December 25th, 1997"Harry? Sirius?" Hermione called out to them as they worked their way through the
small snow-covered cemetery. "They're here. Right here."
James Potter - Lily Potter
27 March 1960 * 30 January 1960
Died 31 October 1981
"'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.' Isn't that a Death Eater idea? Why
is that there?" Harry asked as he stared at the headstone.
"It doesn't mean defeating death in the way the Death Eaters mean it, Harry,"
Hermione said, her voice gentle. She reached out and took his hand in her own, lacing their
fingers together. "It means... you know, living beyond death. Living after death."
She turned back and looked at Sirius, who was staring at the gravesite, standing
several feet behind them as though he were afraid to get any closer. She slipped her hand
out of Harry's grip and reached out for Sirius.
He frowned, refusing to meet her eyes. Still, he took her hand, allowing her to bring
him closer and join them in paying respects to James and Lily Potter.
"I'm glad we came," she whispered to him as he pressed a kiss to the top of her
head, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her knuckles. "Are you both okay?"
"Yeah," Harry asserted, but Hermione could see he was already crying. "I'll be fine."
She looked at Sirius who was obviously fighting back the tears.
"Ask me again when this war is over," he replied before letting her go and pulling
Harry into his arms.
Hermione fidgeted with her hands a bit, not wanting to intrude on the private family
moment. Instead, she turned and looked down at the marble headstone. She dusted fresh
snow from the top, and gently used her fingers to get some dirt off of the engraving of
James Potter's name.
She raised her wand and moved it in a circle through the air, a wreath of Christmas
roses blossoming before her. Taking the flowers, she knelt down and set them on the grave,
hoping Harry's parents could hear her silently promising: I'll take care of them.