Part 7 - Endgame

"Do you remember what this last part of the match is called?" Draco asked.

"The endgame," Ginny replied, not taking her eyes off the board. She had never gotten this close to beating him before and was thinking through every possible move, not wanting to make a blunder when she was so close to the end.

"This is when the kings come out to play." He was watching her carefully and she could tell by the look on his face that he was simultaneously annoyed and proud of how well she'd played this match.

"The kings are useless," Ginny mumbled before finally making her move.

Draco nodded and she couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing. "When it comes to attacking ability, they are the weakest. But they are still, without a doubt, the most powerful pieces in the game."

Ginny shrugged. "I guess. Since when you lose your king, you lose."

"It's not just that," Draco said as he looked at the board. "When the king moves, you take note. It can be a good distraction for setting up other pieces on the board. They're more useful than you think."

He eventually decided on his next move and when he was done, he looked at Ginny. But she wasn't paying attention to their game, anymore. All the talk of kings had her thinking of Harry.

"One day, Harry and You-Know-Who will meet," she says softly. "That will be the endgame and it's - it's crazy to think Harry would win. You-Know-Who is so powerful, and Harry is just a kid. But he's met him before, and has always gotten away. Why couldn't he do it again?"

She looked up at Draco and wasn't surprised to find his expression sad, almost pitying. "Getting away and destroying the other king are two different things. Consider chess again, and pretend there were just two kings left."

"It's technically a draw at that point," he added in an undertone, "but this is just a metaphor. My king could chase yours all around the board: move, check, move, check, move - you get the idea. But at some point, to end the game, your king has to turn around and fight back."

"He will," Ginny replied insistently.

"And you think he'll win?" Draco asked, a little doubtful.

"I'm sure he will."

"How are you so sure?"

"He has to."

Chapter 25 - The Battle

December 1999 - Scottish Highlands

When Hermione wakes up the next morning, she feels warm and content. She must have been dreaming about the future because her brain is jumbled with thoughts of weddings, dinners at the Burrow, and start of term drop-offs at King's Cross Station. It takes her several minutes to reorient herself.

She's lying in Harry's arms, which explains why she's so warm, and based on the uneven rise and fall of his chest, he's probably awake. She looks up and sees him looking distantly toward the other end of the room. He smiles down at her when he feels her move. "Hi."

"Did you sleep?" she asks.

He shakes his head. Hermione frowns. That's understandable, obviously, but it's too bad he'll be tired today. Though adrenaline will keep him going for most of the day and she'll insist he take a stamina potion before they leave for Hogwarts.

Hermione sits up and stretches her arms over her head while Harry shifts up to a sitting position.

"Wait," Hermione snaps her head over to Harry.

"What?" he asks, looking around the room in alarm.

"Last night - we were talking, then I fell asleep." She checks her watch and sees it's seven o'clock in the morning. She can't remember the last time she slept through the night like that, or the last time she'd slept past six.

"Yeah, so? That's usually what people do at night, sleep. And you clearly needed the rest." He leans in and pushes a curl behind her ear, then smiles at what she's sure is a giant mess of hair. His hair is messy too and she combs her fingers through it, trying to tidy it up a bit, but that just seems to make it worse.

"But we didn't have sex," she explains. "All that talk about shagging over dinner, and we didn't even do it."

Harry laughs.

"No, really. I had this whole plan for our last night - uh, before the battle," she adds in a rush, refusing to accept that it was their last night ever.

"We were supposed to have a nice dinner, then you and Ron were going to hang out for a few hours, then it would be time for us to be together. We'd snog a bit, lie in each other's arms, shag, then go to sleep."

Harry is giving her that "You're so cute," look. "Oh, well, you didn't give me a copy of the itinerary."

Hermione pushes him playfully. "You should have woken me up."

He laughs again and pulls her onto his lap, then starts smoothing her hair down like she'd done for him. She imagines he'll probably be as unsuccessful as she was in getting it under control.

"Right," he says with a smile. "That would make me a great boyfriend. 'Oh, uh, Hermione? I know you've been slaving away making potions all week to ensure everyone who is willing to fight tomorrow can, while also making trips to Ginny's tent to heal your childhood bully, checking in on one of our best placed spies, and cooking delicious dinners for everyone.

"'And I know you probably need a full night's sleep so you're well rested while dodging killing curses in battle tomorrow. But, uh, can you wake up and shag me? Because I'm having trouble sleeping, since it's my last night on earth and all.'"

Hermione gives him a sad smile and places a gentle kiss on his lips. When she tries to pull away, he wraps his arms around her waist to keep her in place and deepens their kiss. Hermione tangles her fingers in his hair and he trails his hands up her sides, under her shirt. When he reaches her breasts, he cups them in his hands and pulls away, grinning. "You know, I don't have any plans until around lunch, so if you have time now…"

Hermione nods and pulls his shirt off. He takes hers off and pulls her closer to him, then starts running his hands up and down her back. She props her arms on his shoulders and resumes playing with his hair. There's a part of her that is thinking this may very well be their last time together, but she's trying hard to ignore it. Harry is in a playful mood right now, and she doesn't want to spoil it.

"I have time," she says with a smile. "I'll even let you pick the position since, well, you know." She can't bring herself to say that it's his last day on earth as casually as he had. Plus, she refuses to believe it.

Harry drops his hands down to her hips and his expression turns serious. "Okay. What I really want to do is something we've never done. I mean, I know you said you'd never do it, but, well, it's my last day alive..." he lets his voice trail off and starts biting his lip.

Hermione is horrified. She knows exactly what he's talking about. Before she can formulate an adequate response, Harry burst into laughter. He was joking. Oh, thank God. Hermione hits him and tries to pull away, but he tightens his grip on her to keep her in place.

"That wasn't funny!"

"Yes, it was," he says, still laughing. "Your face was priceless."

Hermione is blushing profusely now and covers her face with her hands. "Were you really joking? Or did you just change your mind when you saw my face?"

Harry pulls her hands down and kisses her cheek. "Of course I don't want to do that. Relax, Hermione. The rest of the day is going to be serious, this part doesn't have to be."

She nods back at him, still a little shaken, and he smirks. Harry moves one hand up to the top of her back to hold her in place and with his other hand, he pushes her hair to the side and trails one finger down in a line along her exposed neck, causing her to shiver.

He leans forward and whispers, "Relax," in her ear before nibbling her earlobe, then dragging his tongue down to her neck. Hermione exhales and her previous tension melts away while Harry peppers kisses along her neck, then her collarbone, and down to the top of her breasts.

When he pulls away, he moves his hands to her hips and grips them firmly. "If I'm not in too much trouble, and still get to pick," he says with a smile, "I want us to shag like this, so I can see you."

Hermione smiles back at him and gives him a peck on the cheek before moving off him. First, she pulls her hair up into a messy bun, then she grabs her wand and quickly removes the rest of their clothes.

Harry rolls his eyes, but is clearly suppressing a grin. "Show off." He loved this spell when she first showed it to him a few weeks ago and has been trying to master it since, but hasn't been able to do it without ripping their clothes.

Hermione returns to her spot on his lap and wraps her hands around his neck again. As she looks in his eyes, she is overcome with a wave of sadness. It hits her that in just a matter of hours, Harry is going to walk up to Voldemort and let him cast a killing curse at him. Tears spring into her eyes and she tries to look away, but Harry pulls her cheek back so she's facing him.

"I know, Hermione," he whispers. "Just, try to forget for a little bit. Be here with me, okay?"

Hermione forces a smile on her face and leans forward to kiss his neck. He moves his hands to her buttocks and she rocks her hips back and forth, feeling him growing hard against her.

She thinks briefly of how different things are now from how they were the first time they'd had sex. She'd been so self-conscious and nervous, and that hasn't completely gone away, but things are much more comfortable between them now.

She feels safer with Harry than she ever has with anyone else. He knows her and understands her and always seems to know exactly what she needs. And they'd only been together for six weeks. How close could they become after years? Decades? Will they have a chance to find out?

She pushes the thoughts from her mind and focuses instead on Harry, setting a personal goal to show him with each touch how deeply she loves him. She bites his earlobe and moves her hand down to stroke him, grinning to herself when he lets out a groan. She kisses her way to his mouth and begins rocking her hips faster as she entwines her tongue with his. He gets even harder in her hand and she knows she's ready, so she pulls away and gently guides him inside of her.

Hermione clenches her insides to tighten her grip on him, eliciting a barely comprehensible swear. She finds it funny that he swears during sex, since he rarely does it otherwise.

She leans back to look at him and sees him start to bend forward to kiss her breasts, but she pushes him back and starts kissing his chest instead. She wants this to be about him, not her.

When she grazes her teeth along one of his nipples, he groans again and she smiles inwardly. She is hyper-focused on each of his reactions - every intake of breath, every whispered swear, every moan, and her favorite, anytime he mutters her name.

She tries to memorize every feeling, too, as she continues to move on top of him. A strong hand rubbing up and down her back, a firm grip on her hip, a thumb circling her nipple. His fingers in her hair, his tongue against hers, his breath on her neck. How he feels moving inside her. Hermione's mind is filled with him: Harry, Harry, Harry. If this really is the end, she is determined to soak up as much of him as she can.

Ginny was never able to get Draco to expand on what was bothering him the night before. After he'd admitted that he was worried he wouldn't be able to give her what she wanted, she'd tried to reassure him that all she wanted was him, but he was clearly finished with the conversation. They silently returned to the bedroom and laid in bed, holding each other close as they drifted off to sleep.

This morning, she'd woken up in the same position she'd fallen asleep in, on her side with her back pressed up against Draco's chest. When she turned her head to look at him, he was awake and deep in thought, but when he saw her, he gave her a soft smile and started kissing her neck.

She wiggled her bottom against him suggestively and he dropped his hand between her legs and started rubbing her. Several moments later, he'd sheathed himself inside of her and was slowly thrusting in and out.

Draco had one arm around Ginny's chest, holding her tight against him while he continued to stroke her, steadily, with his other hand. He feathered soft kisses up and down her neck and shoulder while telling her how much he loved her and how beautiful she was.

It was so achingly sweet that she got the urge, a few times, to turn around and check that she hadn't accidently fallen into bed with Harry again. But every so often, he would bite her shoulder, pound into her with one, hard thrust, or growl, "You're mine," in her ear, and she was reminded that she was with Draco.

Right now, they are still lying in bed naked and she knows they need to get up and start getting ready, but is having trouble working up the energy to leave the warmth and safety of her current position.

She is lying on her back with her eyes closed as Draco rests his head on her stomach. He's been taking her on a tour around the world all morning, sharing with her his favorite memories from all the places he'd visited in his life.

At first, she'd commented on the places she wanted to go back and visit with him in person, but every time she did, he was hit with a wave of sorrow, so she stopped. It's so obvious that he doesn't expect them to survive the day and nothing she says seems to ease his anxiety. She guesses it's because he's lost everything else in his life and sees it as an inevitability that he'll lose her too, but she's determined to survive, if not for herself, then for Draco.

After showing her his favorite parts of Moscow, he insisted they take a break so she could focus on continuing to shield her mind from Voldemort. She didn't fight him, since all the time in Draco's mind was making her constant headache worse.

She is rubbing his scalp and he has his eyes closed. Ginny takes the opportunity to study him. It's rare to find him looking like this: peaceful and content. Since his eyes are closed, she can't see the sadness that lives there, and there are no frown or worry lines on his face right now. She would give anything to see him smile one last time before they go to battle, but doesn't want to disturb this tranquility.

Draco said last night that she deserved the world and that he wanted to give it to her. She thinks he deserves happiness and so badly wants to be the one to give it to him.

Voldemort sends a burst of power at the wall in her mind, which snaps her out of her thoughts. She sighs and checks the time. They only have an hour before they have to leave, and she wants to check in on her friends before they go. Ginny sits up and announces that it's finally time for them to get ready.

They haven't talked anymore about who is fighting today. As much as she wants him to sit the battle out, she knows it's not fair to ask him to do something she, herself, is not willing to do. She quickly pulls on the new clothes Hermione bought for them at a Muggle Sports Shop earlier this week. It will be cold at Hogwarts, so she puts on multiple layers, then pulls her hair back into a high ponytail. She'll change the color before they leave.

She leaves Draco to change into his own clothes while she runs to the main campsite to see her friends and get some food. She hears laughing just outside the tent and when she peeks inside, she sees Harry, Hermione, and Ron are sitting on the floor, playing some type of game.

She creeps into the tent and stops in a shadow to watch them. They are each holding a stack of Muggle playing cards and are flipping them over quickly. Every so often, one of them slaps the pile of cards on the floor and cries out.

This time, Hermione slaps the pile first and turns to Ron. "Ohhh, you lose again, Ron."

"Fine," Ron groans, but he's smiling. "Do your worst."

Hermione turns to Harry, who is just behind her with one of his legs wrapped around her. Harry smiles at Hermione and kisses her, then they start to confer in low tones. "We did the love potion, asking out Fleur, slugs," Hermione is listing the items off on her finger.

Harry nods. "We covered all topics related to the broken wand and misfortunes with love."

Ron leans back on his hands and rolls his eyes.

"Oh, I know!" Hermione exclaims. She turns to Ron and is grinning wickedly. "Weasley is our King. And...we have the composer so close by."

Hermione sings the first line of the song until Ron leans forward and covers her mouth, "That's enough of that! I get it."

They all laugh before going back to the cards again. Ginny shakes her head. What is this game? She watches another round of slapping the cards and this time, Hermione loses.

Harry wraps his arms around her. He can't seem to get close enough to her. Now, it's his and Ron's turn to some up with something for Hermione.

"Cat," Ron starts.

"Done."

"Witch Weekly."

Harry looks down at Hermione. "Yes, we know she's fame obsessed. That's why she's with me."

Hermione elbows him but he pulls her against his chest and kisses her neck.

"Actually, I don't think we've done the most obvious one: 'There's no wood!'"

Ron turns to grin at Hermione and she shakes her head. "You're right, you hadn't done that one. Though, I think I hear about it enough. And I know you all coined the term 'Hermione moment' based on that incident, so thanks for that."

They are out of cards, so Ron starts collecting them into a pile and shuffling them. "Harry has only lost once. Why is that?" Ron asks.

"I have incredible reflexes, plus, you'd be hard pressed to find an embarrassing moment for me." They all laugh again.

Ginny is about to cut in, but something holds her back. Even though they are all laughing, there is a poignancy to the scene that she can't quite place. Something about the way Harry is touching Hermione every chance he can, or how he's watching Ron shuffle the cards now, like he's trying to memorize his face.

It occurs to Ginny what's going on. Harry doesn't think he's going to see them again. She can see the same longing she feels in Draco's mind, in the three of them. They think this is the end.

She remembers dinner last night, and the odd dynamic between the three of them that even Draco had picked up on. Ginny regrets having spent so much time away from them this past week. She's been so concerned with Draco, she hadn't stopped to consider how her friends were doing.

Ginny has always taken for granted that they would all survive the war, mostly because she couldn't bear to consider the alternative. But Harry is the only one out of all of them with any special protection. He has control of the Elder Wand and is destined to destroy Voldemort. But everyone else could die in a second. All it would take was one mistake: jumping out of the way of a killing curse a moment too late, or failing to cast a shield charm in time. Look how many people they'd already lost: Fred, Luna, Lupin, Moody, Lavender, Colin.

How many more would die today? Hermione? Ron? Someone else in her family? Draco? No. Not Draco, he had to live. And so did she, since she was his only shot at happiness.

Ginny steps out of her hiding spot, desperate to escape her dark thoughts. "What is this game?"

Ron shifts over to make a spot for her, and she kneels on the ground as he explains how first they slap the cards as soon as they see a jack. The loser of each round has to endure ridicule as the others choose an embarrassing moment for them to reminisce about.

"We'll catch you up," Ron says when he's finished explaining the rules. "There was a very recent embarrassing moment for Ginny. Just last night she got into a giant fight with her boyfriend in front of her ex-boyfriend, best friend, and favorite brother, then stormed off in huff."

"Nice, Ron." Ginny replies before sticking her tongue out at him.

"How are you?" Hermione asks kindly. "Did you figure out who's fighting today?"

"We both are, I think."

"And you're doing okay?" Harry asks, looking at her concerned. "With shutting your mind off to Tom?"

Ginny waves him off, "I'm fine, really."

They are quiet as Ron separates the cards into four piles and Ginny feels the sorrow she'd sensed earlier. "What is going on here?" she asks softly. "I can tell something is making you all sad."

"Well that's obvious," Hermione replies. "We're about to go into battle."

"No, it's something else. You can tell me what it is."

The three of them exchange knowing looks, then Ron wraps his arm around Ginny and pulls her against his chest. "I'll tell you after today, okay?"

She wants to argue, but lets it go for now. She plays one round of the game with them, then goes to the kitchen to get food for Draco and herself. She agrees to meet them at Hogwarts in twenty minutes, then goes back to her campsite.

When she arrives in the tent, Draco is sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. His elbows are propped on his legs and he's pressing his fingers into his temples. He is eerily still, and she guesses he's using Occlumency to clear his mind.

She places the bag of food on the counter and he looks up at her. She isn't surprised to find his face completely blank. He slowly stands and crosses the room, stopping in front of her. He's wearing dark grey pants, black boots, and a black, fitted athletic shirt. His hair is brown, which makes him look paler than normal. She runs her fingers through to see if it feels the same. It does.

She moves her hands to his bare arms. "You're going to be cold."

He's staring at her intently and his silver eyes look especially startling against his now-dark hair. "I'll be wearing my Death Eater robes over this. I'm going to call a house elf to bring them once I get far enough outside these wards." His voice is as emotionless as his face.

He's studying her in the same way he used to study the chessboard and she wonders what he's thinking. Then he seems to make a decision and nods to himself before stepping toward her and pulling her into an embrace.

Draco places his hands on her waist and kisses her tenderly. Then he moves his lips to her ear as he trails his hands down and places then in her back pockets. He whispers in her ear and the feeling of his breath causes her to shudder slightly. "I love you, Ginny Weasley. You are everything to me, and I am so sorry I have to do this."

Before she can make sense of his words, he has stepped away from her and is pointing her own wand at her. He'd slipped it out of her pocket while hugging her. She is about to lunge for him, but he hits her with Petrificus Totalus. He grabs her as soon as she goes stiff, before she falls to the ground, and carries her to the bed.

"No, Draco!" she yells through clenched teeth. "You have no right. I have to fight!"

"No, Ginny. I have to fight, you don't."

"You can't leave me here alone. If you insist on keeping me safe, it's only fair you stay with me."

Draco is pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to regain his composure. At least he feels bad about this, she thinks bitterly. He pulls the wand Hermione gave him the night before out of his pocket and starts creating some type of red mist around her wand.

When he turns back to her, his face is blank again. "I wish I could stay with you, but I told Shacklebolt I'd fight in the final battle."

"I - Kingsley?" That catches her off guard. Draco hadn't talked to Kingsley in ages. Then she remembers when he first agreed to spy for them, he'd said he needed something from Kingsley. She'd almost forgotten.

"You've done enough for our side, Draco. You don't need to fight today. I'll talk to Kingsley and-"

"No, Ginny. I'm fighting. I can't give him any reason to go back on his word."

"Draco! I will never forgive you for this. Never."

Draco nods sadly. "I know. This mist will disappear in 24 hours, so if I'm not back to let you out before then, you can get yourself out." He reaches into her pocket and takes out the white queen and places it next to her wand, just outside the bubble. "I'll send you updates with this."

Draco bends over and kisses her cheek and she wishes she weren't frozen so she could kick him. "No!" she is screaming as loudly as she can through her tightened jaw. "My friends, my family, you can't keep me from fighting, Draco!"

He stops at the doorway of the bedroom and gives her one last, sad look. "I'm going to place a ward around this room, then unfreeze you. I can't have you killing yourself today just to prove how brave you are. You've done enough, Ginny."

He casts a ward she doesn't recognize and a few moments later, her body un-freezes. She jumps out of the bed and runs to the doorway, but the invisible ward burns her. She yells at the top of her lungs, but there is no reply. She tries to get through the mist around her wand, but it's impenetrable.

Then, she remembers the coin in her pocket, but as much as she tries, she can't send a message without her wand. Dammit. She tests all corners of the room, but the ward Draco had cast is strong. She's trapped in a bubble, just like Voldemort's snake had been.

Ginny screams again, but Draco doesn't come back. He's gone.

December 1999 - Hogwarts

Hermione is looking for Kingsley, about to tell him that everyone who has shown up to fight (a diverse group of around two hundred people) have been administered the potion and that there are still fifty doses left. She stops when she spots him talking to someone in Death Eater robes under a large tree, far away from the rest of the group.

Hermione creeps closer and pauses when she can make out their voices. "I'm here, so you can't say later I didn't hold up my end of our bargain," the Death Eater is saying. She recognizes Draco's voice and sees that he's darkened his hair.

"So you are. Here, let me alter your robes a bit so our side knows not to attack you."

Kingsley cast a quick spell on Draco's robes to line them with silver thread. Draco looks down and nods. "I assume Snape has the same type of robes?"

"Yes, and one other."

"You have a third spy? Who?"

"The inventor of the fake killing curse. I'm surprised you didn't find him yourself."

Draco is about to question him further, but Kingsley raises his hand to silence him and it's clear he's not going to give away the third spy's identity right now. Hermione is just as shocked as Draco. Why hadn't the topic of a third spy come up in any of the Order meetings?

"I-" Draco starts to talk, then stops. Hermione can tell he's nervous. "After, if you win-"

"We will win," Kingsley replies in a booming voice.

"Yeah, right." It's clear Draco doesn't believe him. "Our agreement - uh - if it's not him…" he lets his voice trail off, but Kingsley seems to catch his meaning anyway.

"You only get one. I'll let you decide how you use it."

Draco nods thoughtfully. "And if I die?"

Kingsley regards him for several seconds, then shakes his head. "I don't intend to go back on my word, and I hope I can say the same for you."

Draco nods before dropping his head.

Kingsley watches him for several moments and his eyes are sad. Then he claps Draco on the shoulder before turning back toward the larger group. Hermione presses herself against the tree she's been hiding behind and Kingsley doesn't notice her as she walks by.

She is about to follow him, but turns to Draco first. "Uh, Malfoy?"

Draco looks at her, his face is impassive. He looks so strange with dark hair. Older, and more fierce, somehow. Or maybe that was just the Death Eater robes. "Where is Ginny?" Hermione asks.

He looks away from her and pulls his wand out, then conjures his Death Eater mask. "She's at the campsite," he says once the mask is in place.

"What!? Did she stay back willingly?"

He turns to her and she can see his grey eyes through the mask. They are filled with sorrow and guilt. "No."

Hermione shakes her head. What had he done? Locked her up? Warded her inside her tent? If he survived today, Ginny was going to kill him. He turns to the ward, but stops just short of the shimmering barrier. "Leave her, Granger. Please. It's too dangerous for her here, today. The Dark Lord hates her almost as much as he hates Potter."

He stands completely still, facing her, and she realizes he's waiting for her to agree before going inside the ward. She gives him a curt nod. She knows Ginny will hate her for it, but she agrees with Draco. It's too dangerous for Ginny to be here. It's too dangerous for Draco, too, but he leaves before she gets a chance to say so.

She sees him run toward the castle and figures he's going to pretend to patrol until the battle breaks out. It is incredibly risky, since even with his dark hair, someone could recognize him and would be eager to kill him to garner favor with Voldemort. He should have stayed behind with Ginny. Hermione sighs and before she turns back to the larger group, she whispers, "Good luck, Malfoy."

Hermione is sitting on a large rock, next to Harry. She is watching the condensation her breath is making in the air, focusing on the feeling of Harry's hand in hers, and every so often, someone will arrive, ready to fight, and she'll give them the potion they need to get through the ward.

She is trying not to think about the blasts she can hear, or the smoke rising from the distance. She's trying not to consider what those sounds mean for her friends. Are they still safe? How is the fight going? How is this day going to end?

She knows it's worse for Harry. This waiting part is agonizing for him. But he can't be killed by anyone besides Voldemort. He has insisted multiple times that they go join the battle, and she has argued that he has to stay safe since he must be killed by Voldemort, and no one else.

"It doesn't make any sense," Harry exclaims before dropping Hermione's hand and jumping to his feet. "Why does it have to be Tom to kill me? As long as I'm dead, the piece of his soul will be destroyed. The method shouldn't matter."

Hermione sighs. "Dumbledore told Severus it had to be You-Know-Who."

"But why?"

"He didn't say."

"I can't do this, Hermione." He motions toward Hogwarts. "I can't sit here and do nothing while everyone I love (besides you of course) fights."

Hermione is looking away from him now. She knew he wouldn't be able to sit here quietly. And he has a valid point, but she can't tell him about her theory that his mother's protection might still save his life today - but that it will only work against Voldemort.

She had hoped telling him Dumbledore had said it must be Voldemort would be enough. It was good enough for Kingsley, but Harry needs more. She isn't surprised. She decides to tell him part of the truth.

"What are you thinking?" he asks, walking into her line of sight.

Hermione lets out another sigh and looks away from him again before speaking. She hates discussing his death so matter-of-factly with him. "You know why we came up with this plan to wait until the battle was going on for at least an hour," she starts.

He cuts in immediately. "Yeah, because you were worried if I went straight to Tom and demanded he kill me, he would grow suspicious and might start to piece things together."

Hermione nods. "There's something else. If you sacri-" her voice breaks and she pauses to take a deep breath. Harry is sitting next to her again on the rock and places a gentle hand on her leg.

"What is it?" he asks softly.

Hermione keeps her gaze forward. "If you sacrifice yourself for everyone like that. The magic - the same magic that saved you from You-Know-Who, might be applied to the rest of us."

"You think after I die, I'll place some sort of protection on all you? Like my mother did for me?"

Hermione nods. "It would make it a lot easier for someone to kill him, if he can't harm anyone fighting today."

Harry stops to consider this for several moments, then looks over at Hermione curiously. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Hermione looks down at her lap. "Don't be angry," she whispers. She couldn't bear a fight right now, just before the end. "I know you hate when I think through things, tactically, and you say I'm obsessed with winning, but it's not like that. I can't - I can't even -"

Her voice keeps breaking and she tries her best to swallow her tears.

Harry wraps an arm around her and pulls her against his side. "I'm not angry, really. If I'm going to do this, we may as well get as much benefit out of it as we can."

Hermione buries her head in his chest and takes deep, steadying breaths to keep from crying.

Harry wraps his other arm around her. "I guess we do need to stay here," he sighs. "But I hate it."

"I can cast a silencing charm," she suggests.

He shakes his head, predictably. "No."

After that conversation, they wait in silence for Kingsley's signal. His lynx Patronus appears half an hour later. "We're holding up fine, but giants and dementors have joined. Now is the time."

Harry untangles himself from Hermione and shifts so he's standing up straight, a foot away from her. He closes his eyes tight. Several moments later, he stands up, shaking his head.

"I still can't get in; it will have to be a Patronus." He walks to the edge of the clearing and she watches him create his stag Patronus. Hermione is impressed. She doesn't think she could create a Patronus right now, even if her life depended on it.

Harry sends the Patronus galloping toward the castle. Ten minutes later, a voice hisses and Hermione jumps, since it sounds like he's just behind her. She looks around wildly before realizing it's magic. Voldemort has done something to make himself sound close.

She's never heard his voice before. It is eerily high-pitched and she can hear the cruelty in his tone. She shivers and Harry pulls her tight against him. They both have their heads cocked, listening to Voldemort's message.

"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, the battle recommences. One hour."

If Voldemort were here now, Hermione would hex him. How dare he suggest that Harry was just hiding away like some coward? And he made it sound like this whole meeting with Harry was his idea? Like he was being a benevolent and merciful leader.

She looks up at Harry, who still has one arm around her, and sees his face is impassive. She focuses back on him. It's time.

They turn toward the ward and begin walking toward the Forbidden Forest. Hermione grabs Harry's arm with both hands. It's a grey, foggy day, but the scene around them is further obscured by smoke. She sees bodies on the ground, but hasn't seen anyone she recognizes. Harry is keeping his head forward.

It's oddly quiet and she wonders where everyone has retreated to. She can hear yells in the distance, and the faint stomping of giants. When they reach the edge of the forest, just near Hagrid's cabin, Harry stops. He turns to face her.

Hermione begins to panic. Her vision narrows and her chest clenches, painfully. She turns toward a tree and braces her hands on the trunk as she takes deep breaths. She can't lose it right now. She needs to be strong for Harry.

But she can't handle this. She can't watch him march to his death. Any confidence she had that he would survive is all gone now.

She feels a hand on the small of her back is overcome with a wave of deja-vu. She's lived this scene before. She thinks of Neville. He should appear soon. She tries to find comfort in the fact that, yet again, one of her visions has become a reality. But her heart is too filled with sadness and dread right now to have any room for hope.

Hermione turns back to face Harry and he looks as depressed as she feels. "I have no idea what to say," he starts. "No words seem adequate."

She understands completely. What do you say when you've reached the end of something? It was too soon; they hadn't had enough time.

A twig snaps several feet away and there is Neville, just like in Hermione's vision. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's - uh - I was sent by Ron."

Harry walks over to him, "Wait, what happened to Ron? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he is. He wanted to stay with his brother Charlie. His leg was badly injured, but he'll be okay. A lot of people have died, but none of our friends so far."

Harry nods and he's biting his lip, Hermione thinks it's probably to keep himself from asking a hundred more questions.

"Uh, Ron said you'd need me for something."

Harry nods and looks at Hermione. "You need to take Hermione back to the main group. Back to Ron."

"Wait, what? No. I'm going with you."

Neville steps back a few paces to give them space. Harry turns to face Hermione and is shaking his head sadly. "No, Hermione. You can't come with me."

"Not all the way, but just through the forest. As soon as we see him, I'll turn back. I won't watch."

Harry's face twists with anguish and she can tell he's trying to hold back tears. "Hermione, please. If you come with me, I won't be strong enough to leave you behind. Go with Neville."

"But - but, now I have to be the one to leave you? How is that fair?"

He gives her a small, pained smile and strokes her cheek. "You've always been the stronger one out of the two of us."

She throws her arms around his neck and the tears she'd been holding back suddenly start to fall. "You can't go alone, Harry."

She feels him reach into his pocket and pull something out. When she looks down, she sees a small, black stone in the palm of his hand. She recognizes the markings on top instantly. "Oh my God, you opened the snitch."

"Yeah. I figured it out. So, I'll have company. I won't be alone."

Hermione steps back and Harry takes the opportunity to pull his invisibility cloak out of his pocket and drape it over his shoulders.

"Master of Death," Hermione whispers. Then she adds, louder, "You see it, right Harry? The cloak, the stone, and you own the wand, even though you don't have it now."

He nods. "I thought it meant you couldn't die," he says distantly. "But I think it just means you're not afraid to. Dumbledore told me once death was just the next big adventure. What do you think?"

She hugs him again, wrapping her arms tightly around his invisible body. "What I think, is that you're the bravest person I've ever known," she whispers in his ear. "And I love you, I love you, I love you."

Harry places a hand behind her head and gently presses his lips against hers. "I love you, too," he breaths against her lips. "But you need to go now, before I lose my nerve."

Hermione nods and it takes every ounce of strength she possesses to let go of him and back away.

"Wish me luck," he says with a forced smile. Then he pulls the cloak over his head and disappears from view.

Hermione starts crying anew and turns back to Neville. He drapes an arm around her and starts to lead her back to the main path.

"Is he really going to give himself up?" Neville asks.

Hermione just nods in response. She notices after a few moments that they are heading for the Quidditch pitch. She stops just outside the entrance.

"I have to tell you something, Neville."

"What?"

"Harry's not going to die today." She needed to say the words out loud and see how they felt on her tongue. They feel right.

"He isn't? But then, what is You-Know-Who going to do to him, if not kill him?"

Hermione smiles and she wonders if Neville thinks she's gone a bit mad. "His plan is to kill Harry, but it's not going to work. Harry's going to live. I know it."

"You really believe that?"

"Yes." If I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to let him go, she adds in her head.

"I - okay Hermione," Neville is giving her a pitying look, but she doesn't care. She has to believe this. Her visions so far have all come true. Why couldn't it continue like that? "I mean, I know better than to argue with someone who's always right," Neville adds with a small smile.

Hermione gives him one last hug before continuing down the path, suddenly eager to see the others and help in any way she can.

December 1999 – Scottish Highlands

About an hour after Draco left her, the pressure in Ginny's mind suddenly released. She figured that was the signal that the battle had started. Voldemort was too distracted to keep trying to pound his way back into her mind.

Sure enough, a message appeared on the chess piece in Draco's neat writing: Battle has begun.

Ever since, Ginny's been trying to get into Voldemort'smind, but he's been doing a good job of keeping her out. She looks back at the chess piece, but no more messages have appeared. She doesn't know if that's a good or bad sign.

She had hoped one of her friends would have noticed that she wasn't there and come looking for her, but that didn't happen. They were all probably distracted.

Or, maybe they knew what Draco had done and approved. She could see that. Ginny sighs and goes back into her mind, then tries to traverse the tunnel connecting her mind to Voldemort's. This time, he lets her in.

She is shocked and it takes her a moment to take in his surroundings. He's in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest and is surrounded by about a dozen Death Eaters who are forming a half-circle around him.

"Ahh, Ginny. You'll want to see this," his cold voice echoes in his mind.

He turns his gaze toward the center of the circle and Ginny is horrified to see Harry there, completely alone. He is standing with his spine straight and chin up, but he's not holding a wand.

"Use your wand, Harry! What's going on?" Ginny says out loud. But only Voldemort can hear her. She feels the amusement flowing through him when he speaks to her again.

"Harry Potter has come to make a deal. His life, for the safety of his friends. Should I take it, Ginny?"

Ginny feels sick. What is Harry doing? Was the battle really going that poorly?

"No! Harry, no! Fight! You can win; fight Harry!" She is yelling, desperate to get the message to Harry, but it stops in Voldemort's mind.

She focuses on his thoughts. He is intrigued. Opening his mind to her was a test of some sort. He was suspicious of Harry, but she's made him feel better about making this deal. Ginny is so confused.

She wonders again what the hell Harry is doing. He was the one person she wasn't worried about dying today. Had he planned to do this the whole time? Is that why he was so sad this morning?

"Harry!" she yells again

But he still can't hear her. Her heart shatters at the thought of what Voldemort is about to do to him. She considers leaving his mind, so she won't have to watch, but something makes her stay.

As if in response to her thoughts, Voldemort says, "I'll let you watch me kill him, then you're gone."

He focuses back on Harry and points his wand at him. "I had a speech planned, but, well, I just want to get this over with. Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light hits Harry right in the chest. He falls back in a graceful arch, then his body crumples when it hits the ground. As soon as Harry's head collides with the earth, Ginny is overcome with an all-consuming pain. Before she can place it as Voldemort's or her own, she is shoved, violently, back into her own mind.

Ginny sits up quickly and finds herself on the bed, covered in sweat. "Harry!" she screams his name over and over again. But no one hears and one comes for her. It's all lost. Their king is dead, the war is done, and she's all alone.

December 1999 - Hogwarts

When Voldemort regains consciousness, he is annoyed to find himself on the ground. Bellatrix is crouching down next to him, whispering his name.

"Get away from me," he snaps, rising swiftly to his feet. He has no idea what happened, but doesn't want his followers to know that. He sneers at all of them and they back away, quickly. Except for Severus. He isn't watching Voldemort, but is looking at Potter, who is still on the ground in the same spot where he'd fallen.

Harry Potter.

Something had happened when Voldemort had hit him. He was overcome with pain almost as strong as when he'd first tried to kill the boy. But it was short-lived. He was back now, and the boy was dead. Or, he looked dead. Voldemort had seen the curse hit him. It hadn't rebounded this time.

He is about to walk over and examine the boy, but stops short. He's never quite understood the strange magic surrounding him. He turns to Severus, the only other person who wants Potter dead as much as he does. "Check him."

Severus nods and crouches next to Potter. His body is blocking the boy, so Voldemort can't see what he's doing. He rises after a short while. "He's dead, my Lord." The gleam of triumph in Severus's eyes is unmistakable.

Voldemort is overcome with glee. Dead. Finally. After nearly twenty years of trying to kill this insufferable wizard, he'd finally succeed. He knows exactly where he's going to take Harry Potter's body first.

A/N: I know I skipped the scene with Harry walking through the forest while talking to his loved ones. But I think JKR already did that perfectly and I didn't want to touch it. Also, I'm imagining he also had that special moment with Dumbledore at King's Cross when he lost consciousness. So yeah, I'm not going to cover that all again, you know where to go for details - I imagine it happened the same way it did in this story as it did in the original book. Thanks for being okay with me glossing over those parts.

The next chapter will be posted Sun, Apr-11 (my husband's birthday)!