[DISCLAIMER] I don’t own any of the characters from Harry Potter. So now that’s done, enjoy my fanfic.

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Cruel, Cruel World

Hermione’s eyes snapped open to the sound of someone knocking on the door of her apartment. She looked across to her bedside clock; it blinked 1:23am back at her. She got up and grabbed her wand from under her pillow. In the days of war you could never be too safe, she had been advised to sleep with her wand, something she had taken to heart. She made a list in her mind of all the possible people who would visit her at such a time like this, not all of them were good. She made her way out of the breach of her bedroom and out into the hallway.

Knock, knock, knock, the sound of knocking reached her ears again. Knock, knock, knock, knock, she listened hard, trying to find some sort of clue of who was on the other side of that door. She made her way slowly towards her lounge. There was almost a frantic yet helpless sound to how they were pounding the door; the way it seemed like they had almost given up but they were holding by a thread of hope. Her steps quickened as she realized this, and so did her heart. She had made her way through her lounge now, the dim moonlight showing no mercy on its victims. She placed her eye on the peephole; she saw the dim shadow of a somewhat familiar figure.

Could it be really him, she dared to ask herself.

“Who is it?” she spoke in a voice that seemed so courageous that she wondered where it had come from.

A hoarse voice that was but an audible whisper replied, “It’s me, Mya.”

“Oh my gosh” she gasped. She hurried with the locks on her apartment door as fast as her fragile hands could muster. Suddenly the door swung open, and there stood the image of a broken man. Hermione threw her arms around him as silent tears flowed down her face.

“We need to get inside before I get found out,” the man said with a tone of urgency in his voice.

“What was I thinking? Of course, of course, come inside.” Hermione said. She looked outside to check if anyone else was there.

Good, it looks like nobody followed him, she thought. She quickly closed the door and bolted it shut.

She turned to face the man she had not seen in almost 5 years. Her hands went to cup his bearded rugged face and looked into the previously lifeless eyes, where life had suddenly burst into, that were framed with horn rimmed glass.

“You’re really here,” she whispered, tears of joy and relief still streaming.

The man held her close, holding her head against his chest, “Shhh... it’s ok. I’m here now,” though for how long he didn’t know. He pulled back to look at Hermione properly. He wiped away her tears with his hand. Thousands of regrets raced through his mind. Why had he turned her away so coldly when she came to his apartment in London, to try to make him see sense? Why had he left her standing in the hallway crying frustrated tears? Why had he not seen her, really seen her as a person, not just part of a trio? Why was she the only thing that had kept him sane thought all those years?

He ran his fingers through her hair. How long had he longed to do that but had held back for fear of his siblings teasing him. He ran his fingers across her face trying to memorize every eyelash down to the arch of her nose. Hermione lifted her hand to meet his and smiled warmly at him.

Suddenly he remembered what he had come here to do. He pulled her close and kissed her, he kissed her for all the times they had been alone and he had done nothing, he kissed her for keeping him sane, he kissed her for being Hermione Granger.

Hermione was startled but then kissed him back so much more. What had started as a gentle sweet kiss, turned into a war of passion. She had waited for this moment for so long now, she had forgotten her desire for it. Ever since he walked out of their lives to live in London, she prayed that he would see sense and come back home. But then he disappeared, nobody knew where he had gone or why. But now he was back and that was all that mattered, he’d tell her everything when he was ready.

Only the need of air interrupted their kiss, Even so, they clung to each other so tightly.

“I love you so much, Hermione.”

“I love you too, Percy.” She replied whole-heartedly

“Marry me, Mya?” Percy asked her, “Will you marry me Hermione Granger?” A hint of desperation in his voice.

“Of course I will, I’d be honoured too” A warm smile crept onto Hermione’s face as tears of joy rolled down her face again. With that Percy pulled her in for another breath-taking kiss.

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Hermione woke the next morning not wanting to open her eyes so she could bask in the warmness that was her happiness. This was the first morning in a long time where she had woken feeling truly happy. But something was already bothering her.

She frowned and opened her eyes. She looked next to her. Her heart quickened, where was Percy? She looked across at her bedside clock; it blinked 1:23pm back at her. Maybe he’s in the kitchen having something to eat, she thought trying to reassure herself. She made her way out of the breach of her bedroom and out into the hallway. She walked into her lounge looking for a sign of Percy. The sun filtered through her lounge touching everything in its path, yet the kitchen bench was still in shadow. She approached it slowly. She was greeted by the sight of a single piece of paper and a pen lying nearby. She picked up the piece of paper up and read the handwriting of the one she loved.

I’ll be back for you. I love you, Hermione Granger-Weasley.

She walked over to the window and peered out at the cruel, cruel world that had taken Percy away from her, clutching the piece of paper against her heart.