A/N- I'm glad you liked this, Greenleaf. I know how much you love a good Snape pairing, so I thought you might enjoy it. Anyhow, thanks for the reviews everyone. Here's the next chapter!


Chapter 12- War Cry

Le-Annette stopped herself only when she and Hermione had reached the entrance hall in Hogwarts. Severus, Dumbledore, Draco, Harry, and Ron were there waiting for them. Le-Annette sat Hermione on the ground.

Looking up at all the people who had worried about her, Hermione began to cry with unexpressed fear and joy, mixed, at being back at a place where she felt safe. She drew the cloak Le-Annette had given her to cover herself about her. Ron rushed forward, beaten in speed only by Draco.

"Hermione…oh, Hermione…I'm so sorry. I should've been stronger. Did he hurt you? I'll kill him! Hermione, speak to me…tell me you're all right…" Draco said, taking the distraught girl into his arms.

Hermione drew her breath. Finally, she found her voice.

"He tortured me…under Cruciatus. Then…he tried to…to rape me," she said.

"What!" Ron, Harry, and Draco said in unison.

"He didn't get far. Aunt Le-Annette got there in time," Hermione said.

"He's going to attack. Tonight," Le-Annette said, staring at Dumbledore and Severus.

Both men nodded. Le-Annette turned to the boys now.

"Draco, take Hermione up to the Hospital Wing. Let her rest. Stay with her. Harry, Ron, go get the prefects and the Head Boy and Girl. No other students are to leave their houses, do you understand?"

Both nodded. Severus and Dumbledore were already gone, she presumed, to inform the Order of this imminent attack. Now, the three boys left, with Draco securely placed at Hermione's side. Le-Annette allowed herself a small moment of happiness in knowing that Draco would get to tell Hermione how he felt now. She sighed.

She knew she would battle. But she had no resource or job to do pre-battle. Now she stood in the foyer of Hogwarts, feeling a little lost for the moment. Then, without true thought guiding her steps, she made her way to the dungeons. But not just there…to Severus's quarters.

She entered without knocking, for the wall that hid the door was slid aside. There, she found him, gathering potions.

"Severus," she said softly.

He turned, his eyes unreadable.

"Le-Annette," he replied, just as softly.

"Do we go on?" she asked.

He frowned a bit.

"I don't know."

"I want to."

He didn't answer at first. He appeared to be thinking about something.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I…am unsure of my feelings."

"You don't know if you have…any…feelings for me?"

"I have feelings…but I am unsure if they are of love…I have never truly felt love. I've never allowed myself to."

Le-Annette smiled. She walked to the chair in front of the fireplace, which was empty, and patted the chair in front of hers. He sat down opposite.

"I have. Let me ask you this. What happens when you look at me?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Does your heart start pounding uncontrollably?"

"…Yes…"

"Does your mouth get a little dry?"

"…Yes…"

"Would it hurt you if you were to ever lose me in some way?"

"Yes, of course..."

Le-Annette leaned back in her chair. "Now, tell me. Do you love me?"

Severus smiled. He opened his mouth to speak, but a cry called down the hall.

"The Order is here! And the Death Eaters are right behind!"

It was Harry. Severus and Le-Annette both instinctively leapt to their feet and ran to the upper halls.

They stopped as they reached the open doors of Hogwarts. There, they were able to get a good look at their front line. Harry and Dumbledore stood out in the crowd. Behind them were Ron, Draco, and the prefects and Heads. The rest of the teachers were behind them. Severus made his way in with the teachers, while Le-Annette pushed herself up to the front, beside Harry.

The Boy Who Lived stared up at her and, after a moment, smiled a very small smile.

"Glad to have you with us," he said, quietly.

"Glad to be here," Le-Annette replied.

She lifted her head now to stare out upon the battle approaching. The Order had met with some of the Death Eaters and were battling fiercely for their lives. The Death Eaters that had not met with a member of the Order of the Phoenix were making their way slowly forward…and Voldemort was with them.

Suddenly, Le-Annette felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, to find Draco smiling at her.

"What?" Le-Annette asked.

"I told her. I told Hermione that I loved her. She said she loved me too," he said, a dreamy smile on his face. Then, suddenly, his features hardened into serious determination. "I'm ready for this fight. I have the love of a marvelous woman backing me. I can do anything!"

Le-Annette smiled at this sentiment. "Just don't get cocky. Be careful. You want to come back to Hermione, don't you?"

Draco nodded and fell back into line. Le-Annette now turned her attention to Dumbledore.

"Let's meet them out in the lawn," she said.

Dumbledore gave her a side-long glance. "Instead of waiting for them to attack? Harry, what do you think?"

Harry raised his wand. "I think it's brilliant."

"Let's go then," Le-Annette said. "Let's give them a war cry they'll never forget."

Behind Le-Annette, she felt the movement of people raising their wands. She was the last to raise her own. Then, there was a brief moment of confusion as no one quite knew what to yell.

She solved that too.

"For Hogwarts!" the vampire cried, rushing forward to meet two Death Eaters head on.

"For Hogwarts!" the wizards and witches behind her echoed.

And battle erupted. Le-Annette was deflecting the spells of two Death Eaters at once, as Dumbledore and Harry took on Voldemort himself. Severus had made his way into the distance, fighting whoever would come at him. The rest of the group did pretty much the same. Finally, tiring of this particular battle, Le-Annette fired the Killing Curse at one Death Eater, who fell immediately. The other strengthened his attack, until finally, Le-Annette killed him too.

Now without a battle, the vampire moved on, committing herself to protecting the students. She killed a Eeath Eater that was sneaking up behind Draco. Draco yelled a quick, "Thanks!" before finishing off the Death Eater he had been fighting. Finally, off in the distance, Le-Annette found Ron, battling the Death Eater known to her as Bellatrix Lestrange.

This could be trouble, Le-Annette thought, picking up speed to help Ron. Then, to her horror, Ron went down. Le-Annette doubled her speed. Bellatrix raised her wand.

"Avada…" she began.

Ron was pushing himself to his feet. Le-Annette quadrupled her speed.

"Kedavra!" Lestrange finished, but it was not Ron anymore in the pathway of the spell.

Le-Annette had thrown herself in the middle. And the Killing Curse hit her squarely in the heart.

"No!" Ron shouted. He threw himself to his feet and shouted, "Stupefy!" as Bellatrix turned to run. The spell hit her in the back, and she fell.

Le-Annette rolled over onto her back. There, in her chest, was a large hole. One could even see the bone. She wasn't dead. It would take a lot more than that to kill her. But, it hadn't hurt. At least now, she knew that Zion had died without pain.

Ron was over her now, helping her to her feet.

"I'll be fine, Ron. It'll heal in time," Le-Annette said.

"Time is what you don't have out here. I'm taking you to the Hospital Wing," he said.

From the look in his eye, Le-Annette knew better than to protest.


End Notes: Sorry that this has taken so long. I kind of got this fic confused with another one. Anyhow, now I'm back, and I thank everyone for their kind reviews. Please R & R! Thanks!