Hermione stood on the papapets of Hogwarts. The wind billowed behind her, catching her already chaotic hair and floating it about her face. She looked down at the necklace in one hand. A silver locket. A gift from a past suitor. There had been so many since she had graduated, but this one would not fall into that namelessness. Maybe because it was her best friend.
She looked up as Ron approached. There was a silly grin on his face.
"They're all waiting downstairs, when ever you're ready."
Hermione forced a little smile. God, why had she agreed to this? She didn't love him. She couldn't go through with this.
But she found herself replying back cheerfully. "Of course love, I'll be down in a minute." She went to tiptoes to kiss his cheek, hating herself for what she was doing.
Ron trotted off and Hermione returned her gaze to the locket. Ron deserved to know the truth. But it would kill him. To lose to someone he'd never considered a rival before, would kill him.
She opened the locket and a tiny chimelike version of Brahm's Lulabye began to play. Thier song.
But her lover was dead, killed by a death eater in the final battle. That was what they had told Hermione when she woke up in the hospital. Her lover had watched over her fallen corpse, fighting for hours after Hermione was knocked unconscious.
Hermione looked down at the grinning freckled face in the locket. They hadn't had much money back then, but it was still the greatest present she had ever gotten.
She closed the locket on her own smiling face.
"I'm sorry, Ginny." She whispered. "I can't hold on forever."
She held the locket out and dropped it over the wall.