The XanderCordelia Factor

Hermione woke, feeling like shit stomped on by an elephant and shot at. Images flooded her mind. Her, Harry, Ron, sitting under the willow tree, laughing. Her and Harry, at the Summer of Sin concert, getting high. Her and Ron, laughing at some joke they played. Her and Draco, in the Room of Requirement, kissing, skating. Her, Harry and Draco forming a band called The Cyanide Injection and jamming. All the while, light came a little closer to her.

She shook her head, clearing it. I will not be dead now! I need to kill a baddie, and save my boyfriend! And get my hair re-straightened. Damn evil. It makes my hair go ker-ploofey. She sat up, wincing as her back cricked, and her torso sent a blinding flash of pain through her.

"Ow. Fuck ow."

The sight before her was less than pleasant. Draco was a crumpled, bloody heap of clothes and Voldemort stood over him, exacting his revenge. Not if I have anything to say about it! She thought, gripping her wand in white knuckles hands.

"Cruciamdsentum!" she screamed, the curse for weakening power coming out of her wand in a weak baby blue.

"Protego!" boomed the Dark Lord. "Nici-Mort-Nici!" and Hermione flew backwards, landing on her rump. Something cracked, she screamed, and suddenly Voldemort and she were face-to-face.

"You. You would protect him even though this-" he kicked at Draco "-TRAITOR, this, this SCUM was originally working for the Dark Forces of Darkness?"

Idiot needs to come up with a better name. Dark Lord he may be, creativity shall be his eventual downfall...she sighed, and looked into his red eyes.

"So this is what staring death in the face is like. Huh, I expected it to be a little more...terrifying?" she quipped, then drove her knee into the Dark Lords alpha-ones. He grunted and rolled over, allowing her to get to her feet. She aimed her wand.

"Encase." and a green blue jelly-like substance formed a donut around Voldemort, and it squeezed him till he screamed in agony.

"You can throw dark curses at me, you can send bug-men after my friends, but no-one, and I repeat, NO-ONE touches my boyfriend without my wrath." she said, kicking the evil lord in the shin on each 'no-one'. Harry burst through, with Dumbledore in tow, and they took care of Voldemort. Hermione limped over to her unconscious boyfriend, took his hand and fell beside him in a faint.

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Morning sunshine woke Draco, and he tried to sit up, but his ribs protested. Blinking, he took in his surroundings. Obviously the school Infirmary, with beds lined up on the two walls, and curtains around one. There were flowers beside one bed, and chocolates and mini Tech Decks on another. He looked down, ignoring the pain it caused in his neck, and saw that his torso had been bound up with bandages, and bruises on his arms and collarbone. His right arm was in a sling. His left hand felt his face, and it came into contact with bandages on his nose, slivers of gauze on his cheeks, and a bandage wrapped all the way around his head. God I must look a mess, he thought, grinning then wincing in pain. He scouted the room for Hermione, and found her. Her face had some minor cuts on it, with little strips on them, her torso encased in gauze, and various bruises on her body. She was, of course, wearing a button-up shirt, so he couldn't see anything improper. He was just glad she was breathing, if sleeping. She could've heard his thoughts, because a second later, her eyes opened (eye, really. One was sporting a real big shiner) and her mouth curved into a beautiful smile.

"Hey you." she got out, voice raspy.

"Hey."

They lay there just staring at each other, reveling in how good it was to not lose someone they loved.

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Harry watched this, from his personally reserved bed. Voldemort was disposed of for now, and would definitely never come attacking the school any time in the near future. Dumbledore had given him a curse, which was probably herpes or something- and had temporarily let down the guards against Apparation, getting the Lord out of there and to a remote location. Tasmania, to be precise. After that, Harry had promptly fainted again, going into a coma. This one was shorter, and less sudden. The reason he'd woken in the first place was because his inner hero had overcome the pain.

Good to know I'm still good at THAT, he thought smugly, and continued staring at the lovers.

Hello loves, how's it going? I'm almost finished with this story! I'm going to California on Thursday, but by that time I'll have finished it ALL up. Hearts and cookies to those who reviewed, you are amazing. (:) (:) (:)

Shorty