They All Love You

part twelve

Everything that followed that night came in a blur. Hermione was never particularly attached to Professor Sprout, but she was still one of her Professors nonetheless. Seeing her body had scarred Hermione like nothing else. During the war, she had seen many bodies but she had unfortunately had been expecting them. As sad as it sounded, she excepted and knew people close to her would die.

But this, this was an unexpected. She wasn't supposed to be dead, especially after her heroic fighting during the war. This death wasn't supposed to happen.

After they had found the body, Dean had somehow managed to bring Hermione up to the eighth year common room to let the others know, Hermione sobbing uncontrollably in Harry's arms. In a sudden rush, Harry, Seamus, Luna, Dean and Blaise all returned to where her body was, and Harry seemed horrified. He knew how she died, as he has used this spell before. 

Sectumsempra.

The group of students had alerted a very distraught Professor McGonogall, who had alerted healers and aurors from the Ministry immediately, also informing the other Professors. 

As for Hermione, she was a wreck. She couldn't figure out why, but Professor Sprout's death had hit her where it hurts bad. 

Harry had held her in his arms for as long as he could, trying to console her by letting her cry against his chest. When it was time for him to go and find the body, Hermione sat by herself on an arm chair, her arms wrapped around her knees, hugging them and silently crying.

The rest of the eighth years were scattered among the common room, everyone somewhat affected. Even the large group of moody Slytherins were distraught, sitting in an eery silence. Almost all of the Hufflepuffs were either crying or vowing revenge for her murderer. Hermione however couldn't move, slightly rocking back and forth, tears streaming down.

Theo was sitting with Draco and Pansy on chairs near the large table and noticed the quivering Hermione and couldn't help but feel bad. He knew she definitely still had unresolved feelings with the war, naturally like everyone else would, but hers were different. The screams she let out at the lake that night were audible. Theo could hear them from above the surface, and it hurt him knowing she went through so much he didn't understand.

After some self convincing, he managed to pull himself from his chair, making Draco and Pansy perk up to see Theo sit down on the floor, back against Hermione's arm chair which she had scrunched herself up in.

"Hermione-" was all Theo could spit out, but he was at loss for words. 

Everyone was. He could hear her silent crying from the chair and just sat there. Hermione had noticed his presence but it didn't phase her. She couldn't stop replaying the image of the dead body, the cold dead body laying lifeless on the stone floor. 

Blaise and Luna came through the portrait, tears evident on both of their faces, surprising Theo. He didn't know Blaise had an attachment to the Professor, and even though you didn't have to to cry over a death, Theo could tell Blaise was affected, more so than others.

Hermione lifted her tear-stained face and her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Where's...Harry? Dean?" she audibly whispered, only Theo and a passing Luna could hear, Luna hugging Hermione by the shoulders.

"They're with Seamus and McGonogall at the ministry," Luna whispered, tears falling from her face too. Hermione just quietly nodded and hung her face back in her knees again, but then rose again after a few seconds, standing up.

"Oh my god, Ginny..." Hermione sputtered, standing up and sniffing loudly. Theo shot right up next to her.

"What about Ginny?" he asked nervously.