Seamus smiled weakly, then picked up Calliope's limp form. "Harry, I want
you to take Lucius, Hermione, Voldemort."
Hermione blanched but said nothing. She bent self-consciously and lifted his body. It was extraordinarily light, and she carried it with ease. She noticed Seamus didn't hold Calliope's body with any particular reverence. She looked at Harry, and saw that he noticed it too, and she went over to say something to Seamus, but Harry shook his head. "No Hermione. Just let him be."
Seamus said nothing. He walked out the door, assuming they would follow him, which they did. They walked back to the fairy settlement, Harry and Hermione heaving their loads from side to side. Diamante greeted them at the edge of the forest. Seamus knelt and lay Calliope's body at her feet. He removed her pendant from around his neck and pressed it into Calliopes palm. Then he kissed her forehead and walked deeper into the forest. Diamante called after him but he didn't reply, he ignored even Eve's cries, disappearing into foliage.
Diamante knelt next to Calliope's body and wept silently. Then she stood, suddenly noticing Harry and Hermione, who were still awkwardly shouldering their burdens. "Bring them forward." She said, lifting Calliope's body. Harry and Hermione shook their heads.
"We should go on, and find Seamus. We need to get back to Hogwarts. We're sorry for-we're sorry for everything."
Diamante nodded silently.
Harry and Hermione walked away, clutching two bodies and feeling like intruders. Harry was surprised Hermione didn't want to stay and observe fairy rites of mourning. He giggled at the thought and Hermione looked at him sharply. "I don't suppose you'd like to tell me what could possibly funny at a time like this."
"No, actually, I wouldn't. No offence or anything."
"You're so rude Harry. You have no respect. Seamus has more manners than you."
"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! What was that about? He just left Diamante alone with her daughters body, no explanation, nothing. I knew he hated her, but that was uncalled for-"
Hermione stopped so abruptly Voldemort's body almost dropped to the ground. "Harry! I can't believe you could be so IGNORANT! He didn't hate her! He loved her! Harry! He loved Calliope! And she died! I can't believe you! I can't believe I'm dating someone so BLIND! Huh!"
Hermione's whole speech was delivered in exclamations. Harry looked at her blankly. "No, he hated her. He was always bugging her and stuff."
Hermione sighed. "Harry, you are so dense. So very, very dense. He didn't know how to tell her how he felt, so he bugged her, and irritated her. But he loved her." She stopped for a minute, like she suddenly realised something. "Like Ron...oh god, like Ron."
Harry blinked. "You're breaking up with me aren't you?" He panicked slightly, although he didn't know why. "I'm standing here with a dead body in my hands and you're breaking up with me?"
"Oh Harry. There will be other girls, other places to go. This just isn't right."
Harry knew it was true. "You could have at least waited until I wasn't holding onto Lucius Malfoy." Hermione still looked close to tears, so Harry bumped her with his shoulder. "With my spectacular good looks and charm, no one could resist me-"
He was cut off by the return of Seamus. "You're right Harry. I can't resist your masculinity. My dorm or yours." Harry shuddered with pretend revulsion and Seamus laughed. "Misha is already at Hogwarts." He took Voldemort from Hermione. "We should get there by tomorrow evening."
That night they sat around fire, Harry fell asleep early, but Hermione and Seamus stayed up. "I'm sorry, about Calliope, and everything, and how it all turned out and, you know." Hermione said, staring at her feet.
Seamus smiled tightly. "It happens. You can't do anything about it, no matter how much you think you could."
Hermione risked looking up at him, but his eyes were dry. He smiled weakly at her. "I'm not going to cry, don't worry. That's the first thing my da' taught me."
"Sometimes crying can make things better."
Seamus shook his head. "Not for hurt like this. My heart hurts Hermione. It's not my head, or my body, it's my heart. You can't cry that kind of thing away." Hermione awkwardly patted his shoulder.
"You're not as bad as you pretend to be." She said to him, and he smiled crookedly.
"That's what you think." He said, winking.
"No, I'm serious. You really helped out here. We couldn't have done it without you. And you made everyone laugh too. This probably sounds quite morbid, but I've had a good time."
"Yeah, that does sound morbid." Hermione shoved him to the side and he laughed. They both looked at each other and there was one of those film moments, and they kissed, somewhat awkwardly.
Harry woke up then, and saw them. "Oh bugger all." He said. "Not again."
Hermione blanched but said nothing. She bent self-consciously and lifted his body. It was extraordinarily light, and she carried it with ease. She noticed Seamus didn't hold Calliope's body with any particular reverence. She looked at Harry, and saw that he noticed it too, and she went over to say something to Seamus, but Harry shook his head. "No Hermione. Just let him be."
Seamus said nothing. He walked out the door, assuming they would follow him, which they did. They walked back to the fairy settlement, Harry and Hermione heaving their loads from side to side. Diamante greeted them at the edge of the forest. Seamus knelt and lay Calliope's body at her feet. He removed her pendant from around his neck and pressed it into Calliopes palm. Then he kissed her forehead and walked deeper into the forest. Diamante called after him but he didn't reply, he ignored even Eve's cries, disappearing into foliage.
Diamante knelt next to Calliope's body and wept silently. Then she stood, suddenly noticing Harry and Hermione, who were still awkwardly shouldering their burdens. "Bring them forward." She said, lifting Calliope's body. Harry and Hermione shook their heads.
"We should go on, and find Seamus. We need to get back to Hogwarts. We're sorry for-we're sorry for everything."
Diamante nodded silently.
Harry and Hermione walked away, clutching two bodies and feeling like intruders. Harry was surprised Hermione didn't want to stay and observe fairy rites of mourning. He giggled at the thought and Hermione looked at him sharply. "I don't suppose you'd like to tell me what could possibly funny at a time like this."
"No, actually, I wouldn't. No offence or anything."
"You're so rude Harry. You have no respect. Seamus has more manners than you."
"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! What was that about? He just left Diamante alone with her daughters body, no explanation, nothing. I knew he hated her, but that was uncalled for-"
Hermione stopped so abruptly Voldemort's body almost dropped to the ground. "Harry! I can't believe you could be so IGNORANT! He didn't hate her! He loved her! Harry! He loved Calliope! And she died! I can't believe you! I can't believe I'm dating someone so BLIND! Huh!"
Hermione's whole speech was delivered in exclamations. Harry looked at her blankly. "No, he hated her. He was always bugging her and stuff."
Hermione sighed. "Harry, you are so dense. So very, very dense. He didn't know how to tell her how he felt, so he bugged her, and irritated her. But he loved her." She stopped for a minute, like she suddenly realised something. "Like Ron...oh god, like Ron."
Harry blinked. "You're breaking up with me aren't you?" He panicked slightly, although he didn't know why. "I'm standing here with a dead body in my hands and you're breaking up with me?"
"Oh Harry. There will be other girls, other places to go. This just isn't right."
Harry knew it was true. "You could have at least waited until I wasn't holding onto Lucius Malfoy." Hermione still looked close to tears, so Harry bumped her with his shoulder. "With my spectacular good looks and charm, no one could resist me-"
He was cut off by the return of Seamus. "You're right Harry. I can't resist your masculinity. My dorm or yours." Harry shuddered with pretend revulsion and Seamus laughed. "Misha is already at Hogwarts." He took Voldemort from Hermione. "We should get there by tomorrow evening."
That night they sat around fire, Harry fell asleep early, but Hermione and Seamus stayed up. "I'm sorry, about Calliope, and everything, and how it all turned out and, you know." Hermione said, staring at her feet.
Seamus smiled tightly. "It happens. You can't do anything about it, no matter how much you think you could."
Hermione risked looking up at him, but his eyes were dry. He smiled weakly at her. "I'm not going to cry, don't worry. That's the first thing my da' taught me."
"Sometimes crying can make things better."
Seamus shook his head. "Not for hurt like this. My heart hurts Hermione. It's not my head, or my body, it's my heart. You can't cry that kind of thing away." Hermione awkwardly patted his shoulder.
"You're not as bad as you pretend to be." She said to him, and he smiled crookedly.
"That's what you think." He said, winking.
"No, I'm serious. You really helped out here. We couldn't have done it without you. And you made everyone laugh too. This probably sounds quite morbid, but I've had a good time."
"Yeah, that does sound morbid." Hermione shoved him to the side and he laughed. They both looked at each other and there was one of those film moments, and they kissed, somewhat awkwardly.
Harry woke up then, and saw them. "Oh bugger all." He said. "Not again."