Upon awaking, I gasped in horror at the mistake I had made. Frantically untangling myself from Draco Malfoy, I grabbed my things and left some money on the table for the rest of the Amortentia that I intended to take with me. Running out, with Harry's invisibility cloak keeping me safe, I heard the door open and my name being called. I could not bring myself to look back. The boy who had tormented me and my friends as children. An enemy.
We are warned to only take the love potion alone. Few have made the mistake. None have taken it together as far as I am aware. A one off... A dreadful mistake.
Apparating back to the ministry, I felt something trying to tug back at me. A shrivelled hand on my shoulder that let me see all too clearly where the milky white bones were underneath the black blood. With a scream, I entered an office. Harry was gazing at me with utmost shock.
"Hermione? What's wrong?" He inquired gently.
"Malfoy messed up again, I managed to get as much as I could. I felt something touch me as I was apparating. I felt a bony hand grab me and it was... staring at me. I could feel it looking." Without a beat, Harry tackled me into a hug. I gladly nestled into his shoulders and for the first time in months I felt safe. Harry was like a brother and he rarely failed to comfort me. We were closer as adults than when at Hogwarts. We had lots so many people, so that it was almost just us. Well... Ginny, Luna and Neville. They were busy these days. Ginny was looking after her children while Luna was off in other countries. Life is not perfect in the wizarding world but it seemed tolerable for them.
I, on the other-hand... no, I do not matter. I have too much to do already. I am merely wasting time. A letter slipped into my hands, breaking me away from my thoughts and my resolutions. Opening it, my eyes widen as I see the sender is Malfoy. Begging me to return. It is needless to say that I fold the letter on my desk and get back to work.
After I have worked on the Amortentia rations, I join Harry to floo to his house as Ginny kindly invited me back for dinner. He smiles tentatively and allows me to go first. If things had been different, maybe I would be the one inviting him back for dinner. No. I must not bother with "what ifs". The past is concrete and moving on is the only way to go. I cannot linger with what is dead and gone. I must live in the moment and try to prepare a better future, if one is possible. One day this will be over. There will not be another war. There will be peace. There has to be. We cannot keep living like this, for it is slowly killing all of us. Good people are dying and our powers are fading. We must fight to the bitter end if that is what it comes to. Although we all hope for a better fate. After everything, we deserve it. We all deserve normalcy.
"Harry! Hermione!" Ginny greets us and we enter the living room. The house is well kept and homely, although not as pristine as my home. Although it should be noted that I am never there in the day time. Mrs Weasley would be proud. It is such a shame that half of the wizards and witches have been evacuated to other countries in hope of saving the population from what happened before.
"Hello Ginny." I greet her before she gives me a massive hug which is the norm for her. I inhaled the smell of orange blossom from her hair and it makes me feel safe. Both Harry and Ginny feel like home which is rare because nothing feels like home anymore.
"The boys are sleeping." She says with a small smile but sad eyes as we break apart. I can only guess that the sadness is due to the news that she will have to leave the country eventually. It is only a matter of time before they strike again. I know how painful it is to be separated from the one you love and Harry cannot go with her. The Minister of Magic has to stay.
"Do you want me to help with dinner?" I ask softly but she shakes her head.
"It's already on the table. You came at a good time." As we go to sit at the table, I feel a tingling sensation in my chest. In my heart. Almost like I am being pulled.
"Is everything alright?" Harry asks me, looking slightly worried. His robes look crumpled and there were bags around his eyes from sleepless nights. I had been reaching for the door.
"I just lost track of myself for a second. It must be because I have been working a lot." I walked back to the table and sat on the left. The waft of tomato made my stomach rumble. Harry raised his brow.
"Is this Hermione Granger's way of saying she wants a day off?" Ginny chuckled and I shook my head.
"Work is not the problem. My flat is simply to big and I never spend any time there. I ought to find a roommate." Ginny poured me a glass of wine, before telling us to dig in.
"You're twenty five. I think you need to find someone to keep you company." Harry said before taking a swirl of spaghetti into his mouth. Ginny shoved him underneath the table where she thought I could not see.
"It's too soon." My mouth said automatically. Ginny sighed.
"It's been four years. We all miss him." I nodded and said nothing. I could not explain. I finished my meal in silence while Harry and Ginny talked. Upon finishing, I put my plate in the sink and made my way to leave.
"I'm not feeling very well. I had some complications with my encounter with Malfoy," Harry opened his mouth but I shook my head, "It does not affect the overall success. I shall tell you next week." Hugging both of them, I went through both the dining room and the hallway to the actual front door. Once outside, I saw someone lurk in the shadows and my stomach churned.