Life Without You
Chapter 1 - H
Disclaimer: I am not, and never will be, J., as she is rich and popular, and I'm just here typing on my little Vaio, something else that isn't actually my own, it's my Mum and Dads, but that's not the point.
A/N: Basically an alternate ending for the Battle of Hogwarts. The initials in the Chapter Titles signify character points of view. D = Draco, H = Hermione, think you can handle that? Sorry, that was cheeky. So, don't forget to have tissues; every time I read it back to myself it makes me cry, maybe because it's bad, I don't really know. Anyway, have fun, review, Alert me on whatever and read my other stuff, it shouldn't be too bad, tell me what you think xxxx
Onto the story…
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And then he kissed me. Kissing him was so much better than I ever imagined it to be. He wrapped his strong arms around me as I clung to his shirt, one of my hands travelling upwards to stroke through that wonderful ginger hair. We slowly pulled apart and I looked into his blue eyes. We grinned at each other as the realisation dawned on us about what we had just done, just achieved.
We ran together towards the exit of the Chamber of Secrets, and I squeezed him from behind as he flew us up the tunnel on a broomstick he had Summoned.
"Come on, we have to find Harry," he said, and I pulled out the Marauders Map I had been given.
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"Quick! Run!" he screamed, running past a dumb-struck Harry and grabbing my hand, swinging me around and pulling me into a run, a great wave of Fiendfyre following us.
Harry protected us with a Shield Charm while we all got on the brooms we had found. I was so scared; I'd always hated flying on my own. We spotted Malfoy and Zabini on top of a pile of rubbish, and Harry and Ron went back for them while I navigated a path for us through the Fiendfyre. Getting out of that room was a relief. Malfoy and Zabini thanked us for saving their sorry little arses before continuing the fight. I looked back to see Malfoy looking at me, but disappeared soon after. I then noticed Harry sat on the floor, his head in his hands.
"Harry?" I asked him uncertainly. Ron seemed to have noticed as well, as he was kneeling next to me as I went over, taking my place next to him.
"I know where he is," Harry answered back shakily.
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Running through the castle was one of the most nerve – wrecking experiences of my life ever, even after I'd gone everything that I had. I'm sure I injured a few Death Eaters along the way, and I noticed several bodies on the sides of corridors and around the Courtyard as we made our way to the Boat House. Ron was there the entire time, so close to me, yet so far. A Killing Curse flew past me, so close I swear I could feel its force against me. We ran down the steps towards the Black Lake, Ron squeezing my hand behind me all the way.
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"Only I can live forever, Severus."
I was unnerving; hearing our sour faced old Potions Professor banging against the thin wall that separated us with the sheer force that Nagini was coming at him, ripping out his soul, harming him in one of the most painful and horrid ways possible, time and time again.
Seeing Professor Snape crying on the floor when he looked into Harry's eyes with desperation was very emotional. Rons' arm wrapped itself around my shoulders and I leant my forehead on him, his face in my hair, kissing my head comfortingly.
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"Where is everyone?" I asked, puzzled as we entered the empty courtyard that had been busy with the Battle when we had last passed through only about half an hour earlier.
"He said something about 'dealing with your dead', they must be in the Great Hall," suggested Harry.
We ran there, anxiously dodging the rubble and debris that had been left lying around. As we walked into the Great Hall, several heads looked up at us.
"No!" It was Ron, running towards a group of ginger-haired people. He knelt down next to a person lying on the floor, and I could guess what had happened before I even reached the Weasley party. There wasn't even a mark on Fred, except a couple of scars and scratches that could have been removed quickly and easily if he hadn't been hit by a Killing Curse.
The entire family were shaken with grief, including Ron, who was hugging everyone before kneeling down by Fred. I looked back to see Harry heading out the door with the sample of Snapes' tears. I just hoped that what I thought would happen, wouldn't.
I turned back to Ron and put a comforting hand on his back. He stood up immediately, saying; "I need some air, come on." He took my hand and led me out of the Great Hall. I looked at the Weasleys before leaving, and they looked kind of relieved that Ron and I had finally been straight with each other and worked out that we actually felt the same about each other all along.
When we were out of the Hall and in the corridor, he released my and banged his head on the nearest wall. I went up to him and gave him a hug from behind, letting him know that things would improve, that Fred was happy and would be in a better place. I let go of him and he turned into my awaiting arms and we just stood there, in the corridor of our old school, together in a way that we had never been before.
"Come on, let's sit," I suggested, taking his hand and gently leading him to the stone steps where we sat down. He put his arm around me and I cuddled into him, our heads pressed together, his eyes closed, as if he was trying to block out the rest of the world, so it was just us, me and him, Hermione and Ron, simple. But it wasn't simple, and he couldn't block out everything else, and it wasn't, in a sense that it was us, just us and the rest of the world, the world that was collapsing around us.
"How long do we have to live like this, 'Mione?" He asked this in such an insecure, vulnerable voice, a voice that just wasn't my Rons'. I looked at his closed eyes and said; "I don't know, Ron." He chuckled, and I looked at him questioningly as he opened his eyes. "Never thought I'd see the day that Hermione Jean Granger didn't know something!" We smiled at each other just as we heard footfalls coming at us from behind.
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We watched as Harry headed off the meet his maker, tears streaming down my face. Ron pulled me into a tight hug, stroking my hair, and I could feel his chin resting on top of my head. Once again, I clung to his shirt for support. "Let's go back in. We can't tell anyone yet; it will be announced soon enough," he whispered into my hair. I nodded and we made our way back into the Great Hall.
After greeting the remaining Weasleys, I took my place next to Ron, the place where I felt safest, and as Rons' arm snaked around my waste, we got several looks from passers-by. I smiled up at him, as he looked proudly down at me. God, those eyes, I could've quite happily drowned in them!
"I can't even begin to imagine how you're all feeling right now, I think I'll just go help Madame Pomfrey or something, leave you to it, if you want," I suggested, feeling like I should give the Weasleys some time alone to grieve without basically a stranger like me intruding. "Don't be silly, Hermione! You practically are part of the family," answered Mrs Weasley, pulling me into a proper 'Mum hug'; I'd really missed them, especially from my own mum. I had often wondered what I would do when the war ended, if it would ever end. Then the shaking started.
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Watching the procession of Death Eaters, Voldemort, Hagrid and the limp-bodied Harry laying in his arms approach our 'Golden Tribe' was haunting. I had to now face the facts; the war was over, and he had won; without Harry we were screwed, this was the good sides' downfall. Voldemort had done it; killed the hero and become the Master of death. This wasn't how it normally turned out in Muggle stories of witch-craft and wizardry and in Magical Worlds in books and such; the stories my innocent, 11 year old self thought she was entering into after I found out about my magical ability. No, this was as far from a fairy tale as you could get.
"You see; Harry Potter is dead by my hand, and no man alive can threaten me now," screeched Voldemort. "If you choose to follow me now, you will not be harmed." I hoped and prayed no one would follow this suggestion and believe this rubbish. I watched silently as Malfoy was called over. I was surprised how much this move affected me; seeing him turn his back on us so easily. It didn't come as a shock to see him join his parents; it was his heritage at stake after all, but I definitely felt a strange feeling sweep over me. "No surprise there," whispered Ron, more to himself than anyone else. I felt a pair of eyes focus on me as I smirked, turning my head just in time to see Malfoy looking straight at me. He had been looking at my smirk after Rons' sly comment, I was sure of it.
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It turned out that Harry was more alive than he had ever been. He gave Ron and me our orders; kill Nagini at whatever cost and try not to die. Ron and I had it all planned; trap Nagini between us and one of us distracts it whilst the other stabs it with a Basilisk fang. Easier said than done. We ended up on one side of the corridor, Nagini on the other.
Neither of us expected it to attack like it did, when we had such powerful weapons. We ran as fast as we could, looking back every now and again. Then I felt Ron squeeze my hand and release it. Then I saw him stop in his tracks and turn in Naginis' direction.
"Come on Ron! What the hell do you think you're doing?" I screamed at him from a little further away down the hall.
"Go Hermione, this ends here. Just go," he answered, strangely calmly.
"Don't be so fricking stupid, Ronald Weasley, get here now, I am not leaving you here alone with that bloody snake, don't be noble, you're worse than Harry!" I screamed, desperate for him to move.
"This needs to be done, just go," he said again, just before Nagini lunged at him, knocking him to the floor.
"This… is… for… Hermione," he said between being bitten by the overgrown snake, before sticking his Basilisk fang through Naginis' stomach.
The building shook once more and several screams could be heard throughout the castle, but non as loud as mine as I ran towards his bloody form.
"H…Her… Mione?" he asked, smiling weakly. There was another rumble before several cries of "It's over!" were heard by us two teenagers in that dark, dusty corridor, in our old school.
"It's over!" said Ron. "To bad I won't see what happens next…"
"Don't you dare," I said, before hoisting him up and dragging him towards the Great Hall, which seemed to take forever.
"Help!" I cried desperately as I struggled under his body weight, pushing open the doors to the Hall. I heard some unknown voices saying my name and Rons from somewhere near to me. One of them picked me up and carried me to where a group of people were sat and laid me down to Ron who had just been put down. At this point, I couldn't see anyone around me, just Ron, only Ron, who I noticed was getting worriedly paler by the minute.
"Please, someone, help him! Don't just stand there, get someone, something, I don't care just don't you dare let him go," I cried desperately to the surrounding group.
"'Mione," he gasped. "It's my time, just let me go." I leant over him, my hair falling to one side; as I looked at it, I noticed the unhealthy amount of red, dry patches in amongst my normal brunette curls.
"Don't you dare say that, Ronald. Don't you dare leave me!"
He looked me straight in the eyes and said; "I'm not prepared to lie to you, 'Mione. When I… go, promise me you'll try and find someone else, don't just live your life in a black pit of despair, I'll always be there, somewhere. All I ask is that you don't forget how amazingly talented you are," his voice was becoming weaker, his face becoming paler. "Promise me you'll do great, unforgettable things; get everyone in that blasted world to know your name and what you stand for. Promise me you won't try and find danger, and never forget how beautiful you are. I'm sorry you'll never become a Weasley as my wife, but even if you marry one of my brothers, even though that would be extremely weird and odd, help with my Mum and Dad, they need someone more sensible than Ginny to help them out sometimes, sorry sis," he nodded to a silently sobbing Ginny, who grinned mock-cheerily at him before breaking down on Harry's shoulder. "Promise, Hermione, that you will be loved, never take any crap from stupid guys that don't deserve you. Overall, try not to forget me in that hectic, beautiful, legendary life of yours. Always remember that I love you, more than anything, even more than Quidditch, and have since, well forever. I love you Hermione… Hermione… my Hermione."
I leant down and kissed his lips until I noticed that he wasn't kissing back anymore. I pulled away to see a true Ron smile smothered on his face, his eyes closed as if at peace. But this wasn't the result I had wanted.
"No," I whispered at first, glancing desperately over his face, looking for a sign that he was joking, that he would open his eyes and everything would be fine; he would live, we would one day get married, have millions of ginger kids and be happy forever, just as long as we had each other. Each other. I wouldn't have that anymore, ever.
"No," I said, louder now, repeating the short word over and over while I felt two strong, masculine arms encircle me from behind, guiding me away from Ron and the surrounding group. Away from Ron, my Ron, my Ron that was now lying, lifeless on the hard, cold, stone floor of Hogwarts School of Witch-craft and Wizardry.
"No! Take me back! No! Ron!" I kept repeating as this stranger took me out of the room, my tears streaming down my cheeks.
A/N: I cried writing/ re-reading and typing up this story so much, my Mum and d
Dad had to keep checking up on me from downstairs to make sure I was OK! Anyway, do what you like i.e. review, add me to a Community, add me to an Alert of some sort whatever, I just need to know you are there! Also, I recently started a community called We Love Dramione! If you want to check it out, you may be able to access it form my profile of whatever.
So yeah, Draco's POV for the next chapter. It isn't quite complete yet, and I have the feeling it will need editing before I post it, but stay tuned, and read my other stuff OK? Good, so… bye! Thanks for reading my story xxxxxxxx