For The Last Time

The war was over. Everything they had been fighting against was destroyed. Voldemort and his followers were defeated. Finally the Dark Lord was gone, permanently.

Hermione glanced around the Great Hall. She, Harry, and Ron had all ended up here with the rest of the victors about an hour ago. Professor McGonagall had naturally taken charge. She had divided everyone into groups of three and four to help bring in the injured and dead and to start some sort of clean up. She saw the red heads of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley still standing next to Fred's lifeless body. Hermione noticed that Mrs. Weasley had finally stopped crying. Her cheeks were pink and splotchy, her eyes red-rimmed but her face was dry.

She continued to scan the room. She saw Neville and Dean helping to move the dead bodies into an empty classroom off the Hall. The injured were being seen to by Madame Pomfrey and a number of students were helping her. Hermoine's eyes finally rested on the one face she was hoping to see more than any of the others. Ron was helping Harry carry in an injured Hufflepuff student. He looked exhausted. She crossed the room with a sense of foreboding. She hadn't had a chance to really talk to Ron properly since everything had happened. And by everything she meant the battle, the moment they thought Harry was dead, Fred's death, the final fight and of course the kiss. In her typical Hermoine fashion she was second guessing the whole moment. Maybe she had been too forward, too bold. In the heat of the moment it had felt so right but now in the dawn of the new day she wasn't so sure.

She continued to cross the Hall towards the man she had loved for the last three years. She had probably always loved him but it was fourth year that she had finally realized how much she felt for him. Underneath all the fighting and bickering were deep feelings. She truly cared for Ron. Did she love him? Yes she did. She could hear her parents' voices in her head "Love? What could you possibly know about love Hermoine? You're only eighteen." She already knew exactly what her rational mother and father would say. How could she explain to them what she and Ron had been through? How in actuality they were only eighteen but mentally and emotionally they had aged forty years. They had seen more death and destruction then most people would ever see in a lifetime. They had confronted pure evil and lived to tell the tale. Ron had lost his brother. They had all lost good friends. Their lives would never be the same again. They were old souls trapped in eighteen year old bodies.

Feeling surer than ever that she had done the right thing in kissing Ron, she took the final ten steps to his side. He was talking quietly with Harry, Dean and Neville. She slipped her arm around his waist and he naturally wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. He looked down at her "Hey."

She laid her head against his chest "Hey." She took a deep breath. He smelt of soot, dirt, sweat and blood. But deeper down she could smell that perfect scent that was him. The scent she had smelt when breathing the fumes of the Amortentia potion that day in Slughorn's first lesson: freshly mown grass, new parchment and this pure, sweet scent that was Ron. He squeezed her closer to him and she knew that kissing him had been absolutely, positively the right thing to do.

They all stood there for a few minutes talking quietly about what else needed to be done. Hermoine didn't join in the conversation. She just stood there with her arms wrapped around Ron's waist listening to the low tones of his voice.

He kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to help my brothers move Fred into the other room. Okay? Why don't you go upstairs and get cleaned up. Gryffindor tower is stable. I'll meet you in the common room."

Hermoine reluctantly pulled away. "Do you want me to wait?"

He shook his head. "No this is something my family needs to take care of." She started to say something and he cut her off. "Alone." He gave her a half smile. "I'll see you in a little bit."

She nodded her head slowly. At first she was hurt but then she realized that he wasn't excluding her on purpose it was just the Weasleys needed a few moments to grieve all together as a family. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek lightly. "I'll see you upstairs then."

He hugged her and whispered in her ear. "Thanks." He pulled away holding her hand till he got too far away and had to let go.

Letting her hand drop to her side she watched as he approached his mother hugging her tightly. Hermoine could see that Mrs. Weasley was crying again.

Harry put his hand on Hermione's shoulder and she gave a small jump. "Oh Harry, sorry." She glanced at him her eyes full of tears.

Harry sighed. "He's going to need you more than ever now."

Hermoine watched as Percy, Bill, George (who hadn't said a word since his brother's death) and Ron lifted Fred's still body and carried him out of the room. Ginny her arms wrapped around her mother followed them out. Mr. Weasley walked solemnly behind his family. His head was bowed low. Hermoine couldn't remember a time when he had ever looked so sad.

Harry gave Hermione's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We should go upstairs and get some rest."

She forced a small smile, "Yeah."

They started to walk out of the Great Hall when she stopped suddenly. She turned to face Harry. "I'm so glad you're okay." Her eyes were filled with unshed tears. "I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you."

Harry pulled her into a hug. "I'm fine and you're fine and Ron, in time, will be fine." He smiled,"It's all over and now we can live our lives out in peace." He started to lead her out through the big doors into the corridor. "We can finally just be with no fears hanging over our heads."

Hermoine smiled. It really was a fresh start. She had the rest of her life to live. She took a deep breath. She couldn't wait to move on and begin building a future with Ron.