'Humans are cowards in the face of happiness. It takes courage to hold on to happiness.'
Fresh autumn leaves fell on the roof of the black Lincoln Town Car that pulled into the cemetery that late afternoon, the road surrounded by trees of yellow and deep scarlet. They crackled underneath the wheels as they rolled over them, making its way slowly to the destination. The headstones, mausoleums, and burial statues that tribute to those that lay inside or beneath them became more and more extraordinary as the car drove past, signifying the wealth. Soon the plots became more and more spaced out along the winding road as the car began to come to a stop. The area was generally empty, save for one headstone beneath a beautiful, lush, willow tree. The area surrounding it was equally beautiful, untouched by the weather. Everything within ten feet of the stone was full of life, the grass, tree, and a few bulbs that would always remain. It was enchanting, as was the person that now lay in the cold ground, surrounded by the beauty.
A tall, sophisticated looking man exited the driver’s door and came around to the back, opening the door that faced the grave. The door revealed a slightly aged woman, wearing nothing but black, her long curly brown hair hanging down to her shoulders. Her eyes were covered by large black sunglasses, whether to block the nonexistent sun light or perhaps swollen eyes, it was not hard to determine. She was sitting still, straight forward in her seat as if completely unaware of the door being opened for her. The driver paused a short moment before finally saying, "We're here Mrs. Weasley."
"Miss Granger," said the stern voice of Hermione Jane Granger as she turned her head up to look at him. The man looked startled at the coldness, the sternness in the woman's voice, the woman who had once sounded so kind and sweet.
The driver was immediately chastised as she stepped out of the car, one long leg after another until she was standing in her black dress, beautiful as ever. Sure, she had aged to a ripe thirty nine, but she had not lost her wit, or her charm, or the shy beauty that became her. She had retained some new qualities, some that were not becoming at all, like her stiffness and lack of gaiety. "Forgive me, Miss Granger."
She narrowed her eyes at him from behind her shades though it was a cloudy day and said firmly, "Leave my presence now, please, and wait for me at the gates of the cemetery. I shall summons you when I am ready to leave, do I make myself clear, Gyevat?"
He gave a slight bow to the rich and high lady, straightening up as he admonished, "As crystal, Miss Granger." Without another word he closed her door and walked to the other side of the car, opening the driver's side door and climbing inside. The car barely made a noise as the engine came to life once more and the car drove away and back towards whence it had came.
Once the car was entirely out of sight did Hermione remove the glasses from her face, revealing a sight not as lovely as usually placed upon her features. Her beautiful, honey brown eyes were surrounded by a sea or redness, as if tears had just been there to turn them such a color. Her skin paled slightly as she looked towards her final destination for this journey, thinking of who now laid in that grave, the man who should be with her now. She watched as the branches of the willow tree swayed in almost a mournful rhythm as she slowly approached the grave of the man she loved. Her body trembled slightly, as if strained by such a walk, or perhaps to overcome with emotion to keep the charade of happiness and indifference up now that she was alone.
Before she realized it, she stood before the headstone, the wind whistling to fill the silence that seemed to almost echo around her. She now felt small, insignificant in this vast world that she had been left all alone in, without her love or a real friend to depend upon. Sure, she had her riches, a vast amount of them that she herself had earned and some that had been given to her upon a death she would never get over. She would have given every galleon; every prized possession to have him back, to be held once more in his strong arms and feel appreciated and cared for. But what she truly wished for would never be, they had been ripped apart by the harsh truths that this society and the people that inhabited it provided. It was all rather simple really. He was gone.
She inhaled deeply, as if trying to swallow and put away all the emotions that wanted to simply spill over and pour out from her soul. She could hear his voice sweetly whispering in her head, from the one day he had caught her in the park, crying for her misdeeds, though he knew not why she was really crying. "Everyone's got a problem, there's always a pain," he had whispered so soothingly to her as he came over and put his arms around her, caressing her skin. "It's alright to cry.... but people, especially women, can't do it in public, or in front of people, otherwise, everyone who sees will break down. So cry alone, it makes you stronger, which is what I have always grown up knowing and practicing."
She exhaled slowly now feeling the warmth of fresh, salty, tears stream down her cheeks and her face distort in anguish. She knew exactly what he would say if he were here right now, as if he was even standing beside her, his voice sounded so close and real in her head.
"Hermione, you shouldn't cry in public."
"But no one is here...."
That truth made her senses overwhelm with the grief, the cruelty, of losing him, of him slipping away so easily between her fingers. One after another, un-beautified, loud, painful sobs emitted from her lips, coming from low in her throat and projecting her agony across the area. She stumbled blindly, as if in a drunken stupor, towards the grave, falling down before it and grazing her hands as they caught on the grave stone, clinging to it. She scooted herself closer to it, wrapping her arms around it and holding the cold, icy, cement to her chest, as if her heat would make the body beneath her warm and be well once more.
She had never lost so much in her life as she had done in the last year, losing her dignity, her husband, her love, her happiness, her friends, the support of her family. All had slipped away, everything had gone so wrong, and because of her own actions, which she could have prevented if she had only been brave. She had been a Gryffindor in school, but as cowardly as a Slytherin in affairs of the heart. She thought upon the night that had changed her life forever, the night she knew she would never again be the happily married woman she so naively thought she was. The night that she had finally recognized what lay beneath the surface of exterior and into his soul. The night that Hermione Granger, a world recognized author, acquired the plot for what would be one of the bestselling books of the times.
Happiness Takes Courage by Sparkling_Moonlight
Story Notes:
The plot/story begins immediately after the epilogue so it is not categorized in AU.
Chapter Notes: This first chapter is more like part of the end and the chapters proceeding this will be sort of like a flash back. The path that lead to that moment. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except this plot because we all know, sadly, that she would never approve of this pairing!
Chapter Endnotes: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you liked it, feel free to review and the more reviews I get the more inclined I shall be to update! The next chapter shall be up soon and I am currently writing the fourth! Also, I could use a beta if anyone wants to volunteer!
Quinn