A/N: Sorry everyone, as you have noticed, the closer I get to the end of one of my stories, the harder it gets to write. I fall in love with the characters just as much as you guys do, living with their love stories, their heartbreaks, their laughter and their tears. Each time one of these fanfics, characters provided by none other than the amazing JK Rowling herself, I feel the same emotions that rushed through me as I saw the epilogue of 7-2, as I read the final page of Deathly Hallows. Apologies for the delayed chapter. I love you all and couldn't do it without you.
Hermione held back the overwhelming emotions as she realized that, despite her now broken and betrayed heart, the trio still had a job to do. Using the excuse that her body still ached from the Unforgivable Curse that had been placed upon her, Hermione asked for her space the first day after they left the Manor. Harry happily obliged, feeling his own heartache from losing Dobby. Ron distracted himself, talking to Bill and Fleur, updating them on everything that had happened since the last time they had spoke at Christmas.
Staring down at the grave Harry had dug for Dobby, Hermione finally let a single tear fall. She couldn't help but feel the overwhelming emotions once more. A tear for betrayal fell from her eyes. Draco had left her alone, never once mentioning the love they had shared. A tear of ache as she begged to feel his arms around her once more. Falling to her knees, Hermione let out a tear of remembrance as she saw his evil smile covered his face, asking her if she was a virgin. The tears continued to fall as Hermione stared down at the words on Dobby's grave.
Dobby
A free elf
Anyone passing by would see a school girl mourning over a lost friend, a faithful servant who had shown Hermione the purpose of freedom and what it stood for. Instead, she was mourning over the man she loved, the man she knew still didn't know what freedom was.
Standing up, Hermione pulled a single hair from her clothing, seeing that it was long and black, they had everything they needed.
As Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Neville through the only tunnel still accessible for students as they listened how everything had been changing there at Hogwarts. Memories flooded Hermione of entering Hogwarts for the first time as she walked down the darkened tunnel, the only light being Neville's wand guiding them. She could still smell the first Opening Feast as she felt the texture of the sorting hat on her head. The laughter they held during Quidditch matches filled her ears as she walked beneath the pitch and around the lake where she had denied Viktor Krum the opportunity to kiss her. Tears filled Hermione's eyes with memories of the Yule Ball and gossipping with Ginny as Neville moved aside the painting, exposing over a hundred students sleeping in the Room of Requirement.
"It's not much, but it's home." Neville said, his face beaten and bruised as he smiled despite all the torture he had experienced. Hermione forced a laugh, completely understanding what Neville was saying as she saw the familiar faces she had grown to love over the years. Her friends were all there. They were all okay.
She smiled as Ginny and Luna hugged her, thankful that her friends were alive. Ginny gave Hermione a questioning look as she hugged her, Hermione simply shaking her head in response. Ginny nodded in understanding, no words needing to be spoken as it often sat between only the closest of friends, a full conversation without a word being spoken.
Suddenly Seamus spoke up, breaking the comforting reunion Harry, Ron, and Hermione had anticipated since the day they left. "So what's the plan?"
"Plan?" Harry asked, realizing they still had a job to do as he came back to reality. "Right...umm... well, there's something Ron, Hermione, and I need to do. Something we need to get. I can't explain any more, it's kind of a secret but we need to find something."
"Okay," Seamus said, ready for a mission. "What is it?"
"We don't know." Harry answered with a sigh.
"Where is it?" Dean asked, trying to piece together what it could possibly mean.
"We don't know." Harry answers again with a sigh, realizing he wasn't leaving them with much to work off of. "But it may belong to Ravenclaw. Something with an eagle perhaps."
Luna was the first to speak up, talking of a diadem that had been lost for centuries before she offered to take Harry to find it, the two of them hiding under the invisibility cloak as they left the Room of Requirement. Hermione sighed, her heart aching as she pulled Ginny to the side. The one word she asked was enough between the best friends as she whispered it softly.
"Draco?" She asked, her heart breaking at the sound of his name on her own lips.
"He's here," Ginny answered, "Returned back to school about two weeks ago. I haven't seen much of him though, have been trying not to be seen by the Carrows. Even he has changed with everything going on here." She said with a sigh, "Must be so hard being a Death Eater." Hermione's best friend answered, rolling her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked softly, confused by what Ginny was saying as she tried to make it sound like she was suspicious of Draco Malfoy's behavior.
"I can't explain it." Ginny answered, "All I know is something's different. He's quiet, withdrawn. More like he was last year when he was trying to-" She stopped, words not needing to be said for what everyone now knew Draco was supposed to do.
Hermione nodded her head, completely understanding what Ginny was saying. Of course Draco was quiet, withdrawn. He wasn't the selfish, pompous little boy she had known for years. Draco had a heart now, he just didn't know what to do now that he had realized it.
Before anything else could be explained, Harry came rushing back into the room with Luna, both of them looking as though they had come into an encounter. Luna's hair was tangled and sloppy while Harry had a cut on his eyebrow. Another cut showing his busted lip exposed the truth, they had been discovered. Hermione hadn't noticed as the Aurors appeared, Kingsley and Tonks taking the lead, nor had she noticed that her old classmates, Oliver Wood, Fred and George Weasley, and Katie Bell had returned, being entrapped in her own thoughts of the man she had lost.
"Voldermort's back," Harry said firmly, gathering everyone's attention. "He's coming this way. Snape made a run for it, went back like the faithful servant he is. They're barricading the school. We have to go to the Great Hall. We...we have to fight." He said with remorse for the lives he already knew they were going to lose, friends and family, and could only hope that the deaths wouldn't be of great numbers.
Everyone cheered as Molly pulled Ginny to the side, an argument taking place. Hermione looked back at her best friend before sighing heavily.
"Come on Hermione," Ron said softly, his own heart breaking at the thought of what they were about to do. "We have to go. Get a head start."
Hermione nodded her head, following him out of the room and towards the Chamber of Secrets. Even in the now darkened and gloomy corridor as they passed the Great Hall, Hermione could still remember the first time she had seen Draco.
"At Hogwarts, you need to make sure you're hanging out with the right sort. I can help with that."
Tears filled her eyes at the sight of the young boy with white, slicked back hair in her head, a tense face even back then as he held his head with pride, too much pride for your typical eleven year old. Did he know, even then, that one day he would be following his father? That he would be a slave to the only man whose name would never be mentioned in his own home?
"Ron, where are we going?" She asked, rushing to keep up as she fought back the tears in her eyes, pretending they were tears of adrinaline as they got ready to fight the battle they had awaited for seven years.
"The basalisk." Ron answers, "The poison in it's tooth will destroy the last Horcrux. We need something."
"Ron, that's brilliant!" Hermione answered, shocked that he had thought of it. They still had hope. "You're brilliant!"
"Thanks," Ron answered, blushing as he led them down to the Chamber, "but I don't know if brilliant is the word for it." He said, looking away in embarrassment.
As the duo climbed through the stone snake covered door, Hermione smiled, thrilled that Ron had thought ahead.
"We have it?" She asked as she watched him pick up the fang that had saved his sister's life years ago.
"Yea, we have it." He answered as the two ran out of the Chamber, going to now look for Harry. Hermione couldn't help but hope somewhere she would run into Draco in the corridors, at least be able to see him again before she died, even if they couldn't talk.
In a pant, Hermione finally saw Harry's familiar face, running only faster to get to him. "Ron...suggested...we went for basalisk fangs...Horcrux...now what?" She panted, out of breath as Ron followed behind her, stopping when he got to Harry.
"The diadem wasn't in the Ravenclaw tower." Harry answers, "but it's been lost for years. Decades. Centuries. There is only one other place I can think of it being." He said in desperation as Ron and Hermione looked at him confused. "The place where everything is hidden."
"The Room of Requirement!" Hermione and Ron exclaimed in unison as the three of them turned around, running back towards the secret room, starting to hear large bangs outside as they knew their friends were fighting, some killing and others dying.
"It's in here." Hermione said as they entered. "It has to be. Accio Diadem!" She cried in desperation, pointing her wand in the room before sighing in defeat when nothing came back.
"It has to be here," Harry answered, "Look around. It's here somewhere." He said as the three split up, running through the piles of broken chairs, out-of-age books, and faded robes.
Hermione looked down, her heart breaking once more as she saw an abandoned snow glove laying in the passageway amongst the forgotten items.
"Picking out your dream home Weasel-bee? Don't your family all sleep in one room?"
She could hear the voice clear as day, the cold drawl it held. "That's my wand you're holding Potter." Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. Hermione had never heard Draco say that before but...she just did. His voice just said it in her head. Or was it...it couldn't be...
"Harry? Are you talking to someone?" Ron's voice rang out before Hermione heard a loud crash, followed by Harry screaming out Ron's name with fear, causing another scream to come out. It took Hermione a minute to recognize the other scream, realizing it was coming out of her own mouth.
Running as fast as she could, Hermione only wanted to see his face one last time. Turning the corner, Hermione caught a simple glance at the man standing there in black, his white hair a mess as his face looked sleepless. Hermione couldn't help but feel her heart warm at the sight, despite how desperate he may look before seeing Crabbe's pudgy fingers gripping his wand, pointed at her own face.
"It's that Mudblood! Avada Kedavra!" Crabbe yelled, shooting a spell at Hermione as another scream left her mouth and she hid behind a pile of broken broomsticks.
"DON'T KILL HER!" Draco yelled out in fury, causing Hermione's heart to skip a beat before he continued. "Don't kill him! Don't kill her! Stop trying to bloody kill everyone you overgrown baboon!"
Hermione took a deep breath, staring at her own wand before turning around. "Expelliamus!" She screamed, disarming Goyle before aiming her wand at Draco, her eyes meeting his momentarily.
Memories flashed through both their minds in the half of a second that their eyes met. Memories of arguing pettily, of making love, of their final kiss and every laugh. Both of their hearts mended as if the ending of a beautiful love story had never been written. They saw their future together in that momentary glance, seeing them laughing together every night before they held each other, drifting off to sleep. They saw what they could have been had they both been willing to fight for the love they knew they shared. As Hermione's mouth opened, using a simple Stunning Spell instead of something harmful, tears in her eyes as she did what she knew she had to do, understanding now why Draco obliviated her, both their hearts broke again with reality sinking in.
Draco quickly dodged the spell as Hermione shot another at Crabbe, "Run Harry," She said in desperation. "Me and Ron will take care of these two."
Harry nodded running off behind her as Ron ran after Crabbe, both of them disappearing behind Draco as Goyle followed, leaving the couple alone to stare at each other.
"Kill me." Hermione said softly with tears, staring into his eyes. She knew that was what he had to do, that was the only way either one of them would ever let go.
"No," Draco answered, sticking his own wand in his pocket as he put his hands up. "Now's your chance Granger. The moment you have been waiting for."
"It's Hermione," She bit back as tears streamed down her face.
"Do it." He said, ignoring her comment. "Kill me. I loved you from day one."
"But..." Hermione started, thinking of the first time he called her a mudblood, how he told Harry and Ron he wanted the basalisk to kill her.
"And you must be...miss Granger? Draco has told me all about you."
"Take your shot Granger," Draco repeated, "I won't offer it again but I would rather be dead than live with this for another seven years." He said, a choke in his voice. Hermione wondered if he had the same tears in his eyes as the ones falling down her cheeks.
"I WON'T!" She screamed, her emotions overwhelming as her voice pleaded for him to change his mind. "I CAN'T!"
"DO IT MUDBLOOD!" Draco hollered back, only giving Hermione enough time for the words to sink in and her heart to break once more before Ron ran back by Draco, fear on his face as he almost bumped into him.
"FIRE!" Ron yelled as he ran past Hermione, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from Draco. Hermione glanced over her shoulder just long enough to see Draco running with Crabbe and Goyle, a firey snake chasing them.
"What did you do, you idiot?!" Draco screamed out to Crabbe who turned around to see the snake, sweat rolling down his face.
"Fiendfyre." He answered with fear as the trio tried to climb a tower of broken chairs, getting away from the fire.
"Harry, we have to go!" Hermione yelled. "The room is on fire! Come on!" She cried out as they ran into Harry, who was tightly clenching the diadem. Harry nodded, grabbing a broomstick before throwing one to Ron.
"Come on!" Harry said quickly as Hermione climbed on top of Ron's broom, gripping tightly to him.
They flew above the flames as Hermione looked down, hoping to see Draco somewhere the flames hadn't yet covered the floor as she heard the cackling of the flames, the heat radiating up to her, nearly making it unbearable to even breathe as she coughed, smoke filling her lungs.
She heard another cough, followed by the voice once more. "Come on Goyle, climb faster you idiot!" It yelled as Hermione looked through the dense smoke, trying to spot the man who had begged her for death.
"CRABBE!" She heard another voice yell as she spotted them at the top of the pile of broken chairs, watching the obese Slytherin fall with a scream, only to be engulfed by the flames. She shuddered, thankful that at least his death was painless.
"Harry," She cried out, tears in her eyes. "We have to save them." She said as Harry spotted the doorway, knowing their own escape was only seconds away. Harry turned to look at Hermione as her eyes pleaded with him, begging him to have mercy on the man she loved. Softly Harry nodded his head, turning his broom around.
Sighing, Harry sped forward towards the two boys attempting to move up higher to save their own lives. "Come on Ron," He said, causing Ron to look at him in shock.
"If I die because of Malfoy, Harry, I'm going to kill you." Ron said, following Harry's command as he turned his own broom around. The trio fought past the now-higher flames, dancing through the air as they begged for their next victim. Covering his mouth and nose with his shirt, Ron coughed heavily from the smoke while Harry grabbed Draco's outreached hand, Ron taking Goyle's as he jumped on the broom, it lowering a few feet closer to the flames from the added weight. A broom wasn't made to carry three people but Ron knew Harry was right, they couldn't let them die.
"THERE!" Draco yelled into Harry's ear, pointing past Harry's face to the door, barely visible in the smoke-filled room before coughing himself. "THE DOOR!"
"I see it," Harry yelled back, leaning down closer to the broom to speed faster.
"THE DOOR!" Draco yelled again in desperation.
"I SEE IT!" Harry bit back in frustration, flying through the doorway as the doors closed behind Ron, Hermione, and Goyle, who followed directly behind, and the broom handles hit the floor, throwing all five teenagers off of their brooms onto the marble floors. Coughing and retching, their lungs begged for the fresh air suddenly around them as Draco leaned over on his hands and knees, throwing up from the heavy smoke that had filled his lungs.
Hermione sat up, panting next to a now unconscious Goyle, who had most likely inhaled more smoke than his body could handle, causing him to pass out.
Draco turned his head, looking at the closed door in mourning of his friend. "Crabbe...Crabbe..." He said in pain as he looked on, holding a foolish hope that his friend could still be saved.
"He's dead." Ron bit harshly. "Gone, dead. Give up." He said, unwilling to go back in there after someone he knew they couldn't save. "And you will be too if you go back in that room."
Draco continued to stare at the door in shock before a shake surrounded them, causing dust to fall from the ceiling with a loud bang. "We have to go." Harry said quickly, "I have to make sure Ginny is okay." He said, standing up quickly.
Hermione and Ron nodded their heads, following Harry down the corridor as Hermione turned around once again, seeing Draco's soot-covered face in his hands. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the task at hand. She had saved his life, that's all she could do for now.
Hermione fought through the rubble and the crowds, watching those dearest to her fight a battle that at this moment, looked as though it had already been lost. She ran past as her closest friends crumbled beneath the rubble of the stone, as those she considered family shed their blood for the same freedom Dobby had died for and Draco now lived without. People like that never change, Ron had told her as Harry saved Draco's life from a Death Eater once more beneath the Invisibility Cloak, only for Ron to punch him as they ran past.
Tears that Hermione didn't even know she had fell as she had hugged Harry, knowing this was a battle he had to fight on his own, facing Voldermort alone. He had told them what the prophecy had said, neither can live while the other survives. She knew there was no arguing it, this was the way that it had to be as she wrapped her arms around her best friend's neck, holding him possibly for the last time. "Be careful," She had whispered softly into his ear, knowing Harry was the brother she was never given.
Now Hermione stood in the rubble in front of the school, surrounded by the Weasley family, minus Fred. Percy stood behind her proudly as she thought about what Voldermort had rang through all their heads. Harry was dead, as were half of their own that were fighting for freedom. She watched as Voldermort and the Death Eaters walked closer, seeing Hagrid in chains. No, that couldn't be, she thought as her stomach sank. What was Hagrid holding?
"He tried to run." Voldermort hollered out to the crowd. "The coward was going to abandon you all to fight for yourselves." He said as Death Eaters chuckled to themselves. "HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!" He hollered as screams filled the crowd, Hermione not realizing that one of those screams was her own while the Death Eaters cheered.
"NO!" Screams filled the gap that stood between the Death Eaters and the castle.
"DON'T YOU SEE?! You put your trust in a boy! A child! One who in the end, ran for cover, leaving the rest of you to die!" He yelled furiously. "STEP FORWARD! Join the Death Eaters where you rightfully belong. Those who don't, will die! Harry Potter is dead!"
The entire crowd stood silently as Voldermort paced, waiting for the first person to step forward and become a Death Eater to save their own life before a soft voice whispered gently.
"Draco..." The voice called out, causing everyone to turn to one of Voldermort's Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy. Hermione stared in shock at the man, once holding his head high and proud, now fearful and worn looking as though he hadn't shaved or slept in a week. He looked nothing like the man Draco had once imitated as Hermione pretended to be his wife, walking down Knockturn Alley behind him. "Draco...come." He repeated, this time a little more firm.
Hermione's gaze turned to the boy standing there, fearful as soot still covered his face. She could see he was fighting back the urge to cry as he looked around at the others he had just fought alongside to save his own skin. He looked down at his feet, realizing this was what betrayal felt like as he avoiding looking in Hermione's direction.
"Come," A softer, female voice said, cracking as it left his mother's lips causing Draco to take a slow step forward, then another. Hermione felt her heart breaking as she watched the man she loved and had once again lost step forward, each step a little more cautious than the last until he reached the man he feared the most. Tears streamed down Hermione's face as she choked back the urge to fall to the ground, crying out in pain.
Draco stood perfectly still as Voldermort wrapped his cold, clammy hands around Draco in a weak embrace. He couldn't help but try to hide his shudder, knowing the man had no care or concern for him. Not after the torture Draco had watched Voldermort do to his mother and father in front of him. Walking over, Draco stood next to his father, who put a firm hand on Draco's shoulder, and stared on at the mudblood he knew he would never forget.