Hellos
Since coming to Hogwarts, Hermione had been dreaming of the day she'd graduate. She just never thought it'd start the way it had. As she sat at her cleared desk, absentmindedly watching Regina do her hair in the mirror, Hermione thought back to that morning. Sometime during the night, Cora had joined her in bed. She had yet to find out the reason, but when she was next awoken, it was to the sound of Regina yelling at her mother for disappearing during the night from the foot of her bed. Having been privy to a few of their arguments, she'd known that neither woman was ready to stop, so she had slipped from her bed and showered. When she'd returned, Cora had slipped into the small adjoining room and slammed the door behind her. Regina and Hermione shared a look, before the two set about getting the witch ready for her day.
That's how she'd found herself seated at her transformed desk. No longer was it piled with books, but different kinds of makeup. Tubes of lipstick, shades of blush, eye-shadow, mascara's, eyeliners, everything was sitting there, waiting to be used. As the brushed was pulled through her hair, carefully untangling it, the soon to be graduate listened to Regina's gentle voice.
"Do you know what you'll be wearing?" She asked, glancing up into the mirror.
Giving the woman behind her a quick smirk, Hermione flicked her wrist. Lifting her arm, she held the small red dress up for Regina to inspect. "Of course," She said as haughtily as she could before breaking down laughing.
Smiling widely at her friends' cheerful laugh, Regina hugged her, gently resting her chin on her shoulder, "It's good to hear that." She locked eyes with Hermione in the mirror, "I thought I had ruined your chances at being happy when I taught you how to remove your heart." She sighed, looking away as her brown eyes filled with tears.
Reaching up, Hermione grasped her hand tightly, drawing her attention back to her, "You kept me sane and prepared me for my last year here." Hermione smiled as she felt herself begin to cry, "You saved me that day Regina."
Swallowing around the lump in her throat, Regina gave her a wobbly smile. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, so instead, she turned and pressed a kiss to Hermione's temple, not sure how else to show her gratitude. Straightening up, she quickly turned back to her task of pinning her hair up in a twist, holding it in place with a few discrete pins. She was about to start on Hermione's makeup when Cora walked out of the bathroom in her dark blue robe.
"If you're to be ready on time Regina," She said softly, "You best go now."
Glancing at her watch, Regina gasped, "Oh!" Turning to Hermione, she pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, "We'll be back in time to escort you down, I promise." And with that, she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving Hermione and Cora alone.
Turning in her seat, Hermione smiled up at the older woman, noting the half up-do of her hair. "Good morning."
"Morning my dear," Cora smiled, walking up to her, "Are you ready for your big day?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Hermione laughed.
Laughing along with her, Cora picked up the dress Hermione had magically hung on the post of the bed, "Would you like a hand dear?"
Nodding, Hermione stood, "Please."
Removing the dress from the hanger, Cora gently lowered the zip before passing it to her friend.
Taking it, Hermione turned and quickly dropped her robe, easily stepping into the dress and pulling it up into place. Adjusting it so it sat comfortably, the young brunette looked over her shoulder, "Can you zip me?"
Nodding, Cora stepped forward and tugged the zip up, smoothing the metallic material with her hands, "It's lovely Hermione, very befitting of a Queen."
Blushing, Hermione turned around, "Thank you."
"You're welcome my dear." Cora smiled as she gently cupped the pink cheek, "Now you go and finish getting ready, I still need to get dressed."
Nodding, Hermione turned back to her desk and did as she was told while Cora disappeared back into the bathroom.
Not that long later, Hermione was once again joined by Cora.
"I'm almost ready, I just need to do my-" She didn't finish as she finally too in what the older woman was wearing. Slowly she sat up from where she was hunched over buckling the strap of her shoe. She hadn't seen the former Queen wear that specific dress since Swan had demanded that Cora come with her.
"Lipstick?" Cora asked, smiling slightly at the surprised look.
Nodding mutely, Hermione watched as Cora reached out and picked up the tube she'd set aside. Standing up so she would have to hunch over and crease the lovely red robe, Hermione waited patiently for the woman to finish so she could ask about her choice in clothing. However, it seemed Cora knew what she wanted to ask.
"I decided it was time to move on," She explained as she expertly coated the thin lips in front of her dark red, "So, I thought I'd make some good memories to go along with it." She smiled, standing back to examine her work, "There."
Smiling, Hermione hugged Cora tightly. "Thank you."
Pulling back just enough to look at her, Cora smiled, "I should be thanking you my dear, you are the one who saved me."
"And now, Hermione Granger, the brightest witch I have ever had the pleasure of knowing!"
As the Great Hall filled with applause, Hermione walked up to the podium, her heels clicking sharply with each step. Looking over the crowd blankly, Hermione waited until they quieted down before speaking, her clear voice reaching the back of the room easily.
"Thank you Headmistress," She said, bowing her slightly to the woman in green, "For that lovely introduction." She waited until the woman nodded back before turning back to the crowd, her bright eyes falling on the small family sitting in front of her, "In all my years here, I have learnt many things, but the most important thing I'm taking away from here is that you must make your own happy ending. The war took a lot from me; actually it took everything from me, as it did others." Swallowing, Hermione glanced behind her to Neville who sat staring over the heads of the people in the crowd, "But we didn't let that stop us, we grew from the pain, used it to move forward, and along the way, we found others like us and we grew some more."
Looking back down at the three in front of her, Hermione smiled for the first time since arriving at the ceremony, "I lost everything that night," She spoke softly, "But I also gained a family. Regina, who saved me from self-destruction, Cora who saved my heart, but Henry," Smiling widely down at the young boy who was smiling back up at her, "Henry you have taught me no Professor could ever do; you taught me to always believe. Henry, you have given me life once more."
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Hermione looked over the crowed once more, "I know this isn't the speech everyone was expecting, but what can I say? Our world was at war and even though we won, we lost. Although we lived, we weren't living. I had hoped we could move on from the tragedy that we'd gone through, but until this day, seeing everyone so happy, I didn't believe we could."
Swallowing once more, she forced a smile, "Thank you."
As she made her way back to her seat, she caught the Headmistress watching her. Sitting down, she clasped Neville's hand in her own, squeezing it tightly in an effort to hold back the tears. She didn't have to look at him to know he was doing the same.
That afternoon, Hermione stood in her room, looking around at the bare room. After the ceremony, she and Neville had joined the Mills family to give Henry the tour before they left. Cora had stayed behind to help her pack, but as she had finished most of it the day before, there was very little for her to do before sending it off with a wave of her hand. The only reason she was still in there was because she didn't want to say goodbye. Hogwarts had become her home. She didn't want to leave, but she couldn't stay.
Sighing, Hermione turned her dress into a pair of black pants and silk red blouse. Picking up the trench coat she'd left out, she walked out of her room, not looking back as she closed the door. As she made her way through the hallways of the school, Hermione looked around, trying to remember every little detail as she passed. Shaking her head, she walked out through the courtyard, stopping on top of the hill where she'd stood after the end of the battle.
"Interesting how we both ended up here this afternoon."
Not turning around, Hermione replied, "I don't believe so Headmistress."
"Come back and visit one day Hermione."
Without a word, Hermione disappeared in a cloud of red.
Two months later.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione reached up with a gloved hand and knocked on the wooden door in front of her. Turning around, she looked out the small window as she waited. When the door opened, she turned and smiled.
"Hello Minerva."