The Cliffies

The Cliffies

Short 1-What now?

Hermione stood by the lake waiting for some sort of breeze to just sweep away her worries. To sweep away all her desires and regrets. Too many things should have been said. Too many things should have been done. All of these were left in the abyss of a tragedy.

“Hermione, honey, come on. We have to go.” It was a cool voice, meant to calm her. Immovable, she remained in the same spot. “Hermione, please,” Ginny's hand fell onto her friend's back as she begged her.

Hermione might as well not have heard her. She dazed into the oblivion. The gaze in her eyes would send a chill into anyone's spine. Her signature hair swirled around in the wind. A single tear was frozen on her cheek. It had been one of many she had shed that day.

“Hermione?” This last seemed to jolt Hermione a bit. She looked down into her hands a crumpled piece of paper.

“You know, he wouldn't have wanted you to hole yourself up like this right?” Ginny paused hoping Hermione would say something. When she didn't, Ginny began again after looking back towards the castle. “They—“

“He didn't want me to go with him.” It was a simple statement, the first she had said since she received the owl.

“What are you talking about?” Ginny took one step toward her, tilting her head to the side.

“I lied. He did wake me.” She looked back out on to the lake. “It was three o'clock in the morning, and they were heading out.”

It was as though she was living through it all over again…

There was a soft crash and mumbling in the bathroom. She opened her eyes just a little before, closing them again. There was a crack of light the flooded through the small opening of the door to next room. She peeked through her eyes once more to look around. “Harry?” She cried hoarsely.

He poked his head in a smile gently at her. He planned to let her sleep and find him gone in the morning with nothing she could do about it. Secretly, he hoped she would awaken on her own. So he could say good-bye again.

“Now?”

“Yea”

“Is it—“

“No, of course not. It's fine, just… a disturbance.” He avoided her gaze now. Even in her drowsy state of mind, she managed to notice.

“Harry, don't lie to me.”

He looked back up at her. He was glad for the darkness that submerged his clouded eyes. She could not see the tears that were forming. But she knew him enough that they were there. “I would never.”

“Harry,” She pleaded with him.

“Don't. Please, don't ask me to explain. I've already done more than I was told.”

“Harry”

“No!” His voice was stern. “You can't come. It's not up to you. It's up to me.”

“But I want to be with you like have been since we started this.”

“No! I don't want to you to come. It is too dangerous, especially….”

“Well then you can't go either. You're not going without me.”

“Maybe I just don't want you to come with me? Maybe I want to go without you hovering over my head?”

“You don't mean that!” The sleepiness was wearing away. She stood up to face him. She was inches shorter but her gaze held.

“Yes, I do. I don't want you near me.” His words echoed in her ears and she thought about what he had said as the shock of it sunk in. She felt like she was falling apart.

He reached down and held her chin. He softly pulled it up to his lips. She turned her cheek to him, now soaked with tears. “I love you.” He whispered forcefully as he turned around and walked toward the door. He paused. “Good-bye.” She sworn under his breath, he said “Don't look for me.”

“But that doesn't mean that he didn't want you. He didn't want you to get hurt like he…I suppose…he knew…he would.” Ginny said consoling Hermione.

“No but just the idea was too much for me to handle.” She gave a small bittersweet laugh to herself. “Pathetic isn't? I knew all along he was going off to face his death but I was upset when he left that he had said he didn't want me.”

“Of course its not.”

Hermione looked up to meet her eyes. “Yes, it is.”

“You were worried. There was nothing wrong with that.”

Hermione sighed before responding. “I suppose, but what do you expect me to do now? Get up and act like nothing happened?”

“No, I expect you to morn, but move on.”

“I don't know that I can do that.” Hermione looked back on to the lake, admiring its smooth, undisturbed surface. “Do you remember the summers at the Grimmauld Place? Or the first time we went to Hogsmeade? No, you wouldn't you weren't allowed to go…What about all those nights we stayed up studying for test, and finishing homework.” She gave soft laugh. Her eyes were clouded by the memories. “He called me his…Little Bookworm. For once it didn't matter, I liked it.”

“Harry you mean?” Ginny asked sitting back down on the grass next to Hermione.

She slowly nodded. “He called me Beautiful, Darling, Love. He called me his `Everything.'” A smile was spreading across her face, but it was soon replaced with tears that made tracks down her cheeks. Ginny reached over and held Hermione, hoping that her warm embrace would help calm her.

Ron called from a feet behind them. “Er…You alright, you two?” Ginny made a motion with her hands before telling him that they would be there in a minute.

“He loved you. That was one thing you don't have to worry about.” Ginny said finally.

“I know. What am I supposed to do now though?” She sat up again. “I feel like if I don't mourn I'm not honoring him. And if I don't look perfect, like I'm supposed to, then I'm letting everyone else down.” She watched her friend. Ginny began a few statements. None of which, actually left her lips.

“I feel more alone, than ever before.” Silence flowed like waves over the two of them.

“Hermione…you know we are all here for you.” Hermione looked down like played with the hem of her robes.

“Yes.”

“And you trust us, don't you?”

Hermione looked up at her friend. “Of course.” Almost confused by the question.

“Is there something else? Something else he said or did? Something you won't tell us?” Ginny scanned Hermione's eyes before they were returned to her fiddling. For a few minutes with a loose thread.

“No,” she responded half-heartedly. Slowly, Ginny rose to her feet.

“One of us has to go back.” She paused. “Come… if you would like. They're all very glad to see you.” She said each word slowly. She waited for one of those words to sink in. Ginny was already halfway up the path that led to the castle when she heard Hermione's voice.

“Ginny,” The girl turned around to face Hermione. “I'm pregnant.”

-->