Hermione was both glad and depressed that she was leaving Hogwarts for the final time today. Glad because she would finally be able to move on from her crushing feelings towards the Headmistress, and sad because she wouldn't be able to see the woman daily as she had grown accustomed to over the years. In the last month, she had grown increasingly distant from everyone, except Harry of course, he refused to let her retreat into herself like she had after her return from Australia, where her parents had remained, not knowing they had a daughter who brought about the end of a dark lord. And if she was honest with herself, she was grateful for it. She, and him, had already lost so much from the war, to lose each other would just be the final nail in the coffin. Sighing heavily, she looked around the common room once more before making her way down to breakfast. Everything had been packed and would be taken down to the train during breakfast.

As she walked down the hallways, occasionally passing the odd student, her thoughts turned back to the war. While there were no physical marks of what had happened, Hermione could see the scorch marks from curses and broken glass and stone where walls had crumbled. In the very hallway she stood in now, she could see the woman who held her heart running full tilt down the corridor, her dark robes torn and covered in dust and blood, yelling for the suits of armour to defend the school. She had only seen it for a second, but what she hadn't her mind filled in with great detail. The few strands of hair flying free from her bun, glasses sitting crookedly on her nose and thin cut running from mouth to eye.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Spinning around, Hermione came face to face with her best friend. "You should be at breakfast." Hermione admonished as he walked up to her.

Shrugging, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "You weren't there, so I came to find you. 'Course I realized you'd be here after checking the tower, but oh well."

Hermione shook her head. "What's so special about this hallway?" She asked, looking around her with a frown. It didn't appear any more special than the one she had walked down before.

"Hermione," Harry said softly, gently turning her around to face the large wooden door she had come to know fairly well over her years of education.

"Minerva's old office."

For a moment they stood in silence, both staring at the door until Hermione's started shaking.

"Oh god."

Acting quicker than he ever thought he would, he pulled Hermione into a tight hug, carefully running his hand through her thick curls. He didn't whisper any calming words or try to tell her everything would be fine because long ago they agreed to never lie to each other. And he knew that nothing would ever be fine for his friend, not unless she told the older woman the truth about her feelings. Eventually his friend calmed enough and she pulled away, hastily wiping at her cheeks.

She didn't apologize, and he didn't expect one.

"Come on, we need to eat."

With that they left for the Great Hall.

The atmosphere of the hall was a mixture of sad, joy and for some anger. Not everyone had gotten the results they had wanted, some were glad to finally being able to go home where they could put of any work until the last week of vacation and others were mad at being ignored. Ron being one of them. For the past year Hermione had barely talked to him even though they still sat together to eat each day and worked on their essays together, she had pulled back from him. And as much as everyone liked to believe, he wasn't as thick as he appeared, he knew she had started withdrawing the moment he had kissed her in the chamber. And as much as he would love to date her, he wished they could still be friends.

Sighing, he looked down into his porridge. He wasn't all that hungry, and if it wasn't for seeing his two friends walk into the hall, he would have left and started making his way down to the train. When Hermione sat down beside him, he smiled slightly.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"How're you feeling?" He asked, seeing the slight redness to her eyes and nose.

"Oh you know, sad to be leaving, happy to have finished."

Ron nodded, knowing exactly what she meant, or so he thought. "I know, it feels like we're leaving home."

Hermione made a non-committal sound and started eating.

Ron sighed and turned back to his food, at least they had spoken this time.

An hour later, the trio made their way to the train. Although Hermione wasn't really talking, the boys were trying to keep her in the conversation, and that made her smile. Eventually though, Hermione slipped further back from them, just watching them as they talked animatedly about the quidditch match they were going to have when they got to the Burrow. Smiling again, she resigned herself to watching the from under the tree, being the only one in the large miss-matched family to not enjoy flying. Perhaps she could invite Luna around.

"Are you going to tell her?"

Hermione jumped at the dreamy tone, not having noticed the blonde girl walking beside her. "Pardon?"

"Professor McGonagall. Are you going to tell her?" She inquired, looking at her with her wide blue eyes. "I think you should. You've been so sad lately."

Hermione blinked as the girl continued.

"Of course you don't have to, I understand the fear of being rejected, but I don't think she would." She smiled at her. "Tell her." And with that she wandered down the platform, meeting up with Neville and Ginny.

Hermione stood there, frowning. How did Luna know? The only person she actually told was Harry, and he would never tell someone else, not unless she said he could. So how did she know? She was pulled from her musings by the whistle of the train, much like she had at the end of her sixth year. Sighing, she moved to step up into the train, only to freeze when she hear the soft voice of none other than the Headmistress.

"Will your goodbye be so final this time round Miss Granger?"

Turning around in the doorway, Hermione looked down at the other woman, noting the absence of her hat made her look shorter. Slipping her hand into her back pocket, Hermione fingered the thick envelope as she replied.

"I don't know," She said, pulling it out, "You tell me."

Handing the older witch the revealing letter, she pulled the door shut.

"Good bye Professor McGonagall."

Not giving the other woman a chance to respond she turned and left the small space quickly, almost running into Harry. She should have known he would be there, just as he had been before they went on the run.

"Are you alright?"

This time she didn't bother with a smile, falling into his open arms. "No, I'm not."