Goodbye To You

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter in story sense.

A/N: This is a short story. Extremely short! It's only this one chapter. If you do not have the heart to deal with tragedy then don't read this.

Goodbye To You

Hermione sat, silent tears running down her cheeks. She looked around at everyone in the courtyard. They were all dressed in black, a form of their morning. She didn't know what had made her come, fear, guilt, everything fit. The green grass seemed to turn shades of gray in front of her very eyes. The sky overhead was ashen as rain poured from its face. Hermione knelt her head again as the preacher began.

"Let us rejoice, our savior has come. Like the Lord Jesus before him he shall rise again. The fall of the Dark Lord is a blessing. To hell must he go. The valiant battle to end many lives has ceased."

He continued on, but Hermione didn't pay attention. In her mind all she could hear was the whistling of the harsh, bone-chilling wind. The whole world seemed to stand still. Like they were all taken out of time itself. But she stayed. The figures around her turned dark and disappeared, the minister too. It was now only the chronic battle between her and time.

In her bleak eyes she saw the clouds move and the sun behind them. She saw the swaying trees and the leaves fall. The rain soaked through her clothes, her skin. It penetrated her very soul.

Everything came back into view. Many were putting their umbrellas up and she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. At least, it would have been comforting if it were someone else.

"Let's go, Hermione," Ron said from behind her and he tugged her told the car. It was too dangerous to use magic here, even though no one else was around.

"That's all right, Ron," Hermione replied laying her hand over his and pulling it off her shoulder. "I'll stay here for a little while longer."

Ron didn't say anything. He understood what she was feeling. But, then again, he didn't. He could only think about how she would feel. He gave a silent nod, turned, and walked off. At his car he looked back, the hill Hermione was standing on seemed so distant. He drove away as a single tear made it's way down his face.

*

The tears of the sky came pelting down on her. Hermione failed to notice. She felt like she was drifting away from the rest of the world. She didn't think she could ever feel pain this intoxicating in her heart. It pierced her body like no bullet could.

Hermione made sure that everyone had left. She didn't want to then to see her so weak. She turned, seeing that no one was around she turned back to the marker.

Harry James Potter

1980-2001

May He Live In Our Hearts Forever

Hermione read it over and over again. Perhaps searching for some clue that he could still be alive. Refusing the fact that he was dead. But she knew in her mind that it was true. Only yesterday had she laid her eyes on his lifeless form. Her heart, however, prohibited the belief that he was gone forever.

She felt her knees go weak as she finally accepted the truth. Her legs collapsed and she fell to the ground, left in hysterical sobs.

"Why!?" she cried out to no one, just looking up at the sky and letting the droplets caress her skin. She let her head dangle again. "Why did you have to take him?"

Her hair clung to her face and she buried it in the grass. She couldn't help thinking; "I should have been there. He thought I was dead. Why couldn't I have been there?"

In her mind she knew that blaming herself would do no good. She just couldn't help it, she couldn't rid herself of the thought that, if he had known she was still alive, he would have something to live for.

She rolled over on her side, closing her eyes to let the tears fall freely again. She clutched her black dress, wrinkles formed where her hands gripped the cloth. She didn't know how long she laid there, but when she awoke after falling asleep from grief, the rain had stopped.

Hermione pulled herself off the wet ground and regained her composure. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to. Hermione bent down on her knees again. She slowly pressed her lips to the hard stone and took herself away.

She wanted to stay, to lay there and die next to him. Hermione stood there a little longer, just gazing at the stone. Then she gradually turned away as more tears made their way down her cheeks.

At the base of the hill she turned again to face it. "Goodbye to you, Harry Potter." She pulled the door of her car open and turned the key in the ignition. "I love you." And, leaving it at that, she drove away.

Epilogue

Again they were gathered at the hill. Standing dressed in black. Looking down at the grave. Ron stepped up and laid a bouquet of flowers on a new gravestone.

She had requested it. A note was taped to her body. It said:

Dear Ron,

Thank you for being there for me after Harry's death. I just suppose I couldn't handle it. The grief was too much. You have been the best friend anyone could hope for. But I need to rejoin my love. I'm sure you couldn't comprehend how much I need this. For me, life without him was empty and I feel that for happiness I need to be with him again. So, as the largest favor you could possibly do for me, bury me next to Harry. We'll save a spot for you when we see you again.

I Love You So Much, Hermione

No marks were on her so there could only have been one thing, Avada Kadavra.

And here they were again. To say goodbye to a dear friend. And on the tombstone all it said was:

Hermione Granger

I Love You All

He did understand. And, for some reason, he wasn't grief-stricken. He knew that now Hermione was happy. And happy was she would stay.

A/N: I told you it would be said. I almost cried when I wrote it. But I felt I had to. And, in regards to my chapter/story, may Hermione always be with Harry.