To Love Someone

Hermione looked at Harry and grinned. He was speaking animatedly with Ron about something ('Probably Quidditch,' she reflected) and was waving his arms around madly. Ron was completely enraptured by whatever it was that Harry was saying. Hermione stood back, watching them for a moment before walking up and linking her arm through Harry's. She smiled up at Ron who, at that moment, was recounting his own tale. 'Yep, Quidditch,' she thought, giggling inwardly. 'Some things never change.'

Ron noticed her and his eyes flicked to where her fingers were moving across Harry's arm and he faltered slightly, but continued speaking. Hermione gave a small sigh. Ron had finally decided that he felt more than friendship for her in their seventh year. By then, however, Hermione had decided that she had fallen in love with Harry. Looking at Ron, she almost regretted her decision but instead clung to Harry tighter.

Ron had been dejected and almost furious: he had left Hogwarts to travel, taking a job as a reporter. He made no move to cover the fact that he was angry with Hermione and Harry and did not speak to them for two years. During that time, he earned his own reputation...as a ladies' man.

Hermione took in his still glaringly red hair and beautiful blue eyes; his tall frame that was muscled and soft at the same time. She watched him grin at Harry and then at her and her heart stopped beating for a moment.

"No wonder," she muttered.

Harry turned to her, "What?"

Hermione flushed a dark pink and shook her head. She gave Harry a fleeting kiss on the cheek and walked back into the house, hips swaying unintentionally (at least, that's what she told herself). She sat in on a game of Exploding snap with Sirius and Remus and forced Ron out of her mind.

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Hermione sat calmly in the midst of her friends, peers and respected elders. They were all gathered in Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts tensely awaiting their host. The Order of the Phoenix was still carrying on bravely despite its apparent lack of function.

On the outward appearance, The Order of the Phoenix was a failure: they had been able to do nothing to abate Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The situation had become so out of hand that it was impossible to attempt to conceal what was happening from the Muggles. The entire world was in chaos. Muggles were coming to hate all magic, good or not.

Inside, however, definite plans were taking form. Snape was playing a vital role in this. 'Rome did not fall in one day,' thought Hermione. And neither would Voldemort. Her former professor played spy for them, though this was hardly a game. The information he brought them was critical. How Snape managed so well was beyond anyone: Voldemort could practically read minds.

Finally Albus Dumbledore walked into the office. Grim-faced, he addressed his fellows, "We are all here, I believe. Let us begin."

It was always the same, this meeting. They met and discussed current events. Bill Weasley was developing, or rather attempting to develop, a counter-curse for the Unforgivables. His experience as curse-breaker for Gringott's was a great help but still he had discovered nothing. Arthur Weasley announced that Muggle unrest was increasing rapidly and the newly-formed Wizard-Muggle relations were starting to fail. This was guaranteed to be a long and drawn-out war.

The meeting was as unsatisfactory as ever. Their general plan was moving along fine, but it was too slow! Hermione was desperate for action. Her clever thinking and various skills were pushed to their limits in her association with Bill and his attempts to counter the Unforgivables. She had never taken so long to do something in her life.

The meeting ended and the attendees filed solemnly out of the room. Hermione gave a frustrated sigh and Harry was instantly by her side. She smiled softly and placed her arm in his. They left shortly to go for a nice dinner in Hogsmeade before Apparating to their respective homes.

*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Hermione sat alone in her flat reading 'Spell-Building and Spell-Breaking: Spellbinding'. Part of her shivered as she realized that this process that she was reading about was exactly what had made the Unforgivables possible.

She gave a start when she heard a sharp tap against her window. She jumped up, walked swiftly to the window and threw it open. Taking the envelope from the owl, she handed him a treat and shut the window. She turned it over and read her name.

Opening the envelope, she withdrew a single sheet of parchment and read:

Dear Ms. Granger,

It is with deep regret that I write to you in order to inform you of a most grievous loss. We offer our deepest sympathies at this time for the loss of your parents earlier this evening. Although this is a most painful time, we must request that you come to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies at your earliest convenience to officially identify them both a complete essential paperwork.

With deepest sympathy,

Judith Balm

She frowned confusedly at the letter in her hands. 'Surely not!,' she thought. 'Of course, it's only a mistake. I'll simply go there and identify that they most definitely are not my parents. Of course...'

Hermione Apparated outside the hospital and marched to the front desk.

"I am here to identify some bodies," she told the woman brusquely.

The woman looked taken aback at the frankness with which the words were spoken. "Yes, of course," she replied. "Second floor, third door on the left."

Hermione nodded and walked swiftly up the stairs to the second floor and into the appropriate door. Walking to the man at the desk, she told him her name and her purpose.

"Hermione Granger, here to identify bodies of my parents." Disbelief was evident in her angry eyes. 'Honestly, it is just rude to go around sending owls to people, telling them that their parents are dead!'

The wizard took her into the back area and walked to two covered bodies. He pulled back the sheets on both bodies at the same time. She looked down at the faces. The sky fell and all was dark.