Hermoine quickly returned to her quarters at Hogwarts. How could Ginny put
this pressure on her? Ginny HAD been there when Ron and Harry had fallen.
Ginny HAD been there during those last hours...
[FLASHBACK]
Hermoine ripped her shoulder free of Lupin's and turned to stare at him. How could he just let Harry got up against Voldemort alone? Suddenly Hermoine caught something above them through the corner of her eye and she shoved Lupin to the ground, "GET DOWN!"
The group crouched low as several Death Eaters appeared. Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, among others. Lucius let out a low laugh, "Stupid group."
Hermoine whipped out her wand and the wizards and witches began battle once more.
Hermoine shook the memory away. She refused to think about that fatal day. She simply couldn't and wouldn't. But the memory kept pressing back into her mind as if someone was forcing it out of her.
Hermoine screamed out, "Expelliarmus!" At Malfoy but he was too quick for her.
Neville pointed his wand at Malfoy and yelled, "Incendio!" Malfoy stopped mid-way through is spell to try to put out the fire on his robes. Neville then cried, "Accio Wand!" and called both Hermoine and Malfoy's wands to his hands.
Hermoine tried to get to Harry but Draco stopped in front of her, "Granger."
"Malfoy," She hissed and forgetting magic she shoved him against the wall with a strength she didn't even know she had.
Ron glared at Bellatrix, the woman who had taken Sirius' life and Nevile's parents. Bellatrix laughed in his face and pointed her wand at him and cried, "Crucio!"
Upon hearing these words Neville tried to make a move for Ron but another Death Eater stopped in front of him and cried, "Avada-" but was cut off and Ginny finish the spell for him and killed the Death Eater.
Malfoy pinned Hermoine up against the wall as Neville fought to get to Ron and Ginny and Goyle kept cursing each other.
Where were the others? Hermoine wondered as she started at Voldemort and Harry, their wands no good against the other. Hermoine wanted to cry out for her friend but she was afraid to break his concentration.
Hermoine struggled against Draco and nearly got free but Draco wrapped his arms around her body and pinned her back against his chest to keep her from going anywhere. Granted he was scrawny but he sure as hell was strong too.
Hermoine watched as Ron's body twitched and Neville successfully screamed, "Avada Kedavra!" at Bellatrix.
Draco pinned Hermoine against him with one arm and pointed his wand at Neville, "Petrificus Totalus!" Hermoine wondered why he didn't use the killing spell.
When she wasn't paying attention Ginny and Cho, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, bound up the other death eaters but Draco cursed them with the body-binding spell again.
"No!" Hermoine screamed as she tried to wrestle free. It was just her, Harry, Draco, and Voldemort left. Everyone else was either dead, missing in action somewhere or tied up.
Harry and Voldemort circled each other and Voldemort cried out, "Avada Kedavra!"
[END FLASHBACK]
"Hermoine?"
Hermoine looked up to see Cho studying her, "How did you get in here?"
Cho shrugged, "A little help from a ghost."
"Moaning Myrtle."
"You got it."
The two studied each other for a while before Hermoine said, "Well Cho Chang, what can I do for you?"
"I spoke to Ginny and she told me what happened after the meeting."
"I can't face them, Cho, you know that."
Cho nodded, "We know you feel the guilt and that you take the blame but it wasn't your fault. There was nothing we could have done."
Hermoine thought about this for a moment. Deep down she felt that Cho was right but she refused to admit it. She simply couldn't admit it.
Cho continued, "You don't think I blame myself too? I was there. I was there when it... when it happened. I was stuck, frozen to the floor and while I couldn't see anything but the ceiling, I could hear what was going on. I could hear Ron's cries of pain, your cries for them, I heard-"
Hermoine cut her off, "Don't say it! Damn it all to hell! I am sick of hearing about it! I simply want to forget about."
"Damn you to hell!" Cho cried back, "What is your problem, Hermoine? No one else forgot about it! The D.A. never really broke up! Needing that list was just a damn excuse to get you here! You need to mend and heal! Geeze," She took a deep breath to calm herself as years of pent up grief and hatred exploded inside of her, "They don't blame you and you need to stop blaming yourself," and with that Cho left Hermoine's quarters.
Long after Cho left Hermoine was still thinking about what she had said.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next few days passed slowly for Hermoine. She kept in touch with other members of the D.A. and their progress on getting a close list on Draco's supporters. Hermoine hadn't seen Draco since his visit to her classroom a little while back and that was just the way she wanted to keep it.
The following week Hermoine was correcting essays her third years had written on vampires when she once more interrupted by an unexpected visitor. "Hermoine Granger," a soft voice drawled from the back of the room.
Hermoine glanced up to see Victor Krum standing there, beaming as if they had never split apart. Hermoine gaped at him, "What are you doing here?"
"I vas in England for a Quidditch match and thought I should see you."
Hermoine noted that is accent was less thick and he had spoken her name correctly, "That's nice."
Victor walked up to her desk and looked down at her, "You need to deal with it, you know."
Hermoine exploded, "Damn it! I don't want to deal with it!" And with that Hermoine left a friend (whom she hadn't seen in many years) standing there and went to her quarters. Who was he to tell her to deal with it huh? He hadn't been there! As Hermoine's mind once again floated back in time...
[FLASHBACK]
Harry rolled out of the way of the green light and somehow managed to escape the curse. Harry used his own wand and screamed, "Avada Kedvra!" But the spell was repelled by Voldemort's wand. Harry and Voldemort's wands shared the same core and they were unable to use a spell on each other.
Hermoine continued to try to break her way free from Malfoy, with little success. She saw Lupin's nearly lifeless body, Neville, Ginny, and Cho were completely knocked out and the rest of the Death Eaters were either dead or in the same position as her friends. Where they hell was everyone else?
Hermoine stared at Ron's shaking body as the effects of Bellatrix's curse kept working its way through his mind. She hadn't tortured him long but the effects were already beginning to take place. She needed to do something and fast.
Hermoine shoved her elbow into Draco's gut and momentarily stunning him she seized the moment and spinning around she shoved her knee into the area between Draco's legs. Grabbing her wand, which had fallen to the floor, she cried, "Petrificus Totalus!"
She turned to Harry, but it was too late.
[END FLASHBACK]
Hermoine once again shook the memory from her head. No more, no more!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The days and weeks that passed slowly quickened in pace and the D.A. finally had a good and accurate list of who might be supporting Draco. "We need to catch him in the act," Ginny said, one evening at a D.A. meeting.
"But what is he going to be after?" Lavender asked.
"Revenge," Lupin said (he had missed several other meetings before due to his condition), "Revenge against Harry would be a start. Harry took his father and ultimately Voldemort from him."
Hermoine nodded, "Malfoy and Harry have always hated each other and Draco would love nothing more than to see him completely finished."
The group nodded slowly in silence. "If Draco is anything like his father he will take the opportunity sometime in the spring," Moody said, his magic eye slowly giving Hermoine the creeps.
"Our best bet would be to keep an eye on St. Mungo's until well after Christmas," Hermoine said.
"Hermoine," Fred replied, "You're right and you get the Christmas watch."
Hermoine wanted to punch him.
The weeks passed and Christmas break arrived and so did Hermoine at St. Mungo's. Slowly she made her way up to Ron and Harry's ward and pulled up a chair between their beds. Ron didn't look at her, he simply kept rocking himself and humming an old Christmas Carol and Harry... Harry hadn't changed this that awful night. Not one bit.
[FLASHBACK]
Harry pulled himself up, bloodied and bruised, and Hermoine tossed her dear friend his wand and in one swift motion Harry killed Voldemort, forever.
Malfoy recovered from his wounds and screamed at Harry something Hermoine didn't hear. Harry went down in a flash and Malfoy took off. Hermoine grabbed Harry's wand from the ground and chased after him, "MALFOY! YOU COWARD!"
But she had lost him. Returning to see to Harry, she could tell it was too late for her friend, Draco had hit him with a curse Hermoine had never even known about.
[FLASHBACK]
Hermoine stared at Harry's seemingly lifeless body, "Oh Harry, I am so sorry."
Hermoine burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.
"I feel so sorry for her," Neville whispered in Ginny's ear at the back of the room.
"I don't," Ginny replied with a tone that surprised even her, "Hermoine ran like a coward after Draco's trial. She ignored my brother and Harry. They needed her, more than they needed me."
Neville squeezed her shoulder, "I'm sure that's not true."
Ginny nodded and turned on her heel and walked out of the room, with Neville behind her. She continued, "Ron was my brother and Harry was my boyfriend, yes, but they depended and needed upon her in ways they didn't with me. I think Ron was in love with her, but Hermoine never showed any slight feeling of the same, in fact it was quite the opposite."
"Yeah, but you saw what happened after Ron was attacked," Neville argued, "Hermoine completely fell to pieces."
Ginny studied Neville, even in all these years he still surprised her, "I KNOW that but I think it was more from Harry than my brother."
"You're jealous!" Neville cried, the truth clicking his mind, "You're jealous of Hermoine and Harry's relationship!"
Ginny shook her head, "Neville you are out of your mind!" But silently Ginny had to admit he was right. She turned and left the room with Neville trailing behind her.
"Ginny," Neville said, stopping her, "They are going to heal."
Ginny shook her head, "I don't think so, even with all my work, and all your support I really don't see how they are going to heal anytime soon."
Neville took his dear friend in an embrace as she started to cry, "You need to have faith, dear Ginny. You need to have faith."
Ginny pulled away from him and studied him for a moment, the tears still wet on her face. She started to see Neville in a light she hadn't seem him in before, "Neville-"
Neville bent down and kissed her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione took a deep breath as she watched Ron continue to sing Sirius Black's favorite Christmas Carol before turning away from him. Her, Ron, and Harry had all been good friends but as they got older that friendship had changed, grown, and torn. Especially because of her feelings for Harry...
[FLASHBACK]
"Hermoine! You leave Harry alone!" An angry, distraught Ron yelled.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Bull shit! You are in love with him and I am warning you to leave him be! He's with Ginny now."
"RON! I DO NOT LOVE HARRY!"
"Oh yeah?" Ron screamed back drawing closer to her, his eyes blazing with anger and passion.
"YEAH!"
Ron grabbed her, "Prove it to me!"
"FINE!" She screamed and kissed him square on the mouth.
[END FLASHBACK]
Hermoine touched her bottom lip with her forefinger. Ron had never acted like that before. She wasn't sure what had come over him and to this day she still didn't know.
A part of her loved Harry but another part of her loved Ron, and she wasn't quite sure just which part of her heart to follow. In the recent years that decision became more obvious as Harry had begun to choose Ginny. Hell, he loved her enough that he wanted to marry her.
Hermoine closed her eyes in pain and heard the distant crashing of thunder and slight tinkle of rain on the room above. She collapsed into a nearby chair and could barely keep her eyes open.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
[FLASHBACK]
"Draco Malfoy, this court finds you not guilty of all charges."
"NO! I was there! Damn it! I SAW HIM CURSE HARRY POTTER! NO! NO! NO! NO! WHERE IS THE JUSTICE!"
"Hermoine! There will be another time, another place."
"Well MUDBLOOD, looks like I won out again."
"YOU Dirty fifthly, lying, bastard!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"NO!"
[END FLASHBACK]
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ginny awoke with a start. She peeled the parchment from her cheek and set it down on her desk. Damn Draco Malfoy for getting free like that. The bastard!
"Ginny!" Nurse Conner came screaming into Ginny's office, "There's been an attack!"
Ginny bolted from the room and ran behind Nurse Conner to Harry and Ron's room. What she found made her sick beyond belief. Neville came screeching in behind her, "Holy shit."
Ginny turned and buried her face in Neville's shoulders and sobbed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"The service is to take place tomorrow," Lupin said in a scratchy voice.
Ginny nodded slowly the pain of yesterday's incident still burning her heart. "Ginny, I'm really sorry," A worn Hermione whispered from the chair seated in the corner.
"Go home," Ginny said.
"What?" Lupin cried.
"Go home, Hermoine. You truly are no longer the witch you once were." Ginny through her stuff at the woman she once trusted, "You are no longer welcome here." Ginny turned and left the office.
Neville grabbed her arm, "Ginny you can't punish her for this!"
"Damn right I can!" Ginny screamed, "Because of her..." Ginny faltered, "Because of her-" Ginny couldn't say it, she just couldn't say it.
"Ginny this isn't her fault! Whoever it was, they sedated Hermoine first by leaking those gases into the room, even if you had been in there, the same thing would have happened!"
"Really?" Ginny screamed, "I have protected them FOR YEARS and then in three months of her return they are DEAD! DAMN IT DO YOU HEAR ME DEAD!!"
"GINNY!" Neville grabbed her roughly, "THEY'RE NOT DEAD AND YOU KNOW IT! They're simply incapacitated."
"MY BROTHER IS DEAD! DAMN IT! RON IS DEAD! HE IS NEVER COMING BACK! THE SICKO THAT KILLED HIM DIDN'T USE MAGIC!"
Neville grabbed her and shook her hard, as if trying to shake some sense into her, "Ginny, listen to me! This is NOT Hermoine's fault!"
Ginny shook herself away from him, her body pulsing with anger, "MY BROTHER WAS TORN LIMB FROM LIMB! HE'S GONE!! RON IS NEVER COMING BACK AND IT'S BECAUASE OF HER!"
"GINNY STOP IT!" Lupin screamed, coming out of the office. Never before had he felt so angry. "THIS IS NOT HERMOINE'S FAULT!"
Ginny turned away from her old teacher, "I've protected them for years and within months of her return to our world, my brother is destroyed."
Lupin reached over and squeezed her shoulder, "Because the dark side is growing strong again. We never would have forced Hermione back into this world if the dark side hadn't been growing strong."
"Hermione captured more Death Eaters in the Battle of Godric's Hollow than any other wizard, including Dumbeldore, and she couldn't prevent herself from passing out from muggle gases? How does that work?"
Lupin sighed, he didn't know how to answer her. She as making this so impossible.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione buried her face in her hands. Ron was dead! Dead! All because of her. Because she couldn't keep awake! Draco Malfoy was directly responsible, she knew this. Somehow, she knew Draco had destroyed Ron.
Hermione shoved her chair backwards so hard if fell over. Draco had murdered Ron, she would murder him. Rage built up in her chest and she quickly left St. Mungo's.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ginny collapsed in an overstuffed chair in the Black residence, "I don't understand," she muttered through her tears.
Lavender sniffled, "What's that?"
"If this was the work of Malfoy's men, why did they murder Ron, why not Harry? Malfoy hated my brother, sure, but he despised Harry most of all."
"Maybe it's not really about Harry," Tonks whispered.
"Of course!" Lupin suddenly cried.
"What are you talking about?" Neville asked in confusion.
"It's about Hermoine," Lupin replied
"What?" Several people cried out at once.
"It's about Hermoine. Malfoy wants to-" Lupin faltered.
"Of course!" Ginny cried out, sitting up, "Hermoine comes back and then all of a sudden after years of nothing my brother is murdered...." Ginny than faltered, "What a second."
"You see what I see?" Lupin asked.
Ginny nodded, "He had Hermoine brought back here." She paused, "But Dumbeldore was the one who wanted her back in the first place."
"Someone must have brought it up to him," Lavender chimed in, "Dumbelodre never would have brought her back if it would have led to danger."
"But who?" Ginny whispered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Cho smiled at Draco, "We have everything now, darling." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Draco grinned back and then slowly removed her arms from her neck, "Granger will be torn to pieces and we won't have to do a thing!"
Cho's smile faded from her face, "But darling, how does Hermoine feeling pained help us in anyway?"
"Because she'll take her own life in grief and-"
"Don't count on it, Malfoy," Hermoine hissed from the doorway.
Malfoy's grin widened and he slowly turned to face her, "Well, well Hermoine."
"Cho I can't believe you have betrayed us like this!"
She simply laughed, she stood up on tip-toe and kissed Malfoy's cheek, I'll be in the other room."
After she left Hermoine studied Malfoy for another moment, "You've been controlling her haven't you?"
Malfoy shrugged, "Maybe. Now what is it you want?"
"You murdered Ron!"
Malfoy stared at her, "Maybe. But it's not Ron and it's not Harry I'm after you stupid little Mudblood."
"Then who!?"
"You," a whisper came from behind.
Hermoine spun and found herself faced with Ginny, Neville, and the rest of the crew. "I don't understand."
Neville pointed his wand and Draco and cursed him with a stunning spell, just enough to knock him out.
"What do you mean he's after me?"
Ginny shrugged, "We're not sure yet, only that he's after you, for one reason or another."
"How does murdering Ron get to me?" Hermione snapped.
Ginny placed a comforting arm on Hermione's shoulder, "Because you were close to him."
Hermione dropped her wand, "He killed Ron, because of me?" Hermione collapsed onto her knees.
Ginny dropped down to her knees and embraced her, "Hermione I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault."
[FLASHBACK]
Hermoine ripped her shoulder free of Lupin's and turned to stare at him. How could he just let Harry got up against Voldemort alone? Suddenly Hermoine caught something above them through the corner of her eye and she shoved Lupin to the ground, "GET DOWN!"
The group crouched low as several Death Eaters appeared. Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, among others. Lucius let out a low laugh, "Stupid group."
Hermoine whipped out her wand and the wizards and witches began battle once more.
Hermoine shook the memory away. She refused to think about that fatal day. She simply couldn't and wouldn't. But the memory kept pressing back into her mind as if someone was forcing it out of her.
Hermoine screamed out, "Expelliarmus!" At Malfoy but he was too quick for her.
Neville pointed his wand at Malfoy and yelled, "Incendio!" Malfoy stopped mid-way through is spell to try to put out the fire on his robes. Neville then cried, "Accio Wand!" and called both Hermoine and Malfoy's wands to his hands.
Hermoine tried to get to Harry but Draco stopped in front of her, "Granger."
"Malfoy," She hissed and forgetting magic she shoved him against the wall with a strength she didn't even know she had.
Ron glared at Bellatrix, the woman who had taken Sirius' life and Nevile's parents. Bellatrix laughed in his face and pointed her wand at him and cried, "Crucio!"
Upon hearing these words Neville tried to make a move for Ron but another Death Eater stopped in front of him and cried, "Avada-" but was cut off and Ginny finish the spell for him and killed the Death Eater.
Malfoy pinned Hermoine up against the wall as Neville fought to get to Ron and Ginny and Goyle kept cursing each other.
Where were the others? Hermoine wondered as she started at Voldemort and Harry, their wands no good against the other. Hermoine wanted to cry out for her friend but she was afraid to break his concentration.
Hermoine struggled against Draco and nearly got free but Draco wrapped his arms around her body and pinned her back against his chest to keep her from going anywhere. Granted he was scrawny but he sure as hell was strong too.
Hermoine watched as Ron's body twitched and Neville successfully screamed, "Avada Kedavra!" at Bellatrix.
Draco pinned Hermoine against him with one arm and pointed his wand at Neville, "Petrificus Totalus!" Hermoine wondered why he didn't use the killing spell.
When she wasn't paying attention Ginny and Cho, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, bound up the other death eaters but Draco cursed them with the body-binding spell again.
"No!" Hermoine screamed as she tried to wrestle free. It was just her, Harry, Draco, and Voldemort left. Everyone else was either dead, missing in action somewhere or tied up.
Harry and Voldemort circled each other and Voldemort cried out, "Avada Kedavra!"
[END FLASHBACK]
"Hermoine?"
Hermoine looked up to see Cho studying her, "How did you get in here?"
Cho shrugged, "A little help from a ghost."
"Moaning Myrtle."
"You got it."
The two studied each other for a while before Hermoine said, "Well Cho Chang, what can I do for you?"
"I spoke to Ginny and she told me what happened after the meeting."
"I can't face them, Cho, you know that."
Cho nodded, "We know you feel the guilt and that you take the blame but it wasn't your fault. There was nothing we could have done."
Hermoine thought about this for a moment. Deep down she felt that Cho was right but she refused to admit it. She simply couldn't admit it.
Cho continued, "You don't think I blame myself too? I was there. I was there when it... when it happened. I was stuck, frozen to the floor and while I couldn't see anything but the ceiling, I could hear what was going on. I could hear Ron's cries of pain, your cries for them, I heard-"
Hermoine cut her off, "Don't say it! Damn it all to hell! I am sick of hearing about it! I simply want to forget about."
"Damn you to hell!" Cho cried back, "What is your problem, Hermoine? No one else forgot about it! The D.A. never really broke up! Needing that list was just a damn excuse to get you here! You need to mend and heal! Geeze," She took a deep breath to calm herself as years of pent up grief and hatred exploded inside of her, "They don't blame you and you need to stop blaming yourself," and with that Cho left Hermoine's quarters.
Long after Cho left Hermoine was still thinking about what she had said.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next few days passed slowly for Hermoine. She kept in touch with other members of the D.A. and their progress on getting a close list on Draco's supporters. Hermoine hadn't seen Draco since his visit to her classroom a little while back and that was just the way she wanted to keep it.
The following week Hermoine was correcting essays her third years had written on vampires when she once more interrupted by an unexpected visitor. "Hermoine Granger," a soft voice drawled from the back of the room.
Hermoine glanced up to see Victor Krum standing there, beaming as if they had never split apart. Hermoine gaped at him, "What are you doing here?"
"I vas in England for a Quidditch match and thought I should see you."
Hermoine noted that is accent was less thick and he had spoken her name correctly, "That's nice."
Victor walked up to her desk and looked down at her, "You need to deal with it, you know."
Hermoine exploded, "Damn it! I don't want to deal with it!" And with that Hermoine left a friend (whom she hadn't seen in many years) standing there and went to her quarters. Who was he to tell her to deal with it huh? He hadn't been there! As Hermoine's mind once again floated back in time...
[FLASHBACK]
Harry rolled out of the way of the green light and somehow managed to escape the curse. Harry used his own wand and screamed, "Avada Kedvra!" But the spell was repelled by Voldemort's wand. Harry and Voldemort's wands shared the same core and they were unable to use a spell on each other.
Hermoine continued to try to break her way free from Malfoy, with little success. She saw Lupin's nearly lifeless body, Neville, Ginny, and Cho were completely knocked out and the rest of the Death Eaters were either dead or in the same position as her friends. Where they hell was everyone else?
Hermoine stared at Ron's shaking body as the effects of Bellatrix's curse kept working its way through his mind. She hadn't tortured him long but the effects were already beginning to take place. She needed to do something and fast.
Hermoine shoved her elbow into Draco's gut and momentarily stunning him she seized the moment and spinning around she shoved her knee into the area between Draco's legs. Grabbing her wand, which had fallen to the floor, she cried, "Petrificus Totalus!"
She turned to Harry, but it was too late.
[END FLASHBACK]
Hermoine once again shook the memory from her head. No more, no more!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The days and weeks that passed slowly quickened in pace and the D.A. finally had a good and accurate list of who might be supporting Draco. "We need to catch him in the act," Ginny said, one evening at a D.A. meeting.
"But what is he going to be after?" Lavender asked.
"Revenge," Lupin said (he had missed several other meetings before due to his condition), "Revenge against Harry would be a start. Harry took his father and ultimately Voldemort from him."
Hermoine nodded, "Malfoy and Harry have always hated each other and Draco would love nothing more than to see him completely finished."
The group nodded slowly in silence. "If Draco is anything like his father he will take the opportunity sometime in the spring," Moody said, his magic eye slowly giving Hermoine the creeps.
"Our best bet would be to keep an eye on St. Mungo's until well after Christmas," Hermoine said.
"Hermoine," Fred replied, "You're right and you get the Christmas watch."
Hermoine wanted to punch him.
The weeks passed and Christmas break arrived and so did Hermoine at St. Mungo's. Slowly she made her way up to Ron and Harry's ward and pulled up a chair between their beds. Ron didn't look at her, he simply kept rocking himself and humming an old Christmas Carol and Harry... Harry hadn't changed this that awful night. Not one bit.
[FLASHBACK]
Harry pulled himself up, bloodied and bruised, and Hermoine tossed her dear friend his wand and in one swift motion Harry killed Voldemort, forever.
Malfoy recovered from his wounds and screamed at Harry something Hermoine didn't hear. Harry went down in a flash and Malfoy took off. Hermoine grabbed Harry's wand from the ground and chased after him, "MALFOY! YOU COWARD!"
But she had lost him. Returning to see to Harry, she could tell it was too late for her friend, Draco had hit him with a curse Hermoine had never even known about.
[FLASHBACK]
Hermoine stared at Harry's seemingly lifeless body, "Oh Harry, I am so sorry."
Hermoine burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.
"I feel so sorry for her," Neville whispered in Ginny's ear at the back of the room.
"I don't," Ginny replied with a tone that surprised even her, "Hermoine ran like a coward after Draco's trial. She ignored my brother and Harry. They needed her, more than they needed me."
Neville squeezed her shoulder, "I'm sure that's not true."
Ginny nodded and turned on her heel and walked out of the room, with Neville behind her. She continued, "Ron was my brother and Harry was my boyfriend, yes, but they depended and needed upon her in ways they didn't with me. I think Ron was in love with her, but Hermoine never showed any slight feeling of the same, in fact it was quite the opposite."
"Yeah, but you saw what happened after Ron was attacked," Neville argued, "Hermoine completely fell to pieces."
Ginny studied Neville, even in all these years he still surprised her, "I KNOW that but I think it was more from Harry than my brother."
"You're jealous!" Neville cried, the truth clicking his mind, "You're jealous of Hermoine and Harry's relationship!"
Ginny shook her head, "Neville you are out of your mind!" But silently Ginny had to admit he was right. She turned and left the room with Neville trailing behind her.
"Ginny," Neville said, stopping her, "They are going to heal."
Ginny shook her head, "I don't think so, even with all my work, and all your support I really don't see how they are going to heal anytime soon."
Neville took his dear friend in an embrace as she started to cry, "You need to have faith, dear Ginny. You need to have faith."
Ginny pulled away from him and studied him for a moment, the tears still wet on her face. She started to see Neville in a light she hadn't seem him in before, "Neville-"
Neville bent down and kissed her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione took a deep breath as she watched Ron continue to sing Sirius Black's favorite Christmas Carol before turning away from him. Her, Ron, and Harry had all been good friends but as they got older that friendship had changed, grown, and torn. Especially because of her feelings for Harry...
[FLASHBACK]
"Hermoine! You leave Harry alone!" An angry, distraught Ron yelled.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Bull shit! You are in love with him and I am warning you to leave him be! He's with Ginny now."
"RON! I DO NOT LOVE HARRY!"
"Oh yeah?" Ron screamed back drawing closer to her, his eyes blazing with anger and passion.
"YEAH!"
Ron grabbed her, "Prove it to me!"
"FINE!" She screamed and kissed him square on the mouth.
[END FLASHBACK]
Hermoine touched her bottom lip with her forefinger. Ron had never acted like that before. She wasn't sure what had come over him and to this day she still didn't know.
A part of her loved Harry but another part of her loved Ron, and she wasn't quite sure just which part of her heart to follow. In the recent years that decision became more obvious as Harry had begun to choose Ginny. Hell, he loved her enough that he wanted to marry her.
Hermoine closed her eyes in pain and heard the distant crashing of thunder and slight tinkle of rain on the room above. She collapsed into a nearby chair and could barely keep her eyes open.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
[FLASHBACK]
"Draco Malfoy, this court finds you not guilty of all charges."
"NO! I was there! Damn it! I SAW HIM CURSE HARRY POTTER! NO! NO! NO! NO! WHERE IS THE JUSTICE!"
"Hermoine! There will be another time, another place."
"Well MUDBLOOD, looks like I won out again."
"YOU Dirty fifthly, lying, bastard!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"NO!"
[END FLASHBACK]
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ginny awoke with a start. She peeled the parchment from her cheek and set it down on her desk. Damn Draco Malfoy for getting free like that. The bastard!
"Ginny!" Nurse Conner came screaming into Ginny's office, "There's been an attack!"
Ginny bolted from the room and ran behind Nurse Conner to Harry and Ron's room. What she found made her sick beyond belief. Neville came screeching in behind her, "Holy shit."
Ginny turned and buried her face in Neville's shoulders and sobbed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"The service is to take place tomorrow," Lupin said in a scratchy voice.
Ginny nodded slowly the pain of yesterday's incident still burning her heart. "Ginny, I'm really sorry," A worn Hermione whispered from the chair seated in the corner.
"Go home," Ginny said.
"What?" Lupin cried.
"Go home, Hermoine. You truly are no longer the witch you once were." Ginny through her stuff at the woman she once trusted, "You are no longer welcome here." Ginny turned and left the office.
Neville grabbed her arm, "Ginny you can't punish her for this!"
"Damn right I can!" Ginny screamed, "Because of her..." Ginny faltered, "Because of her-" Ginny couldn't say it, she just couldn't say it.
"Ginny this isn't her fault! Whoever it was, they sedated Hermoine first by leaking those gases into the room, even if you had been in there, the same thing would have happened!"
"Really?" Ginny screamed, "I have protected them FOR YEARS and then in three months of her return they are DEAD! DAMN IT DO YOU HEAR ME DEAD!!"
"GINNY!" Neville grabbed her roughly, "THEY'RE NOT DEAD AND YOU KNOW IT! They're simply incapacitated."
"MY BROTHER IS DEAD! DAMN IT! RON IS DEAD! HE IS NEVER COMING BACK! THE SICKO THAT KILLED HIM DIDN'T USE MAGIC!"
Neville grabbed her and shook her hard, as if trying to shake some sense into her, "Ginny, listen to me! This is NOT Hermoine's fault!"
Ginny shook herself away from him, her body pulsing with anger, "MY BROTHER WAS TORN LIMB FROM LIMB! HE'S GONE!! RON IS NEVER COMING BACK AND IT'S BECAUASE OF HER!"
"GINNY STOP IT!" Lupin screamed, coming out of the office. Never before had he felt so angry. "THIS IS NOT HERMOINE'S FAULT!"
Ginny turned away from her old teacher, "I've protected them for years and within months of her return to our world, my brother is destroyed."
Lupin reached over and squeezed her shoulder, "Because the dark side is growing strong again. We never would have forced Hermione back into this world if the dark side hadn't been growing strong."
"Hermione captured more Death Eaters in the Battle of Godric's Hollow than any other wizard, including Dumbeldore, and she couldn't prevent herself from passing out from muggle gases? How does that work?"
Lupin sighed, he didn't know how to answer her. She as making this so impossible.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione buried her face in her hands. Ron was dead! Dead! All because of her. Because she couldn't keep awake! Draco Malfoy was directly responsible, she knew this. Somehow, she knew Draco had destroyed Ron.
Hermione shoved her chair backwards so hard if fell over. Draco had murdered Ron, she would murder him. Rage built up in her chest and she quickly left St. Mungo's.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ginny collapsed in an overstuffed chair in the Black residence, "I don't understand," she muttered through her tears.
Lavender sniffled, "What's that?"
"If this was the work of Malfoy's men, why did they murder Ron, why not Harry? Malfoy hated my brother, sure, but he despised Harry most of all."
"Maybe it's not really about Harry," Tonks whispered.
"Of course!" Lupin suddenly cried.
"What are you talking about?" Neville asked in confusion.
"It's about Hermoine," Lupin replied
"What?" Several people cried out at once.
"It's about Hermoine. Malfoy wants to-" Lupin faltered.
"Of course!" Ginny cried out, sitting up, "Hermoine comes back and then all of a sudden after years of nothing my brother is murdered...." Ginny than faltered, "What a second."
"You see what I see?" Lupin asked.
Ginny nodded, "He had Hermoine brought back here." She paused, "But Dumbeldore was the one who wanted her back in the first place."
"Someone must have brought it up to him," Lavender chimed in, "Dumbelodre never would have brought her back if it would have led to danger."
"But who?" Ginny whispered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Cho smiled at Draco, "We have everything now, darling." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Draco grinned back and then slowly removed her arms from her neck, "Granger will be torn to pieces and we won't have to do a thing!"
Cho's smile faded from her face, "But darling, how does Hermoine feeling pained help us in anyway?"
"Because she'll take her own life in grief and-"
"Don't count on it, Malfoy," Hermoine hissed from the doorway.
Malfoy's grin widened and he slowly turned to face her, "Well, well Hermoine."
"Cho I can't believe you have betrayed us like this!"
She simply laughed, she stood up on tip-toe and kissed Malfoy's cheek, I'll be in the other room."
After she left Hermoine studied Malfoy for another moment, "You've been controlling her haven't you?"
Malfoy shrugged, "Maybe. Now what is it you want?"
"You murdered Ron!"
Malfoy stared at her, "Maybe. But it's not Ron and it's not Harry I'm after you stupid little Mudblood."
"Then who!?"
"You," a whisper came from behind.
Hermoine spun and found herself faced with Ginny, Neville, and the rest of the crew. "I don't understand."
Neville pointed his wand and Draco and cursed him with a stunning spell, just enough to knock him out.
"What do you mean he's after me?"
Ginny shrugged, "We're not sure yet, only that he's after you, for one reason or another."
"How does murdering Ron get to me?" Hermione snapped.
Ginny placed a comforting arm on Hermione's shoulder, "Because you were close to him."
Hermione dropped her wand, "He killed Ron, because of me?" Hermione collapsed onto her knees.
Ginny dropped down to her knees and embraced her, "Hermione I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault."