You're My Destiny↣ Harmione

Chapter Thirty

Chapter 30 - Time for Action

Harry awoke in what the young couple now considered their bedroom in Gryffindor Tower to the wonderful sensation of Hermione being wrapped around him. She had obviously awakened first and appeared to be worried about something. He soon discovered exactly what was troubling his intended.

"Did you have a nightmare? I know they can be triggered by events…"

A gentle kiss stopped Hermione's questions, and somewhat eased her worries, before Harry then chased them away.

"No nightmare could ever compare with what we went through since Friday dinnertime. I'll bet every member of our family who stood helplessly watching you lying on that bed would agree with me too. We got you back though, and I'm never letting you get away again…"

It was now Hermione's turn to gently kiss Harry's worries away. "It would seem like I got the better of the deal."

"I felt the pain you went through when Fawkes healed you. Your screams as Emma cut your face open will live with me forever, I can't agree you got the better of the deal. I just hope Amelia gets the rest of the death eaters behind bars. If she doesn't, we really are all out of options. Your mum and dad will insist we all get out of Britain and we really don't have a reasonable argument against doing that. We'll certainly talk about it as a family during the holidays but the ball really is in the ministry's court over this."

"I know. I was sitting at dinner last night thinking this might be the last time we do this in Hogwarts. While I would be sad to leave, you're right. Unless the ministry deals with the problem, my parents will never agree to any of us coming back here in January."

"I better get you down to see Madam Pomfrey, otherwise she won't let us leave for Christmas…"

With that, both got up to start what could be their last day in Hogwarts.

-oOoOo-

The issue of the Prophet announcing Hermione's recovery was welcomed in the great hall that morning, but not by all. The newspaper's stance on the death eaters who never stood trial was mostly ignored by the majority of the students, one of their own recovering from such a serious and life-threatening injury being far more important, but again not all. There were students in the hall who would be leaving for home today, and not knowing who or what they would find when they got there.

These students were as worried as Harry and Hermione that today might also be their last day in Hogwarts, though their reasons were certainly different. Any death eater trials could see family members shipped off to Azkaban, and that same family fined heavily. It wasn't too hard to imagine their circumstances changing drastically, and very publicly, over the holiday period.

One student who wouldn't be leaving Hogwarts, not even for Christmas, was an interested observer. Draco would be staying with his mother in the castle, he would have the entire holidays to think on why Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle or quite a few other Slytherins might not be returning in the new year. With the amount of changes hitting their world, it was beginning to seem more like a new era would soon be upon them - rather than a new year. Draco would have the holidays to think over that conclusion too.

After Madam Pomfrey had worked her particular magic on what Fawkes left of Hermione's wound, there was no scarring remaining to indicate an attack had ever taken place. They found Dudley sitting with the rest of their friends at breakfast. Knowing they would see most of them at the Longbottom Ball took away any sense of saying goodbye, though both Hermione and Harry made a point of seeking out Fred and George - as well as the other members of the Gryffindor quidditch team. They might be wishing them all the best for the holidays but it actually felt like saying goodbye.