The first part of this story is sort of a prologue, in a way. Hope you like this, guys! This is very angsty and tragic, and I actually prefer fluffy stories, but I just love, love, love this song and couldn't resist.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and Fly belongs to Celine Dion
Note: Highly, highly recommended that you listen to the song.
Fly
Her eyes slowly opened.
Coughing, Hermione looked up, struggling to peer through the thick dust that surrounded her. Choking on the residual from the raging battle, she managed to sit herself upright on the dirty floor of the unrecognizable Great Hall.
She didn't know how long she'd been out. For all she knew, it could've been minutes or days. Either way, she was too tired to care. Careful not to make a sound, she forced herself onto her front and crawled along the floor despite the sharp pains in her leg, head and abdomen. She remembered being punched hard in the lower stomach and collapsing. That was right before she'd passed out.
Still crawling, she was careful to listen for any signs of movement. Hermione didn't know what to expect. They'd been at war for so many months that it was hard to believe that it was all over, regardless of the deadly silence of the Hall.
She found a large pile of rubble and rested her back against it. Her entire body was aching, due to the fact that she'd been fighting for days. Hermione reached a hand up and touched her head where the pain was radiating from to find that her tangled hair was matted with blood. More than anything, she wanted to curl up and waste away on the spot, but she'd been committed too long to give up now. She had to find Ron and Harry.
Flopping on to her stomach again, she crawled further along the floor. Subconsciously, she was afraid of something jumping out and attacking her, but that's what she'd been told to do. Be aware and always be alert.
Before long, she stopped again by another heap of wreckage. Hermione heaved herself onto her back and rested her head on a large section of a fallen stone column. Closing her eyes, she reached a hand out beside her and touched something hard and cold...Someone else's hand.
Letting out a gasp, she drew her hand back quickly as her eyes shot open. Slowly she turned to look at the hand's owner.
It was definitely a boy, and unmistakeably dead. She couldn't tell who it was; all she knew was that she needed to find Ron or Harry. And fast.
She forced herself into her crawling position once more and struggled along the floor, past the dead figure. She nearly looked away when she noticed it...
That familiar shock of red hair.
Immediately, Hermione felt sick to her stomach. She edged over to Ron's limp body and pressed her ear to his chest. Nothing. Sitting up, she felt the tears start to sting her eyes. She urged herself not to be sick.
He was covered in cuts and bruises, his hair tangled and thin. She placed her cheek upon his and let the tears flow freely from her eyes.
His face was cold and icy...It was like touching stone. Without removing her own cheek, she lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, grabbing onto a fistful of it.
"Why..."
---
Hermione raced down the empty corridor, not looking back. It was all too much for her to handle...
Fly, fly little wing
Fly beyond imagining
The softest cloud, the whitest dove
Upon the wind of heaven's love
Past the planets and the stars
Leave this lonely world of ours
Escape the sorrow and the pain
And fly again
She reached the staircase to the Astronomy tower. Leaning against the stone wall, she clutched her chest, catching her breath. Her head was still pounding as she took her first step up the stairs. With each step she took, the pain ate away at her, drawing tears from her eyes, and life from her body.
This was the end. The end of the end. Nothing was left. Ron was dead, Harry was dead. What was the point in staying, waiting for something that would never come back? Something that would haunt her for the rest of her life?
Hermione collapsed on the top stair and pulled herself up, onto the floor of the torn apart, abandoned Astronomy tower. She laid her head down on the stone floor and breathed, holding her aching head.
The tower was in shambles from the battle. The walls were destroyed and the ceiling was gone completely. The windows couldn't even be called windows anymore. More like huge, gaping holes in what was left of the walls.
Someone, somewhere, was crying...screaming. She didn't care who it was, though. She didn't care about anything anymore.
Hermione heaved herself off the floor, only to realize that the ear-piercing screams were coming from her own mouth. Surprising herself, she stopped immediately. Slowly, she stumbled over to the wall of the tower and leaned out one of the windows.
Fly, fly precious one
Your endless journey has begun
Take your gentle happiness
Far too beautiful for this
Cross over to the other shore
There is peace forever more
But hold this memory bittersweet
Until we meet
This was it.
Hermione gathered all her strength and hoisted herself up on the ledge of the window. She held onto the wall for support and leaned over the edge, watching her tears fall to the ground so far below.
The pain and agony were slowly slipping away from her as she cried alone, where no one could hear her...where no one cared. The months of suffering were finally over. She could've chosen to move on, to live a normal life away from everything that caused her grief. But what for? The things she once lived for, the things she thrived on were gone.
Perhaps in another life, things would be different. She'd have her family and her friends. She'd have love once more.
But not here.
Here, everything was lost. Her family, Ron and Harry...herself. Hermione crouched on the window ledge, still holding the wall. The expression on her face was one of such sorrow and anguish, she felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart and left to die. When the world leaves you, you leave the world.
Gathering all the courage she possessed, Hermione stood up again and faced the wide open, empty grounds. The wind stung her wet face like needles to the skin, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. It was over. She'd be joining her loved ones, now, she decided.
She was going home.
Fly, fly do not fear
Don't waste a breath, don't shed a tear
Your heart is pure, your soul is free
Be on your way, don't wait for me
Above the universe you'll climb
On beyond the hands of time
The moon will rise, the sun will set
But I won't forget
Feeling a jolt of energy send a shockwave through her body, Hermione felt powerful. Nothing, nobody was stopping her now.
Like a great bird had risen inside of her, Hermione let go of the wall and spread her arms out wide, welcoming the night air. She closed her eyes and felt it blowing around her. It was liberating, in a way. She felt like she was on top of the world, soaring high above the clouds. She could almost feel the universe beneath her, slipping away.
She took one last deep breath and felt her feet leave the cold stone of the Astronomy tower, and she was free at last.
Fly, fly little wing
Fly where only angels sing
Fly away, the time is right
Go now, find the light