AN: Alright! This is fully Beta read and I will be publishing the remaining chapters this week (one each day). There are 4 left including the Epilogue, and I hope you all enjoy them!

Chapter 17: In the End…Way Down We Go

The relief was palpable when Hermione, River, and Draco reappeared at the campsite. Ron and Harry had clearly been worried and pacing, clear tracks worn into the dirt surrounding their small campfire. The minute the trio landed, Harry was springing towards Hermione, his arms wrapping around her and holding on tight. Ron was more reserved, but even he had grabbed Draco's shoulder and mumbled "glad you're alright," while giving it a squeeze. Draco blinked, clearly caught off guard, before offering a stiff nod.

River was quick to take Hermione's bag and remove the Cup and place it with the other Horcruxes in the locked cabinet. Her fingers trembled as she did. When the wards were placed back on the cabinet, she let out a long breath, steadying her nerves.

The group settled around the small campfire, each of them moving slowly, their bodies weighed down by both physical fatigue and the emotional toll of what they had just endured. The flames crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the tent walls, illuminating tired faces and haunted eyes.

They recounted everything—the chaos at Gringotts, the vault, Lucius Malfoy's arrival, the desperate flight on the dragon, and their unexpected reunion with Sirius and Lupin. As the story unfolded, the tension lifted slightly, replaced by quiet awe at what they had managed to accomplish. When they reached the part about the dragon's escape and River's bond with the creature, even Ron's tired face cracked a faint grin.

"Of course you rode a bloody dragon," he said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Reckless."

River smiled faintly, though the weight of what still lay ahead pressed heavily on her chest.

When the story ended, silence settled over the tent. It wasn't the awkward, uncertain silence that often followed moments of vulnerability—it was the kind of silence that came with shared understanding, with the acknowledgment that they were standing on the edge of something monumental.

This was it.

The hallowed end was in sight.

They had three of the last five Horcruxes. They knew what the fourth was. And they possessed the Deathly Hallows.

Now, all that remained was to finish it.

River's POV

My gaze flicked toward Harry.

He sat close to Hermione, his hand lingering in hers, but his expression remained distant. His jaw was set, his shoulders squared, his posture resolute—but something in his eyes gave him away. The weight he carried never truly lifted, no matter how close we were to the end. He should have been relieved, hopeful. But there was something else… something gnawing at him from within, casting shadows behind his gaze.

The boy who had once shouldered this burden alone now had allies who would stand beside him to the end. Yet he still carried it as if it were his burden alone.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

That evening, I volunteered to take Draco's watch, so that Draco could spend more time recovering, and that mine would overlap with Harry's turn. Tonight, I needed answers. There was something in the way Harry was holding himself back, something I couldn't ignore.

As the others drifted off to sleep, I stood by the edge of the clearing, the forest quiet except for the occasional rustle of leaves. Harry joined me a few minutes later, wordless as he took his place beside me.

For a long time, neither of us spoke.

The silence stretched, comfortable yet charged with unspoken tension.

It was Harry who finally broke it.

"You've been watching me," he said quietly, his gaze fixed on the horizon. His voice was steady, but there was an edge of vulnerability in his tone. "Why?"

It starts with one
All I know

I turned to him, meeting his gaze head-on. "Because something's bothering you. Something more than what we've all been carrying. And you've been purposely not thinking about it so I wouldn't know."

Harry sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly as if the weight of his secret was too much to bear.

"It's me," he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. I'm the last one, hangs in his mind unspoken. "When did you figure it out?" Harry asks as he turns to face me.

My heart skipped a beat, dread curling in my stomach. "I didn't. Not until tonight." I whisper.

"How?" Harry's voice was quiet, but there was an ache in it—a longing to understand something that felt impossible to comprehend.

It's so unreal
Watch you go

I took a slow, steadying breath. "Because you've always carried more than the rest of us. Even when you shouldn't have to. It felt different… it is different. It's not just the weight of responsibility. It's a heaviness inside you…A piece of him."

Harry nodded slowly, his gaze distant. "Dumbledore told me. Before… before he died." He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. "There was a piece of Voldemort's soul inside me all along. The night he tried to kill me, part of him latched on. That's why I get visions of him."

I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails biting into my palms. "And you've known all this time? Since before we started looking for the Horcruxes?"

"Yes," Harry admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just didn't want to believe it."

I struggled to keep my voice steady. "And you weren't going to tell us?"

Harry turned to face me fully, his green eyes fierce despite the weariness in them. "What would've changed? What would you have done differently if you'd known?"

"I would have fought to find another way!" The words burst out of me before I could stop them. "I'll keep fighting to find—"

"There is no other way." His voice cut through the night, sharp and unyielding. "Don't you see that, River? This is the only way to end it. I have to die. That's the price."

I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

I staggered back a step, the words hitting me like a blow to the chest. "No. There has to be something—"

"There's not," Harry said softly. "I've thought about it. I've hoped. But every path leads to the same place. Voldemort can't die unless I do. It's been decided since the night he marked me."

"But it's not fair," I whispered, my voice cracking. "It's not fair that you've fought so hard, survived so much, only for it to end like this."

Harry's gaze softened, and for the first time that night, he smiled—a small, sad smile that held more weight than any words could. "Fairness stopped mattering a long time ago."

I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. "No. There's always a choice."

"And I've made mine," Harry said firmly. "I've chosen to end this. To give everyone else a chance to live. That's my choice."

The silence stretched between us again, but this time it felt heavier, more final.

I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

I took a shaky breath, my mind racing. "When?"

"When the time comes." Harry glanced toward the horizon, as if seeing something beyond the dark trees before taking a steadying breath. "But I want you to do it."

His request… uttered so simply, so softly, nearly broke me. But when I turn to him, and see something in his expression—something resolute, almost peaceful, that is what does it, what pushes me over the edge.

"How can you ask that!?" I say with shock, tears stinging my eyes.

"I'm not afraid to die," he said quietly. "But I don't want it to be him. I want it to be someone who has been by my side. The way Dumbledore asked Snape… I am asking you."

"I… I'm not sure I can." I whispered.

Harry's smile softened. "You won't lose me. Not really. I'll always be here." He placed a hand over his heart, then extended it toward me. "And here."

I closed my eyes, letting his words settle. "Don't make me do this, Potter." I opened my eyes and smiled faintly through the tears threatening to fall. "You've always been too noble for your own good."

It starts with one
All I know
So unreal

"I've had good people to teach me," he replied, his gaze warm.

We stood in silence for a moment longer, the fire crackling softly in the background. Finally, Harry spoke again, his voice quieter, almost hesitant.

"You'll do it for me, right?"

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

Harry gave a slow nod in return, his gaze lingering on the stars overhead. "Good. That's all I need."

For the first time that night, I let my mind stretch toward him, allowing myself to feel the steady, quiet courage that had carried him through everything. It wasn't fair. It never would be. Harry had a choice in this, but so did I. I would stand by him to the end.

Watch you go

But I wouldn't stop fighting to find another way.

Harry lingers a few more minutes, before he turns and quietly goes back into the tent.

I stay, staring out into the dense forest, staring into the depths of the deception and lies confronting me. My blood boils, it's always the same… making a better world, subjugation, deceit, lies, lies, lies. Sad little kings on sad little hills who just want to take, take, take.

My magic calls to me… a darkness looming just buried under lock and key, a madness, like Bellatrix. My chest heaved as the weight of it pressed down on me. The tangled mess of fate, prophecy, and sacrifice was too much to bear. It claws its way up, from the furthest recesses of my mind…claws at me for control… to give in to my darkest desires.

What I wouldn't give to let some of that happen, to unleash this fury burning inside me on Dumbledore. If only you could kill a dead man.

If my fury was the match at the powder keg, his name is the icy water dousing it. I couldn't kill a dead man… but I could summon one.

I creep into the tent, my steps feather light as I move towards where Harry kept the Golden Snitch and the Philosopher's Stone. Like a thief in the night, I edge closer and closer, my prize within reach. No one stirs, the exhaustion of the previous day carrying everyone off to sleep. Even Harry had fallen into Never Never Land as his head touched the pillow just minutes ago.

As my fingers touch the cool metal of the snitch, I quickly pocket it before making my way back outside. I move towards the edge of our camp, the wards crackling at my proximity. The snitch gleams in the moonlight, and as I bring my lips to touch the cool metal, it flutters open in my hand.

I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

I took a deep, steadying breath. Just one person. I close my eyes and let my magic guide me to do what I need to. I feel my hand turn the Stone three times between my fingers, and I whisper into the night.

"Albus Dumbledore."

The air shimmered, cold and electric, as a figure began to take shape before me. Cloaked in mist and moonlight, he stood tall and composed, his half-moon spectacles perched on his nose, his blue eyes as piercing in death as they had been in life.

"River Black," he said softly, his voice carrying the same gentle authority I remembered from our brief encounters. "I wondered when you might call upon me."

I clenched my jaw, my hands tightening around the Stone. "You've been expecting me?"

Dumbledore's gaze softened. "I have been expecting this moment—when the burden of knowledge would become too heavy for you to bear alone."

"Burden?" I spat, my voice trembling with anger. "You think this is about knowledge? This is about Harry. You left him to die. You knew all along that he was the final Horcrux!"

Dumbledore sighed, a deep, weary sound. "I knew that, in time, he would come to understand. And he has."

I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

"He understands that you manipulated him," I snapped. "That you played God with his life."

Silence hung between us, heavy with accusation. The moonlight flickered across Dumbledore's spectral form, casting shadows that danced like ghosts.

"I never claimed to be infallible," Dumbledore said quietly. "But I acted as I believed necessary to end the greatest threat our world has ever known."

"And what about choice?" My voice rose, each word sharper than the last. "What about giving him a choice? You talk about love and compassion, but you never gave him the chance to choose his own fate."

Dumbledore's gaze didn't waver. "Would he have chosen differently, if he had known sooner?"

I froze, the question hitting me like a curse.

Would Harry have chosen differently?

No. I knew the answer in my bones. He would have chosen the same path. But that wasn't the point.

"That doesn't make it right," I whispered. "It doesn't justify the lies."

It starts with one
All I know
So unreal

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Perhaps not. But the choices we make often come with consequences we cannot foresee. And sometimes, they come with burdens we must carry alone."

I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. "It's not right. He should never have had to carry this burden, he should have had a choice."

Dumbledore stepped closer, his gaze filled with sorrow. "And yet, River, we all make choices that shape the lives of others. You have made choices that have shaped Harry's path, just as he has shaped yours."

I let out a shaky breath, my heart pounding in my chest. "I don't want to be part of this game anymore. I don't want to lose him."

Dumbledore's expression softened. "Then help him see it through. Stand by him. Be the light that guides him through the darkness."

The Stone grew heavier in my hand, its warmth fading as the specter of Dumbledore began to dissipate.

"Wait," I said, my voice trembling. "If it is me…if it's out of love and not hate…would it…would it know the difference?"

Dumbledore's gaze lingered, filled with something that looked like hope. "Intent matters. Magic always knows the difference."

Watch you go

With those final words, I watch him go back into the ether, leaving me alone, the Resurrection Stone cold and lifeless in my palm, leaving behind only the cold, empty words of Dumbledore.

"Intent matters. Magic always knows the difference."

Intent. Magic wasn't mindless. It wasn't neutral. It responded to emotion, to belief, to the soul of the caster. The curse that created Horcruxes came from hate. Desperation. A refusal to die. But what if the spell that destroyed them could come from love?

The idea solidified in my mind like a stone dropping into a still pond. The ripples spread outward, touching every part of my being. It raced ahead, planning, calculating, magic pulses in my veins, hot and insistent.

"Intent matters." I mumble to myself over and over until it is burned into my brain. "Intent matters."

River doesn't wake Ron for his shift. Instead, she spends the entire night at the edge of the camp, her thoughts moving like steps in a dance—calculated, fluid, weaving through possibilities and counterpoints. Her mind spins through the choreography of battle, each scenario a different rhythm: attack, retreat, twist, fall. Every turn, every step, sharp and deliberate.

The world had always been a dance—a cruel one, choreographed by unseen hands. But River was done following someone else's steps, done letting the music push her where it willed. She was going to change the tempo, rewrite the routine, and lead the dance herself.

By the time dawn breaks, she's no longer the girl who entered this war caught in the middle. She stands still now, but there's a tension to her, like a dancer in a moment of poised stillness before the next movement—a readiness to strike, to pivot, to improvise when the rhythm demands it.

When the others emerge from the tent, groggy and rubbing sleep from their eyes, they stop short. There's something different about her—the way she holds herself, the set of her jaw, the silence that hangs around her like a curtain drawn before the final act.

"River?" Hermione's voice is cautious. "Why didn't you wake Ron for his shift?"

River doesn't turn to look at her. Her gaze is distant, fixed on something beyond the trees, beyond the horizon, beyond this moment. "You need rest as much as the rest of us." Harry tries to reason with her.

Draco frowns, stepping closer. "Everything okay?"

River's response is cold, distant. "We have work to do...It's time we bring the fight to them."

The others exchange uncertain glances. Something has shifted in her, something they don't entirely understand. She isn't just tired or overwhelmed. She's still, calm, but cold in a way they haven't seen.

When Draco pulls her aside later, searching her mind with his icy touch. He meets no resistance when he slips into her mind, but he is met with a fortress, showing only a glimpse of what she intends to do. His eyes narrow at her, but he nods his head.

"I know the darkness, River. Don't let it take more than you're willing to give." He whispers. In the end, who is he to judge what a person is or isn't willing to do. How far they will themself slip into the darkness in hopes of making it to the other side.

Before any strategy or tactics could be put into place, they needed to bring together any allies that they could. Sending that many patronus would be too risky, so they would need to use the DA coins as much as possible. This would allow them to coordinate with members of the DA and Sirius and Lupin. They would then need Sirius or Lupin to covertly contact other members of the Order, and those that could be persuaded to help.

By the end of the first week, they had managed to touch base with all of the Weasleys, Luna, Tonks, Mad Eye Moody, Kingsley Shaklebot, and a few other trusted Aurors, McGonagall, Madame Pomfrey, Slughorn, and other Hogwarts Professors, including Snape. Kreacher had also been summoned again and personally slipped into Hogwarts to persuade the house eleves to act as their spies when the time came. More DA Coins were made, and the guerrilla resistance took shape.

With their allies on board, they then turned to supplies. Gringotts had taught them the importance of that when facing Nagini, and confronting her was going to be an inevitable part of their future plans. Holding of these would also be difficult, so Hermione would need to create additional hidden extension charms on things they could each personally carry. But they also needed stock on hand to triage during the battle. They needed beazors, as many as they could get, Wiggenweld, Blood-Replenishing potions, Invigoration Draughts, anything that could save a life.

The Weasley Twins were making as much Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder as they could, while working on additional jinxes and charms that could help in battle. Madame Pomfrey, Slughorn, and Snape began to brew what medical potions they could. Supplies were trickling in slowly, smuggled under the Carrows' noses, but it would never be enough. Time was slipping through their fingers. Each day, more students disappeared into Hogwarts' dungeons, and the Carrows' reign of terror tightened.

Whispers of Voldemort's plan reached them like echoes of a death knell. Hogwarts wasn't just a battleground—it would be his throne. The castle, once a sanctuary, was becoming a prison. Each passing day brought more Death Eaters to its gates, and with them came the weight of inevitable war. The corridors were no longer filled with laughter or learning, but dread. The students who remained were captives. The professors were hostages. Hogwarts was on the verge of falling completely under Voldemort's control.

A plan began to take shape—a dance of strategy and survival. Between the five of them, it took a week of sleepless nights, whispered debates, and tense recalculations. But at the end of it, they had a plan. Not perfect, but solid enough to give them a chance. A chance to stop Voldemort before he could cement his reign.

Phase 1: Distraction and Chaos

The first step was to throw Voldemort's forces into disarray—both inside and outside the castle.

The Order of the Phoenix would launch small-scale attacks on the grounds and surrounding areas, hitting strategic targets to draw Death Eaters away from key positions. These attacks needed to be precise and relentless—just enough to keep the enemy on edge but not so large as to tip Voldemort off to their true plan.

Inside the castle, Ginny, Luna, and other students would lead efforts to secure key areas. Fred and George Weasley, with their endless supply of ingenuity and magical pranks, would assist in setting traps, releasing enchanted distractions, and disrupting enemy formations. Even the ghosts of Hogwarts had agreed to help, using their incorporeal nature to spy on the Death Eaters and mislead them at every turn.

River and Draco would lead the charge within the castle, coordinating with the DA and rallying the resistance from within.

Meanwhile, Harry, Hermione, and Ron would infiltrate the castle from the secret passage in Hogsmeade. The hope was that the chaos on the grounds would keep Voldemort preoccupied long enough for the Golden Trio to slip inside undetected.

The goal of Phase 1 was simple: take the castle back, step by step. The Great Hall would serve as their base of operations, a secure stronghold from which they could regroup, plan, and push forward.

Phase 2: Destroying the Horcruxes

Once they secured the Great Hall, they would move to their next critical objective: destroying the Horcruxes.

They had three Horcruxes in their possession: the Diadem, the Cup, and the Locket. They would need to rely on Basilisk fangs and Fiendfyre to destroy them. The fangs, still embedded in the skeleton of the serpent in the Chamber of Secrets, would be their best weapon, while the Room of Requirement would provide a safe enough space to use Fiendfyre without risk of it spreading to the rest of the castle.

But destroying the Horcruxes couldn't be done all at once. It would require splitting up. Harry and Hermione would go to the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve the fangs and destroy the Locket there. Draco and River would take the Cup and the Diadem to the Room of Requirement, using Fiendfyre to ensure their destruction. The room could contain the fire long enough to prevent it from spreading, but using it was dangerous. It would take precision, control, and timing. Ron would stay in the Great Hall to coordinate updates via their DA coins. His job was to keep their allies informed and ensure the resistance forces didn't falter.

This phase was critical. Without destroying the Horcruxes, Voldemort could not be defeated.

Phase 3: The Confrontation

The final phase was the riskiest: confronting Voldemort. This wasn't a question of if they would face him, but where he would choose to make his stand.

The challenge lay in Voldemort's unpredictability. He was cunning, ruthless, and capable of moving swiftly. They had to account for multiple possibilities, knowing he would position himself to maintain the greatest advantage over the castle and its defenders. They also needed to be ready to pounce on Nagini the minute they had their opening.

After endless debates and adjustments, they agreed on three potential locations for the confrontation, each with a unique set of risks and tactics:

The Courtyard of Hogwarts – The most ideal location. They would need to take control of the upper levels of the castle to hold the high ground, creating a choke point to force the Death Eaters into the courtyard. The battle would need to end there—out in the open, where the resistance could see the victory they'd been fighting for.

The Forbidden Forest – If Voldemort retreated to regroup with his forces outside the castle, the battle would spill into the forest. The dense terrain offered cover and concealment for both sides, but the risk of ambushes would be high. The centaurs and other magical creatures of the forest could tip the scales, but the forest's wild magic was unpredictable. The Order would need to split their forces between defending the castle and pursuing Voldemort into the woods, a difficult maneuver that could leave them vulnerable.

The Great Hall – The worst-case scenario. If Voldemort managed to push through their defenses, he could attempt to turn the Great Hall into a final stand. The Order would need to seal off other areas of the castle and push him out into the courtyard, but doing so would come at great risk. The Great Hall was too confined, and the potential for casualties was high. If Voldemort made it there, it meant things had already gone wrong.

They wouldn't know which plan was in play until the attack began. The house-elves, led by Kreacher, would continue gathering intelligence, moving unseen through the castle to report Voldemort's movements in real time.

River's POV

This was it, the eve of the final battle. We had done everything they could to prepare. Now, all that was left to do was wait.

We had left our camp in the Ariundle Oakwoods at dawn and moved discreetly into Hogsmeade. Aberforth had been in contact with Sirius and Lupin, and The Hog's Head was now our base of operations outside the castle grounds. It would also serve as a safehouse for the evacuated students.

From the upper passage toward the guest rooms, I watch as our allies gather below. Familiar faces, weary but resolute, moving with purpose as they prepare for the fight ahead.

The tension in the air is almost unbearable. Even from this distance, their thoughts, their emotions, everything swirls around me making me delirious. I grip the banister tightly, as if grounding myself will keep my mind from unraveling at the onslaught.

Harry joins me, quiet as a shadow. "Do you think it will be enough?" His voice is low, a whisper meant only for me.

I don't look at him right away. My gaze stays fixed on the minds below—the gathering storm. "I don't know."

Harry's hand covers mine where it rests on the banister. The gesture is small, grounding. I glance sideways at him, seeing the weight he carries in his tired eyes.

"For what it's worth," he says softly, "thank you. For everything."

My heart clenches.

"Harry…" I whisper, turning to face him fully. The words catch in my throat, but I push through. "I need you to make me a promise in return."

His brow furrows slightly, but he nods without hesitation. "Name it."

"If… if there's a chance, if you don't die—promise me you'll take the opening."

I see the shift in his expression. His mind starts whirring, spiraling into overdrive behind those mournful green eyes. He's so convinced of his fate, so prepared to die, that my words feel like make-believe to him.

"River…" he says softly, shaking his head. "I know it has to end this way."

"Just promise me," I cut him off, my voice steady but insistent. "If there's another way—if even for a second, you see a way out—you finish it. Regardless of what happens."

Harry studies me in silence. The storm in his mind quiets as he takes in my words, trying to decipher the meaning behind them.

His voice is careful, measured. "What aren't you telling me?"

I shrug, a practiced indifference from these past few weeks. "Nothing you don't already know."

But Harry sees through me. His gaze narrows slightly, and I can feel him resisting the urge to press further. He doesn't, though. Instead, he nods slowly.

"I promise," he says quietly, though his voice is heavy with doubt.

He doesn't push any further, but the unspoken words linger between us. It was enough.

As Harry walks away to join the others below, seeking the familiar curls of his bright witch to lose himself in a small moment of comfort. I stay at the banister, staring into the flickering lamplight. The shadows shift with the glow, dancing across the room like phantoms of what's to come. A familiar cold presence creeps up behind me, silent as the night itself.

"You didn't tell him," Snape's voice cuts through the stillness, quiet but deliberate.

I don't flinch. "He made his choice. I made mine."

Snape steps into the dim light, taking the place Harry had vacated moments ago. His dark eyes are unreadable, but there's something softer in his expression tonight—a weariness that mirrors my own.

"Was I that obvious?" I ask, my voice tinged with bitter amusement.

"…No." He exhales, the word carrying more weight than I expect. "No, they do not suspect what you intend to do."

I chuckle softly, though it sounds hollow. "How did you figure me out?"

Snape's gaze doesn't waver. "The same way you figured out my intent when I had you brew the Draught of Living Death. Intent always matters."

The memory warms me now when I think about it. It wasn't about the potion—it was about what it represented.

"Do you think they'll forgive me?" I ask quietly, the question slipping out before I can stop it as my eyes wander over so many familiar faces…Sirius, Lupin, Harry, Hermione, the Weasleys, McGonagall, Mad Eye Moody, Tonks, Andromeda…Draco.

Snape's expression hardens, but there's no cruelty in it. "Forgiveness… is irrelevant. What matters is whether you can live with the choices you've made."

The weight of his words settles heavily on my chest. "You're a good man, Severus Snape."

Snape's lips twitch into a faint, almost imperceptible smile—sad, knowing. "No." His voice is steady, yet tainted with sadness. "But I've made peace with the fact that I am not."

I let myself linger a moment longer before I turn and go down the hall to my room for the night. I won't sleep… and I know Draco will slip away soon. For all his bluster at Blackmoor, I saw the resignation in Sirius' eyes when he arrived and found Draco at my side. The eve of battle is no time to stand in the way of things. Even if we don't speak of them, we all know what they mean.

Oh, Father tell me, do we get what we deserve?
Whoa, we get what we deserve

An hour later, I'm sitting on the small double bed in this room, I feel his mind before the turning of the knob announces his presence. He slips inside, carefully closing the door behind him, locking it with both the bolt and wandlessly with a wave of his hand. The magic hums faintly in the air, prickling at my skin as everything else begins to settle around us—just the two of us, sealed away from the world outside.

I arch a single eyebrow at Draco, already knowing which spell he conveniently left out. Twirling my wand between my fingers, I cast a silent Silencio, watching the magic settle like a veil over the room.

"You really want to bait him that much?" I ask, my tone dry but amused.

He tries his best to suppress a smirk, but fails—beautifully. "He and Aunt Andromeda did already threaten me before I was able to get away."

"And you still came."

"Not yet, but I intend to…" He says as he begins to undress in front of me. "In due time."

You let your feet run wild
Time has come as we all, oh, go down

I laugh despite myself, scooting forward to where my back is against the bed. My own fingers finding the buttons of my shirt of their own volition. His eyes roam over where the fabric gives way to smooth skin, drinking in every inch that he sees…memorizing.

He takes three steps forward before he begins to crawl up the bed and my body. His hands, his mouth kissing desperately along each leg, like he's worshiping every inch.

My eyes flutter close and I give in to every sensation I feel, both mine and Draco's mirrored back to me. It's indecent, the amount of pleasure I feel wrapping around my body.

"Draco…" I say breathlessly as he makes his way up my torso, over my breasts.

"Mhmmm. I do love it when you say my name." He says between kisses and nips. "Tell me, when you close your eyes, how do you imagine that I am fucking you sensless?"

His words heighten my arousal and I feel my knickers begin to dampen. I don't respond quickly enough for his liking, so he bites down slightly harder on one of my nipples. The sharpness and pinch is a contrast to the pleasure I feel elsewhere, a beautiful contrast that makes me wetter.

"Like this… oh fuck… just like this."

I hear him chuckle as his weight settles over me, his hand trailing towards the apex of my legs.

"Look at me, River."

Yeah but for the fall, ooh, my
Do you dare to look him right in the eyes? Yeah

I open my eyes and stare into his mercurial icy grey depths. There is so much there in that one look, more than I think even Draco is prepared to admit out loud at this moment. But he wants me to see it, wants me to know it, even if the words escape us both. I belong to you, body and soul.

"That's a good girl." His fingers skim the top of my knickers before snatching them away from my body, not even bothering to use magic.

"I want you to focus on what you feel. Lay back and let me take care of you."

His fingers begin to rub small circles over my clit, as his body moves further down to add his tongue to the mix. After several minutes of this I can barely keep my eyes open as my mind is flooded with pleasure and the enjoyment Draco feels at tasting me. It's the spark that ignites the flames that race through my body.

"Fuck, I want you inside of me."

I feel Draco's grin pull across his face as his head lifts from where it was previously.

"Are you going to beg me for it, River?"

"Please… please." I say as my hand tangles into his hair, trying in vain to get him to move higher up my body.

Oh, 'cause they will run you down, down 'til the dark
Yes and they will run you down, down 'til you fall

His lips trail kisses up my skin, leaving searing heat in their wake. It all too much, too much feeling, and yet not enough. Never enough. The way I feel is like falling into an eternal abyss of pure sensation. No more loud thoughts, no more feeling everyone around me, just a pure and utter void only made up of what I feel.

When he slides into me, it's a lightshow behind my eyes. A burst of color, emotion, fear, serenity, and surrender. Tears sting at my eyes at how overwhelming it is at this moment. "Draco… please."

"Hey, hey, shhh. I got you." He says as a thumb traces the single tear that creeps out through my shut eyes. It's a rare moment of gentleness, meant only for me. "I got you." He says again before he leans down and kisses me.

And way down we go
Way down we go

The fire is burning through my skin, everything between us just igniting it further. Burning the edges and lines between what is me and what is Draco. My nails dig into the planes of his back as he starts moving, grasping, clawing, trying to get closer… chasing the infinity at the end.

"More…Draco."

"Anything… anything you want, love."

His lips land on mine. Hungry, devouring everything from the air I breathe to the moans escaping my lips.

"I'll give you the world, River."

The gasps and moans that he pulls from me as my orgasm crests leaving me in oblivion. The feeling only magnified as Draco's own euphoria follows shortly after mine.

Say way down we go, ooh
Way down we go

AN: Add a little bit of spice ;) I mean let's face it, it is the eve of battle, everyone is going to go find the person they love.