Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter, and I never have.
The tower was nearly empty, save one man who stood near the short stone wall that ran along its borders. He cast his gaze to the darkened ground fifty feet below, unaware that a cloud had passed over the crescent moon and small flurries were now drifting onto his hair.
He placed one bare foot on top of the wall, using callused hands to pull himself up. He inhaled deeply, spreading his arms wide, and the cold air that flooded his lungs was strangely exhilarating.
The man straightened up entirely, edging forward. The air was utterly still and silent. He imagined he could hear his own heartbeat drumming through his ears.
A creaking noise from behind him disturbed the peace. He turned in time to see a heavy door swinging open and a woman bursting through. She was clad in a set of blue pajamas, and her normally bushy hair was plastered to her skull with water. On her feet she wore a pair of pink slippers, but her hands were bare, red and shivering with cold.
"Harry," Hermione said softly, wiping her puffy eyes on her sleeve, "Harry, you need to come down."
Harry shook his head dumbly. "I can't."
"Harry," she protested more strongly, "you can't do this. Ginny needs you, and Rosie needs you…"
A dull kind of ache swept through Harry's mind at the thought of his wife and daughter, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "No…no…I've thought about it…I've left them plenty of money. They'll be fine…"
"No Harry, they won't..." Hermione fought back hysterics. "We all love you so much, Harry, we need you. Everyone loves you so much."
"There's no point, Hermione—"
She stepped closer to the wall, tears streaming silently down her face. She held up her hand, silently imploring her friend to take it, but he refused, instead turning resolutely to face the drop off the tower.
"There is a point," she said, growing more frantic as he stepped even closer to the edge. "There is a point—oh, Harry, you have to see, you used to see—We're the only ones who can fight him now, me and you and the Order, and we have to fight him, Harry."
And now he took her hand, and rubbed it with his thumb. "We aren't going to win. There's no chance anymore. I don't see the point of fighting anymore. I'm…we're going to die, Hermione."
She bowed her head. "Ron and Remus and Sirius…all these people…they died so you'd have the chance to keep fighting. The chance to win. They did it for you. Are you just going to give up on them?"
"You miss Ron too."
"Every second of every day…but notice I'm not the one about to…" She made a strangled noise, half sob, half laughter.
He squeezed her hand once, then gently pulled away. "I'm sorry Hermione…I just can't do this anymore…I'm going to die anyway, I'd like to do it as soon as possible, get it over with."
"What happened to taking as many Death Eaters as you could with you? What happened to avenging all those lives?"
"We don't have a chance. I tried my best, that's all anyone can do. But I just can't do this anymore."
"Yes…yes you can, Harry, you have to, you're the only one we have left…you're the Chosen One."
The next time, when he spoke, his voice was clear and strong. "No one," he said, "Ever asked me if I wanted to be chosen."
He looks over the edge, and Hermione suddenly feels light-headed. He's going to do it. Her breathing suddenly becomes shallow and quick, and she wishes desperately for her wand, but it's far away on her bedside table. She hadn't thought she would need it when she'd glimpsed Harry on the Marauder's map that he'd given to her yesterday…she hadn't though he'd be doing this.
"Go away," he said suddenly, andthen his voice was breaking too. "I don't want you to see this."
She shook her head desperately, blinded by tears. "No, no, I'm staying. Please, don't do it…" Her voice trailed off in a painful cry.
"Hermione," he said lamely, "Don't cry, I don't want to make you sad."
"What do you think this is going to do? I love you Harry, you're my best friend, you're the only friend I have left…"
"Ginny…" He offered weakly.
"Ginny and I have never been as close as you and I…And how can you do this to her…you just got married a month ago!"
"Things were different then."
"Yes…Yes, they were. You were so happy…just a month ago."
"I'll be happy again. As soon as I…I'll be with Sirius and Ron and Remus and everybody else again. I'll get to meet my parents, Hermione." And for the first time in weeks, since he'd seen the Dark Mark over Ron's house, he looked almost happy. He gave a bleak smile, eyes watering. "I won't be alone."
"You aren't alone. You've got me and Ginny and Rosie. What about us? You're thinking of leaving us alone."
"You'll follow me soon…there isn't any hope…" His voice faded away to a whisper before the end.
Hermione felt as if she'd been slapped across the face. "That's ridiculous. Don't say things like that."
He smiled at her.
Bent down and kissed her cheek, squeezed her hand one more time.
"I love you, Hermione. Tell Ginny and Rosie I love them too."
She nodded dumbly, finding herself quite unable to speak. Her breath caught in her throat as he pulled away, and she managed to say, "I love you."
He did not scream as he fell, nor clutch desperately at thin air. The decision was made.
She covered her face and fell to the ground.
She did not know how long she sat there before walking to the edge and looking over herself.
"Harry…"