trouble at all."
Moments later Hermione was eating a piece of dry toast and drinking some tea. It felt good to get something inside her stomach and she noted it actually made her feel better emotionally too. Her empty stomach welcomed the food and felt as thought it were digested the moment it hit. Hermione was about to ask Molly if she could bother her for something else when a thought occurred to her, a thought that would greatly hinder today's progress.
Am I forgetting everything too quickly? I shouldn't be feeling better. I shouldn't be eating! Percy will never eat again! He'll never get to have Molly's cooking again! How could I do this to him? I'm such a horrible person! How could I ever claim to love him when I am sitting here eating and drinking like nothing ever happened?
With thoughts such as these, Hermione started sobbing again and ran back up to Ginny's room. Nearly trampling Molly on the way up, she plopped herself down on the freshly changed bed (which she assumed is what Mrs. Weasley was doing upstairs) and sobbed into the mattress. She hadn't noticed the black haired boy that burst through the door as she was exiting the kitchen. She hadn't heard his exclamation. And she didn't care. She just wanted to be alone where she could feel upset and sad and guilty.
Percy died to save me. He died so that I would live. Didn't he know that I could never live without him? Didn't he realize that I died the day he left me? Didn't he remember the promise he made to never leave me, the promise that he would always be there. He broke his promise, and I should be angry. But I can't be angry with him. He is my Percy. I love him.
Molly had been on her way down the stairs to see what the commotion was about. Harry had run in yelling. She couldn't tell what he yelled, but she could tell that Hermione hadn't even noticed Harry run into the burrow.
"I- exciting- bring back- Sirius." Hermione didn't really pay attention but picked up on a few words of Harry's exclamation. She didn't hear the rest.
Had Hermione heard, she might have known that her world would be changing forever.