After Effects

The golden trio

            Two months after the war

"What are you doing here? ", Ginny asked, walking towards Harry.

"Just couldn't sleep", Harry said.

She sat beside him and said, " You look really troubled. What happened ?".

He didn't say anything .

" It's my fault, isn't it? The fallen fifty? ", he said quietly.

"You are the reason the thousands of the others are safe", she said.

"But the people who died. Remus, Fred, Colin, Lavender. It's my fault", he said.

"Don't be an idiot, Harry. It's not your fault. All of them knew it was a war. They fought voluntarily. They died as heroes. It isn't your fault. It was Voldemort's fault", she said.

"Okay", he said.

"You are not coming inside? ", she asked.

"Just a minute", he said.

"I'll stay with you then", she said.

So, they stayed up all night talking about Hogwarts, the war, his searching of the horcruxes, her running the Dumbledore's Army, Ron and Hermione, Molly and Arthur, George.

"Good night", she said.

"It's good morning actually", he said, smiling.

"Fred, Fred. No. No", Ron was bellowing from the next room.

Hermione got up and went to his room.

"Silencio", she said.

He opened the door to see Ron sitting on his bed, crying.

"Sorry if I woke you up", he said.

"It's okay", she said.

Hermione spent the weekdays with her family and the weekends with the Weasleys.

"What did you dream of, Ron?", she asked softly.

"The usual, Fred dying. I've had the same dream for weeks", he said.

"For weeks? ", Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I had been cast the silencing charm everyday. I must have forgotten today", he said.

"Ron", she said and sat beside him.

" I thought after some time the nightmares would stop but it didn't. Guess I was wrong ", he said.

"I've them too. It's okay, Ron. It's okay ", she said.

"What are your nightmares about? ", he asked.

"You dying or Harry or my parents . Voldemort not dying. It keeps changing", she said.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't think you would have nightmares too. I thought you were very strong", he said.

"No one is very strong", she said.

They ended up talking about their nightmares and fell asleep beside each other.