Good Evening,

I fear I am growing sad… this story will be soon be coming to a close…I'd just like to say a few things before we begin:

(Taps fingers together in Dumbledore-like thoughtfulness/contemplation)

First and foremost, THANK YOU to everyone who is reading this story. It only makes sense, since I am writing it for you. That means, you are all a part of it. I am not arrogant enough to believe that this is my story and my story alone. It is a tale, a mere glimpse, into the mind of our brilliant Queen and I bow down to her for allowing me the privilege of such imagination, diverse characters and wonderful fans.

So, when I ask your opinion or encourage your input or question your thoughts; it is because I am stimulated by your amazingly creative mind! Inspired! It is because writing and art in general is absolutely about collaboration. It is about opening the mind and embracing new ideas. I think Albus Dumbledore would agree: The magic that flows between us is what makes this story so much greater than it would be with …just me. Alone. How dull.

ENOUGH!

Here you are my lovelies.

M. x

BANG! A loud shot echoed across the deserted entrance hall, as the full moon poured in and over the vast emptiness of Malfoy Manor. The oak doors flew off their hinges, blasting to pieces, and there stood Draco Malfoy. His wand pulled, his sharp eyes scanning the eerie shadows; on either side of him, Potter and Weasely were doing the same. It was dead silent. Nothing moved. Draco spat in disgust as he stalked forward, the sound of his boots echoing violently around the chamber.

"Home sweet home." He muttered as he blasted his way through the next door into the grand staircase. He was a few steps up when Potter grabbed his arm. He swung around viciously and Harry took a step back.

"What the fuck do you want now Potter?" He spat. Ron growled, his wand twitching and eyes on Malfoy.

"I'm thinking you need to take it down about ten notches. Trust me, it's very therapeutic to destroy a place you couldn't possibly consider home, I've done it, in fact. But now is not the time. We need a plan."

"Fuck you and your plan, Potter!" He hissed menacingly before ripping his arm out of Potter's grasp. He turned back in his furious mission to find Hermione, he was sure that if he didn't see her in exactly 1 minute he was going to kill everything within sight. And then Ron Weasely had his wand pointed directly at his face.

"Not so fast, Ferret." Draco snarled with fury.

"We don't have time for this. Get out of my way Weasley or I will-"

"You'll what?" Ron quirked an eyebrow and looked beyond Draco, his face breaking into a smile. Draco whipped around. Potter had also pulled his wand, though he was holding it lazily, and grinning at Ron. Draco scoffed with disbelief.

"It's two against one, Malfoy. Either play along or we will dispose of you." They laughed.

"Sorry, mate." Ron muttered to Harry. "I've got your back." Harry nodded in relief.

Malfoy saw red.

"While I'm sure it is of utter importance that you two fuck heads get back together, maybe it's slipped your dull witted fucking minds that Granger could be getting herself sliced and diced! THIS VERY SECOND." That wiped the smiles right off their stupid faces.

He shook his head with disgust taking the stairs two at a time.

"Follow me. Now." Harry and Ron exchanged a surprised look before hurrying after him. Draco led them down a dark, deserted corridor…even the portraits looked dead. He spoke under his breath as they walked quickly.

"We need to split up. The Manor is too large for us to be all wandering around together. There is a hell of a lot of ground to cover." He stopped short turning to face them. "Weasely, you take this floor and the second. Potter, you get the third and fourth and…I'll check the… dungeons." That seemed to have hit a nerve with Weasely, who was recalling his last visit to the bowels of the manor.

"And what about the living room, Malfoy?" Ron spat. Apparently his newly repaired relationship with Saint Fucking Potter had given him back some of his old fight. "I'm sure you'll want to relive all of the happy memories." Draco clenched his teeth with fury.

"If you are done being a predictable child, then get the fuck out of my sight. You are wasting my time, both of you." He threw them a nasty glare before slipping into a secret passage behind the stonewall and disappearing down into darkness.

"You reckon we should listen to him?" Ron was looking at Harry in confusion. Since when did Malfoy not rise to his bait? It was almost as if he were frantic. Unable to retaliate in his need to find Hermione.

"Probably." Snapped Harry. "He knows this creepy shit-show of a house, he grew up in this morbid gloom." Harry looked around with wariness. "Let's just go. Hermione and Ginny need us." Ron set his jaw with determination and the two of them hugged like brothers before taking off in opposite directions.

Sirius whistled to himself as he strolled down one of the many vast hallways of the Manor. Ah…his younger years when he had been one of them, living in a twisted bubble of false realities. How divine it had been… Afternoons with Narcissa, sneaking, hiding away…melting into one another's arms. Reckless. Foolish. Youth. Oh, how he missed it. Sirius had not been here since Narcissa's wedding. He laughed bitterly to himself. If only, that had been the arrangement. No, Narcissa was the crown jewel of the three sisters, the most beautiful, intelligent, sane. Out of all his options, they were limited, it seemed as though Sirius knew she was the one he had wanted. The one he could have found being married to, tolerable. And maybe even more. It was tragedy that such beauty could be turned to such ugliness…such despair. What could have been would never be known. Bellatrix had seen to that. She blackmailed Narcissa into marrying Lucius Malfoy, she was as jealous as she was insane; he could never understand for the life of him how anyone had expected him to marry her. But of course, blood. It was always about blood. And sex. At least with the Black widows…women. Really one in the same. Maybe they were all just cursed. Sirius knew that having to look Draco in the eyes everyday was punishment. He'd go see her, after this. If he lived through it. He would go to St. Mungo's every day and take care of her. She had deserved better and he had been the nail in the coffin, the excuse to marry her off to a Death Eater! How sick it was. He laughed. What else could he do? Sirius glanced down at his most faithful advisor and tapped it with his wand.

"Mischief Managed." And as he had just slipped the parchment back into his jacket pocket, the door directly in front of him swung open and there she stood: Bella Black. Her eyes widened in shock as she slammed the door shut behind her and stared at him, licking her rotten teeth with relish.

"Sirius…" She breathed with utterly mad delight. "Dear cousin….I wasn't expecting…visitors." She pulled her wand and aimed it as his heart. He put his hands up immediately in defense.

"I apologize for intruding…I just…had to see you." She turned furious at that.

"And why would you ever presume that I would want to see you?"

"To kill me, of course. You've already done it once. What's twice?" He grinned roguishly at her, lowering his hands and taking a step forward.

"Don't move!" She screamed.

"Bella, don't you realize? I am immortal. Think. You killed me, no? I was dead. And then suddenly, you were dead too. Now look at us. Do you think I brought you back to life just so you could kill me?"

Her wand arm trembled, she was shaking with insane emotion. "You. You lie! I never died. It was just…happening…in my mind! Yes! Yes this is a trap."

"It's not a trap, Bella. I swear. Come here, come feel me. I swear to you, that I am real." He closed his eyes and waited. Minutes upon minutes passed until he felt her rancid breath brushing across his face, and then her sharp nails were pressing into his chest. His eyes shot open, she was inches away from his lips.

"You. Never loved me." She hissed.

"You never loved me."

"But you were mine!"

"Said who? Our pathetic parents? They didn't even fight for the Dark Lord. Their words meant nothing."

"You…you are a traitor! You fought against Him, you died for them."

"Death changes people…" He let his hands come up to caress her hollow cheeks. "You look beautiful." He purred. Bellatrix closed her eyes and leaned into his touch with twitches and jerks of her head, as if she were fighting a vicious demon.

"Does Draco know?" She whispered. "Did you tell him that he was your bastard? The illegitimate son of a Blood Traitor!" She screamed, slapping him viciously before stabbing her hands into his skull and pulling his mouth against hers. She bit and scratched at him, drawing blood from his lips and swallowing it greedily. Sirius Black then realized two things. Bellatrix had been in love with him and she had apparently forgiven him. He silently bound her hands as she dropped her wand, not realizing she had been captured until after Sirius had already pulled her halfway down the hall and towards the stairs. He could barely concentrate on his whistling about her wild screams and wails of promising to torture him.

Ron Weasely was on edge to say the least. A million thoughts were flying through his head. How the hell had his evening gone from a hot shower and a good wank to a so-called promised back massage from Pansy that never happened? Instead she had come bursting into his room, screaming and wailing about going to the Ministry now to find Harry and Malfoy. She had nearly hexed his dick off when he had tried to put clothes on and that's when he knew that shit was serious.

Why he had agreed to move back to that scary fucking hellhole of a house, he was still contemplating. Judging by the situation he currently found himself in, he was thinking he'd rather be back in that shitty little flat, or ever worse, at The Burrow. His family was a broken mess since Fred's death and the thought of living under a roof where death was a constant reminder, was not where his head was at. Speaking of awful dwellings, he jogged down a particularly creepy hallway before taking a quick left and smashed head first into a body. They both went crashing to the floor as a feminine voice cursed in annoyance. Ron pulled his wand and whispered Lumos. His jaw dropped in shock.

"What the hell are you doing here?" His eyes were saucers, as he gazed upon Pansy, still in her fucking bathrobe and fluffy slippers. "Are you insane?"

"Do I look insane, Weasely?" She snarled, getting to her feet again.

"Snape told you to go back to headquarters!"

"Since when do I listen to the greasy bat?"

"Pansy, you have to get back there now, this is dangerous." She puffed up indignantly.

"Are you saying that I am not qualified enough, not good enough to be here? Of course it's fucking dangerous. If you remember correctly, this is what I signed up for!" She shoved him back and began to stalk away.

"Where are you going?" He whispered trailing after her. She threw him a side-glance filled with irritated exasperation.

"With brains like yours Weasely, it's a good thing you know how to use your dick."

"Oh that's all I am? A piece of meat?"

"I thought," She paused with dramatic emphasis. "We already went over this? Listen Weasely, if you are going to insist on making me repeat myself, I hardly doubt this is going to work."

"What's going to work?"

"Us! Whatever we are doing." She huffed climbing another set of stairs, he followed not taking his eyes off of her.

"Well thanks for clarifying. That really helped make sense of it all." He dare mock her. She stopped abruptly, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and jerking his face close to hers.

"Look Weasely, I don't know or care how you feel about me right now. I might care even less tomorrow. The important thing is that we find Granger. So if you are done being a total pain in my ass, you can shut the fuck up and help me look for her. Is that clear?" Ron raised his eyebrows and grinned.

"Merlin, you are so fucking sexy when you get mad." He kissed her violently and she responded with a growl of annoyance.

"Later." She hissed rolling her eyes and turning down the hall and out of sight. Ron narrowed his eyes, regardless of if either of them were bleeding or not bleeding, he was going to fuck her so hard tonight. Then he remembered why he had returned to Grimmauld Place to begin with. It was the best option. He hurried after her with anticipation.

Draco crept slowly through the caverns of the past. A world that was no longer his, just a nightmare, a lost fragment of time…preserved. His eyes settled on everything and nothing all at once. He bit back the bile in his throat; the air down here was stifling and all he could hear were memories, echoes of prisoners and torture banging off the walls and into his skull. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed deeply, trying to drown out the rising panic within his chest. Hermione was somewhere down here…he could feel it. He swore he could smell her natural perfume of tobacco and lavender, or maybe he was just losing his mind. No. He thought viciously as he slowly passed every cell, checking for bodies…or ghosts…it didn't matter, he just needed to know. She needed to live. He would die with her if that wasn't the case.

His mind was reeling into chaos with thoughts of his mother and Sirius Black. There was no way…but if it was…Did that mean he was no longer a Malfoy? That he had never, truly been? What did that make him? Was he sick? He approached the last cell, his wand shaking uncontrollably in his hand, he kicked it open swiftly and shined light upon it. His drew in a rattled breath before dropping to his knees in relief. There she was, tied up, gagged and bound, wide-eyed and completely alive. He had never been so thankful. He crawled over to her, his hands quaking violently as he caressed her arms and neck and face. She was squirming and crying with anguish.

"It's okay, it's okay, love. I'm here. Granger, it's all right, I've got you." He released the charms on her and she was in his arms within seconds. Heaving with fright, her entire body racked with sobs. He pulled her close, kissing her deeply, his hands tangled in her hair. She whimpered and he pulled back suddenly, looking down into her eyes with deep concern.

"Are you…are you alright?" His alert gaze scanned over her features. She looked perfectly in order. "What did she do to you? Hermione, speak!" He was frantic with worry.

"I'm…I'm fine, Draco. I'm….fine." She closed her eyes, leaning her head against his. "Thank you." She breathed. He nodded closing his eyes as well. Then he snapped into motion.

"Come on. We have got to get out of here."

"Wait! Draco." She pulled him back down to her. "I'm scared." She whispered. He looked at her with concern but his voice still held a hint of impatience.

"Understandably so. But we need to leave, Granger. Now." He tried to move again but she clung onto his arms.

"Tell me. Tell me you love me." He looked at her with exasperation.

"Granger…I-"

"Why can't you call me Hermione?!" She cried, grasping his arms even tighter. He frowned at her in complete confusion.

"What?"

"Tell me you want to spend the rest of your life with me I'll be the perfect wife, everything you need. So we can be together forever." His eyes narrowed with alarm.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Just do it! It's what I want. That way, no one can ever come between us again." He just stared at her for several moments before shaking his head. She must be in shock. He dragged her out of the chair and into his arms. She protested the entire way, insisting on him pledging his life to hers forever. He hauled her up the stairs with great effort as she dug her heels into the ground and fought him every inch of the way. Draco gave up after five minutes and dropped her onto her ass.

"What the fuck is your problem?" He spat. "Do you want to get yourself killed?"

She opened her mouth to retort but then a high-pitched scream pierced the night, somewhere off in the distance above them.

"Come on!" He snarled, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet. She opened her mouth to protest.

"Now!" He roared, taking off with magnificent speed and Hermione had no choice but to follow.

Snape had felt the hours pass as if they were his own mortality. Why the hell was he wasting his time, running around this Godforsaken ruin in search of a woman who should be dead? He'd never know. Technically, he should be dead as well. But the Dark Lord had never been merciful. Severus was sure Voldemort had only kept him alive in order to feed off of his pain.

His level of concern at this point, was beyond minimal. Why did it really matter if any of them died? Did it change the world? In regards to himself, no. In regards to the children he was currently babysitting, yes. Their presence mattered, especially Ms. Granger, she was the voice of her generation. All that was true and good in the world. Just as Lily had been. A woman who could see through the faults in others, and understand a person even if they were cracked and damaged. Draco had the opportunity that Severus had discarded. He had allowed his hate and jealously to tear Lily from his side and throw her right into Potter's more than willing arms. And wasn't it ironic? History had indeed been a cruel, redundant wench, and forcefully repeated herself. But Draco must succeed where he failed, or all would be lost. The war to end the madness of blood purity would be in Draco and Hermione's hands. In their hearts. Snape scoffed with derision as he swung open the library doors. And speak of the devil.

Hermione twirled around quickly, her wand trained on Severus' heart, her eyes wild, but focused. She registered his presence before breathing a massive sigh of relief.

"Severus." She closed her eyes and dropped her arm as he rushed forward.

"Are you alright?" She nodded taking deep gulps of air.

"Yes." She chuckled to herself nervously. "You just scared me. Thank God you're here." He inspected her closely. She had a few cuts on her face and a vicious bruise on her forehead. Severus reached out to examine it.

"Bellatrix?" He questioned sharply.

"Yes. We've been at this cat and mouse thing for nearly 2 hours. She is trying to wear me down. I haven't been able to locate Ginny, but this place is so massive-" She tried desperately to explain as tears unwillingly leaked out her of eyes.

"She will be found soon." Snape muttered, glancing over her shoulder, uncomfortable with her fragile state.

"Who else is here?" Hermione panicked, grabbing him by the hands. "Severus. She will kill everyone. Please. Please tell me they aren't here." She cried in desperation.

"Everyone…is here, Ms. Granger. Did you really think we were going to leave you to your own devices?"

She paled considerably.

"Everyone?"

"Well not Ms. Parkinson, as far as I know, but yes." She closed her eyes before shaking her head and stalking over towards the door.

Snape turned and followed her out into the corridor.

"I say we head downstairs and try to locate-" But her words were cut off by a loud bang beneath them. Hermione's eyes snapped to Snape's.

"The living room." Hermione whispered in horror.

"The…living…..room." Snape echoed as he descended into the darkness, Hermione's terrified gaze plastered across his brain. She was still for several seconds, and then he heard the sound of her feet catching quickly up to him. Snape would never admit it, but he was proud of her, Hermione Granger impressed him deeply. She was the expert on conquering fears.

Harry Potter didn't hesitate for a second before blasting Bellatrix off of her feet with a well-aimed Crucio. He could care less that she was bound tightly, she was alive and that was enough for him. As he concentrated on pouring his hate and rage into the spell, thinking of Hermione with Malfoy, thinking of Ginny and Snape, thinking about his dead parents, and Umbridge killing innocent people. And most of all thinking of Bellatrix; destroying his Godfather…torturing Hermione, killing Dobby. It wasn't until he realized that Sirius had also fallen to the ground and was writhing in silent agony that he ceased his onslaught. At that moment, Pansy and Ron came rushing into the room, wands drawn as they gazed upon the scene playing out before them. Bellatrix was laughing madly.

"Can't kill me without killing him, Potter! Can't kill us! KILL US!" She screeched, rolling around on the carpet, shaking with madness. "Then we can be together as husband and wife, for eternity! Just like your dead mummy and daddy!" She sang, her eyes rolling, her teeth clenching. "You know the spell, bitty baby Potter. Do it. Do it you PATHETIC WEAKLING." Harry raised his wand in fury, ready to destroy her with every ounce of his strength but the look in Sirius' eyes stopped him. It was defeat, resignation. Harry slammed his wand down just as Malfoy and Hermione came barreling through a tapestry at the far end of the room, a secret passageway, leading out of the wall.

"What's-" Draco started to say, but he stopped shortly, his haunted eyes falling onto his aunt. Hermione ran directly into Harry's arms, he caught her quickly. Ron and Pansy slowly crept forward, their wands still on Bellatrix.

"More blood-traitors." She hissed at them with menace and Ron gave her a swift kick to the face. Pansy nodded in approval. Harry was fawning over Hermione who was suddenly giving him equally affectionate attention.

"Oh, Harry. I love you so much. I love you so much." She kept saying over and over again. Harry pried her fingers from his face and looked down at her in confusion. "Make the unbreakable vow with me." She whispered, her eyes looking quite mad. Malfoy came stalking over with fury, shoving her away from Harry, he advanced on Hermione with vengeance.

"Umbridge was right. You fucking liar!" Draco was overcome with the urge to cause her substantial pain; to give her a mere glimpse of what her words were currently doing to him. But instead, he turned his wand on Bellatrix, blasting her back against the wall. Sirius cried out in pain, falling to his knees again.

"Don't want to hurt dear old dad, do you?!" Bellatrix screamed with insanity. "Haven't your actions cause enough destruction amongst our family, Draco!?" Draco turned his gaze to Sirius with disbelief. They stared at one another; shame and guilt as well as hurt and wonder.

"No." Draco breathed. "It's not. You couldn't be-"

"Oh but he is." Bellatrix crooned. "A shameful mistake, the only way I could convince my stupid sister to marry Lucius, I threatened to expose her, if mummy and daddy had found out she had gotten herself with a brat, with my promised one- the scum Blood Traitor!" She bellowed. "Cissy would have been disowned in an instant. Luckily for her, there was at least someone willing to take her, even if it was a Malfoy." She spat at Draco's feet. He turned away from her, away from them all; Pansy's shocked gaze, Harry's stunned features. There was a profound silence only broken by Bellatrix's deranged laughter and gasps for air. Draco's shock was suddenly broken by the noise of quickly approaching footsteps and a cry of relief ripped through the air. Severus and Hermione were running down the staircase and into the drawing room, they slid across the marbled floors before coming to a halt to take in the sight before them. Hermione gasped in shock as she gazed upon herself, wrapped in Harry's arms. Draco's eyes snapped between the two Hermione's convinced that the blow he had taken to the head earlier this evening had finally done him in.

Hermione looked around in panic, quickly identifying everyone in the room before deducing just exactly who was missing.

"Ginny?" She breathed staring at the woman clinging to Harry in a pathetic manner. Draco let out a sharp bark of laughter before stalking over to the real Hermione, his deadly eyes filled with intent. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her mouth up to his. He kissed her with everything he possessed. She melted into him, as a couple of groans and whistles broke out through the hall. He pulled back slightly.

"Granger, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." He whispered running his hands over her body relentlessly. Grasping on to every piece of her as if he would never see her again.

"Draco." She sighed, resting her head on his chest, breathing in his emotions. He kissed her head and turned his body slightly back towards the imposter Hermione. Harry had pushed her out of his arms and was staring at her with utter disgust.

"Weasely. What the fuck are you doing?" Draco spat. Her hair was bright red again, she was losing her soft features, and turning back into the pale, freckled bitch he had always known her to be.

"Ginny?" Ron gasped in horror. "How could you betray Harry? Betray me? Like this?"

Ginny let out a frustrated scream.

"It's not my fault. She forced me! She was going to kill me!" She cried turning her watering eyes to Snape.

"No she wasn't." Hermione snapped. "She wouldn't kill you. Your blood is too precious. She used you, to get me here."

"And you went along with it." Draco snarled, advancing on Ginny. "Why?"

"I just told you, she was going to kill-"

"Lies!" Sang Bellatrix. "You silly little wench, no wonder you never joined the Dark Lord, you are a stupid, miserable insignificance! I should have killed you when I had the chance. It's clear you have none of your mummy's spark!" She turned her vicious sneer to Harry. "Your little Weasel here agreed to pose as the Mudblood in order to cause a distraction. In return, I offered her my dark magic…the first man who pledges himself to her will be bound that way for eternity."

Draco turned his incredulous stare to Ginny. "You dirty little whore. Any one would do, isn't that right? Just the first man you could sink your claws into, too bad no one wants you. Not even an old bitter man with no other options." Severus stepped forward at that, ready to do battle.

"You go too far, Mr. Malfoy or should I say…. Black? Do not speak of what does not concern you."

Every one present was eyeing Ginny with immense disgust, she turned pleadingly towards Snape.

"Severus, please. Please, you love me don't you?". She reminded Harry of Wormtail; sniveling, begging for mercy. He shuddered with horror. Had he really ever known her at all? "I can be whatever you want me to be." She begged pulling at his robes. "I can be your Lily." Harry gasped at her audacity as Snape flung her away from him with disgust.

"You are nothing. A distraction. Just a pathetic, wet hole. You could never be…Lily. And you will die alone." He turned his back on her and Ginny let out an incoherent scream of anguish as she pulled Severus' own wand on him. Nights she spent in the dungeons had revealed exactly where he had kept it.

She had cursed him to hell and back with an instantaneous flourish of movement and explosive light. Severus Snape was dead before he hit the floor. There was a shocked silence before complete chaos erupted. Pansy had started screaming as she rushed forward in a rage, grabbing Ginny by the hair and throwing her down onto the floor. Harry had jumped into action, binding Ginny's arms and legs before sending her flying across the room to smack into the stonewall next to Bellatrix. Hermione stood silently, tears streaming down her face as she held Draco's hand, squeezing it with all her might; he squeezed back, emotion clogging his own throat. Sirius collapsed in exhaustion and Ron was trying desperately to get Pansy under control, who was now torn between sobs and trying to get her hands on Ginny. Harry dropped to his knees beside Severus.

"You're with her now." He whispered, closing the eyes of The Half Blood Prince.

Bellatrix was laughing again and Ginny was begging, sobbing, for help. Hermione shot a quick Silencio at the both of them, as Pansy collapsed with distress in Ron's arms. There was silence.

Draco stalked over towards Sirius, bending down and checking his pulse. The second his fingers touched the tattooed skin at the base of his wrist, Sirius jumped to life. He gasped, sitting up quickly. Draco pulled back, staring at him in confusion and defiance.

"Draco…" Draco closed his eyes. This was too much for him.

"It's nothing to be worried about, you know? I'm glad to know the Malfoy line will die with Lucius. He never deserved to have such an intelligent and brave son." Draco felt his eyes burn at Sirius' words. As much as he was sickened and horrified by this revelation, an intoxicating relief filled his mind at the thought of no longer being a Malfoy. "Besides, where do you think you get your jaw line from? Or your insatiable quench for beautiful, intelligent witches?" He quirked an eyebrow and Draco returned the gesture. It was like he was suddenly looking into a mirror. "And your apparent fetish for pain." He added smirking down at the Dark Mark before glancing at Hermione. "I'm incredibly proud of you, Draco. So nothing, really, has changed." He shook his head getting to his feet and pulling Draco into a tight embrace. Draco stood completely still, in shocked hesitation but before he could move, Sirius had pulled away and turned towards the rest of them, who had been watching the scene unfold. He looked down at Severus, his jaw clenched with emotion. At one time, he had wished to be the one to murder Snape, but now… he turned his gaze to his Godson, who was looking beyond furious.

"Harry-" He put his hand up, refusing to acknowledge all that had just passed.

"You're coming with me to the Ministry." Sirius nodded his head falling to one side as he stared at Harry.

"I'm in trouble, I suppose."

"How could you lie to me!?" Harry screamed. "How could you not tell me?"

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, tearing her eyes from Snape's lifeless form. "Don't be so selfish! Why would he have told you when he knew this would be your reaction? How can you stand there and act like you could possibly understand the life he has lived? Stop being so unjustifiably righteous!"

Harry threw her a nasty glare before turning to Ron. "Ron, help me with these two." He indicated towards the hostages; silent tears were streaming down Ginny's cheeks and Bella was glaring viciously. He turned to Draco.

"Black, I need you to move Severus." Draco stared at him with utter contempt.

"I sincerely hope you are not speaking to me Potter, because if you are, let me assure you I will rip out your fucking tongue and mail it to Skeeter."

"Just get him back to headquarters. And take your girlfriend with you." He spat in annoyance. Harry stalked over to Ginny, wrenching her up with a jerk of violence. Ron followed suit, leaving Hermione with Pansy wrapped in her shaking arms; he grabbed Bellatrix by the throat, hauling her to her feet. Ron slapped her several times before turning to look at Harry. His eyes were glued to Ginny's with unmistakable wrath.

Pop! Pop!

They were gone.

Sirius stared at Draco as Hermione gently pushed Pansy into Draco's arms. She hurried over to Severus, dropping down to her knees, her hands falling softly over his heart. Her head bowed, tears spilling gently onto her dead mentor's face.

All was silent and peaceful for several minutes as the first rays of dawn broke through, streaming into the desolate skeleton that was Malfoy Manor. Only Pansy's quiet sniffs and the smoke from Sirius's cigarette showed any signs of present life.

Hermione lifted her wand, murmuring to herself as a single Lily appeared out of thin air. She placed it beneath Snape's cold fingers. Finally, after what felt like centuries, she lifted her head, meeting Draco's gaze. His eyes were filled with depths of emotion, bursting with devastation and need. This was it. He could not exist without her.

"I love you." She whispered. Draco closed his eyes, he was finally free.