Chapter 2: Good things never last
Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise belongs to JK Rowling (some people have it all...) anything you don't recognise belongs to me and if you wanna use it, you'll have to ask me first...
We went to Hogsmeade together the following weekend. From then on things kept moving, and we never looked back. Harry was fine with us, I know that he wanted us to get together before, but I was kind of worried at how he would react now that it had actually happened, peoples opinions change as their positions change. Look at Ron when he found out Harry was dating Ginny, he almost looked as though he was going to punch him in the face. I never thought that I'd fall in love with the person who annoyed me more then a teacher who talks in a monotone every lesson. Even though we were going out we continued arguing, no matter how much we loved each other, arguing was always a key point in our relationship. Ron and I still had some pretty spectacular arguments, but now if Ron wanted me to shut up in an argument instead of yelling at me he would kiss me.
"I can't think of what to write for this bloody essay!" Ron sighed, crumpling up a sixth piece of parchment and throwing it into the fire. I had just come through the portrait hole to see Rons piece of parchment land in the fire and Ron sitting at the table with his head in his hands.
"Ron what's wrong?" I went over to his table and saw Rons scribble at the top of the parchment 'Research into the properties of Hellebore and its uses in potion making'. I shook my head sadly as I remembered the previous Potions lesson, when Ron had flipped at Malfoy's comments about Weasels living in cardboard boxes, and he had thrown a handful of Gillyweed at him, thus causing Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor and set Ron a punishment essay.
"Aren't you gonna help me? I've no idea what Hellebore even is…" Ron trailed off looking up at me hopelessly, already knowing what my answer will be. I sighed, I had told Ron to ignore Malfoy, already aware that Snape was in a bad mood. Ron needed to learn his lesson, and not be provoked so easily, and me helping him wouldn't help him in the long term. So I shook my head, fully aware of his reaction, and knowing that he had to do his own work sometimes.
"Why not?"
"You need to learn things on your own - I won't be around forever you kno-" I cut off at the look on Rons face, he was pale and tears were beginning to form in his eyes.
"Ron…" I put my hand on his arm but he pushed me away.
"If you're going to break up with me just tell me, anything, just don't do that to me."
"Ron, I…" I had meant that I wouldn't be able to help him in the exams but he began shouting at me,
"God Hermione, first you say that you love me and minutes later you let slip that you wanna split up with me - Will you make your bloody mind up? I can't take it anymore! I love you 'Mione, I don't want you to go, but if you're just using me then that's probably what's best in the long run."
Of course that was like a red rag to a bull, how could he think that I was using him - I love him more then life itself, but he did overreact sometimes. Within 30 seconds we were both yelling at each other, I didn't calm down until Ron yelled,
"So, if you don't wanna split up with me, then what did you mean that you won't be around forever?"
"I won't be able to help you in NEWTs will I?" I smiled as he began to grin, his ears reddening he looked at his feet and muttered something like 'sorry'. Grinning I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.
Year after year we had tirelessly worked against Voldemort and the death eaters. It was our final summer at Hogwarts when the last battle took place. Ron and I were recently engaged, so we had no major wedding plans. When the battle came, none of us were prepared for it, but we went in and fought regardless, and what happened that night changed my life forever.
We were in Potions on a Monday, NEWTs were fast approaching, and Snape was in a foul mood as usual.
"I want samples of your Potions on my desk before the end of the lesson - yes you too Longbottom." He swept past Neville who whimpered as he tried to scoop a foul smelling mixture out of his cauldron without being overpowered by the tangent purple fumes that were slowly filling the room. "Your homework is to read these tonight," He slapped a pile of battered old books on Harry and Ron's desk, making the entire class jump, and Ron's cauldron to fall to the floor. Snape handed Harry the topmost one and asked Ron to give the rest of the books out to the rest of the class. "And I shall know if you have not read them, there will be a test at the start of tomorrows lesson. I suggest that you read these thoroughly."
Harry sighed, dumping his book in his bag, we already had an essay for Binns and McGonagal would no doubt set us some work this afternoon. I smiled to myself, I was planning to start reading my book at lunch, so I would get a head start and would be able to help Harry and Ron on theirs.
True enough McGonagall did set some questions to be completed. Ron and Harry chose to put it off for later as the reading assignment was due in first. When Harry opened his book that evening by the common room fire, he dropped it in surprise.
"What is it Harry?"
"A note" He bent down to pick up the piece of parchment that had fluttered to the floor when the book fell. He read it and became silent, wearing an expression of plain bewilderment,
"What does it say Harry?" Ron asked,
Harry took a deep breath and told us, the words echoing around the common room.
"Your time has come, you are now ready."
"What do you suppose that means?" Ron asked, Harry shrugged. Ron and I went to pick up Harry's books simultaneously, together we handed it back to Harry, who took it.
It happened very suddenly, there was a jerk beneath my navel, the three of us were swirling through colour and space. We landed on soft earth, Ron however hit his head on a lump of stone.
"Now who would be thick enough to leave a great limp of stone sticking out of the-?" He muttered, winking stars out of his eyes, he fell silent at the look on Harry's face, he had noticed what was carved on the stone.
James Potter born October 4th 1962
Also here lies
Lily Potter, wife of the above,
Born November 13th of the same year
Died October 31st 1981
May they rest in peace
'Forever in our hearts they shall remain'
"Noticed have you Potter?" Voldemort was standing behind us, death eaters were stepping out from between tombstones. Ropes flew out of their wands, binding us to individual graves, Harry was tied to his parents tomb, Ron to an ugly and I was kneeling on a nameless grave, tightly bound to the headstone, the cold rock making me shudder.
"Today," Voldemort began "will mark the end of an era, this era is Harry Potter, his legacy, his chapter in the pages of time. However despite it being an interesting and thrilling and a very interesting chapter - it will be short. Harry Potter may have a short era, legacy…life," He paused on the last word "but we feel that he may not be happy to die, we always try and make our victims comfortable," A ripple of laughter ran around the death eaters. "Harry Potter, you seem to be unwilling to die," Harry was squirming next his parents grave, desperate to be released, "Despite us taking all that you love, your parents, your godfather, know the time has arrived for your friends to meet the same fate."
It was then that I realised what was going to happen, he was going to kill Ron and I before making sure that Harry was too grief stricken to defend himself when Voldemort goes in for the kill. For a second I thought about my wand - lying useless out of reach at my feet.
"You boy." Voldemort suddenly spat at Ron, he pointed his wand at him and the ropes fell to the floor, severed. "Get up." I gasped as I saw Ron scramble to his feet and pick up his wand. Voldemort was going to kill him first, I wanted to say something, to tell him how much I loved him, to beg for me to be killed instead. But my breath caught in my throat, I couldn't say a thing just watch as Voldemort advanced on Ron. He raised his wand, a jumble of words reached my ears, but I couldn't untangle them, there were a few flashes of light, I blinked and he had gone, he was sprawled on the floor, unmistakenly dead. It had ended, just like that, my life, my sole reason for living, had gone. It didn't matter if I died now, because if I died, I'd be with Ron again, beyond the veil, I'd live again.
Harry was staring at the soil at his feet, he seemed oblivious to what had just happened. I felt a sudden rush of anger, his best friend had just died and he didn't even care, I was jerked out of my thoughts by the ropes binding me to the headstone falling to the ground. My time had come, I was going to die like Ron, unmarked and painlessly, it was the way I wanted to go. But what about Harry? I couldn't leave this life yet, Harry needed me, Voldemort brought us all here to destroy him, I won't make it easy for him. I tightened my grip on my wand so my knuckles were now white, I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I looked him in the eye, those vivid scarlet eyes, he raised his wand and I braced myself for the coming storm. I glanced over to Harry and squinted, his eyes, his bright green eyes were glowing vividly, suddenly there was a flash of green light and I remembered no more…
I woke up suddenly, I spent a few minutes staring at the strip lighting above me when I remembered what had happened.
"Ron! Harry!" My sudden gasp startled a nearby healer and she bustled over to me.
"You're awake Miss Granger! How do you feel?"
"Where's Harry?" the healers face fell and she began stuttering,
"He…He was dead when we found him. I'm so sorry."
I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, Harry and Ron were dead, they had both died, yet I was here alive, longing to die, go beyond the veil, for all the pain to stop, but it wouldn't stop, and day by day I would have to learn to live with it.
I don't know how I carried on after that, half of me wanted to die, and half of me wanted to live my life, while I still had it. Death eaters were still around they were slowly diminishing, but they were still out there, looking for me as I was the only surviving witness from that night. I didn't know where to go. I was walking in blind circles, no reason to live, no way to die. Then one day something happened that would change the way I thought about my life forever…
a/n: Dedications are hidden in this chapter (see dates on James and Lilys tombstone), many thanks to Monkey and Pony for ALWAYS being there for me and helping me through high school, you guys rock! Also while I'm at it, Esta for giving me such good advice on the website, and opening my eyes to a world on the internet that I never would've seen without her…
