Beyond the Line

Chapter One: Silence

An eerie silence drew upon Hermione's empty house as she packed to go to Hogwarts one final time. She remembered her family holidays spent in this same house that seemed like a distant memory now. She obliviated her parents shortly after the war started they lived in Australia now, unknowingly leaving their not quite yet adult daughter alone. All she had was Harry and Ron to keep for her family.

"Reducido", she waved her wand over the last of her familiar possessions and placing them in her expanding satchel before heading Kings Cross station and departing for Hogwarts.

Tears collected in her eyes as she ran through platform 9 3/4, yet she felt something building up inside of her. Once through she quickly spotted three bright orange heads bobbing together, Ron. She could feel herself get more excited as she made her way toward the people who have always been there for her.

"Ginny!" She grabbed onto her slender friend and pulled her into a well needed hug. She could smell Molly's cooking and how she missed those family meals. She felt a pull of her jumper sleeve releasing a Ron with open arms. She let go of Ginny and quickly wrapped her arms around the muscular neck of Ron. Inhaling his sweet smell she felt like she was home. Hermione had never meant to sleep with Ron when she went to the Burrow during the muggle holiday- Fourth of July- but something happen. He might've felt the shift that she had been desperately waiting for all the while Ron felt nothing. He quickly pushed her off softly when Molly began grinning at the two in their prolonged embrace.

"Molly, I can smell your cooking in their hair but did you bring me any this last go around?" Hermione's lips turned upo slightly to a grin as she was pulled into an embrace and kissed on the cheek by her closest thing to a mother besides her actual one.

Molly rifled through her bed before pulling out a small bundle that was taking up half of her palm. She waved her wand over her hand and the bundle shot up revealing heaps of food neatly wrapped for travel. "That should do you good for the time being before Ron here starts wanting to eat everything in sight". Molly ran her wand over the bundle again shrinking it and handing it to Hermione to place in her satchel and earning one more peck on her cheek.

"Where is my love?" Harry joined in and made his way to Molly before quickly planting a kiss on Ginny making her cheeks blush.

"We better get going before the express leaves without us." Hermione spoke as if needing to break the silence brought by Harry.

Harry hadn't been the same since the beginning of the war. He preached on how him and Ron had to go searching for the solution to the very clear problem Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He planned on speaking with McGonagall seeing as she stepped up to be the new headmistress about leaving when school resumed this term.

"Harry I really don't think going off by your own to search for something we don't know we need to finish this war is a good idea", Hermione held her Advanced Potion making book close to her chest. She looked into Ron's eyes pleadingly waiting for one of them to speak

"Mione please, who said I was going alone?" Harry patted Ron on the shoulder before adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose causing more hair to become ruffled at the sudden movements.

"Ron no. Don't encourage this", Hermione closed her book and looked at her best friends. She was concerned for their safety. They could be caught by some Death Eaters and then they would have lost. Everything they endured year after year would be null.

"I already sent Hedwig to McGonagall before we left asking for permission and as soon as we get to Hogwarts we will be heading off. All of the headmistress approves." Harry sank back into his seat next to Ron crossing his arms over his torso as if trying to prove to himself that he could go against Hermione like he hasn't already done so.