Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or places. All of them belong to Good Queen J.K.
Attention: This might be one of the most angsty fanfiction I've ever written. It's not pretty or fluffy, actually I cried when I re-read it. Also, I wrote it about a year or so from the publishing of the seventh book so I kind of invented some facts. In my view, Fred would never die. Prepare to cry, anyway.
Note: Soooo, I found this fanfiction I wrote 4 or 5 years ago... It took me a while to rewrite it, so I can almost say it's brand new. :p But do R&R, I miss being able to write these kind of stories.
The dueling carries on… I know the war is close to an end but I see no ending. There's no light on the far ending of the tunnel. Or at least I don't see anything. My body is aching terribly since I've been hit by the Cruciatus Curse for what seemed a million times. I want to tell him something but the forces lack me to get up, walk towards him… If I could only reach him it would be all alright. Still, he's too far from my weakened body.
'Harry…' I breathe. Coughing and crawling throughout the battle field, I try to catch sight of him. It's dangerous, I know, but I could do anything just to find him and look into his emerald green eyes one last time before I go, before I leave him. A strong feeling… that's what I've been keeping from him all these years, especially since fourth year and during all these years the war was dragged on, it got even stronger.
I want him to hold me in his arms and tell him that I love him with every piece of my soul. Nonetheless, he loves Ginny and my words could not break that love of theirs. I want to tell him everything I feel for him, but I still can't gather the forces to tell him. Not now when I know I'm about to pass away…
A Death Eater comes my way and kicks me on my left thigh and I fall over, completely exhausted. I can't take this anymore… I want him here. I want Harry with me. If I have to die I want to die with him beside me. 'Har- ry…' I hear his voice, strict and challenging, telling everyone to stick together and calling my name to the midair.
A weak smile spreads across my face and I try to make a sound, however unsuccessful. I turn around on the ground and try to reach his leg, grab it just to call his attention and make him face me one last time, tell him what I've been so keen to during all these years… I love him…
'Here… Harry!' I manage to say. He immediately looks down at the ground and stares at my scar-filled and aching body and kneels in front of me.
'Hermione… What happened?' he asks, anxiety all over his expression.
I look at him and managing a little cheerless smile. 'I'm fine, Harry… I've been attacked but I'm okay…' I say. My breath ragged and shallow, I reach for his hand. This is it. 'Harry… I need to tell you something…'
He leans closer to me as my voice is barely audible and caresses my face. 'I want you to know that I did everything I could to keep you alive and-' I pause as a throbbing pain attacks my whole body, making me crouch at it. '-and I did everything to help you find the Horcruxes during these two hard years…' I stammer as tears start to form in the corner of my eyes. I can hardly tell him that I'm dying, but I'm sure he has noticed that already because tears can also be seen on his eyes.
'Hermione, what are you talking about? Come on, get up you can do it!' he says in a vehement tone, signing me to get up and caressing my arm afterwards.
I shake my head weakly and sniffle. 'I can't… I've tried, but I've been hit by Cruciatus too many times. We've already won, my job here is done; it's my time to leave. Harry, promise me you'll never forget me…'
'I won't Hermione, because you won't leave! I won't let you leave me alone!' he says, shaking his head furiously, unable to let go of my arm, now grasping it so tightly that the pain I felt on it has almost gone.
'Don't be such a child, Harry… I took every risk for you during these years; I pledged to protect you, even if I had to die while doing so. All that, just because-', I pause, looking sadly into his tear-filled green eyes. '- I love you…" I give him a small smile with all my emotion put on it.
He stares at me, wordless, for a couple of minutes. My smile starts to fade as I see no response from him. 'He doesn't love me…' I think, closing my eyes and taking several shallow breaths.
And then, the unthinkable happens when I feel his lips on mine. A soft peck on my already cold lips made me feel alive for as long as it would last. 'How long?' he asks breathlessly as he breaks the kiss.
My smile returns and, as though it's small, I know it means the world to him. 'Since fourth year… You don't know how much I've suffered during those years. Especially fifth year when you told me about your date with Cho-' I cough; my breath becomes shallower with every word I say. 'And when you kissed Ginny… my smile… I wasn't happy. I was taken aback… my chances of having you on my arms were almost null by then.' I pause and inhale deeply exhaling it in a rush. It's close. I feel it.
The battle sounds around us evade my ears and my head aches terribly. I reach for his hand and hold it tightly against my chest. 'Promise me, Harry… You'll never let go…'
He nods and holds me close to him and kisses me passionately. I pour every ounce of energy on that kiss, just to make it memorable… I feel better. He now knows and this is no more a secret I'll take to the grave.
And the battle carries on… He takes me under his Invisibility Cloak, so we're safer. All I can see is his eyes, his green beautiful eyes piercing mine with sorrow and tears. We only hear the shrieks of pain or glory and Bellatrix's laughs of pleasure every now and again, wishing this would have never happened, because if that were the case I wouldn't be here, and awaiting death to come my way and take me from him.
'Hermione…' he says. I look, wearily, up and gaze at him. 'I love you, too…' I smile at him, more wearily as each second goes by.
He lays my head on his lap and kisses my forehead tenderly. And I lay there, staring at the dark blue sky, at the clear night of July. I feel a breeze on my face, it's telling me goodbye. Mum used to tell me that, whenever a creature dies, Nature reflects its sorrow. When I was little, I usually thought that Nature had the souls of all the people who had already passed away.
The pain increases and I feel it closer and closer every second. 'It's coming…' I whisper. He holds my hand and raises it to his lips kissing it sweetly.
'Will you wait for me?' he asks as he leans on to me, his lip hovering close to mine. I give him a tiny smile and he kisses me, his lips perfectly fitting mine.
'Su- sure…' My breath is shallower and ragged. Anytime now… it should come and rip me away from him… forever.
'Where is he?' I hear screaming. It was Voldemort… he is looking for Harry. I look at him with an urging expression, hurrying him to finish that off… At least I'd die in a safer world.
'No!' he presses. 'There's no way I'm leaving you to die alone… If you die, you'll die with me beside you!' I can see a mixture of anger and sorrow in his face.
I can't talk anymore… the end is close and the words are written on my eyes. They say I love Harry and I'll wait for him no matter how long it takes until his departure from the living world. Mine is minutes away…
Spell sounds are heard everywhere and I take one of my last breaths. I look up at him, he penetrates me with his eyes and reads the sentences buried deep within them: 'I love you…'
'I love you, too, Hermione…' and kisses me for the last time.
'Thank you… for all that you did and for loving me' my eyes read. He smiles and tells me to rest. I lived for you with all pleasure and it is with even more that I die for you.
They say that when you die, memories don't go with you to wherever you go… Memories are the livings' and dead people are not worth them. I don't care because Harry will forever be part of my soul… I'll wait for him as long as it takes. I know he loves me, and I thank him for that.
'Goodbye'