(A/N: Thanks sooooo much for 125 reviews!!!!!!!! You guys rock! I know that
its taking an awful long time to be happy and it will still be several more
chapters but hang in there! Just a note, I'm trying to make my chapters
longer for you all and the time between updates shorter though I don't know
how well that'll be with school and everything. So I'll shut up now and let
you read...)
Usual Disclaimer
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CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR: BLOOD RED ROSES
"And my friends be comforted, for he lived a noble life, and died a hero's death." The words rang out into the thick silence. The other burials had taken place, Luna's included. Hermione was trying to stay strong, not to show any emotion. The worst thing would be if she had an emotional breakdown in front of the prying eyes of hundreds. And just as she suspected, the foursome held the attention of many; Hermione could actually feel their eyes on her back.
"Would those close to him approach the platform?" Cornelius Fudge's voice asked, amplified.
This was the part Hermione was dreading. Besides a single tear that she had quickly brushed away when she saw Luna, she had not cried, and neither had the others. Looking at each other, they rose. Dumbledore, Fudge, and Percy watched from their seats on the platform as the party approached the oak box lined with gold that was lying amidst what seemed to be thousands of beautifully colorful flowers. She was getting closer. The attendant opened the coffin and Hermione shut her eyes. She didn't want to see.
But slowly, very slowly, Hermione pried her eyes open to face the image that would haunt her dreams forever. There Harry lie, face almost white, looking like plastic. He was dressed in a suit, something that looked awkward on Harry; he'd always hated dressing up. Hermione let out a small gasp at his appearance and she felt someone squeeze her hand. She looked up at Ron who's attention was still on Harry but she could tell by the way he was squeezing her hand so hard that she thought it would break, and the way his eyes were clouded over that he felt the same way she did.
Hermione looked at Ginny who was desperately trying not to cry, but not succeeding. Mrs. Weasley's eyes were wide, and her hand covered her open mouth. Mr. Weasley's hand was on his wife's back and he was looking at the floor, shaking his head. Neville, who had joined the group later, was biting his lip and holding back tears that Hermione could see were in his eyes.
Hermione looked out into the audience. All were watching them with curiosity. She hated it, Hermione felt like a doll on display, for all the world to watch! She turned to Dumbledore, pressing her lips together and looking at him with an expression that she hoped got her feelings across. It worked, Dumbledore, after nodding slightly to Hermione, raised his hand, motioning for the attendants to close the coffin. Hermione sighed, glad to rid her sight of that picture. She wanted to remember Harry the way he really was, not like that. She took her seat. It was half over.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco Malfoy watched from afar. His feelings had been quite messed up lately and at a loss to know how to react to them, he ran. He felt bad about leaving Hermione the way he did, but hopefully she would understand.
Draco was angry at Harry. How could he die like this, ruining Draco and Hermione's relationship? Why did he die only minutes after they had gotten back together? How could he still control their relationship even dead? But Draco cursed himself under his breath for these thoughts.
Hermione didn't seem to mind that Draco had left. She was too wrapped up in the loss of her friends to care, which made only made Draco more jealous. Hermione cared so much about Harry, she loved him. Though Draco knew that it was a friendship love, it didn't matter, he couldn't seem to fathom that kind of care for someone, he never felt that way about someone, besides Hermione. Draco knew that if Hermione died, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. For her strength, Draco admired Hermione.
Draco watched as Hermione, looking beautiful as always, rise from her seat to view Harry's body. He watched her fidget with her hands and bite her lip nervously. He watched her close her eyes, not wanting to see. He watched Ron comfort her. And that's when Draco knew. He knew that his place was by her side instead of far away, feeling bad for himself. She was hurting; hurting far beyond anything Draco had ever known and now was not the time to be selfish. He loved her didn't he?
~*~*~*~*~*~
Slowly it made it's way down, prolonging the ache of Hermione's heart. People surrounded her but half of them never knew him. Few people could recognize his laugh in a crowd or know what he was thinking before he even said it, by reading his eyes. Only she could, Ron and Hermione. Only they fully understood Harry.
"The Roses please"
Hermione's hand, cut by the thorns of the rose, shakingly stretched out and she dropped the blood red rose onto the coffin as it descended into the ground. All followed her lead, and before she knew it, the coffin was covered with red roses.
Hermione's eyes flickered to a tall blonde man standing a few feet away from her. He was watching it all with intensity and looking uneasy about something. It took all of Hermione not to run to him and kiss him, just so that this horrible scene that was happening would fade away. Hermione still couldn't understand why he had left her, but it didn't matter. She wouldn't be able to handle anything now.
It was now that Hermione's tears fell. Looking through blurred vision she saw Ginny sobbing silently to herself, and her mother trying to comfort her. Hermione saw a tear actually fall from Ron's face (the first time she'd ever seen him cry) and him quickly brush it away. Neville was crying too. And as Hermione looked around she saw that *everyone was.
Oh Harry! How could this happen! How could you be so wrong! Look what's happened since you died! We need you Harry! Hermione's heart seemed to be breaking and it was then that she gave up. She put down her emotional barrier and showed what she was feeling. Hermione began to cry so hard she thought she would choke on her tears. Out of the corner of her eye she saw people's heads turn to face her at her sudden outburst of tears, but she didn't care.
Ron carefully put his arm around Hermione and pulled her towards him, allowing her to bury her face in his coat. He patted her back affectionately but it wasn't long before Neville and then Ginny joined the group hug. And that was it. It was over, people began to leave but the foursome stayed like that, they didn't move.
It was unusual seeing three 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old crying their hearts out in a group hug. Looking at them you wouldn't think they were 16, their faces were that of someone who had suffered for a long time, experienced a lot of pain. But they had, they were wise beyond their years. Voldemort had made it that way. The next generation wouldn't have to fear anything. They wouldn't have to grow up so fast. And they had Harry Potter to thank, the boy who lived and the boy who died, 'the boy who conquered the dark lord.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*
(Waa...sadness....hope you all liked...member that it's going be a while more before it gets happier but I promise that it does! Hang in there for me! Luv ya'll, Haystack)
Usual Disclaimer
~*~*~*~*~*~*
CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR: BLOOD RED ROSES
"And my friends be comforted, for he lived a noble life, and died a hero's death." The words rang out into the thick silence. The other burials had taken place, Luna's included. Hermione was trying to stay strong, not to show any emotion. The worst thing would be if she had an emotional breakdown in front of the prying eyes of hundreds. And just as she suspected, the foursome held the attention of many; Hermione could actually feel their eyes on her back.
"Would those close to him approach the platform?" Cornelius Fudge's voice asked, amplified.
This was the part Hermione was dreading. Besides a single tear that she had quickly brushed away when she saw Luna, she had not cried, and neither had the others. Looking at each other, they rose. Dumbledore, Fudge, and Percy watched from their seats on the platform as the party approached the oak box lined with gold that was lying amidst what seemed to be thousands of beautifully colorful flowers. She was getting closer. The attendant opened the coffin and Hermione shut her eyes. She didn't want to see.
But slowly, very slowly, Hermione pried her eyes open to face the image that would haunt her dreams forever. There Harry lie, face almost white, looking like plastic. He was dressed in a suit, something that looked awkward on Harry; he'd always hated dressing up. Hermione let out a small gasp at his appearance and she felt someone squeeze her hand. She looked up at Ron who's attention was still on Harry but she could tell by the way he was squeezing her hand so hard that she thought it would break, and the way his eyes were clouded over that he felt the same way she did.
Hermione looked at Ginny who was desperately trying not to cry, but not succeeding. Mrs. Weasley's eyes were wide, and her hand covered her open mouth. Mr. Weasley's hand was on his wife's back and he was looking at the floor, shaking his head. Neville, who had joined the group later, was biting his lip and holding back tears that Hermione could see were in his eyes.
Hermione looked out into the audience. All were watching them with curiosity. She hated it, Hermione felt like a doll on display, for all the world to watch! She turned to Dumbledore, pressing her lips together and looking at him with an expression that she hoped got her feelings across. It worked, Dumbledore, after nodding slightly to Hermione, raised his hand, motioning for the attendants to close the coffin. Hermione sighed, glad to rid her sight of that picture. She wanted to remember Harry the way he really was, not like that. She took her seat. It was half over.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco Malfoy watched from afar. His feelings had been quite messed up lately and at a loss to know how to react to them, he ran. He felt bad about leaving Hermione the way he did, but hopefully she would understand.
Draco was angry at Harry. How could he die like this, ruining Draco and Hermione's relationship? Why did he die only minutes after they had gotten back together? How could he still control their relationship even dead? But Draco cursed himself under his breath for these thoughts.
Hermione didn't seem to mind that Draco had left. She was too wrapped up in the loss of her friends to care, which made only made Draco more jealous. Hermione cared so much about Harry, she loved him. Though Draco knew that it was a friendship love, it didn't matter, he couldn't seem to fathom that kind of care for someone, he never felt that way about someone, besides Hermione. Draco knew that if Hermione died, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. For her strength, Draco admired Hermione.
Draco watched as Hermione, looking beautiful as always, rise from her seat to view Harry's body. He watched her fidget with her hands and bite her lip nervously. He watched her close her eyes, not wanting to see. He watched Ron comfort her. And that's when Draco knew. He knew that his place was by her side instead of far away, feeling bad for himself. She was hurting; hurting far beyond anything Draco had ever known and now was not the time to be selfish. He loved her didn't he?
~*~*~*~*~*~
Slowly it made it's way down, prolonging the ache of Hermione's heart. People surrounded her but half of them never knew him. Few people could recognize his laugh in a crowd or know what he was thinking before he even said it, by reading his eyes. Only she could, Ron and Hermione. Only they fully understood Harry.
"The Roses please"
Hermione's hand, cut by the thorns of the rose, shakingly stretched out and she dropped the blood red rose onto the coffin as it descended into the ground. All followed her lead, and before she knew it, the coffin was covered with red roses.
Hermione's eyes flickered to a tall blonde man standing a few feet away from her. He was watching it all with intensity and looking uneasy about something. It took all of Hermione not to run to him and kiss him, just so that this horrible scene that was happening would fade away. Hermione still couldn't understand why he had left her, but it didn't matter. She wouldn't be able to handle anything now.
It was now that Hermione's tears fell. Looking through blurred vision she saw Ginny sobbing silently to herself, and her mother trying to comfort her. Hermione saw a tear actually fall from Ron's face (the first time she'd ever seen him cry) and him quickly brush it away. Neville was crying too. And as Hermione looked around she saw that *everyone was.
Oh Harry! How could this happen! How could you be so wrong! Look what's happened since you died! We need you Harry! Hermione's heart seemed to be breaking and it was then that she gave up. She put down her emotional barrier and showed what she was feeling. Hermione began to cry so hard she thought she would choke on her tears. Out of the corner of her eye she saw people's heads turn to face her at her sudden outburst of tears, but she didn't care.
Ron carefully put his arm around Hermione and pulled her towards him, allowing her to bury her face in his coat. He patted her back affectionately but it wasn't long before Neville and then Ginny joined the group hug. And that was it. It was over, people began to leave but the foursome stayed like that, they didn't move.
It was unusual seeing three 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old crying their hearts out in a group hug. Looking at them you wouldn't think they were 16, their faces were that of someone who had suffered for a long time, experienced a lot of pain. But they had, they were wise beyond their years. Voldemort had made it that way. The next generation wouldn't have to fear anything. They wouldn't have to grow up so fast. And they had Harry Potter to thank, the boy who lived and the boy who died, 'the boy who conquered the dark lord.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*
(Waa...sadness....hope you all liked...member that it's going be a while more before it gets happier but I promise that it does! Hang in there for me! Luv ya'll, Haystack)