Photograph

– Ed Sheeran

We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken

And time's forever frozen, still

Granger Residence

Hermione stared, unblinkingly, at the man, Tony Stark, before her in utter befuddlement.

"You... From Stark Industries?" She asked dumbly. What in the name of God...

"Can I come in?" He asked, looking around uncomfortably. Hermione shook her head, her common sense screaming at her that she couldn't know for sure, although her mind had finally identified him as Iron Man from the news. She had went through a war only a few months ago, and had just lost her parents. She couldn't be too cautious about anything strange happening.

"You know my mother?" She asked back, not willing to let him inside until he proved his words.

Tony stared at her, though she couldn't see his eyes to gauche what was he thinking.

"Yes, she was a dear friend of mine up until she left for college here in England." He turned then, to look at the window beside the door. "She was a ball of energy back then, always wanting to do thousands of things at the same time and often succeeding. A quick learner, she was, she got it from your grandfather, that man knew how to do almost anything you asked him, and what he didn't know, he learned.

"Edgar Carter was a great man, I was sorry to learn of his passing. His sister is still alive, you know?" He looked at her, sympathy in his eyes, and tears in hers. "Auntie Peggy has Alzheimer and has a niece visiting her every now and then to check on her."

Hermione regarded him five seconds, then opened the door wider and stepped to the side to let him in. Tony nodded at her and went inside, stopping at the sight of the redheaded girl a few meters from the door.

"Hello!" Tony exclaimed, and Hermione remembered that Ginny was with her in the house.

"You're American." Was the first thing Ginny said, her wand nowhere in sight.

"Mr. Stark, this is my friend Ginny, she's staying with me for a few days." Hermione interjected before Tony could say anything, and sending Ginny a 'what the bloody hell?' look. Ginny shrugged and said, "Well, he is!" And retreated to the kitchen to finite the stasis out of Tony's sight.

"Sorry," Hermione said, not knowing what to do next. Tony, probably sensing her discomfort, followed where Ginny had gone and making Hermione follow him towards the kitchen.

She found him taking a seat at the counter, the same spot Ginny had taken the night before, and took a place next to the other girl to help her finish lunch.

"When is the funeral?" He asked, making Hermione nearly drop the vegetables she was about to throw into the pan.

She had, of course, thought about a funeral, but it was so complicated, she was still thinking how to get to Australia to identify them at the Hospital, and had started to think she wouldn't be able to go on time and someone else would have to do it for her, along with all the planning, she just couldn't bring them home and that was killing her, so she kept leaving that for later thought.

"How?" She asked, ignoring his question. She couldn't understand how he would be able to know her parents had... "How did you found out about them?"

"Jarvis found it, he's my AI. There's a code on his system that makes him run checks on friends and family. Nothing intrusive, mind you, but he is always informed and tells me if something big or bad happens." Tony explained calmly, watching the girls work together to make lunch.

Ginny would often cast side glances in Hermione's direction, and Tony realized the girl was concerned and looking for signs that her friend wasn't uncomfortable. He wondered briefly if the girls were a thing, if they had any problems, if they were happy.

Hermione thought about it a minute, and finally, she said, albeit quietly, "I wasn't planning on a funeral, the Hospital is releasing their bodies to be cremated in a couple of days if I don't go o send someone to finalize the identification process," she grimaced, knowing her parents wouldn't have like that, but there was nothing, magically or otherwise, that she could do to arrive on time. Portkeys was heavily monitored in the rebuilding process, and even if the Minister himself issued an order, it had to go all the bureaucratic way down to the Department of Magical Transportation to a small little office that only worked two days a week.

"Helen would have hated that," Tony said, shaking his head. "She wanted to be buried with a tree planted above her."

Hermione smiled a bit at that. Ginny reached a hand out to grab her arm and smile at her, letting her go to keep with her cooking.

"I could arrange for a funeral and have you in Australia tonight." Tony offered, Hermione turned her body to face him in utter surprise.

"What did you say?"

"That I could arrange for a funeral for your parents, and have you in Australia tonight for it." He repeated, pulling out his phone and typing on it faster than any of the girls had ever seen someone moving their fingers.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked, watching the phone with confusion and wondering who in the hell was this Muggle.

"Writing Pepper, my girlfriend, to arrange everything." He mumbled.

Hermione and Ginny shared a look. Ginny shrugged, making a face, and Hermione imitated, sans the face.

"Why should Hermione trust you?" Ginny asked, facing the man and taking a defensive stance. Then she barely turned her face, never taking her eyes off the man, "We should probably call Kingsley, he could clear him up. You know, constant vigilance and all that tripe." Ginny told her quietly.

"Go, I can take care of myself while you do that." She accepted.

"I'll be back in a second."

Ginny left, and Hermione thought it was good that they all learned to send messages through their patronuses, it was quicker, and efficient.

"So? Why should I trust you?" Hermione asked again. Tony took his sunglasses off, perching them on the neck of his t-shirt.

"You shouldn't, I'm a virtual stranger to you, but I did know your mother, and I plan to help you in whatever way I can." He stated solemnly.

They stayed silent after that. And that's how Ginny found them. She rushed to the kitchen to check on the food, which Hermione had been watching over.

"This is ready, we can serve it now or we could wait." The girl stated, turning off the flames.

"Let's eat, I'm starving."

Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived after eating. They were all in the living room in uncomfortable silence. Tony wondered for the hundredth time why he didn't came with a better plan. Hermione lost in her own mind, staring into space. And Ginny anxiously reading a magazine on Muggle fashion.

He apparated into a park that had a secluded spot behind some trees not far from her home. He knocked on the door, and Ginny was the first to stand and ran to the open it.

It was all a blur after that. At least for Hermione it was. Kingsley extracted memories Tony had of her mother, he was tested under veritaserum to prove he actually was Tony Stark, and wether or not he had ill will towards her. His plans now that he was aware of her situation as an orphan. And how he found her so quickly.

Hermione was still replaying Tony's memories, watching her mother as a small child playing around with a younger Tony Stark.

Pensive mirrors were so useful.

She sat on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest as she hugged her legs. Tears fell down her face. She missed her mother so much.

Tony was clueless as to what was happening, having drank an Oblivious Solution when magic made his archreactor blink erratically just being close to a wand.

All in all, Tony was sincere. And Hermione was wondering if going with him to Australia was what she needed. To get away from the last remnants of a civil war, where she held so many memories of so many loved ones.

It was as she watched her mother run along the shore of a beach that she thought to herself that it would be nice to do the same. Her mother looked carefree, without a worry in the world as she enjoyed a sunny day. Maybe Tony would take her to spend the summer with him before she returned to finish her last year at Hogwarts. Would Harry and Ron finish their year as well? Probably not. She would go without her friends. The thought made her eyes burn with new tears until she heard Ginny's voice in the background. Ginny would go, she was a good student, and Hermione thought that, if nothing else, she wouldn't let her go alone to Hogwarts.

Then a thought entered her mind. Why would Tony take her in? He had no responsibilities towards her, and was doing a lot just offering her to finance the funeral and arrange everything. Not only that, but she had just met him. She was going crazy.

"Hermione." His voice startled her out of her thoughts. When she looked up, she saw Kingsley watching her with kindness and compassion. "He's safe, Hermione." He paused as she nodded slowly, she looked down at her knees. Kingsley was at a loss for words, this child had given up and sacrificed so much for the cause, and it seemed that her grievances were not over.

Kingsley was led out by Ginny. The Mirror that had the memories gone with him.

Tony was still there though.

He was asleep, and would wake un his own in a few minutes once his body finished expulsing the Solution through his pores.

Ginny made dinner. She was a good friend, Hermione thought to herself. Maybe Ginny would go with her, although the sight of her sometimes reminded her of Ron.

She didn't realize she wasn't breathing until she felt lightheaded and her chest felt constricted. Her throat closed, and her hands balled into fists, slowly, one of them went to her chest, were she could feel the pressure threatening to break her ribs, while the other fist went to her side of her head, to press against her temple as if that would help her ground her head.

Her vision blurred, her lungs were on fire, painfully pressed against her ribcage like a wild beast trying to make room to breathe.

The room around her ceased to exist, all she was focusing now was in breathing, trying to keep herself from passing out. Panic and fear running wild in her veins.

Something warm crashed over her, enveloping her. Was she shaking? Her body tensed, it took a while before the words someone was whispering in her ear to make it through the fog that had clouded her mind due to the lack of oxygen.

"...here, I'm here, you're not alone, please, breathe, Hermione, I'm with you..."

Ginny. She sounded close to tears. Hermione felt guilt starting to creep into her being, but for now, she would bask in the warmth, would let it seep into her body, she was too tense to move, and breathing was difficult still. Once she was able to move her arms, she circled her friends waist and hugged her tightly, letting her tears fall. She was scared.

She needed air.

She wanted out.

She screamed her fear, her pain, everything, while she cried her eyes out there in her living room, with an oblivious Tony Stark sleeping in her couch, and Ginny Weasley holding her through it all as she repeated over and over again that she was not alone.

I can't believe how many people have liked this story already, I really hope I live up to all your expectations! Here is another chapter, a short one unfortunately, but work has been crazy, and normal life is... stressful...

But hey! Tony has come to England in record time and Hermione is trying to keep it together with Ginny's help, so we're going fine, I think

See you guys later!