(Ok - I wasn't going to write this chapter, I was just going to focus on current events and not the past in this fic, but everyone wanted to know how Draco and Ginny died, and I knew how it happened in my head - so here's an extra chapter which I've worked in to explain the gaps)
Chapter Nine
A week later, Hermione was taking a well-earned break from writing up her notes and editing previously written chapters of her book cataloguing magical creatures across the globe in detail. She sank onto the sofa with a bag of Kettle Chips and a photograph album she'd spied on Harry's desk and she flipped through the pictures as she ate her lunch, hoping Ron didn't catch her eating an unhealthy lunch after all her nagging on the subject over the years.
Hermione paused and giggled at a photograph of Ron puking slugs which Colin had given Harry several years ago. She saw herself, Harry and Ron grow progressively older as she flipped through the pages of the large album and smiled at familiar images, and happy days at Hogwarts and since. She gently ran a finger down the left side of a page as she looked at herself and Ginny, standing in the Gryffindor Common Room, arms around each other, grinning widely and laughing. She missed her friend so much. She couldn't believe Ginny had been gone for so long now, and Draco too. The next image in the album was Ginny sitting on Draco's lap, looking at each other adoringly.
She remembered the events of that fateful day vividly. It had been the Easter holidays and Hermione, Harry and Ron had been sitting with Neville in the Common Room waiting for Ginny so they could go to dinner.
"She's probably with Draco, and lost track of time." Ron said in an exasperated tone, only just coming to terms with his sister's love for the ferret boy. Hermione nodded her agreement.
"Let's just head down to the Great Hall then, I'm sure they'll find us there."
The four of them had wandered down through the quiet castle chatting amiably. As they passed through the entrance hall however, their lives had been altered forever. Harry had turned instinctively and spotted that the main door to the castle was ajar. Hermione's gaze followed his and she remembered hearing a scream she hadn't even recognised as her own. They had run towards the doors and seen Ginny lying bleeding in the doorway. Neville went sprinting to the Great Hall pulling open the doors and screaming for the teachers. Hermione had checked Ginny to find a very weak pulse, Ron was cradling his sister's head in his lap and Harry was looking out the door with a focused expression.
"Ginny? Ginny can you hear me?" Hermione asked through her tears.
Ginny's eyes had fluttered open and she had looked at the three of them in relief.
"Death Eaters…attacked us by the lake…Draco…" Ginny broke off as her body was wracked with sobs which appeared to cause her more pain.
"He took a curse for me…he's…dead…" She cried. Professor's Dumbledore, Snape and McGonogal had now joined them, and stood horrified over the youngsters.
"They cursed me…thought I was dead…I got here to warn you…they're about to attack…through the dungeons…be ready…" Ginny gasped as the pain again took over.
Neville now reappeared with Madam Pomfrey who crouched next to them as Ginny's eyes again closed.
Harry stood and was talking animatedly with Professor's Dumbledore and Snape. Hermione was in a daze, still holding Ginny's hand, her mind not even comprehending that Draco was dead.
Everything after that had happened so quickly, the castle had begun to shake, aurors and Order members came flooding into the building once Dumbledore got word to them, and still Ginny lay unmoving in the doorway.
Madam Pomfrey had not needed to say a word; Hermione knew her friend was beyond rescue. It had taken Ron a few moments to comprehend the sad look the nurse gave them before he broke down into silent tears. She held Ginny's hand tight in her own, and her heart felt it would explode with grief when her friend opened her eyes and said goodbye to her.
"Hermione…look out for them for me…and, make sure I stay with Draco."
"I will Gin, I promise. I know how much you two love…loved each other…" Hermione was crying uncontrollably now.
"I love you Gin." She said as she squeezed her friend's hand and stood as she saw two familiar figures coming from the Great Hall. They must have just apparated in after Dumbledore temporarily lifted the wards. She walked silently towards them, knowing from their faces that they didn't know yet. Looking around she saw that Harry, Dumbledore and Snape were in the midst of a battle plan with other Order members. She took a deep shuddering breath and prepared to break the worst news any parent could ever hear to Arthur and Molly Weasley.
Even now, Hermione couldn't remember her words, she could only see the memory in her mind as if it were a silent movie, the looks on their faces as she'd explained, Molly's cries as she'd rushed to her daughter, and clung to Arthur and Ron as they sat with Ginny. Skirmishes were now breaking out in the dungeons as more Death Eaters infiltrated the castle, and Hermione knew she had to leave Ginny with her family and help - it was what they'd been working towards for so long. With a long glance behind her she headed towards Harry who was ordering Aurors in all directions. She placed a hand on his arm.
"Harry, you need to say goodbye to her…you won't get another chance…I'll take over here for a minute, and then, we'll do this together, the two of us and Ron." He nodded silently and hugged her tightly before walking towards his surrogate family.
Hermione had then taken a position directing troops and protecting the entrance hall, and the distressed family as the battleground spread through the castle. She heard what seemed to be an explosion from outside and turned. Harry was looking in the same direction as she was and from his hand placed over his scar she knew what the explosion signalled - Voldemort had arrived. Neville took over her position; she hugged him briefly and whispered a few words of encouragement before walking over and placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.
They watched awkwardly as Ginny said goodbye to her brother, and he kissed her forehead.
"Hermione - you should…" Harry began.
"Don't even say it Harry, I'm coming with you, you need me."
Ron now stood and joined them, looking back at his sister in turmoil.
"Is it time?" He asked. Harry nodded and with one last look back, they opened the door further, and, wands drawn they cast disillusionment charms on themselves.
"For Ginny." Ron had said quietly. She and Harry had each placed a hand on Ron's shoulders and repeated his dedication as they stepped out into the darkening night.
Harry's scar had led them easily to Voldemort, and Hermione had never felt more hatred in her entire life. The feelings terrified her, yet they gave her the power to use the Cruciatus curse to hold Voldemort back, and protect Ron, as Harry prepared to use the words which had ended his parents lives. Ron told her later that the final battle between the three of them and Voldemort had lasted over thirty minutes, and that she'd been hit by several painful curses, but in her mind it was over in seconds, the hatred for Voldemort, and the pain of knowing that Ginny lay dying, or may even have died already, had taken over. The three had stood breathless and in shock as Voldemort collapsed to the ground in death. Harry had silently walked towards him and picked up his wand from the ground, snapping it in two, and removing the Phoenix feather, which he then placed in his pocket. A quick spell from Ron had illuminated the area where they stood, and alerted others to Voldemort's demise. Neville had told them later that at the moment Voldemort died, the Death Eater he was duelling had grabbed his own arm and cried out in pain as the Dark Mark burned. That moment of distraction as all the Death Eaters cried out had allowed the Order to gain the upper hand in the ongoing battle.
Ron and Hermione had followed silently behind Harry as he levitated Voldemort's body back towards the castle from where they stood on the edge of the forest. Ron laid a hand on Harry's shoulder stopping him however as they neared the Whomping Willow, he had nodded in the direction of the lake, and Hermione and Harry had understood implicitly.
"I promised Ginny." Ron whispered.
The three left Voldemort's body where they stood, Hermione stood between her best friends and taking one of their hands each she led them down to the lakeside where they found the body of Draco Malfoy. Hermione cried silently, and Harry placed an arm around her shoulder as Ron picked Draco up in his arms and nodded to them before retracing their steps.
As they had expected, the battle was largely over when they reached the castle doors. Ron laid Draco's body beside Ginny's, which was now draped with a sheet. Molly Weasley sat next to her deceased daughter, her eyes dry, though as her son placed Draco on the floor and rested Ginny's hand on Draco's, the floodgates opened again - not only in grief, but in pride for her son. Ron had remained with Molly, Hermione had stood with her wand in her shaking hand, on the steps just outside the doors of the castle, guarding the body of Lord Voldemort, refusing to disrespect the inside of the castle with his body, and not wanting to further alarm or upset anyone. Harry had run wand drawn into the remaining battle.
Hermione had stood there silently for some time before she steeled her nerves and looked into the red eyes of their nemesis. She didn't care what was proper at that moment, nor that he was already dead, she kicked the body hard in the side.
"That's for Lily."
She kicked it again, harder this time.
"That was for James."
She kicked.
"That's for Sirius."
She kicked hard twice, tears now rolling down her face.
"That's for Neville's parents."
She kicked again.
"That's for Draco."
She stared right into the inhuman eyes for a moment before pointing her wand at the corpse. She then performed a curse Ginny had long perfected.
"And that's for Ginny."
Her body was now wracked with sobs and she turned to see Albus Dumbledore standing behind her. She looked up at the Headmaster.
"Is it over?" She asked quietly. He nodded.
"I will deal with Tom now. You'll find the others in the hospital wing." Hermione turned and headed inside, leaving the Headmaster admiring an expert Bat-Bogey Hex adorning the face of the most feared wizard of all time.
Hermione hadn't registered quite what the Headmaster was telling her until she was halfway to the hospital wing - this must mean they were hurt! She broke into a flat out run, not slowing until she burst through the doors of the hospital wing. Her eyes frantically scanned the crowds of people in the large room. She saw Ron and flung herself at him in a bone-crushing hug.
"Thank God you're ok." She sobbed against him. He hugged her back.
"Where's Harry?" She asked looking around. Ron pointed to the drawn curtains behind him and Hermione gasped.
"He's ok." Ron rapidly assured her.
"Just badly burnt. Madam Pomfrey's with him at the moment."
Hermione nodded.
"I'll stay with him Ron. You…you should be with your family." She said softly. Ron brushed a tear from his face and took a step away.
"I'm proud of you Ron." She said. He looked up at her surprised.
"Ginny was too." She said softly. Ron smiled weakly and walked to stand beside his Father.
Hermione had taken over from Madam Pomfrey, applying a potion to the burns on Harry once his worst injuries were healed, as the nurse made her way around the ward treating the patients who were being brought in from all over the castle. She and Harry had spoken quietly as she worked, Harry had laughed softly, a melancholy sound as she admitted what she had done to Voldemort's body. He took her hand.
"Thanks `Mione."
She looked at him questioningly.
"I didn't get a chance, but I wanted to do the same thing…well, maybe I would have hexed him to hell and back rather than kicking him, but using the Bat-Bogey was inspired."
They smiled sadly at one another as they tried to acknowledge that Ginny and Draco were really gone.
Hermione placed the photograph album next to her and wiped her tears away. It was a long time ago, and because of Draco's sacrifice, Ginny had lived long enough to get to the castle and warn them of the attack, preventing the loss of many lives.
During the battle inside the castle only six Order members had lost their lives, a blessing considering the number of Death Eaters that had entered the grounds. Many Death Eaters had been killed, and all others captured. Neville had the satisfaction of killing Bellatrix Lestrange and Ron had killed Lucius. Harry had never spoken of it, but Hermione knew he had been responsible for Peter Pettigrew's death, and she was glad he'd had a chance to end the cycle. Harry had remained in the hospital wing for three days, Hermione had sat in the gap between his and Neville's beds, joined at times by Ron, who was subdued, but coping well considering. Ginny's funeral had been held two days after Harry's release from hospital, and she and Harry had been honoured to stand with the family as they again said their emotional goodbyes to their friend. All the Weasley's had returned home and clustered together to support one another, and Harry, Hermione, Tonks and Remus had been with them.
Hermione remembered the shocked look on Narcissa Malfoy's face as so many had entered the chapel for her sons funeral the day after Ginny's. She had stood supportively at Molly's elbow as the two Mother's spoke, and Molly told Narcissa how brave her son had been, and how happy he had made Ginny. Ron and Harry had also offered their condolences to Mrs. Malfoy, and Narcissa had thanked Ron for carrying her son to the castle, having been informed of this by Professor Dumbledore. Ron had simply nodded silently before following his Mother from the Chapel.
Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. She wiped away a few stray tears and smiled sadly at Ron who stood behind her. He moved and sat next to her on the sofa, picking up the album and looking at the image of Hermione and Ginny. He smiled.
"Look how happy the two of you were there." He said wistfully.
"I miss her so much Ron." Hermione said with a sob.
Ron wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her.
"Me too Hermione, me too."
They sat for several minutes before Ron flipped back to the beginning of the album and began looking through it, managing to get a smile and eventually a giggle from Hermione as they reminisced over their time at Hogwarts. Ron paused on a picture taken at the beginning of their Seventh Year, which showed Hermione and Harry posing for the camera. She remembered the day with a smile. Harry had been teasing her and picked her up in his arms, she had struggled for a minute then given up and just grinned at him, putting her arms around his neck as they posed for Ron who was taking the picture. They both looked incredibly happy, their eyes sparkling.
"You know he's never that happy when you're away." Ron said with a sly grin.
"Well I'm not going away anymore remember, I'm working at Hogwarts." Hermione told him, closing the album and placing it on the table.
"That's not what I'm trying to tell you `Mione." Ron said gently.
She looked up at him startled.
"What are you trying to tell me then?"
"What he won't tell you…he's only that happy when you're in the room. He's still happy, but there isn't that glint in his eye. I get the feeling you've known that in the back of your mind for quite some time - but maybe now you're ready to not run away from it, and what it means."
Hermione stared at him in amazement.
"When did you get so smart Ronald Weasley?" She asked, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Well, I did have a good tutor for seven years at school." He said.
"Ah flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Weasley." She grinned.
"Then again, it could be that my girlfriend, while no longer an outrageous gossip as she once was, still can't keep a secret from me."
Hermione laughed.
"I should have known!"
"But seriously Hermione. Think about it."
Hermione stood up from the sofa and stretched.
"I will. Thanks Ron."