Lost in time

Hugs can't save the world

"Dennis?"

The sobs that wracked the boy's body subsided and the trembles that once claimed his body ceased to exist. His head lifted, his face blotchy and eyes filled with tears and a look of fear.

"Dennis? Dennis Creevey?" Hermione asked again, her eyes searching his face. She hadn't seen him since her sixth year at Hogwarts in 1996 and he had certainly matured in appearance, but a trace of the small boy who had adored Harry from a distance still lay beneath his features.

"It's Hermione." she stated, trying to draw away the look of confusion that claimed his face and in response, his eyes widened.

"Hermione....... I'm so glad I've found you." Dennis said, and with a small watery smile, tears began to leek from his eyes.

Hemione stepped forward, Dennis reaching her exact height easily despite the two-year age gap, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. More tears leaked from Dennis' eyes, just from the small gesture of welcome.

"Hermione.... He...." Dennis stuttered, his words incoherent over his sobs.

"Where's Harry, Dennis? Ronald? Ginny? Neville? Luna.... Colin?" Hermione asked, trying to find a name he would recognise as she searched his face for any trace of an answer. "Are they okay?"

"He's.... He's dead Hermione. Colin's dead...." Dennis muttered into Hermione's bushy mane of hair and at the confession, he completely collapsed into Hermione's arms to which she pulled him closer to her, tears beginning to form in her own eyes. Colin couldn't be dead. She wouldn't even deem it possible. He shouldn't have been in the battle in the first place. She thought of the last time she had properly seen the boy who always carried a camera around, worshipping the very ground that Harry had walked on. It had been at Platform 9 ¾ after her fifth year. Colin had bounded off the train, running up to a couple who were anxiously looking for their two sons. He had practically ambushed the two into a hug before rambling on about how he had helped Harry Potter that year. Hermione smiled at the memory. She hadn't seen him much since that day, she had seen him occasionally in the corridors or library but only a small smile or wave was communicated between the two. She bitterly regretted not spending more time with the boy.

Clutching onto each other seemed the only thing that was keeping the two there, keeping them both from curling up into balls right there and then and not moving until their dying breaths, keeping them both from sleeping and never waking up.

"What about everyone else? Are they okay?" Hermione muttered into his hair, still holding the young boy close, ignoring the confused that were sent her way from the marauders.

"Ron.... He's dead. After you left, he died, his last words were to tell me he loved you." Dennis muttered back, his voice laced with grief and breaking every now and then from the tears that were falling. Hermione let out a small gasp and she bit her lip in mental pain as silent tears flowed down her face.

"Luna and Neville...... I found them dead in the Great Hall. They were lay on beds, holding hands. Ginny's fine...... Plagued by grief and unhappy thoughts but she's alive. Last time I saw her, she was crying over Ron's body. Harry's alive too.... He's alive but he's not okay. He was sat on a bench, staring at everyone's bodies, not once blinking, not talking, just staring. Not even a tear fell." Dennis muttered and Hermione found herself collapsing to the floor, just by the words that were being spoken. She wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them close to her as sobs wracked through her body, preventing any movement or sound.

Sirius sat down at her side, staring at her pale face that was streaking with tears. He didn't know what she was going through but he wanted nothing more than to. Wanted nothing more than to take away her pain and bring it on himself but he knew it wasn't that easy. Nothing ever was.