I dedicate this chapter to Helena Bonham Carter, the lady who plays Bellatrix. Now hear me out on this, guys. She played the mom in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, she voiced Emily, the Corpse Bride in The Corpse Bride, and she was the Red Queen in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Yet, we all see her as the psychopath who tried to off the Trio and killed Dobby. She was a poor loving mother, a young bride-to-be who was killed, and a psycho queen. Okay, so two out of three ain't bad.
Disclaimer: I own only the plot and the sob-fest.
Hermione sniffed, looking down dejectedly at the floor. She made another swipe at her eyes, blinking back more tears because Marlene looked ready to bawl and wouldn't be able to fix her makeup if she ruined it any more. Lily was curled up next to James, the two of them staring at the coffee table silently as Alice and Frank swayed as they stood.
"Hermione, you okay?" Peter asked, watching as she kept swiping at her eyes on the girls' staircase.
"No," she said pitifully as Remus walked over to her, picking her up off the staircase and holding her, "This is it. You all got seven years – I got one."
"It's unfair," Remus said, brushing her hair back as she nodded.
Marlene had insisted that Hermione and Alice wear the dresses they'd worn to Slughorn's party, as everybody had to dress nice. Lily was wearing a pale purple sundress and Marlene was wearing a dark grey dress that looked more fit for running for office. The boys were dressed in button up shirts, ties and dress pants, which was hardly any change from what they usually wore to school except that there was no insignia on it.
"I – am going – to miss you guys – so – much," Marlene sobbed into Sirius shoulder, who looked very uncomfortable and patted her shoulder awkwardly.
"Don't worry you guys," Alice comforted, "We'll see everybody again at the wedding."
Everybody froze and turned to her and Frank, but Lily and James both jumped up and glared at her.
"You promised you wouldn't say anything!" Lily yelled at her.
"Lily," Marlene said sharply, "Are you and James getting married?"
She winced and turned to James, "Err…."
He coughed, "September."
"September? September?" Sirius squawked, looking very much like a bird.
"Oh my Merlin – you're getting married! To each other!" Marlene was beaming as Hermione suddenly began to laugh.
"What, you couldn't tell me?" Sirius practically yelled, "Me? Your best mate?"
"I'm nobody's best mate," Remus pouted down at Hermione, who was still hugging him.
"You can be Frank's," she grinned, patting his arm as he frowned at her.
"Actually, I have that spot filled," he called across the room.
Before Remus or anybody else could retort, McGonagall opened the portrait and stepped inside the Common Room. She looked sad before she composed herself.
"Well," she began, "This is the last time I'll have to deal with you four…five…six…seven…eight…oh Merlin, I can't do this." She turned around and dabbed at her eyes, sniffling.
"Aww – Minnie, don't be upset," James said as he walked towards her, "You can come to the wedding."
"James Potter," she gave a great big loud sniff as she turned around to him, "Please tell me that you have not badgered Lily Evans into agreeing to marry you."
He pouted now as the others laughed, "So you won't come?"
She rolled her eyes and patted his shoulder, "I'll bring the ice."
"Yay!" he grinned before he hugged her, startling the older woman.
"Let's all hug Minnie!" Sirius cheered as he started towards her, only Remus caught him by the collar and yanked him back.
"Let's not, but say we did," he said as Hermione laughed.
"Why not?" Sirius frowned.
"Because it's awkward as hell, that's why," James laughed, running a hand through his hair.
"Well," McGonagall straightened herself, "Everybody's waiting."
"Oh Merlin," Marlene squeaked as she reached for Hermione and Alice, "I love both of you. You're the greatest roomies anybody could ever ask for."
"What about me?" Lily huffed.
"You were a stick in the mud, but I love you all the same."
"Gentlemen," Frank stepped up towards the guys, "I will look back on our late nights fondly, for now I know I will never have to do it again."
"And we'll always look fondly back at the time we cut –" Sirius began with a grin before Remus cut him off.
"Padfoot, don't ruin graduation," he frowned.
"Killjoy," he mumbled.
The seventh years were lined up, according to House and their last names. Lily grasped Hermione's hand, the two trying to get a grip on themselves and pretty much failing horribly.
"Today," Dumbledore began, looking out into the sea of the students' families, "We are losing so many wonderful students. Today, the Wizarding World is gaining so many wonderful wizards. This is the day that these students occupy this castle for the last time. Everybody is trying to suppress their tears – even I sniffled a few times before I came up to speak to you. We are all confused at this time in our lives, confused and scared. But I assure you, they will all do fine. Now, enough of my blathering, you're all here to see them graduate. Hogwarts Graduations are often kept secret to surprise our students, so – fathers or the head guardian, please line up next to your child. If you have more than one, please step up with the one we will call first."
Hermione felt her stomach drop and she tugged her hand away from Lily's as her father stepped up. She felt deflated, and Frank quickly rubbed her shoulder comfortingly before his father stepped towards him. She looked down at her hands as Dumbledore began the long roll call, the students stepping towards their Heads of Houses for the father to get the diploma and give it to the student. James' dad walked up with Sirius before going back down the line to James.
"Evans, Lily," Dumbledore called, leaving Lily and her father to walk away from the line. Hermione took a deep breath, refusing to look up at anybody. She did look up when she saw somebody out of the corner of her eye.
"Sirius?" she whispered, "What are you - ?"
"Shh," he hissed back, "I am currently your head guardian. So shush."
She grinned at him, making the corner of his lips twitch as her name was called. She and Sirius walked to McGonagall, who glanced up at him and sighed as if she could very much believe that he'd done that before handing him Hermione's diploma. Sirius pretended to knight her with the rolled up parchment before he handed it to her, making her grin even wider.
Once they walked off, Hermione quickly tackled him, hissing 'thank you's to him as she did. He chuckled and patted her back as Lily reached forward and hugged the two as well.
"Padfoot," James began with a grin as he walked up to them, "You softy."
"Shuddup," he whispered, "From this moment on, Hermione is now my little sister. Now where's Lupin?"
"Talking to his parents," he shrugged as Lily stepped up and hugged him.
"James, Sweetie," she began nervously, "I might've told Mum and Dad about our wedding. Dad's less than pleased."
"Oh crap," he hissed, "Do you want to kill me?"
"The perfect plan," Hermione whispered thoughtfully, "Have an enraged father kill the target due to attraction. Brilliantly executed, Lily, well done."
"I mean – I'd have to tell them eventually, and Mum said something about 'when I get married' and I – I panicked, so it – it just slipped out," Lily ignored Hermione.
"Hey, you're of age – you can do what you want now," Sirius shrugged, "And besides, after the whole shock of things, your mum will be thrilled and James' mum will be thrilled and they can all be thrilled together."
"What about her dad?" Hermione asked.
"Well, he can grumble with James' dad about the economy or something," he hummed. "Isn't that what all dads do? That's what James' dad does."
"Heard that!" Mr. Potter hissed, making Sirius fidget nervously.
"Hey," Remus grinned, joining in and settling an arm across Hermione's shoulders – which she didn't mind too much about, aside from being a thing to lean on. "Well, look's like this is it. Ready to go?"
"No," they chorused quietly as he chuckled.
"Hold on, students!" Dumbledore called, making them pause and look up at him at his podium, "There is one more coveted Hogwarts tradition! Please head out on to the grounds!"
"What?" they seemed to ask each other before doing as he asked, squinting once the bright sun shone down on them. Soon, there was a mass of squirming, fidgety seventh years and their families. Marlene chased after her little six year old brother, who only missed the ground by seconds as Sirius grabbed him from his leap, swinging him upside down.
"Sirius!" he crowed happily, "James, Moony!"
The Marauders chuckled back at him as he finally noticed Lily, speaking a mile a minute to her.
"Hey, Trevor," Sirius told him, "You met Hermione yet?"
"Nah," he said before turning his attention to Hermione, who smiled and waved at him. He looked bashfully up at the ground, mumbling out a very quiet "Hi."
Hermione, confused, turned to Remus, who was trying to hide his smile behind his hand.
"Somebody just got a new crush!" Marlene sang, grabbing him from Sirius and waving before heading back to her family.
"Awww," Hermione cooed, "He's too cute! I want one!"
"What?" James blinked.
"I want a little kid," she rocked on her toes, "Eventually, of course. I've always loved little kids."
"Great – because I'm sure that nine months after the wedding you'll be Aunty Romy!" Sirius grinned as James and Lily glared at him.
"Lily, come here, we want a word with you and your future husband," Helen Evans ordered, gently grabbing the two's wrist and towing them away towards her husband and James' parents.
"Don't die, James!" Hermione called, making Sirius and Remus laugh.
"Students, please regroup with your families, as I'm sure they'd like to witness this!" Dumbledore announced as he and the other professors appeared on a raised stage. Remus waved goodbye to the two, who stood there and stared at one another before shrugging. Once everybody appeared to be situated, Dumbledore pointed his wand at the sky. A canopy appeared, swallowing everybody in darkness. "Remember – Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. Please show us all your patronus."
Sirius laughed before waving his wand, hardly a word coming from his mouth before a dog erupted from his wand, barking as if it were laughing along with him.
Hermione did the same, expecting her otter, but instead getting a dog as well, larger than Sirius' and looking particularly smug. "What the - ?" she blinked as Sirius laughed louder, attracting the attention of James and Lily and Remus. She glared at her patronus, still trying to find what it had changed to, while Sirius tugged her into his side. "You're not an otter!" she exclaimed before looking up at him, "It's not an otter!"
James looked over at Remus, a grin on his face as he saw that Remus has noticed as well and was blushing profusely, but his wolf patronus got brighter.
Ah well, she'd notice it was a she-wolf eventually, and then never bring it up again. All's well that ends well, right?
Hermione stared blankly out the window, tears running down her face as she watched Hogwarts roll out of view. Remus sat down next to her and pulled her into him, rubbing her arms as she continued to stare. He and everybody else had changed into jeans, t-shirts, whatever they wore at home. But she'd stayed in the dress and walked around the Common Room, waiting until she could go down to the train and wait.
Noel hopped up in her lap, leaning up and sniffing her face as if the tears were something she might like to sniff. Finding that they were nothing and that she was, in fact, sad, she curled up into her to comfort her.
"You alright?" Sirius asked across from her, waiting for Lily and James to continue their conversation with the soon-to-be-in-laws.
"I will be," she said shakily, setting Noel off on Remus' lap and standing up, "Eventually." She grabbed her change of clothes and headed out to change into them.
On her way back, she stopped at a window and stared out at it. With an upward twitch of her lips, she headed back to the compartment to reach up and pull out a quill and a piece of parchment. She sat down on the bench, curled up in the corner and began to write, glad that the boys were giving her space and letting her be as Noel curled up on her stomach again.
Dear Fred and George,
Well, I'm here and you're not. Now I know you two already had your own special graduation, complete with fireworks and everything, but I got proof. So ha. I wish you two could be here, as you'd be much better at breaking misery than I would, but oh well. I miss you.
Dear Ginny,
Looks like you've been beaten down a notch on my fashionista list, Love! Don't worry, nobody could ever quite live up to your standards though, but for this day and age I'd have to say Marlene. I can't believe I did this though. You can, maybe, but I can't. I just…wish you were here. I wish you all were here, of course.
Dear Ron,
Put down the pumpkin pasty right now! Now, I must tell you that I miss you. You're great for a laugh, you're great for a fight, you're great to keep me on my toes most days. Have fun, stay safe, and please chew with your mouth closed.
Harry,
I'm trying. I honestly am. I'm trying as hard as I can to do what I need to. Please forgive me if I mess up in someway though. This is the first run-through, and possibly my last unless something happens. Please, try not to attract too much danger. An impossible feat, I know, but just try. You're my best friend (although a few boys are closing in on that title – your own fault, you got me a bow last Christmas.) and I miss you. Don't forget about me, hm?
Love Forever and Always,
Hermione Jean Granger
She smiled down at her letters, feeling the purring against her stomach as she absentmindedly petted Noel. She closed her eyes to give out a sigh before opening them to carefully fold the paper and slip it into her pocket.
"PADFOOT!" James yelped, hurrying to set out the fire that he'd started as Lily sighed and dropped her face to her hands. Remus groaned before spraying it out with his wand, looking dully on as James continued to scold him.
Hermione smiled again. She had friends here, there, and everywhere, and no matter how crazy they could be, she still loved them and wouldn't give any of them up, despite the fact that many of her memories of them were fuzzy and unfocused and that she now had a headache from trying to remember enough to write the letters.
Except for Ron. That boy really needed to learn to chew with his mouth closed.
One Month Later
Hermione had stuck through with her promise to stay with Remus and his family until her flat was set up. She, Sirius, Remus, Lily, James, Marlene, Alice and Frank spent weeks casting spells and rifling through things Fred and George had had. They turned their two rooms into one and shrunk the space to move everything into one room. They made Hermione's room a little bigger, put in furniture and decorated – the 'they' in that case being Alice and Marlene. Atticus came up last week and deemed her ready to move in. Everybody had then mysteriously vanished until Hermione found them all hiding in the Hog's Head. Helen cried and asked for her to visit regularly, which she readily accepted, and Remus wasn't there to see her off, as he was a werewolf and had monthly trips to make in the woods outside his parents' house.
About three o'clock in the morning, Remus floo'ed in and yawned before heading towards Hermione's room, slowly creaking the door open and finding Hermione collapsed on her bed, a box of books next to her and one being used as a pillow. He chuckled and took the book out from under her head, setting it in the box and then the box on the floor.
"'M up," she mumbled, her eyes fluttering open as she shifted, making him smooth her hair back.
"Go back to sleep, Hermione," he ordered softly, watching as complied. He smiled once she was fully gone, stepping back and out of her room before apparating out to his own flat.
"Remus – Lupin!" He laughed as he held his arms up from having the pillow try to beat him, an annoyed Hermione on the other end, who was trying to bludgeon him with the object.
"Hermione!" he laughed again, "Calm – calm down!"
"No I will not!" she whacked him again and again, moving the pillow to get better angles.
"It – ow, haha – it's okay!"
"It is not!"
"Ow!" he frowned and glared up at her, watching as she slid away the angry face and move the worried face into place, reaching out to begin the gentle search through his hair to see where her bracelet had probably ripped a chunk of hair out.
"You prat," she said as she ruffled through his hair, "You scared me."
"Yeah, well you scarred me, so I think we're even," he said, still frowning at her but getting distracted.
"Ugh, where is it?" she asked, not finding the spot yet.
"To your left," he mumbled.
"My left?" she repeated.
"Mmhmm," he winced a little when she lightly touched it.
"It'll get better," she said, removing her hands before huffing at him, "Don't ever do that to me ever again!"
"How else was I to wake you up?" he grinned as he laid down against the bright turquoise couch – which was most definitely one of the remains from Fred and George's time in the flat.
"Saying 'hey, wake up' could be a start," she crossed her arms, still crouched over him.
"But screaming 'your loft's on fire' is so much more fun," he grinned cheekily, "And your reaction was splendid."
"I don't bloody care," she growled, "Don't ever do it again."
He sighed and nodded, making her get off of him and pick up the pillow to go put it back in her room. When she came back, she had her head tilted and was more studying him than looking at him.
"What?" he asked, sitting up and looking at her innocently.
"Remus," she began, "How many pranks have you, James, Sirius and Peter pulled at Hogwarts?"
"Err – I dunno," he scratched his head, "I know we made it in the double digits…and yeah, triple too. I remember, because Sirius gave Peter Firewhiskey and McGonagall found out. She wasn't happy."
"And how many did you come up with?"
He grinned and sat back on his hands, "Why do you want to know?"
"Because I have to be the least Marauder-y out of everybody," she frowned.
"Oh…kay?" he blinked.
"I can't make stuff for the store," she admitted, "I need help."
He blinked faster, standing up now and facing her completely, "Are you offering me a job?"
"No, I'm offering you a tuna salad," she rolled her eyes, "Yes, I'm offering you a job, you lovable nu – ut!" She was spun around before being dropped back down, being hugged as he grinned into her hair.
"You're brilliant, really bloody brilliant!" he said.
She fought the blush that tried to rise, "Thanks. You can help me come up with things and with the customers and stuff."
He pulled back, grinning madly at her before swooping down and kissing her fully on the lips. She looked very comical, his hands on her shoulders and her eyes wide open and crossed to see properly. She blinked when he pulled back, running a hand through his hair with that insane grin.
"I'll go tell my mum – thanks, Hermione, I won't let you regret it!" he said before he cracked out of her flat.
"Keep kissing me like that and I doubt I will," she muttered to the air, a hand to her lips as she dazedly wandered back to her room.
Ending fluff yaaaaay! So…yeah. Listen to 'Bittersweet', 'When the Day Met the Night,' and 'Northern Downpour' by Panic! At the Disco and tell me what you think about them. You can listen to them for free on Grooveshark!