…and it had consumed you…

Hermione knelt in the dirt, hands raking through her hair. "Oh, Godric, what have I done? What have I done? I killed him…I'll be sent to Azkaban. I've killed him…"

She crawled over to Ron. "Ron, speak to me. Please, Ron, get up. I need…your help…" She collapsed on the cold earth as, all around her, it started to rain.

"Mione…I knew you could do it."

Hermione looked up.

"But you still weren't powerful enough. You didn't kill him. You just knocked him out. You were reverting back to your old self, and you failed to kill him."

She closed her eyes. "I didn't kill him."

Harry knelt beside her. "Mione, I've missed you so much."

"He never loved me. Harry, I'm so sorry. I never stopped loving you, though…I just though…how could anyone love me when I was so plain and uninteresting? I know I wasn't much to look at…Draco made me beautiful. He gave me power. He gave me wealth…and he gave me false love. No…not even that. He gave me sex, sex that I didn't even want. Harry, I've made such a mess of myself…"

Harry smiled softly, reaching around to place the necklace back around Hermione's throat. "You were always beautiful to me, Mione. You're not a mess…"

The rain fell harder as Hermione started crying. Harry smiled and held her, one hand reaching out to pull Ron closer to them to shield him from the rain.

After a while, Hermione looked up. "Harry…Voldemort will kill me…"

Harry shook his head. "Voldemort is dead. Dumbledore and I were teamed up against him when I heard Ron yell, and you scream. I left him to help where I was really needed."

Hermione lowered her head. "I've made a real mess of things, haven't I?"

Harry gazed at her unflinchingly. "Yes. But, if I know you Hermione, I know you can fix it."

Hermione smiled at him, and reached out to stroke Ron's hair.

"See? Look. The sun is rising. It's a new day."

Hermione looked in the direction Harry was pointing. Yes, it was a new day. A new chance to make everything right.

Harry stood up, helping Hermione. Together, they carried Ron, heading back for the castle.

And Hermione kicked Draco as she passed.

- - - - - - - -

a/n: Oooh, my mind is warped. That story was…eh. However, thank you to my lovely reviewers who seemed to enjoy it: Phire Phoenix, Charm12, darling, Lover-Of-Sirius-Black, Legofodopip, Oria, and Reticence.