I do not own Harry Potter.

Life After the Last Battle

Chapter 1, Mourning

It was a dark day. Everyone was mourning for their losses. Harry held onto Ginny as she sobbed. Caskets were placed in a row outside, near Hagrid's hut. One of them contained Fred's body. And Harry had made sure that everyone knew the truth about why Snape did what he did, so he laid in one, too. Harry felt the tears slip under his glasses and down his face. He stole a glance toward Ron, who was sitting a few chairs down, next to Hermione. It looked as though they had reconciled, if they were even upset with each other; Ron hadn't spoken to her since the day Harry killed Voldemort. Harry still could not believe it had happened only three weeks ago. Hermione set her hand gently over Ron's. Harry frowned when Ron moved his hand away from hers. Harry watched Hermione carefully. Silent tears started to drip from her eyes, but Harry knew they were not only for the dead. After the funeral, everyone got up and talked quietly amongst themselves. Harry, Ron and Hermione stood together, but Ron didn't look at Hermione once, though she didn't seem to be able to take her eyes off him.

Harry put his hand on Ron's shoulder, but he didn't shake it off as Harry had expected, which made him feel horrible as tears formed in Hermione's already watery eyes. "I'm really sorry, mate," said Harry. Ron nodded and looked straight ahead. Harry swallowed and walked away. He saw Hermione say something to Ron, but he just turned away. That night, he lay in his bed, thinking. Suddenly Hermione was at his bedside.

"Hermione?" he whispered.

"Can you come with me?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Sure." Harry hopped out of bed and grabbed his glasses. They walked past Ron, who was asleep in his bed, and went into the common room.

"What is it?" Harry asked in front of the fireplace.

"I-I might be leaving soon," she said. Harry frowned.

"Do you, do you know when?"

"No, but soon. I need to. Ron doesn't want me around, I can tell. Please, don't tell him I'm leaving. I couldn't stand it if he tried to make himself say goodbye."

"Hermione, Ron's just—,"

"No, Harry. Please. Just don't until I'm gone. I want you to know, Harry, you're my best friend, ever. I love you," Hermione started to sob.

"I love you, too," Harry said, tears in his eyes. He pulled Hermione into a hug and held her. When they broke apart, Harry asked, "Where are you going?"

"I think to Australia first. To find my parents. And then home, I guess."

"When will we see you again?"

"I don't know, Harry. I'll be sure to visit you and Ginny sometime, you know when you've gotten married and such," Hermione said, smiling. Harry blushed.

"Yeah, well you'd better be at the wedding," Harry smiled, too. Hermione nodded and started crying again. This time new arms were around her. For a split-second she thought it was Ron and her heart was soaring, and she was overcome with happiness, but then she realized that these were smaller arms, though the hair was the right color. Hermione hugged Ginny tightly; sure that she'd heard everything. Harry gave Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek before slipping away as the two girls held each other and cried.

"Hey," Harry said the next day as he sat down next to Ron at the Gryffindor table for lunch.

"Hello," Ron said.

"Have you seen Hermione today?" he asked carefully.

"No," Ron said sharply, but quietly, looking at his plate.

"I haven't been able to find her. I think she might have left." This got Ron's attention. He looked up and stared at Harry.

"What?"

"I said I think Hermione—," Ron interrupted.

"She left without saying goodbye?" Ron asked, sounding hurt.

"She said goodbye to me."

"Really?" Ron sounded crestfallen.

"Well, she said that she was leaving soon, and that if I didn't see her before she left, then goodbye."

"When?"

"Last night."

"And you didn't tell me?" Ron sounded angry.

"I-er-I thought you didn't want to talk to her." True, he had ignored her after what had happened, he'd even blamed her, briefly, but he'd also blamed everyone else, even himself. It was just his way to deal with things. But Ron knew it wasn't anyone's fault, well maybe his, but definitely not Hermione's. He was overcome with guilt when he heard that she left. Ginny explained everything.

"She thought you blamed her, she even blamed her. She said it would be better if she left," his sister told him sullenly.

"D'you think she'll—she'll come back?" Ron asked hopefully. Ginny shook her head sadly.

"I don't think we'll ever see her again," she said. Ron got up. As he searched the castle for her, Ron knew it was true. He stomped around, fuming. If he hadn't been so rude, she probably wouldn't have left. He'd had so many chances to talk to her, to explain what he was feeling, and he didn't. He just thought, "I can do it later". But now she was gone. He brushed his tears away angrily, knowing he had no right to cry over her after she'd spent so may nights crying for him. He still owed her so much. For saving him, for forgiving him, it seemed like there were at least ten different times he and Harry could have died, and they didn't, because Hermione was around. And now that she was gone, he knew he would die, not from something or someone chasing him, but of the pain right in his heart. It was overwhelming to think he would never see Hermione again. He stomped into the Gryffindor common room and threw himself into a chair, only to stand up again and start pacing.

"Ron?" Percy stood in the doorway, making Hermione vanish from Ron's mind, if it was possible.

"Y-yeah?" Ron and Percy had been a little awkward around each other lately; they each blamed themselves, and sort of blamed each other.

"Where's Hermione?"

"She left."

"Oh. So, when is she coming to the Burrow? Mum says we're leaving this afternoon."

"She's not."
"Oh. Well then when are we going to see her?"

"Never," Ron said miserably. Percy's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, Ron," he said quietly.

"Why are you sorry?"

"W—I thought you two were, well—,"

"If there was anything between us, she wouldn't have left," Ron said, realizing the truth in this. It pained him to admit it, but maybe Hermione had just been caught up in the moment. Maybe the truth was that she really didn't care for him the way he cared for her. That couldn't be true though, he knew she had some feeling for him, otherwise he'd have imagined the whole thing, with Krum and Lavender, and everything. It was unspoken, but Ron knew Hermione had feelings for him, at some point. Percy had backed out of the room quietly. Harry came into the common room. Ron turned towards him.

"How could she just leave?" he asked furiously. "After everything the three of us been through, she just wakes up and says, "Oh I think I'll go home now." Honestly!"

"I don't think she just up and left, mate. I think she thought you wanted her gone," Harry said quietly from an arm chair near the fireplace.

"But why on earth would she think that?"

"Oh, I don't know, perhaps it's the fact you haven't spoken to her in a month. Or that every time she reached out to you, you only ignored her."

"It hasn't been that long," Ron mumbled. "I didn't know what to say. How could I face her after that? She must think of me as a bloody killer!"

"And why on earth would she think that?" Harry asked rudely. He didn't like Ron blaming himself for what had happened.

"Harry, I just stood there!" Ron shouted.

"Ron, there's no way you could have done anything," Harry said, not thinking about whether or not it was true. It didn't matter anyway. "What's done is done. You may have lost Fred, Ron," Ron flinched, "but it would be worse to lose both him and Hermione. So unless you don't care about her as much as I thought you did, you'll go find her," Harry said. Ron pursed his lips.

"I don't know where she's gone," he said.

"Yes you do. Where did she say her parents were?"

Ron cracked a small smile. "Australia."

"There you go."

"Would you—I mean can you-er-come with me?" Ron asked slowly, still tripping over his words. Harry smiled slightly.

"I suppose. But only on one condition," Harry said. Ron sighed.

"And what's that?"

"You have to let Ginny come." Ron considered this.

"Fine, but please, keep the snogging to a minimum around me," Ron grunted.

"Deal," Harry said, almost grinning for the first time in what felt like months. Harry got up to go find Ginny, thumping Ron on the shoulder on his way out. Ron closed his eyes, mostly wishing he had stopped Hermione so that they didn't have to travel halfway across the world to find her. But then he stopped and smiled at the thought of seeing her again. He imagined the kiss in his head, for the first time since Fred had died. Her lips on his, his arms around her waist, his hand in her hair. He was certain his memory was not doing Hermione justice. She was a thousand times prettier in person. No, she wasn't drop dead gorgeous, even Ron, blinded to the point where she was the only thing he could see, knew that, but in his eyes, she was the most wonderful, caring, amazing person he'd ever met, and if that wasn't beauty, then he didn't know what was. Besides, he didn't want someone who was too much more attractive than him. It may have seemed shallow, but if Hermione was wonderful and smart and kind and everything, being extremely beautiful would put them way too out of balance. Plus, Ron thought she looked perfect.

"Ron?" Ginny was standing next to his chair.

"Yeah?" Ron looked up at her.

"I'm sorry," she said, tears in her eyes.

"For what?" He asked, standing up.

"For letting Hermione go without saying goodbye. I knew how you were feeling; I knew you just needed time. But I didn't say anything," Ginny started crying. Ron wrapped his arms around his little sister protectively.

"It's ok," Ron soothed her. "We're going to go find her and everything will be alright." Ginny nodded against him.