Remembrall

The Remembrall

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She sat on the slightly damp grass with it in her right hand, slowly turning it; trying desperately to remember what she had forgotten. She knew it had something to do with him, she just couldn't remember what it was. Sighing gently, she rested her left hand on the soft grass and twirled her fingers around the long blades. She was aware of the body next to hers. Although Harry was not touching her, the whole right side of her body was aware of his presence and she knew that he was thinking the same thing as her.

"Its not fair," she whispered, as a tear slowly rolled down her face.

She jumped slightly as something brushed her cheek, only to find that he was wiping away the tear with his thumb. Trying to smile, she stared into those lovely green eyes; the eyes that had earned him the majority of his appreciation, simply for being exactly like his mothers. Harry smiled at her, and although she could clearly see the sadness beyond his deep viridian eyes, she felt strangely comforted. Resting her head on his shoulder, she once again raised the small orb to her eye level.

A cloud of ruby red smoke consumed the inside of the delicate orb that he had given to her before the great battle. She twirled it once again, remembering how he had come to receive it. She smiled as she recalled the look on his face when his twin brothers had sent it to him for Christmas with a note saying, "Don't forget to carry Mistletoe with you everywhere little brother, you never know what lovely ladies may walk past you ... or hang around with you (nudge nudge, wink wink)." She looked back at the small orb to see that it still continually glowed a deep shade of red. Hermione was getting a little frustrated with trying to remember what it was she had forgotten (Hermione was never one to forget anything!) and began shaking the orb vigorously as tears once again flowed down her slightly pink cheeks. She felt Harry grasp her arms gently and remove the remembrall from her right hand, then pull her into a warm and comforting hug. As her tears continued to flow, and began to make Harry's shoulder wet, she heard him mumbling over and over in her ear something that sounded like, "I'm so sorry Hermione... I tried to save him!"

Carefully letting go of him, she picked up the remembrall and placed it safely in her pocket, then slowly stood up, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Harry immediately followed suit and stood up too, doing the same. Placing both hands gently on his upper arm, she began to slowly walk with him back up to the enchanting castle, where they had both spent some of the best years of their lives, knowing that they would never set foot inside it again after tonight.

When they reached the huge wooden doors, Hermione felt Harry stop and turn. She knew what he was looking at; he was staring at the ripples of the black lake where he had been pushed in, and had drowned. Hermione didn't dare do the same! Wanting to forget the whole thing, she continued to walk with courage into the warm castle. She entered the great hall and held her head high, still with great bravery, against the whispers that surrounded her, and sat down at the long Gryffindor table. She stared down at the tablecloth to avoid the sympathetic looks she was getting, as well as the long black drapes that hung motionless from the great ceiling, as they too reminded her of the fact that he wasn't there with her. Visual images of him before and during the battle rushed through her head like a slideshow. Ron giving her the remembrall, him hugging her then running off to join Harry while she stayed with Ginny, her running out of the forest to see Ron drowning in the lake ...

"Its not fair!" she thought despondently. "Its not bloody fair! Ron didn't deserve to die. Now I know how Harry feels to lose someone so close. Ron and I ... were just realising our feelings for each other. I didn't even..."

Hermione suddenly pulled the remembrall out of her pocket and gasped as the deep red cloud slowly cleared. At that moment Harry appeared beside her and quietly drew in his breath as well.

"Hermione, wh...what is it?" he asked, softly. "I know it's about ... about Ron."

Hermione slowly pocketed the now white orb, and, looking up at her best friend through watery eyes, whispered, "Harry, I forgot to tell him that I love him."

Harry sighed and hugged Hermione tightly as she cried desperately onto his shoulder.

Finis

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