What Happened Afterwards

*NOTES* Please as always read and review. I think that is all. Enjoy!!

Hermione held on to her bag that had seen her through so much, lately, and smiled. It was leather and during the past year had been with her on every adventure. It had some blood stains on it, the left shoulder strapped had been repaired at least five times, and on the bottom there were several stains from broken potion bottles. All and all Hermione loved her bag and as she anxiously awaited the next journey to come she noticed that her initials had been engraved on it, HJG.

“Now, it's okay to be afraid so don't be too brave,” Ron's voice cut through her musing. “If you find that something is amiss or just need to get away apparate to the safety place. We will know if you are there and come immediately. Just be safe,” she smiled at her friends worry and hastily pulled him into a hug. “I love you, Hermione.”

They had taken to saying `I love you' to each other before each mission. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and replied, “I love you too, Ronald.”

Ron stepped aside and let Harry through, “I think he covered just about everything, don't you dear?” Hermione asked Harry who gave her a grin.

“That's our Ron, leaves nothing to chance.” Harry then pulled her into a hug and she melted into his body.

Her two boys were saying their goodbyes as her mother and father loaded up everything into their car that they had retrieved yesterday. No one else was to see them off as it was quite early in the morning and they didn't want to arouse too much suspicion with the annoying press. But now that it came to the point of actually saying goodbye, even for only two weeks, she wasn't sure if she was ready.

“You should have this,” Harry said as he pulled out from behind his back one of Mrs. Weasley's knitted sweaters. “I know how cold you get at night.”

“Harry…”

“Okay, pumpkin we are ready to leave.” Her father's voice cut through whatever she was going to say. Hermione looked at the ring adorning her left hand ring finger and smiled. She gently kissed Harry and then whispered in his ear, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Harry said as she started to walk towards the car. “Remember to try and not go crazy.” And with that she got into the car and her parents drove away. “Come on Ron. How about I let you cream me in chess.”

They were rounding out their second game when Mrs. Weasley walked into the kitchen. She sighed upon seeing the two boys and just went about making breakfast. She needn't ask them if they were alright for they clearly weren't, but she would let them take the time they needed before the silence broke.

“She left this morning,” Ron said right after he called checkmate.

“Her parents took her back to the muggle world,” Harry couldn't bring himself to say back home because they had made each other swear that wherever the other was would be home, that included Ron. Ron and him shared a look and they both knew it was going to be hard.

“I don't know what to tell you two,” Mrs. Weasley said as she put two heaping plates in front of the boys. “I know this isn't going to help but I'm here anytime of the day you need to talk.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry heard a pop coming from outside and thirty seconds later Tonks and Remus walked into the house.

“Well is it just me or is this house too quiet,” Tonks said as she saw the two boys sitting at the kitchen table. “Hermione left, didn't she?”

“Two hours ago,” Harry dug into his food as Ron spoke with his mouth half full. “What have we said about that, Ron? Swallow before you speak.” Ron grinned sheepishly and then glared at Harry before responding, “sorry, mate.”

Hermione listened to her parents go on and on and on about the different happenings at home, and she was forever grateful when they pulled into their driveway. She looked at the house she had grown up in and she suddenly felt like she was suffocating. Taking a deep breath she got out of the car and started unloading her luggage with the help of her wand.

“What are you doing?” Her father asked with a raised voice. Hermione looked at him and then down at her wand, she had just committed a major crime in the wizarding world, doing magic in front of muggles.

“Whoops,” casually she put her wand back in its holder strapped to her arm. “Sorry, I guess I forgot.” But before she had time to explain any further a pop was heard and Hermione pulled her father down behind the car and rolled out into a fighting position.

“Watcher, Hermione.” Tonks called out and Hermione let out a sigh.

“Thought it was the ministry,” Hermione said as she came around the car to greet Tonks. “Well I mean you are part of the ministry, oh dear. You aren't here to arrest me are you?”

“What? Oh no. I just came from the Burrow and we decided that you should have someone here to make sure the press didn't follow you.”

“Did Ron send you?” Hermione put her hands on her hips; it was just so typical of him. He never thought she could wholly give up a fight. Well she could, she reasoned with herself.

“Ron didn't send me…no the other one did…I think you call him Harry. That is when you aren't mad at him,” Hermione only caught snippets of what Tonks was saying, to begin with, but once she realized it was Harry who thought she needed protection she felt even more anger.

It was as she was unpacking some of her stuff that she began to show this anger. “He thinks I can't defend myself,” she said as she threw some books on to a shelf. “How dare he?” She let out a yell of frustration as her mother entered the room, but Hermione didn't notice and continued on her rant. “I mean after all we have been through and I know how to handle the press way better than he does. After all who blackmailed Rita? Me, that's who. And who knows more jinxes? Me.” As she ranted Hermione finally noticed her mum.

“I was going to tell you that we are glad to have you home, but, Hermione, I don't think you are doing us any favors by pretending you are happy to be here.” And with that Jane Granger left her daughter to think things over.

Thinking was quickly becoming one of Harry's favorite past times and this was the third afternoon he spent in Mrs. Weasley's garden and just stared off into space. Ron had kept him up half the night by having a nightmare. Harry had dutifully sat by his friend's bed and waited until they stop, he figured he at least owed him that much for all the nightmares Harry, himself, had had.

“Do you see anything interesting out there in the sky?”

“I thought you weren't talking to me, Ginny.” Harry didn't need to turn around to see Ginny and frankly he didn't want to. She wasn't the one he needed or wanted right now.

“Well, I have to say I wasn't but I thought that maybe you could use someone to talk to. Seeing as Hermione just up and left,” Ginny grinned at this and she sat down on the step next to Harry.

“Hermione didn't up and leave. You and I both know that, but she did go back with her parents. She felt she owed them that and I have to agree with her. It is important to keep up some connections between the wizarding and muggle worlds. If you only knew how much easier it was to know someone from their side, a friend who could lend you a hand or even a place to stay, during the war.”

“Then why don't you explain it to me?”

“I can't explain it to you! There are just some things some people will never understand,” Harry cautiously lowered his voice for he was afraid reporters would overhear him.

“Why, all I want to know is why,” She pleaded with him.

“Because you are a silly little girl,” Harry whispered.

Ginny was shaking with anger at this comment from Harry. “Well, this silly little girl wasn't so silly to you last year. In fact I was your girlfriend last year and now I'm nothing to you and you are still everything to me.”

Everything was quickly falling apart, Ron noted as he looked at the chess board in front of him. Remus Lupin was thoroughly kicking his ass. Ron for the fifth time that hour checked the clock on the mantle to see Hermione's name still pointing to muggle world. It was newly added by his mother the morning after Hermione left. She was due home in one week and to Ron the time was ticking by slowly. He missed his best friend, both of them. Quietly he wondered who was taking care of her at night when the nightmares invaded her sleep.

Jane Granger put a cold washcloth on her daughter's forehead. It was the sixth time she had awoken to the screams of her daughter. And what was killing her was the knowledge that Jane could do nothing about them. Every morning afterwards she always asked Hermione to tell her what they were but her daughter would just shrug her off.

“Harry, Ron,” Hermione mumbled before she bolted straight up in bed. She let out a shuddering sigh and then took in the room. Her mother was sitting in a chair by her bed staring at her and it was then that Hermione knew he wouldn't be coming.

“Mum we both know this isn't working out,” Hermione said as she got out of bed and threw on some jeans over her shorts. “I mean every night this week you have been at my bedside trying to chase away the nightmares, and it isn't working. I hate to say this but you aren't what I need anymore. Coming home so soon was a bad idea,” Hermione grabbed her wand from her bedside table and quickly started packing everything in her bag.

“So you think leaving in the middle of the night is the answer?” Jane was seriously questioning her daughter's sanity, but she made no move to stop her.

“I'm going to go to the safe house,” it was then that she noticed the look on her mother's face. “Please I've stayed here for two weeks just about. I would be leaving the day after today. Can't we just say goodbye early?”

“Are you ever going to come back?” For the first time in Hermione's life her mother looked small. And she rushed forward and hugged her. “I promise to always come back. Remember at the beginning of this I made that promise and kept it. You mean the world to me, mum, but right now I need to get better.”

“Be careful, my baby.” And with that Jane let go of her daughter. She stood in the room long after she had disapparated. And she left the room she had so meticulously decorated so long ago only when she heard her husband moving around. Jane closed the door on her dreams as she closed the door to her daughter's room.

Ron awoke to the sound of an alarm going off. He looked around his childhood room to see Harry jumping out of bed. Quickly and nosily the two boys got dressed and by the time they reached the last stair they had awoke half the house. Molly was the first to ask them what was wrong.

“Hermione,” Harry said as he summoned his bag. “It's been great Mrs. Weasley but we have to go.”

“Of course always rushing off to her aid,” Ginny spoke before anyone could stop her.

“And I'll keep rushing as long as I'm able to,” Harry said as Ron summoned his bag, hugged his mum and dad, and gave Harry a nod.

“We have to get going,” Harry apparated giving Ron some time to say goodbye his family.

“Send Hedwig if you need to contact us,” Ron slung his bag over his shoulder. “She knows where to find us and Harry has asked her to stay here for the time being. I'll come back before school begins.” And with that Ron left the living room and apparated to the safe house.

Hermione entered the safe house in a huff. Her emotions were going crazy and she was crying uncontrollable when the lights flickered on in the room she had entered. She breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Tonks and rushed to the older girl and hugged her. Four minutes later Tonks, Remus, and Hermione heard another pop. They waited in the kitchen for Harry to enter the room.

“You okay, sweetie?” Harry pulled up a stool and kissed her on the top of her head.

“Yeah,” she said as she melted into his embrace. “I just couldn't do it anymore. This is going to be harder than I thought.”

“For all of us,” Ron said as he entered the kitchen. And the five people who truly knew what the war cost them headed off to their rooms in the safe house.