Hermione took a deep breath as she stood in the entryway looking towards the large double doors leading to the Great Hall. She was squeezing poor Luna's hand so tight she was sure she was cutting off circulation. But Luna just smiled at her.
She and Luna were going to head in first. There were about twenty minutes to the feast, so there would be plenty of time for a quick catchup, without having to get into any serious conversations before dinner. She and Luna would simply walk in with their heads held high. They would chat, while the others went in and straight to their designated table while keeping an eye on the group in case they needed to intervene.
"You got this," Draco smiled as he gave his wife a quick hug. "You look fucking gorgeous, and you will have him regretting the day he chose to break your heart." Draco wasn't going to lie. He was actually nervous about this. What if she went in there and realised she still loved Ron? What if he made her question the last ten years and all they had achieved together? He knew it was stupid, but he couldn't help but worry.
Hermione reached up and cupped his cheek. "I love you silly rabbit," she assured him. Silly rabbit was a term that she said one morning a few years back. They were shopping in muggle London in the snow when Draco tripped over the kerb (after Hermione pointed it out to him) and landed in a pile of snow. What she meant to say was 'silly dick' but there was a family with three young kids in front of her so she ended up saying 'silly rabbit' and it stuck.
"Promise?" He asked a little nervous.
Hermione could sense it. "Hey," she smiled. "No matter what they say, it will never change how I feel for you. I love you Draco. I love my life. You and Sienna are more important to me than anything else in the world. And if they can't accept my life, then they don't get to be a part of it."
"So you will come back to me?" He sighed smiling.
She quickly kissed him. "I will always come back to you. To you, I belong." She smiled again as Pansy scoffed.
"Alright lover boy, over here and let her make her grand entrance," she shoved Draco out of the way and moved a strand of Hermione's hair back before topping up her lipstick. "You are gorgeous. Now remember i anyone asks, you tell them you only wear my designs. Other than that? Go knock 'em dead."
Hermione winked at the girl as she skipped off and the doors opened. She took a deep breath, still holding Luna's hand. "You ready Luna?" She looked to her right.
"I have no idea, but let's do this!" Luna grinned, and the girls began walking.
It was surreal, walking into the Great Hall again. Something that they used to do three sometimes four times a day, suddenly felt like it was a huge accomplishment, like climbing a mountain. All eyes turned to the duo, with a few gasping at the sight of the two women who had disappeared from the world years prior.
Many people thought they left the wizarding world, some assumed they had moved to America or Australia or somewhere after school. Some even thought they had died. But they were both here now, very much alive and both looking like royalty.
Harry actually gave a gasp as he saw Hermione standing, her eyes scanning the room looking nervous before eventually falling on his. They simply gazed at each other for a few seconds before Hermione gave a nervous smile and small wave and Harry's whole face lit up. It would have been a romantic moment if neither of them felt like they had just clapped eyes on their long-lost sibling.
Suddenly Harry's feet were moving before his brain had time to register what he was doing. He made a bee-line for the girl who was still smiling but had yet to actually move. Harry felt like he had to reach her before she disappeared from his world again. He knew he had missed her, but it didn't dawn on him, just how much he had until this very moment. She was the only family he had left. Their time on the run and bonded them in a way that could never be broken. As if they gave a piece of each other to each other, forever. Hermione was the only one in his life whose loyalty had never wavered. She never lost faith in him, never didn't believe in what he was saying or doing. She was the one constant he could always rely on.
And she was back.
He reached her, not even taking time to slow down. Instead, he scooped her up, into his arms and swung her around several times not wanting to set her down. His family was complete. She gave a giggle trying desperately to keep her heels on as she swirled around before Harry put her on her feet and held her at arms length to take a good look at her.
"Hermione," he sighed happily. "It is so awesome to see you again," he said trying to hold back tears. "I have missed you so much." He hugged her again.
And she squeezed him tightly. "I missed you too Harry. You have no idea how much I have missed you these last few years."
"Oh, I think I have an idea," he smirked and hugged her again before spotting Luna beside her who was being squeezed to death by Ginny. He stepped beside her and wrapped an arm around her. "You look great Mione," he smiled. "Really great."
"She looks fantastic," Ginny said standing now in front of Hermione looking a little nervous. "Wherever you shop these days, you need to give me the details."
"Hello Ginny," Hermione said quietly. "I've missed -" she didn't get to finish as Ginny lunged at her and pulled her into a hug as Harry lifted Luna off the ground squeezing her.
"You are NEVER allowed to leave me again. Do you hear me?" Ginny said, tears in her eyes and a pout on her lips. "I have missed you Hermione. I had no idea if you were safe or if we did something wrong." She stepped back now, taking the two girls by the hand and pulling them further into the hall and over to the table they were sitting at.
Ron and Andi were already seated next to Neville and his wife Hannah. Ron hadn't taken his eyes off Hermione since she stepped into the room. She looked...well fuck he thought she looked like sex on legs. She had colour to her skin and her hair was sitting in loose curls over her shoulders. Her waist was petite, but her chest was sticking out and Ron was practically drooling. He watched as she hugged Harry, quite a few times. It made him want to growl. She was his girlfriend after all....well she was. But Harry shouldn't be touching her. Ron felt very possessive over Hermione. He didn't want anyone to touch her besides him. He was even jealous of Ginny hugging her.
Ron was staring at the girl, but she hadn't even glanced his way yet. She hadn't even noticed he was in the room. That pissed him off. He half expected her to come into the hall looking like a mess and begging him to talk to her. He expected her to look at him with the same glisten in her eyes that she had during school. He assumed she would be shy and look down at her hands blushing as he spoke to her, the way she used to. Not to ignore him like this.
Ginny set her handbag on the table and smirked at the sight of her brother looking longingly at the brunette in front of her. Maybe there was hope for the two of them yet, she thought turning to the girls. "Why did you leave?"
Hermione blushed. She knew the question was coming, but she never expected it to come so soon. She sighed and looked to Luna, who nodded. They had agreed Luna would go first. "I needed a fresh start," Luna explained. "I saw all the write-ups about me in the paper. Saying that I was some blonde airhead who was lucky to have survived the battle as I was too delusional and busy counting pixies and reading auras to actually be able to defend myself or the castle." She looked up to Ginny who blushed. "That was said during your interview Ginny and you didn't correct them."
"Luna, I -" she started, but Luna held up her hand.
"I know I was a little...unique during school, but I thought that I had proven myself to you enough to be in your gang. I saved your life Ginny, and yet I was mocked and ridiculed. I know what people thought of me. I know that you all thought I was ditzy. That was all you would ever see me as. Harry and Ginny's excentric friend. Harry you told Neville that I would be lucky to have him as he was the only one who could see past my weirdness." She looked to Harry who paled.
"That was taken out of context. I never actually said that at all. They took what I said and re-worded it to make it sound bad," he looked at his feet.
"But you never corrected them," she pointed out.
He shook his head. "No, I didn't. I am sorry. I should have made them write a retraction."
"That is not why I left," she sighed. "I left because I know deep down that you all do see me as excentric, weird. I was always going to be the odd one of the group." She looked to Hermione who took her hand. "I need to get away. To find out who I really was and reinvent myself. My father died during the war, my home was destroyed. I had nothing to stay for." Ginny was about to object. "Ginny you had Harry, you were both enjoying the start of your relationship, and I wasn't going to burden you with my problems. The night of the party I walked in on Hermione packing her bags and I made an impulsive decision. I decided to go with her. Get away for a bit and reconnect with myself. Learn to love me for me. And I did, and I am much better for it. I am happy now. Happier than I have ever been. I know that I took off but at the time it was what was needed."
Ginny was listening and nodding along. Part of her felt bad that Luna had been feeling these emotions and thought she couldn't come to her with them. She was her friend and she would have understood. But she could also see how a clean break was maybe just what was needed. She was still a little angry that Luna left without a goodbye, but it wasn't because she was angry at her friends, which was a relief.
"I can completely understand wanting to get a clean break and start over after graduation," Harry said smiling at the girl. "So much had happened and, if anything, I am glad that you left with Hermione. I had guessed as much and it was a comfort that you had each other and weren't alone for all these years." Unlike Ginny he wasn't angry. Not one ounze. He was just happy the girls were here.
"Thank you Harry. We have been very lucky these last few years. We leaned on each other for support and we took the time we needed to heal and reconnect. Hermione and I had a great little apartment and good jobs and everything seemed to fall into place for us." Luna smiled, casting her eyes to the right. The Slytherin table was directly behind theres it turns out and she was pretty sure they could hear everything that was being said.
"And Hermione?" Harry asked smiling. "We wanted to -"
"Don't I get a hello Hermione?"