The Final Hours

Warning: This chapterthemes of a mild sexual nature. Reader discretion is advised.

Author's Note: Thanks to the two reviewers, and I'm glad you think this is a good story. I'm sorry if it's a little too depressing, but that's what makes this story so intense. Anyways, this chapter is going to be the longest chapter yet, and it is going to deal mainly with Hermione, so get ready for a lot of sobbing!

-Kpsebo

Chapter Four
Hermione

Hermione looked at the wall. She was furious with herself for what she had just done, and was having difficulty looking at Harry. She could hear him sobbing quietly over Ginny, and Hermione felt bad for not seeming to care. She did care, but she had a lot more then Ginny on her mind right now. She heard Harry get up, and walk over to the other side of the dungeon they were in. She looked over at him, and saw that he was carrying Ginny away. Hermione felt her tears forming, and she forced herself not to loose control, and her thoughts suddenly slipped to Ron. Oh, that will help you! She scolded herself, and she started to remember her time spent with Ron.

It was May of their seventh year, and they had just gotten back from Hogsmeade, and Ron had snuck her up into his dorm room. Thankfully, Dean, Seamus, Neville and Harry were gone for the day so they didn't know they were both up there. Hermione and Ron were lying on the bed talking, when Ron suddenly had an Idea.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, "We just – can't! It wouldn't be right!"

"C'mon, Baby! No one will know!"

"But – I just…can't!"

"Relax, hon. Just relax. It will be fun! No one will find out, I promise."

"I don't know, Ron. Do you even have a – "

"Right here." Ron had held up the package, and waved it in her face. Hermione looked at him. He smiled, innocently, and Hermione's heart gave a leap. She loved him so much, and she really wanted to, but she knew that she couldn't.

"No, Ron."

Ron let his head drop down onto a pillow, and he sighed.

"I feel like an idiot, now."

"Oh, don't, hon. I don't mind." She lay on top of him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. She put her head on his chest, and listened to the steady beating of his heart. She suddenly felt the urge to sleep with him so badly, that she slid up and began to kiss him.

Well, one thing led to another, and it turned into a memory neither of them would ever forget.

Hermione felt a tear fall down her face, as she stared up at the damp ceiling in the dungeon. She was smiling, remembering the moment so vividly, that she almost believed he was there, lying beside her again. She sobbed loudly, and the smile faded, as she realized that her love was lying limp on the floor, somewhere in the dungeons. She hugged her knees, and buried her face in them, and began sobbing uncontrollably. She felt so ashamed of herself for what she had just done, that she could hardly stand even thinking about Ron right now. Harry had handled it harshly, which she thought was good for how she was being. She got up, and made her way towards Harry.

He was sitting in the corner, with Ginny lying unconscious on the floor next to him. He looked up at her, as she came up in front of him.

"Harry…I-I'm…"

"It's okay, Hermione. I understand, and forgive you."

Hermione couldn't bare it, and she began to cry again. She loved Harry, but not like she loved Ron. Harry had always been there for her, and befriended her in their first year. They had never been apart since. Harry patted the ground beside him, and looked back up at her. Hermione sat down, and stared at Ginny.

"I – I can't believe he finally won. I just – just can't!"

"He hasn't won yet, Hermione, we're still alive."

"But Harry, there's no possible way we'll be able to escape this place. Ever. So he might as well have won already."

Harry was silent, and looked down at Ginny again. Hermione saw a tear fall down his cheek, and she too looked at her.

"You love her, don't you?" She asked him gently. Harry looked at Hermione, and looked down again. He nodded.

They sat in silence for a while, staring at Ginny. All of a sudden, they heard the section of wall slide open again, and a boy was thrown into the cell. Harry stood up, and Hermione could barely see the outline of the boy. "Ron?" she asked gently, tears forming once again.

The boy coughed, and Hermione could tell from the cough that it was Neville. Harry ran to him, and Hermione stood up. Neville collapsed into Harry's arms, and Harry steadily lowered him to the ground. Hermione rushed to help him. She sat down beside him, and grabbed his hand. There were cuts and bruises all over his body, and he was bleeding in several places. His clothes were torn, and she could smell smoke all over him. His face seemed redder than usual, and Hermione noticed at once that his whole face was burnt.

"Oh my god, Neville, what did they do to you?" Hermione asked, shocked. Tears rimmed Neville's eyes, and then they suddenly rolled back into his head, and he fell limp. Hermione stared at him, not knowing what to do, or what to think, and she felt Harry grabbing her and pulling her back. Someone was screaming, and Hermione kept trying to resist Harry, and go and shake Neville awake, but Harry was too strong for her. She suddenly realized that she was the one that was screaming, and she collapsed onto the ground, horrified.

Harry walked over to Neville, and felt for a pulse. "He's – dead, Hermione."

Hermione turned and looked at Harry, completely shocked. She looked back at the limp body of Neville, and felt her stomach turn. She turned and threw up all over the ground, and turned and started running towards the spot in the wall that had opened. Harry leapt in front of her, and Hermione ran straight into him, still screaming. Harry wrapped his arms around her to try and restrain her, and she collapsed in his arms, bawling her eyes out.

"Don't – Don't let Ginny…s-see h-him." She barely managed to get out between sobs. Harry just held her and wept along with her, both of them devastated about losing their friend. Harry supported Hermione back over to where Ginny was lying down, and they sat back down. Harry went to move Neville's body out of sight, and Hermione turned Ginny's head to face the wall. She felt her eyes droop, and she fell asleep, exhausted from all of the crying she had done that day.

Hermione awoke with a start, and looked around. She was drenched with her sweat, and realized that she was sleeping with her head on a sleeping Harry's lap. She looked at the spot where they had left Ginny, and saw an empty space. Oh no, she thought. She got up and scanned the dungeon with her eyes, but she couldn't tell where Ginny disappeared. She hoped with all her might that the death eaters didn't come and take her while she was sleeping, thinking she was dead. Hermione couldn't see anything, and her eyes fell on the faint outline of Neville's dead body. There was another body lying beside his.

"Oh, god." Hermione said out loud, and sprinted as fast as she could over to where Neville lay dead. She stopped just before she came to Neville, and stared in shock.

Ginny's head was lying on top of Neville's chest, her temple smoking a little. Her arms were sprawled out at a weird angle, and she had a permanent look of pure horror on her face. Her wand lay just out of reach of her hand. Hermione started to scream again, and she heard Harry ask through the darkness, "What is it, Hermione?" She ran back towards Harry, and blocked his view. He pushed her out of the way, and ran towards the two dead bodies. Hermione sank against the wall, and slid down onto the floor, breathing loudly. She watched as Harry dropped to his knees, and his head drooped.

Hermione started crying loudly again, and the wall of the dungeon slid open again. Two death eaters came in, and went over to where Harry was kneeling. Harry turned around and tried to hold them off from taking the dead bodies. They both pointed their wands at Harry, and he want flying against the wall. He fell limply to the floor, and the death eaters levitated the bodies out of the Dungeon. The wall slid shut behind them, and Hermione just stared at Harry's limp body. She started to scream and sob and cry all at the same time, and started to crawl towards him. She reached his body, and tried shaking him awake.

"H-Harry!" She said desperately, and shook him even harder. "Harry!" She cried again, and then she started to hit him. "HARRY!"

She fell backwards in a sobbing fit, and slid back against the wall. "No," She cried, "Not you too! NO!"

She fell backwards, and hit her head on the concrete floor. Everything went black.

Hermione awoke once again to the sound of the sliding wall opening. She heard a low murmur from the death eaters outside in the hallway, and another figure walked through, and the door slid shut behind him. Hermione squinted in the darkness to try and make out whom it was. The figure walked over to Harry's unconscious body, and felt for a pulse. They sighed with relief, and turned towards Hermione. She slid back against the wall, terrified of who it might be, and stared as the figure crouched down in front of her.

"Mione?" The figure asked. Hermione stared into the face of her boyfriend, and shrieked. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him long and hard, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be dead.

"Ron…you're-you're alive!"

"I would guess so, wouldn't I?" He answered back, and Hermione had never felt happier in her entire life.

Author's Note: There's a little happiness for you guys. I really liked writing this Chapter, and it's my favourite one yet. Please read and review, and thanks again to those who already did!

-Kpsebo