A/N:- hey guys, here is the next chapter! I didnt really like it that much, but I felt that the story need some progression, and other characters in it - Thanks for the idea Clichesbullet, other characters didnt really enter my head until you suggested it. I hope you like this chapter and please keep your reviews comming, as I have mentioned before I am prone to writer's block. Ideas are always helpful, this is as much as your story as well as mine.
love you guys!
Amy!
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Disclaimer:- I do not own Harry Potter!

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The next morning Hermione woke early, whether is was due to the fact that she was squished in a bed with both Harry and Ron or whether the sun was shining brightly through the window she didn't know. Looking at the watch that was still strapped to Harry's wrist she saw that it was five minutes past six. Struggling to get out of the bed, trying not to wake the boys she grabbed her beaded bag, which still had all their clothes in from the Horcrux Hunt, which currently lie on Neville's bed and head for the bathroom.

Once showered and dressed she headed back into the dormitory planning to make her way down to the Common Room, checking on her way that all was calm with the Weasley's. However she altered her plan when she saw that Ron had woken up and was staring tiredly around the room.

"Hey"

"Hi" she answered breathlessly.

"I'm going to grab a shower, and then do you want to take a walk? I could do with some fresh air"

"Okay, sounds good, I'll write a note for Harry and then he can pass the message along to everyone else. I don't expect that anyone else will be up yet." This she knew to be true; she found that all of the Weasley boys and Ginny tended to stay in their own rooms, whether they were actually sleeping or not she didn't know. Mr and Mrs Weasley tended to be up in the middle of the night checking on their remaining children, in the morning however they didn't usually emerge from their room until after ten o'clock, both with puffy, red eyes that stated clearly that they had been crying, placing fake smiles for the children, who saw straight through them but stayed quiet.

Ten minutes later Ron and Hermione found themselves walking down towards the lake, and sitting down with their backs again a tree looking over the water, Ron had his arm place around Hermione waist.

"Hermione, are you alright? I feel like I haven't had a chance to check on you, been a bit wrapped up in my own feelings."

"I'm fine. Honestly, just been thinking and worrying, about you and Harry, my parents, wondering how to get them back, will they want me back after they find out what I did to them and being here, at the moment it doesn't really feel like Hogwarts."

"I know what you mean, in a way I want to go home but in other way I never want to go The Burrow again."

They sat there a little while longer, watching the Giant Squid raise its tentacles out of the water catching the early rays of the sun. They didn't realise that three people had joined them until one of them broke the silence.

"Hey guys, I see the Squid is making the most of the sun" it was Neville, sitting beside Luna along with Harry.

"How you doing Neville" Hermione wasn't sure whether the question was rhetorical nor not, he had several new gashes on his face, as well as his arms, along with the still fresh bruises and other abrasions he had suffered from his year with the Carrows'

"Oh, I am alright, don't worry about the cuts, I am used to them, they will fade eventually."

"What about you Luna?"

"Oh I am okay, my father was released yesterday night, he is on his way to the school now, so I am more than okay" she continued on about how her father promised to take her on a trip to find Nargles in their natural habitat, which for some strange reason was heaven to Hermione ears, this is what they had been fighting for, freedom, they fought so Luna could go searching for mysterious, non-existent creatures, the people could be freed from the terror in which they lived, her father was free, Neville's parents who fought and that fight resulting in their inhibition in St. Mungo's, Lily, James, Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Snape, Fred, Colin, Dumbledore and everyone who lost their life in this war, muggle or wizard was worth it in the end, they didn't die in vain after all. Although it came at a lost, the amount of lives lost, the amount of pain the living who had lost were feeling, but she knew that would soon numb. Their children could live in a free world; they won't have to grow up to quickly fighting evil, just like she, Harry and Ron had done. Suddenly she felt a weight lift of her shoulders. Everything was going to be fine.

"So Neville, where have you been staying?"

"First of all it was in The Great Hall, once all the celebrations had calmed down and since then in Ravenclaw Tower. At the moment houses don't really matter and most of the Gryffindor's have been staying there, like Dean and Seamus along with a few Ravenclaw's. I am going home in few days though."

"Isn't Hogwarts going to have any kind of memorial?"

"They were thinking about it, but seeing as most of the students have left, they didn't really see any point, I heard McGonagall discussing it with the other teachers, they are planning to hold one on next year on May 2nd." This time it was Harry who spoke.

"I suppose it's a good idea. There is going to be too many funerals held in a few weeks. I don't think I could handle them and a memorial" the minute Hermione said the words she wished she hadn't, out of the corner of the eye she saw Ron's face harden, a different reaction from the one she saw yesterday. She grabbed his free hand with hers but got no reaction from him, he continued to stare straight ahead, across the water.

"I am sorry about your brother Ron" this time it was Luna, all he could was give a sharp nod to let her know he acknowledged her sympathy. He could break that barrier now he was in company.

They sat there until lunch time, when a very irritable Ginny came down and told them that Mrs Weasley had got them some food and told them to return to Gryffindor Tower. They made their way into the Entrance Hall where they invited Luna and Neville to the Tower.

"I think we will leave it for today, hopefully we can catch up before we all go home?"

"Sounds good, we can get Seamus and Dean to meet us with us too"

Saying their goodbyes, Luna and Neville parted ways with the trio, who made their way back up to Gryffindor tower. Ron who was still staring blankly a head of him didn't release where he was until he heard his mother announce:

"We are going home in two days, in five days we are going to have the…… the funeral."