A/N: I'm back for good! And first off, I'd like to say that I. Hate. Writing. Fight. Scenes. Aghh! Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly have the last battle happen without battling but it's incredibly hard to write about a bunch of people casting spells at one another without getting repetitive. Grr. And I'm not too entirely fond of this chapter because it was a pain to write. But I hope you guys like it. And if you don't entirely understand the chapter title, don't worry, because it corresponds with the next chapter title.

Thank you ever so much to: Lightest'Ink, Leanora, Hartwi1, desirable69, .star, Lycoris Brightwater, Ceylon, XxX Fleur-Delacour XxX, BambixEyesx, potatocrazy4, Kahlan the Dream Spirit, Dozy Dora, and LauraFlowi for reviewing! I love you all! 230 reviews is the most amazing thing ever!

Chapter 21: However Long the Night

Neville handed them all their wands, a bright smile on his face. "They just thought I was one of them!" He said cheerily. "I didn't run, and they told me to find more of the intruders to put in the Meeting Room. So I came!"

"We have to find Harry and help him." Weasley said, standing straight and heading for the door with his shoulders back. Draco looked at Hermione, who had a similar expression on her face. Ron exited their prison and the others followed, Hermione close behind, but Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She gave a little squeak of protest but he ignored it as he pressed his lips to her's in a sudden desperation. She complied immediately and kissed him back, but pulled away all too soon, straightening her hair (not that it helped) and casting a look over her shoulder.

"Come on, Draco, now's not the time-"

He was compelled to spit the words from his mouth, to tell her the truth, because the final battle was here and at the end either he or she could be dead, and he kept having these horrible mental images of her lying on the ground, bloody, eyes wide and unseeing. He did not want to think of it but it was the dark truth, and if she died, if she died without him ever saying a thing, he would not be able to die happily, and it was horribly selfish but in all honesty he was a horribly selfish person. And another deeper, darker part of him wondered that maybe, just maybe if there was an afterlife, maybe if she died then he would meet her there – and he hated himself for even thinking it. "Hermione, I l-"

"Don't." Hermione said immediately, her voice harsh. "Don't you dare." She turned and refused to look at him as she swept out the door. The first thing he felt was a hurt that swept over him and filled his entire body, and then the hate, how could she do this to me, and then the understanding. He had done the very same to her.

He followed Hermione out the door and found two Death Eaters on the ground, Stunned. It did not surprise him that Neville had not made the leap from Stun to kill, but he did not take too much time to dwell on it as he chased after the rest who were rapidly disappearing down the hall.

Seamus and Dean had shed their Death Eaters' robes, and Hermione and Draco did the same. It made it incredibly easier to move and they flew down the hall in a flash, looking for any sign of the Boy-Who-Lived, looking for any sign of their allies.

"Watch out!" Hermione called from behind them, and they turned to see a Death Eater pointing his wand at them all. Five spells hit the Death Eater instantly; the man never stood a chance. They turned, only to be barreled into by two dark forms. Someone screamed and Draco was up in an instant, his wand pointing at their attackers-

But he let it fall as the Weasley twins, the Weaslette, and Luna removed their masks. They embraced Ron quickly, and Draco could see the absolute panic in the normally joyous twins' eyes. "He's on the roof." One, Draco could not tell which, said quickly. "Harry! He's on the roof! We heard a Death Eater shouting to get up there, come on!"

Draco dashed ahead of their small group and he was immediately followed. He swept up the staircase, his head pounding, the roof, of all the places, really? Their breaths were beginning to come in short gasps as they continued to stomp up the stairs, and then they broke out into the fresh air and the dark night and the cold. The roof of Azkaban was small and slippery from rain, and the wind was biting them all, making them shiver, and -

Hermione screamed. Ron shouted. Draco stared. Ginny sobbed.

He was dead. Potter was dead. It was over.

The Boy-Who-Lived was lying on the ground, glasses askew, eyes shut, and Draco knew it was over. They had lost. It had all been so fucking pointless. Every last one of them was going to die, and before that, they were going to know the meaning of pain.

The next thing his eyes found was Voldemort. A chill ran down his spine. You can't escape death. The Dark Lord's red eyes were surveying them all with cold triumph. Bellatrix was standing behind him, her black eyes lit with glee, and behind her were at least thirty Death Eaters. Seven against thirty? That wasn't exactly good chances.

Damn it all. They were going to die. He looked at Hermione, who was shedding tears for her fallen best friend. Her failure of a best friend. He had been their hope. And he had failed; failed them all.

"I hope you all like the feeling of pain, because you sure are going to get a good taste of it." Bellatrix cackled, stepping forward, her black wand raised. "Crucio!"

Draco stiffened, wondering who she had been aiming at –

A scream rent through the air, a horrible scream, a scream that ripped at his insides and made him want to scream and he turned – Hermione, no – she was hurting, she was in pain, he had to stop it, he had to save her, he couldn't fail, Bellatrix is hurting her, KILL HER – and he was flying, flying across the small roof, say it, kill her, and the rain was making his hair stick to his face, making it hard to see, making his face wet – no – and he lifted his wand –

And he was promptly sent flying backwards. Pain exploded across his torso, a horrible pain, he was on fire, and arms grabbed him before he could topple off the roof. He heard Voldemort's cold laugh and knew that it was he who had struck him. Hermione had stopped screaming and when vision returned he saw that Bellatrix had taken a step back, her eyes wild. "Dear Draco," his aunt spoke, "I didn't know you wanted to go first."

And then he was screaming, he was dying, and he flailed so much that arms were holding him down so he wouldn't make himself fall over the side of Azkaban, what a way to go, he thought absently, and someone was screaming, "Stop! Please stop!" but no one listened because the pain was still there, so solid, so horrible and he was going to die and he did not want to die –

Somewhere in the very back of his subconscious he realized that something was horribly wrong; he had been under the Cruciatus before by Voldemort's hand after his failure to kill Dumbledore, and it had never ripped his chest in half, it had affected his entire body, but he just knew that currently his entire chest was being shredded to pieces and sliced in half because that was the only logical explanation for the pain – oh, the pain, someone save me, someone do something, no one must love me because they aren't doing anything –

The pain stopped. He realized that he was curled on the cold stone, and he looked up, shocked to see the red eyes of Voldemort standing over him. Hermione was a few steps back, a Death Eater pinning her arms to her back, wand pressed against her throat - don't hurt her –

"Do you know how I punish traitors, Draco?" Voldemort's voice was soft, cold, and he had never been more afraid in his life because this was how he was going to die. "Goodbye."

Voldemort flicked his wand and in an instant he was sent flying over the side of the roof. Pure panic pounded in his chest and he saw Hermione, saw her eyes, wide with terror, saw her open her mouth and heard the scream of horror, and then he saw her no more, all he could see was the wall of Azkaban rushing by him and it was just like his dream, he was falling, he was going to smash into the ground but this time there was no waking up, this was how he was going to die. He saw the ground rushing up to embrace him and he closed his eyes, maybe that will lessen the pain –

And he promptly stopped. Was that it? Had the impact been so quick that he had not even felt it? Was he dead already? He cracked open an eye and was shocked by the sight that met him.

He was moving up, away from the ground, he had learned to fly, he surely must be the most powerful wizard that ever was – and then he looked up and was met by the cold face of Severus Snape, sitting firmly on a broom with his hand clenched around the back of Draco's shirt. It was then that he noticed that Snape was not the only one that had come – it seemed the entire Order was around them, some on brooms, some on Thestrals, each flying for the roof of Azkaban, their own personal little army.

Snape threw him back on the roof without so much as a 'you're welcome' and leaped into the battle that had apparently begun after Draco had been tossed off the roof like an old toy. Spells were flying everywhere and it was utter chaos. He saw Lupin battling with Rookwood and ducked as a spell came dangerously close to his ear, and Draco felt pure elation surge within him, they had a chance.

He suddenly was hoisted to his feet and Hermione was there, her face cheerful at their new chance, and then she left his side and leapt into the battle. After a moment of confusion, Draco followed suit, immediately engaging with a masked Death Eater.

The roof was total chaos. Draco was able to Stupefy the Death Eater off the roof and grimaced. He had not directly killed the Death Eater, but it did not help the twisting in his stomach. Spells were flying everywhere and there was a high chance that he would get indirectly hit by a missed Killing Curse. The risks were high and there was also the chance of getting blasted off the roof and smashing with the ground below. He had already had that scare and did not want to experience it again.

Fenrir Greyback appeared in front of him with a feral grin, eyeing his new prey. Blood was dripping from his open mouth and he shivered, wondering whose blood was decorating the werewolf's teeth. Fear coursed through him as the werewolf began to advance on him and he attempted to send a Stunning Curse at the Greyback, but he blocked it easily. They engaged in a duel, dodging and attacking and all the while Greyback was steadily creeping closer to him and he just knew what he was doing, but if he backed up he would eventually be against the edge and could easily be knocked off the roof.

His eyes caught sight of a brown blur of hair and his instincts told him to look and he obeyed. He saw Hermione engaged in battle with Dolohov and in that moment Greyback pounced.

The sheer weight of Greyback's body took him by surprise and he fell, connecting painfully with the ground. Panic overtook him as Greyback made a move towards his shoulder, his mouth open wide, and Draco kicked as hard as he could into the werewolf's chest. Greyback grunted and snarled as Draco rolled to the side and made a dash for his wand, which was lying not too far away, but the werewolf grabbed his ankle and heaved him back, Draco scrambling to find a hold in the wet stone. The rain had started to fall harder and it was blinding him and making it hard to get away from the werewolf that was attempting to get a nice bite of him. He rolled on his back and kicked his free foot in Greyback's face. The werewolf howled and released him, and he blindly leapt at his wand. He felt the wood in his hand before he could even see it, turned on his back and aimed at Greyback, who was in mid-leap towards him, and fired a spell that sent the werewolf's body flying backwards and over the edge of the roof with a howl of shock.

Duels were going on around him and he pushed himself to his feet, trying his best to ignore the thudding pain in his chest that was commanding him to stop, slow down, and to rest. He squinted through the rain and immediately saw Voldemort, his eyes wild, in a duel with Snape. He watched his former Potions Master in awe as he dueled in a flash of lights and intricate spells with the Dark Lord that he had once served.

And as he watched, Snape stumbled. Voldemort sent down a rain of spells on him and Snape had to use all of his power just to protect himself. The moment Snape became occupied a green light flashed in his black eyes and it was the last thing he saw as he fell back. Draco was too shocked to even feel sadness and before he could even register what had just happened a Death Eater attacked him. He tried to concentrate, tried to focus, but all he could think was who else is dead?

The rain drummed against his face and he was partially afraid of slipping. He heard a roar of rage tear through the darkness and, without thinking, he looked in the direction.

And there was Potter, standing over Ginny's still body, who was lying on the ground with red blood spilling from her face and around her halo of red hair, and he was very much alive, breathing, screaming, crying, and he saw the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice's pain and pure rage in his face, saw the hatred, saw the fury, and saw Voldemort's utter shock before it melted into a similar look of hate.

Everything stilled. No one breathed. They turned to watch. This was it. This was how it was going to end. This is the end.

Everyone knew the silent command. No one interferes. This was their fight; their fight to determine the outcome of the entire world. Draco was not watching, however, was not listening to Potter spew his hero's speech, he was searching the crowd for Hermione, looking for her face and wild hair to assure himself that she was alive. When he finally caught sight of her, alive, he let out a breath of relief and returned his attention to the decisive battle.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

The two spells collided in a blast of blinding light. Draco had to shut his eyes tightly to protect them and covered his eyes with his arm. There was a shout, a scream, and then silence. Draco cracked open his eyes and what he saw made his body fill with elation: Potter, standing, victorious, Voldemort, lying, dead.

There was a shriek of fury and all of a sudden Bellatrix was in the middle of the fray sending spells everywhere. All of the Death Eaters followed suit in an instant and Draco's grey eyes locked with his aunt's black ones and he didn't even have time to react, didn't have time to think before there was a loud crack, his chest exploded, Bellatrix laughed, and someone screamed.

And he just knew that she had scheduled his death a month early, and that was her going away present to him.

A/N: I didn't read over this chapter very much simply because this chapter annoyed the heck out of me. So sorry if there are a lot of mistakes! Only two more chapters to go!