Fait à la Perfection

6

Of all the ways Hermione dreamt of seeing Harry again. Seeing him in a casket never made the cut.

Since the Weasleys wanted nothing to do with it. She had also had to claim their bodies and plan their funeral.

Hermione held the hands of Henry and James. Lily stayed home with the sitter and right now Hermione was thankful for that.

James wasn't crying but Henry was.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione looked away from the casket.

"Would you like to say something?"

What could she say? She didn't know Harry anymore. They stopped talking eight years ago when she left.

They led two different lives.

She shook her head. Henry nudged her hand and she knelt down. Picking up the young boy. He cried into her shoulder.

The funeral ended and everyone began making their way to her house. She knew in that moment she needed a minute.

"Granger?" Malfoy asked.

Hermione looked at him.

"Malfoy," she whispered, "I-I can't...I can't go home right now...I need to go to the restaurant..."

"But Hermione, we did all the catering," Nicolette said.

"I know...it had nothing to do with the food...I just...I just need a minute."

"Do you want me to take them?" Malfoy asked softly. Hermione nodded. She didn't care what her colleagues were going to say as she handed a crying Henry and an emotionless James to Malfoy. Right now she needed to take her mind off of everything.

She reached the restaurant and entered the empty kitchen. Walking to her station and began making some Canelés de Bordeaux.

Take something bad, and make it into something delicious.

Hermione worked even though her mind wouldn't stop. Her eyes burned with restrained tears and her clenched jaw began to hurt.

"How could do this Hermione?! Why would you do this to me?"

Whisking the beginning of the wet ingredients together.

"Im not doing this to you! I'm doing this for me! I can't be here anymore Harry!"

"So you're running! Hermione what about everyone?! We need you!"

"I need myself too Harry! Im losing my mind the longer I stay here!"

"Why are you so selfish?!"

Hermione added in the eggs, egg yokes and sugar.

"Harry! I haven't given up nine years of my life for the Wizarding world! For you! I just—I cant do it anymore!"

"Bur youre Hermione Granger! The trio needs to be together! Defending the world against evil!"

"YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!" Hermione screamed, "I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE!"

"SO YOURE RUNNING AWAY?! THAT'S VERY BRAVE OF YOU!"

"I DON'T WANT TO BE BRAVE ANYMORE! I DON'T WANT TO BE KNOWN AS THE HERMIONE GRANGER! A THIRD OF THE GOLDEN TRIO! I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BREATHE WITHOUT HAVING SOMEONE SHOVING A CAMERA, NOTRBOOK OR CAMPAIGN IN MY FACE!"

"WELL THAT'S TOO DAMN BAD HERMIONE BECAUSE THAT IS WHO YOU ARE! EVERYONE RELIES ON YOU!"

This was going nowhere. Harry was being stubborn and stupid. Not listening to her and what she needed. She needed to go.

She couldn't be here anymore.

With everything...all that she has ever wanted has been torn away from her. Any chances of her having a family of her own was gone.

She couldn't stay in a place where she had a constant reminder of what she lost.

"I'm leaving!" Hermione yelled with finality, "I'm leaving and you can't change my mind!"

"I'd you leave me Hermione, you'll be dead to me, it'll be like you never existed in the first place!"

Hermione went silent. Harry breathed heavily as he glared at her.

"Did I mean that little to you?" Hermione asked, her voice cracking slightly, "did I not mean enough to you to be remembered? Did you only keep me around to hold your hand and say the right thing when you needed it? I was always there for you Harry! Always! And the one time I need you..."

He looked away and she exhaled sharply.

"Fine, "she whispered, "I'm dead to you."

"Fine," he spat, "don't ever try to come back, don't ever try to contact me or my family, you're gone, you're dead, you're nobody."

Hermione felt her heart shattering in her chest.

She took a deep breath and grabbed her coat.

"Goodbye harry," she whispered before apperating.

And that was the last time she saw Harry.

Hermione let out a sob. Collapsing to the floor as she cried bitterly.

She had been so angry that day. She was still every angry. But now knowing that she would never have the opportunity to talk to Harry, that anger began to turn into guilt.

Maybe she had been selfish leaving him. It had been two years after the war and everyone was dealing with it their own way. Maybe she should have stayed and helped him cope.

But she also needed help and no one wanted to accept that. No one wanted to see her falling apart.

"Hermione?"

Another sob broke out as Nicolette and Francessco entered. They knelt beside her as she cried.

"I-I-I should have stayed," she cried, "m-m-maybe I could have saved t-t-them."

"Oh Hermione," Nicolette sighed taking her into her arms, "there was nothing you could have done, it's in the past now."

Hermione wept painfully as her friends consoled her.

Eventually they managed to help her up. The batter was in the refrigerator and there was nothing else for her to there. They helped her out of the restaurant and into her car. Nicolette got into the drivers seat and they drove silent back to her house.

She entered and everyone was cleaning up. Hermione found James, Henry and Lily huddled together. Andromeda was there with Teddy and she instantly went up to the witch.

"Oh Hermione," Andromeda whispered. Taking her in her arms and Hermione hugged her tightly.

No one would ever know the feeling of having someone who knows what she's going through. Everyone in her house only knew what she wanted them to know. And besides Andromeda; only Malfoy knew about her past.

She eventually got to James, Henry and Lily. She took Lily and sat down. Henry crawled beside her and buried himself beside her. Hermione looked at James.

"James," she whispered. He got up and ran up the stairs. Hermione looked at Grace who took the baby. She went up his room and entered. He was on the bed circled up and crying softly.

"James," she whispered.

She sat beside him. Slowly laying down as he cried. She didn't say anything, just stayed there with him so that he knew one way or another thay he wasn't alone.