One More Year

Chapter Four

Hermione held her cup of tea tightly in her hands while staring at the floor. The tea was cold. There were seventy-eight tiles on the floor of this room. Hermione had counted them at least ten times since her parents were admitted to St. Mungo's a week ago. She had spent the majority of the last week in this waiting room, sometimes alone sometimes with people. It didn't matter to her though whether she was alone or not. She wanted to be alone, she wanted to be punished for doing this to her parents. Ever since Voldemort was vanquished, life had been nothing but turbulent. Between mourning for all the dead, attending funerals, having to provide testimony about where she had been and what she had seen and all the while watching Harry and Ron suffer as much as she had. The only thing she held on to during this time was the hope of finding her parents, restoring their memories and finally reuniting with them.

For the past year Hermione had spent time thinking about how she would explain to her parents why she chose to erase herself from them. Throughout all their adventures little things would happen that Hermione would want to tell her parents about it. She had made a mental list of all these things, so she could remember to tell her parents about it once she saw them again. But instead she couldn't reverse their memory loss and they had a permanent room at St. Mungo's.

Hermione had tried to visit with them, her parents were completely fine and awake other than not recognizing her. But she was a stranger to them. A stranger who had had them committed to this hospital and wouldn't let them leave. She was their jailer. Hermione had spent the week listening to healers and discussing options and trying every possibility they provided her with. But to no avail. Ron had tried staying with her and holding her hand, but she sent him away, yelling at him that he had hurt her parents and she didn't want to see him anymore. She knew deep down that he just did what he thought was best, but she couldn't get over the anger she felt at him for stupefying them. She knew rationally that her anger and frustration was at herself and her inability to do anything about the situation, but it had felt nice to place the blame on Ron even for a moment just to make herself feel better. Ron hadn't returned since he had left, leaving her to spend the days since her outburst feeling guilty and ashamed of the way she had acted. The rest of the Weasleys had been by almost every day and Harry had visited at least twice a day to sit with her. At first, he tried talking to her, explaining why none of this was her fault but when she didn't reply he stopped trying to make conversation and just sat with her in silence. She couldn't get the photograph of them out of her mind. They had looked so happy together and she had taken it all away.

Every few hours Hermione would go find a healer and ask if she could see her parents. The healer would go speak to the Grangers before returning to tell Hermione that they didn't want to see her. The healers had explained everything to them but whether they didn't believe them or were just angry that they were being kept against their will she didn't know.

Hermione was counting the tiles again when she was interrupted by Harry entering the waiting room followed by a very reluctant Ron. Hermione immediately jumped out of her seat and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Ron, I am so sorry for what I said to you. I know you only did what you thought was best. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's alright Hermione," Ron mumbled, gently pulling out of the embrace and avoiding her eyes. The enormity of everything that had happened was just too much for Hermione and threatened to overwhelm her as she started crying and Ron pulled her close once again.

"Listen, Hermione," Ron began "we need to speak with you" he led her back into a chair but kept a firm hold of her hand. Harry handed her a handkerchief which he materialized out of thin air. They both sat in silence for a moment while Hermione calmed down. Ron let out a deep breath and glanced at Harry. They shared a look that made Hermione's stomach clench involuntarily, before Ron started, "Hermione, you've been here for a week. You've barely eaten or slept in that time. We understand that your parents are here and what you're going through, but school is starting in a week and we want to know what you're planning on doing." Ron recited his entire speech very quickly and in a strangely high-pitched voice. It was clear that him and Harry had rehearsed it beforehand.

Hermione looked back and forth between the two of them "I uh, I don't know. I want to go back of course, but I can't just leave my parents here like this."

"Hermione," Harry leaned towards her, speaking uncharacteristically softly, "your parents would want you to finish your schooling. You know that. Education has always been so important to you. They wouldn't want you to give up on it even though they can't remember."

"But that's the problem Harry they don't remember!" Hermione shrilled.

" I know, I know," Harry said as he pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back gently in circles, "but you sitting here isn't doing them any good. You can still visit them when you're back at school and maybe you should give them a little space for a while and I think you could also use some time to think."

Hermione sighed. All she had been doing for the last week was thinking. But she knew they were right, and Hermione wanted nothing more to go back to Hogwarts for one last year. "Okay," she nodded at her two best friends, "you're right. Let's go back to school."

Harry and Ron exchanged an uneasy glance. The sinking feeling in Hermione's stomach returned. There was something they weren't telling her. "What is it?" She couldn't take any more bad news at this point, but not knowing was even worse.

"Well, actually about that Hermione..." started Ron and then looked at Harry for some help.

"We've been talking, " continued Harry, "and we're not going to go back to Hogwarts this year." There was a long pause.

"What do you mean you're not coming back? You have to finish your education. How will you get a job afterwards if you don't complete your NEWTs?!"

"I've actually already been offered a position with the Ministry as an Auror in Training," replied Harry meekly.

Hermione was shocked, "but Harry you're not even done school!"

"I know that Hermione." He smiled.

"And I've decided to help George out at the shop," Ron added quickly.

Hermione's eyes shot back and forth between them. She wanted to argue with them both. But the look on their faces showed that they had their minds made up. How could she tell Harry to not follow his dream when it was within reach and how could she tell Ron to turn his back on his family, especially right after Fred died.

Hermione gulped trying to swallow back the tears that were threatening to spill over again.

"Hogwarts won't be the same this year. But I guess it wasn't going to be the same anyways."

"Yeah Hermione, just imagine how much studying you'll be able to get done, without us there to hold you back! You'll probably do twice as well on exams now!" chuckled Ron.

They both laughed along with him for the first time in a long time. But Hermione couldn't quite help the piercing feeling in her heart that she was going back alone.