Harry Potter: The Forgotten Chronicles- Book 7

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Hermione stood by the tree, her hands trembling as she carefully wrapped a scarf around one of the branches. It was a silent, final plea—a beacon of hope that Ron might see it and come back. Harry and Evelyn watched from a short distance, their hearts heavy as they witnessed Hermione's quiet act of desperation. When she finished, Hermione turned toward them, her eyes swollen and red from hours of crying. She clutched her purse tightly against her chest, the weight of the locket around her neck pulling her shoulders down. For a moment, she hesitated, glancing back at the tree, her last connection to Ron.

With a deep breath, Hermione walked over to where Evelyn and Harry stood, her steps slow and uncertain. She extended her hands to them, and they took them gently, their fingers curling around hers in silent support. Together, they disapparated, the world around them dissolving in a rush of wind.

They reappeared on a windswept cliffside, the landscape desolate and cold. The moment their hands parted, Hermione stumbled away from them, her body wracked with sobs as she buried her face in her hands. Harry glanced at her, his face etched with worry and helplessness, before turning away. He drew his wand and began pacing in a wide circle, muttering protective enchantments under his breath.

"Salvio Hexia... Protego Totalum..." Harry's voice was soft, focused on the task at hand, but his concern for Hermione was palpable in the tension that gripped his shoulders.

Evelyn watched Hermione for a moment, her heart aching at the sight of her friend in so much pain. She approached slowly, her own emotions raw from everything that had happened. Evelyn searched desperately for the words that could help Hermione. Still, she couldn't bear to see Hermione like this.

"Hermione..." Evelyn's voice was gentle as she knelt beside her. She placed a hand on Hermione's back, rubbing slow, comforting circles. "I'm so sorry. I know how much this hurts."

Hermione's sobs quieted slightly, but tears still streamed down her face as she looked up at Evelyn, her expression filled with a deep, agonizing sadness. "I thought he'd come back... I really did. But he's gone, and I don't know if he'll ever—" Her voice broke off, a fresh wave of tears spilling over.

Evelyn pulled Hermione into a tight embrace, holding her as if to shield her from the world's cruelty. "I know," she whispered. "It feels like your heart's been ripped out, like you're empty without him. And no matter what you do, nothing seems to make it better." Evelyn said honestly.

Hermione nodded against Evelyn's shoulder, her fingers gripping the fabric of Evelyn's sweater. "How do you do it?" she choked out. "How do you keep going when everything feels so hopeless?"

Evelyn hesitated for a moment, her thoughts turning to Draco. The ache in her chest was a familiar one, a constant reminder of the distance between them and the uncertainty of their future. She sighed, brushing a strand of Hermione's hair away from her tear-streaked face.

"It's not easy," Evelyn admitted, her voice tinged with her own sorrow. "I miss Draco every day, more than I can put into words. But I try to focus on the hope that he's still out there, and we'll be together again, that somehow, we'll make it through this. It's the only thing that keeps me going."

Hermione pulled back slightly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "But what if... what if he doesn't come back? What if we never see them again?"

Evelyn's heart clenched at the thought, but she forced herself to stay strong for Hermione. "We can't think like that. We have to believe that they'll come back to us. It's the hope that keeps us fighting, that gives us the strength to face another day. We owe it to them to keep going, to keep believing."