Her voice was soft, as her eyes swept over the much-beloved, familiar Hogwarts grounds. Her fingers rested on the cool marble banister and she closed her eyes for a while, taking time to enjoy the warmth of the early summer afternoon sun. Then she opened them again, to see the scenery that hadn't changed from just moments ago, but had changed all the same, now that she was about to admit the reality and accept the truth and ready herself to bear the burdens.
"Everything is going to be different from now on, isn't it?"
And he turned to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Yes."
She liked the way he said it; one, solid, steadfast word.There was so much in that word. It foreshadowed the troubles to come,and deaths and perhapsbroken ties.
He didn't offer her any other words of consolation or courage.And she didn't expect him to. After all, who was it who hadwon (however unwillingly) the Triwizard Tournament while underaged? Who was itwho hadbeen forced to watch Voldemort kill a fellow student? Whowas it who lived every day with memories he didn't want andpains he hadto endure? Sometimes she felt guilty becauseshe didn't know what to say to make everything all right for him, but in her heart, she knew that he didn't need her words, their words; to him, theirpresence spoke more than anything.
And she looked up at his determined emerald eyes and knew that whatever it was, as long as she had him and Ron, too, somehow, somehow, everything would work out. And that was fine.
A/N: This is something that popped into my head as the fourth Harry Potter movie drew to a close. I've never written something so short before - this is most likely to be revised when I get home. Anyway, please read and review. Thanks!
Aiko Midori