(A/N: Alrighty everyone, another chapter up! Dracosahottie13, I understand
but try to hang in there for me alright? I got this one up fast for you.
Hope you all like it! *hugs from Haystack)
Usual Disclaimer
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN: MISERY & FIRESIDE CHATS
The next few weeks proceeded slowly for Hermione. She couldn't believe everything that had happened. She'd lost her parents, she'd lost Harry, she'd lost Draco, and now she'd lost Ron! She'd lost her parents and the three most important men in her life!
Ginny and Neville still believed that Hermione and Ron had fixed up their disagreement and didn't seem to notice that the two never spoke to each other. Sometimes Hermione would bump into Ron in the hallways or vice versa but Ron would always be the one to run off.
Draco sat at the Slytherin table all alone. Since his recent declaration loyalty with Dumbledore, Draco had been shunned by the Slytherins; excluding Blaise who occasionally spoke with him here and there. Unlike Ron though, if Hermione saw him in class or something, he'd smile softly at her, making Hermione feel all the more guilty.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ginny was miserable. For the past few weeks, she'd been trying to be strong like Ron was...not showing any emotion, but it wasn't working. Ron had been right, every little thing inside Hogwarts reminded Ginny of Harry in some way. Mail-time in the Great Hall made Ginny remember when Harry got his Nimbus 2000, or even just the everyday Daily Prophet from Hedwig. She'd been trying to forget; forget that Harry had ever died, but it was times like those that Ginny couldn't just forget, and these moments seemed to becoming more frequent, in turn, making Ginny more miserable.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'm going to bed," Ron said suddenly, jumping off the couch and faking a yawn. Hermione had just entered.
It was around 9 o'clock and Ginny, Ron, and Neville had been sitting around the fire doing homework for the past two hours. Hermione had been in the library doing research.
"But Ron, look, Hermione's only just arrived and we haven't done anything together in the longest time! I know you can't be *that tired!" Neville said, begging Ron to stay.
"No...I...I'm really tired" Ron faked another yawn "See mate? I'll see you all in the morning" And with that, Ron hurried up to his room.
Neville sighed. "Oh well, I'll guess I'll go talk to him. See you two in the morning. G'night"
"Night Neville" Hermione said sadly, she knew why Ron had left the moment she'd entered the room.
Ginny and Hermione didn't say anything for a while.
"Umm.... how are you?" Hermione asked uncertainly, desperate for any kind of conversation.
Ginny sighed and stared into the fire. "I miss him."
"Me too."
"It's like every thing in here reminds me of him"
"Yea, I get that too."
"I can't help but think that it's all my fault."
Hermione's eyes widened "Ginny! How--"
"If I'd gone and gotten help like I tried to, maybe they'd been able to get there in time"
"Ginny, like Dumbledore said, you can't blame yourself for what happened"
"I guess your right but that doesn't mean that I don't think about it." Silence. "Do you think he's in a better place?"
"Yes. I bet you he's watching over us right now."
"I hope so."
"He can be our guardian angel. Luna too."
"Yea. Do you ever regret not telling them stuff?"
"Some things, but I know that they knew that we loved them. Just wished I'd appreciated them more."
"I can't help thinking about the last thing he said to me."
"What?"
"He wanted to know if you all were alright, and then..." Tears stained Ginny's face "then he said that he loved me. It's not fair, he finally told me what I'd waited years to hear, and then he died! It's not fair."
Hermione pulled the crying red head into an embrace.
"Shh...shh..." Ginny continued to cry into Hermione's shoulder.
"I loved him...he loved me...then he was ripped away. How many times does that happen? How often do you find people our age in love?"
Hermione's eyes widened at the comment. If there was anything Hermione could learn from Harry's death, it was to treasure the people still here; and here Ginny, though she didn't realize it, was telling her to especially treasure love, for it was rare.
Ginny pulled away from Hermione and Hermione brushed the tears off the young girl's face.
"Thanks 'Mione"
"Anytime Gin."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Usual Disclaimer
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN: MISERY & FIRESIDE CHATS
The next few weeks proceeded slowly for Hermione. She couldn't believe everything that had happened. She'd lost her parents, she'd lost Harry, she'd lost Draco, and now she'd lost Ron! She'd lost her parents and the three most important men in her life!
Ginny and Neville still believed that Hermione and Ron had fixed up their disagreement and didn't seem to notice that the two never spoke to each other. Sometimes Hermione would bump into Ron in the hallways or vice versa but Ron would always be the one to run off.
Draco sat at the Slytherin table all alone. Since his recent declaration loyalty with Dumbledore, Draco had been shunned by the Slytherins; excluding Blaise who occasionally spoke with him here and there. Unlike Ron though, if Hermione saw him in class or something, he'd smile softly at her, making Hermione feel all the more guilty.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ginny was miserable. For the past few weeks, she'd been trying to be strong like Ron was...not showing any emotion, but it wasn't working. Ron had been right, every little thing inside Hogwarts reminded Ginny of Harry in some way. Mail-time in the Great Hall made Ginny remember when Harry got his Nimbus 2000, or even just the everyday Daily Prophet from Hedwig. She'd been trying to forget; forget that Harry had ever died, but it was times like those that Ginny couldn't just forget, and these moments seemed to becoming more frequent, in turn, making Ginny more miserable.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'm going to bed," Ron said suddenly, jumping off the couch and faking a yawn. Hermione had just entered.
It was around 9 o'clock and Ginny, Ron, and Neville had been sitting around the fire doing homework for the past two hours. Hermione had been in the library doing research.
"But Ron, look, Hermione's only just arrived and we haven't done anything together in the longest time! I know you can't be *that tired!" Neville said, begging Ron to stay.
"No...I...I'm really tired" Ron faked another yawn "See mate? I'll see you all in the morning" And with that, Ron hurried up to his room.
Neville sighed. "Oh well, I'll guess I'll go talk to him. See you two in the morning. G'night"
"Night Neville" Hermione said sadly, she knew why Ron had left the moment she'd entered the room.
Ginny and Hermione didn't say anything for a while.
"Umm.... how are you?" Hermione asked uncertainly, desperate for any kind of conversation.
Ginny sighed and stared into the fire. "I miss him."
"Me too."
"It's like every thing in here reminds me of him"
"Yea, I get that too."
"I can't help but think that it's all my fault."
Hermione's eyes widened "Ginny! How--"
"If I'd gone and gotten help like I tried to, maybe they'd been able to get there in time"
"Ginny, like Dumbledore said, you can't blame yourself for what happened"
"I guess your right but that doesn't mean that I don't think about it." Silence. "Do you think he's in a better place?"
"Yes. I bet you he's watching over us right now."
"I hope so."
"He can be our guardian angel. Luna too."
"Yea. Do you ever regret not telling them stuff?"
"Some things, but I know that they knew that we loved them. Just wished I'd appreciated them more."
"I can't help thinking about the last thing he said to me."
"What?"
"He wanted to know if you all were alright, and then..." Tears stained Ginny's face "then he said that he loved me. It's not fair, he finally told me what I'd waited years to hear, and then he died! It's not fair."
Hermione pulled the crying red head into an embrace.
"Shh...shh..." Ginny continued to cry into Hermione's shoulder.
"I loved him...he loved me...then he was ripped away. How many times does that happen? How often do you find people our age in love?"
Hermione's eyes widened at the comment. If there was anything Hermione could learn from Harry's death, it was to treasure the people still here; and here Ginny, though she didn't realize it, was telling her to especially treasure love, for it was rare.
Ginny pulled away from Hermione and Hermione brushed the tears off the young girl's face.
"Thanks 'Mione"
"Anytime Gin."
~*~*~*~*~*~*