Hey!! Here it is:
*Previously on Falling in Love:
Pansy's lifeless body fell to the ground.*
Back at Hogwarts, as Harry and the others left the hospital wing, he shouted, "Ouch!"
Dumbledore turned to look at him. "Harry? What?"
"My scar," he explained, closing his eyes and trying to find out what had just happened. "No..." he whispered. "Voldemort just..." His voice broke.
"What?" demanded Dumbledore.
"Voldemort just... killed Pansy..." finished Harry hopelessly. "I can't believe it."
"To her house at once!" cried Dumbledore. With a swish of his cloak, he'd started off to his destination.
Harry felt sick.
"Harry, mate," said Ron bracingly. "Come on. You need bed. It's too bad."
"No!" yelled Harry. He kicked the wall and ran off.
"Oh, no," said James. "I'll be back, guys. This has happened to me. I'll sort him out."
He ran after Harry.
Harry kept running, trying to run from his life and emotions, running faster still, ignoring James's calls after him, until he collapsed somewhere by the lake.
James had caught up with him.
"Harry, listen. Just calm down."
"Calm down?" Harry panted heavily. "Just shut the hell up, okay?"
James closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Harry, please. Voldemort killed the person I loved, too. We understand he's a bastard. Now face it like a man."
Harry let a tear fall. And another. He wiped them away and snapped, "I'm going to kill him. Watch me. Battle's on the night of the tenth? 10 o'clock? He won't be alive at 10:05."
"I'll help you do it," agreed James. "What's left of him won't be good enough for dogs. Not that he is now, anyways," he added to himself. "It's all right. Let's go."
Harry allowed himself to be dragged up by James.
There was a special cemetery for Voldemort's victims where Pansy was buried the next day. Harry met Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson, who told him he'd been a great boyfriend. (A/N: in the real books, they would probably be death eaters, but not here.) Harry saw his mother's grave as well. This was a depressing place, in all honesty.
No one slept on the night of the ninth except for Devon. On the tenth, they all received battle plans. Hermione would hide in the forest with Devon, whom Voldemort would be after. Draco would get to her as soon as he could, after he finished fighting.
Voldemort would, of course, try to get Harry first. Harry and James would be on the front attack line, trying to get him.
All of the other members of the Order, including Ron, would be fighting Death Eaters. Luna was staying inside with Dumbledore, overseeing the battle from above, as she was still pregnant.
At 9:30 that night, all of Dumbledore's side was stationed in the Great Hall, except for Hermione and Devon, who were in the forest, all alone and probably scared to death.
Draco, Harry, and Ron were the most nervous. Harry was going after Voldemort, and Draco and Ron had wives and a baby (or an unborn baby, in Ron's case) to come back to, so they couldn't die.
Draco was extremely white, whiter than his usual pale skin.
"Are you okay?" asked Harry.
"Me?" repeated Draco. "Of course! I'm about to die, and possibly my wife and kid, too! Why wouldn't I be okay?"
Harry nodded. "Sorry."
They sat in silence again.
A few minutes later, Harry said, "In case we don't see each other again, you've been a great friend to us and a great husband to Hermione. I've never seen her happier. And Ron, you were always my best friend and-"
"Oh, shut up. You're depressing me," said Draco, but all the same, he hugged Harry and Ron goodbye before they each left to their positions.
Harry and James met by the lake.
"Voldemort might just die of shock when he sees me, you know," joked James, trying to comfort himself more than anything else.
Harry smiled weakly. Nothing could be funny now.
All was silent when 10 o'clock fell. And suddenly, Death Eaters were everywhere.
"Harry, keep your attention over here," ordered James. "Voldemort could come any second!"
"Oh, I am here." Voldemort stepped out from behind a tree. "Wait! Who said that?" he asked.
"That would be me," said James. "We've met before, I believe?"
"How the hell? But- but-" Voldemort sputtered. "But you're dead! I killed you!" he finally spat, looking scared.
"No," corrected James. "I'm not and you didn't."
There were shrieks from nearby.
"Avada kedavra!" shouted Voldemort. James lazily deflected it. It hit someone nearby, identity unknown.
"And Harry Potter, also," said Voldemort. "We've met before."
"You're very observant today," said Harry.
"Well, like father, like son. I see. We'll play two against one, shall we?"
Harry surged with adrenaline. This guy deserved to be dead and nothing less. That was his only right.
Harry shrugged and pulled out his wand. He was too mad to be scared. In some distant part of his mind, he realized that this was probably the night that Trelawney's prediction would come true. Either he or Voldemort would die- or both.
And Voldemort began throwing random curses; most were Avada Kedavra. All Harry and James had time to do was deflect these.
They were so busy doing this that they could only shoot a few curses themselves.
Harry presently ducked a Killing Curse. It hit the beech tree behind him, which shriveled up, despite its size. Poor tree.
Harry thought of all the stuff Voldemort had done to him, every year of misery, and shouted the incantation to his first ever killing curse. James stopped to watch Harry. Voldemort paused the fighting, too- to laugh. His evil, cold, chilling laugh.
"Protego!" he smiled, deflecting Harry's spell. "You honestly think you can kill me?" he asked. "How hilarious. You don't possess enough hatred!"
But Harry hadn't heard any of his words. His own deflected Avada Kedavra had hit James, who lay on the ground, quite obviously dead now.
Voldemort followed Harry's gaze.
"Oops," he said. "Accident. They happen."
Trembling with rage, Harry turned back to Voldemort. "You killed my mum, dad, girlfriend, Lupin. Your Death Eaters killed Sirius. You live and thrive on killing. Anything else you'd like to do?" asked Harry dangerously.
"Just kill you," replied Voldemort. "And I'll be happy."
"You'll have to die with me, then," Harry said, not really paying attention to what his mouth was saying.
Voldemort thought this was hilarious too and laughed in that way of his again.
To see Voldemort laughing while James lay dead in front of them made more fury course through Harry.
And he didn't know what to do. It was absurd; he couldn't kill Voldemort.
And when all seemed hopeless, Harry heard a voice speak in Parseltongue by his feet. "Take this. Say 'Sorja' and the sword will get bigger."
Harry looked down to see a snake twisted around a sword attached to a silver chain. A live snake was slithering away. Who could that be?
Harry was grateful Voldemort hadn't heard the snake. He couldn't understand... Oh, Harry thought. Or maybe he can. I forgot he speaks Parseltongue.
"What was that?" asked Voldemort. "I mean, who?"
"Sorja," Harry whispered, ignoring Voldemort. He held a sword in his hand.
"Master," said a voice. It was Avery. "Are you done over there yet?"
Harry took the opportunity as Voldemort turned around.
"Stupefy," he whispered. Voldemort fell to the ground, Stunned. Harry quickly Stunned Avery, too.
He walked over to Voldemort and flipped him onto his back. "Never turn your back on your enemy," Harry said aloud. "Surely, you should have learned that by now." He laughed, more out of nerve than anything.
Breathing heavily, Harry took the sword, swung it high, and landed it straight into Voldemort's chest.
His blood spilled everywhere. His halfblood, so unlike the pureblood he always preached about.
Harry couldn't look. He ran to his father and fainted at his side.
* * * *
Severus and Narcissa were surrounded by a group of seven or eight Death Eaters. They were back to back, walking in a slow circle. One of the Death Eaters stepped forward and pulled off his hood.
"Snape," he said coldly. Severus nodded curtly.
"Macnair." He responded. The two men glared at each other in silence, measuring the other up. Narcissa stood in fearful shock, as did the other Death Eaters. Severus and Macnair both had their wands pointed at each other, and proceeded to walk in circles.
"We were sent to kill you as well as Potter and that Mudblood. Should prove to be entertaining," Macnair spat, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"Pity you won't be around for it," Severus drawled just as coldly. Macnair furrowed his brow in confusion as Severus raised his wand and muttered, "Exsanguis." A black light shone from Snape's wand and penetrated Macnair's chest. As he slumped to the ground, another Death Eater stepped forward. "Ah, Jugson. Hmm... Which spell..."
Jugson yelled, "Stupefy!"
Snape blocked it with a "Protego." Then, "You know, I'll just settle with Avada Kedavra!"
Jugson fell to the ground as well, and the rest of the Death Eaters, obviously enraged, came forward.
"Narcissa," Severus hissed, backing away and pulling her with him. "Do you know the Sopio Patronus hex?" Narcissa shook her head, backing away more quickly. "Well, it stuns your opponent. Much like Expecto Patronus, except this works on people. Can you do that?" Severus asked. They had their backs almost within reach of the Whomping Willow.
"I'll try." Narcissa whispered in an uneasy voice. She lifted her wand as Severus raised his, and she whispered with as much conviction as she could muster, "Sopio Patronum!" A silvery eagle sprang from her wand and charged at the Death Eaters. Along side it, she could see a raven. Smiling slightly, she stepped more closely to Severus. Having stunned all of the Death Eaters left, the two animals vanished.
Soon after, Draco came sprinting over. He had a gash on his cheek and his shirt was stained with blood.
"What- the hell- was that?" he panted, placing his hands on his knees and breathing deeply.
"Sopio Patronus. Quite a useful spell, although terribly underestimated," Severus said. Draco eyed him suspiciously, before turning to his mother.
"Are you all right?" he asked. Narcissa was smiling pleasantly, but her cheery mood vanished quickly. "Go to Hermione now... Hurry..."
"Hermione..." Draco trailed off, pausing slightly before running full-speed toward the towering trees.
* * * *
Snape flipped Jugson and Macnair over to check if they were dead- unmistakably.
He and Narcissa left to help someone else.
The ground was littered with bodies: some dead, some dying, some Stunned. After a quick surveillance, they concluded that the Dark Side was definitely losing.
When they reached the lake, they saw Voldemort, in all his power, dead on the ground, a sword through his chest, blood everywhere.
Narcissa gave a little shriek and clapped her hands to her mouth.
"Whoever did that needs congratulating," said Snape. "And it was one of the Potters."
Moving on, they found Harry and James lying in a heap.
"James!" screamed Narcissa. She ran to him. "Oh my god, Severus, I think he's dead!"
"They both look dead," whispered Snape. He found a place in his cold heart for them to feel truly sorry for their loss. He walked over to them just to make sure. James was dead. True, Snape had hated him, but he felt sad about it all the same. Now Harry, though, he had a pulse.
"Ennervate," spoke Snape. Harry's eyes fluttered open.
"I- killed- Voldemort," he whispered.
"I saw," replied Snape. "Good job."
Harry shook his head. "But he got my dad." He gestured to the body next to him. Narcissa took Harry in a hug. She burst into tears, and Harry let a few fall, also.
"Most unfortunate," Snape sighed.
They sat for five minutes in silence, save the crying.
"Let's go see if the others need help," suggested Snape finally. He gave Harry a hand and pulled him up.
Harry had a fleeting thought. This guy wasn't so bad when it came down to the end.
* * * *
Meanwhile, Lucius was searching the grounds for Hermione and Devon. When he didn't find them there, he entered the forest.
After half an hour of walking, Lucius spotted them- along with Draco- huddled together in hiding. Hermione still looked exhausted- from giving birth and from fear.
She spotted Lucius and froze. Lucius walked over.
"I'm not an unfair man," he said threateningly. "Draco, if you don't hand over the baby, Hermione dies."
"We can't give him Devon!" cried Hermione. "Draco! Do something!"
"Draco can do nothing," stated Lucius. "You won't give me the child?"
Draco couldn't answer.
Hermione shook her head furiously. "I won't!"
"All right then. You leave me no choice," Lucius said. "Avada Kedavra!"
But it was not Lucius who had uttered the curse. Lucius, at the moment, was dead.
Ron walked out of a clump of bushes.
"Ron!" shrieked Hermione. "What- I mean how- did you?"
"You didn't know," said Ron, "that I was hiding in here all along to keep a watch on you. Until Draco came."
Hermione held Devon, who was now crying, still tighter. "Shhh... It'll be all right." She kissed the baby and rocked him. "What was happening before you left?"
"I don't know," answered Draco. "James is dead. Killed by Voldemort."
"Ouch. Too bad," said Hermione. "And Harry?"
"Still alive when I left, but he was left to fight Voldemort all by himself."
"Poor guy," Hermione cried. "I hope he's all right."
"We better get going," suggested Ron. Devon had fallen asleep. "We'll go see what happened. It's likely over now, right?"
"You'll stay by the clearing, and we'll tell you," Draco told Hermione. "Let's go." He levitated his father's body, and they walked the half hour back.
"Stay here," said Draco when they were at the edge of the woods. "We'll be right back."
He returned five minutes later. "The Death Eaters are gone. We can go out."
"Thank God," she whispered.
They met Dumbledore by the oak front doors.
"You have Devon," he muttered. "Good, good. And, oh dear. Lucius. Yes, well, all for the better. Drop him, Draco. Let's go find the others."
No one was really walking around. Any survivors were stunned. Draco and Dumbledore sorted out the bodies to find the living. They soon found Snape, Harry, and Narcissa walking around doing so also.
"Harry!" cried Draco. "Did you use the sword?"
"Yes," replied Harry. "Dumbledore, I killed Voldemort."
"That's great!" exclaimed Hermione. Dumbledore had a huge smile on his face.
"But how did you know about the sword, Draco?" asked Harry. "Unless..."
"Yeah," confirmed Draco. "I'm a snake Animagus."
"No way!" cried Hermione.
"Really, Draco?" asked an interested Dumbledore. "How fascinating."
Draco nodded.
"Well, let's go find survivors," proposed Dumbledore.
"My dad... he died," murmured Harry. "Voldemort..."
Silence.
"Come on," ordered Dumbledore.
By dawn, damages were announced.
The dead on the Dark Side were Voldemort, Lucius, Dolohov, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Jugson, and Macnair. The rest had fleed when they heard of their master's death.
On the other side, deaths included James, Mr. Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, and Sturgis Podmore (A/N: yes, all of the Order fought, I just didn't depict it all.)
All of the dead, Death Eaters or not, were buried on August 11th. Members of the Light Side were mourned. Harry crossed the graveyard to read his father's tombstone with Narcissa:
Don't cry for me,
I am laughing.
Don't wait for me,
I am already waiting for you.
Don't lament my passing,
For I have flown to heaven on angel wings.
Harry turned and hugged Narcissa, both crying silently.
* * * *
People affected the most were Ron and Harry, as both their fathers had been killed. Narcissa did her fair bit of crying over her dead fiancée, and Mrs. Weasley over her husband.
The next week was spent in depression, to say the least. People were sobbing day and night.
Ginny, who still nursed a huge crush on Harry, took turns comforting him and her family, while crying over her dad herself. And so it came to be, in this time of sorrow, that Harry fell madly in love for the third time in his life- with Ginny.
On September 9th, Luna delivered her twins, as it turned out to be. That was surprising. Both were sandy-haired and blue-eyed. Both were adorably cute. But no one knew how that happened, because as Draco said, "With their gene line-up, they should be butt ugly." Talk about insults.
Hermione and Draco moved into Malfoy Manor. Narcissa lived there as well, but in a different wing of the mansion. The place was as big as Hogwarts; the couple didn't mind.
It came to be that ten months later, on July 20th, Harry and Ginny were wed after Ginny herself graduated. Exactly eleven months after that, on June 20th, their first child, a girl named Lily after her dead paternal grandmother was born. She had, naturally, black hair from Harry and blue eyes from Ginny. Two years after that, on Valentine's Day, Harry and Ginny were yet again blessed with a boy- James. Harry definitely seemed to have taken over their kids' names. James was a perfect copy of Harry. It seemed that all of Ginny's input in their children was Lily's eyes.
Two months after Lily was born, Hermione became pregnant. She delivered brown-haired and blue-eyed Diane on January 12th, three years after her graduation.
And by then, needless to say, Devon was turning out to be quite a hott little fellow. He marched around the house at his three foot some, stealing his father's wand and ruining things around the manor, acting like a normal three-year-old.
All three couples kept close contact with each other and visited quite often.
And, as Devon says, "Why do all stories end like that?" when his parents read him good-night tales, they all lived happily ever after.
(Wiping away a few tears) All right, that's it. I know y'all loved it... I enjoyed writing it sooooo much!!! My sequel's coming out... soon... when I get to typing... look for it under my name (iluvdraco4eva). And you heard the deal with that... Since I'm at writer's block, I'll type up what I have and then run a little contest. You all email me a chapter, I choose my fave and put it up. And the story will be a group effort. All you have to do is follow my requirements as to who ends up with who and so on. And also, look for my story about Lily and James, to be started soon. Because james is my new obsession. Sorry, Draco!! I just started that story, but I don't need help writing it... No sirree!! Well, refer this story to friends and keep checking for my new ones.. You've all been great reviewers and readers... Thanks a bunch!!
~ Marina (iluvdraco4eva)
*Previously on Falling in Love:
Pansy's lifeless body fell to the ground.*
Back at Hogwarts, as Harry and the others left the hospital wing, he shouted, "Ouch!"
Dumbledore turned to look at him. "Harry? What?"
"My scar," he explained, closing his eyes and trying to find out what had just happened. "No..." he whispered. "Voldemort just..." His voice broke.
"What?" demanded Dumbledore.
"Voldemort just... killed Pansy..." finished Harry hopelessly. "I can't believe it."
"To her house at once!" cried Dumbledore. With a swish of his cloak, he'd started off to his destination.
Harry felt sick.
"Harry, mate," said Ron bracingly. "Come on. You need bed. It's too bad."
"No!" yelled Harry. He kicked the wall and ran off.
"Oh, no," said James. "I'll be back, guys. This has happened to me. I'll sort him out."
He ran after Harry.
Harry kept running, trying to run from his life and emotions, running faster still, ignoring James's calls after him, until he collapsed somewhere by the lake.
James had caught up with him.
"Harry, listen. Just calm down."
"Calm down?" Harry panted heavily. "Just shut the hell up, okay?"
James closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Harry, please. Voldemort killed the person I loved, too. We understand he's a bastard. Now face it like a man."
Harry let a tear fall. And another. He wiped them away and snapped, "I'm going to kill him. Watch me. Battle's on the night of the tenth? 10 o'clock? He won't be alive at 10:05."
"I'll help you do it," agreed James. "What's left of him won't be good enough for dogs. Not that he is now, anyways," he added to himself. "It's all right. Let's go."
Harry allowed himself to be dragged up by James.
There was a special cemetery for Voldemort's victims where Pansy was buried the next day. Harry met Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson, who told him he'd been a great boyfriend. (A/N: in the real books, they would probably be death eaters, but not here.) Harry saw his mother's grave as well. This was a depressing place, in all honesty.
No one slept on the night of the ninth except for Devon. On the tenth, they all received battle plans. Hermione would hide in the forest with Devon, whom Voldemort would be after. Draco would get to her as soon as he could, after he finished fighting.
Voldemort would, of course, try to get Harry first. Harry and James would be on the front attack line, trying to get him.
All of the other members of the Order, including Ron, would be fighting Death Eaters. Luna was staying inside with Dumbledore, overseeing the battle from above, as she was still pregnant.
At 9:30 that night, all of Dumbledore's side was stationed in the Great Hall, except for Hermione and Devon, who were in the forest, all alone and probably scared to death.
Draco, Harry, and Ron were the most nervous. Harry was going after Voldemort, and Draco and Ron had wives and a baby (or an unborn baby, in Ron's case) to come back to, so they couldn't die.
Draco was extremely white, whiter than his usual pale skin.
"Are you okay?" asked Harry.
"Me?" repeated Draco. "Of course! I'm about to die, and possibly my wife and kid, too! Why wouldn't I be okay?"
Harry nodded. "Sorry."
They sat in silence again.
A few minutes later, Harry said, "In case we don't see each other again, you've been a great friend to us and a great husband to Hermione. I've never seen her happier. And Ron, you were always my best friend and-"
"Oh, shut up. You're depressing me," said Draco, but all the same, he hugged Harry and Ron goodbye before they each left to their positions.
Harry and James met by the lake.
"Voldemort might just die of shock when he sees me, you know," joked James, trying to comfort himself more than anything else.
Harry smiled weakly. Nothing could be funny now.
All was silent when 10 o'clock fell. And suddenly, Death Eaters were everywhere.
"Harry, keep your attention over here," ordered James. "Voldemort could come any second!"
"Oh, I am here." Voldemort stepped out from behind a tree. "Wait! Who said that?" he asked.
"That would be me," said James. "We've met before, I believe?"
"How the hell? But- but-" Voldemort sputtered. "But you're dead! I killed you!" he finally spat, looking scared.
"No," corrected James. "I'm not and you didn't."
There were shrieks from nearby.
"Avada kedavra!" shouted Voldemort. James lazily deflected it. It hit someone nearby, identity unknown.
"And Harry Potter, also," said Voldemort. "We've met before."
"You're very observant today," said Harry.
"Well, like father, like son. I see. We'll play two against one, shall we?"
Harry surged with adrenaline. This guy deserved to be dead and nothing less. That was his only right.
Harry shrugged and pulled out his wand. He was too mad to be scared. In some distant part of his mind, he realized that this was probably the night that Trelawney's prediction would come true. Either he or Voldemort would die- or both.
And Voldemort began throwing random curses; most were Avada Kedavra. All Harry and James had time to do was deflect these.
They were so busy doing this that they could only shoot a few curses themselves.
Harry presently ducked a Killing Curse. It hit the beech tree behind him, which shriveled up, despite its size. Poor tree.
Harry thought of all the stuff Voldemort had done to him, every year of misery, and shouted the incantation to his first ever killing curse. James stopped to watch Harry. Voldemort paused the fighting, too- to laugh. His evil, cold, chilling laugh.
"Protego!" he smiled, deflecting Harry's spell. "You honestly think you can kill me?" he asked. "How hilarious. You don't possess enough hatred!"
But Harry hadn't heard any of his words. His own deflected Avada Kedavra had hit James, who lay on the ground, quite obviously dead now.
Voldemort followed Harry's gaze.
"Oops," he said. "Accident. They happen."
Trembling with rage, Harry turned back to Voldemort. "You killed my mum, dad, girlfriend, Lupin. Your Death Eaters killed Sirius. You live and thrive on killing. Anything else you'd like to do?" asked Harry dangerously.
"Just kill you," replied Voldemort. "And I'll be happy."
"You'll have to die with me, then," Harry said, not really paying attention to what his mouth was saying.
Voldemort thought this was hilarious too and laughed in that way of his again.
To see Voldemort laughing while James lay dead in front of them made more fury course through Harry.
And he didn't know what to do. It was absurd; he couldn't kill Voldemort.
And when all seemed hopeless, Harry heard a voice speak in Parseltongue by his feet. "Take this. Say 'Sorja' and the sword will get bigger."
Harry looked down to see a snake twisted around a sword attached to a silver chain. A live snake was slithering away. Who could that be?
Harry was grateful Voldemort hadn't heard the snake. He couldn't understand... Oh, Harry thought. Or maybe he can. I forgot he speaks Parseltongue.
"What was that?" asked Voldemort. "I mean, who?"
"Sorja," Harry whispered, ignoring Voldemort. He held a sword in his hand.
"Master," said a voice. It was Avery. "Are you done over there yet?"
Harry took the opportunity as Voldemort turned around.
"Stupefy," he whispered. Voldemort fell to the ground, Stunned. Harry quickly Stunned Avery, too.
He walked over to Voldemort and flipped him onto his back. "Never turn your back on your enemy," Harry said aloud. "Surely, you should have learned that by now." He laughed, more out of nerve than anything.
Breathing heavily, Harry took the sword, swung it high, and landed it straight into Voldemort's chest.
His blood spilled everywhere. His halfblood, so unlike the pureblood he always preached about.
Harry couldn't look. He ran to his father and fainted at his side.
* * * *
Severus and Narcissa were surrounded by a group of seven or eight Death Eaters. They were back to back, walking in a slow circle. One of the Death Eaters stepped forward and pulled off his hood.
"Snape," he said coldly. Severus nodded curtly.
"Macnair." He responded. The two men glared at each other in silence, measuring the other up. Narcissa stood in fearful shock, as did the other Death Eaters. Severus and Macnair both had their wands pointed at each other, and proceeded to walk in circles.
"We were sent to kill you as well as Potter and that Mudblood. Should prove to be entertaining," Macnair spat, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"Pity you won't be around for it," Severus drawled just as coldly. Macnair furrowed his brow in confusion as Severus raised his wand and muttered, "Exsanguis." A black light shone from Snape's wand and penetrated Macnair's chest. As he slumped to the ground, another Death Eater stepped forward. "Ah, Jugson. Hmm... Which spell..."
Jugson yelled, "Stupefy!"
Snape blocked it with a "Protego." Then, "You know, I'll just settle with Avada Kedavra!"
Jugson fell to the ground as well, and the rest of the Death Eaters, obviously enraged, came forward.
"Narcissa," Severus hissed, backing away and pulling her with him. "Do you know the Sopio Patronus hex?" Narcissa shook her head, backing away more quickly. "Well, it stuns your opponent. Much like Expecto Patronus, except this works on people. Can you do that?" Severus asked. They had their backs almost within reach of the Whomping Willow.
"I'll try." Narcissa whispered in an uneasy voice. She lifted her wand as Severus raised his, and she whispered with as much conviction as she could muster, "Sopio Patronum!" A silvery eagle sprang from her wand and charged at the Death Eaters. Along side it, she could see a raven. Smiling slightly, she stepped more closely to Severus. Having stunned all of the Death Eaters left, the two animals vanished.
Soon after, Draco came sprinting over. He had a gash on his cheek and his shirt was stained with blood.
"What- the hell- was that?" he panted, placing his hands on his knees and breathing deeply.
"Sopio Patronus. Quite a useful spell, although terribly underestimated," Severus said. Draco eyed him suspiciously, before turning to his mother.
"Are you all right?" he asked. Narcissa was smiling pleasantly, but her cheery mood vanished quickly. "Go to Hermione now... Hurry..."
"Hermione..." Draco trailed off, pausing slightly before running full-speed toward the towering trees.
* * * *
Snape flipped Jugson and Macnair over to check if they were dead- unmistakably.
He and Narcissa left to help someone else.
The ground was littered with bodies: some dead, some dying, some Stunned. After a quick surveillance, they concluded that the Dark Side was definitely losing.
When they reached the lake, they saw Voldemort, in all his power, dead on the ground, a sword through his chest, blood everywhere.
Narcissa gave a little shriek and clapped her hands to her mouth.
"Whoever did that needs congratulating," said Snape. "And it was one of the Potters."
Moving on, they found Harry and James lying in a heap.
"James!" screamed Narcissa. She ran to him. "Oh my god, Severus, I think he's dead!"
"They both look dead," whispered Snape. He found a place in his cold heart for them to feel truly sorry for their loss. He walked over to them just to make sure. James was dead. True, Snape had hated him, but he felt sad about it all the same. Now Harry, though, he had a pulse.
"Ennervate," spoke Snape. Harry's eyes fluttered open.
"I- killed- Voldemort," he whispered.
"I saw," replied Snape. "Good job."
Harry shook his head. "But he got my dad." He gestured to the body next to him. Narcissa took Harry in a hug. She burst into tears, and Harry let a few fall, also.
"Most unfortunate," Snape sighed.
They sat for five minutes in silence, save the crying.
"Let's go see if the others need help," suggested Snape finally. He gave Harry a hand and pulled him up.
Harry had a fleeting thought. This guy wasn't so bad when it came down to the end.
* * * *
Meanwhile, Lucius was searching the grounds for Hermione and Devon. When he didn't find them there, he entered the forest.
After half an hour of walking, Lucius spotted them- along with Draco- huddled together in hiding. Hermione still looked exhausted- from giving birth and from fear.
She spotted Lucius and froze. Lucius walked over.
"I'm not an unfair man," he said threateningly. "Draco, if you don't hand over the baby, Hermione dies."
"We can't give him Devon!" cried Hermione. "Draco! Do something!"
"Draco can do nothing," stated Lucius. "You won't give me the child?"
Draco couldn't answer.
Hermione shook her head furiously. "I won't!"
"All right then. You leave me no choice," Lucius said. "Avada Kedavra!"
But it was not Lucius who had uttered the curse. Lucius, at the moment, was dead.
Ron walked out of a clump of bushes.
"Ron!" shrieked Hermione. "What- I mean how- did you?"
"You didn't know," said Ron, "that I was hiding in here all along to keep a watch on you. Until Draco came."
Hermione held Devon, who was now crying, still tighter. "Shhh... It'll be all right." She kissed the baby and rocked him. "What was happening before you left?"
"I don't know," answered Draco. "James is dead. Killed by Voldemort."
"Ouch. Too bad," said Hermione. "And Harry?"
"Still alive when I left, but he was left to fight Voldemort all by himself."
"Poor guy," Hermione cried. "I hope he's all right."
"We better get going," suggested Ron. Devon had fallen asleep. "We'll go see what happened. It's likely over now, right?"
"You'll stay by the clearing, and we'll tell you," Draco told Hermione. "Let's go." He levitated his father's body, and they walked the half hour back.
"Stay here," said Draco when they were at the edge of the woods. "We'll be right back."
He returned five minutes later. "The Death Eaters are gone. We can go out."
"Thank God," she whispered.
They met Dumbledore by the oak front doors.
"You have Devon," he muttered. "Good, good. And, oh dear. Lucius. Yes, well, all for the better. Drop him, Draco. Let's go find the others."
No one was really walking around. Any survivors were stunned. Draco and Dumbledore sorted out the bodies to find the living. They soon found Snape, Harry, and Narcissa walking around doing so also.
"Harry!" cried Draco. "Did you use the sword?"
"Yes," replied Harry. "Dumbledore, I killed Voldemort."
"That's great!" exclaimed Hermione. Dumbledore had a huge smile on his face.
"But how did you know about the sword, Draco?" asked Harry. "Unless..."
"Yeah," confirmed Draco. "I'm a snake Animagus."
"No way!" cried Hermione.
"Really, Draco?" asked an interested Dumbledore. "How fascinating."
Draco nodded.
"Well, let's go find survivors," proposed Dumbledore.
"My dad... he died," murmured Harry. "Voldemort..."
Silence.
"Come on," ordered Dumbledore.
By dawn, damages were announced.
The dead on the Dark Side were Voldemort, Lucius, Dolohov, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Jugson, and Macnair. The rest had fleed when they heard of their master's death.
On the other side, deaths included James, Mr. Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, and Sturgis Podmore (A/N: yes, all of the Order fought, I just didn't depict it all.)
All of the dead, Death Eaters or not, were buried on August 11th. Members of the Light Side were mourned. Harry crossed the graveyard to read his father's tombstone with Narcissa:
Don't cry for me,
I am laughing.
Don't wait for me,
I am already waiting for you.
Don't lament my passing,
For I have flown to heaven on angel wings.
Harry turned and hugged Narcissa, both crying silently.
* * * *
People affected the most were Ron and Harry, as both their fathers had been killed. Narcissa did her fair bit of crying over her dead fiancée, and Mrs. Weasley over her husband.
The next week was spent in depression, to say the least. People were sobbing day and night.
Ginny, who still nursed a huge crush on Harry, took turns comforting him and her family, while crying over her dad herself. And so it came to be, in this time of sorrow, that Harry fell madly in love for the third time in his life- with Ginny.
On September 9th, Luna delivered her twins, as it turned out to be. That was surprising. Both were sandy-haired and blue-eyed. Both were adorably cute. But no one knew how that happened, because as Draco said, "With their gene line-up, they should be butt ugly." Talk about insults.
Hermione and Draco moved into Malfoy Manor. Narcissa lived there as well, but in a different wing of the mansion. The place was as big as Hogwarts; the couple didn't mind.
It came to be that ten months later, on July 20th, Harry and Ginny were wed after Ginny herself graduated. Exactly eleven months after that, on June 20th, their first child, a girl named Lily after her dead paternal grandmother was born. She had, naturally, black hair from Harry and blue eyes from Ginny. Two years after that, on Valentine's Day, Harry and Ginny were yet again blessed with a boy- James. Harry definitely seemed to have taken over their kids' names. James was a perfect copy of Harry. It seemed that all of Ginny's input in their children was Lily's eyes.
Two months after Lily was born, Hermione became pregnant. She delivered brown-haired and blue-eyed Diane on January 12th, three years after her graduation.
And by then, needless to say, Devon was turning out to be quite a hott little fellow. He marched around the house at his three foot some, stealing his father's wand and ruining things around the manor, acting like a normal three-year-old.
All three couples kept close contact with each other and visited quite often.
And, as Devon says, "Why do all stories end like that?" when his parents read him good-night tales, they all lived happily ever after.
(Wiping away a few tears) All right, that's it. I know y'all loved it... I enjoyed writing it sooooo much!!! My sequel's coming out... soon... when I get to typing... look for it under my name (iluvdraco4eva). And you heard the deal with that... Since I'm at writer's block, I'll type up what I have and then run a little contest. You all email me a chapter, I choose my fave and put it up. And the story will be a group effort. All you have to do is follow my requirements as to who ends up with who and so on. And also, look for my story about Lily and James, to be started soon. Because james is my new obsession. Sorry, Draco!! I just started that story, but I don't need help writing it... No sirree!! Well, refer this story to friends and keep checking for my new ones.. You've all been great reviewers and readers... Thanks a bunch!!
~ Marina (iluvdraco4eva)