Chapter 29

A/N This chapter has been in the works for...I have no idea (Bailey says weeks. We've be planning it for weeks) Okay. Listen to Bailey (can't you tell we are actually working on this together?) it's been weeks. Actually, maybe even months. We... Ugh just read it.

delenda est c: You're welcome :).

Professor Radar: Here it is! Hopefully it lives up to your expectations.

Bienvenue a Bikini Bottom: Sadly, Sirius is dead but he was technically killed by Yaxley and the unfortunate timing of events, not Bellatrix.

Amar 2: We can't spoil it here...just read the chapter and all will be revealed.

Christine Dalenn: Don't kill us. Remember, killing is a bad thing in reality.

CreatorZorah: Thanks for the follow!

redgre: Thanks for the follow!

LadyTaiyo: Thanks for the follow!

Severus tore after Bellatrix, his wand raised high, as he ran through the night. With only the light from the moon as his guide, he concentrated on her wild black hair ahead of him. When he was finally in range, he pointed his wand and screamed, "Avada Kedavra!"

The spell missed Bellatrix's head by mere centimeters and she stopped immediately. She turned slowly, her breathing heavy.

"There you are, Severus. I knew you were hiding somewhere," she said.

"On the contrary, I wasn't hiding. I was merely taking out quite a few of your fellow companions," he replied. Bellatrix laughed and the sound carried through the wind.

"But yet you chose now to find me. Where's your precious Mudblood, traitor? Crucio!" Severus barely jumped out of the way of the curse and quickly sent one back that she also deflected. "She must be near if you are suddenly so intent on killing me," she said and her eyes lit up with happiness. "Where are you Mudblood?" she yelled out and Severus felt his blood boil.

"Avada Kedavra!" Again, she deflected the spell which hit a nearby tree.

"YOU WILL DIE, TRAITOR!" That's when the real fight began. The two of them threw spell after spell at each other, only aiming for the other's death. Normally when he fought, Severus would get progressively tired and drained from using that much magic, but this time was different. His entire being was set on destroying Bellatrix Lestrange so the more he fought, the closer he got, the more he felt energized. His body was practically buzzing with alertness. He was anticipating her moves and blocking them right as he sent another spell to wizz toward her. He had never noticed until those precious moments how well he knew Bellatrix's fighting style and techniques, and he was grateful. He knew that his knowledge of her ways was one of the only things that was still keeping him alive.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed and this time it hit him. Agonizing pain shot through him and even though the tried to fight it, tried to stand strong, he fell to his knees. Moments later, the pain fell away and he collapsed, his breathing heavy. Bellatrix laughed again and she began to slowly walk closer to Severus.

"You actually thought you could beat me," she laughed as she walked.

"I'm not beaten yet," he replied and her smile faltered slightly.

"Look around you. Your entire side is beaten. Anyone who doesn't answer to the will of the Dark Lord, my Master, will be destroyed." Severus raised his wand in caution but then looked behind him at the battle he had left. For once, Bellatrix was right. The Order was crumbling, not because of their lack of strength, but because of Voldemort's utter determination to kill every last person who defied him. Albus and James stood at the head of the battle, fighting Voldemort himself. Yaxley lay on the ground and Severus knew either James or Remus had gotten their revenge for Sirius. The rest of the Death Eaters that were still standing, however, were slowly overcoming the Order due to their vast numbers and their readiness to kill. Severus knew the Order had maybe an hour until they would lose, but that hour was not yet up.

"The battle isn't over yet," he said and he tried to make it sound strong.

"You know, it's funny," she started, completely ignoring Severus' comment. "The first battle of this war was started on the Hilltop and now here we are once more for your end." Severus looked around quickly. He hadn't even realised they were back on the Hilltop. They had been battling so fiercely that he hadn't noticed the direction that they were traveling. He glanced at the area surrounding him for a moment, wondering if it looked different from the last time he was there. Everything else was different after all. Slowly he stood and raised his wand into a battle stance.

"Not my end Bellatrix, but yours." Severus growled.

"You really think you can beat me all by yourself?" she laughed, exhilarated by the thought of fighting. Before Severus could respond, a figure appeared behind Bellatrix.

"The real question is, can you defeat us by yourself? Avada Kedavra!" Lily stepped out of the shadows, her wand raised high and her eyes ablaze with fury as she watched Bellatrix jump behind a tree and out of the way of the spell. Severus' entire being shook with fear.

"Lily," he said slowly, his voice shaking. "Get out of here, go back to Hogwarts where you will be safe," She didn't acknowledge him. Instead she kept her wand pointed towards the other witch, "Lily, you have to be safe. Please." Still, she didn't move.

"Severus," She said, not looking away from the tree Bellatrix was hiding behind, "I can't leave. I wouldn't be okay if I knew you and everyone else were fighting for me as I sat in safety. I can't do that so please, don't ask me to."

"Lily-" Severus began, but he knew she would listen to what he wanted to say. Instead he continued, "You are a true Gryffindor." And he said it and meant it honestly. There wasn't a trace of sarcasm in his voice.

"Well, isn't this cute." Bellatrix taunted, stepping out from behind the tree with her wand raised at the two of them, "Finally realised that resisting was foolish? That you will lose and die if you do?" Lily didn't even flinch, she stood strong as she replied, hate ablaze in her eyes.

"You can threaten me, Bellatrix, but when you threaten my children, my husband, my best friend? That's when you cross the line. And you are going to die for that."

"Oh I am?" Bellatrix laughed, "You stupid girl. And I don't plan on just killing you. No, I plan to torture you as I kill you, make it as painful as possible. Someone like you deserves special treatment. Plus, I want to see Severus' face as he watches you slowly die before his eyes." Bellatrix said and Severus couldn't miss the gleam in her eyes, "And he realizes he can't do anything about it."

"No!" Severus yelled. "I'm the one that you and the Dark Lord want, not her! Let her go!' Bellatrix turned her gaze onto Severus and he could feel himself shaking.

"Don't you see? I'm killing her to torture you. That way the last thing you will live to see is your precious Mudblood dying." With each and every word Bellatrix spoke, the smile on her face grew, "And after she dies, I will kill you to finish the job."

Severus started running towards her, every fiber of his being screaming for him to kill her. It was his only thought.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed and Severus fell in his tracks and convulsed on the ground, overcome in pain from the force of the spell. He could barely hear Lily screaming in the distance, but he did hear it. And he fought the spell with the thought of her.

"I think," Severus heard as he finally broke free of the spell, "I have decided on the form of your destruction." Severus rose to his feet, looking Bellatrix straight in the eye, showing her that he wasn't going to just give into her cruelty. "You see, killing you isn't nearly enough. I need to see you in agony. You are a traitor, you betrayed your Master and now it's time you got your punishment." She pointed her wand towards Lily and Severus froze. "You love this Mudblood? Let's see how much she loves you."
"What are you going to do to her?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"A simple curse, Eversor Cordis. It targets the heart so the more love a person has for another, the longer and more painful the death." Fear surged through him, making him immobile. "You gave up everything for this Mudblood. Let's see how long it takes for her to die for you. Eversor Cordis!"

It only takes a split second for a person's life to change, for them to decide who they are, what is important. In the split second after Bellatrix fired the curse, Severus knew immediately what he wanted in his life, what was important, what he would do anything for. Just moments after the spell left Bellatrix's wand, Severus jumped towards Lily and pushed her to the ground.

The curse hit him straight in the heart and the force pushed him to the ground. In that moment, there was nothing but pain like Severus had never felt.

"SEVERUS!" Lily screamed and the sound of pain in her voice hurt more than the curse itself. She hurried over to him, tears already forming in her eyes. Realising what she had done, Bellatrix erupted in hysterical laughter. Lily's face turned into one of utter and complete rage. She turned herself towards Bellatrix and screamed, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

This time, the curse didn't miss it's mark. The green light shot straight into the witch's heart and she fell to the ground, dead. The still face didn't even show surprise, she had never saw it coming.

Without wasting a moment to rejoice at the death of Bellatrix Lestrange, Lily hurried back to Severus' side.

"No, no, no, Sev, please!" she pleaded frantically. She knelt down and looked over his body which twitched in pain. She tried to soothe him and put her shaking hands on his chest. His body was already becoming cold, the poison was working quickly. Her eyes began swimming in years as she watched her best friend slip away right before her eyes.

"You... are... safe," Severus managed to get out though the pain. A sob escaped Lily's mouth and her tears spilled over and fell off her face, landing on Severus' cheeks. Severus looked up at her, and fighting through the pain, he raised his arm and brushed the tears from under her eyes.

"Shh, it will be okay." He told her.

"How? You will be gone!" Lily cried.

"I love you, Lily," he breathed and she sobbed again, grabbing his hand and holding it to her face.

"I love you too," she whispered and a faint smile appeared on Severus' lips. "Please don't leave me," she sobbed. "Sev, I need you."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could stay," he whispered. The two of them sat like that for a few moments, neither wanting to accept what was happening. But Severus knew the end was near, the pain was pulling him under, calling him. "Promise me something."
"Anything," she said, her voice breaking.

"Remember me." Lily's entire body shook as she cried. She bent over and gently kissed his cheeks then nodded, thinking of the first moment they had met and all of the moments they had shared since.

"Always," she replied and she grabbed his hand one last time and held it to her lips.

Severus looked up into the moonlight and breathed softly. Lily looked down at him, tears spilling freely out of her eyes. As the light faded out of his eyes, Severus looked at Lily's face, one last time; the face that had been there for him for years, the face he was dying for, the face he loved.

"I love you," he heard and then his vision turned white and there was nothing.

A/N (again) Thank you to everyone who has ever read this story and to those of you who have been there for this journey with Bailey and I since the beginning. I have to admit, I didn't think this story would affect me the way it did, but I found myself crying while writing this chapter which means something because I never cry while writing.

Let us know how this made you feel. The epilogue will be posted next week.

Eversor Cordis: Destroyer of the heart