Chapter Text
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The morning light poured through the castle’s tall stained glass windows, golden and soft, like it knew this day meant goodbye. Hermione studied her reflection one last time in the mirror of her and Pansy’s shared dormitory. Her hair which was normally untamable, had been coaxed into a neat braid that swept over her shoulder. Pansy had insisted on doing it, muttering about “image and elegance,” and, to Hermione’s surprise, had done a beautiful job. The braid complimented her new look, it was still proper, but much more feminine and adult than her school robes.
Her formal robes were deep sapphire blue, with silver fastenings and fine embroidery along the cuffs and fit perfectly. A graduation gift from Theo. The fabric felt heavy and luxurious, nothing she would have bought herself ever, but comforting too, like a quiet reminder that someone had noticed how hard she’d worked to grow into this version of herself.
She looked older. Not just older, just different. The girl who had arrived at Hogwarts at eleven had believed in rules, in fairness, in the structure of things. The woman staring back now had learned how easily those things shattered, and had begun to learn how to rebuild anyway.
When she stepped into the Great Hall, her breath caught. Banners in every house color hung from the ceiling, and the enchanted candles burning brighter than usual in celebration. The air was full of that strange mixture of nerves and nostalgia. She spotted the Weasleys clustered together near the front, Molly, Arthur, and all the siblings who could make it. Harry stood beside them, a comforting smile on his face. Ron waved enthusiastically, looking proud and just a little awkward in his ill-fitting suit. Ginny was radiant, practically glowing in her emerald-green dress robes, her Hollyhead Harpies pin already glinting on her lapel.
Hermione smiled and waved back, but when she turned to find her seat, it was Pansy and Theo she gravitated toward. Pansy looked sleek and confident as always, a small smirk playing on her lips even as she fidgeted with the hem of her pale rose robes. Theo, calm as ever, adjusted his gold cufflinks and nodded for Hermione to sit between them.
“Don’t trip when they call your name,” Pansy whispered. “Can’t have our top graduate face-planting in front of the entire school and the media.”
Hermione snorted softly. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Theo leaned slightly toward her, voice low and amused. “If she does, I’ll catch her. Maybe you shouldn’t have made her wear heels today Pansy.”
Pansy rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You’d make it look like a planned part of the ceremony.”
When Headmistress McGonagall began the proceedings, the Great Hall fell into reverent silence. The ceremony itself was brief, a few speeches, as expected, and a few tears. When Hermione’s name was called, there was a collective murmur in the crowd, and then thunderous applause. She walked across the stage, chin high, heart fluttering.
“Miss Hermione Jean Granger,” McGonagall announced, voice warm with pride. “Recipient of perfect marks in every N.E.W.T., and pursuing a Charms Mastery beginning this autumn.”
Hermione’s vision blurred for a moment, not from nerves, but pure emotion. She caught sight of Harry and Ron cheering like lunatics in crowd, Molly dabbing her eyes, and Ginny clapping hard enough to bruise her palms. When she returned to her seat, Theo offered her a subtle nod of approval, eyes glinting with pride. Pansy squeezed her hand once, quick and firm.
Ginny was next, and when McGonagall mentioned her upcoming career with the Holyhead Harpies, the Hall erupted once again. Hermione felt a swell of pride. They had both made it... after everything.
After the ceremony, there was laughter, embraces, promises to write to Neville and Luna often. Pansy was positively glowing when Blaise appeared from the crowd, slipping an arm around her waist. “Told you I’d come,” he murmured, earning an eye-roll that didn’t hide her enamored smile. Pansy had done well enough on her exams, but she seemed far more excited about her next adventure—her own beauty line, launching in Diagon Alley next month.
Theo, meanwhile, was already discussing skelo-grow potion innovations with Slughorn and mentioning the Healer program he’d been accepted to. Hermione listened with quiet admiration. They’d both studied side by side for months, parchment, candlelight and long nights full of comfortable silence. She noticed Draco Malfoy standing off to the side, as if waiting to speak to Theo. Her heart dropped for a moment at the surprise of seeing him for the first time since the battle. Not wanting to ruin her joyous mood, she quickly turned her attention elsewhere, heading to join the gaggle of redheads loudly celebrating.
As the sun dipped lower, the eighth years gathered by the lake one last time. The boats waited for them again, just as they had when they were eleven. It felt poetic, crossing the Black Lake one final time... not to begin, but to end. The water mirrored the sky, streaked with gold and rose and twilight blue with the setting sun. Pansy leaned into Blaise’s shoulder, laughing softly before he slipped away from her again with a kiss to her forehead.
Theo stood beside Hermione, hands in his pockets, looking out over the rippling surface.
“Strange, isn’t it?” he said quietly. “Feels like we’ve lived a lifetime here.”
Hermione nodded, voice barely above a whisper. “We have.”
They boarded the boats, the castle growing smaller behind them, glowing like a distant memory. By the time they reached the train platform, lanterns were already lit along the carriages as darkness set in.
Pansy chattered animatedly about the flat she’d just rented above her shop, “Perfect location, darling, terrible plumbing, but I’ll charm that myself. Blaise promised to stop by and help me settle in!”
Theo helped Hermione with her trunk onto the train. “You’re sure about staying at Nott Manor?” he asked softly verifying for at least the third time that day that she hadn’t felt pressured to join him, once they found an empty compartment.
She looked at him, at the calm steadiness in his eyes, and nodded. “For now. Until I start my program and get into a routine at least. It’ll be nice… to have somewhere peaceful not full of memories to decompress in.”
He smiled faintly. “Then it’s settled.”
Outside the window, Hogwarts was just a tiny silhouette against the horizon, the sky turning indigo into jet black. Hermione exhaled slowly, her chest full of gratitude and ache and hope all at once.
For the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel like she was running from the past, stuck under the pressure of others expectations, or getting by day-by-day. Instead she imagined she was walking boldly into her future.