Chapter 25 - Neutral and Sweet (Prompts)

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Harry stayed still as he stared at himself in the mirror. Just last year he had attended Dumbledore's funeral, and this year he had to attend so many that he could have easily lost count. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he should get another set of dark robes to wear for the funerals as a spare.

The incident that spurred on these thoughts was the image of his pale reflection. He stood still as he appraised the dark robes that hung loosely across his shoulders, wondering vaguely how he had not noticed that he had lost so much weight during the past year. He pulled against the thick material to try to make it look more acceptable on him, even as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. The neutral expression he had tried to perfect didn't hide how uncomfortable he felt at the prospect of attending a Memorial Service where nearly everyone would be expecting him to make a statement; and no doubt a meaningful one, at that.

But the truth was, he wasn't prepared to face the families of all those they had lost, let alone talk about what had happened during the Final Battle. It almost felt sacred, what had happened; like it was something that only those who were part of it could understand it fully while those who wanted details couldn't even begin to comprehend what they had been through. Vaguely, he wondered if this was what Moody and all the other members of the first Order of the Phoenix thought when Harry and the others had asked questions about the battle. To them, it had been a well-known historical incident; but Harry could appreciate how the silence or the minimum information given on the subject by those who had survived that first battle, proved that it meant a whole lot more.

Not for the first time, he focused on the scar on his forehead that his messy hair still refused to hide. His mind immediately concentrating on one thought: how old he was and what he and his friends had been through. And with each passing second, unknowingly, Harry was silently talking himself out of attending the Memorial Service. He wanted to pay his respects to those who had died, but he figured that he could easily do that with their own individual funerals instead of attending a mass gathering that was more an act of political propaganda than really honouring all those who fell.

He felt like a pawn in the Ministry's game and he just didn't like it.

"Ready?"

He looked up, his gaze meeting Hermione's through the mirror as she stood near the exit of his current bedroom. "Not really."

Her lips quirked slightly upwards as she made her way to him; her hands immediately straightening the robes he had no luck with doing just moments before. "I think you need new robes. Or you should eat more," she added as an afterthought.

Harry found himself too busy looking at her to respond. She was wearing something black, modest, and unequivocally Muggle.

Hermione followed his gaze before she dusted imaginary lint from her knee length dress. "Those who fought, fought for people like me." She looked up then, her eyes clouded in sadness. "I figured that it was the least I could do to show my appreciation."

He nodded silently, very much aware that the last thing he should be doing at a time like this was to think how attractive she looked with a Muggle dress that showed off her curves much better than a wizarding robe could have ever done.

"We should go before we get late," she whispered softly as she stepped unnecessarily close to adjust his collar, her fingers lightly brushing against the column of his neck. When she finally looked up, she smiled sweetly at him. "Shall we?"

Harry felt the sudden impulse to circle his arms around her and give her a comforting embrace; instead he opted to nod in agreement while he watched in dismay as she took a step back. The recent change in dynamic between him and Hermione left him feeling uneven footed. He didn't know where he stood or even if he felt comfortable doing certain things that he used to do around her all the time. But he did know that if it came right down to it, he wouldn't hesitate to do anything for her.

Silently, he nodded, allowing her to hold his arm as she led them out while all he could think was how much he didn't want to attend this service.

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