A/N: Ah, alas, we've reached the end of another tale. I always hate writing the final chapter to a story, even if I know another story is coming right behind it. It's a truly sad moment. Nevertheless, as I said, I still have one more sequel to write… now, the final chapter of that one is going to be really hard to do…
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Chapter 14
One Last Goodbye
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Harry approached the door to Hermione's private chambers two days later. The two armed guards flanking the tall, bronze doors glared at him as he approached. Neither of them tried to stop him, though, as he pushed open the door that was nearly twice as tall as himself, and entered the room beyond. Like the rest of Atlantean Royal Palace, this room decorated with beautiful golden tile floors and watery green painted walls with gold and silver trim. The room was filled with highly polished oak furniture, and in the center of the room was the most comfortable-looking bed Harry had ever seen. Hermione emerged from a doorway to Harry's right. She smiled when she saw him. It was the first time since the battle that they had laid eyes on one another. Hermione had been busy overseeing repairs to her city, with Harry and the others had been brought before the Atlantean Council. Jerrod, the Council Master, had said he did not blame them for bringing their war to Atlantis, but that due to the risk of another conflict on the island, and that Hermione could not be in close contact with anyone because of the Elders, especially people she loved, they must all leave the city as soon as possible.
"We're all packed." Harry said, clasping his hands behind his back.
"Good…" Hermione said quietly. "that's good. Listen, I'm sorry it has to be this way, I… I tried to overrule the Council's decision, but they're firmly set against you remaining here." Harry nodded.
"I know… it's probably for the best, anyway. You can't very well not think about us if we're always around."
"Harry, y… you know didn't want this… don't you?" Hermione asked, looked scared. Harry looked to the floor.
"You know, Hermione… I don't really know anymore. I understand why you did it… I just never imagined you would do it."
"I did it to save Phoebe." Hermione said. "I couldn't just let her die… not when I knew I had the power to save her."
"I know you did… I just thought the girls and I would mean more to you than she does." Hermione's jaw dropped.
"Are you suggesting I don't love my daughters and my husband?" Hermione demanded, looking furious. Harry shook his head.
"Hell, no." he said. "I'm saying that Phoebe means more to you than we do. You're leaving me to raise our girls alone. They need you, Hermione… and you're leaving them."
"Not by choice." Hermione said.
"Oh, you had a choice… and you chose Phoebe over us." Hermione looked livid.
"How can you possibly say that? I love you, Harry. You and those girls are my life…. but I couldn't just let Phoebe die. Not after everything those three women have been through, because of us. Could you have done it? Could you have let Phoebe die if you knew you could save her?" Harry looked up at her.
"If it meant abandoning you… yes, I could." Hermione sat down at the foot of the bed.
"Then, maybe I don't love you as much as I thought." Harry slammed his fist into the wall.
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" he shouted.
"It means that the Harry I met on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago would never have allowed another person to die because of his selfishness."
"And the Hermione I thought I knew would never have abandoned her children!" Harry retorted. "You've abandoned us… betrayed us…" Harry's eyes narrowed. "You're worse than Dumbledore." Hermione stood to her feet, her hazel eyes alight with pure hatred.
"Turn around," she said, her cold deadly cold and dripping with anger. "and walk out of this room while you still can." Harry stood his ground and simply glared at her. Hermione had had enough. With nothing more than a wave of her hand, she sent Harry flying across the room. His back slammed into the doors, which flew open. Harry landed on his back out in the corridor. Harry stood there until the doors swung shut, seething with anger. With one last glare at the guards, he turned and strode away.
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"Why the hell do we have to take this stupid boat home again?"
"Because Hermione banned all orbing and Apparation," Piper said. "and from what I saw in the throne room two days ago, I really wouldn't advise pissing her off." Ginny shrugged.
"Fine, but she could've at least let us leave so we wouldn't have to sail all the way back to San Francisco." Piper opened her mouth to answer, but Phoebe was no longer listening. She had spotted Harry walked toward their ship across the bustling docks where dozens of other ships were docked.
"Is everything aboard?" Harry asked as he stepped aboard the ship.
"We're ready to leave as soon as you are." Piper told him.
"Fine, then." said Harry. "I want to leave this place as quickly as I can. We've still got a war to fight, so…"
"Wait," said Phoebe. "can… can you give me another twenty minutes? There's something I need to do."
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"Hermione? Hermione… are you in here? The guards outside said…" Hermione stepped out from another room, smiling.
"Phoebe!" Hermione exclaimed, sounding relived. "I had hoped you would come by before you left."
"Harry's ready to go, but… I had to see you at least once before we leave. I wasn't leaving without one last goodbye."
"Well, I'm glad you came… there are some things we need to talk about." Hermione sat down on the foot of the bed and motioned for Phoebe to do the same.
"I still can't believe it was meant to end this way…" Phoebe said, wiping her teary eyes.
"I have no regrets, Phoebe." Hermione whispered. "I did the right thing, I know that. I couldn't have lived with myself had I made any other choice."
"But you did it for me!" Phoebe shouted. "I never wanted you to do it, and now you did it to save my life. I can't forgive myself for that."
"Well, you're going to have to. It wasn't your fault. I made that choice on my own, and I would never change it. I just… have to take my punishment." Phoebe sniffled and leaned forward, pulling Hermione into a tight hug. She gently ran her fingers through Hermione's elbow length chestnut hair.
"I'm going to miss you." Phoebe sobbed. Hermione, who was crying now too, said,
"You'll live." Phoebe smiled a watery smile.
"Yeah, and so will you." Hermione nodded, still not releasing Phoebe.
"I will," she said. "and that's my punishment."
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Phoebe returned to the ship a few minutes later, still wiping her bloodshot eyes. No one tried to console her as she boarded the ship, knowing as they did that their words would not relieve Phoebe's pain. Phoebe walked up to Harry, who stood beside the large maneuvering wheel.
"Harry," she said as the tiny ship began to sail slowly away from Atlantis. "I'm sorry." Harry looked down at her.
"I don't blame you, Phoebe. You didn't ask her to leave us like this. She made that decision on her own." Phoebe carefully took his hand.
"Don't be too angry with her, Harry. She loves you, and… how you're acting, the things you said… I could see it in her eyes… it's killing her." Harry heaved a very deep sigh.
"I can't worry about Hermione right now." Harry said. "I've still got a war to fight back home, a war that's just getting started, and a war I'm going to win." Phoebe walked away from him and leaned against the ship's railing. She looked up at the tallest tower, where she felt certain Hermione was watching.
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Hermione watched the tiny ship grow smaller and smaller. Jerrod stood beside her, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Be safe…" she whispered. She looked over her shoulder at Jerrod.
"They are far enough away, now." he said. Hermione nodded.
"Take us down."
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Phoebe continued to watch the palace tower as it grew smaller. As she watched, she could have sworn she heard a soft voice remarkably like Hermione's say, 'Be safe.'
"We will." Phoebe whispered to herself. A bubble of magical energy suddenly formed over the island, and it began to slowly spin. As the island spun, it started to sink slowly beneath the waves. Phoebe watched until the tallest tower vanished beneath the ocean and the water covered the city once more. As she tried, and failed, to hold back her tears, Phoebe whispered,
"Goodbye, Hermione."
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A/N: Alright, so there's another one completed. Only one left to go. At my current rate, this series will have taken over two years to finish. I must admit, I'd never planned for it to last anywhere near this long.