It had been weeks, that much he knew, maybe months. For all he knew it seemed like an eternity. Harry looked again at the familiar surrounding environment, 'Great! Another day here in nowhere land' He thought to himself. He had been racking his brain for an escape from this place, he needed to find Hermione. He had to tell her he loved her. He had to tell her, Ron was dead and he had promised. He woke up this morning and tried something he had been thinking about trying for a long time, he took out his wand and taped the ground...'This is going to be difficult'.
A FEW MONTHS BACK, AT HOGWARTS
The smoke was beginning to rise from the destroyed grounds. A bright light had just put an end to any remaining duels. She looked around for the two people she needed the most in the world, the sight she got made her breath catch in her throat: Everything was gone! The main part of the castle stood alone among the rubble. The smoke and the fires were still burning bright, the edge of the Forbidden Forest was nothing more than a calcinated ruin. Nowhere she looked could she find Harry, Ron or...wait was that Ginny? She ran towards the brave red-headed 5th year girl.
"Ginny, GINNY! Are you ok?" She asked the girl who looked wide-eyed with shock, terror and so many other of the same kinds of emotions. The only different one was relief.
"I- Me- ok." she sarted "Hermione!" she shrieked as if only noticing her "You're alive!"
"Of course I am, Ginny" she hugged her best female friend, tears coming to her eyes "I'm glad you're alive too!"
The girls stayed in their close imbrace for a long time. They seperated when their Headmaster, Dumbledore, came to get them into the School - or atleast what was left of it.
"Oh my go-" whispered Hermione when she entered the entrance hall. "It's gone."
Apparently the duels had gotten into the building because the walls had various holes it them and the staicase had begun to fall appart. Dumbledore lead them into the Great Hall. Hermione and Ginny both gasped at the sight of the Great Hall they had dined in for the past few years of their lives. It was - the same. Amazing how the whole school was in ruins but this one room - the nicest room in the castle - had survived without a scratch.
Dumbledore stood at the front of the Great Hall facing four house tables that were emptier than usual, much more empty. One third of the school was missing. The few who were there were near tears and wounded.
"I am glad to see you all here with us today" Dumbledore began " I wish to give you all some good news, Lord Voldemort" he paused for the gaspes and shrieks "Has been defeated !" he finished happily. "Unfortunately, we have had much too many casualties. Lets take a moment of silence to honour their bravery and their lives" Everyone bowed their heads and let the tears silently fall down their faces.
"I am also sad to tell you that we won't be solving the problem of who is missing and who is dead for a while. We must clear the grounds but first we must rebuild the castle." he looked around.
"What about Harry and Ron?" asked Hermione to Ginny.
"I dunno" she replied sadly.
"As for the fate of Harry Potter, no one has seen him since he killed Voldemort" Dumbledore looked down at the table. "I also wish to say that any information would be greatly appreaciated, for him and Ronald Weasley." Dumbledore clapped his hands and food appeared. Hermione noticed none of this. Her mind was elsewhere.
'What about Harry? What about Ron?'
PRESENT DAY
It had been three months since that day and the castle was nearly rebuilt. Hermione had spent many restless night dreaming about Harry and Ron, none of which she had seen since then. She and the entire wizarding world figured tey were dead and she had mourned them both for a long time. One night she near the beginning of those three months she had stayed up late, expecting to come back, having gotten lost in the woods. It was a little past midnight and she began to cry, the realization of never seeing them again had hit her like a ton of bricks. She had cried for a few minutes before she heard someone coming down the boys stairs, she looked up half expecting to see Harry, telling her he loved her and that forever was about to start. Her heart fell again as she saw that, although this boy was nice, it was only Seamus Finnigan.
"Hermione?" he had asked "Is that you?"
"Y-Yes" she sobbed. He walked towards her and sat on the couch with her.
"What's wrong?" he asked caringly.
"I'll never see them again! They're dead. they must be why else wouldn't they be back by now?"
" I don't know Hermione, I wish I could help you." he paused as he heard his voice crack. " I miss them too! It's so hard to get to sleep without Ron's snores to lull you there" he laughed a little and she joined him.
They had stayed up consoling each other all that night and a few nights after that. Slowly they had gotten closer to the point that along with Ginny they were inseperable. Hermione was surprised to see she was even falling for him. He hadn't beaten Harry in her heart but he was there, and alive. Surprise for Hermione. He felt the same and they had gotten together. They had been going out together for the past month and although he was sweet, nice and basically perfect, he was not Harry.
Hermione cried herself to sleep many nights in a row at the beginning of it but those nights had become less frequent and she felt less guilt for moving on so quickly. She had fallen for Seamus, he was good to her and in return she was good to him.
"Hey Hermione" a now familiar voice sai from behind her.
"Hey Seamus!" She said sweetly and turned to see him smiling and handing her one single red rose.
"For you" he said simply as she took it from him. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She had never given him more than a quick kiss, a peck, and it was going to stay that way for as long as she could make it. It was the month of June and they were going to leave soon. Still not all the bodies, includiong Harry and Ron's, had been found and there hadn't been any funerals yet. Hermione wasn't even sure if she was glad about that, then again she wasn't sure about much these days.
They parted and she smiled to hide her true thoughts, she liked Seamus alot but she knew they couldn't do this anymore. It was just not love. Ginny was the only person who knew that and Hermione had spent many hours with her, confiding in her and listenning to her thoughts.
"Hey Seamus , Hey 'Mione-" she gasped no one was allowed to call Hermione that anymore, Harry was the only one she had let call her that and he was gone, therefore the nickname was banished. "Oh my gosh Hermione, I'm so sorry" the red-head said to the older bookworm.
"It's ok Ginny" SHe said taking some calming breaths. "It's ok. Now what did you have to tell us?" she asked putting the small run-in with the past behind her.
"Oh. It was just that it's diner time." Ginny said a little shyly. " I made such a fuss didn't I?" she asked with a small laugh.
"No No... I'm hungry too" Hermione and Seamus laughed along with the youngest Weasley.
They walked down to the Great Hall occasionnaly passing a few people they knew, such as Luna Lovegood. One of the people who had survived. The halls were much less populated but one group of people who had decided to stick around (unfortunately) was the three from Slytherin, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. they never really bothered anyone else they kind of kept quiet, all of their fathers had been killed in the war.
They made their way into the newly-renovated Entrance hall and across that into the Great Hall. They walked in imediatly making their way to the Gryffindor table and sitting down. Hermione, always the observant one, noticed something different about today. The headmaster was talking to someone, she couldn't tell who, but he or she had black hair and seemed to be out of energie. Dumbledore seemed to be trying not to cry and not to burst out laughing at the same time. 'It must be good news' thought Hermione as she watched carefully.
Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat "Ladies and Gentleman, Students of all ages, I'd like for you all to welcome back our dear friend..." he paused while the mystery person turned to face the 4 house tables "Harry Potter". The hall was quiet. In the time it took to blink Hermione had shrieked, gotten up and ran all the way to the front of the Hall. There she looked at him. Underfed (if fed at all) slightly confused, sad but most of all ecstatic. She looked afraid to touch him because he might fade. He stood there hoping they could just drift away to a world of their own.
"Hello Hermione" He said tentivaly, it was all he could do but he he yerned to hold her in his arms.
"I...I... HARRY!" She seemed to come to her senses and promptly jumped into him squeasing the air out of him and letting the tears that had finally stopped coming now to come back and fall down her face. He did the same as he wrapped his arms around her and squeased her just as hard.
" I missed you" he whispered into her hair.
"I thought you were gone, that you would never come back. I thought you were dead." By then People had started gathering around, Ginny came foward next and asked the question he was hoping he would never have to answer.
"Harry, don't get me wrong" she said "I'm glad you're here. But where is Ron?" she asked hoping her brother was with him.
"Ginny I think you, Hermione and I should go for a walk." he answered. " alone"
The girls agreed and they went up towards the astronomie tower, Harry looking at the school. They entered the tower and looked over the sides. The sight was horrible, still a big amount of rubble laid around on the ground and the grass was still black in certain areas but the sight was no longer sickening to the girls. On the other hand when Harry saw that place near the Forest, where he had lost Ron, he could barely hold his empty stomach together.
"i have bad news" Harry started. "About Ron, I saw him before I killed Volidemort-" he was cut off.
"He went in the other direction?" Ginny asked
"No he-"
"He Ran after you and you haven't seen him since?" hermione asked
"No, he -"
"He WHAT? Tell ME before I EXPLODE!" Ginny yelled tears falling madly down her face and streaking it.
"Ginny, you should sit dow-"before he had finished the request she had sat down on the astronomie tower floor "Well, Like I was saying I saw him before I killed voldemort, he was badly wounded. I tried to heal him but I'm not very good at it. It didn't work I tried for twenty minutes to get help and heal him at the same time. He knew it was his end" A tear left his eye " He died, Ginny, he died as I was holding him" Ginny stood and looked at Hermione who was crying as well.
"Oh my god" Hermione whispered.
"YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY DID YOU?"Ginny yelled at Harry "YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO SAVE HIM YOU WANTED HIM DEAD, he was in your way or something - or you - YOU, HARRY POTTER ARE AN ASS HOLE! PRAT" she had yelled this while crying and had stormed off when she was done, Harry figured that she needed time and besides he had to tell the more private part of the conversation to Hermione.