Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, the rights belong to the wonderful J.
Blood rushed through her veins amid the panicked shouts and the startled cries.
Grasping hands, a twist of her foot and a flick of her smooth wooden stick in tandem with her husband's movement did nothing.
His stick was forgotten amongst the panic, left in the upstairs bathroom, used to fix a botched hair colouring curtesy of their child's outburst earlier that night.
Her husband stumbling towards the fire, frantically grasping fine powder to produce the vibrant green fire, the shared colour of her son's and her eyes.
Unconsciously she hugged her baby closer to her, her precious baby boy, just over a year old. He could not die now, not her Harry.
Crunching of the gravel path and the looming figure strolled casually towards the front door of their cottage.
The back door to where their garden was, her squashed face half-kneazle's haven from her son's flying antics. Yet another failure.
The glowing blue doe that attempted again to ram through the walls of the cottage, to send a message to Dumbledore, Sirius, The Order, anyone. The failing plea of "please, please help….anybody help".
A panicked look shared between them, the hurried embrace and kiss. True Love's last kiss.
Their last look as her husband forced her up the stairs. Their eyes showed the same determined yet resigned glint, they would go down protecting him to their deaths, NOT their Harry.
Her Patronus failed as she slammed the nursery door shut with her wand, the baby blue furniture lined with small snitch detailing, piling up against the door. Muttered spells of defence and protection caused the small runes lining the door and walls to briefly emit a small golden glow.
The furniture and the runes would not help her, but it gave her time.
She winced, felt the tears threatening to pour out her eyes, as she heard the fatal words and the following hard thump.
Leaning over she placed her baby boy in his crib and bending down she gave him a kiss, a reassurance and a watery smile.
And when the door burst open, when death asked her to move aside, she gave her precious Harry one last thing.
She gave him a mother's unconditional love.