The setting sun made the surface of the lake look like it was painted with gold, as the gentle waters lapped at the lake's edge, where Hermione Granger stood, robed in black.
Behind her were Ron, Luna, the fifteen or so remaining members of the DA, and array of people who had all come to say goodbye to The Boy Who Lived. McGonnagal was there and so was a sobbing Hagrid from Hogwarts. Mad-Eye was there and Lupin and Tonks - her hair a raven black - were present, their hands clasped tightly together. The entire Weasley family had also shown up.
Hermione knew they were all there, not only for Harry, but for her as well, but she just couldn't seem to feel it. She hadn't been able to feel much of anything in the two days since Harry died.
She knew that what was left of Bellatrix's Death Eaters had either been captured by the DA that night, or scattered to the wind, and that the Ministry was finally hunting them down. Strange, she thought, how in life they wouldn't listen to Harry, and it's only in his death they understand.
Today wasn't solely about Harry, but about everyone who had died fighting the Death Eaters. They had laid to rest ten of their own, including Seamus who had died fighting alongside Dean and Neville, and also Callum Taliesin, who was found dead with two unconscious Death Eaters. The truth of Callum's role in the attack would probably never been fully known, but whatever the role was, there was a comfort in the fact that he had died on the side of the DA.
They had also buried Draco with the others. Some had been resistant to this idea, but Hermione contended that he had died defending Claer just like the rest, and he deserved the same honour. She didn't say it to anyone, but she knew Draco would have rather been buried with his family, but since that option was not available, he would be buried with the closest thing to a family he had, at the end.
Now, as she stood alone by the lake, all she could think about was Harry. All the things she was going to miss; the look in his eyes when they talked - that look that said how completely he loved her, the feeling of his hand in hers, the way he tasted when they kissed, and the warmth she felt whenever she was in his arms. She clutched these and a thousand other memories like precious gems, and swore to herself that she would never let them go.
She'd spent most of the time since Harry died with Ron and Luna, who have been the only ones able to give her any feeling of comfort. Otherwise, she'd stuck to herself, lost in thought and memory.
She heard the rustling of grass behind her and turned to see Ron coming, tears sliding down his cheeks. He gently laid a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's time. Everyone's here." She nodded in response, and together they walked to where the water met the land, where a small boat was floating with the body of Harry Potter laying in it. Her heart broke again at the sight of him, and though she thought she had no more tears to cry, tears come again.
She and Ron got on opposite sides of the boat and gently pushed it out into the lake. It floated gently along, the waters welcoming it like a long lost friend.
When at last it gets to about the middle of the lake, she and Ron both drew their wands and together murmured the incantation that they had spent the last two days working on. The ground all around them started to shake and rumble, and the water where the boat was floating started to bubble, hiss and steam, obscuring the boat from view.
This lasted for a moment, and when everything settled down, instead of the boat in the middle of the lake, there is now an island with a single tree sapling growing. The final monument to Harry Potter and all he gave the world.
She and Ron stepped back, and watched as everyone paid their tearful respects to the island from the shore. It wasn't long before just Ron and Luna, who were holding hands, and Hermione were left standing at the lakeshore.
"Well," Ron said, breaking the silence. "What do we do now?"
The question was greeted with silence for a moment, before Hermione spoke up.
"I'm going to leave for a while, do some traveling. I can't stay here now. Maybe someday, but not now."
Ron looked like he wanted to say something, but then changed his mind.
"Ron, that leaves you in charge of the DA. Take care of them," she said. Ron nodded and she gave him a long hug, and kissed his cheek.
"Luna, this leaves you in charge of Ron. Take care of him," she said with a smile, and Ron couldn't help but laugh through the new tears he was crying.
"I will," Luna answered and hugged Hermione.
Hermione took a step back, and with one last look at the island where the only man she will ever love rested, walked away.
***
Luna watched Hermione's slowly disappearing figure, and she couldn't help but think about the wheels of life that are always spinning. Things begin, and things end. That's the way of it, but it doesn't make it any easier.
She felt the warmth coming from Ron's hand as he watched Hermione disappear from view.
"We'll see her again, won't we?" he asked.
"Yes, we will, when the wheel spins her back out again."
Ron turned and looked at her with a faint smile, and before she knew what was happening, leaned in gave her a tender kiss. Leaning his forehead against hers, he said, "I still have no idea what you're talking about sometimes."
She couldn't help but laugh at this, and hand-in-hand, they started heading back to Claer. As they did they stopped and took one look back at the island, where the last ray of light caught the tree and the single, white blossom on its branch.
-->