The Deathly Hallows | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book Seven)

34. The Aftermath

Y/N's POV

The aftermath of the war was mainly happy. However, the joy and happiness of Voldemort's demise had been diluted by the tragedy of the war.

Axel. He was a fallen soldier from the war. We honoured him by holding a small ceremony for him after his life was tragically ended by one of Voldemort's Death Eaters in the war. He had died a hero, he had died saving an innocent life.

The very few Death Eaters that remained either went into hiding or tried to start a new life - although it was difficult. They had spent years under Voldemort's rule and their beliefs were hard to alter.

I had found a broken Madison Whitmore after the war, sat before her dead parents - mourning their death. When I found her, I comforted her. I wanted her to change for the better, perhaps she wasn't inherently evil, she was just brought up in the wrong environment. After having a conversation with her, explaining to her the options she had, she was unwilling at first but eventually agreed to be placed under the care of Hogwarts.

Next it was Draco, he and his mother went and lived a quiet life, a life far away from all the Dark Arts they had been involved in. I would visit them from time to time and try to repair my relationship with Draco. It didn't take him long to forgive me, it seemed like he deep down resented his father for everything he put him through. After all, he was just a boy.

Nick spent the majority of the war seeking refuge at the Burrow - there was only so much he could do. After the war he was unofficially adopted by the Weasleys and continued living with them. There was no bad blood between the two of us regarding the Hermione situation, in a way he said he always knew she'd go back to me.

Issac continued Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes with George after a long period of the store being shut. The two would never fully be able to move on from the death of Fred but they tried to continue the store to honour his memory.

Then there was me. My relationship with Hermione was back but we were far from perfect together. I was still haunted by the memories of what I had done and I had been plagued with nightmares despite the war being over.

There were always the same memories being replayed in my head.

The intense training regime with Voldemort.

The murder of my father.

The events of the Wilson family.

The massacre at Malfoy Manor.

The library during the Battle of Hogwarts.

I would often get scenarios where Hermione would leave me because she had come to her senses and realised I was not good enough for her. I would also get scenarios that I would accidentally do something to hurt Hermione. In the day, I was fine but at night, everything reappeared. Almost every night I would wake up in a cold sweat next to Hermione, tears rolling down my face and my body shaking uncontrollably. Every night Hermione would do the same thing, she would wake up and she would sit me up. Then she would envelope me in her comforting arms and whisper words of reassurance. At first I would distance myself from her, but as time passed I realised she was there to stay.

It had been a difficult period of readjustment for me, there would be passers-by in the streets who would stare at me like I was the next Voldemort, I would get harassed by random people for something I couldn't control. Not everyone seemed to truly understand the role I was forced to play. To those who didn't understand, Harry Potter was their saviour and I was the villain.

I wished ever so desperately to be rid of the Dark Mark but it was impossible. It had faded over time after Voldemort's death and resembled a scar but I could never truly be rid of it. It was an ugly reminder of everything I had gone through.