/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /

Chapter Fifteen

Hermione hurried up the path to the Malfoy's front door, her heart pounding madly. She hoped that she wasn't too late in helping Harry, or she would never forgive herself if Harry died. She would always remember that she was a few minutes too late.

Pushing back the door, Hermione rushed in and stopped suddenly in the front of the staircase. Lucius Malfoy was sitting at the bottom of the steps, looking like he had been tortured.

"What happened to you?" Hermione stared at Lucius in horror.

"Oh, Potter tried to kill me with the Unforgivable Curse, but he failed," Lucius growled.

"Where is he now?" Hermione asked, desperate to get to his side.

"Dead," was the simple answer.

A lump suddenly jumped into Hermione's throat and she gasped, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. He couldn't have been dead; he was supposed to kill Voldemort—

"Then, Voldemort—" Hermione began.

"Oh, Voldemort's dead. My son killed him, when I wouldn't have thought it possible. I had supposedly killed him early, but apparently not. Must've gained consciousness. I don't know what you did to my son, Granger, but you certainly changed him," Lucius said bitterly.

"And…where are they now?" Hermione gasped, unable to fight the fast falling tears.

"Up in the highest room, as far as you can get," Lucius said, clearly his will to live or fight her had gone out the moment his master died.

Hermione rushed passed Lucius and began running up every flight of stairs upward. Twenty minutes later, Hermione burst into the top floor, gasping for breath. But it did nothing to stop the small scream that she let out when she saw the scene.

Voldemort was lying in a heap on the floor, clearly dead. Not far from the body, lay another and Hermione immediately recognized the mangled, bloodied heap to be Harry's and beside him, Draco Malfoy's.

Rushing to Harry and falling to her knees, Hermione lightly placed a hand on his bloodied cheek. Harry didn't move.

"Harry? Please, Harry, wake up, he's dead—Voldemort's dead and your task is done," Hermione choked.

Pushing back Harry's bangs, Hermione could see his lightening bolt scar—very vivid, which was possibly due to the fact that Harry was near his enemy in his last moments. But Hermione was refusing to believe that Harry—her best friend of so many years—was dead.

Gently shaking him, Hermione began to cry. "Harry, please, wake up, please don't be dead, I need you and Ron needs you. So many, Harry, please…"

"He's awake, but just. He's falling fast," a voice croaked up beside Harry and Hermione jumped when she saw that Draco had struggled to sit up and she noticed that he had a very large bump on his forehead.

"He's still alive?" Hermione stared at him in shock. He couldn't be lying, could he?

"Yes, and you'll need to find someone quick, maybe Dumbledore or your Auror skills. You probably have superb Healing skills," Draco said weakly.

"Harry'll probably need someone more powerful to help him now," Hermione said sadly.

"Well, what are you waiting for? If you don't find help now, then Potter here's going to die!" Draco said fiercely, "I know how close you two are."

"There will be no need for that," a voice said behind them.

Hermione stiffened. Voldemort couldn't be alive again, he just couldn't. But to Hermione's relief as she turned around, it was Dumbledore.

"Professor—Harry, he's, he's—" Hermione said before breaking down and crying.

"I already know, dear girl. I realized what must have happened when you and Harry never showed up in my office," Dumbledore explained as he walked over and knelt beside Harry, "It couldn't be avoided, the battle had to come sooner or later."

Hermione watched as Dumbledore let his hands pass over Harry slowly and deliberately. She was hoping against hope that the headmaster would be able to do something to help Harry.

Finally, Dumbledore raised his eyes to look at Hermione. "He's still alive and we'll need to take him to Madam Pomfrey as fast as we can. Draco, Hermione, over here, quickly, please. We'll need to get to Hogwarts fast."

Making sure that they were all close together, Dumbledore snapped his fingers and just like that, they were gone.

Hermione was sitting outside the infirmary at Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore had insisted that she wait out here until the results were determined about Harry.

She was dozing when the infirmary door swung open and Hermione woke suddenly as Dumbledore stepped out into the hallway, closing the door gently behind him.

"How is he? Is he going to be alright?" Hermione asked, jumping to her feet.

Dumbledore was grave as he rested a hand on Hermione's shoulder and Hermione knew that it wasn't good.

"Harry's stable for now. I am not sure if he's going to live or die, to be truthful. I am surprised he's survived this long—Lucius had put a very terrible curse on him. If you wish to see him, you have my permission. But don't dare to hope," Dumbledore said gravely.

Hermione nodded silently and swept passed Dumbledore and into the infirmary. Seeing Harry in a bed near the middle, Hermione rushed over to his side and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Hermione looked up and saw that it was Ron. She didn't seem to notice that he was standing when he should've been resting.

"He's resting right now. I've already talked to him before he fell asleep and he seemed weak. They said he wouldn't make it through the night. You're lucky you got here in time," Ron said.

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Ron."

Ron nodded and sat on the bed next behind them and turned his face away. Hermione was grateful, for she wanted to talk to Harry alone. Placing a hand on his cheek where she had done earlier, Hermione let her thumb trace his cheek.

Harry's eyes slowly opened and Hermione smiled encouragingly at him and Harry smiled back, though it was painful.

"Hermione," he whispered.

"It's OK, Harry, they've got you fixed up in Madam Pomfrey's infirmary and you know she's the best around. You'll be alright in a couple of days," Hermione said soothingly.

"I heard them say I won't make it through the night. Do you believe them?" Harry asked in the same undertone.

"I don't want to. They've been wrong before, so I'm going to be determined that you'll live," Hermione said, concealing the fact that she didn't believe what she was saying.

"You believe them, I can see it in your eyes," Harry said.

Hermione fell silent, but her eyes flooded with tears. He had always known what she was thinking no matter how hard she tried to conceal it.

"I thought I was going to walk away unscathed, it appeared so easy at first," Harry said.

"Voldemort's a good liar," Hermione smiled weakly.

Harry smiled. "Yes, that he is. Hermione—I feel my body getting weaker. I think they are right, I won't make it through the night if that."

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed it fiercely. "Don't say things like that, Harry. You're going to live, Harry, think positive."

Harry looked at Hermione sternly. "I don't deserve false hope, Hermione, please, don't give it to me. I know I'm going to die. But I want you to promise me something, can you do that?"

Hermione, too choked to speak, nodded. Harry smiled again, this time in comfort. He hated seeing her like this.

"I want you to promise me that you'll move on with your life after I die. I'm not worth you being miserable for the rest of my life. It's OK to hurt for a while, but no more. I want you to find someone that makes you happy and marry him and have kids and send them to Hogwarts when they're old enough," Harry said.

"But, you're the only one I care about, Harry. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Hermione choked out.

"As I wish would've happened. I love you, too, Hermione, and if I didn't tell you that before, then I tell you that now. But we cannot dwell on dreams, Hermione. We can't dwell on what might have been. I'll always have a place in your heart, Hermione, no matter where life takes you. And that's all I want, Hermione, to be remembered. Never forget me, Hermione," Harry said.

"I won't, Harry, I'll never forget. How could you, you were my best friend?" Hermione said, the tears falling harder than ever.

"You are the greatest witch of our time. I wouldn't have made it without you. I love you, Hermione," Harry said softly.

Hermione didn't answer. She bent down and kissed Harry lightly on the lips and slowly pulled away.

In his ear Hermione whispered, "I love you. I'll never forget."

But Harry never replied and he would never again. Hermione gasped and put a hand to her mouth. She didn't know she was sobbing loudly until she felt someone pull her into his arms. Wrapping her arms around Ron, Hermione let her tears flow. She would never forget.