Disclaimer: None of these wonderful characters is mine; they are J.K. Rowling's.
Summary: Hermione graduated from Hogwarts 2 years ago and is now twenty. War rages on and she builds barriers around her heart.
Genre: Angst/Romance Rating: Mature/Lemon Warnings: This is very OOC. If you want the characters just the way they are in the book, stop now and click on the back button. This is also AU. If you do not like it, do not read it! Now for those who want to, enjoy!

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I Don't Believe In Love

Chapter Twenty: Not even death...

Narrator's point of view

Everyone was tense. Waiting for the clock to strike midnight. The spies felt the burning long ago. Their instructions were to stay in Hogwarts, and distract the headmaster.

Everything was going according to plan. Large amounts of amounts of aurors were placed strategically to surprise the intruders. The merpeople were hiding underneath the lake, armed and ready for battle. Fluffy was loose, and Hagrid was playing some music to calm him. Aragog and his children were scattered in the dark forest, on top of the trees, and behind the rocks. Sphinxes and Griffins were lined up around the school. The Aurors riding the Palomino horses circled Hogwarts. The Aethonon army, lead by Tonks was on the roof. Hundreds of Aurors swarmed the grounds, waiting. Dumbledore waited for it to begin.

The clock struck midnight, and the twelve loud clangs reverberated through the night. It was a full moon, and Lupin was nowhere to be seen.

Death eaters headed by Lucius Malfoy, swarmed the passageways. Most of them were subdued, but soon, the battle started in the castle. Spells were flying everywhere. Different colors, flashes of light ad screams of pain were heard from inside.

Death eaters wandered the forest. Aragog and his children quickly ripped some of them apart, but Voldemort hissed, and a huge basilisk slithered, Hissing and spitting, fangs showing, for all to see. The acromantulas had no choice but to scurry away.

Kingsley spotted the first death eater coming from the lake. The mersoldiers speared their boats, and sunk some of them, but they were too much. The merpeople could attack only few. The aurors circling the castle suddenly stopped, and formed a circle around it. The flurry of aerial spells looked like fireworks. Tonks was shouting instructions to the aerial aurors to keep still, and attack only when she said so.

The death eaters appeared all at the same time, from the forest, lake, and riding thestrals. Everything stopped and turned quiet. The first attack was sent by a sphinx when Crabbe senior tried to get past without solving the riddle. It began.

"Traitor!" Voldemort hissed at Hermione when he caught sight of her. He pointed his wand at her. "You betrayed me!" A yellow light struck her straight in the chest, and she fell backwards, but struggled to get up. She stood straight even though the spell hit her. Harry rushed forward to duel Voldemort.

Spells were shouted everywhere. The smell of blood and death reeked. A Manticore, a Graphorn, a Chimaera, and two Quintapeds emerged from the forest.

The manticore shredded everything in front of it and stung everything behind it. The sphinxes soon fell, and the griffins followed them.

"Look!" Ginny shouted, and pointed to the sky. Ten dragons swooped down, and they feasted on the dark creatures.

To Minerva's horror, a troll emerged from the forest. It clubbed its way out. Ron remembered their first year, and he knocked it out with a huge boulder.

"Basilisk!" Someone shouted. "Harry!" Dumbledore instructed Fawkes to bring Gryffindor's sword. Three dragons fell. These were the Antipodean Opaleye, Chinese Fireball, and the common Welsh Green.

More death eaters were coming. Severus was dueling Mc Nair. Thestrals and Antheonons were falling one by one. Bellatrix and Neville were having an aerial duel, and it was not clear who was winning.

A stray killing spell sent by Severus 'accidentally' hit Moody. He barely glanced at the dead body. Fawkes arrived with the sword, and Harry summoned his firebolt. Dumbledore took over Harry's duel with Voldemort. Harry sped towards the basilisk. It put up a good fight, but Harry speared it with the sword, straight through its forehead. It fell, and shook the ground.

Augreys (Irish phoenixes) healed as many wounded Aurors as they could. Harry resumed his duel.

All went cold. The lake turned to ice, and everything turned icy. Dementors glided swiftly, and began feeding. Aurors sent patronus charms all over the sky. More death eaters appeared, and they brought banshees with them. The screams pierced the air, and everyone had to cover their ears. The side of light was greatly outnumbered.

Suddenly, howls sounded from the forest, and werewolves charged forward, shredding death eaters on their way. Hope filled those on the side of light. Though death eaters continued to come, they were decreasing rapidly. Lethifolds swarmed the sky, and patronuses were once again shot. After a few minutes, the Dementors, and Lethifold would come back, but they were always stopped by patronuses.

Hermione was growing weaker and weaker by each passing minute. She touched the amulet Salazar gave her, and called out, "Vampire's Debt!"

A few minutes passed, before vampires swiftly and stealthily drained the lives of the enemy.

Hermione and Severus now helped Harry duel Voldemort. Though they outnumbered Voldemort, He was still powerful. The duel continued in the courtyard.

"The infirmary is down!" Luna shouted. Hermione could see Auriga finish of Avery in the corner of her eye.

"Harry, now!" Harry plunged the sword into Voldemort, while he was busy shooting spells towards the spies. Harry hissed a binding spell in Parseltonue, and Voldemort screamed.

"Hermione! Why?" Voldemort looked straight at her. She raised her left hand, and showed him her ring. "No! You!" Voldemort snarled at Severus. He shot a killing spell at Severus. Hermione watched in horrified fascination as Auriga threw herself in front of Severus. She took the curse for him. She fell limply, and Severus caught her.

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"If I cannot own you alive, then I will own you dead!" Dark smoke began to circle the dark lord, and he hissed before fading in the smoke. All that remained of him was ashes.

Severus saw a runespoor glide towards Hermione, and just as it was about to bite her, Severus held out his left arm. The three heads of the runespoor bit him. Harry hissed at the snake, and slashed it with the sword.

Severus fell, and Hermione, even in her weakened state screamed. The poison was coursing fast in his veins. Hermione, dying, fell beside Severus, and he held her.

"Not even death, love. Not even death would part me from you." Severus tilted her head, and pressed his lips onto hers. "I love you so much Hermione." He said between kisses.

Never knew I could feel like this Like I've never seen the sky before I want to vanish inside your kiss Every day I'm loving you more than this Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings Telling me to give you everything Seasons may change, winter to spring But I love you until the end of time

Hermione opened her mouth, and he slid his tongue in. He savored that which he could not have before. "Severus, not even death." Harry felt so much sorrow.

They groped at each other frantically. Trying to make up for the time lost with the little time allotted for them.

Come what may Come what may I will love you until my dying day

Severus, stopped the kiss, and moved to kiss, nip, and suck on her neck instead. Hermione slipped her hands under his shirt, and touched the smooth skin of his back. Her hand traveled to his chest. His mouth went back to her mouth and they savored the few minutes of their life.

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste It all revolves around you And there's no mountain too high No river too wide Sing out this song I'll be there by your side Storm clouds may gather And stars may collide But I love you until the end of time

Soon, they felt extremely weak. Severus' shirt was open, and Hermione leaned on him. Tiny kisses showered his chest.

Come what may Come what may I will love you until my dying day

They watched the fading stars, as they always did. This courtyard was their sanctuary. It was where their love began, and it is where it will stay. "Hermione, you can rest now. You will no longer be tired. I will stay with you."

Oh, come what may, come what may I will love you, I will love you Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place

"You are free now Severus. No more masters to serve..." He chuckled. She was leaning on him, her strength. "I love you more than anything else in the world." She whispered against his chest. His hold on her tightened. It was time.

Come what may Come what may I will love you until my dying day

Harry was oblivious to the tears that were coming from his eyes. The rest of the order slowly trickled in. The death eaters were now defeated. Minerva cried, and Albus comforted her.

The couple looked at the sky once more. "It's beautiful." Hermione murmured. "You never truly appreciate its beauty when you always see it." Harry immediately remembered the train ride at the beginning of the school year. She said the same thing.

"So are you." Severus whispered weakly. He kissed her long and sweetly for the last time. Hermione placed her head on his chest, and she heard the last few beats of his heart.

"Not even death my love." Hermione whispered, and she too fell into black.

(Smirks cries, and says, "Oh what a sssad ending. Why did it happen to them?" Snarks tries to comfort her. "Don't worry sssmirk, I'm sssure Darque would make a happy ending too." Smirks hugs Snarks. "Oh I hope you're right." (imagine snakes entwined ok? Work with me here.)

>>>+>>>+>>>

My sad ending is done... by the way, if you guys would like to read the happy ending, you just have to pretend that everything that happened after the ---+--- did not, and you could just read chapter 22, get it? ---> IMPORTANT. I got so many reviews. Yay!

MyEmeraldEyes: You, are one of the fastest readers I have met. I mean, I just updated the story, and less than three minutes later,your review appears. I was like...Wow... Lol yeah I killed Moody!

Angelbabe385: Your review really made me laugh. I just imagined a cartoon doing that...Lol.

pumkin: Thank you!

Fairy of Fire and Fury: Oh mine? 10 3/4, Mahogany, Chimaera scale. Lol just kidding (I wish it was true...sigh) I loved that review. You really had my expression there (Still laughing).

Angel-65: Yay It's done!(angst i mean).

Mrs Luna Potter: I don't think there will be cuz I'm starting school(pouts) Oh well...

Varcolaci: Lol. Glad to see slithers relieved. You have fangs! Cool! lol I always wanted a pair...

JTBJAB: (Misty-Trelawny voice) You are gifted with the sight...lol...ok I'm enjoying myself too much...

Mish Michelle: Ugh that always happens to me...I could probably help...

xxx-kisses-xxx: Thanks for pointing that out! That'll be great help in my english class...

sexiprincess1228: Nah I wouldn't kill one, that would be just cruel! So I killed them both! Haha! Moody's dead!

deadlyabyss12: Lol I could too...

lydia: Voila...Just for you...'accidentally' killed Moody.

BeckiSoup: Thank you!

firephoenix666: Lol thanks...I was saving it for this chapter but I thought...Hey why not...

Galleena: Well, the suspense is over...lol...

MsPadfootVerona: I hope I did alright here...

Aleatha515: Thank you! Ego boost!

aniamifan1988: Ah you still have to read up to the ---+--- before reading chap 22

Yay angst is done! chap 21 is also up...I owed you guys...Thanks for reading. Review. Please. - Darque