The Price of a World

Chapter Twenty

"Thank you Harry. So much." Harry smiled and kissed Hermione's forehead.

"My pleasure but I really have to go. Lupin will kill me if I'm late. Will I get to see you tonight?" Hermione smiled and nodded.

"I'll be waiting for you in the common room." With a goofy-happy grin on his face, Harry ran out of Hermione's room and headed towards the classroom where Lupin and Moody would be waiting for him.

Hermione sat quietly in the Gryffindor common room reading, with Ron next to her vigorously doing his Transfiguration homework. The rest of Gryffindor house had already gone to bed leaving Hermione and Ron alone in the common room. As the clock rung out 9 O'clock, both of their heads snapped towards the portrait doorway waiting for Harry to enter. However, when the portrait did open, Tonks and Charlie entered the common room.

"Tonks, Charlie!" Hermione exclaimed. "What're you doing here?" Charlie grinned.
"We thought we'd have a little… get together to sort of – wish Harry good luck." At that moment Dobby appeared with a pop, in front of the fireplace.
"Is Master Harry Potter here yet Professor Weasley?"
"No, not yet Dobby."
"Oh good. Dobby was worried that Dobby would be late."
"Is all the food ready Dobby?"
"Oh yes Professor Weasley. Dobby had it all made especially for Master Harry Potter." Dobby clicked his fingers and plates of steaming food appeared on the desks around the common room. With another click of his fingers, jugs of butter beer appeared on the desks along with cakes and various sweets.

Light pattering of footsteps coming down the staircases to the dorms caught everyone's attention. All together; Ginny, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati, Colin, Dean and Neville entered the common room from the staircase.
"Ah. We're almost all here." Charlie said, grinning proudly at what he'd organised.
"Who else is to come?" Hermione asked, blinking slightly.
"Lupin, Harry and Moody – of course. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Hagrid."
"Wow. Harry will love this." The bracelet on Hermione's wrist pulsated slightly, sending tingling vibrations up her arm. Something clicked inside her head and without even meaning to, Hermione blurted out – "Harry's coming." Ron looked at Hermione quizzically and right on cue, Harry opened the portrait door and entered the common room with Lupin, Moody, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Hagrid. He stopped dead in his tracks and blinked at the sight before him.

"Um. Surprise?" Charlie announced uncertainly. Ron snorted with laughter as did Harry. Ginny broke the awkward silence.
"Good luck Harry. Charlie organised this for us all to be together for support."
"And Dobby got your favourite sweets!" Dobby exclaimed. Harry grinned and laughed.
"Thanks Dobby. Thank you Charlie, everyone else." Harry took a seat next to Hermione and kissed her on the cheek whilst everyone else dug into the food and butter beer. Dobby came scuttling over with a glass of butter beer for Harry and Hermione.
"Thank you Dobby but you really didn't have to…" Hermione said, still defending her S.P.E.W. ideals.
"Dobby did have to. Dobby would do anything for Harry Potter." Harry blushed slightly before engaging in conversation with Lupin and Tonks. Hermione joined Ginny, Lavender and Parvati in the corner to listen in on their naïve teenage gossip that Hermione never really saw the point in involving herself in.

The clock was nearing 11:45pm when Dumbledore clapped his hands for attention.
"I believe… that it's time for Harry to be off to bed. Along with the rest of the Gryffindors. You all have class tomorrow morning and I'm sure your teachers won't accept the excuse of 'slept in' when you're late to class." Seamus, Dean, Neville, Parvati, Lavender, Ginny and Colin said their goodbyes, good lucks and goodnights before heading back up to their dorms for a much-needed sleep. Dumbledore turned to the remaining group.
"Sleep tight everyone. I'll meet you all in my office tomorrow at 10." Dumbledore turned and left Gryffindor tower with Lupin, Moody, Tonks, Charlie McGonagall and Hagrid in tow.
"Dobby wishes you the best of luck Harry."
"Thanks Dobby. You take care." With a click of his fingers, Dobby and the empty plates and glasses vanished.

Hermione turned on the sofa to face Harry. She looked deep into his eyes; he was so calm. So collected. Why wasn't he worried? Stressed? Scared? There was a possibility that he would be killed in just 12 hours and he didn't seem to notice. He was like the old Harry again. He was her Harry that she'd known and fallen in love with as soon as she met him in her first year at Hogwarts. He was like an innocent child; free from the pressures of the complex society they lived in. He was happy; wrinkles formed around his eyes as he laughed with Ron. His matt of dark brown hair made messier as he brushed it off his forehead and out of his eyes. Revealing his trademark, lightening bolt scar. The scar that sent shivers down Hermione's spine. His emerald green eyes that seemed almost to sparkle when he looked at her. His smile that would make any girl swoon and his character that would make even a stranger feel as if they'd known him their entire life.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Ron and Harry were looking at her, concerned. She blinked slightly as she was brought back to reality.
"Oh. Sorry, yeah. I'm fine."
"You seemed off you in your own world just then."
"Perhaps I was…" Hermione said, leaning sideways to rest her head on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, do you think you're ready to face Voldemort?"
"It's not too late to back out." Ron added.
"I've been waiting for revenge on Voldemort my entire life – I've never bee prepared every other time I've faced him. But now; I'm ready for him. I wouldn't back out Ron; I've got too much pride for that. Anyway, Voldemort is starting to get a little too big for his boots, and someone needs to put him in his place."

Times Up:

It was the morning of the 4th day, and at midday the tile would active and become a portkey; catapulting Harry into the most important battle of his life. Hermione and Ron were at breakfast that morning; Dumbledore, Charlie, Tonks, Snape, McGonagall and Hagrid were not.

"They're probably with Harry giving him some final pointers before we all meet at 10am." Ron spoke allowed, reassuring himself more then Hermione. Hermione smiled nervously and nodded before looking down at her untouched breakfast.

"I'm not really hungry Ron… If you'll excuse me for a while. I need to get some air, be alone…" Hermione got up from her seat and rushed out of the hall before Ron could reply. Draco, watching Hermione as usual, saw her rush from the hall and made a hasty pace to follow her.

Hermione burst out the large oak doors and into the crisp morning air. She breathed hard and deep, it was as if she were choking. Wrapping her cloak around her tightly, she set off at a brisk walk towards the lake. The cold air stung her throat as she gulped in the air, choking in the back of her throat forming tears in the corners of her eyes. She broke into a run, sliding with grace down the grassy hill. She ran at a large oak tree; it was this tree that she and Harry shared their first kiss under. She wrapped her arms around the trunk of the tree, gripping on to it to keep her standing up right. She turned around so her back was leaning against the tree. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she slid her back down the tree trunk and collapsed into a heap on the damp grass. She looked back up towards the castle and saw a cloaked figure coming towards her; the platinum blonde hair gave away the persons identity. She groaned inwardly and tried to wipe away the tears.

'I have to end this… this can't go on any longer.' She said to herself. She wished that Draco would turn away and go back to the castle, but he kept coming. She looked to her left and saw the path winding between the trees. The urge to get up and run away was so powerful – so overwhelming. No, she needed to stay. She had to be there for Harry. He needed her as much as she needed him.

'Oh god oh god oh god. Please help me.' Draco was heading down the hill now. 'Please give me the strength. I can't do this alone…'

"Hermione." Draco knelt before her on the grass. "You're crying. What's wrong?" Draco pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly against his chest.

'I must end this…' Hermione thought to herself as she pushed her body away from him.

"Draco…" He looked at her, unsurely. "Draco I can't do this anymore."

"Do what Hermione?"

"This! Us. It can't – I can't…"

"What? What, you're saying you don't want to be with me anymore? You don't want the stress? Frustration? Can't handle the lies? Deceit?" Draco was standing now, pacing. Hermione was on her feet, tears streaming down. She couldn't talk properly without choking on her tears.

"No! No I'm not saying that."

"Then what are you saying Hermione? Because frankly, I don't see what could be so hard about our relationship! I've sacrificed my life for you Hermione. I've gone against my father, my family name, and my destiny to be with you. And you've had to what? Lie to someone who loves you? Because that's so hard compared to what I've been through, compared to what I've sacrificed for you."

"STOP IT! Draco, STOP! I don't want to hear any more of it. Draco I love you but I -" Draco laughed half heartedly – sarcastically.

"But what? There's too much risk in loving me? So you'll take second best because he's the one they'd all approve of?" Hermione looked at the ground, she was emotionally defeated. "Yeah, Hermione. It's so incredibly hard for you..." Draco turned away and began to walk back towards the castle.

"Draco! Wait!" Hermione ran after him as he waited for her on the hill. When she reached him, she looked up into the eyes she had stared into endlessly so many times. Those eyes that she fell in love with. Draco sighed and held her by the shoulders.

"Hermione, I love you. You need to sort this out by yourself. You need to work out whom you want to be with." With that, Draco turned away from her and walked back to Hogwarts, knowing that that'd be the last time he would ever be with her again.

Authors Note: Sorry, Had to do it to you xD Gotta love them cliff hangers! Coming up: Harry's battle with VOLDIE!