The war was over, for everyone- but her. People all over the country were mourning their lost loved ones, while celebrating the downfall of the 'Dark Lord.' Even the Weasley's who buried three children and an 'adopted' son just last week had short lived moments of happiness. Hermione had no such moments. She was trapped in her head, seeing her best friend die in front of her over and over again- the worst kind of prisoner of war. Prisoner to her own thoughts and memories. She hadn't spoken a word since she screamed out the killing curse, after seeing Harry fall. Killing the monster that took his light away from the world. She didn't see Ron or Ginny die, Ron ran after the Death Eater that killed Fred outside of the Room of Requirement. Ginny was fighting with Remus and Tonks. None of the three made it back alive.
Hermione never knew a person could feel as alone and lost as she felt since that day two weeks ago. Her parents were dead. Kingsley arrived at the Burrow yesterday to tell her they were found murdered in their home. The muggle coroner found no actual cause of death. Of course in her world everyone knew better, they were hit with the killing curse. Even with them gone the people she missed the most were Harry and Ron. If she was being honest with herself Harry even more so. She loved Ron as a best friend and for a time maybe something more. But her whole life in the magical world had been about Harry. Her and Ron would have never lasted long as friends without Harry as a buffer between them. Hermione and Harry on the other hand had a relationship none could rival. Nothing could have broken them apart. She stuck by him through it all. Even when Ron turned his back. She fought for Harry, got tortured for him, even killed for him. She would have died for him, happily, and without regret. Living without him to talk to was proving to be more than she could bare. She wanted to scream, cry, or curse the gods themselves. She did none of it tho. Crying, talking, even breathing to loudly would make it all real and unfixable. Knowing the truth, and dealing with said truth are two different things entirely. So she chose to watch those around her on autopilot. Spending as much time as she could alone in her room.
Tears were common in the Weasley household. Mrs. Weasley was inconsolable ninety percent of the time, anything could send her into fits of tears. She burned her famed clock now that three of the hands were pointing to a new listing 'Dead.' Mr. Weasley was trying to be strong for everyone. He would sometimes sit and talk with Hermione. Never expecting her to respond never asking her anything or pushing her to talk. Just telling her of his day, what progress the ministry was making, or updates from the Order. George was somber and hardly ever spoke. Bill and Fleur would come over most days. Bill would spend his time with his mother or George, and Fleur would sit with Hermione. Charlie went back to his dragons after all the funerals they were expected to attend. Being at the Burrow was to sad for him. Hermione couldn't go to the funerals. Not to any of them. She honestly believed that if she went she would lose her mind, she was strong- she was Hermione Granger but but seeing the people she loved laid to rest would have broken her. Seeing Harry laid to rest would have killed her.
Moving on would be hard but she couldn't stay much longer. To many memories haunted the Burrow. There were to many bedrooms she couldn't bring herself to enter. She would miss the remaining Weasley's dearly, but when she looked at them all she saw was Ron's nose or Ginny's eyes. George was painful to see- walking around with the face of his dead twin. Even with the missing ear you couldn't look at him and not see Fred. She felt surrounded by death. It was crushing her from all sides. And Hermione just wanted out.
She had no desire to be famous. Reporters surrounded the Burrow daily trying to take her picture. She was going to leave the magical world. She would still use magic, she fought to hard for the right to do so to just give it up. But she would live in the muggle world. Or as muggle as the world gets now that vampires and shifters are running around everywhere. Of course she would come back someday. The Weasley's were all the family she had left she could never leave them forever. She was hoping time away would... not heal her, she was convinced that she would never heal, just make it so every thought or breath wasn't a knee buckling stab to the heart.
