A/N: I do not think I can ever follow canon that closely. How does one learn from their mistakes if they die before they can rectify them? Also, I exaggerate things... Like the battle within Hogwarts. So yeah. This is fanfiction and what's more important is - this is my fanfiction, so we're just gonna roll with it lol

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Minerva's voice echoing through her chest had been one thing, but when the screams started, Hermione rushed to the window instead of the door. In hindsight, it was the wrong decision. When she'd realised why people were screaming, Hermione had almost lost her mind. She'd marched straight to the door and pulled on it, but it failed to open. Michael, having been summoned when she screamed for him, had no more control over it than she did and instead of tearing the place apart like she wanted, in deference to Minerva, she resisted and paced the sitting room angrily.

"Find her," she finally ordered. "Find her and tell her to let me out of here."

"I'll do my best, Mistress."

Hermione paced. Back and forth, back and forth. Her hands were twitching, her back itched, her fingers burned and she needed to get out of this room. She considered her options and realised that this undoubtedly had something to do with Draco. Something he had done had caused this, but that he had conjured the Dark Mark above Hogwarts was so inexplicably disturbing she wanted to tear him apart.

She growled angrily and it felt so good, she did it again.

A throat cleared above her and she looked up to find Michael looking hesitant.

"Well?"

"She is on the 6th floor, near the Astronomy tower. She cannot undo the magic keeping you here - the whole castle is locked up but -" he hesitated and Hermione's lip curled. "She said to tell you," he paused again and she growled. "That she loves you and that she has it under control."

The anger erupted out of her in a roar that made the shelves above the fireplace shake and she blinked as it echoed. Her anger rolled through her in waves. She would not be apart from Minerva, not now, not now those words had been spoken.

Nobody was going to keep her here.

"Can you speak to Albus' entry guardian?"

"Not from here."

"Fine," she muttered. "I'll do it myself."

As worked up as she was, she stepped forward with purpose and immediately arrived in front of the Gargoyle. Though she wanted to scream at it, instead, she greeted it as calmly as she could and bowed her head.

"Tell me what is going on."

It didn't even hesitate.

"There are enemies in the castle, above us, around us. Most are concentrated where my Master instructed the others to watch. The Castle will protect those it can, but it cannot fight the evil that is so brazen, it can only protect."

"Are there more?"

"Not that we can tell, though many are here, spreading through the Castle like the malfeasance they are."

"Is everyone else safe?"

"Nearly," it muttered after a short pause. "There are some that resist the protections."

"My people?"

It paused again and chuckled, despite the situation.

"Undoubtedly."

"Thank you, I will tell them to stop. Direct all enemies back to the 6th floor where the Professors are. If we can keep them from spreading we will be able to protect as many as possible."

The gargoyle bowed his head and before Hermione could even have a conscious thought about it she stepped forward again and arrived in the Common Room.

"Stop," she ordered as she ducked a spell aimed at the door. Everyone stared and then, like a switch had been flipped, started shouting. Quite a few of the younger students were crying and quite a few more were staring at her in horror but she didn't have time to think about what her simply appearing might look like. She was desperate to get to Minerva. She noticed there were scorch marks on the wall near the entryway and she raised her eyebrow at the Weasleys. "Ron, Ginny?"

"We wanted to help," Ginny shrugged.

She chuckled as she nodded them into the corner and bent close.

"There are Death Eaters in the Castle. Keep everyone calm, everything is fine. Neville?"

He nodded.

"Tell the rest of them that everything is fine and to stay wherever they are. The Castle is protecting them. It'll be fine."

"But -"

"Not this time," she smiled at him. "But soon. We will be better prepared for the next time."

"Next time?"

The small voice made her turn. She offered her hand to the 1st year who looked terrified as he stared up at her with wide eyes.

"Take my hand," she said gently. He did and visibly relaxed. "It will all be alright," she said to the room. "Stay calm. One of you -" she glanced around. "Make sure it is only one of you - stun anyone who comes through that door, whether you know them or not. Got it?" There were nods all around. "Good. Stay calm, I'll come back when it's over."

She disappeared from the Common Room all the while knowing that she was running out of time to get to Minerva. She aimed for the Astronomy Tower and burst through the door on the mezzanine level. For the second time that day, she waved away a spell that had been aimed at her in shock, rather than on purpose and stunned the person who had cast it.

It was total chaos. She had no time to consider that she should not be feeling quite as prepared as she was, all she could do was fight for her life. She was duelling one on one with a Death Eater when she noticed Minerva in the far corner. The woman was fighting in close quarters with at least two hooded figures. But as she swirled magic around like it was born to do her will, she made sure to do her best to interfere with the enemy that the others were fighting as well. Hermione's hands set on fire and she flicked them towards the closest man, who screamed as his cloak went up in flames.

With strength she didn't know she had, Hermione picked him up and threw him across the room. He landed with a wet thud against the stones, with his cloak smouldering.

Professor Sinistra stared at her in horror.

"Keep fighting," Hermione ordered. "Don't stop."

The woman shook herself and went over to help the Muggle Studies professor and Hermione fought her way across the room. She had to duck as Pomona whipped around a Devil's Snare that seemed to be coming from her sleeve and she was quite sure that Madam Hooch was swinging a beater's bat at someone. Finally, she made it over to Minerva and dealt with one by drawing her knife and smacking him in the back of the head with the butt. She turned just in time to see the second one gasping for air before Minerva stunned him and affixed a Port Key to his hand. As soon as he disappeared, Hermione flicked her hand in the air and a dark, shimmering cloud settled upon them.

She spun into Minerva's space and grabbed her. With a low growl, she pressed Minerva against the wall, pinned between Hermione's legs with her arms held above her head.

"Do not," she growled as she breathed Minerva in. "Ever, do that again."

"I was trying -"

"You will never," Hermione shivered and stared into her eyes. "Ever, do that again."

"I did not set out to do so," Minerva soothed, nuzzling Hermione's chin. "They came here and we followed. I did not know the Castle would lock everything down. I rather feel that's your domain, my love."

"I will not be kept from you," Hermione whispered, nuzzling her neck. "Not while you are fighting."

"I'd be fighting a lot more if you would perhaps move."

Hermione grinned and kissed Minerva deeply. Minerva moaned and Hermione echoed it as she let go so she could trace Minerva's side.

"They'll -"

"They cannot see through the smoke," Hermione chuckled. "I will kiss my mate when I like."

Minerva blushed but rolled her eyes. Hermione pulled away laughing as Minerva bit down on her lip.

"You love me," Hermione muttered, staring into Minerva's eyes. "You said the words."

There was a protracted pause as the protests from those caught in the edges of the smoke fell away. Minerva met her eyes with a fierceness that Hermione had never witnessed before.

"Aye," she whispered, as clear as a bell over the noise to Hermione's ears. "I did tha'."

"Say it again," Hermione whispered as she pressed close again. "Say it to me, Minerva."

"Tha gaol agam ort, Hermione."

Hermione pressed a bruising kiss to her lips and beamed at her as she finally stepped away. Minerva laughed and pecked her lips again before squaring her shoulders and standing straight.

"Do you mind, darling? There's a war on, you know."

"Do not leave my side."

"If I am to die, love," she said seriously. "I will die beside you."

"I would not let them touch you," Hermione scoffed. She cancelled the spell and turned to face the enemy who had been blundering about trying to find them. When they saw the two women separately, a number of them broke off the rest to concentrate on Minerva; the one they knew to fear.

They fought doggedly. The space was small and the Death Eaters were sloppy, which made fighting them more difficult. Hermione could feel the frustration of the two Weasleys but she paid them no mind. Filius was likewise occupied and Tonks was taking on three with Kingsley in the corridors below. The rest were safe and in charge of directing the DA should they need it. She was content to know that if anything else happened, they would know what to do. It was the other niggling feeling in the back of her mind that kept her busy even as she was fighting.

"Albus -" she said suddenly. A spell crashed into a hastily conjured shield from Minerva. "Something has happened."

"What?" Minerva asked as she dodged and weaved. "What is happening? Where is he?"

Hermione got caught up as one plucky Death Eater stepped in front of her and sneered beneath a half-mask. She scoffed and fought him until his sneer turned into terror and she sent him flying into two of his friends. It gave them both some breathing room.

"I have no idea," she said finally. "But he burns."

"Burns!" Minerva squeaked. "Can you tell where they are?" Minerva dispatched an enemy with a flourish and Hermione blinked at her. "What?"

"That?" Hermione's face got hot. "That was kinda sexy."

Minerva snorted.

"Hermione!" She squeaked as they both ducked. "Will you please concentrate!"

Hermione stepped out of the skirmish, behind Minerva a little, and closed her eyes. She felt Minerva's tension at the implication but sought to soothe it as she tried to find Harry or Albus.

"I trust you, love," she muttered as she pressed a hand against Minerva's side. "Steady."

Just as she felt something give, a shout went up from down the corridor and she lost it. She could not see him but Filius' voice was unmistakable.

"Hermione! The stairs! More of them!"

She felt them grow bolder, somehow, all around. She looked up as a pack of hooded Death Eaters ran up the steps to the floor above. She stepped forward, appearing right at the bottom of the stairs, intending to rip them down with her bare hands if necessary. But, before she could go any further, she felt Minerva falter. Hermione turned and watched a spell hurtling towards her love that she would have no hope of containing while she was already duelling the other two. Without missing a beat, she stepped back, almost across the whole room. She slammed both Death Eaters into the ceiling with barely a thought and then, before she could even blink, wrapped herself around Minerva and took the hit.

"Hermione -" Minerva blinked in horror. "What -" She arched into the pain and lost her voice. Minerva's face swam before her and she gasped as everything rushed back at once. "Hermione! No!"

She swayed in pain and dropped to her knees. Through the haze, the majority of those advancing on their position saw her go down and started fighting to get to her. With one last burst of energy, she shoved Minerva backwards and cast a shield spell over her as she dropped to her knees.

"No! Hermione!" Minerva screamed as she fell against the conjured barrier. "Let me go!"

The enemy crowded in. She watched Pomona's Devil's Snare set fire and hastily retreat in order to put it out. Professor Sinistra was bleeding over her eyes and Hooch and Professor Burbage were leaning against each other as Hooch tried to get the Professor down the stairs. The enemy outnumbered them and they started sending spell after spell at her. She felt every one of them on her back.

"Hermione! HERMIONE!"

"Diffindo!"

The spell preceded three more Death Eaters advancing on them. Hermione couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe and she heard those fateful words being spoken, not two feet away.

"HERMIONE!" Minerva screamed. "Get this off me, let me -"

"Get up."

Hermione blinked as the world seemed to pause for just one moment. She looked up and saw Amalle dressed for battle, in armour made from black steel, like her knife.

"I -"

"Get. Up."

"I can't," she hissed. The pain was evident in her voice even to her own ears. "They -"

"Magic cannot hold you," they said. "It will not hold your love either, once you are joined. You were born to this. Let it help you and stop fighting it."

"You said I would need to help," Hermione breathed. "But I don't care about that right now. Right now, I need to fight."

"Well, you are not doing much of that, are you?"

Hermione growled at them.

"I am trying!"

"No," they lectured. "You are feigning. You are stronger than all of them combined. Show them your legacy." Amalle leaned forward and cupped Hermione's chin. "Show them."

Everything stopped as Amalle disappeared and Hermione felt something building in her chest. In slow motion the rush and the chaos and the noise returned and as the rest of the spell to end her life was spoken. With barely a syllable to go, she roared.

The group that was around her, doing their level best to kill her were blown back into even their own people as she stood. A stark flash of fear ran through everyone on the floor and she rolled her shoulders against the heaviness that sat on them.

In the silence that followed, she heard Minerva's whisper.

"Màthair na tròcair. Tha mo dhràgon air a bhreith."