Hokey coke people, this is just something I wanted to write before DH is released to see if I could get the character change and balance right. If you could let me know if I did, it would be much appreciated. As for 'Searching', well, at one point I really did think that I could get it done before DH is released but the thing's grown so now won't be finished before next Saturday. However, if it does turn AU, hopefully the people reading it won't mind that fact. ALthough if she kills Hermione and Ron I may be distraught as to never surface again! lol

Anyway, back to the fic, if you could let me know what you think I'd be very happy. See you on the other side!

Step ;)

A Shoulder to Die On

She was walking, and this alone, at this precise moment in time was remarkable.

She had survived, survived it all, but it wasn't over.

He was dead. He Who Must Not Be Named was dead, along with many others, but she couldn't think of that at the minute, there was a salvage mission to go ahead with.

She was doing what she had been told to do, she was walking through her designated piece of forest and was looking for survivors. Many people had been seen running into the forest; all that was to be seen now was what had happened to those that hadn't been seen coming out.

She was not alone in her mission, no, there were others all doing the same as her, all walking through their designated piece of land, looking for signs of the injured.

The injured and the dead.

She had been told to leave the area, to go and be seen by Healers and people who were at various places in Wizarding Britain, offering any type of help anyone could ask for, but she had refused, for the time being anyway. She, Harry and Ron had been working up to this day for three years now, she couldn't turn her back on the aftermath of what they had instigated. She didn't feel guilty about that…yet. It had to be done, there had to be a fight between good and evil and one side had to come out victorious. Thankfully she was on the side that had won. But at a price.

The injured and the dead.

Twigs snapped under her feet but for the first time in what had to be over two years she wasn't trying to be stealthy, for no other reason than it was two in the afternoon and she was visible to anyone who was looking. The sun was penetrating the thick canopy above her; it was like the sun was mocking her. Tricking her body into feeling some kind of relief or even happiness because of the rays that warmed her skin.

But after what she had seen today she wanted the sky to be grey and rain pound on her skin. Maybe if she could feel the rain this whole thing would feel real. At the minute it just seemed surreal, the sun was out of place on this day of misery. Of course, really, it was a day of celebration. But only after the search was over.

The search for the injured and the dead.

She looked up when she heard a faint cough ahead of her. She saw a form huddled on the floor, black robes covering it. She picked up her pace and quickly made her way over to whoever it was.

She knelt down next to them and carefully rolled them over. A gasp left her lips when she realised whom it was. Their eyes were closed and blood was trickling out the corner of their mouth.

'Malfoy?' she whispered.

The blond haired wizard took a rattling breath that seemed to take every ounce of energy he had left.

'Malfoy. Malfoy!'

She placed her fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse. Eventually she found it but was alarmed with how slow his heart was beating. She leant forwards, seeing if she could feel his breath on her cheek.

'I may be d…dying, Granger,'

She sat up, startled by his words.

'but that doesn't give you the r…' he coughed, and the trickle of blood down his face increased, 'right to t…touch me.'

Hermione glared at him.

'Fine,' she snarled, 'I'll just leave you here to die then shall I?'

He smirked at her. 'If you would. I think I deserve the right to die quietly and in peace.'

Hermione snorted despite.

'Tough. Don't you dare die while I go and get someone who can help you. You aren't getting out of paying for what you've done that easily.'

She went to stand, knowing instinctively that her basic healing skills wouldn't be enough to heel his injuries or save his life.

'Don't you dare!' Malfoy snarled. His arm snapped out from beside him and he grabbed her ankle in a vice like grip.

She stumbled but managed to keep her balance and stay standing.

'Get your hands off me! I told you, you aren't dying yet, Malfoy. It's too easy. It's not fair, you deserve worse than death!'

He took her by surprise for the second time and laughed. 'And who are you to judge me, Granger? You've done things that…that makes you the l…last person who should be telling me what my fate should be. What's that m…muggle saying? Let he who…who is without sin, cast the f…first stone.'

Hermione looked down at him.

'You know for someone who despises muggles, you know a hell of a lot about them, Draco.'

She didn't know why she had used his first name, but she wasn't expecting the reaction that she got. His eyes narrowed and his smirk slipped from his face.

She pulled her ankle from his grip and strode away from him.

'Granger! Wait. Please!'

He had started coughing after his pleading and had rolled over onto his front.

Hermione turned and ran back over to him. She knelt back down next to him and held his shoulders steady as he coughed the blood out of his lungs.

When he had finished he took a few seconds to compose himself and start to breathe normally.

'I thought I told you not to touch me.'

She didn't reply, just rolled him back onto his side and got up once more. She had better things to do than listen to his insults. She would let someone else deal with him.

'Please don't leave me!'

She had barely heard it, but it stopped her from moving any further away from him.

She turned and looked at him but he refused to meet her eye. She took the few steps back towards him and slowly crouched down.

'I can't help you…Draco. You're bleeding internally and I could do more harm than good. You need to get to someone who can help you.'

'I told you, I'd rather die in p…peace.'

'Are you hoping to die so you don't have to pay for your sins in this world, because, believe me, karma, fate, whatever you want to call it, doesn't forget.'

Malfoy smirked. 'Since when did you get all spiritual, Granger? I thought your mind preferred logic and facts.'

'It does, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in things that can't be tied down with logic and facts. Magic is hardly logical is it? I'm a witch, I can't not believe in it.'

She looked down at Malfoy and was startled to see he was looking her in the eye. He quickly looked away.

'But then again, to you, I'll never be a witch, will I? I'll always be a filthy little Mudblood to you, won't I?' she spat the last few words, unable to keep her dislike for him out of her voice.

He didn't say anything, still looking away from her.

'Let me ask you something, Granger. Do you love your parents?'

'What kind of question is that?' she asked.

'Just humour a dying man, will you?'

'Of course I do.'

'And you would do anything to prove what a good daughter you are to them, wouldn't you?'

'What's your point?' she asked, although she did know what he was trying to say.

'I'll take that as a yes. You were brought up believing the same things they did, brought up valuing the same things they valued, measured yourself by the same standards they did, weren't you?

She found herself nodding despite her not wanting to agree with anything that Malfoy said.

'And now you're older, and realise what they did for you, regardless of what other people thought of them, you'd do anything to keep them alive and safe, wouldn't you?'

Hermione set her jaw, forcibly stopping herself from acknowledging Malfoy's remarks.

'Attempting to murder someone is inexcusable, regardless of what's at stake.'

Malfoy laughed. 'And I suppose Potter murdering The Dark Lord is totally different, is it?'

'Of course it is!' Hermione snarled. 'The Wizarding world was living in fear. He was killing people for sport and was intent on oppressing everyone who didn't share his views. Harry killed Riddle for the good of us all.'

'And I was trying to kill Dumbledore for the good of my family! It might not be on the same scale, two people against a whole way of life, but I had my reasons. I couldn't let my parents die. I wouldn't—'

His voice cracked and he stopped talking instantly. He turned his head away from Hermione. His blond fringe fell into his eyes, and without thinking Hermione brushed it away. She expected him to flinch or protest in some way, but he didn't.

'Were you tortured…for not…for not killing him?' she asked quietly.

'I don't need your pity, Granger. I failed and I got what I deserved, but at the end of the day The Dark Lord's wishes were fulfilled, even if he didn't know at the time that they weren't exactly on his terms.'

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Malfoy did his best to suppress his coughing, but they racked through his body and were obviously causing him great pain.

'Draco, I can't let you die here, for purely selfish reason more than anything else.'

Malfoy smirked. 'Don't worry, your conscience can rest easy, Granger. I can't be healed. I was hit by a particularly nasty invention of The Dark Lord's. Nothing can stop the internal bleeding; he made sure of it when he devised the spell. I've been lucky to last this long.'

Hermione didn't know what to say, nothing she had been through could ever prepare her for comforting someone who had made parts of her school life a very unpleasant experience, dying in front of her.

'Don't worry, Granger, I don't expect your sympathy or any kind words of comfort. But I will ask one thing of you.'

'What do you want?'

'I would like you to pass on a message for me. Don't worry, you don't have to do it in person, a letter will do, just make sure she gets it for me.'

Hermione nodded. 'What's the message?'

'If you could tell my mother that I…love her and that I always tried…to be a son she could…she could be p…proud of.'

Hermione looked at him and saw tears forming in his eyes.

'Tell her that I'm s…sorry for letting her down. Tell her I…I tried my best.'

His face crumpled and his eyes screwed up against the tears that had already escaped his eyes.

Hermione felt herself getting upset despite her head telling her it was the last thing she should be doing. She sat down properly and moved closer to Malfoy. Gathering all her strength she pulled him into her lap and closed her hand around his. Before he had chance to protest she took a deep breath.

'Pretend it's not me,' she said quietly. 'In your head I can be anyone you want, comforting you before you…before you move on.'

She felt him squeeze her hand but he didn't open his eyes.

'I'm not a bad…' he started coughing again but managed to control it. 'I'm not a bad…p…person. I did what I had to do because there was no other choice. I'm n…not a k…killer. I couldn't k…kill an…anyone.'

Tears were falling down his face leaving tracks through the blood.

'Ssh. I know you're not. You did what you had to do.'

'I'm…I'm scared, Hermione.'

She stared at his still closed eyes shocked by his words.

'I know. I know you're scared. But that's only because you don't know what's going to happen. Dumbledore once told Harry that to the well-organised mind, death was just the next adventure. You're about to embark on it, Draco. Do it with your head held high, okay?'

He nodded frantically.

'I'll get your message to your mother, and she will be proud of you.'

He coughed again, more and more blood poring out of his lungs and out of his mouth. He was panicking, trying to draw oxygen into his lungs but fighting a losing battle.

'Calm down, Draco, come on. Try and calm down. It's nearly over, the pain will be gone soon.'

She gently rocked backwards and forwards, trying to sooth the man in her arms.

His breathing became very shallow and they both fell silent, waiting for the inevitable.

'Tell her…please,' he whispered.

'I will, I promise.'

'Th…thank you…Hermione.'

He fell silent and his eyes slid out of focus.

'You're welcome, Draco. Sweet dreams.'

She carefully placed her fingers on his neck and failed to find a pulse. She gently closed his eyes and wriggled out from underneath him, laying him on the ground.

She heard heavy footsteps behind her.

'Hermione! You're here! You were supposed to report ten minutes ago! I-'

Ron spotted Malfoy on the floor.

'Is he…'

Hermione nodded.

'Er…did you find him like that?'

This time Hermione shook her head.

'No,' she sniffed. 'He just died, internal bleeding. He was…he was terrified.'

Ron nodded.

Hermione turned and fell into his arms. She sobbed into his shoulder and gripped onto his jumper as if her life depended on it.

'He…he did what he thought…what he thought was best for him and his…and his f…family.'

Ron held on to her tightly and whispered into her hair.

'I know Hermione, I know.'

'I have to…to give a message to his mother. He asked m…me to.'

Ron nodded again. 'We'll find her if you need to see her.'

'I think…I think I helped him.'

'I'm sure you did, Hermione.'

'Of all the people to be with him when…when he died, and it had to be me! But he…he…he looked past it, I was everything he'd been brought up to despise and he l…looked past it.'

Ron sighed.

'Hermione, I'm not gonna stand here and defend him. He was a bastard to you and to us all, but he did the right thing in the end. I'll give him credit for that.'

Hermione pulled back from him. 'The ministry know he did the right thing, don't they? They know it was his information that brought us here?'

'They will do.'

He brought his forehead down to hers and gently nudged her lips with his own.

'I love you, and I think you're amazing. You comforted him whilst he was dying. Not many people would or could have done that. You did it for him because he needed it. I'm so proud of you. But please, please don't dwell on this. Remember what you tell me every day I'm down, everything happens for a reason, yeah?'

Hermione nodded.

'I will. We just need to make sure he's moved.'

'We'll find someone.'

'Can we go home now, please?'

'Of course. We have a life to live after all.'

'Yeah, we do. Our other greatest adventure.'