"Hermione – NO!"
His scream rang out through the Great Hall as a bolt of green lightning hit his beloved, directly above her heart. He couldn't move; his breath stilled in his lungs as her eyes looked at him in disbelief before glazing over and her body crumpling to the ground. His body refused to move, rejecting his pleas to run to her body and whisk her away from everything. She didn't deserve to die like this, no, not in some impersonal war with spells being flung around in chaos. She deserved a death from old age, with him by her side, holding a wrinkled hand and smiling into her beautiful chocolate eyes.
It seemed like hours, but it was mere seconds before he realized he was running at the raven haired Death Eater, wand out and ready to cast whatever curse he needed to bring vengeance for his love. A strong pair of arms reached out and grabbed him, and Lupin pulled him into him, struggling to keep him from making a horrible mistake.
Three streams of green flew past him, hitting the spot he had been running towards and the curses flew from the mouths of his friends, hitting Bellatrix and killing her instantly. He barely registered the rest of the fight, his movements completely robotic, the only time he snapped out of it was when Voldemort called him out, naming him to blame for all the death around him. Fury flew through Harry and exited his wand in the fiercest and most unforgivable curse known to Wizard kind. The hall went silent; Voldemort's wand fell and clanked against the stone floor as his body collapsed moments later.
Harry let out a breath and turned to the witch lying silently next to his feet. Even in death he was still trying to protect her. Wordlessly, the remaining wizards and witches gathered around him and Hermione, close enough to let him know they were there but far enough that he never felt threatened by their presence.
"Ron…" Harry said looking at his best friend with tears in his eyes. "Ron, I need you to do me a favor."
"Anything mate - whatever you need." He answered, kneeling down next to Harry, praying that he wouldn't do anything rash.
"I need you to," he whispered the rest into Ron's ear, forcing the Elder Wand into Ron's hand.
"Harry, no. I won't. I can't!" Ron stood up, gasping at his friend, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Please, it's…" Harry begged caressing Hermione's hand, subconsciously trying to warm the rapidly cooling hand. "It's the only way."
"Harry…" Ron started, looking wearily around, hoping for support from anyone. Ginny was crying and leaning into Draco, who hadn't said a word since the battle began. Molly was triple counting her children, making sure she hadn't missed one, Lupin and Tonks were staring into each other's eyes, reassuring themselves that they had survived and Luna looking at him with a small smile on her face, giving him the strength he sought.
"Do it Ron. Now. Please. I… I can't –" Harry choked on his words as the tears finally fell. He leaned over, lying his head on Hermione's chest and sobbed into her shirt. "Hermione, I love you. I love you so much, I wanted to marry you, grow old with you, and have children with you. I can't live without you; I don't want to live without you." His words ran together, barely audible through his sobs.
Silently, Ron straightened the wand, and pointed it at his best friend. He didn't want to do it, but he couldn't ignore Harry's only wish. The smell of parchment filled Harry's nose, he began thinking of how Hermione always had a small smudge of ink on her face. His thoughts switched to their first broom right together, how she held onto him so tightly, they way they flew together with Buckbeak. He remembered her cheering him on in the stands during every Quidditch game, no matter how much homework was due the next day.
Tears flowed freely as he remembered their first kiss, in the library one night studying for their O.W.L.s. She told him she would give him whatever he wanted if he got the next three questions right. And laughed as he remembered the look of shock on her face when he leaned over and kissed her, smartly saying that she said whatever he wanted.
He remembered going into Hogsmeade, sharing Butterbeer and laughing together as they watched the snow fall. Snow. They were always happiest when it was snowing, she said it was because it calmed her and he always agreed, feeling most at peace watching the flakes. But truly, he loved the snow because her nose turned the sweetest shade of pink in the cold, and he loved it.
Resting his head in his hands, he shook his head slowly, willing his mind not to go to the small box, charmed to look like his Divination book – knowing she would never look there – stashed in his trunk, holding a tiny ring meant for her left hand. He tried in vain to forget about the plans of taking her back to Godric's Hollow that Christmas to properly introduce her to his parents, hoping to surprise her when he said 'my fiancée Hermione'. Knowing that she would throw her arms around him in joy, and instantly mournful that he would never get to feel that hug.
"Ron…please just do it." Harry's voice was barely a whisper, but in the silence of the Great Hall his pain was heard by all those standing there. Molly hugged Arthur, Tonks sobbed quietly and Harry gently kissed Hermione's cheek.
Quietly he heard Ron whisper, "Obliviate."
The crowd of wizards and witches gasped as they realized what had transpired, what Ron had done and mostly, what Harry had asked of him. They stared at the duo, a ginger haired boy, so young but greatly aged by experience, holding the most powerful wand in the world; aiming it at The Boy Who Lived, a boy kneeling over the lost love of his life, love that he couldn't live without. Ron wiped his eyes, drained emotionally from the excitement and held his hand out to Luna, needing to feel her skin on his, to prove that she was real to him.
They all stared as Harry sat up with a start and looked around questioningly. All the faces seemed so familiar, he stood to face them. He recalled the Weasleys, Lupin, Tonks, even Draco: the boy who made his life hell in Hogwarts. But when he looked down at the witch on the floor he couldn't recall ever seeing her before. He stared at her for a minute, and shook his head slightly and shrugged his shoulders.
Ron looked at his best friend, terrified that one day he would slip up and tell Harry about the witch he loved. That he would tell of their late night library dates, their secret looks and how every girl at Hogwarts was jealous of her and every boy wished even more they were him. He wondered how Harry would be able to go on with his life, what would happen to him now. Would he be able to fall in love, would he be whole? Right then, Ron vowed to always be there for Harry, and for Hermione. Her memory may be gone from Harry's mind – their love forgotten for him, but Ron knew he would never forget. He only wished that Harry had been able to live his life as it should have been, not as it would be.
Reaching down, Ron took Hermione's wand and handed it to Harry.
"Here mate, just…" he sighed. "Just hold on to this, you don't know it but it's important to you."
Harry looked at the wand quizzically. In the back of his mind a muted thought stirred, unrecognizable to Harry, he tried to figure it out what it was but failed. He gave the wand one last look and put it in his pocket. Looking around the Great Hall, he finally realized that Voldemort had been defeated and the Death Eaters had been all but destroyed. He walked back into the group of witches and wizards waiting for him and began hugging them all as if greeting a long, lost family.
As they were leaving the Great Hall, heading towards the Burrow, Harry took one last look at the witch on the ground. Bright brown eyes flashed in the forefront of his mind and laugh rang through his ears. So familiar, but he couldn't place it. He began to walk away, smiling to himself and he would have sworn a thousand Galleons that he heard a soft female voice saying, "Oh Harry."