Rose: Losing Hope, Falling Star

They were everywhere. Lucius Malfoy and the other death eaters had appeared out of nowhere. Someone had ratted them out. She felt like giggling. "Ratted" them out. Just like what had happened to Harry's parents. What was their name again? James and Lily. Just like what Peter Pettigrew had done to James and Lily Potter.

Harry had grown up an orphan; so would their Rose. Ron clasping her hand brought her back. Ron whispered to her, "Don't worry, we just have to hold them off. Bill will be arriving soon, I've already alerted the Burrow. Don't zone out again. I need you with me. Here, Rose needs you here.

She shuddered. She hadn't yet told Ron. She knew then that she would always regret never having told Ron. Suddenly she pressed his hand hard, "I love you Ron."

" I love you too 'mione."

Their little moment was broken by a familiar laugh, "Oh look here, the mudblood, and the blood traitor. You both look so pathetic, I just might let you live." Bellatrix Lestrange, the stuff of nightmares. The only one more devoted to 'him' than the Malfoy's

"Ignore her. No, scratch that. Keep her talking. Help will be coming soon," Ron's surprisingly calm voice assured her.

Hermione gazed at Lucius, still immaculately dressed. Grey eyes sharp as ever. That trademark smirk of the Malfoys. Bellatrix with the characteristic good looks and haughty features of the Blacks. She was glad to see that the hollowness had not left her eyes even after all this time out of Azkaban. She'd even heard that the dementors had had such an effect on her that she couldn't even have children.

Lucius motioned for the Death Eaters to raise their wands.

"Ah Mr. Weasley and,"he paused to turn and look at Hermione," Mrs. Weasley as well if the rumors are to be believed. Anyways it doesn't matter. Not now."

Ron gave Malfoy senior the same reply which he used to give to the younger Malfoy when they'd been attending Hogwarts together. That had been another time, another age. At that time that dangerous thing called hope had still lived.

"Shut up, Malfoy."

Hermione couldn't help herself. Maybe it was because of her condition. She giggled.

Bellatrix roared,"She dares laugh at us. Lucius tell the mudblood what's going to happen here."

Hermione smiled encouragingly at Lucius, knowing that it would infuriate them all the more which meant that he would keep on talking. They still had hope of help arriving. "Look at you. Still so sure of yourselves as if help is going to arrive any moment. Still….hoping. Hoping…for what? Mr. Weasley I assume you know a Percy Weasley. He's your brother after all."

Ron still calm, replied,"What's it to you?"

"He was the one who informed us about your whereabouts. It appears that out of your brothers, he was the only one who saw the light. William and Charlie tried to put up a fight. Fenrir enjoyed that but I regret to inform you that it was not fast. He is the type that enjoys playing with his food. My son, Draco, on the other hand wanted to test a new kind of vanishing cabinet. He needed a living human for his experiments. Your blood traitor brother, or rather bits and pieces of him sufficed."

Hermione tried to control Ron but he burst out shouting and swearing, " He would never do that. HE CHANGED YOU HEAR ME…", but even Hermione could detect the pleading in his voice. Bellatrix laughed her great howling laugh, "Aww, the poor little blood traitor and his mudblood wife. Waiting for help. No Dumbledore, no Harry, no Ministry and now no family."

Lucius bored with all this drawled, " Finish them. Nothing should remain. The Dark Lord doesn't want any more martyrs."

"AVADA KEDAVRA", Hermione ducked thinking that one of the Death Eaters had cast it, then she saw the tip of Ron's wand, it was glowing green. Lucius had just turned around when the spell hit him. The smirk still on his face. Bellatrix and Hermione both screeched at the same time. The Death Eaters stood there frozen.

It was now or never. They were 10 in number, not counting Bellatrix and Malfoy. The latter of whom was dead. Both she and Ron split up, firing every kind of curse they knew which was a considerable amount as both of them had had access to the Black Family Library as well as the Prewett collection which Gideon and Fabian amassed during the first war. Their knowledge was largely due to Harry who'd left everything to the Weasleys provided he didn't have any heirs when he died. Of course Voldemort had snatched everything related to the Blacks using Bellatrix and Narcissa but not before they'd had their pick.

Ron bellowed , "Collofice", a particularly nasty spell which couldn't be blocked by an ordinary shield. The spell caused all of the person's orifices to be covered by a thin layer of skin. The unlucky death eater on the receiving end clutched blindly at the air before starting to claw at his mouth and nose.

Hermione threw a modified version of the 'Bomabarda' spell. Now the spell not only caused a big explosion but left little specks of arcana which burst into flames. The death eaters had no chance.

In the times of the Order and the Ministry, the Aurors had been forbidden from the use of such spells, They were either considered too dark or too dangerous. Hermione had now, no such scruples. Nothing could be too dark.

As the Death Eaters tried to save themselves, Hermione's wand slashed the air, severing curses flying in a barrage of orange streaks went out. Four headless Death Eaters took a few uncertain steps before falling like dummies who had had their strings cut. The rest by then had taken to the skies.

Till then Bellatrix had been keeping out of the fray. After having dispatched news of Malfoy's death using the Dark Mark, she turned towards Ron.

"You made my sister a widow. You will pay."

Ron's only response was a rude hand gesture as he was battling 3 Death Eaters at once.

"Sectumsempra"

"Confringo Maxima"

"Collofice"

The three were down. A green light came towards Ron, he dropped down barely avoiding it. He sent his own towards Bellatrix who didn't even bother dodging it.

"You need to have hatred in your heart for that spell." She laughed again, "After Lucius, you only have fear."

Ron tried to ignore her and with a shaking voice sent the same spell-chain at her, "Sectumsempra, Confringo Maxima, Collofice", and apparated to where he thought she'd dodge to. Bellatrix held her ground. She deflected the cutting cure, withstood the exploding curse and again horrified Ron by absorbing the "Collofice" spell. She had stopped laughing, "YOU DARE…you dare use the Black family curses at me. At one who is toujours pur. Through who's veins runs the pure, untainted blood of one of the oldest families of Britain? You DARE!"

With that said she started throwing curses at Ron.

Hermione was busy with the two remaining Death Eaters. One was already bleeding from head to toe but the other was matching her, spell for spell. The bleeding Death Eater collapsed after being hit by a petrification charm leaving her free to deal with the last one. Hermione was slowly making her way to the cupboards near the window. She had a plan. Quickly ,casting a very strong shield which started emitting metallic clangs after being hit by a multitude of spells by the remaining Death Eater, she opened the cupboards and got her hands on the Peruvian instant darkness powder or rather a more sneaky version of it. Casting it into the air she whispered an incantation and pointed towards the Death Eater who was still trying to chip away her shield. The powder transformed into a ball and flew towards the Death Eater and formed a sphere around his head. The Death Eater went crazy, unforgiveables went flying everywhere, "Petrificus Totalus", and he was down.

She ran towards Ron and Bellatrix who had effectively altered the landscape around their home/hiding place in their efforts to annihilate each other. Both were panting but Ron seemed the worse for wear. Some spell must have gotten through his guard as his wand arm hung limp by his side and he was using his wand in his other hand. Still he was trying to hold his ground. Hermione quickly shouted , "Lumos Maxima", effectively blinding both Ron and Bellatrix. Before she could curse her, the dark witch apparated away. Hermione grabbed ahold of Ron and apparated back to the house but her head felt like it had just been hit buy a brick wall. "OH MERLIN!", they were trapped.

Quickly she healed Ron's arm. He gave her a one handed hug, "The Death Eater?" Hermione just nodded her head. Suddenly a spell came flying towards them. In slow motion Hermione saw a grey-colored curse racing towards Ron. She pushed him behind her ignoring Ron's shout. The spell narrowly missed her ear and hit the wall of their home behind them causing it to melt into a sort of goo. Hermione shuddered. 'What kind of spell could do that to a wall?', her thoughts were interrupted by a cackle coming from the left. Bellatrix stood there with a deranged looking grin on her face.

"Disappointing coming from Potter's friends. I could never understand why the Dark Lord feared him so. Never mind, once I am done with you both, I will cement my place at my Lord's side and show any who still dare to resist him that all of this is futile."

As soon as she finished speaking their battle began. Both Ron and Hermione, husband and wife against the one responsible for having ripped their lives' apart. Even alone they were a force to be reckoned with but Bellatrix wasn't the Dark Lord's favorite for nothing. Ron still angry apparated behind her. With a loud pop Hermione followed behind him.

Hermione saw them, the red-haired man battling the most feared of Voldemort's supporters. Ron fighting a battle he'd already lost. More out of desperation and anger than anything else. Unsure of what to do, Hermione joined the fray.

'Impedimenta'

'Reducto'

'Confringo'

'Stupefy'

None of them had any effect on her. Hermione switched to darker spells or in her own mind 'more efficient' spells.

'Haemosia'

'Quarteo'

'Crucio'

The first one would cause Bellatrix's blood to boil from insider her body. The second one would have wrenched her arms and legs off as if they'd never existed while the Cruciatus was more as a tester to see what Bellatrix would do.

She was glad to see even Bellatrix stop smiling and start concentrating. The woman had broken out into a sweat. Her confidence was wavering. Ron on the other hand looked like he'd taken leave off his senses and was transfiguring anything he could into animals and making them rush at Bellatrix. The woman was unsure of what to do.

Ron yelled at Hermione, "The Black Curses don't have any effect on her and she's been using unforgivables for longer than we've lived. Use spells we got out of my uncles' journal."

Hermione nodded. Event though , most of the spells used in the Prewett journal were more defensive than offensive, there was one spell that could work. She remembered a shield spell which deflect a cast spell back the caster. It was still uncompleted but they didn't have any more time.

"Ron come closer to me!"

"I'm kind of in the middle of something", said Ron while dodging another grey-colored beam.

She yelled, "Just do it!", Ron conjured a shield and ran towards Hermione.

Bellatrix laughed, " Ah and what is that supposed to do. You are actually making this easy for me. You know what? I'm in a generous mood today. Come to think about, you killing Lucius was actually good. Now I won't have anyone else getting close to my Lord. any last words? NO?"

Hermione sighed, "Andromeda was right about you. Do you want to know what she said before she died?", She saw Bellatrix pale, "What she wanted to say to before she left?"

Bellatrix faltered for a second and shook her head, "I don't care. She stopped being my sister the moment she married that mudblood. She stopped being a Black."

Now it was Hermione's turn to laugh, "If she stopped being a Black the moment she was married then explain to me how her daughter was the only metamorphmagus born in the last 3 Black generations."

Looking at the dumbstruck expression on Bellatrix's face Hermione continued, "Yes I've gone through the family tree. Not the one on the wall. The one which Sirirus kept locked in his room."

Bellatrix raised her wand and said, "Mudblood, what did my sister say?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "I'm not sure if I want to tell you".

"You'll tell me everything and I just might spare you this once. Even forgive Lucius's murder. Tell the Dark Lord…you got away."

Under Bellatrix's nonchalant, Hermione could detect longing. She sighed, "You don't deserve to know." With that she cast the rebounding spell. Bellatrix let out a snarl and sent out a torrent of the vilest curses she knew. All of them hit the field made by the spell and came hurtling back towards her. Abruptly she flew into the air, dodging her own spells.

Ron pointed his wand at her and muttered one of the few dangerous spells his uncles had invented, "Bolderis Taciturna". This spell slowly started to turn its target into stone and the person only realised it when it was too late. It was a rather slow moving spell and could be easily avoided but Bellatrix had quite a few, mostly her own spells on her tray so she ignored the spell when it her as nothing happened. Thinking it to be another of the Black Curses she kept on flying casting curse after curse at Hermione and Ron.

She was beginning to feel sluggish, flying was becoming harder. Dodging the combined spells of the Weasley and his mudblood wife was becoming harder and harder. She slowly started her descent as in the air she presented a clearer target and flying used up a lot of her core.

Halfway down she couldn't feel her legs…couldn't even move them anymore. She felt that if she applied any more force they'd break. Her body was going numb, she couldn't control herself.

She came hurtling down and landed on her feet, which shattered into a hideous composition of blood and stone. Bellatrix let out a yell and fell silent.

Ron and Hermione ran up to her prone body. She was lying on the ground, her eyes closed, looking almost peaceful.

"Is she dead", Hermione fearfully asked. She knew that it was wrong to hope but this time…just maybe.

Ron snarled, "Her kind don't die easily."

As if on cue Bellatrix's eyes opened and there was an almost feral look in them. "Tell me mud-", there was a pause, "Tell me please."

Hermione wanted to ignore her but something made her say it, "She said, I wish I could have told her I was sorry. Could have apologised to both Cissy and Bella."

Bellatrix closed her eyes, all the fight gone out of her. Ron raised his wand, "Avade Keda-", there was a blinding flash of light, both of them were knocked down.

As Hermione came to her senses, she saw a Death Eater holding a 7 year old girl. The girl had bushy red hair and a frightened expression on her face. Hermione felt the world slipping from beneath her feet. That couldn't be her…THEY HAD HIDDEN HER. SHE WAS SAFE!

How could have they. She heard Ron give out a strangled noise. The Death Eater took off his mask. The same white-blond hair, the all-knowing smirk, the grey eyes. Draco Malfoy, son of the man whom Ron had just killed, nephew of the woman dying at their feet.

Right now he was staring at them. Then he directed his gaze leisurely at Bellatrix, all the while using Rose as a meat-shield. He casually strolled towards Bellatrix, "Aunt Bella, what have they done?", his voice was flat as if he was past caring. He noticed that her torso was turning into stone. She was still whimpering/breathing which meant she was still alive.

By then Ron had gotten up. He pointed his wand shakily at Draco, "Let her go, your fight is with us!"

"You'll lower that wand, Weasley. Unless you want to see how your daughter looks like from the inside. I could even show you the insides of her heart. A glance into how the blood of the daughter of a blood-traitor and mudblood dirties our world. Maybe I'll use it in my vanishing cabinet. Unfortunately, I ran out of pieces of your brother before I could complete it and the Dark Lord is getting impatient."

Ron lowered his wand, his hands still shaking.

Draco continued, " That's family magic you've used Weasley. I can almost smell the stench of your blood-traitor spells from here."

Ron fell to his knees, letting his wand drop. Hermione could hear him muttering, "not our Rosie…no…not her…not Rose…"

What scared her was the monotone way in which Draco had said all of this. "Draco let her go. You're better than this. That's why you didn't kill Dumbledore. You aren't a killer."

Draco turned his gaze towards her, "That was a long time ago Granger. There was weakness in my past. It has no place in my present. He does not reward weakness." He placed his wand on Rose's forearm. Immediately it started turning red. Rose, who had been silent by then. Taking in the blood-streaked faces of Mum and Dad, suddenly started shrieking in pain.

"DRACO STOP PLEASE", Hermione screeched. Draco cast a silencing charm at Rose. "The screaming would have made it hard for you two hear and I want you two to hear me clearly. I've cut off the blood supply to her arm. In a few minutes it will start to go black and shrivel up and it won't look pretty…it won't sound pretty. I tried it on Umbridge when she started t0- never mind. Apply the counter-curse Weasley."

Hermione had fallen on her hands and knees, crawling towards Malfoy.

"Please let her go. I beg you. I'll give you anything." She turned towards Ron who'd gone as red as his hair. "Ron please. Tell him. TELL HIM!" Ron was still in shock muttering, "No Rosie,no…"

Hermione shakily stood up and pointed her wand. Draco immediately pulled Rose in front of him who'd passed out by then from the pain. She pointed her wand at Bellatrix and shrieked,

"Finite"

"Reparo"

"Finite, Finite"

Why wasn't anything working? Suddenly she heard Ron's voice, "Finite Taciturna Reparatium Bolderis." Bits and pieces of Bellatrix started to combine to form her legs again. Bellatrix started to twitch as if coming back to life.

"Nice Weasley, you really are as dumb as you look." Malfoy raised his wand from Rose's arm. Using Draco as a crutch, Bellatrix slowly stood up. She pressed her wand to her forehead and started muttering some healing spells. Ron raised his wand once more, hoping to finish off both Malfoy and Lestrange when Hermione caught hold off his wand arm. "Ron can't you see they've got Rose."

"Listen to your wife. Now drop your wands, both of you." There was hesitation from Ron and Hermione's side. Both of their minds were working at top speed, trying to come up with a plan.

"I've always wanted to see what the insides of a mudblood and a blood-traitor. As your daughter is both so maybe she could be our specimen. What did you call her? Rose? Yes, Rose could be our specimen." Draco face had broken into a grin. A grin which said that he knew he that he'd won.

Hermione's body broke into a cold sweat at the way Draco said her daughter's name, as if almost caressing it. They needed a miracle. But no… miracles only happened in books. This was real. It didn't get any more real than this.

"Aunt Bella, did the Dark Lord have any specific orders for these two?"

Bellatrix looked tired, "No, Draco, just kill them."

The moment those words left her mouth, Draco sent the killing curse at Ron.

Hermione watched as if in slow-motion. Ron with a surprised look on his face as the green curse enveloped his body. He fell lifeless, his curled up body looking almost peaceful.

Draco pointed his wand at Hermione, "Avada Keda-", Bellatrix cut him off, "No! Leave her. We'll tell the Dark Lord she ran away."

"Are you out of your mind?", he turned towards Bellatrix, forgetting for a moment that he was holding Rose. Hermione saw her chance, she locked eyes with her daughter and nodded. Rose bit Draco's hand and ran towards Hermione. Using the distraction provided by Draco's yell Hermione started casting every spell she knew at him. Both of them took off into the air, dodging her spells. She knew she only had a few seconds, she ran towards Rose.

"Avada Kedavra", the spell hit her. Hit Rose. Hermione screamed and fell down. Desolate, helpless and broken.

The list started running through her mind, "Sirius, Dumbledore, Fred, Remus, Tonks, Ted, Harry, the Weasley's. Everyone of them at the battle of Hogwarts. Ginny while trying to kill Malfoy. Kingsley, Hestia, Dedalus, Emmeline, killed by Death Eaters. Hagrid given the Dementor's kiss, Voldemort himself killing Minerva and Horace. After that the list went blurry or maybe she had stopped caring. Maybe the hurt had been too much. She could not take it any more.

They had lost. Blackness started creeping over here. She saw Draco raising his wand. Well, you only died once. She felt 'him' kick inside. Then she fell unconcious.