Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 2 - Hermione's POV

One week passed and still I didn't hear a word from Pansy, in fact I haven't even seen her around the school, and there was really no one I could ask why without braking "the rule".

I kept my hope up, but when two weeks passed it became impossible to do that. I chewed my nails and fingers to the bone.

In my despair I went to ask Draco and Milicent about Pansy's whereabouts. They were both rude but I genuinely believed they didn't know where she was.

Of course I disguised the question, as if Pansy took one of my potion supplies and I had to get it back. Technically I didn't break any rule, but it was time to do so. I couldn't stand not knowing where she is any longer. One evening I put on my nice sweater and decided to go right up to the headmaster's office. I decided I'll ask anyone till I get the answer, even Snape if I have to.

I stopped on the bottom of the staircase and sat down not far from the portrait of fat lady. It was empty so I could be alone and think. Maybe I'm just being a fool. Maybe she changed schools just like that, and maybe… it meant nothing to her that I loved her, after all she considers the notion to be a joke.

I fought off the bitter sensation that came over me and stood up. Whatever the case I had to march up there and find out. I just couldn't torture myself any longer.

And just as I stood up, I heard someone calling my name from below.

"Hermione! Hermione!" As the voice got closer I couldn't possibly believe it was really Pansy. But it was her, rushing up the staircase towards me.

I rushed down the stairs at a dangerously fast pace to meet her.

Visibly tired and out of breath, she hugged me repeating my name once more in a glad and serene tone. "Hermione…"

I recognised this as very unusual. She never called me by name. I asked at once. "What's wrong?"

"So many things… but first I have to say how glad I am to see you. I never imagined a day could seem so long…" She said hugging me again.

I had so many questions, but I guess I had to ask the most obvious one first. "Where were you?"

She looked around nervously. "There is no time to tell you the whole story…"

When I backed away a bit, I noticed she was wearing all black, just like the death eaters do. "Why are you… are those death eater robes?" I asked looking her in the eyes as my heart started beating.

"Ok, listen…" She said looking away in shame, but then she faced me grabbing hold of my hands. "You have to believe me, I never wanted to join them, but I knew it meant death to say no. So I planed an escape. When my father went missing I knew I had to get far away, even if there was a high possibility they'd catch me, I'd rather die as a traitor than a soldier fighting for their cause. But than I got word of this big plan, so I figured I'd stick around to see what it was. And when I saw it…"

"What?!"

"I just couldn't leave you behind. They're going to attack Hogwarts tonight!"

"But how? That's impossible?!" I protest shaking my head in disbelief, but soon realize she wouldn't be making this up. "We gotta tell Harry and Ron, and tell everyone to evacuate!"

"There's no time! They are literally… probably already inside the castle."

"What if we hide?"

"Wouldn't work, you know about marauder's map?"

"Yes." I confirm.

"They got like a dozen of those."

"Damn… We'll fight than! Come!" I grab Pansy's hand and lead her up to the Gryffindor tower. "We must tell Harry, he'll organise Dumbledore's army, and others will join as well. There's gotta be a lot more of us here then there are them."

"True, but these are mostly kids, versus trained and merciless killers."

"It'll be fine, trust me." I turn back to give her a reassuring glance as we rush up the stairs to the portrait of fat lady.

"Whatever you say Hermione." She responds with a fearful smile.

I can't help but feel overjoyed by the fact that she returned, even in this most perilous situation.

However when we reached the fat lady portrait, two death eaters appeared out of nowhere, they just apparated on the spot.

"Fuck! They're here!" I yelled turning around with Pansy and rushing back down as the two death eaters looked around and gained their senses.

They chased us down and trough the hallways firing off hexes as they ran after us. We were lucky so far until we reached a dead end. Pansy still had her death eater mask in her pocket, so she pulled it out and took my hand. "Listen we have to fight them. Stay behind the wall till I yell "now". We'll have the element of surprise."

I didn't quite get her plan but the footsteps where already here and she stepped out into the open. "Hey it's me." Pansy said pulling down her mask as I waited in the cover with my wand drawn.

"Oh, it's Pansy. Did you see some Hogwarts girls run trough here?" I heard the younger man's voice ask, but then the older death eater with a coarse voice yelled. "You idiot! That is her!"

He fired off a hex that only grazed Pansy, but still knocked her down on the floor. I stepped out of the cover and started hexing at the two. To burn, maim and paralyze. I threw anything I could think of with such incredible speed that they couldn't keep up.

Once my blind rage passed I saw one of the death eaters down on the floor and unresponsive, probably paralyzed by one of my hexes. The other one wasn't in sight.

"Show yourself coward!" I yelled, glancing back at Pansy who was still on the floor and gazed up at me with awe.

"Not bad for a kid." I heard that same coarse and merciless voice from before. "But you're no match for me! I'll get you bitch! You and your traitor friend!" He stepped out and started throwing at us a barrage of fire hexes that I barely deflected. I managed to shield myself and Pansy enough so that we could reach our cover behind the wall.

"See now! You're no match for me!" The death eater gloated. "And you Pansy! Not only a traitor but absolutely fucking useless without your mudblood friend!"

"He knows you?" I asked Pansy whispering.

She frowned looking down on the ground. "I think I know who it is."

"I didn't expect much better from you to be honest." The death eater continued his demoralizing slander. "Your father was a traitor and a swine. No wonder his daughter is just as useless."

Pansy kept looking at the floor as her breathing got faster and air kept audibly fuming out her nostrils. I heard her teeth grit before she yelled out. "Did you kill him?!" Her voice angrily echoed throughout the corridor.

There was an unusually long pause that I found extremely suspicious. "Pansy?" I whispered grabbing at her sleeve, trying to get her attention and some explanation of what was going on. She didn't even hear me. She was clenching her fist and awaiting that response.

And than it came. "Yes, I killed him." Said the death eater, and without a pause Pansy stepped out from the cover.

As soon as she did, the death eater, who must have been positioned and waiting her, fired off a vicious ice shard.

All I saw was an icy shrapnel run trough Pansy and hit the back wall shattering in thousand pieces. But it did the job of going trough her chest. She fell on her knees.

I screamed in horror, chilling my own blood. "Pansy!" I yelled as I pulled her back into the cover.

"Serves you right!" I heard the cruel voice say add. "And by the way, I didn't kill your father, but I wish that I had." He said before running off in the other direction.

Anger suddenly overwhelmed me and I grabbed my wand, almost snapping it from the rage I felt at that moment. Before I could jump up and chase after him I felt a hand on mine stop me.

Pansy was struggling to breathe and only managed to look up at me, which was more that enough for me to forget about whatever demon caused this to happen and turn all of my attention to her.

The death eater was far by now. I guess he hadn't much interest in finishing me off, he probably figured one of his buddies will get me.

As death eaters swarmed the place, screams and sounds of battle could be heard all throughout the castle. It was as if the world burned, and we were in this quiet little corner. It wouldn't be so bad if only Pansy wasn't so hurt.

I took a look at her more closely now. The wound looked so severe that I just didn't know what to do. Moving her in such a state wasn't an option, so my first thought was to get help. A Hogwarts nurse Madam Pomfrey, or anyone skilled enough to help her.

"Just stay here, I'll get help." I whispered to her as tears collected in my eyes. I know I had to do something and fast if I was to save her. I didn't care what it took, even if my own life was required.

Before I managed to tear myself away from her I felt a hand on mine again. "Don't leave… I don't want to die alone." Pansy managed.

"Don't be silly, you're not gonna die!" I yelled at her with tears overflowing. "I'll get you help, just…"

"No." She said with last of her strength as blood came pouring out of her mouth. "I…" She choked up.

By now I knew she was right and I started weeping like never before.

"I wanted to tell you… that… ou..."

I tried to understand her words, but it was hard as she was choking on blood. She coughed up a big puddle on the stone floor as I propped her against the wall and held her from collapsing.

"I said… I love you." She managed before passing out.

She was no longer here, I realized. Her body was unusually still, flawless, but only a skin she shed, like a snake, and hopefully stepped into a new life, one that's hopefully a bit more just. But I could only guess where she could be… where I will be when death eaters find me here.

One thing I was certain, I didn't want to keep living here with her gone and those maniacs running the world. So I remained on the spot holding her body tight.

As I heard the heavy footsteps approach and death eaters appear form the darkness I knew I'd be gone soon.

With tears in my eyes I smiled, knowing I'd leave this world that had no longer my greatest treasure.