A/N: Hey. It's been a while, and I don't have any excuses. School's been over for several weeks. Anyway, like usual the original idea for this chapter didn't really pan out in the end. And suddenly after weeks of struggling for a new approach, I'm hit with this idea at one in the morning. Anyhow, this chapter is a bit weird (Well, the whole story's kinda weird) in that it has a flashback at the end. But I like it.

Ginny- Recovery

"Sectumsempra."The spell catches your leg from behind before you can react. A sharp pain runs along your leg. You limp away a few feet before you fall to the ground. A cry pries itself from your lungs as you land on your wound. The blood has already soaked through your jeans and puddles on the floor.

Laughter from above startles you away from your agony. Pansy Parkinson is smirking down at you with her wand pointing directly at your chest.

"Damn," you mutter under your breath when you realize your wand is ten feet away. You concentrate all your will on it. You grit your teeth. Magic pools at your fingertips. Thoughts and images flick to Luna and Neville practicing in the Room of Requirements. If you only could make it jump.

"Well- Well. Looks like I caught a blood traitor," Parkinson says joyfully. Her shrill voice ebbs away at your focus.

"Lucky you. Maybe Voldemort will love you now," you retort bravely, "But that's not very likely now is it? Not for someone as insignificant as you."

A grimace passes over Pansy's face, as you call out her master's name. You've pissed her off. At least you can die with pride, you think remorsefully. A smile spreads across your face, masking the failings in your countenance. Fear grips at your heart. You don't want to die. There are so many things left for you to do.

"Wandless magic is a combination of power, concentration, and necessity," Hermione's words echo through your mind.

Pansy opens her mouth to perform the last curse you'll ever hear. But before she can, a voice interrupts her from behind.

"I wouldn't, if I were you." The voice sounds familiar. Tears escape your eyes before you can stop them. You are saved. Your wand inches forward suddenly, and you will it to continue.

Hermione looks like an angel when you lift your gaze from the floor. But before you can express your relief, a crash sounds from the doorway. Your reaction is instantaneously. Your wand leaps across the room. A red spell fires from your wand toward the doorway the moment the wood touches your fingers. A Death Eater falls to the floor unconscious.

Hermione crouches quickly as Pansy scrambles away. A green bolt issues from Hermione's wand as she calls out, "Avada Kedavra." Pansy Parkinson stares lifelessly at the ceiling a moment later, the color already faded from her face.

For a second you are mortified. Hermione just killed someone. That fact burns its way across your mind several times. Hermione flicks her wand, and the other fallen Death Eater is immediately tied in red cords.

You watch as Hermione shuffles rigidly across the room toward you. She kneels beside you. Her eyes avoid yours. "Alright, Ginny?" She asks in a whisper.

Your stomach bottoms out, and tears rip through your eyes with renewed vigor. Your silence makes her meet your eyes. This looks like Hermione. Sounds like her. And every sense in your mind tells you that this is in fact her. The girl you've always been secretly jealous of. Your friend. Your sister. But it doesn't feel like that girl.

"No," You answer weakly.

She nods slowly, and you can see that she understands. She's always understood. "Yeah," she says. The word soothes you strangely. You know that everything is going to be okay now. You are still alive. But more importantly, Hermione is here, serving as the guiding light she's always been.

Hermione runs the tip of her wand along your wound, and the torn flesh zips together oddly. You apply weight to your leg slowly after Hermione hauls you to your feet.

"Ready?" Hermione asks. She's leaning against the doorframe, her wand drawn. For the first time, sounds of the battle blaze in your ears. You take a deep breath, nod, and burst through the front door, spells leaping from readied weapons.

The battle had just begun when you were caught off guard by Pansy's curse on your way to join your family and friends. Now, wizards and witches, friend and foes alike, duel sporadically across the front lawn. The house itself has taken several hits.

With Hermione leading the way, you run towards Lupin, as he fights viciously against three Death Eaters. Hermione charges, a green beam blindsiding an unprepared Death Eater, and he crumples to the ground with a groan.

"Reducto," You yell. The masked villain that rounded towards you at his ally's demise flies backwards with force.

Lupin disarms the last Death Eater before knocking it unconscious. "Thank God, Hermione," Lupin exclaims with relief. He claps Hermione on the back and smiles at you. "Almost thought you wouldn't make it."

"Sorry I'm late, Remus," Hermione says, turning away to join another duel.

A broken, distraught Hermione flashes in your memory. You remember how much it hurt you to find her silently sobbing on the floor of her room.

Her entire body shakes, and her eyes stare blankly ahead.

You fall to your knees when you realize someone is missing from the room. You embrace Hermione without hesitation. All thoughts of jealously vanish from your mind.

"I-I," Hermione attempts. Her voice quivers. "I didn't even get to tell him goodbye. I didn't tell him that I love him. I love him."

You hug her tighter. You close your eyes against approaching tears. "He knows, Hermione," you whisper, "I swear. He knows," Together you both cry. And when you can't cry anymore, you stay and comfort your old friend. An hour passes. Then another.

You begin to think you'll be there all night when a loud bang shatters the silence. From the window, a green flare blossoms in the sky, forming an awful, familiar skull. You barely have enough time to yell, "We're under attack!" before a scream tears through the house, reverberating through your vein.

You run to the door and fling it open. Your wand is drawn, but before you make it through the threshold you turn back to find Hermione still on the floor. "Hermione," you call, "Hermione, ARE YOU COMING?" You yell desperately. But your shouts fall on deaf ears. Hermione is broken, and for the first time in your life, you fear she'll never recover.

Now, as Hermione storms into the battle, you are so glad you were wrong.

A/N: Final battle! (Excluding Harry and Voldy of course) took place at Grimmauld. I imagined that Hogwarts was closed in mid year for safety issues, if you want a bit of back story. Hermione was crying over Harry leaving in the middle of the night (see previous chapter) if I didn't make that clear. And Ginny did wandless magic. I figured if she can so something that small, just imagine what Harry could do.

Thoughts and opinions would be deemed precious. Reviews would be absolute gold. Please and eventually thank you.