All things considered, it is actually rather anti-climatic.
For some reason, Hermione had expected an epic battle with spells being thrown all over the place and people getting hurt or killed. While she’s glad that it lacked the latter, she just finds it difficult to believe that it’s all over now. After so many years, it doesn’t seem real.
Perhaps she’s in shock. That sounds logical and makes sense to her. After all, they’ve just fought and defeated Voldemort; just the three of them, as it has been and always would be. She looks at Ron, who is kneeling beside the still body of Bellatrix Lestrange, and then at Harry, who is staring at a pile of ash that had once been Voldemort. She has to bite her lip to keep from laughing hysterically at the pile of dust and the vision of it being cleaned up with a Muggle vacuum. It seems a fitting end to Voldemort.
The air is thick with magic and it’s difficult to breathe. She finally moves and steps over the fallen body of Pettigrew to reach Harry. He looks at her and blinks before he leans against her and whispers, “It’s over. It’s finally over.”
She pushes his spectacles back up his nose, and brushes her fingers through his shaggy black hair as he holds her for support. His grip is tight and she can feel warm tears against her neck. “Yes, it’s over,” she murmurs as she soothes him. She glances down at the ashes and feels her legs grow unsteady. Ron catches her before she can fall. He always does.
His arms move around both of them, offering them strength and love as he kisses their cheeks. Then they’re kissing and she’s not sure whose tongue is licking her lips and who is licking her jaw but it doesn’t matter because it’s finally over. Voldemort is dead. After a year and a half of searching and hunting and preparing, he’s gone and they can finally move on. They can finally have a future together, can plan things without the threat of possible death lingering in everything they discuss, and she finally does laugh because she can now.
Ron slowly grins as he brushes her hair away from her face, and Harry smiles hesitantly as he holds them both as tight as possible. Voldemort may be dead now, but she knows Harry still fears losing them. She wonders how long it will take before anything is normal again. It doesn’t really matter, though, she decides as she smiles at her boys and holds them back just as tight. They can finally smile again, and that means more than she can put into words.
End
Smile
Story Notes:
7/12/06