dursley [h. g.]

••dursley•• || apart

The rush to get to Kings Cross was no different than ever, save for the fact that Harry had forced Kendra to let him carry everything for her and the Aurors that accompanied them through the platform barrier and to the train. It was all a blur of chaos and trunks, owls and Crookshanks. Kendra couldn't help but remember last year's journey to the train, when they had been accompanied by Sirius for one of his first times out of the house.

For the first time, she did not have the feeling of her lungs suffocating when she thought of the man she would have liked to have call her father. The thought hurt still, but the pain was lessened by just knowing that he had found peace.

When they finally got to the platform, accompanied all the way by the Aurors, though none of them had quite a close eye on anyone as they did Harry, Kendra took a pause and stared at the steam engine, taking in the sight. To her, it was still as breathtaking as it had been the very first time she had seen it.

"Are you alright, Kendra?" Ron asked after a moment. She snapped back.

"Hmm?" She asked, though she had heard what he said. It was still surprising to hear Ron say it. "Oh, yeah, just thinking."

"Let's go find some seats, shall we?" Harry said. Mr. Weasley offered to carry Kendra's trunk for her and help her hoist it up onto the seat racks. She thanked him profusely and sat down.

"I should go find my friends," she mentioned, mostly to Hermione, who had joined her in the compartment. Hermione looked at her with undisguised pity. Kendra turned to look out the window. They had just started to move.

"Actually," Hermione said, taking a deep breath. "Can we talk? Alone, please."

Kendra stared at Hermione suspiciously, dread pooling in her stomach. She stood slowly and followed Hermione into the empty compartment across from them. Hermione sat, Kendra following, and she took Kendras hands in her own.

"What's wrong?" Kendra asked softly- it was evident to tell that no small amount of mental fatigue was affecting Hermione. The Gryffindor sighed.

"Kendra... I- I think we need a break," Hermione whispered, looking into Kendra's eyes with both determination and heartbreak all at once. Kendra felt her throat tighten, and the tears that she tried so hard to keep for her pillow only pooled in her eyes.

"W-what?" Kendra asked, her voice feeble. Hermione took a deep breath and continued.

"You're not okay, Kendra, physically or mentally. And I don't know how to take care of you. I'm always scared to speak around you, and when I ask you how I can help, you don't answer or you give me nothing," Hermione stared into Kendra's heartbroken eyes with pity and regret.

"So... you want to break up over it?" Kendra whispered, her voice shaking and cracking.

"I want you to put all of your energy into getting better. I don't want to distract you since I can't help you. And when I see the Kendra that I know, the one I fell in love with, then there is no place I'd rather be than with you," Hermione smiled sadly. "I'm not good with emotions, Kendra. I can give you the facts of how to get better, but I don't know how to help you heal. You need to find a way to do it without me stepping in and making it worse. And I will be waiting for you."

Kendra sat, in stunned silence. She had known that it had been hard for everyone, including herself, to deal with the trauma that Kendra had all of a sudden begun to carry with her. But she had never accepted this. Hermione had always been the strong, unmoving pillar in her life. And now, she had to learn how to swim without the life jacket.

Hermione stood, kissed the top of Kendra's head, and set off down the corridor, likely doing her prefect rounds on the train. Kendra slowly brought herself to stand after reminded her that her friends would be waiting for her, and what she couldn't explain in letters would be a question on their lips.