Waiting and Hoping
Chapter 3
Hermione arrived at the back of her cottage and she ran inside. She collapsed on the sofa and allowed the tears to fall, she knew crying was showing weakness but that was what she was, weak. Ron's face swam in front of her closed eyes, his look of anger and disappointment. How could she ever get on with her life! She had had plans. Before the final battle she had wanted to become a Healer, marry Ron, have a family and do all the things she had wished for since she was a child. She cried for a good half an hour before she managed to gain control of the tears and force them to subside. She stood up facing the wall and looked into the mirror above the sofa, that was when she saw it she whirled around pulling her wand out of her pocket, her foot became tangled in the rug and she toppled over hitting the side of her face on the upturned table. She hissed with the pain and her eyes began to stream again but she did not halt the flow, she gazed up at the wall horror etched on her prematurely lined face.
There on the wall was the Dark mark.
Hermione pulled her eyes away from the illustration to examine the scene around her. Her small, safe, cosy house was totally unrecognisable. Her furniture was either slashed, upturned or reduced to mere dust, the sofa she was now leaning back against seemed to have escaped the worst of the damage but still had large slashes across it. Her books were scattered across the floor and most were torn to shreds. She turned her head towards the kitchen and saw Crookshanks, her beloved cat, the only thing she had ever told lying on the floor unmistakably dead. She gasped, she pulled herself gingerly to her feet and limping slightly she walked over to him and gently picked him up and hugged him tightly. She carried him back into the garden stopping only to pick up her fallen wand. She apparated to the first house that came to her tangled mind: The Burrow.
The sound from the garden had gone, she assumed that people had left. She limped towards the front door still cradling her lifeless cat while she her face throbbed. She knocked on the door.
Arthur heard the knock and got up from the table which himself, Molly and Ron were sat drinking tea, Molly had been consoling her son on his latest argument with Padma and insisting that he move back into the Burrow while it all blew over, to Arthur's surprise Ron didn't object. He seemed so shaken after his argument with Padma that Arthur felt he was looking forward to getting fussed over by his mother. The argument had started just after Hermione had left, Padma had stated in no uncertain terms that if he was so worried about Hermione then he should go and sort her out and that she was sick of seeing Ron so listless and that that wasn't who she fell in love with. Arthur was sure Padma had not meant to say that, especially not in front of the entire Weasley family, but that it had just slipped out. They had all stared at Ron waiting to see if he would say he loved her back (not of them believe that he did). Ron simply sat there like a fish out of water, Padma got the idea and taking a leaf out of Hermione's book had ran the length of the garden and disapparated. The rest of the family had left pretty quickly after that, knowing that Ron needed some space.
So when Arthur heard the knock he assumed that Padma had returned to make peace with his youngest son, what he did not expect when he opened the door was to see Hermione looking like she had been whacked very hard on the side of her head with a very heavy object, carrying Crookshanks, who didn't appear to be alive. But that was exactly what he did see.
"Hermione…What's happened?"
"I've been burgled…. there's stuff everywhere…the Dark Mark is on…the wall…they killed Crookshanks…I" she was hysterical.
"Hermione calm down, let's get you inside" he said whilst pulling her inside and glancing at the deserted lane.
He steered her into the kitchen where Molly and Ron were sitting. Ron crossed the room in a quick fluid motion and put his arm around Hermione in a gesture of support. She didn't push him away.
"Hermione! What's happened?" he gasped
Hermione didn't answer she was hysterical and kept muttering
"Burgled… Dark Mark… Crookshanks…"
"Hermione look at me!" said Molly firmly; Hermione ignored her "Look at me! Take deep breaths" Hermione complied and the muttering gave way to sobs
"Come on in, lets sit you down and get you a drink" she said gently
"Give Crookshanks to me Hermione, there's nothing you can do for him now" whispered Arthur kindly. Hermione passed him the lifeless cat and allowed herself to be steered to the kitchen table.
"Ron, I'll floo Harry, you make Hermione some tea (with a shot of Odgens) while your mother sees to her face"
Ron nodded and then muttered to his father "Hurry dad, I've never seen her like this" His father left the room and Ron began making the tea.
That's all for now, I've planned out the next chapter and you won't have to wait long (I know you don't like cliff-hangers) Thanks to my fantastic reviewers! Please keep reviewing I really appreciate your comments.
Bye
Laura
xxx