Title: Regrets

Author: HYPERdingdong39

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I DID own Harry Potter I wouldn't be writing on this stupid website because I would be famous! Instead, I would be using my time working on the 6th Harry Potter book to make my fans happy!

No. This couldn't be happening. How could he be dead? Ron... And he had been mad at her when he died as well. She leaned over and kissed him gently on his cold lips.

"Goodbye," she whispered, knowing that he would never hear it. He would never hear anything again.

How could this happen? Her two best friends were dead. She was the only one. Probably because she was a coward. She was too much of a coward to fight, like they did.

Suddenly, she realized there was a piece of paper in Ron's hand. She picked it up, and cried harder, as she read it.

Dear Hermione,

You are the only one left now, of the Golden Trio. I know I am going to die. Nobody knows. Voldemort fled the scene, but we know he is going to come back to Hogwarts to try and defeat Dumbledore. You have to be strong. And Hermione, I'm not mad anymore. The reason was because, Hermione, I love you. I've tried to give you signals for a long time, but you never realized. Then you started to love Draco. I'm sorry. Be strong. Stronger then anyone. Stronger then me. If you were in my place, I know you wouldn't be as stupid as me. So take my strength. Take it into yourself, although it isn't much, and defeat Voldemort. Be strong. I guess it's time for goodbye, Hermione. So, farewell, and remember, be strong.

-Ron Weasley

Her tears dropped onto his face, making it look like he was crying. She had to be strong. She had to be strong for Ron.

She flinched at the feeling of a hand on her back. She turned and found Dumbledore standing over him, his eyes without the normal twinkle.

"I think we need to talk," he said solemnly. He took her hand, as she tried to wipe away the tears.

"Come," he said, as he took her along to his office.

Inside the office, he conjured up soft chairs, and he motioned for her to take a seat. He looked tired, and weary.

"Hermione, as you know, Voldemort is going to come back. You need to be strong, and help us fight. Hermione, you know you are one of the smartest witches in this school, and I know you can help," he said seriously.

He was very gloomy, and Hermione could tell this was important. He was stroking his beard and thinking deeply, and his blue eyes seemed to be defeated. But he couldn't be defeated! Dumbledore was the only man Voldemort was afraid of, although she doubted he was anymore after killing Harry. The thought brought tears to her eyes again, and Dumbledore added to his last serious comment.

"And this old man is about to take his last, wrinkly breath," he said, the twinkle finding his way through his eyes again.

She nodded, not able to pay attention to him now. A fear spread through her, as she realized how serious the situation was.

"Do you mind if I take a walk?" Hermione asked, already standing up, and rushing out of the room.

Dumbledore nodded. "Be careful," he said, but the words were lost on her, as she was already out of the door.

She walked into the crisp air, and it blew around her, making her shiver. She started crying again, as she walked along the sidewalk. Nobody was out around Hogwarts anyway, because they were afraid. She was being reckless just to be out of the building, but Dumbledore had seemed to think it was okay.

She felt as if she was in a daze, or walking through a cruel nightmare, that wouldn't end. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, her eyes still shining with tears.

Her bushy hair was hanging flat now, as if to fit with her feelings right now. Flat and defeated. She loved Ron, as a friend, and she knew she should try to be strong, as he had said. It was his wish, on his deathbed. But she didn't know if she could. The clear sky that night seemed to be mocking her, being beautiful when she was feeling so bad.

She was wearing slippers. After it had rained the night before, she found herself sloshing through puddles, thoroughly soaking her feet.

She kept remembering her times with Ron. And how clueless she had been. Now he must have died with many regrets. She remembered him blushing as she grabbed his hand in third year, afraid of the hippogriffs.

She remembered the time he had awkwardly kissed her on the cheek, as they were parting for the summer.

She remembered his grin as she hugged him on the Hogwarts Express, ready for a new year.

She remembered his angry face as he punched Draco. She sat down by a tree, staring out at the lake, wondering if she could go on, and be strong.

Without Ron and Harry, could she go on? So the prophecy had come true. Voldemort had defeated Harry, and Harry had died. Now it was someone else's job to kill Voldemort.

Draco would be the one, she thought. He had been so brave, trying to help Harry, even though they had been enemies.

Hermione spotted a dark figure walking towards her, and saw that it was Professor Snape. She groaned, as she didn't need someone making her even less confident then she was now. He was going to rub all of her insecurities right in her face, she just knew it.

He didn't sit down on the ground like her, but instead he conjured up a wooden chair to sit on. He was always so neat and precise, but in a rigid, unwelcoming way. His body was held stiffly, and his eyes were cold.

"You shouldn't be out Granger."

"I know."

There was a long pause, as they silently stared out into the distance, each thinking of their own losses.

Snape was thinking of Narcissa, the woman he had let go because of Lucius Malfoy. The woman he had let go to a friend, or a man who should have been a friend. The darkness hid his face, which he was thankful of. He couldn't let Granger see any sign of weakness on his part.

Hermione, of course, was thinking of Ron and Harry. They had been such good friends, helping each other out all of the time. But that was gone now. That would never be the same. SHE would never be the same. She knew she would probably get over it, but she knew there would always be a shadow hanging over her.

Hermione broke the silence by saying, in a shaky voice, "Snape, how do you do it? How do you keep on going when you lose someone?"

Snape turned to look at her figure in the dark, and he could hear the quiet sobs.

"I don't know," he said, wishing he could help her. Although she was an annoying know it all, he could feel some compassion for her.

"But you've lost friends, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"So how did you do it?" she asked, shakily.

"I did it, because I knew that the people who died would want me to. And because they are the ones who died, not me," he said, solidly.

She remembered happy days of she and Harry trying to count Ron's freckles.

She remembered Ron trying to sing Toxic, after Hermione showed him the song, very out of tune and off the beat.

She remembered watching Harry and Ron playing exploding snap, disapproving, but not wanting to ruin their fun.

She could do it. She knew she could. She walked up, and hugged Snape, to his repulsion and said, "Thank you."

He stared after her, disgusted with her, yet stunned that she had hugged him. Like he was a normal person, with normal cares. No, he must have imagined it. He must have imagined the look of pity from the girl, especially with how she was feeling at the moment.

She walked up to the castle, happy she had managed to surprise Snape for once.

She looked around for Draco, and found him in the Astronomy Tower. He was sitting by himself, staring out at the grounds, with one of the windows open. The breeze blew through his blond hair, making it rustle, and his piercing silver eyes seemed to be blank. His whole face was blank. The only time she could ever get an expression out of him, other then a smirk, was when they were kissing. Is that what she had to do for a boyfriend? No, she was being cruel. It wasn't like that.

"Draco?" she called cautiously, walking towards him.

She realized that he had been hit by Voldemort as well. He had suffered, and tried to defeat Voldemort also. Hermione couldn't believe she had been so selfish. He hadn't killed Voldemort, and now he knew that Draco was on the other side, as well as his dad.

"Hermione," he said, his voice cracking, and his face finally conveying his sadness. "My dad is coming to pick me up, because he thinks that Dumbledore forced me to go against Voldemort. That's his excuse. But he knows it was my own will. He's going to torture me. I-I-I'm going to die."

She walked forward and hugged him, crying again. This time it was for Draco, and because she hadn't been able to see that he was hurt before. He wrapped his arms around her as well, and buried his face in her shoulder. She didn't move, just kept embracing him, giving him support.

He lifted his face and kissed her gently, and she saw that he was crying as well. As they kissed, his tears mingled with hers, their hurt blending together, making them one, at least for that night.

They had to be strong together, as one being, to defeat the cruelest man in the wizarding world.

A/N: Wow... that was a really dramatic chapter! If anyone wants to be in the next chapter, the offer still stands! The next chapter is the one I'll put the people in... so far I only have one person! Is that all? And I hope this chapter was long enough!! I felt guilty because the last two were so short. Please review!! HAHA! I don't like Ron... and now I got to KILL HIM!! HAHAHA!! Da doo da doo... Poor Draco... and Poor Hermione... REVIEW!!