Chapter 2
Hermione drifted off to an exhausted sleep. Mercily, it was deep and dreamless and she awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. She had a hard job ahead of her, however, and she knew she had to get to it.
Ron had wanted to be there with her, but she knew that this was something she had to do alone, and that he needed to spend some time with his family. Harry and Ginny were both at the Burrow and she would join them tomorrow. Today would be tough, but she would get through it.
She sighed and looked around at the empty boxes waiting to be filled with her parents' belongings. Everything had to be sorted and packed according to their destination. What she didn't keep she would give away to those who might need it through the Ministry. Other things would stay for her own future, for she had decided to keep the house.
She and Ron would make it their home and bring love and laughter back into what was now empty silence. Her loss threatened to overwhelm her, but she sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall, and stealed herself for the job at hand as she walked toward her parents' bedroom.
Once inside, she opened the closet and looked at her parents clothes hanging inside. Her resolve melted and she collapsed onto their empty bed and sobbed.
"Ron," she thought. "I was wrong! I need you!" as she let the sorrow envelop her. She gave into it completely, all defences gone.
How long she had laid there, she had no idea. But she sat up and blinked through her wet eyes and whiped them with her fists. She felt drained, but better somehow. She thought she felt a soft hand on her shoulder and looked in that direction, but no one was there.
"Thanks, Mum," she said. "I miss you and Dad so much!"
The invisible hand seemed to give a soft sqeeze then it was gone.
Hermione smiled.
She sat still for a few more minutes, picturing her parents faces in her mind. They were also smiling. Then, she got up and did what she had to do, but this time, she found it easier. As she finished packing each box, she sent it off with a flick of her wand, knowing that the items inside would benefit someone in need somehow. Someone at the Ministry would get them to Muggles that needed them most.
She finished around noon and made her way into the kitchen for a bite to eat. Just as she was about to open the refridgerator, there was a knock at the door.
"Who could that be?" Hermione asked herself. She didn't really want to answer it, but then the knock came again and she found herself heading for the door.
"Ron!" she said excitedly as she wrapped her arms around the tall redheaded man smiling at her. "I thought you were spending the day with your family!"
"I know," Ron said, looking deeply into her eyes. "I just felt that you needed me, so I came. Even though you said you wanted to do this alone. My heart said to come, and I couldn't ignore that."
He smiled at her.
Hermione smiled back, thinking about what she had felt earlier.
"I really wanted you to come!" she said. "Somehow, you always know! That's why I love you so much!"
"It's because of love that I know!" Ron said, hugging her close.