Okay, so it's short. But at least it's here. I will most likely rewrite it at some point, but we'll see.

Chapter 12: For the Last Time

I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Away from here

Run, Snow Patrol

"Draco? Draco!" Hermione couldn't get over what had just happened. She bent down next to him, nudging him and repeating his name, praying to Merlin that he would wake up. She wouldn't even be mad if he said, "Surprise!" and revealed the blood as fake. She soon began to realize, though, that Draco couldn't be further from faking and that each minute she wasted in indescision could cost him his life.

She screamed out for Costas for help. He thundered up the stairs, alarmed by her shrill cry. "Costas!" she shrieked when she saw him, trying her best to keep calm. She took a deep breath, saying, "We have to…Draco, he's…the blood…get to the Hospital Wing!"

Somehow, Costas was able to understand her, and so, picked up Draco, slinging him over his shoulder. By the time Costas had done this, Hermione was already thundering down the stairs, beckoning for Costas to follow her.

They ran almost blindly through the halls, Hermione wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, willing herself not to cry. Now was not the time to cry. She told herself that she would wait to cry tears of relief as soon as Draco was attended to properly. It had been too long that he had suffered, alone, with hardly any medical help.With a new expression of determination set on her face, she led the way quickly and, just as any good Gryffindor should, bravely toward the Hospital Wing.

The odd group flew down the hall, right past a very familiar red head. He watched them go down the hall, only realizing it was Hermione from the huge bushy head of hair she sported.

Ron wanted to, no, needed to tell her how sorry he was, how much he wanted to be friends again, and how he wouldn't abuse it. So, he joined the trail to the Hospital Wing, hoping to catch up with Hermione and tell her everything.

-

Not too long after, two large doors burst open onto a surprisingly empty Hospital Wing. Hermione guided Costas over to and empty bed, ripping back the sheets and ordering Costas to place Draco there and then to go get Madam Pomfrey.

She took the washcloth on the bedtable next to him, wet it with the pitcher of water also on the table, and gently pressed it to Draco's forehead. "Oh, Draco," she whispered, "I'm no Healer, but, you…you just have to be okay. You have to make it through this. Because…I never could say it before because I was never completely sure, but…I…I love you. I love you with all of my heart, with all of my being, with every fiber in my body."

Hermione continued to wipe the blood off of him as she continued to whisper, "To other people, I may seem too young, too whimsical, too…whatever they want to say. But do you know what I say to them? 'Screw you.' Because, who cares? I love you. And that's all that matters." She closed her eyes, kissing his forehead, not noticing his eyes slowly open.

"I love you, too, Hermione," he whispered feebly into her ear. He surprised her with his consciousness, and they both smiled at each other, Hermione resisting the urge to squeeze and kiss him senseless, so as not to further worsen his weak condition. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the smooth white pillow as Hermione brushed a few of his blonde bangs out of the way.

Suddenly, there was a far off shout of "No! I won't!" that Hermione recognized to be Costas' voice. She turned in alarm as the door burst open to reveal a struggling Costas, who seemed to be fighting with himself.

She abandoned her post at the foot of Draco's bed to rush over to Costas's writhing form. Hermione tried to grip his shaking shoulders, to steady him and calm him down. "Calm down! Calm down, Costas and tell me what's the matter!" Instead of responding, he continued to jerk violently, as though trying to fight off some unknown force.

Hermione was scared; she didn't know what to do. And as soon as she saw a tall, slender shadow in the doorway, she knew that it was this horrible person who was doing this to him. Shakily, she demanded, "Step…into the light. Show yourself!"

An eerily familiar, lightly accented voice drifted from beyond the door, saying, "I suppose I shall, though I won't permit you to believe that you have any control over me." This vague, chilling statement was followed by even more chilling laughter.

Hermione saw Aspacia Skandalis step into the light that flooded through the wide windows all around the Wing. Hermione sharply intook a deep breath, gasping at the sight of the Greek Headmistress. "I…you?"

"Is that supposed to be a question?" she questioned in perfect English. Hermione was only able to stare wide-eyed at her as she further tried to settle Costas. "Oh, well, that's not all that important, anyway. What I really came here for was…"

"No!" Costas screamed out again, interrupting the older woman mid-sentence. He continued to jolt around, and Hermione feared the worst for him.

Hermione regained her voice, speaking to Skandalis as forcefully as possible. "I know at least part of what you're up to. Release your hold on him now! You know it's illegal to use Unforgivables! Can't you see he's in pain?! He's your student!"

"Unfor…? Oh. Those. Well, I hardly think that is the most of my worries tonight." Her eyes twinkled frighteningly as she swept her wand towards the far corner of the Wing. Costas's body went flying in said direction with such violence that he was knocked out. Hermione shrieked as Skandalis said, "We can leave him over there for now."

Hermione feared the worst, groping her robes for her wand and finally finding it in her pocket, her eyes focused on the older woman the whole time. "How…how did this happen? What are you even doing here?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Skandalis responded with another eerie laugh. "Well, seeing as you shall die if you resist, I may as well tell you." She drifted towards the bed beside Draco's, sitting down and conjuring up a chair for Hermione. Hermione didn't sit down – she wasn't about to take her chances with this woman who clearly had something wrong with her. "Sit," Skandalis ordered and suddenly Hermione was overcome with the overwhelming urge to do so.

Now that they were both seated, Aspacia looking rather amused and Hermione looking as brave as she could, the elder woman began to talk. "Really, this won't take long…and then we can get to the fun part." Hermione did not like the twisted grin Skandalis displayed after those last two words. "Basically, my master wants you…and in my devotion to the Dark Lord-"

"Voldemort is gone." The last word ended in a gasp of pain as Hermione was thrown into a fit of torture that she imagined was about ten times worse than electric shock.

"You will let me finish," the elder woman said to Hermione as soon as the pain stopped. Her ears were ringing and she felt the beginnings of a massive headache as she sat back down into her chair. For once, Hermione told herself, hold your tongue. For Draco's sake. With this new resolve, she faced Skandalis with a hardened glare.

"Very well, then. So, as I was saying, my Lord needs you as part of his master plan to rid the earth of Potter, especially, but generally any do-gooders or Mudbloods like yourself." Skandalis paused, readjusting her robes, but all the while staring back at Hermione. "'Why me?' is what you may be asking yourself. First of all, you are possibly one of the smartest witches of your year, and also, for your close relations to Potter." Once again she broke into more evil laughter.

"You really are insane," Hermione said, "if you think you can keep the Dark Lord's legend alive."

Skandalis had no time to respond to Hermione's comment because at that moment, the doors burst open, revealing a panting Ron. "Hermione!" he called out, giving a strange look to the Greek headmistress as he rushed to Hermione's side.

"No, Ron! Stay away!" Ron listened, stopping in his tracks.

"Hermione, what's the problem?"

"The problem," Skandalis interrupted, "is that this stubborn girl refuses to submit to the will of the follower or the Dark Lord." Ron gave Hermione a look as if to say, Is she serious? "So, I have decided, since this is bound to get messy, I shall go back to my room and leave Costas to do what I brought him to Hogwarts for." And with a sweep of her cloak, she made for the door.

Hermione turned around, hoping to talk Costas out of whatever he was about to do. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw them clouded over as he walked towards them from the corner to which he was previously thrown, and knew that she had no hope of breaking the Imperius Curse that was set upon him. "Oh, Costas," she murmured, wishing there was some other way. He set his wand back, forcefully saying "Avada Kedavra!" Hermione saw the jet of green light and shut her eyes, waiting for the end.

Instead of being dead, Hermione heard two instantaneous cries of "Stupefy!" and heard three bodies thud to the ground. Opening her eyes, she took in everything around her now illuminated as Dumbledore rushed quickly over to where she was standing. He was staring at her feet it seemed, and when she copied his move, to her horrific surprise she found the head of red hair she had come to love so much sprawled across the face she knew as one of her best friends.

Hermione looked into Dumbledore's eyes, searching for some hope that Ron was still alive. She saw none, and overcome with sadness, threw herself onto Ron. "You-you saved me! I was so horrible to you…I didn't even give you a chance to apologize," Hermione lamented, finally letting tears stream down her face.

Draco looked at the sad scene in front of him. Dumbledore was moving the Stunned bodies of Skandalis and Costas into beds of the Hospital Wing, leaving Hermione to Ron's body and running to retrieve Madam Pomfrey. The only sound echoing throughout the high-ceilinged Wing was Hermione's empty sobs, coming in waves, stronger each time.

After Stunning 'that Greek brute,' as Draco so affectionately dubbed him, he hardly had any energy left to stay awake. He closed his eyes and lay back on the pillow. He found, though, that he could not just fall asleep with Hermione weeping.

Draco slipped out from between his covers, ignoring his pounding headache as he made his way over to Hermione. He leaned over, picked her gently up, and let her tears flow into his shoulder. Neither of them said anything, just standing there, embracing one another as the sun slowly began to rise.

I'm sorry if you hated the ending, or if you thought it was weird. That's just how it is.

It's been great fun, and if I feel like it, maybe I'll do an epilogue one day. I wanted to thank all these awesome people for reviewing and supporting me all along. I really couldn't have done it with out you guys and girls:
Son Christine, Silver Hanyou, iluvjd, haylez90, shanmo, Destiny13, mintytoothpick, Lady Paine, thebluemarshmallow, Steve Lover, chisox727, ali potter, hotaru420, HPFanatics311, Kiran, lucy, Ani, crimsonskie, fourthiv, slytherin-kittykat, ellen2321, SlytherinPixie, Pixie-Poison, bonessasan, Autum Wind, padfoot-lover1, ignorancereekstruth, That Other Girl, melodygirl, classicjs, and ShimmeringEvil.

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME AND KEPT ME GOING THE WHOLE TIME!

-The Nauti Dolphin-