What lies beyond. A Drabble Challenge from Bucky on:
"This is the story of how I died."
"Please no… No, don't!" It was Harry. "Let her be! She's all I have…" He sounded so panicked – even though he was trying to keep his voice level. Hermione knew him far too well to know that when he had that tone something was terribly wrong. She just couldn't quite figure out what it was. Her head was so fuzzy and she was cold – but it was a comfortable kind of cold. She was tired too. Suddenly so very tired that she thought about taking a little nap. Yes, that sounded good. Sleep. Hermione closed her eyes and was jolted out of her sleep from Harry's frantic whispers. He was calling out to her. Hermione forced open heavy-lidded eyes and turned to look at him. He was kneeling beside her, his hands up, his green eyes focused on her face. His gaze was so fierce she winced. Hermione tried to raise a hand to touch his face to reassure him, but she couldn't.
Harry was begging for her. Why was he doing that? She was fine. Then he said Ron's name and his voice broke into a chocked sob. What was wrong with Ron?
"Hi."
Hermione turned her head slowly and smiled. It was Ron. "Hi," she answered, thinking she sounded funny and slurry.
Ron came over and knelt beside her, he stared at her for a long moment, deep blue eyes searching hers. "Ready to go?"
Hermione's smile faded a bit. "Go where?" she asked. Why was it so hard for her to concentrate? She tried to lift her hand to put it in his and found she couldn't. "I can't move my hand," she told Ron. He smiled at her; he looked amused as he jutted his chin toward her outstretched arm. Her head turned and she blinked several times before she could focus and realized her hand was tied down. "Oh, right," she looked back at him and he held his hand out to her.
Again he asked, "Ready to go?"
Hermione frowned, "What about Harry?" Harry turned to her then, she couldn't quiet hear what he was saying, but it sounded urgent. But Ron stole her attention once more and she looked back at him and her smile widened. He looked wonderful, happy. Like he did before all this terrible war had started. Before they'd been captured.
"Harry isn't coming with us."
"No," she said as she was overcome with a fit of coughing. She turned her head and coppery tasting bile spittled out from her mouth and down her cheek and jaw. "We can't leave him. You can't and neither can I."
Ron chuckled, "I didn't have much of a choice."
"What do you mean?" It was so hard for Hermione to speak now, but she tried to get the words out clearly. Ron jutted his chin again, this time in the opposite direction of where she'd been looking before. It took her a moment before she could turn her head and when she did Hermione let out a startled gasp followed by more coughing. She was staring right into the open, lifeless eyes of Ron. He was looking at her, right through her, his mouth hanging open at an odd angle, his shaggy red hair plastered to one side of his face and it was thick with a heavy coating of more crimson. It was blood she realized.
Hermione's mind tried to process what she was seeing and Ron knelt down beside her again. "I can't stay anymore, Mione. We can't. It's time to go."
She turned her head back slowly to face Harry. He was looking at her, tears streaming down his cheeks, shaking with torment, fear and anger. "Harrr –" Nothing else would come out. She didn't want him to be sad. She didn't want him to be alone. She didn't want to leave him.
Ron pulled her up then into his arms and Hermione wondered at how easily she rose into his warm embrace. The cold that had seeped into her bones was gone and she felt… so peaceful and content. Her head cleared and finally Hermione understood.
She looked down at the scene, Harry hunched over her, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her to him, soaking his shirt and jeans with blood. Her blood. She wasn't dispassionate, but she wasn't there any longer either. The girl lying limp and pale in his arms was not Hermione anymore. Ron tugged at her elbow, holding his hand out to her. "Ready to go?"
Hermione looked up at Ron and then further beyond him toward a long, grassy knoll that seemed to go on forever. The warmth and sun radiated outward, covering them both and filled her with such peace. She nodded, accepting his outstretched hand and he twined their fingers together, smiling at her. Hermione looked at their joined hands and then turned back once more to look at Harry. He seemed so far away now.
"I love you, Harry," she said to him.
Harry's head shot up and he looked around, "Hermione? Mione? Please… please don't leave me!"
"He'll be okay," Ron said, holding her hand tightly in his and tugging her away just a little from Harry, "I promise."
Hermione turned back one final time and let Ron lead her away, watching Harry until the very last bit of darkness claimed him and he faded into the blackness. Hermione nodded again, her fate sealed as she took those last steps from humanity and ventured onward into - What lies beyond.