After the War

Chapter 14

"Hey Ginny. Hey Dean. Hello Ron." I turned to look at Ron, smiling slightly.

"No. It can't be. Hermione disappeared without a trace. There is no way that she could have been sitting at the table with us this whole time. I... I... I would have known... wouldn't I?" Ginny said looking at me with a confused and shocked look on her face.

"Not if I didn't want you too." I said shyly looking down.

"What... How... Where...?" Ron said looking at me before turning to Harry. "Harry can you believe that she is here, that we have found her?" Harry looked at Ron sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Umm... I may have found her a few days ago. But she wanted some more time, so I was going to give it to her." Ron started going as red as her hair, Ginny had tears running down her face and Dean was holding her while looking at me. Emma was looking between us all sipping on her drink. Waiting for the right time to jump in, I hoped.

"WHAT?! YOU FOUND HER AND DIDN'T TELL ME?" Ron started to scream at Harry, drawing the attention of the others in the restaurant. "I have been worried sick about her for years, I have been looking for any sign of her and you decide not to tell me when you find her. What is wrong with you? I thought you were meant to be my mate."

"Ron, Hermione asked me not to say anything, she wanted me to give her time to get used to knowing that someone had found her. She wanted to come back to everyone in her own time. I wasn't going to force her to come back only to lose her again. I figured I would give her time and slowly introduce her to the idea of seeing everyone again. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But I had only just found her. I wasn't going to lose her again." Harry finished looking at me with sadness in his eyes.

"Ron, don't be angry at Harry. He was doing what I asked of him, it wasn't his..."

"And you! How dare you leave with nothing but a letter saying good bye. How dare you just up and leave us after everything that we have been through. We have been worried sick! Mum went back to refusing to get out of bed except to eat, dad threw himself entirely into his work, George started thinking it was him that people wanted to run away from and hid himself away in the apartment above the shop. As soon as you left, everything went back to hell. Why did you leave? How dare you just up and leave us all to deal..."

"How dare I?!" I may have started to lose it "I was the one who looked after everyone. When the war ended and we all went back to the Burrow, I was the one who cooked, and cleaned and made sure everyone slept. I was the one who handed out the dreamless sleep potions, and made them when there was none left. I was the one who helped George get the shop ready to reopen. I was there when people woke up in the night crying needing a shoulder to cry on. I was the one who got everyone ready for work and school when they needed it. I was there when you needed the help. I was there when everyone needed me. And where the hell were you when I needed someone? Where was anyone? As everyone got better, they all forgot about the one who was there. I was there when everyone needed something, no matter what. But when I needed someone, no one was there. I needed help as well. I was hurting as well. But when I fell, no one cared. No one noticed. Being there, around everyone and everything that reminded me of the war, I couldn't do it. No one seemed to care when I was there, why would they care if I left? So, I ran. And now you think you have the right to stand here and yell at me for leaving? I was there for you when you needed it, but you weren't there for me. You have no right to stand here and yell at me after everything that I did for you." I was crying by the time that I finished. I couldn't be here anymore. I couldn't be around them anymore. I turned and ran out the door.

I got half way home before I had to stop. I couldn't see through the tears. I didn't understand. I know that I was wrong for running. I should have stayed and tried harder to talk to people. But I just couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take the constant panic attacks and the nightmares. I couldn't take being stuck in the past and not being able to move on. I had to get away for a while. I had to get away from everything that was there. I know I was wrong to leave with nothing more than a note saying I was going away, but I needed to. By now I had made it home and was sitting on the couch. I rubbed my face with my hands and rested my head on the back of the couch. I was starting to relax when there was a knock at the door. I got up and opened it to see Emma, Dean and Ginny standing there.

"We just wanted to make sure you were okay" Ginny started stepping forward. "I understand if you want us to go, but we really just want to talk to you and make sure you're okay."

I sighed and stepped aside, allowing them to enter. Closing the door behind them.

This was going to be a long night.