Hey everyone! I was not planning on getting this in tonight, it is late in my neck of the world, but I couldn't help but get caught up in the writing. So tell me what you think please!

~Isis

~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 3 Harry and Hermione ~~~~~

Xeno had run from the house the moment his daughter and her black haired friend appeared on the lawn. He took in her blood soaked arm in one sweep before pulling out his wand and starting the healing process.

In the time it took him to reach Luna two more people appeared beside her. Xeno recognized one of them as Neville Longbottom, his daughters love interest. The other one looked vaguely like Hermione.

Xena patched Lunas arm quickly before taking in the other three.

"Anyone else hurt?" He asked his eyes serious.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Hermione, Harry and Dan should be coming shortly." Luna answered looking into the sky.

A few people shivered and Dan shook his head sadly his wife still holding onto his hand in a painful grip while his daughter kneeled eyes still transfixed on the screen.

Everyone waiting in silence for a few moments, nervous looks passed between them all.

Suddenly Luna screamed clutching her head. Everyone jumped in surprise, Neville and Xeno taking a step towards her.

Everyone in the hall jumped in surprise at the sudden sound, eyes bulging in surprise.

Her groan of "Hermione" was met with a thud as two more bodies appeared in the grass.

Everyone froze as the panfulled cried reached their ears.

Winces went around the hall as the anguish consumed their earbuds once again.

It had taken three hours for the Order of the Phoenix to contact the palace with a report. The Aurors had just finished processing the scene. Three were dead. Theodore Nott Sr., who the group guessed was the unknown death eater, Lucius Malfoy, this name surprised some in the group, and Dan Granger.

"Three hours!" Dumbledore gasped completely shocked at the length of time it took to check in on the victims.

Theodore shook his head sadly wincing at the name of his father, he had known who it was the moment he had seen him, but to have everyone know now was a little nerve racking.

Hermione and Emma clung to each other as silent tears fell down their face. They had been in morning three hours now and had lost their voices.

Harry stood behind the pair on the couch fighting with his grief while trying his best to comfort them.

Neville has a tearful Luna in his arms on the floor in front of Hermione and Emma. Ever since the bond had formed, Luna had been a permanent fixture in the Granger house. With Xeno often off exploring the world Luna had stayed over many times, getting very close to the family. She saw Dan and Emma as second parents, the loss hurt her as much as the other two. Sirius was back in his dog form sitting with his head on Emmas lap.

"I can see that." Neville muttered while Harry nodded in agreement.

Xeno stood with his head in the green fire, yelling at whoever was on the other side. Right now no one cared to guess.

After another few heated words Xeno pulled his head out of the fire and sighed in frustration.

"They want your side of the story." He said in anger. "They are on their way and will not take no for an answer."

The group looked at him, all showing different emotions.

"They can't wait!" Harry said angrily while starting to pace.

a few snorts rang out throughout the hall at that, in most opinions, silly question.

Xeno shook his head. "They don't want to give you time to match up your stories apparently." Frustration and astonishment laced his words. "Its not like it has been three hours."

Everyone grew silent after that, waiting for the aurors to get there.

"Really." Bill muttered. "If they wanted to collaborate their storied they would have done so during the first hours!"

Molly gave her son a piercing look for his cheek but he neither noticed nor cared.

Christmas was a silent affair with the group still in mourning. Because of the disaster Xeno and Mrs. Longbottom had been brought in on the secret. Mrs. Longbottom took a little bit of convincing, and a bit of veritaserum, to agree to Sirius's story. Once everyone was brought up to speed it was decided that it would be better to put up a united front.

"United is better." Someone quipped happily, though with everyone's eyes on the screen no one took a notice of who.

Xeno opened his home to Emma and Sirius to stay until they could find their own place, "It is a Palace after all." his final words convincing them to stay.

The kids were going to stay until the end of christmas break, Lady longbottom being able to join them whenever.

As Sirius was Emma's dog, per the tale told to the aurors, they shared a little two bedroom suite in the guest wing. Hermione and Harry shared a suite beside them. Luna shared her suite with Neville in the main wing.

Dan glared at Harry, Sirius and Neville in turn. His wife, daughter and bond daughter were in their hands.

The boys, and Sirius shrunk back under his glare.

Luna giggled, Hermione, now out of her trance and in her fathers arms rolled her eyes while Emma looked at Sirius thoughtfully before turning back to her husband.

Christmas and then new years past by in a blur to the group. No one wanted to celebrate too much with a loss of life so fresh. Everyone blamed themselves for one thing or another.

The day before they were due back to Hogwarts saw a real breakthrough in the group though.

Emma was sitting beside the pond in an enchanted meadow. This meadow was special in its enchantments, no matter the weather the meadow was sunny warm and had a soft lilac breeze wafting through the tall grass. It also think about their emotions and speak about them to a person they trusted.

"Hmmm." Never said thoughtfully. "That would be very nice to have around the palace."

Hermione looked at Luna and agreed. It would be useful, scary, but useful.

Sirius jogged over to Emma tail and head low.

Emma smiled sadly at him. "It is always easier to talk to you in this form." she stated with a light pet on his head.

"Lilly used to say the same thing." Sirius said with a small smile. "I couldn't replay with stupid words while in dog form."

Remus nodded "Yes you were always easier to take seriously when you were not Sirius."

Sirius looked at Remus scathingly "No. Just no."

Sirius lay beside her, placing his head in her lap as she continued to run a gentle hand over his soft fur.

"You had better not do it with my mom Sirius!" Hermione hissed. "Especially when my father just died!"

Sirius looked between her and Dan. Fearfully he held up his hands. "It... I... Comfort! Thats all!" he stuttered to Emmas delight.

"I just don't know what to do anymore." she whispered after a few moments of silence. "Dan and I always talked about what the other would do if the unthinkable happened."

Sirius whined as a few tears ran down her pale cheeks.

"We always said the other would move on. Find someone to keep going with. To love. But it is not that simple." she laid back in the grass watching the fluffy animal shaped clouds float slowly by.

"Oh a bunny!" Luna shrieked happily.

Hermione just looked at her and smiled with a small shake of her head.

"He always said if he passed he wanted me to mourn for exactly two weeks." she giggled in sadness. It was either that or to sob. "Like you could schedule something like that."

Sirius moved to lay beside her and she turned to her side petting him once again.

Dan and Emma nodded to Hermione's unvoiced question.

"Its always good to have this talk dear." Emma said gently.

Hermione nodded her head chancing a quick glance at Harry. He was watching her intently causing her to blush.

"But that's what I have found myself doing. It has been two weeks today you know that." she whispered. "Hermione wouldn't understand she would think I am betraying him with trying to move on." she sighed and closed her eyes.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, understanding the logic and chose not to comment on the comment to the relief of her mother.

Sirius just watched her as she spoke the words she needed.

"I love him. I always will. I may never fall in love again though. I will not activity go looking for someone. But I will embrace love if it is gifted to me again." she decided with a kiss to his muzzle. " we should get heading back I am sure its getting late."

Emma gracefully rose and the two made their way back to the palace. One heart was decidedly lighter while the other was thumping erratically.

Sirius shifted in his seat uncomfortably. A blind person could see were this was leading. He was just happy that nothing other than talking had happened in that meadow.

Hermione lay in the guest tub letting the water swirl around her as she contemplated the last two weeks. The bubbles tickled as they broke across her neck.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry's voice rose from the door.

Hermione turned around in the tub to look at him. "Why don't you come join me and we can talk about it."

Draco shook his head at the luck of the Bastard. A swirling tub and a pretty girl. Though he would deny that last thought to the end of the world.

Harry nodded noticing the small smile on the corners of her lips. It was the most he had gotten since that fateful night.

"I love you harry." Hermione's broken voice whispered as she leaned against Harry's chest.

"I love you Hermione." Harry whispered with a kiss to the top of her head.

"This had been hard for me and you have been here for me the entire time. Thank you . I don't know what I would do without you." she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on his shoulder.

A few people nodded their heads while Dan gave Harry a rather harsh look, that was his little girl after all.

"I blame myself you know." she said after a moment of silence. "if I was even just a tiny bit better. More prepared this would have never happened." she shook her head trying to rid the tears. "if I had thought about wards, thought about their safety sooner, Mom would still have the man she loves. I would still have my father."

Dan and Emma shot Hermione a look that said they would have a long talk with her as soon as they were able to.

Harry stayed silent as she talked, knowing that no matter what he said, she would not notice until she had gotten her thoughts off her chest.

"Its been two weeks and I miss him dearly but at the same time I know I have to start celebrating his life instead of mourning his death. If that makes any sense. He always told me that if he passed from this world he hoped I would celebrate the life he had and the new adventure he was now on. He would miss me dearly but would always be watching over me. Still offering guidance whenever he could." Hermione smiled as she remembered the talk with her father. "He said that his gram once told him that every time it rained it was our loved ones crying to let us know they are still watching us. Still love us."

Dumbledore smiled, never having heard this before. He had always wondered why rain was so healing. Now he knew. The power of love really was a powerful thing.

She was silent for several moments when Harry finally spoke.

"I blame myself." at Hermiones gasp he closed a hand over her mouth. "No listen." he removed his hand at her nod of her head.

"If I wasn't the boy who lived. The one the death eaters are after this would have never had happened to you. You and your family would be celebrating your last night together instead of in mourning. If I was just a little better I could have beaten Bella, could have seen where her wand was pointing." he shook his head bringing his mind away from those last scenes.

"Wow Harry, that was long and confusing." Ron said to the disgust of others at his emotional range.

"We all made mistakes that day Mione but it wasn't us who killed him. We are kids fighting in an adults war. Those were grown death eaters at least 20 years older than us. It was not our wands pointed at Dan. It was a crazy bitch who wanted to break you." Harry's voice hardened, emotion filling every word.

"Your father would only blame Bella and the adults who were supposed to protect us, the same ones that let us, no forced us to fight an insane war that should have never happened. He would want us to remember him as how he was not that he was gone." Harry finished his chest heaving.

Dan nodded in respect to Harry. Hermione smiled at him happily while a few adults around the room looked down in shame. What Harry said was the truth, it was the Adults war and they were letting children fight.

Hermione stared at him for several moments, having turned around in the middle of his passion words. She could see the truth in them, the love. Her mind finally moved passed the numbing grief of losing her loving father. The pain was still there but it wasn't all consuming.

"Make love to me Harry." she whispered.

Harry looked into her eyes finding her emotional health to be returning to normal. He closed the distance bringing his lips tenderly to hers.

The two gently rocked together eyes locked on one another. Water splashed over the tub but neither noticed or cared, to intent on the deep love in the eyes of their partners to do anything about it.

Dan glared his father glare at Harry, all respect gone from his eyes as he watched his baby girl in the arms of the boy.

Neville and Luna laid in bed wrapped each others arms, sweaty from the passionate love making they had only just finished.

"I am sorry." Neville whispered running his fingers softly over the raised scar on Luna's arm.

"Its okay Nev, dad fixed it right up." Luna smiled giving him a small kiss on his forhead.

"I still feel bad." he mumbled.

"You should have feel bad." Luna said seriously " that was a really bad mistake."

Several people gasped at her unforgiving nature while a few others noticed what she was doing.

Neville looked at her with a mixture of emotions on his face. Shock, sadness and fear.

Luna smiled running her hand over his cheek softly. "But not anymore. I forgave you, dad forgave you and there is nothing else to be done." she laid back down bringing him with her taking care to lay his head on her chest.

"We are at war, scars are a given." She shrugged.

"Yes but not ones I have given you." He mumbled dejectedly .

"Would you like me to give you a matching one?" Luna answered running her fingers through his hair.

Neville and Harry looked at her in fear, though the fear slowly turned to realization as they saw Hermione's smile.

Neville stiffened and look at her questioningly. "I get it." he said after a few moments.

Luna just smiled and shut her eyes soon drifting off to sleep. Neville took in her beautiful face a few moments longer before succumbing to sleep himself.

I hope you all notices your errors in this scene of forgiveness. Not every error is as easy to spot as the first ones were. We will be skipping ahead a few months, there are still many more mistakes to learn before you are free to fix your diminishing realm.

~~~~~ End Chapter ~~~

So can you guys find the mistakes that Amun was hinting at?

~Isis