Chapter 25: The Battle

There was a rumble and we looked to the sky to see dark clouds gather and form that dreaded Dark Mark as it went from a bright sunny day to a dark, ominous one within a few seconds.

"What do we do?" Ginny's timid voice could be heard as we watched the DeathEaters apprehensively.

"Draco! Muddy!"

Through the window, I could see Chad stepping out from the line of DeathEaters, pull of his mask and smirk as he called out our names.

"Come out come out! We know you're in there! We're waiting!"

He had a cold, sadistic look on his face which made my stomach dip.

"They're here for us." I whispered to Draco who just watched in shock.

"We're giving you 10 seconds to come out. If not, this…pathetic excuse of a house will be destroyed. Choose. Either Draco and Hermione come out, or everyone in this house will pay the consequences." Chad shouted.

"I'll go."

I gasped as Draco spoke in an icy tone and moved away from the window towards the door. I jumped up and pulled his arm.

"Draco, you can't go out there alone! I'm coming with you then." I demanded.

"No! Hermione, stay here. I have to face this by myself." He softly said, cupping my cheek.

"He wants both of us Draco." I insisted.

"I'm not going to let him hurt you. This is my battle." He spat.

Before I could reply, he yanked off my hand from my arm and burst out of the door. Instinctively, I ran after him.

"Hermione, don't!"

I could hear Harry and the rest shouting after us but I couldn't stop myself.

I had to stand by Draco.

We were in this together.

As he stood firmly before the line of DeathEaters, I ran up behind him and held his hand tightly.

"Hermione…"

"No. We're in this together, remember?" I muttered to him, my eyes glaring daggers at him as I clutched his hand tighter, showing him I was not going anywhere.

"Draco! Muddy! How nice to see you again. I didn't have the chance to properly say goodbye the last time you left. Oh well, at least you're here now!" Chad chuckled.

Draco and I stood tall, our hands entwined tightly as we faced the 20 DeathEaters.

We would not let them intimidate us.

"You did a very wrong thing, Draco. And I would Avada you for it, but…my loyalties to the Dark Lord are much more important than my grudges against you. So…I'm just here to take you back so that we can perform the Spell. Oh, bring Muddy along too. We need her as well."

Was he mental?

Did he honestly think Draco would listen?

"You're mad to think I would go with you, Durklin. Or let you hurt Hermione." Draco sparled as he tugged my hand, bringing me closer to him.

"Aw. Has little Malfoy fallen in love with the Mudblood? Well, can't say I didn't see this coming. You were so against me even touching her. Should have known then itself." Chad muttered, glaring at Draco as he raised his wand.

I waited for Draco to raise his wand as well but he just stood rooted there, breathing deeply as he stared coldly at Chad.

Why isn't he moving?

Come on Draco, do something!

I could hear footsteps behind me and I turned to see the Order members walking out of the Burrow to stand beside us.

Took them long enough…

The Order members all stood in a line with Draco and me before the DeathEaters, their wands at the ready as well.

I reached into my robes to pull out my wand but nothing was there.

Oh no.

The DeathEaters must have taken it.

Great, now I'm going to be dueling against DeathEaters with no wand.

"Oh! Fancy seeing all of you here. Harry! Ron! Long time no see!" Chad laughed.

I could see my two best friends seething at Chad.

They trusted him as well, just like me.

"I knew Slytherins could never be trusted." Ron snarled.

"Yet here you have your precious best friend supporting one. A DeathEater Slytherin in fact." Chad laughed.

Draco tensed up and gripped my hand.

"Do not call me that, Durklin. I may have been one by force. But I was never one by will or by heart." Draco spat.

"Oh, you were one, are one and will always be one. That mark will never leave your arm." Chad muttered.

Draco continued glaring at Chad as the two sides stood completely still, watching the exchange between the two.

I honestly thought you were stronger Draco. But you had to hide behind these buffoons? I really don't know what the Dark Lord saw in you." Chad muttered, shaking his head.

"You are just like your useless father. He too was a coward. Though at least he had more courage than you. At least he could put aside his stupid feelings when it came to important matters. Even if it meant getting rid of his idiot wife."

I could see a glint of confusion on Draco's face even though he tried to keep it as straight as possible.

Chad saw it as well.

"Ah. You didn't know? It was not a random coincidence that your mother was attacked. Who do you think attacked her?" Chad laughed.

Draco's grip on my hand tightened so much that I was sure my blood circulation was cut off. He was shaking slightly in rage but still didn't move an inch.

"Your dear father killed her, Draco."

By now, the veins on Draco's neck were beginning to show and he was practically vibrating. I squeezed his hand to prevent him from doing anything impulsive. I had never seen so much hurt and rage in his eyes.

"Pity the bloke got sent to Azkaban. But anyway...why bother about him? Let's focus on right now. The Spell can still be done Draco. It's not too late. You can still be the right-hand to the most powerful being of all time. Wouldn't you like that?" Chad smirked.

Why was Chad doing this?

Ultimately, he would die if the Spell was performed.

What would he get from this?

Chad looked at all the Order members and grinned sinisterly.

"I'm offering you a proposal. Either, Draco and Muddy comes along with us and all of you will live…for now. Or…we simply kill everyone. The choice is up to you. Doesn't really matter…all of you will die in the end some way or the other." Chad laughed.

None of us responded but simply glared at the DeathEaters. Finally, Chad spoke up.

"Let it be war then."

What happened next was all a blur. Hexes were being thrown everywhere. I could see Blaise Zabini throw a hex at me which Draco deflected.

"Hermione!" He yelled over his shoulder as he kept blocking me from curses.

"Get out of here! You don't have a wand! Go now!" He ordered as he stupefied Blaise.

"Draco, I can't leave all of you!" I yelled as streams of light kept flashing everywhere.

"Well you can't protect yourself without your wand!" He shouted back.

I was against the wall of the Burrow now and I could hear shouts and see hexes being thrown and deflected.

Tonks had jumped in front of Professor Lupin from a curse and she fell to the ground. With a yell, Professor Lupin shot a bright yellow light at the DeathEater, making him fall to his knees and scream out.

Fred and George had their backs against each other and were effectively dodging curses and throwing some as well.

A ring of fire had been set and a few DeathEaters caught inside it immediately extinguished it with a bright blue glow.

It was utter chaos and pandemonium.

Over Draco's shoulder, I could see Pansy repeatedly throw curses at him which he deflected. I realized she was actually aiming for me but Draco kept stepping in front of the hex and deflecting it.

"You stupid Mudblood! He was supposed to be with me!" She screamed, her face red with rage.

"How could you fall in love with her, Draco?" She screeched, a spark flying out of her wand Draco deflected it.

Draco tried to throw hexes at her but she too was dodging them.

Finally, Draco threw a hex at her which hit her effectively.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!"

Pansy fell to the ground but I noticed something sticking out of her robes.

"Draco! My wand!" I tugged Draco's arm and pointed at Pansy's robes.

Draco was about to run forward when another DeathEater began dueling with him.

With a deep breath, I jumped forward towards Pansy and kept myself to the ground as I grabbed my wand from her robes.

Luckily, the DeathEaters were greatly outnumbered and everyone was too busy hexing each other to look at me.

Once I had my wand, I jumped up and looked around to find the closest DeathEater to me.

In the corner, I could see Rudolphus Lestrange throwing curses at Ginny. She was able to deflect the curses and threw a few at him as well but he kept walking towards her, making her stagger backwards and ultimately be cornered against the wall.

"STUPEFY!" I yelled, pointing my wand at Draco's uncle.

Immediately, he fell to the floor and Ginny scrambled away from him, throwing me a grateful smile before helping Ron duel against Crabbe and Goyle.

Multiple DeathEaters lay on the floor. Some were dead, some were unconscious and some were badly injured.

Memories of the Battle of Hogwarts flooded back. Dead bodies strewn carelessly all over with hexes flying around.

"HERMIONE! DUCK!"

I immediately ducked and saw a flash of light over my head. I stood to see Harry looking at a DeathEater who lay injured on the ground behind me.

I smiled appreciatively at him before I noticed another DeathEater sneak behind him with his wand up.

"HARRY DUCK!" I yelled as I threw a hex at the DeathEater, knocking him unconscious to the floor.

Harry smiled back at me before he started dueling another one.

I was about to help him when I felt someone push me to the ground. I saw a green flash and my vision blurred for a second.

Finally, when I could see clearly, I turned and saw Fleur lying beside me, completely motionless and her eyes open and unblinking.

Tears filled my eyes as I screamed out her name. I looked up to see the devil himself.

Chad smirked as he stood before me. I was still crouched next to Fleur's body, tears streaming down my face.

She was pregnant.

It was going to be a girl.

I jumped up and seethed at the monster before me.

Oh he was going to pay…

For everything.

"SECTUMSEPRA!"

The git merely deflected the curse with a flick of his wand.

"INCENDIO!"

Again, he flicked my hex away.

Before I could even register what was happening, his wand flew up and I saw a flash of bright blue light.

"VENENATUS CRUORE!"

I fell to the ground with all the air knocked out of me as I started twitching.

I faintly heard Draco shout my name but it was blocked out with a loud ringing in my ears. I felt unbelievably cold and shivered violently. This spell was not painful after some time, but it was extremely uncomfortable.

I felt arms wrap around my shoulders and lift me up slightly, shaking me while my name was repeatedly being called out, but my vision was blurred beyond recognition and stars danced in front of my eyes.

Suddenly…everything went black.

A/N: BTW, the last hex was not an official HP spell. Let's see who can figure out what that curse is...

Anyway...the story is ending very soon. Maybe 2 chaps more. and an epilogue.