"Harry and Hermione are coming home today!" Arthur read aloud at breakfast the next morning. A round of cheers and questions erupted from the family gathered at the table.
"Finally!"
"What time will they be here?"
"Where have they been?"
Arthur raised his hand to silence them.
"It says they will be arriving around dinner time." Molly read over his shoulder. "Which doesn't give us much time. So, hurry off, all of you and tidy your rooms. And Arthur be a dear and mow the lawn, won't you? Ronald its your turn to degnome the garden..."
The matriarch continued assigning chores to the family, but Ginny was oblivious to all of it. Harry had been away for weeks now, in some unknown part of the world, alone with Hermione. That was just what Hermione had wanted. That witch was just dying to get her claws into Harry. She had seen the way Harry trailed after Hermione like a lost puppy. It was like he couldn't go anywhere without her! But she would change all that.
A coal-black owl flew into the bedroom where Hermione was packing her things. He chirped at her and nuzzled her cheek.
"Did you deliver the letter?" she asked him. He blinked his big eyes once-yes.
"Thank you, Onyx. You can rest now." She stroked his downy head and gave him a nibble of toast for a treat. It was final then, they were going back home. She lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Why couldn't things just be easy for once? In the past couple years, she had been in a forbidden relationship, a secret marriage, a magical war that left her a widow, and she was sixteen weeks pregnant with a baby no one except Harry knew about. Maybe she should have told them before she left? Maybe she shouldn't tell them at all? When they found out they would they blacklist her from the whole Weasley family? She knew Ron had a not-so secret crush on her. He would be furious when he found out. She didn't return his feelings, but she didn't want to hurt him either. Could they stay friends after he found out? She buried her face in the pillow with a groan.
She wished things could be easy.
She wished she could go back and save Severus from that bloody snake.
She wished he were here to hold her, smooth her hair and tell her everything was going to be ok.
She wished…
"I wish you were here." She said aloud to the empty room.
She woke to Harry knocking on her door.
"Ready to go, Sleepyhead?" He smiled. She nodded and let Harry help her on with her coat. She felt like there was a stone in her tummy weighing her down.
"Harry." She said softly. The stone was so heavy she could barely get her breath. Harry looked up from the bags he was shrinking to fit in his pocket. Hermione looked terrified, he big chocolate eyes were filled with tears. It gripped his heart.
"Harry, I'm scared." She admitted. Harry took her shaking hands in his.
"I know." He smiled. "I am too." She looked up at him surprised. Then her surprise turned to relief. Somehow just knowing that Harry was nervous too, made her feel a little better. She wouldn't go through this alone.
"But it's going to be ok, don't worry." He reassured her.
"They might hate me for hiding this from them. They might hate me for marrying Sev. Minerva said some people don't believe he was a war hero. They say he was a spy for the other side, giving Voldemort information about Dumbledore's army and about you."
"They might." Harry nodded. There was no sense in lying about it. "But they might not. Even if they do, we will be ok."
"We will?" She asked.
"Yes. Because we will do this together." Hermione threw her arms about his neck. With Harry by her side, she could face anything.