WARNING: There is a need for tissues in this chapter.
Don't say I didn't warn you... because it says it right up there in all caps...

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Brightness of a Beloved Eye
Chapter 11: Death

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With that said, he lifted his wand to Draco, the words of a horrible curse on his tongue. Nearly finished with the enchantment, Hermione jumped in front of Draco.

Draco could hear a scream and he realized, only later, that it was him who had screamed, for Hermione.

Voldemort cackled as he finished the spell and it hit Hermione directly. She immediately began coughing and soon blood came up from her mouth.

"She'll continue coughing and bleeding until she's emptied everything of her internal organs. They've all combined and turned into one bloody mass and it won't stop until her heart finally comes up out of her throat. And there's nothing you can do to stop it!"

Voldemort cackled once again, happy with his curse, although it failed to hit its intended target. Seeing one of the Golden Trio go down was as pleasurable as killing the traitor.

Harry and Dumbledore took advantage of this distraction and took the pleasure in hitting Voldemort with the killing curse and the curse Hermione and Draco had invented to get rid of Voldemort for good, forever.

Voldemort's body fell and his spirit flowed out, dispersing and dismissing into nothing, a hollow scream following and fading into darkness.

Everyone stopped fighting and looked upon Harry and Voldemort. But Harry could care less that he'd won. Hermione was in Draco's arms, telling him something in a whisper while coughing up more and more blood.

"Remember how you didn't know who I was when you woke up in the hospital wing in the beginning of sixth year?"

Draco nodded, afraid that if he spoke, his voice would turn out timid, scared, shaky.

"You were in there because I placed a memory charm on you. Give me my wand."

Harry wordlessly handed it to her, sparing a glance at Draco, who looked scared to death.

Hermione muttered a few words too soft to hear and it was like a door opened to a flood of memories for Draco. He remembered meeting Hermione on the train, calling her a mudblood, her slapping him, him being jealous of how she looked at the Yule ball, and them getting into an argument before she memory charmed him.

"You…Granger…"

"Harry, take me."

Harry took Hermione from Draco's arms without protest.

"I took off the memory charm. I looked it up and this one had a counter charm. I memorized it, in case I ever needed it."

Draco was looking at her in shock and anger.

"I thought you might be angry. I'm sorry, Draco. I could never know that I would fall in love with you after that memory charm."

Draco looked at her, emotionless. And then, it seemed as though he'd come to a realization and he took her from Harry's arms.

"Go get Pomfrey, Potter, she's dying here."

Draco ordered Harry to go and he was reluctant, but he went off in a mad dash through the still fighting crowd.

"Hermione… I-I… I should be the one saying sorry. I'm so so sorry for all those things I've ever done to you. That memory charm was the best thing to ever happen to me. It brought me everything I never knew. It brought me to you. It brought me love. I love you, Hermione. You taught me love. I love you, so so much. Oh Merlin, you can't die. Not yet! We've only just begun. And the war's over. We've won. You can't leave me now. You can't."

Draco was horrified to see tears drip onto Hermione's face. Her eyes were wet and she was crying as well. She gave another shuddering cough and spilled more blood from her mouth.

"Oh, Draco. I'll always be with you. I'll always be here."

She placed her hand over his heart and smiled at him.

"How can you smile when you're dying? How?"

She smiled at him gently and spoke while coughing more and more.

"Shh… shh… be still, be calm. I'm only dying. I'll see you again when we've both passed on. I'll wait for you. But take your time. I don't want to see you suffer. But please, Draco, please, continue living, for me. Do more great things. Do things I never thought the old Draco would do. Do things and live for the both of us. Just because I've passed on to the spiritual world, doesn't mean I'm gone forever. It doesn't mean I'll never see you again."

She paused for an exceptionally forceful cough and spit out a lot more blood than before.

"I'm sorry… for not being able to have your children, Draco. I would have loved to see how they turned out. I'm sure… they would have been… wonderful. With… cinnamon brown hair and… ice blue… eyes… delicate… features… You'd make a … wonderful… father…I'm certain....."

And she died.

When Harry returned with Madame Pomfrey, he found Draco amidst the ongoing chaos, holding a still Hermione tightly, tears pouring down his face, but not making a sound. Dumbledore defending the lovers from any other harm while they shared her last moments.

"Draco…"

Draco looked up at him, and Harry stumbled.

The look in Draco's eyes were lost. The fire was extinguished and he was emotionless. Draco picked up Hermione and headed back to the castle.

Harry had to leave them and he finished the fight, mind always wandering back to what Draco was feeling.

He couldn't imagine what he'd do if Luna died in his arms.

And so, he finished the final battle with tears falling from his eyes and a heavy heart at what he'd lost. A best friend and a sister.

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Authoress's Notes:
I can't believe I killed her. The battle wasn't supposed to go this way, but it still works out. I can't believe I killed her. All during this chapter I was getting choked up and was nearly on the verge of starting to cry. I mean, I just killed my favorite character. Oh man.

Well, Hermione's death is crucial to the passage and the plot. Wait a minute… what plot? --;; Well, I don't think there ever was a plot. But I suppose you could say Draco finding his humanity was the plot. And it is a plot. Sometimes, I wonder why I write at all.

Well, I've killed her. ::sob:: and now I can relate to the Frankenstein passage. If you all remembered that at all. That really was the point, I guess.

Please don't flame me for killing her. I DID warn you, after all. And even I'M upset by it. I've NEVER killed off a major character before. And this is why. Even writing it, I get choked up.

Well, this was an easy chapter to write though, it came out instantly. Took me 25 minutes.

There are only about three chapters left. And they might be short. So, be forewarned.

Look for them in a few days.

Until next time, remember to REVIEW.

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Kristina Chang