With the graduation ceremony over and done with, students, staff, and guests began to mingle in the great hall. Congratulations were given and tears shed as people began to realize that their time here was done with and that they would be leaving on the express for the last time in the morning. Some, who weren't so sad to go, wandered around laughing and smiling. Hermione did her best to laugh and smile with them, but she didn't have anywhere to go after this. She wasn't just graduating, she was losing her home, and the two most important people in her world with it.
Walking away, she sat down at Gryffindor table all the way at the end, away from the crowd of people. Tears ran unchecked down her face, falling on her graduation attire. She didn't notice someone walk up behind her and take the seat next to her, until a large hand set itself on her back. She looked up into the kind eyes of Aberforth Dumbledore.
"Why all these tears, little one?" he asked as he produced a handkerchief for her to wipe her eyes with.
"Hogwarts is my home. I have no where else to go after we leave in the morning. My parents hate me." she whispered.
"Well now, that's not so hard to fix. Tell you what, why don't you come stay at my inn for a while, until you get a place of your own. You can help me around the place, and I won't charge you one knut in rent. Maybe you can show me how to cook and edible meal too? You would also still be close to the school, so you won't be too far away from home. What do you say?" he suddenly found his arms full of a bouncing, excited 19 year old. Tears of a different kind soaked into his coat as she grinned from ear to ear.
"Thank you so much. I will do whatever you need. I promise. And yes I will teach you how to cook edible meals. I heard the stories about the food you cooked while we were on the run." Hermione giggled and finally released the older man. He smiled at her and brushed the tear drops off her cheeks with his thumbs.
"No more tears then, eh?" When she nodded he smiled. "Now then, why don't you go mingle a bit more while I go prepare your room. I think there is a certain flying instructor that wants to speak with you."
Hermione watched him leave with a watery smile on her face before standing and going in search of Ro. She found her standing with Minerva, discussing the class that had just graduated. She walked up behind the two of them and coughed quietly to alert them to her presence. Both turned to look at her with smiles on their faces.
Ro quickly scooped her up and swung her around, holding her as close as possible. Her face buried in Hermione's long brown hair. "I'm so proud of you, my Mia." she whispered into her ear.
A happy grin broke out over Hermione's face as she threw her arms around Ro's neck. Her nose swept against the soft skin of the older witch's neck and she inhaled deep committing the scent of wind, cut grass, and clean clothes to her memory. She knew they had promised that they wouldn't leave her and she believed them, but she still worried that this would be the last time she saw either one of them. When the instructor set her down, she looked at Minerva, who smiled and held her arms out for the younger woman.
Hermione launched herself at the Transfiguration Mistress whose arms closed tight around her middle. "I'm going to miss you." Hermione whispered to her.
"Hermione, look at me." Chocolate met emerald. "I meant what I said this morning. I have no intentions of abandoning you. I will be here when you need me. Rolanda will be there for you even when you don't need her. There will be nothing to miss of either of us, I promise." Hermione buried her face in the ebony haired woman's shoulder.
Rolanda laid her hand on the back of the brunette's neck. "Where are you going to stay, Mia?"
"Aberforth is giving mew a room until I can sort something out. As long as I help him around the Hog's Head he wont charge me anything in rent, and that way I am still close to here so I can come visit as often as possible." her voice was muffled by Minerva's clothing.
Ro was just about to respond when a loud "HERMIONE!" rang out through the room.
The young woman turned and grinned when Draco, Ginny, Luna and Severus joined the group. The seven of them stood in a tight circle talking to one another for an extended period of time until a voice that haunted Hermione's nightmares crept up behind her.
"Draco." Lucius Malfoy was standing right behind her where she stood next to blonde young man. His voice wasn't as slimy or as hateful as she remembered. Thinking back on the events of the Manor she knew logically that it hadn't actually been Lucius Malfoy that had tortured her next to his sister-in-law, but in fact one of the lesser known Death Eaters by the name of Christophe Greyhelm, a metamorphmagus. The who didn't matter though. The voice haunted her.
Draco moved to embrace his mother and father as Hermione moved across the circle to stand between Ro and Minerva. Her heart rate decreased slightly when Minerva placed her hand on her shoulder and Ro placed hers on her lower back. She knew the two women wouldn't allow anything to happen to her.
Narcissa hugged her son tight. When he was released he moved onto his father and Narcissa turned her eyes to Hermione. "I hope that while you may not forgive us for what happened in the Manor, you will understand that in order to protect Draco we had no choice. If there is anything I can do to ease the pain that my sister caused, please, let me know. I happen to know that you and my son have become good friends, I wouldn't want anything to get in the way of that."
Lucius looked at her, he recognized the fear in her eyes when she looked at him. "Christophe took my shape, did he not?" at the young woman's nod, he sighed. "Then I understand the fear in your eyes when you look at me. Though understanding does nothing to quell the guilt I feel for what happened to you. As my wife stated, please, anything at all." she nodded to him and Draco walked over and hugged her tight. She wrapped both arms around his neck and returned the fierce hug.
"Don't lose touch. I will hunt you down I promise." he wiped the tear falling from her face at having to say goodbye to her friend. "I will write to you."
"I don't have an owl, Draco."
"That's ok. I will think of something. Just meet me at the Leaky Cauldron next weekend ok?" he waited for her nod, then kissed her forehead, and walked away with his parents.
Hermione turned to her remaining friends. Ro looked at her and winked. "We should all head out. Lunch is over and Dinner will start soon. Mia, can I talk to you for a minute, alone?"
The younger witch nodded and walked over to Ro, taking her hand and noticing out of the corner of her eye, Luna had followed Draco and his parents, and Ginny was standing with Severus, who looked slightly tense when she took his hand in hers, until she squeezed reassuringly and he relaxed slightly.
Ro lead her over to a secluded alcove where no one could see them and wrapped her arms around her. Hermione pulled her closer and pressed her face to her shoulder. "Are you ok?" Ro asked. The brunette nodded. "Good, because right now I want nothing more than to snog you into oblivion, then take you away and show you the surprise I have set up for you."
Hermione looked up and smirked at her, "Let's start with that snog and then we will get to your surprise."
Rolanda groaned and wrapped her fingers in curly silk, dragging Hermione closer to her and attacking her mouth with lips, teeth and tongue, leaving no part of her mouth unexplored, while Hermione reacted in kind. Her nails dragged down Ro's back and her teeth sank into a full bottom lip. They battled for dominance finally pulling away when the need for oxygen became too much to handle.
Neither of them noticed the grey and black tabby, with tears running through her fur, turn and walk away from the alcove.