Hermione felt the warm glow of the newly risen sun on her cheek as she slowly embraced the blurry consciousness of waking. Although her body was telling her it was morning, her eyes did not seem to want to open. She had slept so soundly in the safety of her four poster bed that she did not want to move from the warmth and comfort just yet.



In the months of moving around from cold campground to campground and forest to forest, she had forgotten what it was like just to lie still without any agendas or cares. Without any fear. FEAR. This was a word that had encompassed her whole life for more than a year. Fear was present behind every thought, every action, every hope, every dream, and every emotion. Whenever she thought of her friends and her family, fear was always there to snatch any joy she might have, any longing, or even… love. No, she could not let herself think of love or worse, to fall head first into its wondrous and yet terrifying depths. She had to keep a cool head so that she could focus on her mission to help Harry destroy the Horcruxes.



But, the Horcruxes were destroyed. Voldemort was dead! Was this really true or was she still dreaming? She must be dreaming. It could not actually be real. She had hoped and prayed for this day to come and it seemed as though it never would. She would never be able to fulfill her hopes, dreams, and ambitions; or would she?



As she lay there in her cozy bed, everything came back to her. Everything from the day she met Harry and Ron until the fall of the man who had called himself Lord Voldemort came flashing through her mind. It was true! The war was truly over! As this realization washed over her, she felt a jubilance that she had never felt before. She felt as though she had a second chance at life and that future possibility was open to her and … Ron.



Ron. She turned the name over and over again in her mind and as she did so, a bigger smile than any she had ever smiled before formed on her radiant face. She had not even smiled like that when she received the letter telling her that she was a witch and was accepted into the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in all of Europe and possibly, in all the world. As she thought about Ron, her mind lingered on the first kiss they had shared in the midst of the raging battle of Hogwarts. Of course, it was not the most favorable timing, she thought, as she remembered Harry’s admonition to focus on destroying the Horcruxes. But, it was a glorious moment nonetheless.



Their kiss and yes, their passion had been building for years as both she and Ron had been too stubborn to voice their feelings for each other out loud. Her heart sank as she thought about what might have happened had Harry not defeated Voldemort. She might not have had the opportunity to tell Ron exactly how she felt about him. About how she longed to spend every waking minute with him and never leave his side. And what if Ron had … she could not even bear the thought.



But it was over, she reminded herself again as she shook the horrible thought from her head. She and Ron had a second chance! The whole wizarding world, in fact, was like Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes, rising from the ashes of the chaos Voldemort had created during his reign of terror. It was tragic that Dumbledore could not be there to witness the downfall of Lord Voldemort in person after all the hard work he had put into it and all the help he gave Harry. She knew, however, that wherever he was, he was proud of what Harry was able to accomplish and the parts she and Ron had played in getting him there.



After letting all of these thoughts float around in her head for what seemed like hours or maybe just a few minutes, Hermione finally sat up, stretched and dressed. Rested and refreshed, she was ready to face her new life, the new world in which everyone could live in peace and safety.



She was ready to go see Ron for the first time since yesterday, when they not only witnessed the downfall of Voldemort but also the destruction and morbidity he left in his wake. After she and Ron had accompanied Harry up to Dumbledore’s old office, there was nothing left to do but go and comfort the mourning. Now that the battle was over and won, Ron finally allowed himself to feel the excruciating pain of losing his brother, Fred. He had pushed this pain into the dark corners of his mind in order to remain focused as he was fighting in the battle of Hogwarts.



Fred. Hermione could not believe that he was gone. She remembered his mischievous smile and the sound of his laughter as he joked around with his twin for countless hours in the Gryffindor common room. True, she had often been hard on the twins, especially when they were trying out the Skiving Snack Boxes on the Gryffindor first years, but she never could be entirely mad at them because they were so much fun. They cheered up even the gloomiest days and their joke shop was one of the few things that made anyone smile during the terror and uncertainty that was Voldemort’s reign. She wondered how George would be able to cope now that his partner in crime, closest friend, and “other half” was gone, never to return to the shop he had co-founded or to the family he loved.



And then there was Ron. Hermione remembered how he just fell into her arms sobbing uncontrollably once they were back in the Great Hall with his family. She could not do anything but just hold him and stroke his flaming hair as they both cried. She did not even care about who was looking. The only two people who existed in that moment were she and Ron. She wanted to speak words of comfort to him but for one of the first times in her life, she was speechless. She wished she could just rush off to the library and look up the information she needed like she had done so many times throughout her years at Hogwarts but, of course, this was not an option. Although she hated to admit it, there are times when even books cannot help and this was one of those times.



As she thought about how upset Ron had been, she felt a little nervous and anxious about seeing him again. She knew that it would be a long time before he would be anything close to happy and that he would probably never be the same again even if he was eventually able to come to terms with his grief. It was impossible for anyone who had lived through this war to ever be the same. Although she accepted that Ron’s grieving would be a process, she wondered how she would be able to comfort him. She wanted to be able to take his pain and bear it for him so that he could feel joy again but obviously, this was impossible. She hoped that he at least had a restful and peaceful night’s sleep like she did so that he would be better able to face a new dawn and a new world. A world that was peaceful and safe. A world in which there were new endless possibilities. A world where they could explore their new relationship and the newfound passion they could now acknowledge. A world without Fred, Lupin, and Tonks, she thought bitterly, not to mention countless others that died in the fight.



As she walked down the stairs from her dormitory to the Gryffindor common room, she hoped that everyone could look beyond their grief and see the new possibilities open to them. She hoped that she would be able to be there for Ron in any way that he needed her. She hoped that he would still want to build on that kiss they shared during the battle even though he was grieving. They had come so far in their friendship, in their relationship, since the day that Ron and Harry saved her from the troll in the girl’s bathroom, she remembered with a smile. She had been in the girl’s bathroom all day on Halloween because Ron had said that she was a “nightmare.” Little did she know at the time, that the tall red-headed boy who was so mean to her would become her great love, the one person she could not live without.



As she continued walking, she decided that it was futile to be nervous to talk to the man she had grown so close to over the years. He was still Ron and her best friend. She could talk to him about anything and they would get through this together. After all, they had the rest of their lives to do so now that the wizarding world was finally safe.



Hermione stepped from the last step of the corridor onto the soft carpet of the Gryffindor common room. She slowly looked around the fairly empty room, not daring to breathe until she saw him. She exhaled. He was not there. Disappointment and relief washed over her at once as she pondered what she should do. Should she go up to his room and see if he was awake? She knew she would be allowed since girls could go up to the boy’s dormitory. She had done it before. She laughed as she remembered the time Ron and Harry had tried to come up to her dormitory but ended up in a heap on the floor because the stairs had flattened into a slide sending them crashing down. Even though she was allowed in the dormitory, she was not sure she should go up and find Ron. What if he was still asleep? After the day he had yesterday, she did not want to do anything to cut his peaceful rest short. His entire family had even opted to stay at Hogwarts so that everyone could rest before they had to figure out where to go and what to do next. What if he was awake but did not want to see her just yet? She did not want to risk his annoyance or anger if she forced him to see her before he was ready. No. She would wait in the common room for him. Although she wanted to rush up to his room and embrace him and never let go, she felt as though staying here was the more sensible option. He would come down when he was ready.



As she turned to go sit down in one of the squashy armchairs in front of the fire, she caught a flash of red in the corner of her eye. She slowly turned back around until she saw the ever so familiar mop of brilliant red hair she had seen almost everyday for the past seven years of her life. He was there. It was Ron. She finally faced him and their eyes met and locked on each other. Now was the moment of truth.

Hermione and Ron stared at each other for what seemed like ages. Finally, Hermione mustered up the courage to speak the first words.





“Um, hi Ron,” she stammered in a quavering voice, “did you sleep well?”





“All right, I guess,” Ron replied, shrugging his shoulders, “it was nice to sleep in a real bed for a change.”





“Yes, it was,” Hermione agreed, “I was getting sick of those hard cots in the tent.” Ron is at least talking to me, she thought as she gave a faint smile. That was a good sign and she felt heartened enough to say, “Ron, I’m so sorry about…about … ,” she trailed off, not being able to bring herself to say Fred’s name as she saw the forlorn expression that had appeared on Ron’s freckled face. She started to put her hand on his shoulder as a gesture of comfort, but he moved away out of her reach before she could do so. She immediately withdrew her hand and placed it into her pocket, feeling slightly embarrassed and awkward.





“I’ll be okay,” said Ron abruptly, not quite meeting her eyes as he said this, “let’s just go down to breakfast. I’m starving.”





“Oh, okay,” replied Hermione shakily. Then, mustering up her courage she blurted out in one breath, “I think we should talk later.” As she said this she unconsciously wound a strand of bushy hair around her finger so tight that it started to cut off the circulation and made her finger turn purple. “So much has happened, and it is not healthy to keep everything bottled up inside,” she added as she looked pleadingly into his expressionless face.





Not being able to resist this look, Ron said with an impatient note in his voice, “Fine, whatever you want.” He gave her a look that said that he thought that she was just being her know-it-all self and that he just didn’t want to deal with it right now but he said anyway, “We’ll talk. Just, not now.”





Hermione ignored this look and focused instead on the amazement that he had actually agreed even if he did so unwillingly and queried, “Do you promise?”





“Yes,” said Ron, still more exasperated, “I promise. Can we just go now?”





He turned and started walking quickly toward the portrait hole. Feeling as if it was better to take Ron’s lead and leave rather than push the conversation further, Hermione followed him out of the common room and down the stairs to the Great Hall. At least he had agreed to talk about what he was going through at some point in time. Hermione sighed. I wonder how long it will be before he is ready. Even though the war was over, it seemed as though the aftermath would be far reaching and would last forever. She hoped with all of her heart that this wouldn’t be the case with Ron.





Expecting the desolation and destruction from the previous day’s battle to have left its mark on the Great Hall, Hermione was surprised to see that it looked the same as it always had. The four long tables were back in their places, filled with plates of delicious-looking food just as it had every day she had attended Hogwarts. She supposed that the teachers had used magic to repair the damage inflicted by Voldemort and his death eaters. As for where all the bodies that had lain along the walls last night had been moved to, she did not know. She was just grateful that Ron was spared that gruesome sight.





Ron and Hermione surveyed the room and saw Ginny and Harry sitting next to each other deep in conversation at the Gryffindor table, their hands clasped tightly together. It appeared as though the rest of the Weasley family had not come down to breakfast yet. Hermione hoped that they all were getting the restful sleep they needed. She sat down next to Ginny while Ron followed close behind. Ginny and Harry looked up.





“Hi, guys,” Harry greeted while Ginny gave a small wave.





Harry still looked tired but happier than she had seen him in a while. She guessed that he and Ginny were finally catching up and Harry must be relieved now that Voldemort was gone. Ginny, on the other hand, looked exhausted but Hermione could not tell if she was more happy or sad. Both emotions seemed to be etched together on her face. This made sense, however, because Ginny must also be suffering from the grief of losing Fred but also happy because she and Harry were finally together for the first time in so long.





“So, what is going on?” Hermione inquired, “where is everyone?”





“I don’t know,” Harry replied with a puzzled look, “we haven’t seen anyone all morning.”





Just then, professor McGonagall walked in followed by the rest of the Professors who all took their regular seats at the front of the room. Hermione felt a pang of sadness as she looked to the seat that used to be occupied by Professor Dumbledore, which was still empty. This was the first time she had seen his empty seat since before his death since she, Harry, and Ron had been traipsing around Britain for the past year and had not been back to Hogwarts until yesterday. She looked at Harry. He too was also staring up at the teacher’s table. She thought she saw him raise his glass slightly toward the front as if to silently say, Here’s to Dumbledore, the best headmaster Hogwarts has ever been privileged to have in its’ halls. She did the same. Ron, on the other head, just kept staring dejectedly at the mountain of food he had piled on his plate.





“Why aren’t you eating, Ron,” Hermione said with a note of concern in her voice, “I thought you said you were hungry.”





“I thought I was,” said Ron with a shaky voice as he continued to stare at the table.





Hermione again felt the urge to put her arm around him, but fought the impulse this time. She couldn’t bring herself to risk embarrassment again. If Ron wanted his space, then she would give it to him.





Hermione turned back to her own plate and was surprised to find that she was not hungry either. This was odd, since she had not eaten since, well, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. But even though her stomach was locked up in tight knots, she went ahead and tried to force down a piece of toast anyway. This was at least an excuse not to look at Ron’s sad face. As she chewed, she heard the sound of a group of people moving down the stairs. She looked up with apprehension to see the rest of the Weasley family trample down the stairs. She felt overwhelming sympathy as she watched them move slowly toward her and the rest of the Gryffindor table. Every single face was imprinted with a grief that was too deep to express in words although Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked as though they were trying very hard to keep it together in front of the rest of their children.





Mrs. Weasley wore an unconvincing smile as she walked over to Ginny and embraced her. After about a minute, she turned and gave a Harry a huge bear hug. She didn’t speak, but Hermione knew that her embrace spoke volumes. She was both thanking him for what he did and letting him know that everything was eventually going to be okay and that he should not feel guilty about Fred’s death. As they moved apart, Hermione could see tears glittering on both of their cheeks. Harry looked away as he quickly wiped them from his face.





As Mrs. Weasley made her rounds, Mr. Weasley came over to sit by Ron. He didn’t say anything either, but he did what Hermione failed to do as he wrapped his arm around his son, who did not move away. They just sat together in silence. Hermione felt like an outsider as she watched the Weasley family interacting together in their despair and grief. At first she felt an immense sadness watching them all trying to work through their pain and remain strong for each other. But then she looked over and caught Harry’s eye. Although she could see the sorrow reflected in his emerald green eyes, shiny with tears he was fighting to hold back, she could also see hope, triumph, and even peace all reside together in those green pools of light. And then a revelation hit her right then and there. Everything was going to be all right! It might take a while for everyone to deal with their pain, but everything really was going to be okay. Voldemort was dead! They could not and would not forget this no matter what happened now.





Hermione looked back at Ron with a new peace and hope in her heart and tried to convey all that she was feeling. She looked him straight in the eye and tried to give him the strength she had just found within her to carry on. She also tried to tell him with her eyes that she loved him and she would love him no matter how long it took to get through this. To Hermione’s great surprise, this time Ron did not look away like he had done in Gryffindor tower. He just stared right back at her and as he did, Hermione thought she saw love there behind all the grief. Maybe Ron was finally ready to fulfill his promise of a deep conversation with her. But before she could open her mouth to ask him if he would like to take a walk with her by the lake so they could be alone, he abruptly unlocked his tired eyes from hers and resumed studying his plate.





Hermione also looked away quickly not wanting Ron to see the tears that had suddenly formed behind her eyes that were threatening to leak out onto her face and down her cheeks slightly red with an embarrassing blush. She knew that he wasn’t pushing her away because he didn’t love her. No, that definitely couldn’t be it! They had shared that glorious moment together before they had lost so many friends to the last battle. Ron loved her. She was sure of it. He was just dealing with so much. They all were. She just needed to give him time and he would confide in her when he was ready. And when he finally did, she would be there to pick up the pieces of his broken heart and put them back together. She would take care of him and would never let anything happen to him again. As she finally composed herself enough to look up again, she was startled to see Mrs. Weasley standing in front of her.





Hermione stood up and faced Mrs. Weasley, who quickly pulled her into one of her tight hugs. This surprised Hermione since she was not a part of the Weasely family. Well, at least not yet, she thought with a hopeful smile. Then unexpectedly, Mrs. Weasley spoke,


“Thank you so much for taking care of my son and Harry all these months. I don’t know what they would have done without you,” tears glistened at the edges of the crinkles around her eyes as she said this, “there are not words to convey my gratitude for all you have done for my family and the entire Wizarding world.” As she finished speaking, she smiled warmly at Hermione and wiped still more tears from her tear-stained face.





Hermione was blown away at the sound of these words and she didn’t know how to respond. “Tha-thanks,” she finally said shakily, “I care very much about your son… and Harry,” she added quickly, not wanting to convey her true feelings about Ron to his mother quite yet. This was not the right time or place. “What else could I have done?” she added.





“I know what you mean, dear,” Mrs. Weasley replied, “but you still stuck with them and helped them through enormous difficulties and that takes the kind of strength that only great witches and wizards possess.” As she said this, she threw a respectful glance at the former headmaster’s chair at the front table.





Again, Hermione was speechless with awe at the enormity of Mrs. Weasley’s gratitude and the obvious comparison she just made to the greatest wizard of all, Dumbledore himself. So, instead of replying, she gave Mrs. Weasley another tight embrace.





Finally Hermione said, “Thank you for all of your wonderful words. You are way too kind and I really don’t deserve that kind of praise.”





“But you do,” Mrs. Weasley responded, “I just wanted to make sure that someone thanked you for what you did.”





“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, “that means so much to me,” Hermione said with still more tears glistening in her brown eyes.





Mr. Weasley then stood up to join the hug, leaving Ron to once more stare silently at the mound of food on his plate. Hermione wished that he would join in too, but unsurprisingly, he didn’t.





I just need to give him time. She repeated this over and over again in her head so that she wouldn’t feel the urge to cry again. He loves me. I know he loves me. As she thought this, a fierce, blazing expression of determination washed over her face and she began to feel stronger and more hopeful.





Abrupt movement at the front table snapped Hermione out of her reverie. Everyone who was standing suddenly sat down at their respective tables and she was astonished as she looked around to see that the Great Hall was full of people. She guessed she must have missed everyone trickling in while she was lost in thoughts about her and Ron. Once everyone was finally in his or her place and the benches stopped creaking, Professor McGonagall stepped up to the podium and a hush fell over the crowd. Now was the moment when they would find out how they would start the rest of their lives.