August 17, 1998- Hermione

"Are my parents up yet?" I ask no one in particular. Breakfast is ready, but the only ones here are Fergal, Grace, the twins, and me. Ron and Charlie are still stalking the Browns, Malfoy is being an antisocial prat, refusing to come out of his room, and my parents have yet to be seen this morning.

"Nope, haven't seen them." Fred says.

"They've been through a lot. They're probably exhausted." Fergal says. I nod, but for some reason, I feel uneasy.

Three hours later, I'm worried sick. I can't remember them ever sleeping in this late. I can't wait any longer; I have to go check on them. Their room is right next to mine. I lightly knock, not wanting to walk in on any…intimacy, though I doubt they'd do that in someone else's home. Wait, why am I even thinking about this? I really wish I could scourgify my mind right now.

I knock again when nobody answers, louder this time. Is that someone telling me to come in? I vaguely hear something, but it's so quiet, I can't be sure.

"Mum, Dad, I'm coming in!" I say, slowly turning the handle to give them time to tell me not to. They don't.

At first, I think they're still asleep. Both are completely buried in the light golden satins of the bedding. Then I hear a weak "Hermione" struggle out from my dear mum's mouth.

"Oh my goodness, are you okay?" I exclaim, running to my parents' side. I gasp when I see them. Both look so small, so weak. Their skin, so tan and healthy yesterday, despite the cuts and bruises, is now so incredibly pale and sagging off their bones. My dad is asleep, but my mum's eyes are red and so large for her shrunken face, they look ready to pop out. I brush her long hair out of her face, but retract my hand quickly when I graze her forehead. It's burning up.

"Water." Mum manages to get out. I quickly summon a glass and fill it up with water.

"Here, drink up." I try to hand her the cup, but she barely has the strength to move her arm at all. So I bring the cup to her lips and hold it as she drinks.

When she is done, I set the glass on the small table next to the bed and go over to the other side, where my Dad lies. "Dad, do you want anything?"

No answer.

"Dad?" I warily touch his brow. It's ice cold. Panicking, my fingers jump to his neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing.

Tears start burning my eyes. I can't let them fall though, not now, at least. I don't think my mum knows that her husband died next to her, and I doubt she could handle the news right now.

"Mum, would you like some soup?" I ask. My voice sounds hollow, even to me, but hopefully she won't notice. Her head moves ever so slightly, telling me no.

"Alright. I'm just going to get some stuff to help you get better." She shakes her head again.

"Don't worry, Mum. I'll be right back."

"Stay." She croaks.

"What? Mum, you'll… you'll die if I don't get some help. I'll come right back, ok?"

"Stay." She repeats. Her chocolate eyes gaze intently into mine, looking incredibly like my own, right down to their determined edge. I sigh, realizing that my mum isn't nearly as out of it as I'd thought. She knows that she is on her death bed. She wants me to stay with her until the end, and she won't take no for an answer.

Without a word, I summon a chair, grasp her hand, and steel myself for what will come much too soon.

Draco

My stomach roars at me yet again, demanding food. I can't go down there, though. I can't face her. Has she discovered her parents yet? Are they dead yet? If they're not, they will be soon.

I wonder how my parents are doing. And Pansy. And Harry. I sincerely hope none of them have been punished for my failure. I shudder. I wouldn't put it past the Dark Lord to do so.

Hermione

I have no idea how long I've been sitting here, clutching my mum's hand securely in my own, waiting for her to leave me. I only notice the fragile woman in front of me. Occasionally, I whisper words of comfort to her as she sleeps, but otherwise, the room is eerily quiet. She fell asleep soon after ordering me to stay with her, and she hasn't woken up since. I briefly thought about getting some help a while ago, but decided against it almost immediately. It's her wish for me to stay by her side, and I doubt I could leave her now, regardless.

If I hadn't been watching my mum so intently, I might have missed the moment she expels her last breath, when her head just seems to seep deeper into the pillow. There isn't even any warning. She just…dies.

I don't burst in to tears, I don't even feel sad, even as I feel her hand cooling rapidly, and her lips turning in color. I feel nothing at all.

Sometime later, a large, warm hand is placed on my shoulder, alerting me to the outside world. It's dark now, I realize. I glance behind me, where the tall outline of a man stands. I can't tell who he is; it's too dark. But somehow, he must be able to see me. He reaches out slowly, brushing tears from my cheek. It's a futile effort, though. The floodgates seem to break even more at his sweet gesture. I feel strong arms surround me as I'm pulled into a comforting embrace.