Alone Together

Bloody Hogwarts Again

Before this summer, Hermione had never dreamed of even allowing this thought into her head, but as the Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop at the station, and the grand castle standing stoically beside the lake came into view, all she could feel was anger.

"I don't want to be here." she thought, "I hate it here." not moving out of her cabin, hoping that maybe it would take her back to her family, to the world, and not here.

This place used to be a haven for her, where she could challenge herself, immerse herself in her classes and whatever recent mystery and troublemaking Ron and Harry had drawn her into. It was warm and happy, a sense of belonging despite all the hardships they had faced throughout their years there. An unbreakable bond had been formed between the three of them. At least she thought there had been.

The thought of Ron and Harry wanted to make her set the empty seat across from her on fire. The blundering idiots had left her behind.

Left.

Her.

Behind.

After everything they'd done together, after everything they'd gone through together. They'd up and left to go look for Horcruxes. Without her. The betrayal cut her to her core. It made her doubt everything, it shook her world. Ron and Harry had made up almost all of her world, so leaving her ripped a bloody hole the shape of the two boys in her.

It's not safe they'd said. It'd be better if we have someone on the inside, they'd said.

"Complete rubbish," Hermione fumed inwardly. It was a stupid excuse, but somehow they'd gotten it into their small brains it was for the best. 

After Dumbledore's death, they had fought about it countless times, shock and grief hardening their arguments, but Hermione never thought they'd actually leave without her. If she had, she would've been able to beat them there, to their first spot. They needed her. Yes, they were brave and willing to face the danger, but they weren't the sharpest, and often blinded by emotion, and her usual cool-headedness always kept them in check. Despite her boiling rage and the overpowering urge to hoax them into oblivion the next time she saw them, she was deeply worried about them. It plagued her every thought. Not knowing where they were and what they were doing was a dark shadow that cast itself over everything that passed through her mind. Worried that they would go on and do something reckless and stupid without her to guide them, and get hurt or captured, or worse-

Hermione would not finish the thought.

They'd left in the night, and when she'd woken up and packed, fully intending to go after them, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stopped her, and told her it would really be best if she just went to Hogwarts.

She remembered yelling and screaming at them, trying to escape, but they knew her too well and had put up charms to stop her from leaving the property. Ginny had tried to help, but it was no use.

Even today, as they forced her upon the train, she yelled at them.

"WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLOODY WAR! YOU CANNOT SEND ME OFF TO- TO THERE!"

It held too many painful memories of Dumbledore, and the camaraderie between the two boys that had abandoned her. It was a shadow of it's previous self, now with the evil, heartless Snape at its head. The very man who had murdered Dumbledore.

Hermione looked about the window at the smaller than usual crowd milling around on the platform. All the uniform-clad students getting off seemed to have invisible weights pressing on their shoulders, and the weariness of an old war general.