Hermione Granger looked in the mirror, and grimaced at what she saw. Her face was pale and withdrawn, her cheeks stained with tears, her eyes blood shot and her face still covered in cuts and bruises still only just beginning to fade. The marks on her face made her heart ache with the memories of the battle that was fought at Hogwarts only a couple of weeks ago. Every time Hermione looked at the cuts and bruises on her face the faces of those who were dead flooded her mind; Lupin, Tonks, Dobby and... Fred.

Again her eyes brimmed with salty tears as the face of the much loved prankster flashed before eyes. Her knees betrayed and she feel to the carpet, sobbing. Soon she had cried so much her throat had become dry and she had become breathless. But she couldn't stop, she wished she could, but every time she tried her mind flashed back to Ron, Percy's and George's heart wrenching screams as they looked down at Fred's lifeless face.

But today wasn't about remembering the bad, it was about remembering the amazing things that Fred had done in his lifetime, however short it was. Today was about

Later that day…

When she arrived many of the seats were already full, her heart sung when she saw all the people that had come to celebrate the Fred's life and to support his family. Her eyes brimmed with tears again and began to slide down her cheeks when she saw the unmistakeable red hair of the Weasley family. Ron sat in between George and Percy, his face in his hands. Since the funeral Ron had become very withdrawn, quiet, his kiss with Hermione quite forgotten in his grief. Hermione's eyes continued to move down the row where she saw Ginny sobbing into Mr Weasley's shoulder, she only stopped searching into her eyes fell upon the messy black hair of Harry Potter. Without a moments pause or thought as to what she would look like to those she didn't know, she ran down the aisle and flung herself into the unexpecting arms of her best friend.

Harry's POV:

I wasn't really paying any attention to the things going on around me, all I was paying attention to was the wooden coffin that stood floating above the ground before me. It scared me to think that Fred lay, unmoving in that confining space, it scared me to think that he wasn't going to pop out of the coffin, a big goofy grin on his face and laugh that we had all fallen for his silly prank. It scared me to think that one of the brightest people in this world was gone forever. So when a girl with brown, fuzzy hair flung herself into my arms and buried her face into the crook of my shoulder I flinched and tensed. But then I realised it was Hermione and wrapped my arms around her and buried my face into her hair.

I could feel her salty tears on my neck and her violent sobs vibrated against my chest.

"He's gone Harry" Hermione said in between her sobs and lifting her face from her shoulder to look at me

"I know," I said softly, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks "but it's going to be alright! You know he is probably up there with Sirius and Lupin laughing at all the fuss we are making!" I said attempting a small smile. To my relief Hermione choked out a chuckle and she extracted herself from my arms and wiped her eyes on her sleeves. "Do you want me to get you a seat" I asked, noticing that there was no room for her to sit down.

She shook her head furiously, causing her brown hair to whip against her cheeks "No it's alright, I'll just go find a seat at the back somewhere"

I raised my eyebrows questionably

Are you sure, they asked

I don't want you to be alone, they said

My best friend nodded, straightened and attempted to smile "I'll be fine" she said determinedly "don't worry about me" then with that she turned away

She is strong, I pondered, to anybody who doesn't know her or heard of her she seems pitiable, weak and with only her wits to save her but really she is the strongest out of me and Ron.

Hermione's brown eyes swept of the many rows within the cemetery, searching for a spare seat. Moments later she found one in the back row and took a step in the direction of the vacant seat. Then her heart raced and a unpreventable scowl darkened her pale features. Beside the vacant seat was the unmistakable blonde hair, pale skin, pristine suit and grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.

How dare he, she thought still standing stock still and death staring the slytherin, he is one of the reasons that Fred is gone!

She shook her head, Hermione stop, she scolded herself, there is no point in holding petty grudges against a man who had values and beliefs forced against him as a child and made mistakes and bad choices because of them, anyway the war is over, Voldemort's gone and the remaining death eaters were getting rounded up and sent to Azkaban every day, there is no reason not to sit next to him.

Once she was finished having her private rant and scolding she took more determined steps towards Draco Malfoy.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked quietly, all confidence suddenly fading

Draco, looked up, and for a split second he looked startled "No, I'll move" and he began to stand from his seat

She looked up from the ground and put a gentle hand on his shoulder, pushing him back into his seat "No don't, there are no more seats and it's not as if I bite" Hermione said jokingly, but her smile did not reach her eyes.

Reluctantly Draco sat and stared down at his hands that were entwined in his lap. Hermione sat in the while chair beside him and ran her fingers through her hair nervously, and until the service started a tense silence smothered them.

Somewhere throughout the service Hermione's cheeks became drenched with tears, whilst Draco's hands stayed clamped in his lap. That was until the service had turned to describing the Battle of Hogwarts.

Draco POV:

It was fine, sad definitely, but it was that bad (that sounds really awful doesn't it?) but it all took a horrible turn when the oldest Weasley kid began describing the death and hurt that occurred at the Battle of Hogwarts. I felt stupid tears brim and fall down my cheeks and to my utter surprise, Granger's hand swept down upon mine and held it so tight that I worried I might get bruises.

Her hand felt so soft in mine and tiny. I looked down at her pale, clammy hand grasping onto mine and I felt comforted, safe and…loved?

Throughout the rest of the funeral Granger and I grasped onto each other's hands, finding comfort in the touch of the other.

Once the service had ended...

"I'm so sorry" Hermione taking her hand from Draco's gentle hold "I just, I just-"

"It's alright, I get it" Draco said quietly, smiling down gently at the stammering girl in front of him "will you come with me to the headstone?"

The question escaped from his lips before he had even considered the consequences of her reaction, but he had realised during the time they spent holding hands that he needed her with him when he did this. Hermione looked startled at his request, and then nodded, her curls bouncing at the movement. After a moment's pause Draco extended his hand for her to hold, Hermione looked down at it, smiled slightly and then slipped her hand in his. Together they walked towards the newly buried coffin and marble headstone. When Draco and Hermione reached the headstone, new tears brimmed over her eyelashes and she made a swish flick of her wrist and a single rose fell upon the newly placed dirt.

Hermione's POV:

I didn't know what Draco was going to do at Fred's grave, but what he did really surprised me. Draco sunk to his knees beside the headstone and began to sob, and through his sobs I heard a soft and rasping phrase…

"I'm so sorry!"

I sank down beside him and he turned to face me and buried his face in the crook of my shoulders his loud sobs vibrating against my body, his salty tears drenching my skin. I said nothing, only stroked his blonde hair and held him while he cried.