Main Prompt: Your OTP's lives have caused them to drift apart (restriction - they must break up by the end of the story).
Secondary Prompts: 11.(action) brewing a potion, 14.(setting) St. Mungo's and 15.(setting) a park.
Written for QFLC, Wigtown Wanderers, Beater 2
Word Count: 2796
~wWw~
Hermione puttered around the small potions room the Weasleys had built. It was mainly used by herself and the twins as they worked on some potions for their shop. It had taken some time but Mrs. Weasley had come around to the idea of her sons running a joke shop. Hermione spent her free time either helping them or working on ways to help those most affected by the war.
The Cruciatus Curse had harmed so many people, leaving them with tremors and sporadic pain amongst other things. Hermione had suffered under this curse as had Luna, Draco, and countless others on both sides of the war.
This was the tenth time Hermione had tried to make this potion. It was designed to target the nervous system where remnants of the curse still remained, attaching to the victim's magic. Last time she had made the potion it had almost worked.
Hermione warmed up her cauldron and prepared her ingredients. This potion required a few unique methods. She charmed the ingredients before using them in the potion causing the effects to transfer to the potion. She diced up her Mandrake, ensuring she cut it into even pieces. Using the blade of her knife she proceeded to crush it into a fine paste. Hermione carried on like this until the water was at a gentle boil.
She carefully added her ingredients ensuring that she didn't splash the unfinished potion. Through a few close calls, she had discovered that the unfinished potion was incredibly toxic and harmful. Hermione stirred the potion the correct amount of times, then waited for it to turn the correct dark blue colour.
~wWw~
Hermione pulled open the door to her favourite book store in Muggle London. It was a small shop called Persephone Books. It was filled with out of print books and books written by women. There was only one other patron in the shop and Hermione didn't pay her much attention, heading straight for the cashier to ask what good books had come in during the last two weeks.
"Sorry, we haven't had any new shipments since you were last in," the woman said.
"Thanks anyway," Hermione said politely, as she moved to the shelves to see if anything would catch her eye. Methodically, she browsed through the bookshelves, picking up a book here and there.
"Hermione?" A melodic voice called out from behind her. Hermione turned to look at who had called her name.
"Daphne?" Hermione asked in response, moving towards the other girl. She hadn't seen her since Draco's trial, where he had been found innocent. Daphne had been supporting him and her sister Astoria through the trial.
"Yeah, it's been a while," Daphne said with a slight grin.
~wWw~
Daphne Greengrass was a creature of habit. Consistency was her favourite thing. Every morning in the last two years since she graduated, she picked up the morning paper to read with her coffee. She took a sip of her coffee, propped her feet up and opened the paper. Right in front of her were big, bold words she never wanted to see.
Gryffindor's Golden Girl Severely Injured in Potions Accident
Daphne reread the headline, hoping it was a joke, some cruel trick. It wasn't. The headline stayed the same, unchanging.
"Dotty, I have to go!" Daphne called out to her house elf as she set her coffee down, and she summoned her coat to her hand. She took off at a run towards the apparition room. The second she crossed the threshold, she turned on her heel, envisioning the white walls of St. Mungo's in her head.
She landed in the middle of the waiting room. Reporters sat along each wall, likely waiting for any news of their Golden Girl. With long strides, Daphne made her way to the middle of the room.
"My name is Daphne Greengrass. I'm looking for Hermione Granger," Daphne said as calmly as she could, attempting to hide the racing of her heart. The receptionist looked down at her list, lazily running her eyes across it.
"I'm sorry, Miss, your name isn't on my list. I can't let you in."
Anger shot through Daphne. Why wasn't her name on the list? She was Hermione's girlfriend—
No. She wasn't anymore.
"Thank you," Daphne said sadly, looking towards the floor. She took a seat, her eyes still looking at the ground. Even if she and Hermione had broken up, it didn't mean that she didn't care about Hermione anymore.
~wWw~
Daphne led Hermione into her favourite restaurant in Diagon Alley. It was a small little-known cafe her parents had lent money to help start-up. They had the best coffee in the alley and some fantastic pastries. She gently pulled out Hermione's chair for her before moving to sit in her chair.
"Wow, what is this place?" Hermione asked, looking around in wonder. It had a very similar appearance to many of the muggle coffee shops she frequented. The inside had russet brick walls and a well-worn wooden floor. It felt familiar, comfortable. The shop wasn't too busy. Several people were sitting around the shop, chatting, reading, and working.
"This is Sip and Snack, my favourite coffee shop," Daphne said. With a soft pop, two large cups of coffee appeared in front of them.
Hermione smiled at the other girl. Daphne was very different from when she was at Hogwarts: peaceful and unburdened. Her dark eyes shone with joy. Hermione was struck by her beauty. It was soft. If you weren't looking for it, you might miss it. Once you found it, you would never lose it.
Hermione daintily lifted the large cup, carefully taking a sip. She moaned in appreciation of the sharp taste of the coffee.
~wWw~
"Greengrass, what are you doing here?" George Weasley asked, his face dark as he looked down at her.
"Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" Fred asked acidly, not giving her a chance to respond before he spoke.
"You left her, you broke her," George hissed, his voice just barely above a whisper.
"I-"
"You don't get to defend yourself. She trusted you," Fred growled, taking a step towards Daphne. A silent tear fell from her face.
"You didn't watch the weeks where she cried in the kitchen every night, debating her decision," George whispered as he pushed past Daphne, not wanting any of the reporters to hear.
"She cared about you, but you didn't care about her, if you did you never would have given up," Fred whispered following in his twin's footsteps.
~wWw~
Daphne stood at the front door to the Burrow, a bundle of flowers held tightly in her hand. They had been Draco's suggestion. He always had good luck with his dates, so she had taken the advice. With a careful hand, she knocked on the door, just loud enough that it would be heard but not so quietly that it could be missed.
The door opened, revealing a smiling Mrs. Weasley who kindly greeted her. Daphne smiled back at the older woman.
"Hello Mrs. Weasley, Hermione has told me a lot about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Oh dear, you are too kind. Can I assume you are picking Hermione up for your date?"
Daphne nodded.
"Hermione dear, Daphne is here for your date!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed into the house behind her. The pair heard the sound of someone tumbling down the stairs, then a sharp shout.
"No, Fred, you can't meet her yet," Hermione's voice growled from out of the pair's sight.
"Ah, Fred wants to give you his speech about not hurting Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said with an indulgent smile.
"I won't hurt her, Mrs. Weasley. I won't, I promise. She means so much to me," Daphne said, not wanting the other woman to think she would hurt Hermione.
"I know you won't, dear," Mrs. Weasley said with a soft smile.
"I'm here," Hermione said, breathless from her tussle with Fred. Daphne smiled at her, gently holding the flowers out for her to take.
"These are for you," Daphne said.
"Wow, they are beautiful," Hermione whispered, gently taking the bundle from the other girl.
"I'm going to put these in water for you dear, so you two can get going on your date," Mrs. Weasley said, taking the bundle of flowers from Hermione and turning into the house, closing the door behind her.
Daphne offered her hand to Hermione. The pair walked over to the Apparation point, quietly chatting.
"So, where are we going today?" Hermione asked, looking over at Daphne.
"A little Muggle park I found the other day," Daphne responded.
~wWw~
Daphne sat in the waiting room of St. Mungo's, her head in her hands as she waited. She was waiting for any glimmer of news, just like every other person in that room. Daphne's reason was different, more genuine. They wanted to get the story out first. They wanted to make money off of Hermione. Daphne genuinely cared about her health and wellbeing. She wanted to know that Hermione was okay. Even if they weren't dating anymore, Hermione still held a piece of Daphne's heart. The pair didn't break up because something went wrong between them, rather life pushed them apart.
~wWw~
The couple sat on a large blanket with a small basket between them. Hermione nestled into Daphne's side, taking comfort in the closeness of her girlfriend. A pair of empty sandwich containers in front of them.
Children played around the couple, their parents attempting to wrangle them back to eat before they went out to play again. It was a peaceful thing to watch, bringing up many memories of Hermione's childhood. She had done the same thing when she was a child, refusing to return because she was having too much fun playing in the park.
~wWw~
Hermione Granger lay in a completely white room. Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, and Harry at her side. The family had been taking shifts watching over her. Her face was covered in white bandages. Her body was covered in much the same, which was hidden from sight due to the fluffy blanket pulled up to her chin. The few visible parts of her face were almost as pale as the sheets around her. Her brown eyes fluttered open for a moment, quickly closing upon the harsh light of the room.
"Daphne?" Hermione mumbled, unable to completely open her eyes.
"Daphne?" Hermione's voice echoed through the room once again.
"Hermione, Daphne's not here. You broke up," Mrs. Weasley said softly, not wanting to upset the girl. Hermione's eyes drifted shut again.
"Hermione?" Fred asked carefully, looking at her face, which had gotten even paler.
~wWw~
Hermione sat at the kitchen table of the Burrow, her eyes locked on the clock (a real one, not Mrs. Weasley's enchanted one). It was two o'clock. She glanced towards the door, waiting expectantly for Daphne's knock. It never came. The hands on the clock kept on ticking. 2:10. 2:15.
"Are you sure she is coming, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, entering the kitchen. The older woman puttered around the kitchen as she spoke.
"Yeah, she said two. She's never been late before," Hermione said, her voice trailing off as she spoke. Mrs. Weasley gently set a steaming cup down in front of Hermione.
"I'm sure she's just running a few minutes late, my dear. Nothing to worry about," Mrs. Weasley said. 2:30. A loud knock rumbled through the room. Mrs. Weasley smiled softly at Hermione, gently nodding to the door. Hermione grinned, rushing to open the door.
~wWw~
Daphne had gone home at the end of the day when the news that Hermione was in a coma broke. The Weasleys would never let her in to see Hermione, and she didn't know what she could do. Technically, Hermione was nothing to her, both in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of the Weasleys.
Daphne couldn't sleep that night. She lay awake on her bed. Tossing and turning as she stared at the empty side of her bed. Hermione had only stayed over a few nights. Those were the best nights of sleep Daphne had had since she was a young child. When the sun began to crest over the ground, Daphne gave up trying to sleep.
She padded down to her kitchen table, sitting down rubbing her eyes with her hand. There was a gentle pop, and her customary cup of coffee appeared along with the morning paper. She hadn't even picked up her coffee when she read the headline. Gryffindor's Golden Girl Dead in the Aftermath of a Potions accident, read more on page 2.
"No, no, no," Daphne whispered, her voice catching. Her eyes watered, her throat tightening, tears silently dripping down her face. She was gone, Hermione was gone, they would never get back together. Hermione was gone.
~wWw~
Daphne sat on a park bench in hers and Hermione's favourite park, waiting. They were supposed to be celebrating their three-month anniversary. Things hadn't been going well between them. Schedules clashed, dates had been missed. This was supposed to be a turning point for their relationship.
She watched as children played with their friends on the playset, running around and laughing with joy. They were so peaceful, unburdened. Daphne longed to release the burden she carried, but she would never put it on another.
A cool breeze whispered through her hair as she waited. There was nothing else she could do. Hermione and her relationship hadn't been going as planned. She didn't want to give up on it, just their schedules clashed. If she was going to fix this, Daphne had her work cut out for her. She was determined to turn it around. This relationship was something she valued and above that she cared about Hermione.
~wWw~
Hermione's funeral made everything feel real. Before the funeral, it had felt like a dream. A terrible nightmare that she only wanted to escape. Now it felt real. The room was filled with people, Hermione's friends, classmates, and family. A few news reporters were hanging around the edges of the room.
Daphne was the only one there who was neither wanted nor invited. She had snuck in the back. It might not have been the most ethical way of getting in. Daphne knew if she didn't go, she would regret it. She didn't plan to stay long, not wanting to cause a disturbance, only needing to say goodbye to the girl she still loved.
The funeral wasn't grand. It was small, quiet, cozy just like Hermione would have wanted. The pair had talked about these things, just in case. Those were the conversations they had, serious ones and playful ones.
Daphne didn't get close enough to see the body. She didn't think she would be able to bear the sight of Hermione pale and unmoving. Without a word to anyone, she slipped out the back, silent tears falling from her cheeks.
~wWw~
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Daphne asked as Hermione walked towards her. The other woman's eyes were red and teary.
"What happened?" Daphne tried again, taking a step closer to Hermione. "Whatever it is, we can fix it."
"No, we can't," Hermione whispered sadly, tears beginning to fall. Daphne moved her hand towards Hermione, attempting to wipe the tear from her face, but Hermione took a step back, preventing the contact.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Daphne asked for the second time, her hand awkwardly falling to the side.
"I can't do this anymore," Hermione said, waving her hand between them, "I can't do the missed dates, the late dates, the lack of time for each other. I'm sorry, this isn't working."
"Hermione, please don't do this," Daphne whispered, "We can get through this."
"I'm sorry, Daph. I can't do this anymore," Hermione whispered, tears dripping down her face. She turned around, leaving Daphne standing in the middle of the park, all alone. She didn't look back, and Daphne didn't stop looking at her until long after she had faded from view.
~wWw~
Daphne was back at the park. A place she had frequented since after her and Hermione's breakup. It was a place filled with both good and bad memories. In a way, they were similar. They all held aspects of Hermione in them. Together in their entirety, they made up Hermione. They had their issues, but Daphne still cared about her. Hermione held part of her heart, a part she would never get back.
Unlike most days, the park was practically empty, just a few joggers passing through. It was too silent, much like her life without Hermione in it. She missed the other woman more than she had any right to.
Daphne stood leaning her back against a tree, watching as the sun rose above the horizon, her thoughts filled with Hermione.