Chapter 11: Everything is Spinning

A/N: Ok as I said, this is chapter 10 from Hermione's view. Thanks for sticking with me.

She hardly remembered anything after those comforting arms wrapped around her and made her feel safe. She didn't remember even giving the password to the portrait. The first thing she remembered was laying in bed with nothing but tears streaming down her face, the happy sunshine shining on her face. However, in her mind, there was nothing happy about the sun, everything about it was depressing, her father and mother loved the sun, but that no longer matter, they were both dead.

She didn't move from her bed for two days, in those two days, she refused to see anyone, to talk to anyone, she thought to tell Ron and Harry, but she didn't want to deal with their sympathies, or worse, Mrs. Weasley's words of "comfort."

The morning after coming back, there was a knock at the window. She uncovered her head and peered at the knock praying that it wasn't a Weasley bird. It wasn't, in fact, she didn't recognize it at all. She groaned and got out of bed and went to the window and for the first time, she noticed that the bird wasn't the only thing waiting for her; next to the bird sat a beautiful arrangement of deep red roses with small bunches of baby's breath for accents. Upon the arrangement sat a small card, she stood for a moment and just stared at the bunch. She was brought back to reality when the owl lightly tapped her hand. She didn't smile her generous smile as she usually would, instead she just pet it on the head and gave it a slice of pumpkin bread that her mother had sent with her before she left for Hogwarts. The bird took the gift with a hoot and flew into the distance.

After the bird flew off, she grabbed the delivery and brought it into her room. She set it on her bedside table and just stared at it for a few minutes, the note caught her eye again and she decided to read who they were from. Probably from the family, maybe someone who was there that night, she thought. She grabbed it and held it in between her forefingers and her thumbs and she finally turned it over the envelope and opened it. Inside was a medium sized piece of paper folded neatly; however the only thing she wasn't expecting was a small note written in red ink:

To my Hermione,

I am so sorry about last night's events, if I could have prevented your pain, I would have. You should know that your parents and I will find who did this and take the necessary measures to report it. Please Hermione, don't shut me out, I want to be there for you, please when you are ready come talk to me.

All of my love, your fiancé, Severus

Hermione was speechless, she wasn't upset about the thoughtfulness, and however she really wasn't in the mood for anyone or anything. She set the note down upon the table, and lay back down. She stayed like that for another few days.

She was out cold when the first knock came, it continued and she continued to ignore it. It eventually stopped, she sighed, but as soon as it ended, she heard footsteps coming through her dorm. Then there was a slight knock at the door leading to her bedroom.

"Go away," she said softly, thinking it was Severus.

However, the second she said it, she heard foot and "Miss Granger?" McGonagall.

"Please I don't want to be bothered at the moment Professor."

The footprints didn't stop, they got a bit louder and then there was a slight weight change at the foot of her bed. Before she could react, the sheets were pulled off of her and she sat up and glanced up at her favorite teacher's face.

"Hermione, what's going on?"

"Severus should have told you."

"No, actually he felt it would be better if it came from you. Will you please tell me?"

Hermione sat up and gathered herself slightly; she mumbled that the Grangers were dead under her breath and apparently Minerva couldn't hear it because she said, "What dear?" She mumbled it again and Professor McGonagall said "Miss Granger I am getting old and with that age, my hearing isn't what it used to be."

Here it comes she thought and in a split second the tears started to come and she yelled, "The Grangers are dead!" and with that, she broke down into a fit of tears.

"Do you know how?"

"They were killed by a Deatheater, I saw the dark mark over the house, MY HOUSE!" she said between sobs.

Suddenly for the second time for less than a week she felt two comforting hands wrap around her and she felt safe.

After a few hours, Hermione calmed and she sat there for moment in a comfort silence but then Minerva said that she was going to leave to go get Hermione a decent meal.

After her mentor left she sat there for a few moments before she was disturbed by another knock at the door. She stood to go answer it, before she opened the door she took a deep breath and then turned the handle. When she opened the door she saw two faces she wasn't expecting, her two best friends in the whole world were standing there looking concerned and uncertain. She took the initiative and ran into them hugging them as if they were going to die and once again she broke into sobs and then she felt two sets of arms wrap around her and that's how they stayed for a while. When she felt under control, she led the boys into the dorm room and Harry and Ron took the floor in front of the couch while Hermione sat in between them on the couch.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We got a letter from McGonagall saying that we should get here ASAP." Harry said.

"We were concerned." Ron said. "Do you want to tell us what is going on?"

She smirked in attempt to smile and said, "I don't know if you will believe me." She looked at the boys for any response, but there wasn't one, they just looked at her, so she continued, "Well let me just start with this," she paused, "The Grangers are gone, gone as in.. *hem* dead." She didn't sob but tears did run down her face and the boys laid comforting hands on hers, it had taken almost seven years but they finally learned when to stay quiet. They sat like that for a while in complete silence for quite a while and then Ron and Harry asked her if it was ok to talk about something that might make her happy, when she nodded they continued. In fact all they did was catch up; they never wrote her so there was a lot to say. When Ron got to his visit with Fred and George and his work at their store, Hermione smiled and actually laughed for the first time since the incident. Right in the middle of Ron's hilarious story, Professor McGonagall walked in with some delicious smelling food.

"Well Miss Granger, I am glad that your friends could make you laugh, it's good to hear." Hermione smiled and said "Thank you Professor."

Once again, after the transfiguration master left, the trio once again continued with catching up, however this time Ron said, "Harry mate, can I ask her now or would you feel awkward?"

"No Ron you go right on ahead, you let me ask Ginny officially."

"Wait, Harry, you and Ginny Really?" She was flabbergasted.

"Yeah I asked her after Ron did his annual kidnapping." They all laughed at that.

"I am very happy for you both. Ron what is it you wanted to ask me?"

His gaze left hers for the floor and then returned when he began to speak, "Hermione I am really sorry this probably isn't the best time but I was wondering something. Um, would you be my girlfriend?"

She was stunned into silence; she didn't know what to say. "Well I guess that answers that question" Ron said, genuinely hurt.

"Ron, please don't take this the wrong way, I would love to be your girlfriend." Ron looked up beaming. "I just can't."

"Can't or won't" Harry asked.

"Can't, there is something that I didn't tell you from my summer."

Both boys looked at each other anticipating the worst.

Hermione took at deep breath and gave them the full story, except for who her parents actually were and who she was supposed to marry. From the search to the results of the tests to the night that she walked out on her family because of the Grangers' death; now it was the boys turn to be stunned. There was nothing to say they knew just about everything from this summer. Harry returned first, "So are you going to tell us who you are to marry? Ron and I need to approve first."

"Well you all don't have to meet him, you know him and you don't like him anyway so why waste your breath."

Now Ron had returned, "Bloody Hell, You Have To Marry Malfoy! I am going to KILL HIM."

"No, no it's not Malfoy, we are related though; no my fiancé is here at the school now."

The boys stood there and thought for a moment, most likely the most thinking that they would do all year, and a light bulb went off in Harry's head, "Oh my lord, you have to marry SNAPE?!"

"What, that greasy git? No, no, NO, I will not allow it." Ron shouted.

"We don't have much of a choice, this is to keep my parents alive, please just accept that this is how it has to be." It took a moment but the boys finally agreed with a nod and they began to chow down. When the plate was empty, they all sat down in silence.

"When is the wedding?" Ron asked.

"August 28th"

"So in five weeks?"

"Yep."