The Fallout by EveryThursday (reposted)

Nineteen

"I love you." This is the first thing he says, and the tears jet to her eyeballs from the weight in her chest.

She nods for several seconds until she feels that her vocal chords might work, if she tries really hard. "I love you too, Harry. I love you so much."

He apologizes for her not being able to come earlier, but he had forgotten to inform them to let her in until that afternoon. He tells her that he doesn't want to talk about anything that has happened yet, and she irrationally feels the words of her anger bubble up inside her. She wants to know why he didn't make sure to get her before the battle, when he has always gotten her in the past, and why she was not good enough for this to him. But it is not the time, and she knows it will not be for a long time now, when there is room for her bitterness over the grief of loss that they all share now.

He does ask her who she has visited and how they are, and when she raises her chin in defiance to anything he has to say when she tells him she has visited Draco Malfoy as well, his answer is not one she is expecting. She tells him that he is fine, and looks worriedly at the sudden faraway expression on his face before he lapses into silence once again.

Before she leaves, he speaks up when her hand is on the knob. "Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"If you see Malfoy again...tell him I'm sorry."

"For what?" She shakes her head in confusion, and he shakes his own in refusal to answer.

"Just tell him."

"Alright."

Day: 1437; Hour: 10

"I know, Hermione. Our organization is non-existent, everything has been blown to ruins. We're not even sure about all the casualties or how many are going to pull out of their injuries, let alone where everyone is."

"We still need to find Ron! The others that are missing too, yes, and organize funerals, and comb the area for other casualties, and everything, I know. But Ron is out there, waiting for us! I know what it was like to be that person, and I am sure that I did not have it as bad as him!"

"I care about Ron too, Hermione. I know the things we have to do. We're trying to reassemble as quickly as we can, and as soon as we do, I plan on creating a rescue mission for Ron and all the others. He is important to us, but everyone else who is missing is important to other people as well--"

"I know that! You're not listening to me! We have enough people, especially now that we--"

"Hermione! We are gathering able people and our resources to form several search teams for everyone that is missing, but we don't have enough people that are able, not performing another duty, and that we know the location of to form a team at this very second! We--"

"Then figure out where they are, Lupin! Ron could be dying, and you, and you..."

Hermione trails off, because there is a sudden, stark look that overwhelms Lupin's face. Exasperation is there, but there is also something else, more deep and personal that she doesn't know except for the feel of it. Because he is the one in charge, who is supposed to be the best at this and to get done what needed to be done. But he couldn't. He couldn't because no one was good enough in war.

"Tell me what to do. I can't sit here. I can't sit here, Lupin, please don't make me." She whispers this, and if she sounds broken, it is nothing he doesn't feel.

"Organize them. Locate the Order members and Auror's who are in a decent health and haven't been assigned anything else. Compile the names and bring them to me."