Rays of sun danced over Hermione’s face in the early hours of morning. With their increased brightness burning through her eyelids, she slowly began to wake up. The warmth of the comforter and the softness of the pillow momentarily comforted her until she realized the harsh reality of the day before. The day Ron was laid to rest forever in the cold ground. However, unlike the mornings of the past week, tears didn’t stream down her face to comfort her loss. She was all cried out.
Turning over to look at the wall and shield her eyes from the glaring sun, Hermione realized where she was at. The familiar smell of wood furniture and the wafting smell of cinnamon rolls from the kitchen brought back the familiar feelings of comfort. She was at home again, her parents’ home.
Hermione immediately got dressed and made her way down to the dining room. She paused for a moment as she took in the peaceful scene before her. Her parents, both dentists, sat at opposite ends of the table. Her dad was reading the newspaper as he sipped his morning coffee; her mom was eating a cinnamon roll and flipping through a garden magazine. She found it so comforting how unaffected they were by the war in the wizarding world.
“Morning, mum. Morning, dad.” Hermione sat down between the two and reached for a cinnamon roll.
Her dad lowered his paper and her mom looked up from her magazine. “How are you feeling, ‘Mione?” her dad began. A look of concern and pity was etched on his face. Her mom reached over and affectionately tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Even though Hermione was 21 she was still happy to have her parents fulfill their parental duties.
“Well…it hurts…a lot.” Hermione was always honest with her parents. With their support through the years she couldn’t owe them anything less. “I think I’m done crying for now but the pain…it’s just…so raw.”
“It’s okay honey, we understand. Just take it easy for a while. Stay as long as you like.”
With a smile and a nod, the family finished their breakfast in silence. Hermione insisted on doing up the dishes afterwards; she really needed to do something with her hands. It was a Saturday so there wasn’t much for the family to do. They mostly sat around all day and watched television or else read a book of sorts. Hermione had a tendency to just get up and walk around trying to find something to do; she eventually just settled in with a good spell book. However, it wasn’t lost on Hermione the furtive glances that her parents gave each other every so often.
It wasn’t until they sat down for dinner, a steak and kidney pie, that the Drs. Granger divulged their plan to Hermione. “’Mione,” her mother began tentatively, “your father and I understand the pain you’re going through. However, we don’t think you should be wallowing in your sorrow like we predict you’ll start doing. You’re going to have to move on.”
Hermione was shocked by the words she was hearing. They seemed so harsh. He’s only been dead a week, she thought. I just had to bury him. What more do they want from me? Despite these thoughts, deep down she knew they had her best interest at heart. Therefore, she grudgingly listened to what they had to say.
“With that in mind, we were thinking that since the summer holidays are approaching and you’ll be taking a break from your teaching position, maybe you’d like to go to France for some time. You know, to clear your head.” Her mother finished with a look of happiness crossed with concern. She was unsure how her daughter would take this advice in her delicate state.
However, Hermione began to ponder the proposition. France! She thought. That’s one of my most favorite places to be. The sights, the sounds, everything is just wonderful there. A slight smile played on her lips for a moment before she came down from her reverie. She seriously considered what her other possibilities could be and they didn’t ease her mind as much as the thought of France did.
Her mom was right about the break. Hermione had been teaching Transfiguration for a year now. McGonagall had been in desperate need for help after taking the job of Headmistress plus losing another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but Hermione wanted to take some time to advance a bit more. So she took a couple years off and then returned to take up the position while the war raged on. However, she wouldn’t have her job to bury herself in until September and it was only the end of June. All of the options she had seemed slim and only the thought of France eased her mine again.
Another thought came to mind which Hermione immediately voiced: “You don’t think this would seem like I’m running do you?”
“Running?” her father intoned. “No, not running. Your thoughts and feelings have no choice but to follow you to France. We can’t stop that. But since you love France so much we just thought that the atmosphere would soothe you better. You might also get a chance to meet new people and explore other experiences. We just want you to continue growing, and that includes facing your emotions head on.” Dr. Granger finished and placed his hand on Hermione’s. His look told her that he had faith in her and knew she would make it through this troubled time. The only thing he, or anyone else for that matter, didn’t know was how long it would take.
With the assurance of her parents, Hermione decided to take their advice. After dinner she went to her room to gather her belongings she had with her. In the morning she would Apparate to her flat near London and then continue on to France. Hermione rested easy that night with the pleasant thoughts of France in her dreams instead of the usual corpses that haunted her.
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Since she didn’t know her exact destination and she was an abysmal flier, Hermione decided it best to take Muggle transportation to Paris. As the plane soared through the air she gazed out the window at the scenery below. The moving cars and trucked looked like little ants bustling about. Now being on the other side she often marveled at the way Muggles got by that wizards and witches took for granted. The clouds were so fluffy and serene looking, Hermione just wanted to jump on one and fall asleep for a very long time. And in the distance she could see the beautiful silhouette of the Eiffel Tower growing closer.
Hermione sighed contentedly. She had growing doubts about coming to France, from separating herself from her friends and family. As the city of Paris loomed nearer though, all doubts slid away. This is it, she thought. This is the new beginning, the new start, I need. As the plane descended to the airport a huge grin played across her face as the first smells of Paris hit her and she knew she could do this.
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The loft she was renting for the summer was conveniently placed above a book store. It was owned and run by a happy, old couple, the Bontecous. Hermione immediately recognized the couple to be magical. After a little probing, she found that Mr. Bontecou was indeed a wizard but his wife was a Muggle. They operated a Muggle bookstore in the front on the busy Parisian street but their well-known wizard book store was operated in the back. This helped the couple bring in a lot of customers and they each had ties to their roots.
Hermione really liked the couple and knew that they would help her out if she ever needed anything. Lupin had recommended the couple to Hermione after her parents notified the Order what her plans were. They had been good friends of Dumbledore so she hoped to hear some good stories during her stay. They also offered her a job at their bookstore while she was in Paris which Hermione gladly accepted. She really wanted something to occupy her time.
The loft apartment seemed quite barren for the time being. There was one wall covered in windows giving a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower. Hermione couldn’t have asked for a better location. Boxes and furniture were stacked haphazardly to one side. The apartment was just one big room; the bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen all opened to each other. The only closed off space was a closet and of course the bathroom.
“Perfect,” Hermione sighed as she took in her surroundings. Her furniture and belongings had been sent ahead of her and were already brought up. The room just begged for her attention and the wall screamed for decorations. Hermione couldn’t wait to turn this loft into her summer home.
With much use of magic all the furniture was put into place. The clothes were hung up and put away and the bed just made itself. Hermione had just finished a quick dinner of a cold sandwich and a coke. She collapsed on her couch as the dishes clinked and cleaned themselves in the sink. Crookshanks immediately jumped on her lap and fell asleep.
As Hermione stroked the ginger cat she reflected on her day. She was surprised that up until this point she hadn’t really thought much about Ron’s death. She had thankfully been occupied by her duties of sorting out her house and the stress of traveling. Now that she was done she couldn’t help but let the thoughts rush over her again.
This time around she was prepared though. She wasn’t ready to start crying all over again. Hermione set herself to be rational when she thought about the loss. After all, he did die fighting for what he believed in. This was a slight comfort to her. She knew she could accept the reality much easier with the fact that he knew what he was doing.
“What do you think, Crookshanks?” Hermione asked her cat while gently stroking his fur. “Do you think Ron was brave? Do you think I’ll be okay without him?” Crookshanks looked up at Hermione and purred in agreement. After the whole Scabbers incident was cleared up, Crookshanks took a lot more kindly to Ron and they had actually enjoyed each other’s company. After all, they both shared the love of Hermione.
He even took Bellatrix with him! Hermione grinned slightly at the thought that he took a Death Eater down too. Right then she felt so proud of her Ron and all that he accomplished in his short life. He had matured so much after school. The jealousy he usually felt for Harry being the center of attention ebbed away as he actually realized the threat that he faced every day. This actually gave Ron more respect for his friend and steeled his loyalty even more. Hermione had admired this change so much in him.
She looked over at the side table and stared at his picture. The grinning Ron waved at her from his frame. “I’ll always love you Ron.” And with that Hermione got up and went to bed where she was visited with dreams reminiscent of her school days and anticipating the adventures that awaited her in the city of Paris.