A/N: Yeaaaaah, so sorry for the late update. I was uber busy (reading John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks, and midway through a James Patterson pocketbook) and my birthday (January 31). I think this is the second to the last chapter, so I'll be saying goodbye again :( So, anyways, I'm uploading this on a WEEKDAY, coz its Chinese New Year, and my school's majoring in Mandarin Chinese, so get the point? Yeah? Yeah. :))

Happy Chinese New Year, guys! From Zhang Hui Ping! (My Chinese name, made-up by Vietnamese sisters that teach Chinese in our school)

ENJOY! :))

DRACO

Streaks of light flew from each other's wands as the true Malfoy mistress dueled endlessly versus the Draco's-wife-wannabe. Both were snarling and dancing around, and Draco thought they looked just like Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange during the War before Mrs. Weasley killed her Aunt. There was a fluttering of hope in that thought wherein Molly was Hermione, and the other one was his aunt.

"Crucio!" Astoria shouted. Draco's face was twisted into a horrified expression as the Cruciatus Curse only brushed Hermione's arm and landed in the hourglass, which exploded and sent pieces of glass shards and wood and fine dust in every direction.

"HA!" Draco heard Hermione yell triumphantly beyond the circle of dust between them. He coughed and saw a purple streak of light from Hermione's end. Astoria yelped.

"'Ha!' yourself, Granger!" Astoria sneered her last word as the dust started to envelope Draco and dragged him into the duel. He struggled fruitlessly and was held still by a pair of warm arms, though, strangely, Draco did not feel welcome or home in it.

He looked across the small circle and screamed, for his terror and agony were more than anything words can ever behold.

HERMIONE

She laid in a bloody heap, the long lacerations on her arms, legs and face stinging as beads of blood continued to be let loose. She panted heavily, her hair in the way, though she could see Astoria doing something – bending the dust – to do her will.

Hermione tried to stand up, but failed, her wobbly knees betraying her as they hit the floor hard with a dull sound. She still tried to duel, her wand hand gripping her beloved companion as if her life depended on it, which, she thought ironically, it did.

There was a flash of light and she was forced down, her head banging on the floor. Astoria laughed as stars and spots started to show on Hermione's eyes. She barely felt the blood pooling around her head and hair. Her breathing slowed down and even though there was so much fight still in her, she uncontrollably thought about the next world of whims.

She was about to close her eyes and hopefully drift through the Veil when she heard the most pitying sound in her whole life – a wail of pure agony.

"NOOO!" someone cried out, garbled with that person's fear and despair. Hermione deftly recognized him, but her head was all fuzzy and the blood loss wasn't helping. She heard someone running across the duel circle and crouched down beside her. Foreign liquid – hot and inexplicably comforting – dropped continuously on her hand. "Hermione… Hermione don't leave me…"

Hermione wanted to smile sadly, to tell the person that it'll be alright; that this was for him, that it has to be this way; that she wasn't afraid for the Otherworld. She couldn't, though, for all those words were lost into the comforting hug Draco gave her with a grip that could be him trying to withdraw her from Death's already advancing arms.

Then there was a searing pain at the back of her head and Hermione lost consciousness.

No one noticed Draco slip Hermione's wand in his pocket with his face twisted in a lifelong service of vengeance if Hermione would die in his arms, then and now.

DRACO

"So," Astoria's voice drifted to the couple, and Draco got ready as he silently healed the deep cuts all over Hermione's body, "This is how it's going to end."

She stated the words slowly, step by step closer to them. He made up his mind: to avenge Hermione, even though she's not dead (she can't! he thought), and to wipe out the name 'Greengrass' besmirching his and Hermione's life – Once. And. For. All.

Astoria touched his shoulder gently, and even though it was a warm, sunny day, and the sun was shining through the glass ceiling of the Great Hall, Draco felt as though hell had frozen over as Astoria said the words, "The best woman won, Granger."

Draco turned around and hid his anger under his mask of despair and sadness. "How could you do this?" he rasped. "She never did anything to you – "

"-except get you from me, the rightful Malfoy mistress in this lifetime," Astoria improvised, cutting him off.

"I AM NOT A PLAYTHING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE 'RIGHTFULLY OWNED'!" he roared, making Astoria jump and step back – five steps back. "YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF US! I LOVE HERMIONE, AND SHE LOVES ME! I CHOSE TO BE WITH HER OUT OF FREE WILL!"

"Ah, Draco," Astoria whispered, shaking her head calmly despite the fact that she almost wet in her wedding gown at his tone, "That Mudblood," she spat, her already-grotesque face twisting in disdain as she said the word, "enchanted you into loving her. Don't you see? She spiked love potion on you – "

"OH, DON'T GIVE ME THAT SACKFUL OF BULLSHIT, GREENGRASS!" he bellowed, advancing on her, with every angry stride of his matched to her ten teensy tiny ballerina steps, "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO'D WANT TO GIVE ME LOVE POTION FROM THE MOMENT YOU GOT OBSESSED AND KNEW THAT I WAS IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE!"

"BECAUSE I KNEW YOU WERE WASTING YOUR TIME!" she cried out hysterically, "I KNEW I WAS THE ONE; I KNEW I WAS YOUR ONE TRUE LOVE! BUT THEN YOU GOT GOOGLEY-EYES ON GRANGER AND MY SHINING MOMENT WAS RUINED!"

"And what – just what – makes you think you're so special?" he sneered. Astoria gulped looking at the cold grey eyes Draco knew was burning with anger fueled by the desire of vengeance, "Just what made you think that you were the one for me, that you were the love of my life? Tell me – what do you have that my Hermione doesn't?"

Astoria was shocked speechless for a long time, staring at Draco's face with a triumphant smirk plastered on it. She gulped again, fiddled with the gigantic ribbon on her waist nervously, and finally said, "Blood Status."

Draco snorted. "HA! That doesn't count, Greengrass. I don't effing care if she's a Muggleborn. Ironically, I never wanted to be a pureblood," his smirk widened as Astoria gasped in horror, "Yes, I've wanted riches. No, I never really liked being in power."

He drew out Hermione's wand, confident that she wasn't dead, and felt the familiarity of her warm hands in his through her wand. Astoria looked as if her eyes were saucers.

"That is going to change, "he continued, "For this time, I am in power. I want to. You are at my mercy, and you will pay for what you did to my wife."

He then slashed down his wand with overwhelming fury, bellowing like a madman, totally getting lost in his anger. Astoria stepped back, not wanting to hurt Draco. She sent spells flying in the wrong direction purposely. Some she aimed at Hermione's frail form. Those spells Draco deflected with amounting fury.

"You DARE hit someone so helpless?" he roared, sending a Jelly-Legs Jinx at her, which she ducked from. "CRUCIO!"

This time the Unforgivable hit Astoria square in the chest, and she writhed in agony, filling the Great Hall with anguished cries to stop. Draco didn't as much as flinch, his loathing mixing with righteous anger flowing from Hermione's wand. Once he had his fill, he muttered, "Incarcerous." Ropes flew from his wand and bound Astoria, who was still shivering.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Harry screamed from outside. Draco turned around and saw Harry running as fast as he could towards Hermione. He cradled Hermione's head drenched in her own blood in his lap and cried, "Draco, what the hell happened?"

"Harry, first things first, CALM. DOWN." He instructed. Harry nodded and took several deep breaths before Draco continued. "Now, arrest Greengrass and let me take care of Hermione."

"Will it hurt?" Harry whispered, blinking back tears. Draco would've found it worth a sneer if he'd still be in the Dark side.

"It won't. It's just like Muggle stitches, only not painful."

"How would you know?"

"You did Sectumsempra me in sixth year, right?"

Harry turned bright pink. "J… Just do it, okay?" he said, avoiding the subject. "And I'm sorry for that."

"Yeah, yeah. You don't need to tell me, Harry," Draco said, reliving his old cocky self – in a good way. "Like I'd let my wife die pooling in her life's worth of blood?"

A/N: I liked the ending, even though I just thought of that today. Hahahaha, :))

Review? c: