Almost Too Late by SinginHarmony

Rating: PG
Genres: Romance, Suspense
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 6
Published: 29/01/2007
Last Updated: 29/01/2007
Status: Completed

The final battle will bring relief to many, but it will come at a price for some. A short final
battle fic. WARNING: Character death.




1. Almost Too Late
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**AN:** Well, this is a short little battle fic I wrote last summer I believe. I just found
it on my LJ and decided to post it just because :) I've been told that this is really sad, but
I'll let you be the judge of that.

~~~~~

It was total chaos. That's all Hermione could think of describing it as. People were
running, screaming, and falling from both sides. Curses and hexes of every sort shot across the
sky, some mere inches above the burning grass of the field. Hermione choked on some smoke from the
fires blazing around her as she ran blindly through the field.

She tripped and fell over something and landed hard on the dirt. She looked back and fought off
a scream at the site of what she tripped over. It was a body. It was a body of one of the aurors.
Panic seized her. She could only think of finding Harry. If she found him, he would be okay. She
knew it.

She moved as quickly and quietly as she could, so not to give away her position. The thick smoke
helped shield her from view, but it did not protect her from the curses that flew at her
unknowingly. She looked around her frantically. Any sign of him was what she needed.

She ducked as a jet of pink light passed by her head. That's when she saw him. He was closer
than she had thought he would be and she began to make her way over to him cautiously. As she moved
a few steps, she caught sight of whom he was battling. She felt as if someone had thrown a bucket
of ice over her. *Not Voldemort,* she thought, *anyone but him.*

She began sprinting across the field towards him. Suddenly she could care less who saw her, who
heard her, who tried to attack her. All she cared about was getting to his side. Then a frightening
thing happened; Voldemort fired a curse at the same time as Harry and their wands connected.
Hermione shielded her eyes from the blast of light that washed over the field, but continued moving
in Harry's direction.

The light cleared and she dropped her hands. Voldemort wasn't there. *He's gone*,
she thought in relief, *Harry did it! He's gone!*

Her relief was short lived as she saw Harry lying motionless on the ground. She ran, feeling
fear overwhelm her. She fell to her knees beside him. She forced herself to look at the damage. He
was bleeding worse than she had ever seen. She muttered the healing charm to heal his wound, but
the bleeding persisted and she couldn't help the tears from forming in her eyes.

"Hermione?"

Harry's voice was hoarse and tired. She placed a hand on his face and leaned over him.

"I'm here Harry," she whispered.

"Is... Gone?" he muttered.

"He's gone, Harry, you did it," Hermione replied hearing her voice waver a
little.

"Dying...” he whispered painfully.

"No Harry," she said with her voice cracking. "Please, no Harry. You're going
to be fine."

"Hermione..." he murmured in an exhausted voice. "Sorry..."

"You're going to be fine," Hermione cried as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I love you Hermione," he whispered so quietly Hermione could barely hear him.

"I love you, Harry," she said quietly cradling his head in her hands. "Please,
you'll be fine."

"Miss you," Harry muttered.

"Don't say that," Hermione balled.

He closed his eyes and his shallow breathing began to decrease. She was shaking and crying
uncontrollably as she cradled his head in her lap. She cried out for help as she tried to heal his
wound, but nothing worked. Slowly, she held him as his breathing slowed down to an eventual stop.
Aurors and others came from all corners of the battlefield. Most had severe wounds of their own and
hadn't even realized it was over.

She felt herself being forced away from him. She couldn't tell who it was, but they were
trying to calm her down as she screamed and tried to get back to him, to her Harry. Coherent
thought was lost the second she saw him take his last breath. Tears were streaming down her face
while she fought against the people who were holding her back.

"Harry!" she cried out helplessly. "Harry don't leave me! Please, don't
leave me!"

The aurors had stopped firing their spells at him and were backing away in defeat. Hermione
cried out his name again before collapsing to the ground in tears and exhaustion. He was gone.
There was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't help him anymore. She loved him, and he
was gone. She would never see his eyes light up again. She would never see his smile or hear his
laugh.

Hermione never remembered being brought to St. Mungo's that night. She didn't remember
attending his funeral. She didn't remember being brought home. All she could remember was
holding him, watching him die, as he finally said what she had longed to hear for so long.

*I love you Hermione.*

~Fin~

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