DISCLAIMER. None of the characters used are a creation of mine. They belong solely to JK Rowling.

Hermione remained catatonic for three full days before she even uttered a sound.

Harry chose to let out his frustration and rage by means of aggression. He threw away everything thay he came across.. he went as far as banging his head into the wall. He was, in true sense, a man insanely grievous over what his life had come to be.

They had buried Ron in the backyard of the Burrow which was now home only to Bill and Percy, both of whom remained as unresponsive to their brother's death as a stranger would have. They had already lost too much. It was just another figure. just another statistic.

That was war, wasn't it. That was the tragedy of fighting in one. That the death of their own brother elicited not a single tear from them. How much had they already been through to have reached a state of such apathy.

But then again, it was more than what could be said about Neville. The bravest of the brave Gryffindors. As much as Draco regretted it, Neville's body could not have been brought back to headquarters and so the Death Eaters chose to parade his corpse as a badge of honour through the streets of Diagon Alley. His body was impaled and subjected to multiple Cruciatus curses.

His parents had been dragged from the wards of St. Mungo's to witness the horrific event of their son's death.

It was astonishing, really, that Frank and Alice Longbottom almost seemed to recognise the boy. But whatever recognition had flashed in their eyes was gone immediately for they were both hit with the Killing Curse shot from the tip of the wand of one Bellatdic Lestrange.

It was a good thing Neville's gran had long ago been murdered. For this sinful sight would have completely shattered the old woman.

*

Hermione spent the next two months in the Black library. She left the large room packed with ancient tomes only once during the morning before Harry and Draco woke up.

Nobody visited them except one day when Narcissa arrived unexpectedly.

Hermione pushed herself against the door of the library to hear the conversation that took place in the hall.

Narcissa flung herself in her son's arms and cried, 'Oh, Draco.. son.. He killed him. He killed your father.'

Draco had long ago given up any feelings he might have had left towards his father but it still hurt.

'Mother.' He breathed and kissed her forehead, holding her close.

Narcissa's cries subdued after sometime. Harry, so far hidden behind in the depths of the dark hall surfaced and approached her.

'Narcissa, I'm so sorry. This is so very rud eof me but please.. if you don't mind .. what happened?'

'We were at Tonks' place. I was visiting Andromeda and Teddy. Lucius didn't want me to go alone and so.. he came along..

'They attacked. We weren't even alerted by the wards. They just broke through as if the wards were nothing.'

Harry felt his control crumble. 'Teddy.' He whispered.

'Safe.' Narcissa said to him. She held his hand and the tracks of her tears were renewed as she went on, 'Lucius and Ted fought bravely. Andromeda and I escaped with Teddy. They're safe. They're at one of the safehouses. Lucius and Ted..'

She broke into another set of tears. Hermione could no longer keep herself hidden and came out of the library to hold the woman as Draco breathed in sweet nothings into his mother's ears.

*

Harry was seated beside Hermione. They hadn't spoken to each other since he had died. They had nothing to say. It wasn't that they were resentful of each other. It was only that they had both understood the need of giving each other the time to heal.

Never did it mean they were alone. They never could be. They were the last ones standing.

'Hermione. You're the only I've got left.'

She chuckled ruefully, 'And yet I haven't been much help, have I?'

'Dont say that. Please don't. I would have.. I would never have made it so far.. not without you or.. him..' The pain of even taking his name was immense.

Hermione whispered, 'He died for me.'

'As would have any bloke who loved a wonderful person such as yourself. He died for his love. He died a noble death. He did it to keep you safe. Don't blame yourself. Ever. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine.'

'Come on, Harry. You couldn't have helped him. Nobody could have.' She breathed out.

She wrapped her arms around him and the two sat staring into the flames of the fireplace.

'I love you, Harry.'

'I love you, 'Mione.'

Just then Draco entered and scoffed, 'As much as I appreciate you two finally talking to each other, I'd like it if you kept the coddling to yourself.'

Harry looked up, 'Find anything useful?'

Draco sighed. 'You're not going to like it.'

Hermione scoffed, 'Oh really, now?'

Draco shied away from the gaze of his last remaining friends. 'He's done it. He destroyed most of St Mungo's. He's using the muggleborn patients as test subjects for new.. potions and spells .. aimed at torture.' He spat, venom oozing out of his voice, 'They're treating them as labrats.'

Harry sucked in a sharp breath.

Hermione looked at Draco. 'Torture. He .. he means to use it on us.'

Draco smirked, 'He's named the entire bloody research after the three of us, actually.'

Hermione shut her eyes and took in deep breaths. 'We aren't safe. He could come knocking any day now.'

Harry held her hand. 'Hermione. There's nowhere to go. We will go down fighting.'

Draco nodded. 'There isn't much we can do, really. We have to kill him. Potter. Harry.. you have to kill the bastard.. God forbid if you fail..'

And that was the day Draco Malfoy was first seen break down into uncontrollable sobs that etched out of his throat. 'Hermione.. 'Mione will have a plan.. we have to kill him.'

He cried for all that he had lost. He cried for the people who had died. He cried for lost loves and family.

He cried for the world that had turned into this horrible place that housed macabre men and women who found it thrilling to murder and rape and toture weaker beings.

*

Hermione had spent the entire night rereading and plotting. She made sure she wasn't missing anything crucial. She couldn't afford to mess this up. If she did.. she would singlehandedly destroy all of reality and space. There was a reason such a rite was so heavily guarded that it had taken her months to find it and understand it.

'It is very dark magic. We'd be dappling with the darkest of the Dark Arts. Once we begin the ritual.. there's no going back.'

The two boys nodded.

Harry had already sent an own to Bill in the morning bidding their goodbyes.

'We have to do this. He's killed half of Britain. He's moving towards the States and there's no stopping him.'

Draco nodded resolutely, 'I am ready.'

Hermione sighed and got up from her chair around the table. She placed her hand on Draco's shoulder.

'Draco.. I want you to know that.. if it wasn't for you, we couldn't have saved the world. Trust me. I and Harry .. we will save them. We will save your parents. We will save you.'

Draco looked up into her eyes and sought an emotion he had never received from anyone but his mother. In that moment he could see it. He could see it so very clearly that he wondered how he could have missed it.

Hermione Granger loved him. Hermione had found in him a friend. She loved him as he loved her. As did Harry. The three had become a family.

'You are absolutely certain, then?' She asked him.

'The ritual requires a sacrifice. You two are the heroes. You mnow every tiny little detail about his horcruxes. You two must be the ones to go back in time and fix it.' He stood up and hugged her.

Harry, too came up behind them and enveloped his two friends into his arms.

'Alright' Hermione commanded.

She kissed Draco on his cheek.

Harry patted him on his back, 'I.. you will always be family.'

Draco glanced at them and whispered, 'Thank you. For accepting me.'

And then he moved away from them and took his position in the middle of the circle Hermione had drawn with the blood of a unicorn.

Hermione and Harry clasped hands tightly as Hermione began to chant the spell required by the ritual. She chanted for thirty seven minutes without a break. All the while Harry added the necessary ingredients at the required places.

When the spell was complete, Harry and Hermione reluctantly picked up a sharp blade each from the bedside table.

They looked at Draco, conveying to him their regret and their gratitude.

Draco steeled himself and stared right back at them.

Slowly, they moved towards him. Together. Holding hands.

There was no better way to do it. Stifling their cries and thrusting their humanity into the deepest crevices of their minds, they stabbed the blades into his gut.

Draco gasped and cried out in pain, the light in his eyes leaving him. His blood seeped into the floor and into the bowl that housed the ingredients for the spell.

And as he quivered and breathed his last, the earth gave away from beneath their feet. A strong gust of wind that seemed to be blowing inside the room, shrieked against the windows.. rattling their panes.

Harry and Hermione stumbled onto the floor right next to Draco's fallen body.. their sacrifice.. the human sacrifice to save the world.. the proof of their monstrosity.

The wind gained even greater strength. The house itself threatened to fall down on them. The walls shook and the furniture began to tumble.

Hermione dared not let go of Harry's hand or her beaded bag. Harry, too would not have released his grip on her hand or the moleskin pouch around his neck for the life of him.

The wall right in front of them opened up. Voices seemed to be coming right out of it as the wind threatened to explode the house.

It seemed to be pulling them towards the portal the wall had created.

Harry looked into Hermione's eyes and begged her to see the love that he held inside them. The love that he had for her.. and for the rest of their family they had come to lose.

Hermione smiled tearfully and that is the last either of them remembered before they were thrust into perpetual darkness