Chapter 5: The Aftermath
Harry let out a cough as the smoke entered his lungs. He shook his head to get rid of the dizziness before he looked around and his heart fell at the devastation that filled his vision.
The tables that held the food and drinks were destroyed. Some of the presents were on fire. The bandstand was now rubble. All the chairs had been destroyed and the flowers were all blackened.
Some bodies littered the place - some were the guests of the wedding, the others were the death eaters that the guests had managed to dispatch. Harry looked down to the space next to him only to realise that Hermione was no longer beside him and he looked around.
"Hermione?" Harry called out as he looked around the area as fear started to grip his heart.
"Harry," a faint voice called and Harry turned in the direction and saw a piece of red material underneath one of the bandstand stilts and one of the tables. Harry rushed over to the rubble and started pulling each piece of material away from the person trapped under it.
Once he got her freed, Hermione looked up at him with tired pain filled eyes and Harry let out a sigh of relief.
"Hermione - are you okay? Does anything hurt?" Harry asked and Hermione winced.
"My ankle, I think I sprained it," Hermione admitted and Harry looked down at her ankle and winced when he saw the purple bruise and her ankle was a sort of funny shape - she hadn't sprained it, she had broken it.
"Come on - I need to take you back to the house," Harry told her as he squatted and lifted Hermione up in his arms. One arm was wrapped around her back and the other underneath her legs.
Hermione wrapped an arm around his neck before she took in the sight and felt her heart break for Bill and Fleur - they had been waiting so long to have their wedding and the Death Eaters had destroyed it.
"Poor Bill and Fleur," Hermione murmured and Harry nodded in agreement before he started walking toward the house.
They soon reached the house. Harry used his feet to open the door and stepped in, closing the door behind him when running footsteps headed toward them. They turned to look at the stairs and saw their best friend hurrying toward them with a relieved yet worried look on his face.
"Harry! Hermione!" Ron exclaimed as he hurried down the stairs, relieved to see his best friends alive and well before he frowned, noticing that Hermione was in Harry's arm.
"She's broke her ankle, where's your mum?" Harry asked.
"In the kitchen," Ron told him. "Here, take Hermione into the living room and I'll get my mum for you."
"Thanks Ron," Harry told him as he made his way into the living room and Ron ran into the kitchen.
Harry placed Hermione on the couch before moving down to her feet. He gingerly picked up her broken ankle and placed it on a pillow before moving toward and brushing back her hair, which had fallen out of its clasps. "Are you okay?" Hermione smiled softly as she cupped one of Harry's hands, holding it to her cheek.
"Yes, I'm fine Harry. Just a broken ankle," Hermione assured him and Harry nodded only to move out of the way when Mrs. Weasley made her way into the living room.
"You are okay," she confirmed with a look of relief before she moved closer to Hermione examined her ankle before handing her a potion. "Okay - take this and brace yourself," Molly warned.
Hermione took the potion and when she was finished, Mrs. Weasley waved her wand, causing the ankle to snap back into
place. Hermione let out a gritted cry of pain while Harry held her hand.
Mrs. Weasley checked the ankle once more before nodding. "It's back into place but I want to you stay off it a
little longer - it's still tender," she warned Hermione, who nodded.
"Okay," Hermione told her and Mrs. Weasley made her way back into the kitchen before Harry turned to face Hermione.
"Do you want anything?" Harry asked.
"I wouldn't mind some pumpkin juice - my throat feels a little dry from the smoke," Hermione admitted and Harry grinned.
"One cold glass of pumpkin juice is coming up," Harry told her before he headed into the kitchen where he saw most of the guests were milling about. Harry poured a glass of pumpkin juice before spotting Ron and moved over to him.
"Is everyone okay?" Harry whispered to Ron, who shook his head.
"Percy's dead," Ron whispered and Harry sighed. "He jumped in front of the killing spell that was sent toward Fleur."
"Merlin," Harry whispered as he rubbed his forehead. "Anyone else?" Ron swallowed hard before his eyes flickered over to Hermione before he looked at Harry.
"Krum - he's dead too," Ron blurted out and Harry stared at him, shocked before his eyes flickered over to Hermione. How the hell was he going to tell her that? "Mate, do you want me to tell her?" Ron asked and Harry shook his head.
"No, I'll do it - check on Luna, make sure she is okay - you know what she's like," Harry told and Ron let out a small chuckle.
"Yeah, listen, I know this isn't a good time to say it but I'm sorry you two didn't work out," Ron told him, but Harry shook his head.
"I'm not," Harry told him and Ron looked at him shocked. "I was looking in the wrong place, as usual." Ron's eyes widened in understanding before he gave Harry his trademark smirk before shaking his head.
"About time, mate. About time," Ron told him before clapping his shoulder as he walked off in search for Luna.
Harry took a deep breath before he moved over to Hermione and knelt down beside her. He placed the glass to one side before looking at Hermione with a serious look on his face. Hermione looked at him, puzzled yet amused at the same time.
"If you are going to propose to me, it's not really a good time," Hermione teased him and Harry gave her a weak smile - one that she picked up on and her teasing mood evaporated. "Harry, what is it?"
Ginny watched from the kitchen table as Harry told Hermione the news. She watched as Hermione shake her head in denial before the tears finally came to her eyes and one hand cupped her mouth.
Ginny watched as Harry lifted a hand and cupped Hermione's cheek before she threw herself into Harry's arms and cried on his shoulder. Harry just closed his eyes and rubbed Hermione's back, trying to comfort her.
"What's wrong with Hermione?" Luna's soft voice came from behind Ginny.
"Krum is dead," Ron's voice answered Luna and Ginny felt her heart break slightly for the brunette. She knew that Viktor and Hermione were good friends.
"Oh, poor Hermione," Luna whispered. Harry turned his face into Hermione's side and whispered something into her ear. Hermione nodded but still clung to Harry.
Ginny looked off to the side, unable to watch the scene any more before she stood up and left the kitchen altogether, leaving Luna and Ron staring after her wondering if she would ever accept that she and Harry were over.
Harry found himself standing out in the back yard of the Burrow, looking up at the stars that were twinkling brightly.
The garden had been cleaned up of all the rubble and the bodies. The ministry had come over earlier, taking statements before setting around to contact the victims' families and prepare the funerals.
Harry couldn't believe how one moment could change everything. One moment, he had been happy. He and Hermione were having the time of their lives and so was everyone else. Bill and Fleur were happy and newly married when all of a sudden lives were taken from them on a day that was supposed to be joyous.
"You know, it's not going to work," a female voice spoke up and Harry looked over his shoulder to see Ginny standing there with a determined look on her face.
"What's not going to work?" Harry asked as Ginny moved closer to him.
"Keeping me safe from Voldemort - he sent his death eaters here, so I suppose he knows about us," Ginny informed him. Harry just arched an eyebrow at the young girl.
"Ginny, there is no us. We broke up before the summer, remember?" Harry reminded. "It's over. Voldemort just sent his death eaters here because he knew it would get my attention."
"Harry, you are coming back to me after the war, aren't you?" Ginny asked and Harry laughed, mirthless.
"Ginny - I'm about to face a huge war and you're worried if I'm gonna come back to you or not?" Harry demanded. "Merlin Ginny - I think I have enough on my plate without having to worry about a relationship." Ginny looked at him, shocked. "Look, we had a great two weeks but that what it was - a physical relationship. You don't even know me Ginny."
"I do!" Ginny protested. "You are Harry Potter - the Boy Who Lived!"
"No I'm not!" Harry shouted at her. "I'm Harry - just Harry. Just a fucking normal teenaged boy who wants to be living his life - not facing a goddamn war!" Ginny took a step back in fear. "The only reason I'm the Boy Who Lived was because my mother scarified herself to keep me alive - I'm not the Boy Who Lived because I magically made Voldemort disappear - that was my mother's love for me."
With that, Harry walked off, shaking his head in disgust and he wondered why he ever dated Ginny. Oh, he knew that he was desperate for anyway out of his 'Destiny' and she seemed interesting but it made him wonder - why her?
Hermione sighed from where she watched the two of them from her window. She knew that Harry had been a time bomb just waiting to explode and she could kill Voldemort herself for putting this on Harry.
Hermione shook her head with a cynical laugh - Harry lost his parents and became the Boy Who Lived all because of one man was terrified of a one year old baby - how pathetic could Voldemort get?
"Oh, that boy," Ginny muttered as she made her way into the bedroom only to see Hermione staring out of the window. "He just wants to protect me."
"Actually, I think he made it pretty clear that he's not interested in you anymore," Hermione informed her without looking at the young Weasley.
"Shouldn't you off snogging Ron?" Ginny informed her tartly, but Hermione looked at Ginny with an amused smirk.
"Sorry Ginny - but I think Ron has found an interest in Luna," Hermione informed her before shrugging. "Good for him too, she is what he needs."
"She's loony," Ginny told Hermione bitterly and Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ginny, suddenly irritated with the young female's attitude.
"Look - just because Harry realised that relationships are not really important right now doesn't mean you can go around and start acting like you suddenly have knowledge about everyone!" Hermione snapped. "I'm sorry that you're not getting your dream but I'm not sorry that Harry has wizened up to what a spoiled brat you are acting."
"Oh, quit acting like you know Harry - you'll only embarrass yourself," Ginny snapped and Hermione arched an eyebrow before she chuckled, causing Ginny to look at her, shocked.
"What's the matter - forgot that I was the one who stayed by Harry's side ever since first year - I believed him when he told me that he didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire while the rest of you were more than willing to believe that Harry had every reason to put his name in the goblet. That I'm the one who knows who he is while to the rest of you he is Harry Potter - the Boy Who Lived, while he's just Harry to me?" Hermione informed her before she shook her head. "I think you should stop acting like you know Harry before you embarrass yourself."
With that, Hermione got off the bed and headed out of the room, planning to move into another room so she didn't have the stay with Ginny.
Ginny just stared at Hermione's back as she left the room, rage fuming through her body as she started to plot in how to prove everyone wrong and that she truly knew Harry.
Hermione found herself in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, sipping her drink when the backdoor opened and Harry stepped in. Hermione grinned when she saw him.
"Hey, I thought you went off and got a new girlfriend," Hermione teased him, startling Harry before he laughed. Harry moved over to the table and sat down next to her before nudging her shoulder.
"Nah, I'm not that heartless - I like to leave it a few weeks before I move on to another girl," Harry teased back, causing Hermione to giggle before she handed her mug over to Harry, who took it and drank some. "So, how come you're not in bed?" Hermione sighed.
"Had a bit of a fight with Ginny," Hermione explained before shrugging. "I'll live."
"What about?" Harry asked and Hermione shot him a look that Harry understood instantly and nodded. "Gotcha."
"Got what?" a male voice asked and they both looked up to see Ron and Luna standing the doorway and Harry grinned.
"Nothing mate. Why are you two still up?" Harry asked as they both made their way over to the table and sat down across from Harry and Hermione.
"Nightmares," Luna informed Harry softly and Harry looked at her, concerned.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked and Luna smiled at him.
"Not right now but thank you," Luna told him and Harry nodded.
"What are we going to do about everything else?" Ron asked, cautious of Luna sitting next to them and Harry sighed.
"We'll need to get a move on. Any longer and Voldemort will just have free run over everything and we need to put a stop to it as soon as we can," Harry told them.
"A trip," Hermione sighed. "Never had one of those before - without the parents, I mean." Luna tilted her head as she listened to them before she decided to jump in.
"Can I come with you?" Luna asked, causing the trio to look at each other before Hermione nodded.
"Yes," Hermione told her before frowning. "Will your dad be okay with it?"
"I'm sure he will be fine - it's for a good cause," Luna told her and Hermione nodded. She wanted to get to know the younger female if she was going to help Ron admit his feeling for the blonde.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked Hermione, concerned, but Hermione nodded.
"Yes, besides, Luna is in Ravenclaw - she will be able to help us with the hunt and a fresh pair of eyes can't hurt - remember, Luna has a habit of seeing things that we miss," Hermione reminded, causing Ron to arch an eyebrow at his best female friend before looking at Harry, who just placed his hands up in surrender - saying that he didn't understand either.
"When will we leave?" Luna asked.
"The day after tomorrow - we need to plan everything accordingly and we need to make sure that everyone else knows that we are leaving, so they don't panic over us being missing," Hermione suggested and got nods of agreement, ending the discussion.
"Well, if that's over - I'll take Hermione up to bed; do you two girls want to share a room?" Harry asked. Hermione and Luna shared a look before Hermione nodded.
"Yes, that'll be great," Hermione told Harry and Luna smiled at Hermione while Harry helped Hermione up. "Harry, you do realise that Mrs. Weasley fixed my ankle, right?"
"Just being cautious," Harry informed Hermione as he led out of the room and up the stairs.
"How long do you think it will take for the two of them to admit their feelings?" Luna asked Ron, who laughed.
"I've been waiting for the two of them to admit their feelings for a while but I get the feeling that we won't have to wait too long," Ron told her and Luna nodded as she leaned in and rested her head on Ron's shoulder as they both relaxed in the kitchen after their day.
TBC