Title: Three Mississippi

Author: Pale Orchid

Rating: PG

Summary: Hold my breath, close my eyes. Goodbye. **Hermione's POV**

Category: Romance/Angst

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters or anything even remotely Harry Potter related. I'm just a poor Aussie girl with too much time on her hands.

Archiving : Hit me a email and I'll give you permission.

Feedback: Ya know, it's all good, all the time. PaleOrchids@hotmail.com or press the little review button at the end of the page. Yep, that's the one. Go on, it won't bite. At least, not the first time. (

Authors Note: Three Mississippi by Terri Clarke. Got abso-friggen-lutely nothing to do with the story except that it gave me three lines.

Three Mississippi.

My feet hit the grass evenly, as I cross the grounds. I can't believe what I've just done or what I'm about to do. My wand is drawn and has been since I left the common room. And you.

Do you remember how in elementary school they would teach us how to count seconds? One mississippi, two mississippi? Something like that? Well for the first time in years, I used that tonight.

I wonder if you could see it. Could you see me counting? I guess I'll never know.

I was the only one left up when you finally come into the common room. Everyone else had left for the dorm rooms, but I had to stay up, to make sure that you were safe. You were downstairs helping Professor Dumbledore with some of the ward spells around the castle. I remember still being angry about the way you refused to let me come with you. You wouldn't even let me ask. You knew that I wanted to help, but you wouldn't let me. You told me to stay here and make sure that everyone was safe. Then you kissed me. Then you left.

Three hours later you came running back into the tower. You were so out of breath, but you managed to gasp out that Voldemort's Death Eaters had almost breeched the castle walls. You were going for your father's cloak. So that you could go into the thick of them and take down Voldemort. And you still refused to let me help.

I guess that's when I started counting.

One mississippi - I closed my eyes.

I knew what would happen if you went down there and followed through with your plan. You and the teachers would die trying and then that would leave Hogwarts undefended. Leaving all the students open to slaughter.

Two mississippi - I started to beg you to think of something else. To let me help. To use another plan, one that wouldn't have gotten you killed. To let me help, so that we'd both survive.

You were too stubborn though. You wouldn't let me help you. I loved you and yet here you were insisting that you died so that I could life. I didn't want that. I couldn't do that.

Three mississippi - You turned around and headed for you room. It was then I pulled my wand and immobilized you. You weren't expecting it. Before you hit the ground, I levitated you onto one of the chairs by the fire. Then I grabbed the invisibility cloak you had come up here to get, that I had taken from your room earlier and I left Gryffindor Tower for the last time.

Three mississippi - There's no looking back now. I've got the cloak on and I'm headed towards the castle wall. I know if I succeed, I'll be in the midst of a crowd of Death Eaters, who won't hesitate to kill me. I know that. And I won't change my mind. I'm going to do this.

My mind seems to be stuck on three mississippi. I can't count any higher.

I hope you forgive me Harry.

Hold my breath, close my eyes.

Goodbye.

End.