Her hand faltered slightly and she shook her head, cursing herself. She couldn't beat them all. She couldn't guarantee that he would drop all and help her, that he wouldn't fight against her. She focused on his hand, watched as it clinched and relaxed in a rhythm only he knew.

She jumped when a hand covered her mouth, she pulled at the hand that wrapped around her waist and dragged her further into the darkness of the stairs. She was released and turned quickly finding herself face to face with Snape. The glare from his eyes penetrated into her and she glared back at him. She made to speak and he quickly put a hand back on her mouth. He shook his head back and forth, she could see his teeth grind together as he pulled her further into the shadows. Together they slinked around the circle, avoiding any stray eyes as the Death Eaters marched down the stairs.

"I couldn't leave him." She whispered as the door closed. Snape shook his head and peered around the corner.

"You shouldn't be here." He grunted out.

It was then that she heard the unmistakable pop of an apparition into the room above them, her heartbeat in her chest. You can't apparate into Hogwarts. Something wasn't right. She paused and listed to the grunting and nervous whispers she quickly recognized as belonging to Harry as he supported Dumbledore into the light above her. Something was wrong that much was clear. The man was slumped over, Harry was supporting his weight as Dumbledore grabbed his wand, Harry wasn't looking as the wand was pointed towards him. She pulled herself free of Snape to run up, he quickly grabbed her again, harder, leaving marks on her arm as he pulled her under the stairs.

Petrificus totalus

She stopped then as Dumbledore cursed Harry and his body fell between the railings and landed next to hers. The invisibility cloak only haphazardly covered him as she grabbed his leg to pull him into the darkness with her, her heart lept in her chest as Snape helped her. Harrys eyes meet hers and she shrugged. A creaking sent her cowering as she threw the cloak over Harrys head. There was a person on the stairs. She couldn't look at Harry she focused solely on the scene above her. This wasn't right.

Draco stood wand pointing as the man told him everything he had been dreading to hear. He knew? Knew all along that he was supposed to kill him? That he was going to let them into the castle? How could he know and not stop him, not offer him these promises of safety before now? He could feel the rage building in him as he aimed his wand higher.

"We can help you all Draco, he will never find you." He looked at his feet then and saw her, he blinked rapidly trying to clear her from his sight, but she never faltered. Even with her hand over her mouth and her eyes closed the look of disgust never wavered from her face, the betrayal he had waited for was finally playing out. She now knew it all and the look on her face told him all he needed to know. His wand faltered for a moment, he lowered it slightly, before the foots steps on the stairs told him he was no longer alone.

"Do it Draco, what are you waiting for? Kill the old fool." Bellatrix breathed down his neck and sent shivers down his spine. She rested her head on his shoulder and whispered sweet nothing into his ear. His eyes glanced down again as he watched the tears fall from the brown eyes below. His mouth moved to speak when his wand arm was grabbed by the man next to him.

"Severus." The old man nodded as Snape approach and took his place.

She watched as the green light left Snape's wand and the world as she knew it ended. The screaming came from the castle walls themselves and muffled the screaming that left her lips. She didn't dare unfreeze Harry, she fell to her knees and screamed as Bellatrix's laugh pierced into her soul.

She sobbed into her hands as the members of the Death Eaters marched down the stairs and into the castle.

What had she done?

She had been fooled by both. They knew all along this was going to happen. That Dumbledore would die, and she had been nothing but a pawn in their game. She knew this. Had called him out on his game and had still fallen for him.

She sent a curse flying towards him and it missed by a hair. He hadn't moved. Had dropped his arms to his side as she flew to the stair's wand aimed and ready. She couldn't catch her breath.

Snape pulled at Draco's arm. Pulling him with him as she flung half aimed curses at their retreating figures. The tears masking her vision, preventing her from hitting her mark.

She lifted the curse from Harry and chased after him as he left the room screaming. She ran through the castle, her lungs burning as she screamed Harry's name, it echoed back to her as it bounced off the stones and she stopped as they ran onto the grounds. She watched as Draco and Snape ran into the forest, watched as Snape knocked Harry down and continued running to his side. Bellatrix sent a line of fire blocking them, as she followed, dancing into the forest.

"Hermione, what happened? What happened?!" Harry screamed at her as she fell to her knees next to him. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

She shouldn't have been there. Shouldn't have seen any of it. She was a fool.

She shook her head and sobbed as his fingers dug into her shoulders. "Why were you there? Why was Snape there?" She met his eyes and forced words out.

"Snape. Snape told me something was wrong. That the students needed to be safe, I didn't know anything else. I heard the bells and came running. He found me in the tower and then you fell. Harry how did this happen? How did I let this happen?" She sobbed as he wrapped his arms around her, and they sat still watching as the fire burned in front of them and the screaming of the castle intensified.