Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter related.
A/N: So here is chapter eight. There's a pretty good cliffhanger so I might leave you waiting a few extra days. I'm evil, I know, I can't help it. Anyway, enjoy!
Love Letters
Chapter Eight
Harry sat cold and frozen in his chair, trying hard to comprehend the jumble of words Dumbledore had just uttered.
"Beg your pardon," the teenager muttered, his teeth beginning to chatter slightly.
"I'm afraid," Dumbledore sighed with a sense of true sadness in his eyes, "that the Weasley family is missing. Since the middle of July we've had people searching, but it's no use. They've disappeared."
"N-no," Hermione stammered, finally speaking up, "no it can't be. There, there must be a logical explanation. You can't, you can't just, just disappear. Can you?"
"I don't know what else to tell you," Dumbledore replied, "I know how shocking this must be but it has come time for all of us to face the truth and move onward from it. If we don't," the old man paused and looked at the sullen Harry from over the rim of his half moon glasses, "Merlin only knows what will become of us all."
Harry nodded and stood up. He needed to get away from everything and just breathe for a while. Hermione, who had tears streaming down her cheeks, followed him out of the office and all the way to the lake in silence. After standing together for what seemed like ages, Hermione collapsed to the ground in bitter agony.
"It's all my fault!" she sobbed, her breathing off center.
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked quietly, joining her on the ground and rubbing her back warmly.
"The letters," Hermione cried, "he never answered my letters. And I didn't do anything. Not a thing! It's all my fault!"
"No it's not," Harry contradicted, pulling her closer to him. "Ron didn't answer my letters either. I should have done something too." Harry kissed her forehead and held her for a while. Hermione's sobs slowly began to subside and her breathing went back to normal. She looked painfully into Harry's deep green eyes and shook her head sadly.
"He's gone," Hermione sniffed, "Ron's really gone."
"I know," Harry replied, setting his chin on top of her head. "But Dumbledore's right. We have to face this. And we have to move on. Look at everyone else here. Neville, the Creeveys . . . together, we can get through this. We're only as strong as we are united, remember?"
Hermione nodded slowly.
"Troubles like this only make a person stronger," Harry continued, "We'll get through this. We can . . . and we will."
The two sat in the growing darkness for a long time after that. Hermione, trying her best to stay strong as Harry said. And Harry, trying his best to believe what he had said.
-:-
"Pass the fruit please," Hermione muttered the next morning. Harry passed her the large bowl and she thanked
him quietly. Breakfast that morning was a particular quiet one. It consisted of whispers and short answers. No one
seemed in the mood of talking much.
"Morning Harry, Hermione," Neville Longbottom said cheerfully as he sat down beside them. "Sleep well?" Harry gave him a weak smile and then went back to staring at his bowl of cold oatmeal. "It gets better," he continued after a while, "being here, you know? I know we aren't here on such wonderful circumstances but school will really be starting in a couple of weeks and it will all go back to normal, you'll see."
"How can you say that?" Hermione snapped all of a sudden, making Harry drop his spoon. Neville looked up at her in confusion.
"Say what?" the boy asked timidly.
"How can you talk like everything is just peachy?" Hermione answered, her volume loud enough for the entire hall to hear her. "Your grandmother is dead! The Weasleys are missing! And you say everything will go back to normal? Don't you get it? Nothing will ever go back to normal again! Nothing will ever be the same! Never!" Hermione slammed her fist onto the table. "I can't take this anymore!" She screamed, and sobbing violently, she ran from the hall before anyone could stop her. All heads turned to Harry and Neville, who sat there in shock.
"She's right you know," Harry whispered bitterly.
"You think I don't know that?" Neville spat in reply.
A tense silence lay over all of the students for the rest of the morning.
-:-
Hermione ran to the place that had been her sanctuary for over four years: the library. The library had always been a
place where she could recollect herself and think things through. The librarian gave her a quizzical look as the teen
stormed in, bothered and upset. Ignoring the woman, Hermione started walking through the many aisles filled with books
and knowledge. It always gave her a jolt of excitement, knowing that there was so much out there to discover. Walking
along, picking a book out here and there, Hermione finally was able to calm down. She sat down at the table in the
farthest corner and started to read The 100 Greatest Witches of All Time. Hermione sighed in content. This was how it
was supposed to be.
"I know how you feel," a voice said hours later.
Hermione jumped with a start. She looked up and found herself face to face with the Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang.
"Hi Cho," Hermione said politely, "why don't you sit down?"
The tall and exotic looking teenager sat across from Hermione. Her eyes were dark and swollen but also set and determined.
"I know how you feel," she repeated, making Hermione squirm in her seat.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked nervously, knowing exactly what Cho meant.
"About Ron," Cho answered, "I know how you feel."
"And how is that?" Hermione asked, her temper about to get the best of her.
"I'm here aren't I?" Cho replied quietly, full of remorse.
"What happened?" Hermione questioned after a long pause.
"I wasn't having a good summer, without Cedric you know?" Cho said, griping one of Hermione's books closely. Hermione nodded and she continued. "So a friend came over one day and said that I had to get out; I had to leave the house. So she dragged me to a party. It was fun . . . it was a lot of fun. I mean I had the time of my life. Then I got home and everyone was asleep. I thought everyone was asleep."
Cho stopped abruptly as tears began to well in her eyes. Hermione reached out and squeezed her hand comfortingly. Cho took a few deep breaths and went on.
"I went upstairs and noticed that there was a draft. I figured that my parents left their window open so I went into their room to close it. When I got there they were . . . well they. . ." she closed her eyes and took a couple more breaths. "They were dead."
The two girls sat in silence for a few moments until Cho was ready to speak again.
"I ran to my younger sister's room to see if she was alright," Cho whispered almost inaudibly, "but she was gone too. She was my best friend and she was dead. I ran to my room hoping to wake up from a horrible dream. I mean first Cedric, now my parents and my sister! But on my bed there was a note. It said 'I'll be back.' The next day I was on a train back to Hogwarts."
"I'm so sorry Cho," Hermione said, not knowing what else to say.
"I know," Cho smiled weakly, wiping her eyes, "everyone's sorry these days. You know, for weeks I beat myself up about it. If I had just stayed home I might have been able to save them. I blamed myself. But Dumbledore did something great. They've, they've got these counseling sessions every night now; anyone can go. And we just talk. It's helped a lot." Cho looked up sadly into Hermione's brown eyes. "I know how you feel about losing Ron. You can't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Sometimes things happen that we can't prevent. We just have to . . . move on. It'll take a while, believe me, but you can . . . and you will."
"That's what Harry said," Hermione muttered so quietly that Cho couldn't hear her.
"Well, it's almost time for tonight's session," stated Cho, standing up, "I'm gonna go. Maybe I'll see you there?"
"Maybe," Hermione sighed.
Cho smiled slightly and started making her way out of the library.
"Cho," Hermione called.
The girl turned around curiously.
"Thanks."
-:-
"Hey Stranger."
Harry turned his gaze from the lake and saw Hermione walking towards him.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Harry asked, full of concern.
"Better," Hermione answered shortly. She stood beside him and stared off in the distance past the lake and into the horizon. She reached for Harry's hand and took it without a word. Harry looked up at her, confused. Earlier she had been on the verge of a breakdown. Now she seemed perfectly calm and normal.
"What happened?" Harry asked abruptly.
"Nothing," Hermione said nonchalantly, still gazing at the sunset, a small smile curving onto her lips.
"Hermione, something's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong Harry," Hermione said exasperatedly, "just . . . different."
"Like?" he asked, turning her chin so she was looking at him.
"Like I love you," she replied, "and I know that together we can get through anything. That this whole . . . ordeal, we'll move on from it, together."
"I see," Harry smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist, "bout time you figured it out."
"Shut up Harry," Hermione joked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I love you too," he said, kissing her nose. "And we will get through this . . . in due time. . ."
Hermione smiled contently into Harry's shoulder and they stayed like that for a while.
-:-
Weeks later, Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand down to the Great Hall for dinner. It was the first feast of the
year and the remaining students were back for the start of the new school year. Familiar and smiling faces greeted the
couple as they made their way to the Gryffindor table.
"Lavender! You're back!" Hermione squealed and hugged the girl who normally was not her friend. But the absence of so many students, like the Patil twins, made every bond a little thicker.
"Hey Dean, welcome back," Harry smiled, giving the guy and friendly pat on the back.
The feast began on a remorseful note in memory of those who were no longer with them. But there was also a relieved feeling in the air, knowing that there were still so many students left. The new students had been sorted and the feast was about to begin when something interrupted it.
"Hey Harry, did ya miss me?"
Harry and Hermione both turned around and gaped.
"Ron?"