The rain tapped lightly on the window in the early morning haze of London's wonderful winter. Staring blankly out into the nothingness of winding streets and brick houses sat Hermione Granger. Her hair was fanned out wildly about her face and her green nightgown was wrinkled from tossing and turning all nigh long. What was really disturbing was the blank look on her worn out face, her eyes held nothing in them, they were just empty pools, almost as if her soul has been taken from her.
It really wasn't her soul but her spirit that was missing. Stirring out of the bleakness of the day she turned slowly towards the bed just in time to hear Ron Weasley groan in his sleep.
Yeah, Hermione thought cynically to herself, he can sleep the whole entire night through and I can't even close my eyes for a moment. Hermione knew that even though Ron could sleep he was still plagued by the same nightmares that haunted her. The ones she had been living through since the say Voldemort had died.
It has been almost three years since that day. So much had changed, lives had changed and everyone thought it was for the better. All of the wizarding community was already making preparations for the anniversary celebration that would be taking place in three weeks. Everyone was so happy . . . everyone except the ones that truly knew.
Hermione once again turned back to the window and for the millionth time or more let her mind drift back to the days when she first came to Hogwarts and met Ron and Harry and everyone else that had become their allies throughout the years. Banding together to defeat the evil that threatened to destroy them all and everything they held dear. If only they had known.
She relived every event, every word, every look wondering again and again where she had missed the signs. She was supposed to be the smart one, the brains of the bunch, but he had fooled her in the end just like he had fooled everyone else and was still fooling the majority of the people around them.
Some, like Ron, knew and didn't care. They had not fully grasped the shire overwhelming and dire situation they were in. For Ron it was easy to remember the happy times and in his own delusions he was still living in those happy times. Instead of really having to face the truth, Ron was trying to justify the situation and not turn against his friends. Hermione on the other hand was at a point where she couldn't do that anymore, she was tired of pretending.
No, it was time to face reality for what it was and what it had become and it was not a very happy place to be.
As the sun peaked through the darkened sky, a little light began to spark in the depths of Hermione's eyes. This time she had made up her mind, she was done pretending and done living in fear every moment of her life. It was time to do something about it, time to reveal the truth to everyone.
Standing up quietly she looked over her shoulder at the still sleeping Ron, blissfully encased in a world better than this one. This was probably the last time she would see him, that is unless she would end up having to kill him. Hermione did not have any regrets about leaving him, at one time she had thought she had loved Ron but now she knew that had been a lie to. They had been together for the past three years but in all that time she had never really been happy.
They had moved from one place to another at Hermione's insistence. She had thought that maybe in the chaos of constantly being on the move they would loose some of the connections they had with their past . . . they had not. Ron, the ever dutiful friend, kept up with past acquaintances, always making sure they knew where to find them.
Hermione sighed one last time still looking at Ron. She slipped the straps of her nightgown down over her shoulders letting it fall silently to the floor. Daintily she stepped out of it leaving it on the ground for Ron to find later. Let him think I am coming back. Hastily she went to their small closet to grab the warmest clothes she could find. With that she packed up a small bag and stepped out into the frigid windy air for the terrifying adventure that lay before her.
