DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. does, and she has every right to do whatever she thinks is best for Harry Potter. I just love writing. So sue me. Wait, seriously… don't.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Harry! Wait up!" Ron tried to catch up with his friend, but stopped when Harry flashed him a look of dread and anger, with eyes blazing like emerald fire.
Harry had stormed out of Dumbledore's office the moment their connection with Hermione broke. And from the look the boy was giving him right now, he may have wanted to be alone. But still unable to stop from worrying, Ron continued his long strides and a couple of seconds later, was a hair's breadth away from his best friend. He grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.
Harry tried to push him off, but Ron was as strong as he was concerned.
"It's painful, Harry, I know." Ron said, tediously after Harry quieted down. "You're not the only one who lost her. I understand."
"No, you don't!" Harry roared with so much force that Ron staggered. "You don't love her as much as I do. You don't know how much. You never saw her the way I did. You never wanted to make her happy as much as I did."
At this, Ron's eyes blazed with anger. "You can tell me I never loved her the way you did. You can tell me I didn't see her the way you do. You can even say that I didn't want her that way. But don't you even dare tell me I didn't want her to be happy. If you had seen her for the past year, you would understand what I'm talking about. All those times you thought she was happy for you, but she wasn't. All she did was cry her heart out as I listened and heard her heart shattering to pieces every time you go breaking it. Now, if to stay where she is right now is her choice, if that makes her happy, then I'm not complaining. It's about time she gets what she wants." Ron said; his voice breaking.
"But I love her." Harry said.
"Does she know that?" Ron retorted. "Thanks to you, Mr. Insensitive, she doesn't. You've realized you're in love with her…what…days ago? Why? Because I told you. Tell me, would you have known you cared for her that much if I didn't say any of those things to you?
"Yes!" Harry said in heartbeat.
"Perhaps you would have. But guess what? You're late. And now she's made a decision and we both know Hermione. She doesn't make decisions she hasn't thought of first."
"We can't just let her stay there, Ron. Or are you just that prepared to let go of the 7 years we've had?"
"I've been prepared to let go, Harry. For over a year now. I've been ready to end 7 years of friendship."
"What?
"But it wasn't Hermione that I was ready to say goodbye to. It was you. I always thought I would be there for her because I promised her I would. And I thought that she would let go of you because of the pain you were causing. And I was ready to stand by her side. But now that she's gone, I can't see any reason to stay. But because you've realized who you are now, I'm glad to say you're still my friend." He reached out to him. "It will be hard to accept she's gone, but we have to. There's no way out but just see things the way she does."
Harry was silent for a moment. And even though no words were coming from his mouth, Ron knew what his best friend was going through. He may not have lost somebody he was in love with, but he lost somebody he cared for deeply. And for him, that was enough to understand.
"I know." Harry agreed after a while. "But can you just give me some time alone? I need it."
Ron looked at him for a short time. Then he nodded, and left.
Harry watched his friend retreat, feeling calmer than what he appeared to be. Grateful Ron had been there to take him out of his shock, he turned around to think by himself, and hopefully, learn to accept that Hermione was really gone and would never come back.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"I know this is crazy…but I'm going to miss you." Erin said as Hermione stood before all of them, getting ready to go back in time.
"You would?" Hermione smiled slightly, as she stopped fussing over her clothes.
"At least before all these disappear." Dumbledore put in. "Remember that this is a reality that would have come true had Ms. Granger gone back. We do not know yet what will happen or what her next correct move would be. But she is taking a risk now by going back after moving past her deadline. What will happen after this is in the hands of fate."
"Then let's just hope fate is on your side." Alex said, suddenly materializing beside her.
"Right." Hermione nodded, feeling extremely nervous about her forthcoming travel. "Tell me what we're on about again, professor?"
"I am going to send you back to the day you are to drink the time-traveling potion you concocted. You must do something -- a particular deed -- that would stop your other self from drinking that potion. And if you do what must be done, you will find yourself back to whence you came from." Dumbledore said, pacing back and forth. "But I will do well to remind you that you will no longer have any recollection of what happened to you these past few days. Having knowledge of everything here will only make you deliberately influence your decisions that you think would let you arrive to your desired outcome. And you may do this without thinking of the consequences of your actions once more. Now we can't have you time-traveling again, can we?"
"No, sir." Hermione shook her head. "But what if I make the wrong decision and end up having something I don't want?"
"That's the possibility we are taking right now, Ms. Granger." Dumbledore said. "Right now, everything is a gamble."
"What will happen if she doesn't manage to do what she has to do?" Shawn asked.
"She will cease to exist in her world or our world." He said matter-of-factly.
This announcement caused every descendant to look up in astonishment, including Hermione.
"You never mentioned that, professor." Hermione stuttered, clearly fazed by the news.
"Didn't I?" The headmaster asked with a mysterious tone. "Well, now that you know, do you still want to go through with this?"
"Hermione, don't do it." Erin said before Hermione could. The girl looked at her with questioning eyes.
"Why not?" Shawn asked.
"Look at it this way. If she stays, she'll be with all of us. I know we're nothing compared to Harry Potter, but if she goes back, she may or may not have him. And right now, I think what she needs is something steady and sure." Erin explained. Then she turned to Hermione and looked at her straight in the eye. "We're here; we're not going to disappear. And staying is loads better than not existing in both worlds, isn't it?"
"But…"
"You don't know what you're going to do. What if you don't find out when you're there? Are you willing to take the chance of not having either world?" Erin pointed out.
Hermione opened her mouth to defend herself, but Cole beat her to it.
"She may not know right now what she's going to do, but she will once she's there."
"What makes you so sure?" Erin asked meaning to be doubtful, but sounded more likely defeated.
Cole paused then said in a smiling voice. "Because she's Hermione Granger, that's why."
-------------------------------------------------------------
-->