Giving Up Isn't an Option

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I only own the plot and characters that obviously don't belong to the books. 'Uncle Snape' is Slytherin Girl's idea and I have permission to use it,

Previously:

"The time has come, they have arrived" Neville walked into the room he had left Hermione in. "I told you that they would"

Hermione had finally woken up only minutes before, and was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest, her back against the wall, staring at the floor. She lifted her gaze to glare at him

"Asshole. How dare you do this?!?! I did nothing but helo you and this is how you repay me?" she growled

"But I'm not doing this to get back at you. No, I'm doing this to get back at them"

"Just go to hell"

"But I cant, I just left there and they wont let me back"

Hermione just scowled at him.

"Miss Granger, they are here to rescue you. Must say, they are smarter than I gave them credit for. Didn't think they would figure out where you were this fast"

"Why they're here is stupidity on their part Longbottom. Had they listened to me, and left me alone, they wouldn't be here right now. But no, wont listen to a Snape, they aren't trust worthy"

"Snape, eh?"

"Yes Snape, you bastard. Jesus, I thought that even you would know that"

"Hermione, how would I know if you don't tell me?"

"Because anyone with any fucking brains knows by now. Opps, forgot. Your lacking in that department aren't you" she shot back, sarcasm ringing in her every word.

"Hermione, when will you ever learn?" Neville walked over and kicked her in the stomach. No emotion showed. She didn't even flinch.

"Your going to have to do a lot worse then that to hurt me you sonofabitch"

"We'll see what I have to do" an evil grin passed over his face as he stared down at her, before bringing his gaze up to the door again. "I believe they are almost here. Lets see just how far they are willing to go to save you"

"Are you sure we're going the right way Malfoy?" Ron asked as they climbed a steep winding staircase. It seemed to go on forever, stone step after stone step falling behind them as they went ahead, but there was no end in sight.

"Yes, Weasley, I know we're going the right way" he said exasperatedly, about ready to strangle him. This had to be the hundredth time he had been asked and they still weren't letting up. The only ones that hadn't asked were Blaise and Justin, and Draco was thankful for that.

"Weasley, lay off him ok?" Justin said from where he was in the back

"Why should I? For all I know he's leading us into even more trouble"

"Because if you don't shut up in about 5 seconds, we are going to have a VERY bloody murder on our hands and it wont be Hermione's or her captors" Blaise stopped, turning to face Ron.

"That a threat Zambini?" Ron took a step closer to him

"Yes, I believe it would be. Now push me a little farther and it'll be what happens"

"You wouldn't"

"Try me. Its not like I haven't done it before. Only this time, I would be doing because I want to, not because I have too"

"For fuck sakes you guys! Shut up. I cant deal with you two right now. Grow up and act your age. I cant concentrate with you two yelling back and forth making stupid idiotic threats" Draco finally lost it on them, tired of the constant bickering.

Blaise and Ron glared at him but did as asked, not wanting to risk making him even more angry at the moment.

"Thank you, now come on, we're almost at the end"

A few minutes later they finally emerged from the staircase into a dark hall. It too was all stone. In fact, the more attention Draco paid, the more he noticed that everything was stone. It was pretty creepy. Not even Malfoy Manor was this bad.

They started down the hall, towards the elegant wooden doors at the end. That's where she was, he could feel the pull. The pull of all the love that was built up. All the pain. He could feel her.

Reaching the door he began to push it open…

Hermione looked up at the sound of the door opening. It could only be one thing. Neville was already there and as far as she knew, there was no one else present in the building.

Sure enough, she saw the platinum blond hair, the blazing red hair and jet black hair. This was it. It was time. So long had she tried to avoid it, yet knew that there was no way that she could.

"Mia?" Draco's eyes were immediately drawn to where she sat in the corner.

"Why?" she asked, not looking up.

"So…" Neville cut in, "You came to be the heroes yet again. I knew you would" His eyes danced manically.

"Longbottom?" Justin spit out, though his eyes were wide with surprise.

"What? Didn't think I could do something like this? Didn't think I would dare? Never thought that I would ever attempt to hurt one of the infamous 8?"

"No, I just never thought that you would be so stupid. Come on Longbottom, think about it. You'll get thrown into Azkaban for this, though, really, you'll be in better shape when you get out of there then you will be when you get out of here" Blaise's face remained serious, yet calm. There was no mistaking that he meant every word he said.

"I would like to see you try. I'm not the squib I was when we graduated from Hogwarts you know. I'm just as strong, if not stronger than you are" Neville shot back

"Come on Neville, what do you have against us anyway? We never did anything to you. All we did was help you for all those years. Sure maybe…"

"Don't, its not worth it Harry" Hermione said from her spot against the wall. Some time during the last 5 minutes she had gotten up from the corner and moved over to the wall next to the fire place, where she could see everything, but everything couldn't see her.

"It's all your own fault that you guys are in this mess" Neville stated.

"Our fault? How the hell is it our fault?" Ginny exclaimed

Neville just shook his head. "You really don't get it do you? After all those years of hiding in your guys shadows. All those years of just being a follower and an idiot. Nothing more in your eyes, or anyone else's"

"So what? You want us to go back and make it so that none of that ever happened? So that you can have the spotlight?" Draco growled, starting to approach Neville.

"No, never. I wouldn't have any satisfaction in that. I can be forever remembered if I get rid of even one of you"

"You never will Neville. Your outnumbered here" Padma snarled.

"Yes, in numbers, I am. But it is in numbers only. Not strength. Never in strength will you out number me. And I wouldn't come any closer if I were you Malfoy"

"Apparently you've never pissed off a Malfoy before Longbottom. Never truly" Blaise countered

"You would be right there, never have I before now. But from the look on your face, I would say that I definitely just did"

"No shit" Draco glared at him "You just REALLY pissed off a Malfoy, Longbottom"

"Jesus Christ people! God, what the hell is your guy's problem. Your all on a fucking power trip. Oh, lets prove who's stronger and who can kill who first because I'm so smart. Get over yourselves people!" Hermione's voice rose from the corner.

"Longbottom, you've seen a Snape pissed off before right?" Ginny asked

"Yeah, why?"

"Because your about to witness another one"

"Fuck this you guys" Hermione yelled, losing any cool, calm form that she had left. "Go to hell for all I care! I tried so fucking hard to keep this from happening! So fucking hard! But you guys had to come and save me, I knew that you would, but you come in here and all of you are acting like dumb asses. You have a fucking problem to sort out, get it out, but this stupid power trip is pointless!"

"What do you mean you tried to stop this from happening?" Neville's eyes narrowed, glaring at her. "How would you know"

"Just like I knew what the out come would be so many times. Just like I used to predict and tell you guys what I knew. But, I never did tell anyone what I could do. Never once mentioned it. I'm a psychic, for lack of a better term. I see what will happen, long before it happens. I know what'll happen the minute I finish saying this and the minute this entire thing is done. I know what the outcome will be"

Neville stood there for a moment, absolutely stunned. Then, stuttering, he said "A….a…a psychic? But I would've known!"

Hermione snorted. "Yeah, right. Not even any of these guys knew until a couple of hours ago Longbottom. How the hell would you know that I was?"

"I just would. I knew everything"

"No, your wrong there. Hermione knew everything Neville. Not you" Harry put in

Neville turned, his wand pointed at him. He muttered something under his breath and Harry went flying into a wall.

"Hey, what the hell?" Ron whipped out his wand and threw something at Neville, but he dodged.

"I told, I'm better than all of you" Neville's eyes were lit up with enthusiasm as he hit Ron with a hex. "Who's next?"

One-by-one, each of them went down. All that was left was Draco, Blaise and Hermione. Justin hadn't been hurt, but he had been assigned to make sure that the others were all ok.

"Face it. Never will you guys beat me"

"Longbottom, hell will freeze over before you ever beat us. We are three of the strongest in the wizarding world. Never will you be able to match the power that we hold within us. You forget something though too. We're bound by something that you don't have. Love. Friendship. We could kill you here and now, and you wouldn't be able to put a single scratch on any of us.

"You only semi-injured them because they were on their own. Fighting alone, you have nothing. Each and every one of us is some how linked. Give up while you have the chance" Blaise starred at Neville, waiting for the reaction.

"I would, but I don't give up. Not like each and every one of you did"

"We didn't give up. We didn't have a choice in the matter" Draco drawled lazily.

Neville didn't waste any more time. Anger just took over and he threw curse, after spell and curse at them, nothing working. Each was deflected off of them, as if the god's were protecting them.

"I told you Longbottom. You cant hurt us" Blaise glared at him.

"I can and I will" Neville focused all his energy and hurled one last curse straight at Hermione. Some how, though never did anyone but the one who did figure out how, the shield broke. It hit Hermione straight on, sending her flying, and knocked her out almost instantly.

Justin rushed over to her, his wand already out and his mouth already forming the words of the healing spell

Draco saw red. All calm left him as the anger consumed his body. "Don't you know that you should never hurt one that a Malfoy loves?"

Draco tackled Neville, forgetting about his wand. All he could think about was killing this sonofabitch that hurt his one love. No one hurt anyone a Malfoy cared about and got away with it, and this certainly wasn't an exception.

Finally he remember his wand and took it out. "Anything you want to say Longbottom?"

"nothing that will change anything" Neville spit out

"Your right" and with that Draco took one last look at him before muttering "A lei Porta la Morte" (A/N This means Unto you I Bring Death in Italian. If it's wrong, please tell me!!)

Neville's lifeless body fell to the floor. Draco stared at his, it sinking in that he had just killed someone, out of his own freewill.

"Draco………." Hermione whispered from behind him.

Draco turned to look at her. Her perfect features, perfect voice, just perfect. He walked towards her and pulled her up off the ground into a hug.

Never had a hug felt so good to her. Finally, she was where she belonged. She looked up into his eyes. They were full of happiness, with a hint of confusion when he looked into hers. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Mia, why are you crying?"

"I told you not to come. Told you just to leave me" Hermione whispered

"You know that I could never just leave you here. I could never live with myself. None of us could" Draco told her, still confused at why she wasn't happy.

"I told you to stay, to forget about me. If you had, none of this would never have happened. I love you with my whole heart Draco, you know that. I love each and ever one of you. But you should've stayed away" The tears had finally spilled over and were forming little streams down her cheeks.

"Mia, we never could've done that. Ever. We could not have let you suffer anymore that you already had"

"I know you couldn't. I've always known. But why couldn't you listen to me for once? Everything could've eventually gone back to normal and never again would we have to do this"

Draco eyes darkened as he started to figure out where this conversation was going.

"Draco, you know I love you and I know you love me, but I have to do this. I love more than anything to follow all the plans we made what seems like centuries ago. But I cant. We cant" she paused.

Those 10 seconds seemed to last an eternity to him. He just stood there, looking down at her, waiting for what she was going to say.

"Draco, I have to go. I have to leave this all behind now" tear after tear fell down her cheek.

She pulled back from him and looked around the room one last time. Looked into the eyes of each of her friends.

"Wait, Mia, take this" Blaise handed her the chain. "Never will we track you with it and never will we forget you Mia. But, as much as I don't want you to go, I somehow understand. Just remember Mia, you always have a home here. Never will we leave you behind. You're a sister to each and everyone of us"

"Thank you" Hermione managed to get out through her tears.

Draco watched as she walked out of his life one final time. Only this time, he knew that never again would he see her. Never again would he be graced with her presence.

Hermione glanced back one last time as she tried to stop the crying. She wished she hadn't though. The looks of sadness that she saw in all of them almost literally killed her. "Look where its not possible, just in case" she looked straight at Draco as she said this "I'm sorry"

And with that she fled from the room, from their lives and from life as she knew it.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! HOW COULD I?????

Ok, so how many of you hate me right now? I know, that's the ending that no one wanted right? It just fit so well with the story and them getting together was way to predictable! So, I changed it a little J Even though the change had ME crying while I was writing that chapter and I've had like 4 months to get used to the idea!

I have an epilogue done, I just need to fine tune it and it'll be out soon.

I really need feedback now!!!

I need to know what you guys all think of the Trilogy. It's kid of like my baby and I need to know if it was good or bad or what it was.

So please review! I'm begging!

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. All my personal thanks will be in the next chapter!

L&H Pure mudblood