Harry Potter- The New Prophecy

More Returns

A couple weeks had passed since the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Granger, and Hermione wasn't doing well at all. The once bright, happy, and levelheaded witch that they knew and loved now spent most of her time up in her room at Grimmauld Place, refusing to get up to shower, eat, or even take care of her two young children, whom she loved more than anything. Grief had consumed every aspect of her life, leaving a void in her heart that left her feeling empty. Their deaths had broken Hermione in a way that Ron and Harry weren't sure they could fix, though this didn't stop them from trying.

Ron spent any free time he had by his wife's side, holding her close and attempting to get her to eat. He would talk about the children and how much they missed her, along with anything good going on in the world, but her eyes remained dull and glassy. Although he did his best to be understanding, he had no idea what his wife was going through. Both his parents were alive. The only loved one he had lost was Fred, and he had returned. He could sympathize with her, but he couldn't put himself in her shoes.

Harry, on the other hand, knew all too well the feeling of loss. He had lost many people he cared about over the course of his life, and he knew the feeling of emptiness that went with it. He could understand Hermione in a way that Ron couldn't, having lost his own parents and Sirius, who had been like a father to him. But Sirius had returned, and although he still didn't have parents, they had died before he got the chance to know them. He was used to life without parents, but Hermione wasn't. And although he remembered how badly it hurt to lose his godfather, he imagined Hermione's pain was worse. He had only spent a short time with Sirius. Hermione had a lifetime full of memories with her parents.

Harry thought back to the weeks following Sirius's death and how Hermione had been there for him. He remembered the late-night talks in the common room and the words of wisdom. Ron, Neville, and Luna had tried to be there for him as well, of course, but it was Hermione who had brought him out of his depression. Even after the school year ended and he was forced to return to a home that was never his own, Hermione continued to write to him. She had helped him, and it hurt Harry that he couldn't do the same for her now. He spent many evenings trying to get his friend to open up and to talk about her feelings the way she got him to, but his attempts were futile.

Then there was Tonks, who tried to use jokes to brighten Hermione's mood, and Molly, who would floo over every other day with a basket of baked goods that Hermione never touched. Remus, who offered to be there to listen if she needed someone to talk to, and Sirius, who constantly asked if there was anything he could do to help. Ginny had even tried pulling her out of bed and dragging her downstairs, but all Hermione did was sit on the couch and stare off into space. They tried to give her time, but they were all worried about her.

"How's Hermione?" Harry asked Ron, who had just entered the kitchen. The dark circles under his eyes told Harry all he needed to know. He hadn't slept well again.

Ron took a seat across from Harry and sighed. "I'm really worried about her, mate. I've never seen her look so..." he trailed off, leaving Harry to guess what he was going to say. Broken? Lost? Devastated? All of the above?

"I know." Harry sighed. It was all he could think to say.

They sat in silence for a while before the kitchen door opened, and Remus walked in, followed by Tonks, the latter of whom had a huge smile on her face. "Wotcher!" She greeted them. "I come with letters from Teddy."

Harry took the envelope she offered him, which had his name written in the middle in Teddy's neat handwriting.

"Remus and I already opened ours. It sounds like he's having a great time at Hogwarts."

Harry smiled as he tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter. "I bet he is."

"What does it say?" Tonks asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.