"Avada kedavra," he croaked as Hermione pushed Harry out the way.
Draco stood transfixed in the doorway, staring at the scene in front of him. Harry was lying on the ground where Hermione had pushed him. Ron was propped up against the wall where he had fallen. Hermione lay where Voldemort's spell had hit her. She stirred, letting Harry and Ron know she was still alive. Harry crawled over to her and clasped her hand in his. Ron followed and rested her head on his legs.
"Malfoy, get Madam Pomfrey,' Harry said urgently. Draco didn't move. "Now Malfoy!" He ran from the doorway.
"Hermione?" Ron asked timidly.
"Hmmm?" she answered weakly.
"Oh God Hermione, I thought you were dead."
"Not yet Ron."
"Don't talk like that," scolded Harry.
"I've read enough books about dying to know when it's happening to me Harry."
"Is there anything we can do for you?" asked Ron.
"Well, now you mention it, Ron, I need you to make sure my books get back to the library on time, and Harry, you can hand in my assignments for me."
"There won't be any need for us to do those things, you'll be there."
"Don't count on it," winced Hermione.
"Hermione," started Ron. "If you ever dumped Harry, would you go with me?" He grinned at her.
"Of course I would Ron."
"So when are you going to dump Harry?"
"Ron, you know I'm not going to make it through this."
"No Hermione, don't talk like that. I love you, you can't die!" Ron jumped up, leaving Hermione's head to fall to the floor, and ran for the door.
"Ron!" she called after him, but he didn't stop. "Harry."
"Don't worry, he knows."
"I'll say hello to your parents for you," smiled.
"Hermione," he started seriously.
"Don't Harry, I don't want you to be sad."
"And I won't be as long as you know that I love you."
"I do know Harry. I love you too." She paused and gasped. "God it hurts."
"Promise me you won't die in the next seven minutes and I'll be right back."
"I promise." Harry leant over, kissed Hermione lightly on her forehead and left. Two seconds later, Draco skidded back into the room.
"They're coming, they're coming! Where is everybody?" he asked as he looked around.
"Harry went to look for you and Ron just left," Hermione whispered before having a coughing fit. She turned her head and blood dribbled out the corner of her mouth. "It's so cold."
"God Hermione, what can I do?" asked Draco as he knelt down next to her.
"Stop calling me God for a start." She smiled at the look on his face, but it was a sad smile. "And for seconds, you could warm me up." He held her close and wrapped his arms around his torso.
"Glad to see that even in your dying moments you manage to keep your sense of humour mudblood." He grinned at her to show that he was only joking.
"Glad to know you have a sense of humour, you evil death eater." She smiled back before her face scrunched up in pain.
"Hermione, I just want you to know ."
"Not you as well."
"Fine, I won't tell you that I'm sorry for everything I've said and don't to you since I've know you."
"Good, I'm glad." She stopped and closed her eyes as the pain intensified. "I think it's time to be coming up with a few last words."
"No, you can't, not without Harry here."
"You know what they say, death waits for no one, not even Harry Potter."
"Apparently it doesn't."
"Well, I guess this is it Malfoy," she said, her voice growing gradually quieter. "I'm kin of glad you're here."
"But I guessed I wasn't your first choice."
"You guessed correctly. But thank you. And goodbye." She closed her eyes.
"No Hermione, hang on, just a few more seconds." Her eyes flew open.
"Ha, fooled ya! But I never knew you cared."
"Maybe you should've been in Slytherin."
"Maybe. Guess we'll never know." She closed her eyes again just as Harry ran back into the room.
"Oh no, I'm too late."
"No you're not Potter, girl's just fooling," said Draco. "Hey, Hermione, loverboy's back." Only she didn't stir. "Come on Hermione, it's not funny this time." Harry knelt down and grabbed her wrist.
"Nothing, she's really gone."
"Oh God," said Draco as he visibly paled. "She can't be," he said defiantly. "She was just talking to me."
"No, she's really gone."
"I have to go," started Draco as he got up.
"I think Dumbledore will want to talk to you."
"I don't care, I have to get out of here." He ran out the door. Harry pulled Hermione's body towards him as the truth sank in and the first tears fell. They landed in her hair.
"I love you Hermione," Harry said and closed his eyes just as Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore arrived in the doorway.
"It would appear Poppy, that we are too late," stated Dumbledore. Harry planted a kiss on Hermione's head before laying her down and heading for the door.
"I think you'd best go to the hospital wing Mr Potter," said Madam Pomfrey as he passed her. Harry nodded in silent acknowledgement. He walked into Ron in the corridor outside the room. He saw the tears on Harry's cheeks and his face reddened as his eyes quickly filled. Harry hugged Ron and his body shook.
Draco stood transfixed in the doorway, staring at the scene in front of him. Harry was lying on the ground where Hermione had pushed him. Ron was propped up against the wall where he had fallen. Hermione lay where Voldemort's spell had hit her. She stirred, letting Harry and Ron know she was still alive. Harry crawled over to her and clasped her hand in his. Ron followed and rested her head on his legs.
"Malfoy, get Madam Pomfrey,' Harry said urgently. Draco didn't move. "Now Malfoy!" He ran from the doorway.
"Hermione?" Ron asked timidly.
"Hmmm?" she answered weakly.
"Oh God Hermione, I thought you were dead."
"Not yet Ron."
"Don't talk like that," scolded Harry.
"I've read enough books about dying to know when it's happening to me Harry."
"Is there anything we can do for you?" asked Ron.
"Well, now you mention it, Ron, I need you to make sure my books get back to the library on time, and Harry, you can hand in my assignments for me."
"There won't be any need for us to do those things, you'll be there."
"Don't count on it," winced Hermione.
"Hermione," started Ron. "If you ever dumped Harry, would you go with me?" He grinned at her.
"Of course I would Ron."
"So when are you going to dump Harry?"
"Ron, you know I'm not going to make it through this."
"No Hermione, don't talk like that. I love you, you can't die!" Ron jumped up, leaving Hermione's head to fall to the floor, and ran for the door.
"Ron!" she called after him, but he didn't stop. "Harry."
"Don't worry, he knows."
"I'll say hello to your parents for you," smiled.
"Hermione," he started seriously.
"Don't Harry, I don't want you to be sad."
"And I won't be as long as you know that I love you."
"I do know Harry. I love you too." She paused and gasped. "God it hurts."
"Promise me you won't die in the next seven minutes and I'll be right back."
"I promise." Harry leant over, kissed Hermione lightly on her forehead and left. Two seconds later, Draco skidded back into the room.
"They're coming, they're coming! Where is everybody?" he asked as he looked around.
"Harry went to look for you and Ron just left," Hermione whispered before having a coughing fit. She turned her head and blood dribbled out the corner of her mouth. "It's so cold."
"God Hermione, what can I do?" asked Draco as he knelt down next to her.
"Stop calling me God for a start." She smiled at the look on his face, but it was a sad smile. "And for seconds, you could warm me up." He held her close and wrapped his arms around his torso.
"Glad to see that even in your dying moments you manage to keep your sense of humour mudblood." He grinned at her to show that he was only joking.
"Glad to know you have a sense of humour, you evil death eater." She smiled back before her face scrunched up in pain.
"Hermione, I just want you to know ."
"Not you as well."
"Fine, I won't tell you that I'm sorry for everything I've said and don't to you since I've know you."
"Good, I'm glad." She stopped and closed her eyes as the pain intensified. "I think it's time to be coming up with a few last words."
"No, you can't, not without Harry here."
"You know what they say, death waits for no one, not even Harry Potter."
"Apparently it doesn't."
"Well, I guess this is it Malfoy," she said, her voice growing gradually quieter. "I'm kin of glad you're here."
"But I guessed I wasn't your first choice."
"You guessed correctly. But thank you. And goodbye." She closed her eyes.
"No Hermione, hang on, just a few more seconds." Her eyes flew open.
"Ha, fooled ya! But I never knew you cared."
"Maybe you should've been in Slytherin."
"Maybe. Guess we'll never know." She closed her eyes again just as Harry ran back into the room.
"Oh no, I'm too late."
"No you're not Potter, girl's just fooling," said Draco. "Hey, Hermione, loverboy's back." Only she didn't stir. "Come on Hermione, it's not funny this time." Harry knelt down and grabbed her wrist.
"Nothing, she's really gone."
"Oh God," said Draco as he visibly paled. "She can't be," he said defiantly. "She was just talking to me."
"No, she's really gone."
"I have to go," started Draco as he got up.
"I think Dumbledore will want to talk to you."
"I don't care, I have to get out of here." He ran out the door. Harry pulled Hermione's body towards him as the truth sank in and the first tears fell. They landed in her hair.
"I love you Hermione," Harry said and closed his eyes just as Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore arrived in the doorway.
"It would appear Poppy, that we are too late," stated Dumbledore. Harry planted a kiss on Hermione's head before laying her down and heading for the door.
"I think you'd best go to the hospital wing Mr Potter," said Madam Pomfrey as he passed her. Harry nodded in silent acknowledgement. He walked into Ron in the corridor outside the room. He saw the tears on Harry's cheeks and his face reddened as his eyes quickly filled. Harry hugged Ron and his body shook.