Disclaimer: The song Hermione is singing in this chapter is Songbird. I found it on the Love Actually Soundtrack sung by Eva Cassidy. If you've never heard it I highly recommend it because it is a beautiful song.

A/N: Haven't done this in a while. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful reviews. Keep them coming. They are appreciated more than I can say. Have a great Thanksgiving to everyone who reads this before Thursday.

Chapter 15 - The Sacrifice

The room was cold and dark and she didn't know how long she'd been in it, but with each passing moment, Hermione grew more and more hopeless.

She lay on the cold floor singing to herself. "For you, there'll be no crying. For you, the sun will be shining, cause I feel that when I'm with you. It's all right. I know it's right. And the songbirds keep singing like they know the score and I love you, I love you, I love you. Like never before. To you, I would give the world. To you, I'd never be cold. Cause I feel that when I'm with you, it's all right. I know it's right. And the songbirds, keep singing like they know the score, and I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before. Like never before, like never before."

"That was pretty," said a voice in the darkness.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked toward the voice. It was the same man who had taken her from the room before.

"Who is he?" He asked.

Hermione glared up at her captor. "Go to hell."

"You're too pretty for a mouth like that."

Hermione pulled herself up so she was standing at her full height. "Let me go."

He smiled at her. "That's not going to happen. But it's very polite of you to ask so nicely."

"Do you work for Voldemort? Are you a..." Hermione never finished her sentence. Without warning the man stepped forward and backhanded her across her cheek. She fell backwards hitting the wall and bringing her hands up in a defensive gesture.

"Don't you ever say that name again," said the man savagely, grabbing hold of the front of robes. He pulled her from the room and she stumbled.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked trying to control the fright in her voice.

"That's not anything you should be concerned about. If your friends don't try anything stupid, you'll be home by morning."

"Why? What's happening?"

"What? Not grateful to be going home?"

"Vol... Umm... He won't just let me go. There's no point in you even lying about it."

"Look girl..."

"My name's Hermione," interrupted Hermione.

"Charmed, I'm sure," he said sarcastically. "Hermione, I've been paid a great deal of money to deliver you to Godric's Hollow at midnight. I don't care who hired me, what happens to you, or anything else. I only care about my money."

"Godric's Hollow? Why are we going there?"

"Don't know, don't care."

"What's your name?" Asked Hermione.

He smiled at her charmingly. "Just call me John Doe."

"Does it bother you that you've made a deal with the devil, John?"

"Not in the slightest, Hermione."

"Please don't do this," said Hermione quietly.

"You look like a nice kid, really you do, but it's a done deal. Here, put this on," he said throwing a scarf and hat at her. "It's freezing out there."

Hermione took the items. "Thank you."

"Let's get going," he said grabbing her by her forearm and dragging her up and out of the house.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Professor, don't you think you ought to take the potion yet," asked Ron.

"No, it's too soon. Besides, we're pretty well hidden. No one will be able to see us until we want them too." Remus rubbed his hands together vigorously. "It's getting cold early this year."

"Yeah," agreed Ron.

"Listen, Ron," said Remus after a while. "That port key is set to go off exactly fifteen minutes after midnight. No matter what happens, don't let go of it. Hopefully, we'll be able to get Hermione by then, but even if we don't..."

"I know," interrupted Ron. "Don't let go. I know the plan, sir."

"Right," said Remus. "If the worst happens, I have another port key scheduled for about the time I will transform back into myself."

"Did you here that?" Whispered Ron turning around.

"It's ok," assured Remus. "It's time." He pulled the small vial from his front pocket, uncorked it and drank its contents with one shot.

Ron watched as Remus began changing into his best friend. "It's a lovely experience, isn't it," said Ron sarcastically.

"I'd take it over my monthly transformations any day," said Remus. "Come on."

Ron and Remus stepped out into an open field and waited. Almost immediately they were surrounded on all sides.

"I never thought you'd come, Mr. Potter," said a cold snake-like voice and Ron suppressed a shudder.

"Hello Voldemort," said Remus/Harry stepping forward. "Where's Hermione."

"In due time," smiled Voldemort stepping forward.

"I'm not going to play games with you. Where is she?"

"But I like games. They are so fun." Voldemort turned his attention to Ron. "Your friend here is awfully quiet."

"Leave him out of this," said Remus threateningly. "They have nothing to do with this."

"Oh, but that's where you're mistaken. If it weren't for the mudblood and the blood traitor here, you'd have been mine a long time ago."

Remus laughed derisively. "Look who you're calling a mudblood. Now isn't that the pot calling the kettle black."

Voldemort stepped even closer. "Bring the girl."

Ron and Remus looked to their left where Hermione appeared and was pushed into the circle. Ron took a step toward her. "Hermione."

"Crucio," cried Voldemort pointing his wand at Ron, who dropped like a stone. Hermione ran to him, dropping to her knees. Ron cried out against the pain.

The Death Eaters laughed all around them and Remus pulled out his wand. Before he could utter a spell, four Death Eaters were on top of him. One managed to remove his wand and the others held him tightly.

"Stop it," screamed Hermione and Voldemort lifted the spell.

Ron rolled onto his back panting. His face was deathly pale and he had broken out into a cold sweat. Hermione took one of his hands in both of hers.

"Hermione," said Voldemort in an obscenely kind voice. "May I call you Hermione."

Hermione stared up at the face that had haunted her over the last several weeks and her eyes glowed with hatred.

"It's just that I feel as if I already know you. After all, we have shared so many intimate moments."

Hermione felt a chill and Voldemort spoke again, only this time his mouth wasn't moving.

"We had such special times."

Hermione let go of Ron's hand and brought her hands up to her ears, trying to drown out the sound of his voice.

Voldemort reached out one hand and stroked her cheek with a thin finger. Ron pushed himself up and slapped the hand away. "Take your hands off her," he said painfully.

"Perhaps another dose of pain will teach you some manners, Mr. Weasley," said Voldemort raising his wand.

"Leave them alone," shouted Remus, trying to refocus Voldemort's attention back on himself. "It's me you want and me you have so let them go."

Voldemort took hold of Hermione and dragged her forward away from Ron, and Remus nearly screamed in frustration. They were running out of time and he had to make sure Ron and Hermione were together when the portkey went off.

"What if I told you, Harry, that I didn't want you anymore. That I have everything I could ever want right here."

Hermione brought her hands up to her head again, trying to ward off the painful assault. She was trying, desperately, to refocus and remember all that Snape had said, but being in such physical proximity with her attacker made it too difficult.

"I'd call you a liar," spat Remus.

"What is it about the mudblood women in your life, Potter. Do you know that even now, barely able to stand against the pain, she's willing to die for you. Just like your mother."

"If you let her go now, I'll stay, freely," bargained Remus.

Voldemort laughed. "And why should I make a deal with you, I already have you all and there's nothing you can do about it. The only real question left is who should die first? Part of me feels I should start with the mudblood. Put her out of her misery. But she has been such a good companion these last weeks. I almost hate to part with her."

Hermione could no longer take the pain and her knees buckled. Voldemort let her go and she crumbled at his feet. "Then again," said Voldemort raising his wand, "she is such a weak little thing."

Hermione raised her head a few inches off the ground and reached a hand out to Remus. "I love you," she whispered.

The perfection of his moment of triumph was almost too much for him to stand, and he couldn't resist prolonging it a little more. "How touching. Let it not be said," said Voldemort addressing the crowd. "That Lord Voldemort has no heart. Release Harry, so he can say goodbye to his sweetheart."

The Death Eater's holding Remus, let him go and pushed him toward Hermione. He knelt down by her side and she brought her arms around his neck.

"Hang on, Hermione," he whispered. "It'll all be over soon."

"I'm not afraid," she said quietly. "I'll always love you."

Remus reached out and brushed the hair from her face. "Take care of him," he whispered into her ear.

Hermione looked up at him with confusion in her eyes and then strong hands were on him pulling him away. For the second time, Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Hermione.

"No," roared Ron and he threw himself over Hermione, forcing the port key he had been holding into her hand as well. Voldemort expression went from bemused to horrified in a flash as Ron and Hermione disappeared with barely a sound and he howled into the night air in complete and total defeat.