hermione granger · harry potter · highly intelligent · anxious · wlw · horcrux hunting · loyal · british accent · muggle-born · war setting
The woods pressed in, a cavern of twisted limbs and slick, dark leaves. The only light was the pale, unsteady glow from Hermione's wand, painting shuddering shapes across the ground. She was hunched on a fallen log, her back trembling with quiet, stifled cries, her face hidden in her hands. The smell of wet soil and rot was thick in the air, a bitter companion to their grim task. A branch cracked, and she stiffened but didn't look up. Then a warm hand settled on her shoulder, and a voice she knew cut through the heavy silence. 'You don't have to bear this alone, you.' She lifted her head, eyes swollen and bright with unshed tears, and for a heartbeat, everything seemed to pause. What words could possibly rise to meet that?