DISCLAIMER: Albeit the fact that I wrote this chapter in London UK (on a small piece of paper during my vacation there last week) I am not J.K Rowling.
THE FINAL BATTLE AT HOGWARTS - ENTRANCE OF HOGWARTS/GREAT HALL
"No." Hermione yelled when she saw Hagrid putting Harry's lifeless body on the ground just outside of the castle.
He couldn't be dead. Even though she knew what he was up to she kept hoping he would somehow survive his suicide mission. But seeing his dead body broke her heart and shattered all of her hope. Was this the end? Had Voldemort won?
Her eyes scanned through the crowd. She looked at Ron holding his little sister close, with tears streaming down on both of their faces. She saw Neville looking shocked and more determent than ever. She watched Luna staring into nothing with a weird look on her face. She observed that Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were looking around, searching for their son. She also saw Voldemort smiling and laughing at the death of her friend.
And then her eyes landed on Bella's. It had always been hard to read Bellatrix when she was wearing her figurative mask . Hermione could never really tell what was going on in her lover's head on moments like that.
The minute their eyes met Hermione felt butterflies fly enthusiastically in her lower abdomen. They were so fervent that she had to put her hand on her belly to calm them down. Her lover was very beautiful tonight, especially after their encounter, Bella had a yellowish and sensual glow over her body. Bellatrix let her mask down for only a few seconds so Hermione could read her mixed emotions. She saw fear, love, sympathy, sorrow and something she could quite put her finger on.
"Harry Potter is dead. If you continue to resist me, you will die. I do not wish this to happen, because every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. So please surrender and join me." Voldemort said to the crowd.
"NEVER." Neville yelled. On what appeared out of nowhere he pulled the sword of Gryffindor and killed the snake.
"No, you idiot." Voldemort yelled. Lifting his wand and pointing it directly at Neville. He shot a flash of green light at him, but before it could hit him Hermione magically pushed him aside.
"You filthy little Mudblood." He hissed at her.
He walked closer to her. "How dare you use magic? You are dirt, you stole our magic. Do you know what we do to filthy muggles who steal magic?"
He paused, looking at her.
She started to panic but refused to show it to anyone.
"Well?" He asked again.
"And here I thought that you were a know it all". He said. "Bella? Show her what we do to miniature Mudblood thieves just like her."
Bellatrix' eyes widened in shock. She knew how much the Dark Lord hated Muggles and Mudbloods. Merlin, she herself hated them too until she met this certain petit bushy haired girl. A Mudblood, who she fell madly in love with. A brown eyed beauty who was standing before her with a great amount of fear in her eyes.
"My Lord?" She asked, not really knowing what else to say.
What was she supposed to do? She knew what he wanted her to do. He wanted her to torture, humiliate and then kill her secret paramour. But how could she? How could she hurt the woman she loved so much. A young woman who had reopened her eyes and who made her life a little bit brighter every day.
"C'mon Bella, use that spell you love so much."
Bella's eyes met Hermione's, pleading her for help. She saw Hermione straighten herself preparing herself for the pain that the Cruciatus curse would inflict on her.
Hermione nodded slightly, giving the older woman permission to hurt her. Trusting her that she would be as gentle as she could be in a situation like this. She knew that if Bellatrix did not as she was told she might get tortured herself or worse killed. And she could not let that happen to her. Besides she knew that there was no place for her in this world. Not if Voldemort was the leader. No matter where she was, he would hunt her and try to kill her. She was worth nothing, she was just a Mudblood. But Bella on the other hand had a life ahead of her in this world and if she could keep her lover alive she would do it in a heartbeat. So she straightened herself again and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come.
Bellatrix took a deep breath. 'Merlin, please forgive me' she thought before she lifted her wand and yelled. "Crucio." With tears in her eyes.
But before the forbidden spell hit her lover she heard a man's voice yelling: "Protego."
Hermione opened her eyes and stared with disbelieve at Harry. 'How did he survive?' Then she lifted her head and looked into the watering eyes of her Bella. She saw her mouthing 'I am so sorry.' Hermione nodded, she knew she was but she didn't blame the older woman because she knew it was the best solution. She wanted to reach for her, comfort her, but she knew now was not the time and defiantly not the place.
"POTTER?" Voldemort yelled. "How is it possible that you are still alive? Not that it really matters, I promise you I'll kill you next time."
Harry ran inside the castle, into the Great Hall, with the Order right behind him. Voldemort ran after him, firing curses at everyone in his way. His death eaters following his example and also entered the castle.
Hermione dueled with Greyback, firing and deflecting spell after spell.
Bellatrix dueled with Tonks. Not that she wanted to hurt her niece, but she was the only Order member who fought near Hermione. This was the only way to be close to her so she could protect her if she needed. That would be the last thing she could do after she tried to hurt her lover. She did have to give Tonks some credits, she was a good duelist just like her mother was, she thought.
Hermione was able to stun Greyback and threw him out of the castle. She took a deep breath and looked around. She spotted Ginny and Luna fighting Dolohov. She walked to them, trying to help them out. Knowing that he was the one who killed Fred and Lupin, she fought with all her might.
But what she didn't see is that Rodolphus Lestrange was sneaking up on her, he grabbed her and yanked her into the shadows of the Great Hall.
"Did you have fun screwing my wife behind my back?" He whispered in her ear, pushing his wand to her troat.
Hermione froze when she heard his voice. She knew Bella's ex-husband wasn't very happy with their divorce.
"You stole her from me. I don't know what kind of magic you cast upon her, but she is mine." He said.
Hermione found her voice again. "She was never yours."
He pulled at her hair and murmured in her ear. "Of course she was. What do you know, you are just a teenager. You were just a random fuck, it's me who she really loves. She married me after all."
"Keep telling yourself that and you might actually believe it, but she never ever loved you Rodolphus. The only reason she ever married you was because her father forced her, it had nothing to do with love. Besides didn't she just divorce you?"
He grabbed her by the throat, lifted her of the floor and threw her in the middle of the Great Hall at the feet of Voldemort. The whole Order, and Bellatrix, gasped when they saw Hermione laying close to the enemy.
"Well, well. Our paths cross again tonight Mudblood." He mocked at her. "Let me show you this time what I do with filthy scum."
Hermione tried to reach for her wand, because it had fallen out of her hand when she landed in the middle of the Great Hall, but he levitated her from the floor and threw her a few feet away.
"To bad you aren't a pure blood, or at least an half blood, because from what I've heard you have quite the brains and the power."
He highered his wand. And for a second time that day Hermione closed her eyes, fearing for the worst.
"Avada Kedavra" He yelled, but before the spell could hit her, Bellatrix jumped in front of Hermione and hugged her tight. Using her own body as a shield, protecting her lover. The killing curse hit her in the right shoulder, leaving her motionless in the arms of her lover.
A/N I am truly amazed by all the page views I got. And I want to thank those who actually took the time to write a review.