Author's Note: Thanks for taking the time to read. I've spent the last three weeks without internet (it was hell) and this story is the product of it. There are more chapters, but I don't want to post them all at once. My aim from now on is to write and post a chapter a week until completion. The title was a working title, relating to the song I was listening to whilst writing this, but it seems apt.

It is rated M for a reason, the later chapters do have mature themes. You have been warned.

Usual Disclaimer's apply. I own none of the characters, place names, actions etc. Chapter titles are song lyrics, and I do not claim credit for them. No money is being made from this.

Hermione sat in the Great Hall feeling as destroyed as her surroundings. There was a lot of activity going on around her; family members hugging each other, relieved that all was well, people mourning the loss of loved ones, people being healed by the school nurse. Of course, the Weasleys were just as distraught, if not more, having lost two sons, but she couldn't bear to be near them, she just needed to feel numb by herself.

Ron had been hit by a rogue death eater's killing curse, who had stayed behind after Voldemort's demise. He had been aiming the spell at Harry but Ron jumped in front of him, saving his best friend and sacrificing himself. The death eater had immediately been stunned and arrested, but that didn't take away the fact that he was gone. Ron was gone and never coming back. Hermione had never felt so empty in her life and didn't even glance up when a stretcher was brought in surrounded by a lot of Aurors, with Harry talking incredibly fast with them. Instead of mourning over the death of Ron, he had got stuck in with the recovery of the castle and its grounds.

Hermione had no idea how long she had been sat alone when Harry came to talk with her. He sat next to her and put an arm around her, pulling her towards him.

"I can't…" she began before breaking down.

Harry held her tight to him, letting tears fall from his eyes for the first time. He knew where she had been going with her unspoken words, and he felt exactly the same. Nothing had compared to this emptiness. He hadn't wanted anyone to die for him, but none had felt as painful as this. Ron had been like a brother to him, he'd known him longer than anyone else at Hogwarts, other than Hagrid. He'd spent almost every day with him, complaining about essays and exams, messing around with fake wands, having more adventures than he can remember with his invisibility cloak. He'd been there every time Voldemort had tried to kill him; he was loyal until the very end. Thinking back over their years together, his silent tears turned into wracking sobs, and he felt a pain he'd never felt before.

Eventually, the tears subsided and they sat in comfortable silence for a little while.

"Hermione?" Harry whispered. Her deep breathing and verbal silence confirmed Harry's thoughts that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He rested his head on hers and closed his eyes.

When Hermione awoke, it was to find herself lying on a bed in the Great Hall. She sat up quickly, confused as to her surroundings. Then the events of yesterday came flooding back, and she collapsed back down, pulling the blanket over her head. How was she supposed to continue living when her life had died yesterday? She tried to look to the future but could see nothing but darkness. She thought of Harry and wondered where he was now and how he was feeling. She peeked out of the blanket, taking in her surroundings. The occupant of the bed next to hers had their back to her clearly still asleep. It was too big to be Harry, so she turned to look to her other side. That bed was empty. She sat up again, slower this time, looking around the room. Some beds were occupied, some were empty. She eventually spotted Harry at the front of the hall, talking with Madam Pomfrey.

She rubbed her eyes before getting up and walking towards them. She suddenly felt light-headed. She must have got up a little too quick. She slowed down to try and let her body catch up. It never did however and she collapsed. She could hear voices all around her, but they sounded muffled, distant, fuzzy. All she could see was darkness and stars. She felt semi-aware of what was going on. She felt her body being lifted and carried, placed down onto a bed. She felt a cold compress on her forehead.

She slowly opened her eyes, and saw Harry looking down upon her.

"Don't scare me like that Hermione." He said lightly.

"What… What happened?" she whispered.

"You've been through a lot. Your body couldn't cope with the stress. Understandable, of course."

"But I just wanted to come and talk to you. See how you were doing." Hermione looked down at her hands, fidgeting.

"Of course, it hurts for me too, I'd be fool to pretend it doesn't. But I'm more concerned for you. He was yours. That's gonna hurt in ways I can't even begin to understand."

"Harry, I… I just can't… I can't see a future without him!" she sobbed.

Harry hugged Hermione.

"Look, I know it's gonna be hard to get over this. But you will. In time. I promise. You'll always have me. And Ginny. And the rest of the Weasleys. We'll never leave you, I promise. I think this has proved more than anything that we need to stick together, always."

"What's going to happen now?" she asked.

"We rebuild. The castle will be rebuilt by the teachers. The Ministry will be rebuilt by its remaining staff."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to live at Grimmauld Place. Ask Ginny to move in with me."

"That's amazing! You two, living together, so sweet!" Hermione smiled for the first time since Ron's death.

"Shh! I haven't asked her yet. I'm going to give her a little while. I think her family just need to be together for now. I was going to ask you though; would you like to stay with me? I think we need to just have each other to be there."

"Ok. I will stay with you. But I'm going to stay here for a few days. I think I just need to see how things pan out here."

Harry proceeded to fill Hermione in on who else had died, and who had survived. But perhaps the most shocking of all to Hermione was Professor Snape's survival.

Apparently the pain he was feeling had caused him just to pass out. He was currently being treated right here in the school by some healers that had come over from St. Mungo's. They had treated him with various antidotes and closed the wound in his neck. He had lost a lot of blood so he was under orders to not leave his bed. Harry had shown the Order and Ministry the memories that Snape had given him.

"Can I see the memories?" Hermione asked.

Harry took Hermione to what was now Professor McGonagall's office and showed her what he had seen.

Hermione came back from the Pensieve with a look of pure shock on her face.

"So he always was on our side!" she exclaimed.

Harry nodded.

"And… how do you feel about what you saw in there… other than the bit about you dying?"

"It is what it is. The past can't be changed."

There was a finality in his tone that told Hermione he didn't want to discuss it.

They made their way back to the Great Hall, where lunch was being served. After eating, Harry and Hermione spent the afternoon helping rebuild the castle.