1Disclaimer in profile.

AN: Thank you Lee for your lovely beta skillz.

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Curses flew back and forth. The grassy plain was littered with the bloody bodies of both Death Eaters and affiliates of the light. Blood splattered across his face as Bellatrix Black slashed across a hapless victim's face. Severus Snape and Bella's eyes connected. Loathing clouded both their eyes, but Snape was the first to act on it. He lunged at her, attempting to strike her down with sheer force, as his wand had long been cursed out of his hand.

He acted uncharacteristically incautious. Bella's eyes were wide with excitement. There were several blood streaks across her face and plaid school girl outfit (apparently she felt it fitting to dress as a school girl during the attack on Hogwarts property). The blood stood in stark contrast to the white, long sleeved button down shirt. She also had several claw marks on her face. She pictured the slow, painful death she planned to give Snape. The fear and pain that filtered through her victim's eyes exhilarated her. So, she bought a new toy. A gleaming, metallic knife with a serrated blade which now glowed slightly red with the enchantment she'd placed on it. Ever the enthusiastic student, she had taken the time to develop a new spell that would be impossible to heal magically. She had been extremely excited when her Master had told them his plans to invade Hogwarts and finish off the self righteous brat, Harry Potter and the Muggle-lover, Dumbledore giving her the perfect opportunity to test her new spell. So far, it was working out brilliantly. She decided she enjoyed the feel of metal against bone rather than simply cursing someone, and therefore had switched hands and now carried her wand in her left hand and her once-polished instrument of death in the other.

She relished the thought of doing to Snape as she had many others strewn across the field. The image of each of her victims flashed through her mind. After they had gasped a final breath, she carved large numbers on their chest to signify how many she'd killed personally.

He swung but she ducked and like lightning, stabbed him in the side with her knife. She leaned in close to him as the sudden onslaught of intense pain ripped through him. Twisting the knife deeper she whispered into his ear, "Die like the dog you are, you filthy traitor."

Pulling the knife out, she plunged it into a higher section of his torso. Blood began oozing slowly out of both wounds. Growling deeply, she pushed him off her blade, before crouching next to him to wipe the excess blood off on his robe as he lay twitching on the ground. In her mind she had already outlined exactly where and how deep she would cut him to make his suffering great and lasting...

"Sectumsempra!"

The voice cut through the air, startling Bella out of her thoughts. She reflexively turned and received a huge slash across her face. Bella ducked her head down to unconsciously avoid the pain, though she quickly lifted it again to face her attacker. Blood snaked down, seeping from the diagonal wound as a cruel smile grew on her face.

Bella's voice cracked like a whip, "Well, if it isn't the Mudblood!"
Hermione Granger sniped back sarcastically, "Nice to see you again, too, Psychotic Bitch."Bella stood to her full height as she walked slowly toward Hermione, flipping the dagger in her hand.

"Come to save your Headmaster's murderer, girl? Or to just watch the final nail driven into his coffin?"

"I'll settle with putting you in a dark, dank hole to rot for the rest of your life. Incarcerous!" Thick ropes shot out of Hermione's wand, binding Bella's arms and legs tightly, though not before Bella ineffectually lunged at Hermione, still out of range of slicing her with the knife in her outstretched arm. Bella landed on the ground, the wind knocked out of her with the force of the impact.

Hermione stepped on her forearm and pried the knife out of her hand.

Bella hatefully glared at Hermione from the ground, her face twisted into a sneer, "I will see you crawling before me, begging for mercy, you stupid Mudblood! When my Lord has finally conquered your puny resistance, I shall personally make the rest of your long life a living nightma-!"

Red sparks shot from Hermione's wand, connecting with Bella's chest, rendering her temporarily unconscious.

Hermione quickly rushed to Snape's side, kneeling in the dewy grass. She placed her hand an inch above his mouth and was pleased to feel a tickling sensation of breath on her palm. Breathing a sigh of relief, she mentally went down the checklist she learned in her first aid training.

"Remove clothing covering wound..." She vocalized, putting words to actions by pulling gently on the coarse fabric at the point of entry of the abdominal wound. A hand clamped down on her wrist, stilling her movement.

"Leave well enough... alone,... Miss Granger," he labored but enunciated slowly.
"Professor Snape... this wound looks bad. I haven't even gotten to check the ot-"
"I said..."Snape started again, closing his eyes momentarily against the pain, "Leave. It." A pregnant pause sat between them before he began to weakly move, attempting to roll over onto his stomach.

"What are you doing, Professor?" Hermione squeaked, reaching a hand out to still his movement.

His movement stilled for a moment and then he caught his breath before continuing, "What does it... look like...," he faltered slightly, his eyes darting to hers and then down to the ground before shaking his head and scowling, "you twit." He grunted as he pushed himself to his knees, settling on his haunches.

"Professor.. Professor! Don't move... That's a potentially fatal wound!" She knelt next to him, trying to continue examining the wound.

Snape rolled his eyes but didn't raise his head, but chose simply to stare at the ground while replying, "Go... go help Potter."

"Harry's fine, Professor--" she started, only to be cut off.

"Go. Now." His eyes locked with hers in a stern gaze. Taking her dismissal, she slowly stood, not breaking eye contact until she had fully stood. Taking a few steps forward, she scanned the mass of wizards and witches, she located Harry on the battle field instantly as his shock of black hair and the number of people circling him drew her attention. He had several Aurors and Order of the Phoenix members guarding him while he dueled Voldemort, who appeared to be weakening.

Shooting a rapid glance back behind her, she noticed that Snape had started crawling toward the tree line, which wasn't more than twenty feet away. Glancing back toward the battle and then back again toward her wounded professor, she followed her initial impulse.
She ran the short distance to Snape's side.
"Professor..."
"Did you not hear me? I said to go!..." He collapsed against a tree jutted out from the rest of the forest. His voice dropped to a whisper, "Can't you let me die alone, as I was intended?"
The prickling sensation of tears stung her eyes, "You are not... not going to die."

A hand splayed in front of her face was covered in a vibrant red liquid. "I assure you,... Miss Granger... I am human. And... am currently... bleeding to death..."

She lifted her wand, "I don't have much first aid... knowledge... but..."

"It won't help... just trust me..." The tingling he felt in his ribs was a sure sign of Bella's malicious intentions with her victims.

Her features set in grim determination; Hermione hated to see a fierce warrior of their side giving up so effortlessly. She settled at her former professor's hip and began putting pressure on both wounds.

"Miss... ah!"

"Sorry, Professor... You'll thank me later..."

He sighed, deciding his last good deed on Earth would be placating Hermione Granger. He let out a sigh and felt the urge to tell her something truthful, and hopefully distract her from further stimulating the painful wound, "You were... my best student..."

She glanced up at him before readjusting her attention back to his side. "Thank you, Professor..." her eyes sparkled at the compliment, which was spun silk to her since he'd never complimented her on anything. "Potions was one of my favorite subjects... and I respected you, still do."
"Girl, I am not... your professor anymore... I believe... killing your employer... is a pretty distinct... tender of resignation..."

His snarky comment was lost on Hermione as red trails began flowing through her fingers.

"This isn't working..." She looked up at his pale face which seemed to be even more pallid than usual. He closed his eyes gently as she whispered, "I... I don't know what to do."

"Sir..." Her voice had become unnaturally high and tears began to well in her eyes.

"Shh..." he voiced, opening his eyes slightly as he slowly snaked a hand behind her neck and settled her against his chest.

"It'll be okay... you'll be.. Okay..." he rubbed languid circles on her back, attempting to calm her as he felt her silent, halting jerks. Her sniffles added to the evidence that she was crying.

"Do not be... burdened by the grief for those who... die here tonight. We die,... martyrs to the cause... but... a worthy cause. I have no... regrets. Well... I have many regrets... but only one regret that haunts me to this very moment..."

She twisted her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were bloodshot and cheeks moist with tears. "Not telling... those I care about... what they mean... to me." He drew in a shaky breath, "You have been kind to me,... when no other was. A shining light... in my darkness." The tears began flowing quicker from Hermione's eyes as he continued, " I had meant... to move away from the battle... T-to... die alone." A cough into his hand left it speckled with bloody dots, "T-thank you... for coming... back."

She sniffled, then whispered, "No one... deserves to die alone." She placed a chaste kiss upon his lips as his eyes drooped until closed as the sun broke across the horizon, shining a light on the survivors of The Final Battle.