Sweet Sixteen

Chapter Two

Hermione Granger looked into the vanity. She had a black spaghetti strapped dress on that reached passed her knees. Her hair, that over the years had tamed, was pulled back into an elegant bun, with some tendrils coming out. She put on some lip- gloss and mascara. Usually she liked getting dressed up, but not today. Today was August the fifteenth, the day of Viktor's funeral. She really had no intention of going. She didn't want to see Viktor's family, all his friends. She just didn't feel like she belonged. However, Mrs. Weasley insisted she went, so she could get closure or something like that. Besides, no one else wanted to go, so she would be by herself, and she hated being alone.

"You coming or not Hermione?"

Hermione whipped her head around and saw Harry and Ron standing there, each in a Muggle tux. Ron did something with his hair, it was slicked back, and it looked quite similar to that of Draco Malfoy's. Harry, well, Harry tried to tame his hair, but, if possible, it stuck out even more.

"I thought you two weren't coming?" asked Hermione.

"We weren't, but Harry had to be the good one and point out you were our best friend, and you would do the bloody same for us, so lets get on with it," sighed Ron.

"Thanks you guys," Hermione breathed as she hugged them.

The funeral was held at Viktor's parents house. There was a cobblestone walkway leading to the backyard. Harry, Hermione, and Ron's mouths dropped open. There was a silk white sheet laying on the ground, leading up to the stairs, there were many different kinds of flowers: Bleeding heart's, Snap Dragon's, Tulip's, and white and yellow roses. The white sheet split different sections of silver benches. The casket was made out of red mahogany wood. At the front of the casket were numerous pictures of Viktor, soaring over thousands of fans, catching the Golden Snitch, and one of him just waving and smiling. The one, however, that caught her attention was the picture of her and Viktor walking hand in hand down Viktor's garden.

Hermione was dumbfounded. Viktor had told Hermione that he had not told his parents about her, because she was Muggleborn, why would his parents have her picture up? How did they find out about her? Hermione was jolted out of her reverie, by Harry tapping her on the shoulder. She spun around and saw the Malfoys, the Parkinsons, and the Zambinis heading their way. The parents sat down in the back whilst Draco, Pansy, and Blaise kept walking. They stopped in front of Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"Buzz off, Malfoy," Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Why should we have to go, Weasley? We're not Mudblood's or dirty street trash, you, however may go," shot back Pansy.

"Well, obviously Viktor didn't feel that way since Hermione was his girlfriend for a year and a half," stated Harry.

Pansy's gaze shot to Hermione, she just smiled and walked away, with Blaise at her heels. Draco, however, did not move, his eyes fixated on Hermione's, but they weren't their usually icy glaze, it was something different, something like... Remorse? No, it couldn't be. Then the minister stood up and told everyone to take they're seats. The funeral was very short, but to the point. His mother stood up and talked, as well as Professor Karkaroff. At the end everyone was allowed to go up there and pay they're respects to Viktor. Hermione was one of the last people to go up. She just stood there watching his lifeless body in his black dress robes. His fists were rolled up in tight balls, and there was something sticking out of his hand, curious, Hermione unrolled his hands and took the parchment out. It was folded up, and on the top, written in an untidy scrawl, was the name: Hermione. She stared at her hands, then looked all around her, everyone was talking, and enjoying food. Hermione nervously undid the letter and read:

Dear Hermione.........