Author's Note: Finally, seventh year part 2! No warnings but it does cover the battle.

April 1997

Haven't heard from you in a while. Are you alright? -GW

Yes. Long story. Hope to tell you soon. -HG

Ferret is safe with us. -HG

How is RW? -LB

Good, safe, alive. I'll return him to you soon. -HG

"What's that?" asked Draco, coming up behind Hermione as she sat on the bluffs of Shell Cottage.

They had been there for a few weeks, waiting for Narcissa to arrive with the next Horcrux, and trying to determine what to do next. Harry was in a constant battle with Griphook over Gryffindor's sword; the goblin believed that it was rightfully his, while Harry was certain that it needed to remain in their possession until the end of the war.

Hermione looked down at her necklace and then patted the ground beside her. Draco sat down, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her close.

"They're charmed Galleons like the ones I used in fifth year," she explained. "I've been in touch with Ginny and Lavender while we've been on the run."

His fingers danced along the coin, taking in all the little details on it. Lifting his eyes to meet hers, he smiled and tucked the necklace back into her jumper. His lips were so close to hers and she contemplated leaning in to kiss him. Things were still hesitant between them, still fresh.

It was like starting all over again.

Draco stood up and offered his hand to her. "You should come in soon. Bill is taking Ollivander to Aunt Muriel's house tonight and Dobby and Fleur prepared a full feast for us all."

She reached up and let him pull her to her feet. Their hands fell between them, still clasped together. "Not Griphook?"

"Harry wants to keep him here in case we can't wait any longer."

"Any word from your mum?" she asked nervously.

"Not yet but I'm trying not to think about it. It's hard to sleep at night not knowing if she's alive," he said. "Plus the sofa isn't very comfortable, even with a few cushioning charms on it."

"One more week, then we need to move one way or the other."

He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "I know. I just hope she's okay."

May 1998

A week had passed since Ollivander's departure and there had still been no word from Narcissa. Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Draco had spent the past month coming up with a plan to break into Gringotts and find the Horcrux in Bellatrix's vault if necessary. It wasn't the best plan, and Hermione could see places where it might fail, but it was the best option they had.

And without Narcissa, it was the only option.

Draco was more sceptical about it all, trying to find a way out of it. "Are you sure I can't just go in as myself? Since I'm a Black descendant, I shouldn't have a problem."

"Look," Harry said impatiently. "You either let Hermione disillusion you, transform your appearance, or you stay behind. Those are your options. But we leave tomorrow morning."

"Alright, fine," he grumbled. "Change my appearance, I'm tired of looking like Lucius. Ron can be Disillusioned. I, at least, know the mannerisms of a Death Eater."

No one slept that night. Hermione snuck downstairs in the middle of the night and curled up next to him on the sofa, her face snuggled into his chest. It was the most contact they'd had since the events at Malfoy Manor and he was thankful she was giving him at least that much. Part of him feared he'd be killed before he had the chance to kiss her one last time. Her willingness to be close gave him hope that he hadn't completely lost her.

As dawn arrived, they all quietly got dressed and moved out to the garden. Hermione took the Polyjuice Potion, her form shifting to that of his aunt's, bringing back harsh memories and making the hair on Draco's neck stand on end.

She transfigured his features; darkening his hair, softening his jaw and nose, and making his eye colour closer to the chocolate brown of hers. Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak over himself and Griphook, while Ron was spelled to disappear. They had tossed around the idea of having both Ron and Draco's appearances changed, but ultimately decided it would create too many problems with identification.

Draco toyed with the Hawthorn wand in his hand. It was still his, still worked, but ever since Harry had won it from him at Malfoy Manor, it felt estranged. The dark-haired wizard was using one they had taken from the Snatchers and had been struggling with it ever since.

"Wait. Harry, switch wands with me," Draco said, holding his wand out.

Slipping the cloak off his head, Harry looked at him, his eyebrows pulled tight together. "Are you sure? This is your wand."

"You heard Ollivander. You won this from me when you disarmed me. It's more yours than mine right now."

Harry took the wand gingerly and cast a few spells, each of them perfect. "This is… thanks, Draco."

"Now that we've settled the wands, can we leave?" snapped Hermione. Her tone of voice, mixed with her appearance, was almost too much for Draco.

Hermione and Draco Apparated to the bank together, while Ron took Harry and Griphook. They landed in their predetermined spot and, after ensuring they were all there in one piece, made their way to the large building at the end of Diagon Alley.

Posters hung all over the place, each of them with another familiar face on it, most of them Harry's. Undesirable #1. It was unsettling to see how the world had shifted from praising Harry to wanting him dead in such a short amount of time.

The goblins at Gringotts had clearly known something wasn't right with the situation. They questioned Hermione more than they would the real Bellatrix, but she handled it exactly as the original would have. Harry's mumbled 'Imperio' only helped ensure that they didn't run into any further problems. Soon, they were piled uncomfortably into one of the bank's carts.

Seeing how the curse affected the goblin bank teller was nauseating for Draco. Had he spent the year looking that glassy-eyed? Or was it just because Harry wasn't as proficient in the curse as Bellatrix was?

The cart jerked along the track, down further into the belly of the building. It twisted deeper and deeper, curling around sharp corners and picking up speed. Draco's own vault was this far down, but he admittedly never paid much attention to the trip. It certainly had never felt this long before.

"No!" shouted Griphook, just as the cart moved around a corner and under a waterfall. The vehicle came to a stop before flipping over and dropping them all out, letting them freefall to the hard ground below.

Hermione shouted out a spell and their descent slowed, dropping them onto the floor painlessly.

"The Thief's Downfall," Griphook explained as they stood and dusted themselves off.

Draco moved to Hermione, ensuring that she was alright, while Harry placed the goblin teller under an Imperius again. They still needed him to access Bellatrix's vault. The group headed down one of the twisting paths, leading to the vaults that were heavily guarded by a dragon. Since his own vault was in a different area, Draco had never seen the dragon, and it made him sick to see how poorly the creature was treated.

When the door to Bellatrix's vault slid open, Harry quickly described the cup and they split up to look for it. It became apparent that Bellatrix had added extra charms to her vault that allowed only her to touch the items, burning the skin of the intruder and duplicating quickly. Draco had assumed that any protection she placed would recognise him as a Black family member and allow him full access, but the minute a small coin touched his skin, he knew that wasn't the case.

"It's there!" Harry said, the light of his wand aimed at a small golden cup. "How do I get up there?"

Hermione aimed her wand at him as the objects around them clanged, duplicating and burning their flesh, trying to trap them in the space. Draco's heart pounded in his ears as he watched Harry rise into the air, Gryffindor's sword stretched out in front of him. He hooked the cup on the end of the blade and Draco exhaled a lungful of air he didn't know he'd been holding.

As she lowered Harry to the ground, he shifted and hit a suit of armour, setting off a chain reaction of items replicating around them. Griphook and the goblin bank teller were knocked into other valuables, and the vault was filling quickly. Draco gasped in pain, trying to get away from the molten hot treasure, but that only caused him to bump into more things.

The sword Harry was holding flew from his hands and skittered to a stop. Griphook fought Harry for it, reaching the prized item before any of the others had a chance to grab it. The cup was flung from the blade and Draco was able to pluck it from the air before it was sucked into the avalanche of silver and gold raining down on them.

They managed to escape the vault as Griphook disappeared with the sword, yelling to anyone around them that thieves were trying to escape with stolen treasure.

"Come on!" Harry yelled, leading them over to where the dragon was tethered and releasing the chains around its ankles. "It's our only option."

Harry and Ron climbed on to the giant beast and Draco helped Hermione up, settling in behind her with his hands on her hips. Once the dragon realised it had been freed, it tore through the passages of Gringotts, breathing fire as it went. Even pressed as close to the beast as they could, Draco still wasn't sure how they were going to get out alive.

Hermione aimed her wand ahead of them, casting a spell that exploded through the ceiling of the bank and giving them a clear path to the world above. The dragon broke through the doors of Gringotts, took one look around before soaring into the air, its wings stretched out wide. A loud screech echoed from its lungs, the taste of freedom hitting the great beast as much as it had Draco.

Another close call, another step closer to defeating Voldemort and saving his mother.

Draco was done with being the hero. As soon as this war was over, whenever that was, he was retiring from it all. He'd take Hermione and run off to some cabin in the woods — a large cabin, of course, perhaps more of an estate — and they'd live out the rest of their days in a peaceful and easy quiet.

Not whatever this hell was.

The dragon deposited them in a lake somewhere between London and Scotland before flying up into the night sky. They were cold, wet, and badly burned from the vault. Hermione pulled some Dittany out of her bag, along with fresh robes for each of them, and they set up a small camp while they figured out their next steps. With the cup in hand, but no sword, they were back at square one.

Draco noticed Harry looking off into the distance, a glazed look on his face. When he gave Hermione a questioning look, she shook her head. "He has a connection to You-Know-Who. It's how we've been able to get as far as we have."

A few minutes later, Harry's focus returned, panic alive in his eyes. "He knows. He knows and he's going to check where the others are. The last one is at Hogwarts, I knew it!"

Squishing together under the Invisibility Cloak, Draco allowed Hermione to Apparate them all to Hogsmeade, knowing it was the best chance for them to get onto the school grounds.

As soon as they landed on High Street and alarms went off, Hermione transfigured him again. It wouldn't do for someone on either side to spot him and attack them all. They needed to get into the castle and destroy the last Horcrux.

A dark figure had called them into one of the pubs, slamming the door behind them and sending them up a hidden staircase and to a private room. The figure joined them moments later after yelling at the Death Eaters that stormed the streets looking for the group of fugitives.

Harry quickly put the pieces together; the eye he'd been seeing in the broken shard of mirror that he'd carried with him belonged to Aberforth Dumbledore, and the man had been the one to send Dobby to Malfoy Manor to rescue them.

"Thought he'd be with you," Aberforth said. "Where've you left him?"

"Safe, sir. With Ron's family," Hermione replied.

"Hmm," the old man grumbled. "Good. I like that little elf."

Draco sat quietly while Harry and Aberforth fought about Dumbledore's intentions, and the more he listened, the more Draco felt that the old man was right. Dumbledore wasn't the most forthcoming person, constantly leaving out pieces of information and turning every answer into a riddle. Plus he had a soft spot for Gryffindors that often left the rest of Hogwarts' students feeling like second-rate citizens.

Aberforth told them of his younger sister, Ariana, and the tragedy their family had endured. Since Draco hadn't ever had a sibling, much of the love and support Aberforth talked about in regards to his sister was lost on him, but he knew what it was like to protect someone you cared deeply for. He knew if he ever lost his mother it would crush him completely.

"The night that your brother died, he drank a potion that drove him out of his mind. He started screaming, pleading with someone that wasn't there," Harry explained, finally talking about a night that Draco only knew bits and pieces of.

Over the last month, Hermione had filled him in on various parts of their sixth year, but there was only so much she knew. She hadn't planned on telling him about the Sectumsempra incident, but when he emerged from the loo that first time, terrified out of his mind, she took pity on him and made Harry explain what happened. The dark-haired wizard apologised profusely, trying to tell him that he was aiming at Nott and that he didn't know what the spell was meant to do.

"We need to get into Hogwarts!" Harry shouted, standing, his hands clenched into tight fists. "If you can't help us, we'll leave at daybreak and let you be in peace. If you can help us, I suggest you mention it now."

Aberforth looked to the girl in the portrait, Ariana, and nodded his head. Draco watched as she retreated, returning moments later with another figure beside her. The portrait swung open, revealing a dark tunnel and Neville Longbottom.

"Harry! I knew you'd be back," said Neville, smiling. He looked each of them over, pausing only when he got to Draco. "Who are you?"

"We'll explain later. Come on," Harry replied.

The four of them walked down the long pathway to wherever it led, listening to Neville briefly recap what had been happening over the past year. Hermione's hand slipped into his, squeezing tight. It was hard to see her face in the dim glow of their wands, but he imagined she was giving him a reassuring smile, silently reminding him that Harry and Ron still didn't know she had been communicating with Ginny and Lavender.

Finally, they found themselves in a large room full of students. There were colours from each of the houses hanging from every pillar and beam, though Draco noticed that emerald green was missing from the group. As soon as the occupants caught sight of them, they swarmed the group, trying to pull Harry into a hug or to pat him on the back for returning in one piece.

"RON!"

The gathering of students in front of them parted and Lavender Brown launched herself into Ron's arms, burrowing her face into his neck. Draco looked away as the wizard's arms tightened around his witch's centre, offering them a moment of privacy. He scanned the room, looking for anyone from his house, and coming up short. There wasn't even a single first or second year Slytherin.

"What's the plan?" Seamus asked loudly.

Harry looked at him dumbfounded. "Plan? Well, uh, there's something the four of us need to do, then we'll get out of here." He motioned to where Draco stood with Hermione and over to Ron, who was still clinging to Lavender as if his life depended on her.

"What do you mean get out of here? You can't leave," Neville protested. Gone was the weak Gryffindor Draco used to taunt and tease, replaced by a man who was going to take charge and lead, a man who was braver than Draco ever imagined he could be.

"What do you mean 'four'? Who's that bloke?" asked Seamus, pointing directly at Draco, his tone accusatory.

Hermione's grip on his hand tightened to the point that he thought she might be cutting off his circulation. She gave him a reassuring nod and aimed her wand at his face. The transfigurations disappeared and he was left standing in front of a room full of people who hated him, with nothing left to hide behind.

"No. No way, I don't want him here. Harry, how could you?" Neville demanded. "Did you forget what he did to Dumbledore? Who he let into the castle?"

"Look," Harry said calmly. "It's a long story — one I promise we'll tell — but right now I need you to believe me when I say that he's on our side. We don't have time for fighting here, not when You-Know-Who is still out there."

The room broke out into chaos, people talking over each other, trying to convince Harry to let them in on the plan, to let them kick Draco out and leave him for the centaurs. The tunnel door behind them swung open, revealing Luna and Dean and silencing the chatter.

"I sent for them," Neville explained. "We all knew that if you showed up, it would mean a revolution. That we're finally going to be able to overthrow the Carrows and Snape."

"Of course that's what it means," said Luna, her voice light and airy. "Hello, Draco. It's nice to see you again."

He nodded at her, his lips pressed into a tight line. Even after spending time with Luna at Shell Cottage, he still found it strange to interact with her. Even though his family held her captive for months, she still didn't associate him with them. "You're different, Draco Malfoy," she had told him. "I can see the light in you and your mother."

The tunnel door swung open again, allowing a small parade led by Ginny, followed closely behind by the Weasley twins and a few other Gryffindors, and Cho Chang to enter the room. The red-headed witch tossed a wink to Harry, grinning as his face turned bright red with the attention. They didn't make a move towards each other, but Draco could tell they were silently communicating.

"Harry," Hermione whispered. "We need their help. You don't have to do this alone."

Ron, Lavender, and Ginny joined the small group, each of them nodding their heads.

"Alright, fine." He rubbed at his scar, a look of pain flashing across his face. Turning to the rest of the group, he spoke loudly. "We need help finding something. It'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It would have belonged to Ravenclaw."

It was quickly determined that the item might be Ravenclaw's lost diadem, though no one had seen it. Ginny suggested Luna take Harry to Ravenclaw Tower so they could see what it looked like, tossing a scathing look to Cho.

The group quieted, left alone and unsure of what to do next. Some of them eyed Draco uneasily, leaving a wide breadth of space around where he stood, whispering to the person next to them.

"We should contact the Order," Ginny said. She turned to her brothers. "Get a message to Dad, let him know. He'll be able to reach the others."

Hermione ran her hands down her face. "I can't just stay here and wait. I need to do something."

"We still don't know how to destroy the thing once we get it," Draco said. "That sneaky bastard goblin had to go and take the sword."

"What about the Basilisk?" Ron asked slowly, unsure.

"I can't believe I didn't think of it first. That's brilliant, Ron!" Hermione said, her face splitting into a wide grin.

Draco looked between the two. "Does someone want to clue me on why that monster is the key to this all right now?"

"I'll explain on the way. Ron, stay with the others and let the Order know what's going on. Tell them Draco is on our side. Ginny, Lavender, you know how to reach me if something happens." She patted her chest where the medallion rested under her jumper. Grabbing Draco's hand, Hermione pulled him to the part of the room that Harry and Luna exited from earlier.

They ended up on the third floor. Hermione led them through the corridors, keeping to the shadows and trying to avoid anyone unsavoury. When they reached the girls' bathroom on the second floor, Draco finally stopped her.

"Hermione, what's your plan here?"

"The venom from the Basilisk was on the sword and that's why we were able to destroy the first Horcrux. If we can go get some of the teeth or something from the beast, then we can destroy the others." She reached for the taps on the sink, her hand brushing against the snake pattern. "We just need to get in somehow. Any chance you know Parseltongue?"

"I might be able to help," said a high-pitched voice.

It tugged on one of Draco's memories, something trying to resurface. A bathroom, a duel, and then nothing.

"We don't have time Myrtle," Hermione snapped.

The ghost appeared, floating in front of them. "Hello, Draco. It's nice to see you're finally you again. It was so sad watching such a handsome boy like you waste away into nothing." She batted her translucent eyelashes at him, moving forward to snuggle up.

"What? You knew I wasn't myself?" he asked, his brows pulled together. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"No one ever listens to poor old Moaning Myrtle. They say I'm batty and annoying. Just a little girl that died. Obviously good for nothing anymore."

Hermione sighed. "Can you help us?"

The ghost let out a girlish laugh. "For a price"—she looked longingly at Draco—"I can help you with whatever you need."

"Please," Draco pleaded. "The boy that killed you? We're trying to defeat him and we need your help."

Myrtle sighed and flew towards the pipes leading to the sink. A strange hissing sound escaped her lips, and the snakes along the tap began moving, sliding away from the seam. The sounds of bolts clicking into place echoed through the room until finally, it opened, revealing a slide into darkness.

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

"I heard Harry do it last time. Ghosts remember everything," she replied simply. "But no one cares about us enough to find out."

"Thank you. You may have just helped us win this war," Draco said. "And sorry for snapping at you earlier. I'm sure you were very… nice… to me last year."

She batted her eyelashes at him again and giggled before flying up through one of the walls.

Hermione gave him a reassuring smile before slipping out of sight. He followed close behind, his stomach lurching into his chest at the steep slope and quick descent. They landed in a dark cavern, facing the door of a vault.

The chamber was unlike anything Draco had ever seen before. It was quiet; the only sounds heard were the steady drips of water. Large pieces of dried snakeskin lay abandoned in the twisting tunnels, leading them to an open room and the skeleton of the monstrous snake.

Hermione rushed forward, grabbing at the large teeth that had fallen out of its mouth. She pulled Hufflepuff's cup out of her bag and placed it on the ground in front of her. She was poised, ready to stab the cup, when her hand stopped and her eyes lifted to his, open wide and terrified.

"I can't do this."

Moving to kneel beside her, Draco wrapped her hand in his. "You can do this. You're Hermione Granger, Brightest Witch of her Age. You can do anything."

Her eyes dropped to his mouth, her chest heaving. She lurched forward, her lips crushing his. His free hand moved to twist into her hair, holding her mouth to his, as his other hand helped guide the fang down onto the cup with full force.

Darkness swirled around them and he could hear his father's words echoing in the air.

"Poor defenseless child."

"You're useless."

"Disgrace to the Malfoy name."

Hermione's hand released the fang and moved to grip his shirt, keeping him from being sucked into the memories of Lucius. Their lips moved in tandem, his tongue darting against the seam of her lips, begging for entrance. Granting him access, he relished in the feeling of her mouth pressed to his, as if no time had passed at all since their last kiss. As if this wasn't happening in the middle of a war.

The air around them stilled and the kiss broke, each of them gasping breathlessly. Her cheeks were flushed and wet with tears. Lifting his hand, Draco wiped the dampness from her skin and pressed his forehead to hers.

"Let's go get this bastard," she said softly. "This ends tonight."

Hermione hadn't been wrong about the war ending that evening. Voldemort's voice had told them all as much moments before as she ran through the halls with Draco back to the Room of Requirement.

Harry and Ron met up with them as they climbed the steps to the seventh floor. They quickly caught each other up on what had happened and watched as Harry asked the Room for something new. The door appeared and they pushed through, finding themselves amongst towers of assorted items.

"It's over here somewhere," Harry explained. "Let's split up."

Ron and Harry went off in one direction while Hermione led Draco in another. They passed by a tall cabinet, the door hanging off a hinge.

"Is that…" Draco asked quietly.

She nodded her head and continued moving away from it. It wouldn't do to dwell on the things they couldn't control right now. There would be plenty of time after the war for them to exorcise their demons. Now was not the time.

Voices floated through the air and Hermione stopped, Draco crashing into her. She held her hand up to silence him, listening carefully.

"Someone's here," she mouthed, and motioned for him to head back.

They stopped a few feet away from where Harry and Ron stood, their wands aimed at Crabbe and Goyle. Goyle was taunting them, asking why Harry had Draco's wand, reminding him that the Dark Lord was going to kill them all that night.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione aimed her wand at a large tower of books beside where the two Slytherins stood. She cast a silent spell and the tower fell, causing books, robes, and other pieces of junk to go flying. Harry and Ron jumped back from the debris, running in the opposite direction.

Hermione and Draco darted around another stack of items, trying to meet up with Harry and Ron on the other side. Spells echoed around the room as things exploded and rained down upon them, blocking their path and forcing them to turn around.

"It's that Mudblood!" Crabbe sneered, standing in front of them. "Avada Kedavra!"

Yelping, Hermione ducked down, bringing Draco with her. She shot off Stunning Spells at Crabbe, distracting him long enough for them to get past. Goyle could be heard yelling at the others, though Harry was able to disarm him as they finally met up.

A loud roaring noise came from behind them, heat rushing at the backs of their feet. Flames that looked like dragons curled around corners, swallowing up items and pushing them deeper into the room. Suffocating smoke billowed around them. It cut off any chance they had of seeing Crabbe or Goyle and left them vulnerable.

"What do we do now?" Hermione said, panicked.

"Here!" Harry grabbed two broomsticks and tossed one to Draco. "You and Draco go together and Ron and I will take the other. Keep your eye out for the diadem!"

Taking the broom from him, Draco asked, "What about Crabbe and Goyle? We can't just leave them."

"Why not? They tried to kill us," said Ron.

"Did you see any other Slytherins in the room when we got here? No. No one gives a shit about Slytherins right now and someone has to."

Hermione gripped his arm. "Alright, we'll keep an eye out for them as well. We need to hurry."

They mounted their brooms, Hermione sitting in front while Draco straddled it behind her. She gripped the handle tightly, her stomach in knots at the thought of flying. He wrapped his arms around her waist and the pressure of his chest against her back calmed her slightly.

Kicking off into the air, they rose above the smoke and Draco manoeuvred them away from the attacking fire dragons. As they were nearing the exit, they caught sight of Crabbe and Goyle, and the broom dipped lower. With one hand clinging to the wooden handle, she extended her arm and Crabbe reached for it.

"If you try to attack us, I will drop you," she threatened. "Don't try anything."

Harry and Ron came in after them, pulling Goyle up from the thick smoke and swooping back up out with him in tow. They all sped up, heading towards the door as the flames lunged at them aggressively. Crabbe's grip on Hermione's hand tightened as one of the dragons tried to nip at his feet.

Suddenly the door appeared and they were spat out into the corridor, coughing and covered in black soot. Hermione could feel pain blossoming across her legs where the fire had scorched her skin. She released Crabbe's hand, watching as he dropped to the ground. He and Goyle collected themselves before darting off around the corner and out of sight.

"Fuck," Draco grumbled, landing the broom with ease. "They know I'm here with you. That's not good."

"One thing at a time," Hermione replied. She looked over to Harry and Ron, noticing Harry had something looped on his arm. "What's that?"

He pulled the ring off his arm and held it in his hand. The item shook suddenly before disintegrating into dust.

"Well, that was the diadem. Whatever those flames were must have destroyed it."

"Fiendfyre," she explained. "It's one of the substances that can destroy Horcruxes. I never mentioned it because it's nearly impossible to contain and one of you would have burned down half of England's forests if you knew how to cast it. This means we only have the snake left though, we just need to get—"

Loud shouts and sounds of spells ricocheting off the walls cut her off and the foursome ran towards the sound. They saw the Death Eaters first, and then flashes of red hair. Running towards them with their wands out, Hermione was ready to shoot off a shielding spell. Ron sprinted ahead of them, a smile on his face, ready to fight alongside his brothers.

Percy and Fred were facing off against Thicknesse, whose hood had fallen, exposing his identity.

"Did I mention I'm resigning?" Percy yelled, slashing his wand through the air.

"You're joking, Perce! You actually are joking, Perce. I don't think I've heard you joke since you were—"

Fred's response cut off and the world around them slowed to a stop. An explosion went off, separating the group and knocking them to the ground. Hermione felt the pull from her lungs as a voice screamed in the distance. Rubble crashed around them, fallen stones scraping at her already raw skin. Cold air rushed in as the side of the castle fell apart.

Draco's hand reached out to her, pulling her to her feet as another scream echoed off the remaining walls. Dust was floating through the air but she was able to see three red-headed men grouped together on the ground where the wall had blasted apart. She stumbled forward, gripping Draco's hand on one side and reaching for Harry's with her other.

"No — no — no!" someone shouted. "NO!"

Hermione held her breath as Percy's head lifted, his cheek slashed open and his eyes red-rimmed. She squeezed Draco and Harry's hands, the sound of the explosion still ringing in her ears.

She saw it. One brother shaking the other, kneeling over him.

Her heart shattered into a million pieces as she watched the light in his blue eyes fading quickly.

"Ron! Ron, no!"

Ron was dead.

Snape was dead.

Lupin was dead.

Draco stood in the Great Hall, looking at all the bodies around him, a growing pit building in his stomach. His arms were wrapped tightly around Hermione's waist, keeping her steady as she stood and stared at her best friend's body, her chest still heaving with grief. It had taken both his and Harry's strength to pull her off of Ron. Fred and Percy had carried him out of harm's way before running off to fight a group of Death Eaters that were heard around the corner.

He surveyed the room. Most of the Weasleys were crowded around Ron, and his cousin, Nymphadora, sat next to Lupin, his cold hand held between hers. She whispered words to her fallen husband, telling him that she was going to raise their son to know all about the Marauders.

Dolohov had cornered Lupin, attacking him with the same spell he had hit Hermione with in fifth year, though since he wasn't silenced, the curse was fatal. Tonks had used her Metamorphmagus abilities to transform herself into a Death Eater, waiting until Dolohov's guard was down before avenging her husband.

Searching the room once more, Draco spotted Lavender on a table with Madam Pomfrey tending to her wounds. She was badly hurt and her face would be permanently scarred, but it looked as if she would physically make a full recovery. A teary-eyed Bill Weasley stood on her other side, consoling her and reminding her that her life wasn't over.

Emotionally, she looked distraught over losing Ron, and Draco could tell that she wanted to be by his side with his family. Molly had been the one to tell the young girl about her deceased boyfriend, and it was heart-wrenching to watch as Lavender tried to console the Weasley matriarch while dealing with her own grief and injuries.

Draco continued to scan the fallen and was no sign of Slytherin students, though that didn't mean they weren't out there fighting. He just hoped it was on Harry's side.

Harry…

He leaned forward so his lips were by Hermione's ear, not wanting to draw the attention of anyone else. "Have you seen Harry?"

She shook her head and turned to look up at him. Her eyes were glassy. "We all came here together. I'm sure he's helping someone else."

"You don't think…" Draco's voice trailed off.

"No. No he wouldn't be that daft. His best friend just died in front of him. He wouldn't go running off to have himself killed."

"You're probably right." He wanted to believe her, he really did, but Harry had a knack for running towards danger when he should really be running away from it. They needed him alive, and sacrificing himself to Voldemort would discourage everyone.

There was a commotion outside the hall's large doors, causing many of its occupants to filter out into the Entrance Hall. He heard people mentioning Death Eaters and Voldemort, that they were on their way.

"We should go see what's happening," he suggested, sliding his hands up and down Hermione's arms. He needed to get her away from Ron and Lupin and all of the other lost souls. She needed a purpose.

They pushed through the crowd, towards the front. Draco would have rather stayed tucked away in the back where he knew Hermione would be safe, but she was the one who moved closer, so he went with her. The remaining Weasleys followed them, forming a protective wall made up of the Order and Dumbledore's Army in front of the other students.

The dark group of Death Eaters stood in front of them, still outside the castle, led by the snake-like monster. Easily spotted, Hagrid stood at the front of the fray, carrying what looked like a body. Draco felt Hermione's hand tighten around his, her muttered 'No's growing louder.

Harry.

Professor McGonagall let out a loud scream, one that he knew would haunt his nightmares. Others in the crowd noticed the limp body, gasping and shouting in response. If that was Harry, and Draco knew there was no way that it wasn't, the war was over and they had lost. He would be killed on the spot for betraying his family and Hermione and the others would follow.

"Silence!" Voldemort yelled. "It is over. Set him down at my feet where he belongs."

Hagrid shuffled over and lowered the body to the ground. The head rolled to the side, exposing Harry's face, his lightning scar on full display. Hermione's body shook beside Draco, and he wrapped his arm around her to steady them both. He thought his knees might give out, or his lungs would be crushed by the weight of his emotions.

Even if they somehow managed to defeat Voldemort, Draco and Hermione had lost their two best friends. There was some pain a person just couldn't heal from, and he thought this might be it.

"You see? Harry Potter is dead!"

So simple. So final. Four words to change it all.

"Some of you fought valiantly, and for that I shall reward you. Come join my ranks and I will spare you and your family." Voldemort's red eyes scanned the crowd, falling on Draco quickly. "Draco. Come join us."

His feet wouldn't move, couldn't move. He was made of stone.

The row of people in front of them broke apart, giving Draco a clear path to Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Hermione clung to him, her broken voice pleading that he stay.

"Don't go, Draco, don't. We can still win — we can—"

"Very well," Voldemort said after a moment. "Bring her forward."

There was movement on the other side of the room and a tall blonde woman stepped forward. She looked exactly as she had the last time he saw her, put together and perfectly poised. Though, Narcissa Malfoy, née Black, was never anything less than perfection, even in the worst situations. She stood there, her back straight and her chin held high. Her grey eyes never left Draco's.

The snake-man spoke directly to Draco, the rest of the group listening intently. "Your mother is quite the witch, as I'm sure you know. It would be a shame if I had to end both the Malfoy and Black bloodlines today. Your last chance, Draco. Join us, or she will share the same fate as your father."

Oh, my Dragon, you look so happy.

Her voice echoed in his mind and nearly broke him. He couldn't do this. He wasn't resilient enough to choose between his family and Hermione.

There is no choice to be made, Draco. You have grown into such a strong young man, with an equally strong witch by your side. Make me proud.

He wanted to scream at her, tell her to stop, to not give up. He could save her. He had saved her countless times from the monster; what was one more? She couldn't leave him. What would he do?

Her eyes flickered down to where he held Hermione's like life support.

It's alright, my Dragon. You don't need me anymore. I love you always.

Narcissa's eyes never left his, even as a wand was aimed at her back, even as the spell was cast and green light filled the space.

Even as her body fell to the hard ground, her eyes never left his.

The air was pulled from his lungs as his knees gave out. He knew it was his voice that screamed for his mother, but he had no recollection of making the sound. There was barely any sound at all. Anger coursed through his veins and the need for retaliation spiked.

This fucking monster killed his mother. His innocent mother.

He could feel someone holding onto his arm and shoulder, shaking him, but he ignored it. Nothing mattered except the fact that his mother was dead and Voldemort had killed her right in front of him.

With Harry gone and unable to finish the job, Draco would take over. He would be the one to avenge the fallen. To ensure that his mother's death wasn't for naught.

"—Draco, Draco. I need you to listen. Stand up. Stand up and fight—"

A calming voice, the only voice that could possibly convince him to do something other than attack the bastard, echoed in his ear.

"Draco, look at me." Her small hand pressed against his cheek, forcing him to turn and look at her. "You need to stand up. We aren't done here. Stand up, Draco."

He nodded numbly, his movements jerky as his rose to his feet, bringing his attention back to the battle in front of him.

Laughter came from the other side of the space, and Draco could see through teary eyes as people he had grown up respecting — his friends' parents, people he had celebrated holidays with — joked about the idea of the Order still standing strong.

Their chatter was cut off as chaos erupted around them. Thundering footsteps shook the ground, charging at the castle from the out-of-sight gates. Arrows shot up over the walls, landing amongst the Death Eaters and taking some of them down.

Movement just in front of Draco pulled his attention away from the incoming arrows, a flash of silver glinting against the light of wands. Neville's arms, raised high above his head, came down with a sudden force, slicing easily through the large snake Voldemort kept by his side.

"HARRY!" someone shouted at the same time, and Draco's eyes moved back and forth between where the decapitated snake lay and the empty spot where Harry's body had once been.

Everything was happening too quickly for him to keep up, but he pulled out his wand anyway, slashing it through the air at the dark-cloaked figures that approached. Spells exploded around them, forcing many people back into the Great Hall as the opposing group drew closer. Hermione took Draco's hand and dragged him back into the hall, their feet moving quickly, his mother's body disappearing from sight.

The Order, Dumbledore's Army, and anyone else who stood on the side of the Light formed small groups in the large room, standing back to back as they took on their opponents. Draco was thankful for all the time he and Hermione had spent working on duelling in fifth year, as he knew none of his teachers had adequately prepared him for this.

Sweat beaded on his brow as his wrist flicked his wand, sending a Death Eater flying into one of the walls. More curses, stronger shields, faster movements. They kept the dark cloaked figures at bay, bringing them to their knees.

Someone screamed, another gasped.

"Harry!"

"Harry?"

"Did you see Harry?"

"He's alive!"

Spells ceased and every person in the room stopped moving, their attention drawn to the centre where Harry stood, looking perfectly alive, facing off against Voldemort.

"Who are you using as your shield this time, Potter?" taunted Voldemort.

Harry stood his ground, his wand arm steadily pointed ahead of him. "No one. This ends tonight, Tom. There are no more Horcruxes. Neither can live while the other survives. And one of us is about to leave for good…"

Draco watched as the two wizards faced off against each other. With one hand gripping Hermione's for mutual support, he kept the other wrapped around his wand. It was strange watching someone else use his Hawthorn wand, but the new one he gripped in his hand — he wasn't even sure what this one was made of — felt sturdy, like it had chosen him.

"I know lots of important things you don't," said Harry. "Want to know some before you make another mistake?"

Voldemort looked like a hunter stalking its prey, though Draco knew better. There was a fierceness in Harry's eyes that Draco knew wouldn't be extinguished with some basic taunting and fear mechanisms.

Harry was the hunter and Voldemort had no idea.

"Is it love again? Love which did not prevent me from stomping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach. No one seems to love you enough to step forward and take the curse for you this time, Potter."

There was a low growl from beside him, and Draco looked down to see anger flash through Hermione's eyes.

"Wait," he cautioned her. "Harry can handle this…"

The silent "I hope" hung in the air between them, and he knew Hermione understood as well. She looked up at him, breathing deeply, and nodded her head.

He turned back to the hunter and prey in front of him.

Voldemort's icy voice raised an octave, panic setting in as his opponent continued to press. "I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore! Dumbledore is dead!"

"He is," Harry replied calmly. "But you didn't bring about his end, he did. He accepted his fate long before he died. The whole thing was arranged with your own humble servant, and you had no idea."

"What is this childish nonsense?"

"Severus Snape wasn't yours, he was Dumbledore's. Had been since the day you had my mother hunted down. He loved her and when you refused to spare her life, he lied to you and made you trust him. He became Dumbledore's spy. Dumbledore was already dying, Tom! You didn't defeat him!"

The room was silent except for the quiet rustle of Voldemort's robes hitting the ground. They continued to pace in a slow circle, ignoring the gathering of spectators around them.

"It matters not, Potter! I crushed them both, just like I crushed your mother." Voldemort let out a chill-inducing laugh. "Dumbledore wanted Snape to be the master of the Elder Wand, but I defeated Snape and the wand is mine!"

"You don't understand, do you?" the young wizard said, his voice even. "You may have defeated Snape, but the wand was never his to master. Before Dumbledore died, before he was able to take the wand to his grave and extinguish the power it carried, the wand had a new master. One that never even touched the wand. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realising exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance..."

For the first time since Draco had known the Dark Lord, he saw uncertainty in the man's gaze. His eyes flickered, briefly looking around the room. Long knobby fingers continued to grip the Elder Wand tightly, as the snake-like man remained unwilling to listen to what was being said.

But the rest of the room was. People leaned forward, not wanting to miss a word of what Harry said. Had there been any doubt about Harry before, it was gone now. Nearly every person in the Great Hall would back him entirely should it come to that.

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."

Draco's heart stopped. The Elder Wand had been his and he hadn't even known it. It wasn't as if he had been in his right mind to do anything with the information, but the fact remained — he had once been the owner of the most powerful wand in the world.

"What does it matter?" Voldemort's voice was softer now, fear and mortality creeping in at the edges. "Even if you are right, you no longer have the phoenix wand. We stand as equals. And when all this is over, I can attend to Draco Malfoy…"

Air caught in Draco's throat. He gripped Hermione's hand tighter as his body vibrated with fear. A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he was only vaguely aware of Arthur Weasley standing behind him.

"He'll have to go through all of us," the older man whispered. "I know you're not your father."

Harry spoke, his voice barely a whisper, "So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?"

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Red and green jets of light met in the middle of the tight circle and a cannon-like eruption echoed through the room. Golden flames burst between them just as the first rays of morning sun broke through the windows of the Great Hall, creating a halo of light around the final stand off.

Finally, the flames ceased and Draco was able to see a small piece of wood fly through the air, landing in Harry's outstretched hand.

The room was silent.

Then Voldemort fell.

And it was over.

Author's Note: Annd we're out of 7th year and the war! Thanks for sticking with me through all the angst and heartache; you're all amazing. I know there are still questions and I promise they will get answered. There will be one more flashback in a few weeks to tie off a few of the loose ends, but we're primarily in the present day now (and nearing the end AHH!)