It was on days like today that Hermione missed her friends greatly; wished that they were here with her. Christmas had been sombre for sure but New Years Eve felt worse, she couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion she was feeling; was it anger, sadness, longing, or something completely different she wondered. Since the moment she'd awoken that morning between her two lovers she'd felt off, felt like there was a tornado swirling within her, ready to escape at a moments notice.

The feeling didn't dissipate as the day went on, no it brewed, it grew, it became palpable, since arriving at the Burrow for the New Years celebrations that evening, the Weasley's and their guests had been giving her a wide birth, casting worried and anxious glances at her when they thought she couldn't see. Draco hovered beside her, ignoring the occasional electric like zaps that came from her wild untamed hair while Fred was over by the pond setting up fireworks for the evening's countdown.

Hermione ignored her hovering boyfriend, choosing instead to take a swig of the glass of champagne she was holding; it didn't help to calm the brewing storm within her but the action of taking a drink, even one as weak as champagne was soothing, she raised the glass again, taking a long sip, downing what remained within the crystal flute before shuffling to a nearby table and promptly refilling it. Draco didn't stop her, they all had their own vices after all; did she depend too much on alcohol, probably, did it help her, most definitely, at least it did in the short term.

"We're ready, it's almost time for the countdown," Fred grinned, appearing at their side, Hermione attempted a smile but knew it wasn't a good one, Fred took her spare hand in his.

"You okay love," he asked quietly, she nodded, Draco snorted.

"I might have been part of this relationship for less than a week but even I can tell you aren't okay," he said, reaching out to stroke her face.

"I'll be fine," she murmured.

"Mi," Fred spoke, she shook her head.

"Let's get this over with," she said.

"We can go home," Fred offered.

"No," she protested, turning to where George was casting a spell with his wand. A giant illuminated countdown appeared in the air above Fred's twin; it was on thirty, Hermione watched the numbers get smaller, when it got to ten, the gathered guests started screaming the numbers; "10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR", they all screamed. Hermione pulled Fred into a heated kiss before turning to Draco and pulling his head to meet hers, she kissed him just as passionately before watching the two of them share a kiss of their own. She smiled at them sadly.

"I'm just going to pop to the loo," she told them, turning and fleeing into the old topsy turvy house. Hermione got as far as the kitchen, her eyes falling on the family clock. All of the hands pointed to home except two; Harry's and Ron's pointed to traveling, Hermione felt her knees buckle, she allowed herself to fall to the floor as heaving sobs broke out of her.

"Hermione," Fred's voice called sometime later as he and Draco came into the house, she stared up at them a pitiful mess, surely, she must look a sight but, in that moment, she couldn't find it in her to care.

"Granger," Draco murmured, dropping down beside her, Fred sat down on the other side of her quietly, wrapping a strong arm around her.

"Care to share what's had you high strung all day," Fred asked, twirling one of her loose curls with his finger.

"They should be here," she whispered, between hiccups.

"Basterds," Draco hissed.

"They are my best friends," she defended.

"Who pissed off almost straight after the war," Draco said.

"July, they left in July," she corrected.

"Two months, as I said straight after the war," Draco spoke.

"I thought they'd be back by now," she whispered.

"We all did," Fred agreed.

"I miss them," she confessed.

"They should have stayed with you, looked after you, but they didn't. I say good riddance there gone, they don't deserve to have you in their lives," Draco shrugged.

"They couldn't cope," She defended.

"Well they should have, they left you Mi to deal with everything alone; your parents, the trauma of the war, the press hounding you, everything. Draco's right, they acted like pricks, so what if they couldn't cope, neither could you, you were a wreck when they left," Fred said angrily.

"I'm still a wreck," she confessed.

"No you're not, your more like a jigsaw that's been mixed up, broken but fixable, you're a lot better than you were, a work in progress for sure but you are getting there," Fred told her, kissing her forehead sweetly.

"Oh thanks," she laughed.

"You have us, we aren't going anywhere," Draco added, lacing his hand with hers. Sitting together on the floor in Molly's kitchen the trio watched the sky illuminate with vibrant fireworks through the large kitchen window above the sink, each of them wondering what 1989 would hold for them. Hopefully the coming year would be kinder to them than the final year of the war had been but only time would tell.

"Happy New Year," she whispered to both of them.

"Happy New Year Hermione," they replied together, Hermione hoped it would be a happy year, she also hoped that wherever Ron and Harry were in the world, her friends were happy and safe.