Survivor

Chapter 14 - Cashing In All Her Chips.

Once again paying more attention to this than my degree! I found this hard to write. I always find that when I'm reading war-time fics, I get bored and skip through the fighting.

Anyone who had the misfortune of reading this before it was edited. I'm so sorry. I very clearly didn't proof read prior to publication. 

It is that said some moments in life are unforgettable. Your first kiss, your wedding day, the birth of your first child ect. Hermione would forever remember the day the war began. Regardless of her feelings towards the matter, her memories would haunt her in the daylight and in the darkness for years to come. 

When The Order walked through the opened portrait on the wall of The Room of Requirement Hermione felt a little excited. She looked around at her most trusted friends and felt empowered. She had never been prouder of her peers. After seeing everything they had fought towards and accomplished in the run up to the war, she was sure that their efforts would end in success. 

Realistically, Hermione also felt a great deal anxious. Everything suddenly felt very real. Blood would be shed that evening, and when the sun rose over the grounds of Hogwarts the following morning, it was unlikely to be a pretty sight. She wondered how many of her smiling comrade's bodies she would be burying following the battle. Hermione dared speculate whether she herself, would be lucky enough to escape expiry. 

Gathered in The Room of Requirement were 50 or so students, joined by the entire Weasley clan (with the exception of Percy.) Clinging to Oldest son Bill was his new wife Fleur, The newest addition to the brood. Kingsley stood tall, stoic and calm as always. Remus smiled as he acknowledged his former students, he was clearly happy to have returned to the school. Hermione was reminded that he was the only member of the Marauder's remaining, if one was to exclude the rat who deserved to be Crookshanks's next meal. There were people Hermione had never met before, along with faces she recognized but names she could no longer recall.  

There was a mixture of confusion and acknowledgment around the room, and Hermione longed to escape from its stuffy confinement. She looked on at the Weasley's from a distance. She knew exactly what was to coming, she simply braced for impact. 

"Merlin bless my eyes, Hermione dear, is that you?" Molly screamed, waddling over with open arms.

As soon as one pair of arms let her go, another pair trapped her again, stopping Hermione from running away and hiding in the nearest alcove. With the evening she had had, Hermione wished to postpone the oncoming apocalypse for at-least 8 hours so that she could settle her emotions and get some sleep.

"What on Earth happened? We heard you were dead." Molly had a look of anger on her face, that she had very clearly tried to warp into concern. Hermione wasn't fooled.

"I shall repeat it once and only once. And no questions!" Hermione informed Molly, Remus and Kingsley. The others having decided to mind their own business.

As though she was reciting a poem, Hermione stood in front of her audience and relived her tale. She was emotionless and deliberately kept some of the details vague. She watched the emotions on Molly's face turn from shock to anger to pity. Remus had his fists clenched at his sides and kinglsey looked concerned. 

When Hermione had finished, an incrediblky awkward silence hung between the four. Molly, who looked inches from tears, enveloped Hermione into a warm hug and cradled her. Sympathy was not something the young witch had asked for, but even Hermione had to admit that it felt good. Perhaps in these frigid times, one needed personal contact to make them feel better.

Kingsley cleared his throat. "If anything we have more of a reason to fight, now." He said. He placed a large hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Indeed." agreed Remus, looking paler than usual.