Yours Truly, Hermione

First & Only | ʜᴀʀʀʏ ᴘ. (t)

 • Harry Potter | Battle of Hogwarts & Post-War 

 ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ・☽ ༓ ☾・  ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶  ̶̶̶̶

He knew he'd have to die. 

Clearly, it was what he was raised to do. 

"I'll go with you," his best friend choked out. 

"No," he felt himself saying. "Kill the snake. You need to end this." 

He felt Hermione crash into him, grasping onto his shoulders desperately. For a moment- just a brief moment- everything felt okay. His mind flashed back to his very first year- the moment Hermione had engulfed him in her embrace at the end of the year. It had been his very first hug. It seemed only right that she be his very last. 

Ron watched the pair sadly, and Harry knew they'd likely end up together after the war. Perhaps it was for the best- he didn't want his two best friends dealing with his loss alone. 

He knew he often sided with Ron when the three of them argued, but if this year had taught him anything, it was that Hermione was his closest friend- perhaps even more so than Ron. She'd stayed beyond everyone else. She was the one who refused to let him put her on a safe pedestal. She was the one who made sure he lived past the end of every year. 

It was always her.  

 ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ・☽ ༓ ☾・  ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶  ̶̶̶̶

"HARRY!" 

Her's was the first voice he heard when he tumbled out of Hagrid's arms. Not that he had much time to dwell on it as he ran for his life. 

It was time to finish this- once and for all. 

 ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ・☽ ༓ ☾・  ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶  ̶̶̶̶

When the dust finally settled, allowing the hopeful and cleansing rays of sunlight back in, all they were left with was loss and pain. 

The Weasleys were devastated. After losing Fred, they'd never entirely be the same. 

Harry and Hermione watched from the edges, not really knowing how to comfort the inconsolable family. Harry couldn't calm Ginny, nor could Hermione with Ron. The family that had been a pillar of strength for the two their entire childhood came crumpling down, retreating into themselves to heal. 

"You're not going with Ron?" Harry asked Hermoine in a voice thick with emotion and unuse. 

She shook her head sadly. "I think he needs his family more than anything right now," she whispered, watching the way he had his arm around George's shoulder. 

"What about you?" Hermione asked. "Not going after Ginny?" 

Harry eyed the way Ginny supported her weeping mother. "No," he gulped. "Not yet."  

The Weasleys brokenly took Fred's body back to the Burrow. Almost overcome with the exhaustion of the last few months- hell, the last few years- Harry and Hermione decided to seek out shelter in their old home: Gryffindor Tower. 

After all, where else did they have to go? They were both without family and without homes. Who else did they have but each other? 

When they entered the dormitories, the large room lined with five beds felt like the haunting replica of a past life. Hermione looked at the big room with a moment of trepidation.