Forgotten Yesterday

Chapter 29: To Say Good-bye

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters borrowed for use in this story.

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The days following Christmas passed quickly for Harry. He was surrounded by people he cared about. Even with the threat of Voldemort hanging over their heads the surrounding and the company seemed to cheer everyone. Even Molly and Ginny momentarily forgot their annoyance and newfound resentment toward Hermione during a recent charades game. But the days passes too quickly and the day came. He looked at the calendar and saw that today was his muggle family's funeral.

He groaned and rolled on his back, pulling the covers over his head.

"If you really don't want to go." Hermione's sleepy voice came to him from the other side of the bed.

"No. I want to go. It's. It's just hard."

She cuddled closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Thank you for coming with me. I know this is hard for you."

She shrugged. "A little. I'm not sure I ever even met them. As for the thing with family funerals. I'm over it now, I think."

He had meant it would be hard because they died from the curse that had been cast upon her. If she wasn't thinking that, though, he wasn't going to mention it. "We should get going."

She nodded and sat up stretching her arms high over her head.

They dressed quickly in respectively somber muggle clothing and went down to the foyer. Snape was waiting for them by the door.

"Do I need to remind you how dangerous this could potentially be?"

"You don't need to. I'm all to aware."

"Be careful, Harry. They may wait until you are alone to do anything, if they do."

"I know. Moody trained me, remember?"

"I remember." he rested his hand on Harry's shoulder a moment before turning and disappearing back into the depths of the school.

"Harry, are you sure you want to do this?"

He looked down at Hermione. His eyes were set. "I need to, 'Mione. At least to put that part of myself to rest. I feel. I feel I owe them at least this. They may have hated me. They may have thought a lot of thing about me but they took care of, nonetheless."

"Not because they wanted to." She took his hand as they walked toward the gate.

"No they didn't want to. But they did. I don't think I would be the man I am today if I hadn't lived through that. Could you imagine if I had grown up in the magic world?"

"No, I can't."

"Neither can I. But I don't think it would have been good."

They reached the gate and took hold of each other before apperating.

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The small church was small and dreary. Old grave markers stood up at odd angles skewing the peaceful landscape, almost giving it a horror movie feel. To Hermione, it seemed as if she were in a movie as she walked out to the burial plots. There had been a small ceremony inside the church. A few people spoke about what good men Vernon and Dudley had been. Harry was silent and indifferent watching the people respectfully. The crowd had been small. Some of Vernon and Dudley's co-workers, some of the neighbors from Privet drive. She was sure some of the neighbors recognized Harry and cast annoyed glares at him. Now as they stood out in the dank, cold December morning Hermione felt more separate from this group of muggles than she had from any people in her life. She pulled tighter on Harry's hand and pulled herself closer to his side. Harry looked down at her and smiled slightly, squeezing her hand. The minister said a few world and the trio of caskets was lowered in to the earth. It seemed as if it was over too fast. The crowd began to disperse. Harry broke away from her and walked to the edge of the graves. He stood there silent a moment. His shoulders were slumped and partially caved in on himself. He returned to her a moment later and took her hand. Hermione looked up at him and saw the lines of tears running down his face. She reached up and lightly brushed them away with her gloved hand.

"You ok?" it was the first time either had spoken since apperating from Hogwarts.

He smiled and nodded. "I didn't expect. I didn't think I would feel like this." Neither of them had noticed the older man approaching them.

"You're that boy aren't you?" he asked, "Petunia's nephew?"

"Yes, sir, I am." he answered shakily.

"We always wondered what happened to you. None of them would talk about you after you went to that reform school. What did you end up doing with yourself."

Harry recognized the man vaguely. "I studied law. I'm a professor now."

The old man smiled. "I always thought you'd pull yourself around. And your wife?"

Harry was struck silent a moment.

"I teach chemistry."

"That's wonderful. My wife will be happy to hear you did well for yourself. She always told Petunia you would become a good man. I'm sure they were proud of you." he turned and walked away.

Hermione took Harry's arm and lead him away from the church and toward a sheltered alley. Together they apperated back to the school.

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