Hermione Granger and the Centaur Boy

The trial went better than expected. Several articles had been featured in the Daily Prophet, and after two reporters met the young centaur, they were much kinder on the issue. The wizarding community was pretty evenly split between those who thought Cyrus should stay and those who thought he belonged with his centaur family.

Despite the division amongst the general community, the trial itself seemed to lead to only one ending:

"It is my finding that the centaur named Cyrus shall be returned to the care of his father, Raine, and his father's herd. It is the place where he rightfully belongs. Lacking a place for him among his own, we may have considered putting him in the care of Miss Granger. But that is not the case. We sympathize with you, Miss Granger. Centaurs are so human-like in appearance and intelligence; there is no doubt that it is possible to love one as you would a human child. However, his proper place is among other centaurs. Arrangements for the transfer of custody will be made by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

~~~~~~'~~~~~~

"You knew this day would come," Ginny said to Hermione as they sat together at home. "At least you know where he'll be."

They'd been home for an hour, and Cyrus had been in his room, deciding what he would take with him when he left. Hermione was still in denial about the ruling; Ginny could see it in her eyes. Even though it had been brought up a few times, this was nothing like her fight for house elves as a teenager. This was a very personal battle and an even more personal loss.

"He's near Hogwarts, so maybe you'll get a chance to see him again," Ginny said to Hermione.

"Maybe," Hermione said sadly. "I should make sure he's ready."

Hermione went into Cyrus's room. She expected to see Cyrus gathering his things, but he seemed to be unpacking.

"What are you doing?"

"Centaurs don't wear cloaks and play with toys."

"No, they don't," Hermione said. "But if you want to take them ..."

"No," Cyrus interrupted. "I want to be like the others."

"You don't have to be anything but you."

"I know," Cyrus said. "Thanks, Hermione ... excuse me, Miss Hermione."

"Hermione? But you've always called me ..."

"Mum, I know. But now ..."

"You don't want me to be your mother?"

"Of course I do," Cyrus said. "But I didn't think you would want ..."

"Cyrus, to me you'll always be my son. No matter where you are. I love you."

"I know." Cyrus smiled. "You love him, too." She would have asked, 'Him who?' but she knew without asking. It was a statement of fact, not a question at all. Sometimes it was like Cyrus could see right inside of people and sense things about them.

"Where is he?" Cyrus asked.

"Ron had to work," Hermione replied.

"So I don't get to say good-bye."

"I'll tell him you said good-bye."

"It's okay to love him, Mum," Cyrus said. "Just like it was okay to love me."

"Have you been talking to Ginny?"

"No, but I can see it. I think you should marry him, Mum. That way you won't be lonely after I'm gone and ... you can have a ... a real son."

"And what are you? A fake son?"

Cyrus shrugged.

"You're not." Hermione kissed his forehead. "Even if I get married someday, even I have many sons of my own, I will never forget you."

"Me too, Mum."

"I have something for you." Hermione left the room. A few minutes later she returned with a long thin brown box. She gave it to Cyrus. He opened it and took out a wand.

"Cool," Cyrus said. "But mum, I'm not ..."

"A wizard, or human, I know."

"But the law ... the law about non-humans and ... "

"Well you're not going to use it are you?"

"No."

"I just want you to have something of mine. That was my first wand; it got me through all my years at Hogwarts. Keep it in the box if you wish. I had a lot of good fortune with that wand, and I want you to have the same."

"I'll take my blankets and keep it wrapped in them. I'll keep it safe." Cyrus took the wand and wrapped it in his bundle. Ginny entered the room with her eyes downcast.

"They're here for you, Cyrus," Ginny said. "A couple of handlers from the Beast Division."

"Did you tell them Cyrus doesn't need to be handled?"

"Yes, but I think that's just a precaution."

"They're worried you won't let me go," Cyrus said. He grabbed his small bundle and left his room with the two women following him.

It was night when they arrived on the Hogwarts grounds with Cyrus. When the handlers came to pick up Cyrus, they didn't intend for Hermione and Ginny to come along to drop Cyrus off to his father. Somehow, Cyrus had convinced them to let her come along. As brave as Cyrus seemed, Hermione could see the fear in his eyes as they entered the Hogwarts gates. His father and a few members of the herd were waiting around the back of Hagrid's hut. To be quite honest, Raine was quite a handsome beast himself (or at least Hermione thought so). He had Cyrus's eyes, though they didn't seem as warm, and the same wavy black hair. But there was something in Cyrus that seemed far removed from these large magnificent beasts.

"Cyrus," Raine said in his deep thundering voice.

"Father," Cyrus replied.

As brave as Cyrus had been all day, he looked quite afraid of moving. The always-graceful Cyrus seemed to stumble on his four legs as he walked up to him. Raine said nothing else. None of the other centaurs spoke. When they turned to go into the Forbidden Forest, Cyrus took a last look at Hermione and followed the adult centaurs. He looked so small next to those giant horse-like bodies.

"He's in good hands, Hermione," Ginny said. "He's where he belongs."

"I know," Hermione replied. But she couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her face. Hermione hadn't expected to cry. Ginny put an arm around her and walked her off the Hogwarts grounds.

~~~~~"~~~~~~

When they got home, Hermione said she needed some time to herself. Ginny decided to go out for a while and give Hermione some space. Hermione went into Cyrus's room and began to pack up his toys. She knew she couldn't stand to look at them anymore without the urge to cry coming on again. She didn't know what she would do with them, but she knew she had to move on. But with each toy she picked up, she remembered some moment with Cyrus. Eventually, she just sat down and held one of his toy unicorns in her hand. It was a stuffed toy, one of the first she'd gotten for him. He'd slept with it almost every night. Hermione cuddled the toy unicorn like a baby.

"You'll be okay, I know it," she said to herself.

"He's gone?" an unexpected voice questioned.

"Yes," Hermione replied, looking up at Ron. "That should make you happy, considering you never agreed he should be here."

"I think it's for the better, but I'm certainly not happy."

"If it's for the better, why aren't you happy?" Hermione asked.

"You're hurting," Ron said, kneeling down beside her. "I'll never be happy about that."

"Oh Ron," she said throwing her arms around him. "Why can't you be this sweet all the time?"

"Because then you wouldn't appreciate it," Ron replied. Hermione laughed a little.

"I'm glad you're here," Hermione said, leaning back to look at him.

Ron ran a finger along her cheek; he kissed it, then the corner of her mouth. Hermione met his lips in a short delicate kiss. Suddenly, Hermione turned away.

"We shouldn't," Hermione said after their lips parted.

"Why not?" Ron asked.

"We know what happens from here."

"Hermione," Ron said, "stop thinking so much."

He captured her lips in a more intense kiss, and for a moment, she forgot there was anything but Ron and his warmth.

Ginny returned to a quiet house and decided to peek in on her friend. She thought maybe she was still in Cyrus's room, but she saw the boxes she was using to put away the boy's things were half packed. Then she peeked in Hermione's room and was shocked to find her asleep, but not alone ... with Ron ... and looking as if they... She smiled to herself and slipped away.

Hermione was still sleeping soundly when Ginny got up in the morning, but Ron was awake. They shared a knowing glance as they crossed paths that morning.

"It's none of your business, baby sister," Ron said before she said a word.

"You'd be a fool to let her go again," Ginny told Ron. "Don't mess up."

"I won't."

"I mean it, don't you hurt her Ronald Weasley."

"I won't," Ron told Ginny. "I'm not a little boy anymore. I know I love her, Ginny."

"I'm glad," Ginny replied with a smile. "I knew you were in love the first year you came home talking about her and how crazy she made you."

Ron and Ginny both heard Hermione enter the room and turned toward her.

"Good morning," Ginny said.

"Good morning, Ginny," Hermione replied.

Ron walked up to her and tried to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she turned away. Both Weasleys seemed perplexed by this response.

"Can I have a moment alone with him?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"Sure," Ginny said.

Hermione led Ron into the dinning room where they sat opposite each other.

"What's wrong?"

"Ron," Hermione said nervously. "I lost a child."

"I know," Ron replied.

"Last night, all I wanted was to escape that pain."

"I know that," Ron replied.

"And I'm glad you were here for me. I appreciate it, but I'm not ready to deal with us. I need to get away and sort some things out."

"I understand. I can get some time off work, I'm in need of a holiday and..."

"Ron," Hermione interrupted, "He was my baby and now he's gone. It's my loss, not our loss. I need to do this alone."

"But what about us? I don't want to lose us again."

"Neither do I, but I can't clear my head right now."

"Why does your head need to be clear?" Ron asked more sharply then intended. "You know if you love me or not!"

"I don't know anything anymore," Hermione replied. "Everything is tangled up in this loss, this hurt. I cannot deal with anything else or anyone else until I deal with it."

"Fine," Ron replied, trying not to reveal the bitterness in his voice. "I don't know why I try. You're impossible."

He stormed out of the room. Ginny looked up from the paper she was reading as he stormed past her.

"Ron?"

"Don't worry. This time I wasn't the one to say good-bye."

Ron left through the front door. Ginny put down the paper and went to Hermione. Ginny noticed she was holding Cyrus's toy unicorn.

"Cyrus is gone Hermione. I'm sure he misses you, but you have to let go."

"I know that, Ginny," Hermione replied. "I just need time. I'm sorry if I hurt your brother."

"Ron will be all right. He just needs to calm down. I'm worried about you."

"Well you don't have to. I'm going away for awhile."

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know. Tell your brother I'm sorry."

Hermione got up and left the room.