Well here's where my nervous laughter comes in. I'm SOOOO SORRYYYYY for not updating for AGES! (Really! I am!) And one of the reasons it took SOOO LOONGGG is because of the following reasons.
My internet was cancelled after chapter 16. But I continued to write on chapter 17. Unfortunately, my computer crashed too! And we had to get a new one! So here I am, on my new one, with no stories! Now I've forgotten the ending I had planned and had to rethink a brand new one!
So here goes. Again, I'm SOOOO SORRYY!
Disclaimer: WOOT WOOT! I OWN….A CHAIR! My chair is pretty sweet, but it isn't Harry Potter. (Or Draco Malfoy for that matter…purrs)
Hermione swallowed hard, looking at the people strewn about at the entrance to the cave. Draco and his mother, Narcissa were the only two people that stood out from the group. Probably because everyone else had their black hoods up. Draco and Narcissa, however, were dressed formally and serenely looked at each other. They both seemed apathetic about the whole situation.
Hermione's heart fluttered. How was she going to pull off saving Draco? She wasn't even quite sure how he was going to die.
"Let's think carefully before we take any action," Wes whispered, "We don't want to get too close either."
"Yeah, really," Lavender agreed, "I totally don't need Draco's hot father seeing me with my hair in such a mess!"
"Your hair looks fine," Hermione hissed, "Besides, Draco's 'hot' father is the enemy here. I doubt flirting with him at this stage will do any good."
"Not to mention you do have your boyfriend with you," Wesley scowled.
"I'm just having a bit of fun," Lavender cooed, scooting closer to Wes, "I don't mean any of it."
'Yeah right,' Hermione mused silently.
---.---
"We're almost there," Dumbledore said in a hushed tone, "When we get close to this cave that Trelawney talked about, chaos is going to ensue Harry. Please keep your guard up at all times."
"No problem headmaster," Harry said, keeping in step with Dumbledore, "I'm going to take down Voldemort once and for all."
"I still think that Trelawney was just babbling," Ron sighed, "We're going to arrive at this so-called cave and there's only going to be a big pile of mud there waiting for us."
"Get off it Ron," Ginny snapped, "Start going over some counter curses or something. Be prepared. We're walking into a death eater coronation for Merlin's sake!"
Ron sighed again, this time in a little bit more of a depressed manner.
"It's perfectly normal to feel afraid Ronald," Dumbledore said quietly, giving him a small smile, "This is dangerous, what we're about to do, so try to think seriously about it."
"We have back-up coming shortly too," Harry said, patting Ron on the back.
"I just really, really hope that we all make it out of this alive," Ron said miserably.
---.---
"Son," Narcissa said warmly, embracing him, "You are looking especially sad. Surely you are looking forward to serving our lord."
"Pssh," Draco snorted, quietly, "You know quite well mother that I am less than thrilled. I'm actually surprised to see you this calm. Aren't you at all enraged by this whole situation?"
"I am," Narcissa said, equally quiet, "but I do not see any reason to outwardly seem that way. No matter what I say or do I cannot change things. This is your life son."
"It is my life," Draco said suddenly, "And I have made my decision."
Draco took in the last sight of his mother. She was beautiful, even though she was considerably worn looking. Her long, wispy blonde hair was pulled up into an elegant bun. She had on a long sleeved emerald dress and had her lips painted a dark red. Beautiful.
"I love you," Draco said to his mother.
"I know," she said, looking at him oddly, "I love you too son. I always will."
He smiled at her and turned to face his father.
"It's time," Lucius said, gripping Draco's shoulder, "This way, son."
All of the dark hoods formed a circle and Narcissa stood off to the side. Lucius led Draco to the middle of the circle and then joined the circle himself. Voldemort stepped forward, throwing back his hood. Soon, like dominos, the rest of the death eaters threw off their hoods.
Draco identified some of the people he saw: Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, Peter Pettigrew, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson's father and surprisingly Blaise Zabini!
"Blaise!" Draco choked.
Blaise looked back at him emotionless. Draco had no idea that Blaise had already become one of them. Sad, really.
There were a few other death eaters that Draco didn't really know by name. Their faces were familiar, but Draco didn't really care.
'It's show time,' Draco smiled dangerously.
---.---
"It's starting," Lavender squealed, "There's so many of them!"
'I know,' Hermione thought, 'Which doesn't look good for us.'
Hermione shut her eyes tight. Merlin, I hope we get out of this alive.
"Look!" Wes said, surprised, "There's Blaise! And Crabbe and Goyle!"
"Horrible," Lavender said acidly, "And I thought Blaise was cute for a couple of days too. Good thing I turned my attention. He's obviously nothing but a piece of slime."
"You're contradicting yourself now," Hermione sighed, "You praise Draco's father, even though he's a death eater, and yet you scorn Blaise for being a death eater."
"Well Lucius Malfoy is undeniably hot. So hot that you just can't argue with that level of sexiness. Whatever he does, however he does it, he will come off as extremely good-looking," Lavender said, rolling her eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "If Voldemort was that hot, fangirls all over the globe would be signing up. Mass homicides? Who cares! That Voldie guy is SEXY. Y'know?"
"…I really, really don't," Hermione said, "And you know, I think it's best that it stays that way."
"Maybe if I was undeniably hot," Wes said offhandedly, "Lavender would talk about me that way instead of the guy who's possibly going to kill us."
"Honey," Lavender said, purring, "It doesn't mean I love you any less."
"Oi," Wes said.
---.---
"Draco Malfoy," Voldemort said, his voice booming even over the steady pat of the rain, "Do you swear your undying loyalty to me, Voldemort, and swear to fight for my righteous ideals as long as there is breath in your body?"
Draco was silent, his eyes closed, thinking very closely about his answer.
"Well?" Voldemort said, after a short silence.
Draco lifted his head and glared at Voldemort directly in the voice, "No."
"…I beg your pardon?" Voldemort roared.
"No, I will never swear allegiance to you, you slimy freak," Draco said loudly, "Your ideals are outrageous and I'd rather die than to give you my freedom. My soul! Not to mention you look like a bloody reptile. Who in their right mind swears allegiance to a fucking lizard? Merlin!"
"Then I'm afraid those are your last words boy," Voldemort growled, his nostrils flaring.
"Actually I'd like to ask you one final question before I die," Draco said seriously.
"Then ask it."
"…Do you eat flies?"
---.---
Hermione could not believe her ears! Draco was defying Voldemort! Her heart soared..
Hermione nodded to Lavender and Wes and they took out Fred and George's smoke bombs and cracklers.
"Throw 'em!" Hermione hissed.
The smoke caused the circle to dissipate a bit and Hermione was able to grab Draco and pull him behind a boulder. Lavender threw a few cracklers so that the circle couldn't figure out where the attack was coming from.
"Draco!" she whispered fiercely into his ears, giving him a tight hug, "I love you!"
---.---
"Hermione," Draco whispered back, "Let's discuss this later." He gave her a tight hug back before whispering, "I love you too."
Then he stood up and readied his wand. Maybe he wouldn't die tonight, but the only one who could kill Voldemort was Harry, wasn't it?
---.---
"Ready your wands!" Dumbledore roared, clearing the fog around the cave with a quick spell revealing Hermione and Draco crouched by a boulder, Lavender and Wesley ducking in some bushes and Voldemort and his followers looking quite angry.
"Albus…" Voldemort hissed, "I will end this once and for all!"
Harry cringed, seeing Hermione and Draco, but he readied his wand nonetheless and decided to focus his rage against a foe that deserved it, Voldemort.
The battle had begun. Lavender and Wesley began firing hexes at Crabbe and Goyle, who were too slow to avoid them and not quick enough to counter attack them. Crabbe turned into a pig and started running around squealing and Goyle was immobilized, falling straight into the dirt, face first.
Ginny had taken possession of one of the death eater's wands and broke it in half. Ron was battling with Blaise and Harry just engaged Rodolphus Lestrange.
---.---
"You horrible little worm," Lucius growled at Hermione, "Draco I will make you watch this girl die."
"You won't get a chance to touch her," Draco growled back, stepping out to face his father.
Lucius cast Crutacious and Draco bent in pain. Draco panted slightly and Draco cast a powerful hex. Lucius dodged, using dark magic, and sent another Crutacious. Draco fell, feeling the waves of pain descend onto his body.
Hermione had been engaged by Bellatrix and was fighting her. Draco felt weak though. He couldn't withstand his father's powers. Figures, he was a powerful dark wizard.
"Do you feel the Crutactious? Isn't it breath-taking?" Lucius sneered down at his son, "I mean, really. It takes your breath away, doesn't it?"
He cast it again and Draco gasped for air, feeling like he had been ripped apart.
"I will end this quickly," Lucius said, smirking, "Even I do not feel too much pleasure in killing my only heir."
Draco looked up at his father, seeing the black edges around his vision. His father looked insane, his eyes blazing, his grin breaking to show his teeth.
It was like a slow motion picture. One minute he saw his father and in the next minute he is gazing at the back of his mother.
It was too late though, Lucius had already cast the killing spell onto his wife.
Narcissa fell back onto Draco, her eyes staring into an unknown void, her pupils dilated.
"Mother!" Draco cried, grabbing her shoulders.
"Narcissa…" Lucius whispered, dropping his wand, "…Why?"
Draco was back in reality. He felt his pain had tripled and his mind was whirling in a hurricane. He was trembling with rage.
"Accio, wand!" he yelled, tears spilling out onto his mother's lifeless face. And with that, he held his wand at his father and screamed the killing curse.
His father slumped down onto the dirt and fell forward onto Narcissa's feet.
"Narcissa!" Bellatrix exclaimed, staring, horrified, at her dead sister.
Hermione took that time to put a full body bind on her.
Then, Hermione quickly ran over to Draco and embraced him. Draco felt all of his bitterness, resentment, sadness and rage billow out as Hermione held him. He sobbed until he couldn't find anymore tears. And just as he had calmed down, they both turned to see Harry shout the killing curse at Voldemort.
Voldemort looked surprised as the life left his eyes. Everything turned deadly silent and Harry swayed, dropping his wand. Then he fell to the ground and passed out.
---.--- A few days later… ---.---
"Hermione…" Draco said wryly.
"Hold on," she replied, digging through her rucksack.
They had finally got the time to slip away from everyone and everything. They were sitting at a particularly serene spot next to the lake at Hogwarts. Hermione had opted to having a picnic. She was, apparently, obsessed with the idea of them having picnics. She had said she had a wonderful dream involving picnics a few weeks ago.
Draco rolled his eyes as he sighed loudly.
"Right, I know!" Hermione said, still digging.
Draco looked at Hermione lovingly though. He smiled as he watched a piece of her unruly hair slip out of its elastic band.
"Your hair must definitely have a mind of its own, don't you think?" Draco mused.
Hermione looked over at Draco with a shocked and irritable look on her face, "Draco Malfoy, how dare you make fun of my hair!"
"I wasn't really making fun of your hair," Draco said, tugging the piece of hair that had fallen out and onto her shoulder, "I was just stating a fact. I'm sure Lovegood has a name for it too. Your hair is probably possessed by Googlewarps or something."
Draco and Hermione laughed and Hermione pulled him into a close hug, "I'm so glad that you're alive."
"What kind of divinination mumbo jumbo did you read up on anyway? Seems like a whole bunch of BS if you ask me," Draco said.
"Oh never mind," Hermione sighed happily, nuzzling closer, "It really doesn't matter anymore."
"I suppose," Draco said, smiling, "Now that you're done messing around in your rucksack, are you going to kiss me or what?"
Hermione looked up at him and giggled, "Only if you promise to keep your hands away from my skirt. I know how excited boys can get when they start to get into the make out sessions."
Draco put a fake frown on his face, "Oh Hermione you're taking all the fun out of it!"
"Really, Draco, it's broad day light!"
"I'm only kidding," Draco laughed, leaning his head down to kiss her.
They were both dealing with a lot of crap from the aftermath of the final battle but Draco hadn't felt this alive in a long time. And he was glad that he was sitting here, basking in the sunlight, feeling the wind blow through his hair, kissing Hermione Granger, the girl he loved.
Fin