A/N: Dear readers, thank you for the reviews and the patience, I feel so bad that I haven't updated in a month, however, to make up for such silliness, I am not only going to give you one chapter because it is time to update, but I am also going to give you another chapter for my laziness, and another because of the holiday weekend! Please read and review!

Chapter 39: The Ultimate Price

Hermione and the others ran to the room of requirement, once there, they shut and warded the door. They could hear Voldemort demanding that they turn Harry over, or he would take him by force.

"Bring it on Snake boy." Harry said coldly.

"It's alright we will stand beside you." Hermione said, Molly wasn't happy that Ginny had chosen to stand with Harry in the battle but she knew that her daughter was as stubborn as she was and let it be. They didn't know how long they waited but soon a few of the Order members came and told them that it wasn't going well and then they left to help the others. Hermione glanced at the looking glasses and saw Ron dueling with a few deatheaters, Ginny came to see what had caught her attention and she gasped bringing Hermione out of her reverie.

"Gin, look at me alright, he's a fighter, he will be alright." Each had a stern look on their faces and then they continued to watch the others. Eventually they saw Voldemort enter the school, and he took residence in the Great hall.

"It's time." He said, he lead them all through the exit, killing any deatheater that got in their way, Hermione had gotten separated from the group and was now surrounded by five deatheaters.

"Well well, look at what we have here boys, it's the traitor's daughter."

"Yes and she looks like she has adjusted well."

"Let's have a go," on reached out to tough her cheek but she swatted it away and that angered him, "You should show some respect for you superiors." She pulled her wand and started throwing Hexes, every one she knew at those that were her enemy. All five had fallen due to some curse but there was one that she didn't see, he came around the corner and aimed at the bushy haired Gryffindor. She turned just in time for him to mutter the spell, her eyes widened, she froze, and she was vaguely aware of a figure jumping in front of the curse.

She quickly regained herself and looked down and saw Ron, she fired the killing curse at the death eater and he fell. She knelt down next to him, "Ron, you're going to be ok."

"No, go help Harry… I'm sorry I was such… that I was such an… an ass, can you forgive me?" he asked brokenly due to the curse claiming his body.

"Ron…why did you…?"

"Hermione… I have always loved you and after… you win this war, I want…. you to go on and live your life, no more rules, no more fear, just live for me."

"Don't talk like that; you're going to be fine."

"Hermione…promise…"

"No Ron." He reached up and hand and cupped her cheek, but it soon went limp and she sobbed into his chest, "I promise." She quickly stood and went to make her way to the great hall, she didn't care if they were dueling with another order member or if they were simply walking down the hall, every deatheater she came across she either knocked out or killed by her, simply out of rage, they had killed Ron, and he saved her.

She quickly entered the great hall and found that Ginny wasn't there; she pushed the worst from her mind and started going at random Death eaters. She reached Harry who was dueling with Bellatrix and two other deatheaters helped him take them down.

"Harry where's Gin?"

"I don't know, we lost her in the hall, where were you?"

"I got side tracked," she lied.

"Glad you could join us," she could sense the humor as they dueled even though his voice was strict. Eventually they got them all down and she approached the Dark Lord with Harry by her side.

"Well well Potter, I am so glad that you finally got a pair and came up here, sadly, you have brought a traitor's daughter."

"Lucius is very loyal, just not to an ass like you."

"Bold words boy."

"Ones that should have been told to you years ago."

"Then a duel Mr. Potter, the winner gets the girl to do with as he wishes."

Harry looked at Hermione only briefly, but he turned back to the dark lord and opened his mouth, "Harry, I agree, the daughter of a traitor, I have a high value." Hermione said smoothly, "Let there be a duel." She turned and noticed that a lot of Death eaters were on the ground and that there were numerous Order members on one or two deatheaters, she had to fight the smirk, this was going to be good, Harry knew what to do, he would win. The two moved to the center of the room and the duel began, with the other smaller battles going on around them.

It took two hours but the two started showing exhaustion, Harry was on his knees panting and glaring daggers at the one that stood before him.

"Well Potter, I didn't expect this big of a fight from you, I give you credit, however, I didn't expect you to give up so easily either."

"Who said he was giving up?" came Draco's voice from behind him.

"Ah, Draco, such a pity that you fell through the cracks, you had such potential."

"Yes but my potential pointed me in another direction, one that didn't include you."

"Oh really, well that's a shame that I will just have to kill you in that case." Voldemort raised his wand to the blond just as he smirked. Voldemort had a look of shock on his face, complete and utter shock. Harry stood behind the tall snake-like man and held Gryffindor's sword to the back of the man's chest, he twisted it before he withdrew it.

"NOW!" he shouted, Hermione, Draco, Ginny rounded on the man, "Where's Blaise?" Ginny shook her head.

"What do you need Harry?" Neville came up to the group with his wand drawn.

"Form a circle, we are going to cast numerous disembody spells until he is glowing, then we stab him with his wand and trap him."

"Sounds good." Neville, Hermione, Draco and Ginny started casting the spells alongside Harry.

"Come on Potter, you don't know if that will work."

"Of course it will," Harry said breaking his casting.

"No it won't." suddenly his body began to glow, he looked shocked. Harry took the wand from his grasp and stabbed him in the heart.

"Yes… it will." Harry said smirking. They watched the stick glow and then nothing. Harry sighed heavily as they collapsed on the ground exhausted, and all five of their worlds went black.

Hermione awoke in the hospital wing with both of her parents sitting on either side of her bed; Narcissa was sitting between her two children. "Hi."

"Oh Mia Bear, your alright." Lucius said hugging his daughter tightly.

"Baby!" Narcissa fallowed her Husband and enjoyed the feeling of still being able to hold her little girl. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and sore."

"I can imagine." Draco smirked.

"Shut up!"

"Wow, without her coffee she is a grouch." Draco said holding his hand to his chest in mock hurt. The family laughed as the doors to the hospital wing opened.

"Mione!" George said running to her, followed by his entire family. "I am so glad you are awake, how are you feeling?"

"Better," she smiled at him. She turned back to the group surrounding her bed. "So what happened?"

Lucius looked at her and relayed the events of the battle, "The order fought to the best of our abilities, we got most of them down, those that live are now on trial, those that are dead have been dealt with. Anyway, you saw the battle up until the point when you all left the Room of Requirement," he gave her a pointed look, because they had left earlier then they were told, "Your mother and I held off a group of six death eaters while others had three Order members on ten death eaters, we were doing good for a while but we were not anticipating a second wave of death eaters, that's what got most of our members down. Anyway, all of us dueled to the best of our abilities and then when the Dark Lord fell those of us with the Dark Mark fell from the pain of the mark being almost ripped from our bodies, the more loyal we were I suppose the worse it was, mine only felt like someone had skinned my arm, I talked to Nott before they sent him off and he said that he thought his heart stopped it hurt so much. I woke up in the hospital with your mother by my side and when I was cleared to get up I came over to watch you and your brother, Draco woke yesterday and you have been out for the past three days."

"WHAT? Then we have missed…"

"No."

"Yes, because…"

"Mia, they cancelled classes until finals."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Something struck her, "Where's Blaise?" Everyone looked around at each other, and then most of them found something interesting to stare at in the room that wasn't the young girl on the bed. "What, what aren't you telling me?"

"Hermione, calm down," Narcissa said tears filling her eyes.

"NO, Where is my Brother?" Narcissa broke down and Lucius held her close as they both grieved.

"Hermione," Draco laid a comforting hand on her forearm, Blaise… He's…. Blaise is…. He's gone Mia." Draco had tears in his eyes.

"No, no, No" Hermione's voice got higher pitched as she went on mourning the loss of her brother. When she had calmed down, she looked at the group, "Who else?" there were confused looks, "Who else is gone?"

George looked at the group and listed off all he knew, "Tonks and Remus, McLaggen, Susan's parents are gone, so are the Browns, Neville's grandmother…" he listed off more people that she recognized from the order, "… and Ron."

"I knew that one… he jumped in front… of a… curse." Fresh tears sprung into her eyes, "He died to protect me, and I was such a horrible person to him." She leaned into her brother and cried all over again. "Was Severus on that list?"

"What?" George asked.

"Was Severus Snape on the list?"

"Oh, no he is in another part of the wing, he was knocked out pretty bad, and then the mark removal must have pushed him into a coma." Hermione gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

"It's alright Mia, Severus has always been a fighter, and he'll pull through." Lucius said.

"And he has," came Albus's voice from behind the group, "He is awake and asking the same about you Miss Malfoy."

"Grandpa," she hugged him as he sat down, "How's Grams?"

"Sore more than anything, she awoke a few hours after the war was over, she is now running about the school helping what staff is still with us keep the students from swarming the hospital wing or sneaking off the grounds."

"That's our Grams," she smiled.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Yes Gin?"

"Can I talk to you, alone, if that's alright?"

"Of course, come here; please excuse us." The group looked unsure but they left them all the same. Hermione cast a silencing charm on the bed and they got as much privacy as was possible. "What's wrong Ginny?"

Ginny sobbed and said, "I'm sorry, it's my fault."

"What's your fault?"

"Blaise, it's all my fault."

"No dear that's part of war right?"

"No, he jumped in front of a curse for me just like Ron did for you, it's all my fault." Hermione gasped and pulled the girl to her and they held each other as they wept.

Two days later Hermione was allowed to get up and move around, she sat by Harry's bedside with Severus by her side as she willed him to wake up. Severus only left to help Minerva on occasion, on the day Hermione was alone and he finally stirred.

"Harry?"

"My head hurts."

Hermione gasped when his hand dropped, "Harry, I can see why."

"What?"

"Your scar is gone; Voldemort has no hold on you anymore." She handed him a mirror and he looked like he didn't recognize himself, he put down the mirror and hugged Hermione to the point where she was begging for oxygen. They parted and smiled, she relayed the events that her father told her about the battle and about Blaise and Ron.

"I'm so sorry Mione."

"Yeah, me too," she gave him a sad smile and felt two hands upon her shoulders, she turned and there stood Severus with a big grin on his face, one that looked like it worried Harry, she giggled, "Hello stranger."

"Hello," he leaned in and kissed her hair before turning to Harry, "Potter, you did fabulously during the battle, I must say that you had us worried there when you went down but I am so glad that you finally beat him, congratulations."

"Thank you sir," they shook hands and Hermione thought of something, just as her parents came in with Molly, Arthur and her grandparents.

"Harry, I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"Well, how do you feel about Ginny?"

"I…" That question came out of the blue. "Like a sister I suppose."

"Nothing more?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"I need you to be honest with me, what I am about to tell you is mind blowing, even after I caught them red handed."

"Who?" Harry said getting excited, like a gossip girl.

"I caught Ginny and Draco snogging behind one of the statues in the hall!" she whispered.

"Really? Wow I didn't see that one coming."

"Neither did I." Harry looked a bit hurt, "Harry I'm sorry, I should have thought about what I was saying, before…"

"No, I am glad you told me rather than catching them myself."

"I suppose, maybe it won't last, I mean they both just lost their brothers, it's something they have in common you know." Hermione offered.

"Yes but it will, I have seen the way he looks at her, he cares, I think she does too because when I see them dancing, it is like no one else is around."

Hermione is the one that looked hurt, "Harry, I…"

"Hermione now it's my turn to confide; Ever since fourth year, I have been torn," Hermione looked confused. "I was torn between who I was being drawn to more, You, Ginny or…"

"Or who?"

"You know what, she doesn't' matter right now, maybe it's not too late, maybe I can get her to go out with me."

"Who?"

"You'll see soon enough. Anyway, I figure that since I have had these feelings for her since fourth year, maybe I could grow it into something more, since you have Professor Snape here and Ginny has Draco, I figure that it could work."

"Yeah maybe," Hermione wanted to burst from her curiosity but she hid her emotions. "I should let you get some rest."

"Ok, I'll speak with the headmaster first."

"Ok," she and Severus walked out of wing in a safe teacher student distance from each other; Hermione was on a mission to find Ginny so that their brains could work together on finding who Harry's secret girl was.

She found the two she was looking for sitting by the lake. "Gin!" she ran to her friend and fell down next to her. "You will never guess what I found out."

"What?" Ginny suddenly interested.

"I was talking to Harry..."

"He's awake?"

"Yeah, I told him everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes from what Daddy told me to what you told me and well…"

"He knows."

"Knows what?" Draco asked joining the conversation.

"About us." Ginny said looking at him with sadness in her eyes.

"Gin I'm sorry but I was so excited for the two of you that I didn't think."

"I understand." Ginny looked back at her friend, "So what was the big news?"

"Harry knows who he wants to pursue. He said that there were there girls that caught his eye fourth year and two of them are now taken, you and me."

"So who's' the lucky girl?" Draco asked.

"I don't know, that's why I need your help, he didn't tell me.

"No way!"

"Yes."

"Why can't you just wait for him to say something?"

'Because that takes all the fun out of it duh!" Hermione said.

"Well then, we will leave you two to your brain storming," Severus grabbed Draco and led him up to the castle.

The families of the lost loved ones gathered for an open mass memorial service two days after Harry was released from the hospital. The service took five hours, long but it was for their closure; each family had their own private memorials as the week went on but Hermione had to admit that while her god brother's was difficult, Ron's was twice as hard simply because of what he had told her as he lay dying. She had confided in her grandparents and Severus about her pain and they openly let her cry and yell, doing whatever she needed to deal with what was running through her head.

She knew that those boys had paid the ultimate price.

One week later, the girls were no closer to discovering the mystery girl's identity, they were getting frustrated, they didn't dare ask harry but they kept to themselves and took a list of every girl in the school at the time of the Golden trio's fourth year, minus themselves and those that had been killed during the war. That left them with over one hundred and fifty girls; there was no way that they could narrow that down in time. What they didn't know was that Harry had secretly been meeting his mystery girl almost every night.