Our Constellation--Dramione

Chapter Nineteen

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, plotlines, characters, places, events (etc.) all belong to J.K. Rowling, she is the rightful owner. When a character is created by me, you'll know right away ;)

A/N: Long chapter ahead. Just FYI.

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2 May 1998

This wasn't happening. She wanted to get the images out of her head. Hermione wanted badly to wake up from this nightmare and find that all along, she was safe at the burrow, dozing off in the snug sleeping sack on Ginny's floor.

This isn't happening. Dobby is still alive, Fred is still alive, Remus is still alive, and Tonks... Tonks... Hermione rested her chin on her laced fingers and willed herself not to cry. She rocked back and forth--as if that would soothe her.

She would give anything to go back to simpler days and a simpler time. Or maybe she'd live in today as long as there was the promise of tomorrow. In a perfect world, she'd be in school right now with her best friends. In a perfect world, Voldemort would've ceased to exist years ago. In a perfect world, muggle-borns wouldn't be the object of discrimination and cruelty. And in a perfect world, she could be with her family.

But if such a world were to exist there would be no risk, no adventure. There would hardly be any fun left, only the chaos of order. The world would be full of Umbridges. She shuddered at the mere idea.

Hermione looked at the top of her left hand: I will speak only when spoken to. It was written in her messy scrawl. Harry had his scars, Draco had his, and she had hers, they all did. And since when had she become a human piece of scratch parchment? It seemed that both Umbridge and Bellatrix had scarred her with words so cruel they literally cut into her skin.

The world didn't need to be perfect, she just wanted those special people in her life to come back. To turn back time was a dangerous game, but what if it promised her a second chance?

And her thoughts traveled back to poor Teddy. Remus and Tonks must've known that certain death in this war for certain people was imminent and unavoidable. It was prewritten on their timelines. And that's why they asked Harry to be Teddy's godfather.

The sound of shuffling shoes drawing nearer alarmed her. They were simultaneously kicking at the debris in the way.

Ron's face was swollen from the burn of his tears.

"How is she? Lavender?"

"Madam Pomfrey can't be sure until she can get her hands on some more advanced equipment. I only forgot we were in a fucking war, was sort of hoping she'd find a way to save her. After all, she's a bloody healer! She should be capable of this!" Ron was growing understandably angry and at a lot of people. Whomever he could blame for anything at all, he wanted to.

"Ron..." She brushed away broken fragments of stone from the stair step and motioned for him to join her, which he did. "I wish things hadn't happened the way they did. I loved Fred, but in no way does it compare to what you're going through. We've all lost someone dear to us, Ron, you are not alone."

"Then why does it feel like it? Why does it feel like my family is the one losing the most?" he asked, not truly angry, but hurting to his core. "Harry lost his family as a baby, Hermione. A baby. He might miss them every day but he never had the chance to love them as I have with my family."

"And Ron, your family is bigger than his ever was. The more you have to love, the more you risk losing. But regardless of who's related to whom, we've all become a family. I couldn't imagine a world where I don't get to share my life with you or Harry. Just like how Harry couldn't have imagined a life without Sirius, and yet here we are."