Unique (Hermione x M! OC)

38. Old V's Golden Girls

Me, Hermione, Ron and Harry are on a trek through the woods, Harry is separated, obviously lost in thought. Hagrid breaks the silence, "So I remember, I remember when I firs' met yeh all. Biggest bunch 'er misfits I e'er set eyes on. Always reminded me of myself a li'le. And 'ere we all are, four years la'er."

"How was I a misfit?" I ask.

"Well yeh always kept to yerself or 'Ermione, I don' think anyone knew what to think abou' yeh. Nasty rumors there were. Of course yeh turned out ta be the nex' Great Wizard."

"Let's be honest, we're all still misfits." Ron says.

"Well, maybe. Bu' we've all go' each other, and 'Arry of course. Soon to be! The youngest! Triwizard Champion there's ever been! Hooray!" Hagrid taps into his inner Howard Finkel. "Hogwarts, Hogwarts," Hagrid sings before Hermione joins, her perfect voice filling my heart.

"Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,"

Ron joins next and I frown as Harry stops, holding his scar. "Teach us something please, / Whether we be old and bald, / Or young with scabby knees,"

"Shh!" I hiss.

"Mr. Crouch?" Harry asks.

I rush over to Harry's side to find the frighteningly still body of Bartemius Crouch, my first instinct is to panic, jump into someone's arms, probably Hermione's but now isn't the time. I kneel over Crouch and check his pulse. None. "Get help!" I yell, starting chest compressions. Then, reluctantly, mouth to mouth. Nothing. Chest compressions again. Suddenly Pomfrey and Dumbledore are here and Hermione puts a shaky hand on my shoulder. I get up to give Pomfrey some room. It doesn't take the experienced witch long to stand back up.

"There's nothing I can do. This is a result of the Killing Curse." Hermione grabs my shirt and buries her face into my chest, not crying, shaking from fright. She's never seen a dead body before. My arms wrap around her tightly, pulling her into me. Dumbledore puts a hand on my shoulder.

"To jump into action like that requires a great deal of courage, Mr. Hedrich. Your mother would be very proud." With a solemn smile says, "I think you've all seen enough, I will take care of Mr. Crouch. I believe that it's for the best that you go back inside. Hagrid will go with you, keep you safe."

"Hear that Golden? Time to go." I take one of her hands, squeeze it gently and move beside her. We follow Hagrid back into the castle where he leaves us in the courtyard before going back the way we came alone. Harry starts to pace and Hermione is still quiet. It's actually starting to scare me.

"Ron, I need your help." Harry says.

"With what?" Ron asks.

"Doesn't matter what, come on." He pulls Ron away, leaving me and Hermione.

"Golden, are you okay?" Nothing. "Please, Cinnabon, speak to me." Nothing. I sigh before pulling her into a tight hug, "Come on, listen to me, I love you. I love you, okay? Forever. I just want to hear that voice. Please." I nuzzle her closer and start with my hands, rubbing her back and her head at the same time. Suddenly, a heartbreaking sob snaps out of her, followed by a shortness of breath I know all-too-well. "Shh, shh, shh. It's okay, it's okay."

"No it isn't!" She yells at the top of her lungs, pushing herself out of my grip. People look over at us momentarily before returning to whatever they're supposed to be doing. "It isn't, Sammy. That could've been you. You could be dead right now, and I'd never get to say how much you really mean to me!"

"Hermione, I love you more than life itself. You know that, right?" She slowly nods, "If the world stopped right now, I'd be happy that I even spent a minute of my life loving you, no less over a year and throughout all eternity. You're the reason I'm here. Don't get into your own head, Hermione. If I die tomorrow, there's a place next to me that'll be open and I'll wait. I'll wait for you. I don't want anyone not named Hermione Jean Granger as my lover. You're the only person I could ever love, you know that, right?" She gives me another nod, "Then you have nothing to worry about. You're amazing, you're my Golden Ace, you're my Juliette, you're my entire fucking world, okay? Crouch was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time. I won't be. I'll be by your side until we die. If I go first, I'll wait a million years if I have to." I pull her into another hug.