Title: Home

Chapter Title: Dearly Beloved

Summary: She watched her walk across the stage, her heart plummeting. She would never see her again, she thought to herself. That is until she see's her seven years later in the most unexpected place. GWHG

Warnings: Underage drinking, semi-emo story line, and sex.

Author's Notes: You'll find out the rest as the story goes along...just work with me here, okay? I promise another chapter will come tomorrow.

Dearly beloved, are you listening?
I can't remember a word that you were saying
Are we demented?
Or am I disturbed?
The space that's in between insane and insecure

Oh therapy, can you please fill the void?
Am I retarded?
Or am I just overjoyed?
Nobody's perfect and I stand accused.
For lack of a better word and that's my best excuse.

"Dearly Beloved" by Green Day

Chapter Four: Dearly Beloved

The hospital was sparkling clean, the lights bright as they shined down on patients that stared onwards towards the staff, their eyes filled with lost hope and torn lives. Hermione remembered thinking, I don't belong here.

According to the Healers, she did. Her arms were tied down to the bed, so that she was forced to lay on her back. Only when her medicine was given, and her daily walk came was she not on her back. Her hands shook, her hair was tangled and wilder than it had been during her years at Hogwarts.

Hogwarts. She remembered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She remembered Ron, Harry, and Ginny. She remembered her training after Hogwarts. But what came after this, she couldn't remember.

She was cold, she thought. Her skin was pale, filled with goosebumps. She slumped back against her bed, closing her eyes. I don't belong here.

"Miss Granger, you have a visitor." A voice came over the intercom of her room, startling her. She sighed and layed her head back again, not bothering to look at the intruder. She had grown tired of the Healers who came at odd times of the day and night, always poking and prodding at her, making strange humming noises as they did so. How can they be so cheerful?

Loud footsteps clonked across the floor of her room, coming to a stop at her bed. Hermione's eyes were tightly shut to avoid seeing the pity in this person's eyes. The stranger didn't speak, but pulled a chair up by her side, and touched her small, pale hand with their own.

Hermione opened her eyes slowly, turning to look at the stranger. She studied their bright red hair, pale skin with a dusting of freckles across their skin, and blue eyes that looked down at her with sympathy. "Ginny?" She spoke quietly.

"Yes, Hermione. It's me." She took her hand in her own, and pulled the sleeve of her gown shirt up. Ginny traced her slim fingers over the pink scars that layed across her arm. "What have you done to yourself?" She asked softly, her eyes filling with tears. Leaning down, she kissed the tender skin there, letting her lips ghost over the scars.

When Ginny looked up, Hermione's eyes were filled with confusion.

"What are you doing?" She asked, trying to jerk her arm away. Her hands were stilled tied down with thick velcro though, and she only succeeded in rubbing her sore wrists raw again. Hermione bit back a whimper at this.

Ginny looked away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Nothing, I'm sorry Hermione." She stood, walking towards the door, feeling more miserable than she had before. A soft voice called out behind her, stopping her in her tracks.

"You're Ginny, then?" Hermione whispered again, trying to not let the tears slip down her cheeks. They were filled with pain, the pain she didn't think existed.

The red head smiled, and turned back around. She walked to the edge of the bed, and put both hands on Hermione's cheeks, cupping her face. "You remember me?" She asked, choking back a sob. She wiped away the tears on Hermione's face, and pulled the chair up again.

Hermione smiled. "So, you're my friend, right?" Ginny's heart dropped. Friend.

Faking a smile, Ginny looked up to meet the hopeful eyes of her ex-lover. Taking her hand in her own again, she gave her the only answer that she knew would set her at ease, for now. "Yes, we're friends. Best friends." Ginny refused to look into her eyes, and stood up, dropping her hand.

And with that, as soon as she had entered her life, Ginny had left it just as quickly.

(A/N: This is not permanent. It's required to keep the plot going, though. And yes, Hermione has lost most of her memory because of...well you'll just have to find out later, won't you? Now...REVIEW! Thank you!)