At the end of it all
The warnings don't all technically apply but better safe than sorry.
The two girls were standing alone in the room. It was large, with vaulted gothic ceilings. There was a musty odor hanging about the room, disturbed only by the quiet voices of the girls echoing off the walls. The smaller girl looked at the back of her companion and spoke slowly.
"Why?" she always asked why.
The girl turned her deep chocolate eyes toward her friend.
"Because, I love him."
"But how can you leave us all after all this time? Are you just going to throw us away for nothing, for him?" Her companion looked away again.
"I'm not throwing you away, I'm giving you up. I have to or I will always wonder. What if I'd had the courage to leave, to walk away? I love him and I must follow."
"You mustn't do anything you will regret, and you will regret it, trust me."
"Ginny, please, try to understand me. If I don't go I'll loose him forever. If I go, I will either save him or we will both die."
"No, don't say things like that Hermione. Ron loves you. You can be happy with him, he'll try, I promise."
"I know he'll try but I won't, I don't love him and I can never love him. I have to go! If he dies because you made me late I will never be able to forgive you, any of you!"
"If you won't stay for Ron stay for me, I love you…"
"I know," Ginny gasped at her friends words. "The way you look at me the way you follow me with your eyes when I'm in the room. That's why I thought you'd understand. The strength of love you have for me, that's the same love I have for him."
The dark haired girl turned her head to her friend, tears streaming down both their cheeks. She leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.
"I have to go," she choked out. She turned and fled from the room. She left her friend standing in a halo of light from the single window, her hand on her lips in shock.
She ran as fast as she could, casting spells as she ran. Her prim, crisp uniform changed slowly to long flowing robes. There were darker patches of blood on the robes which glinted in the morning light as she ran. As she reached the dark gateway of iron she slowed and looked back at the large castle.
"Goodbye."
She closed her eyes tightly and grasped her left forearm.
She suddenly felt the light dim and the air chill. Opening her eyes she saw the cold dark hilltop she stood upon. There was a small cottage at the bottom of the hill. Knowing exactly who was waiting for her there Hermione walked forward with purpose. Entering the cottage she turned to the room on her left and stepping forward, bowed low to her master .
"Professor Granger you are late."
"I'm sorry my lord, it won't happen again."
"You're right, it won't. I have decided to accept you offer," he turned to the men standing beside him. "Bring him in."
The men left and returned shortly with a broken figure. They threw him on the floor.
"Severus, you are free to go. The good Professor has traded her life for yours, I only ask that you stay and watch."
Voldemort drew his wand and trained it upon Hermione.
"I only have one question to ask of you before you die. Why?"
"Why, everybody asks me why. Why do we do anything, because we want to, because we can gain something from our pitiful actions," Hermione replied as she stared at the floor.
"Well then I suppose the correct question to ask you would be what do you have to gain from this?" Voldemort shot back at the doomed figure before him.
Hermione lifted her head and her eyes locked with Severus's eyes as she replied.
"The life of the man I love."
Severus gasped as Voldemort laughed at her.
"Love, you do this for love? Love is nothing, love makes you weak. Love has only the power to kill, and so it shall. Avada Kedavra!"
The second the words left his lips the entire world seemed to slow. Severus broke free from his captors and ran toward his beloved. He reached her and encircled her in his arms. Both of them took the full of the curse. Hermione died in her love's arms and Severus died holding tightly to the person in the world he loved most.
Miles and miles away Ginny Weasly felt a part of her heart break forever, never to be whole again. Hermione had failed. Looking slowly toward the window she uttered two words before breaking down completely.
"She's dead."
Very sad. I had a bad day and this is what happened.
The Chapter title is taken from America's "That's all I've got to say" from The Last Unicorn