Voldemort was dead.
At last, after more deaths, more destruction, and more fear than any sane person could imagine, the Dark Lord was gone, freeing the world from his shadow. There would be no more terror in going out at night, no more fear of what would be lurking in the shadows.
It was over.
But Hermione Granger couldn't stop screaming.
She was on her knees in a darkened cave, surrounded by Aurors, Neville, Luna, Ron and most of the rest of the Weasley family. There were also the Death Eaters they had managed to capture before they could flee from the cave.
The Death Eaters looked defeated and miserable, for their lord and master was gone and they were revealed.
The Aurors and the rest looked shocked and heart-broken, for the same reason Hermione was screaming; in her arms was Harry Potter's lifeless body.
Inside, it seemed like a fire was ripping through her, burning up anything that mattered. She couldn't see the people around her, hear the words of comfort they were trying to say. The hands on her shoulders, that meant to be comforting, felt like stones.
All she heard was the way Harry said her name and the way he laughed.
All she could feel was his body in her arms when she hugged him, the comfort he gave just by being around and the joy he had brought to her life.
All she could see was him walking towards her, the green of his eyes, and finally, the last moment the two had ever shared.
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It was in this very cave, only moments ago, although it felt like another life.
He and Voldemort were dueling, and very much like what Harry said had happened when Voldemort had first returned during their fourth year, their wands had connected and a fierce battle between the two followed, with the people on both sides of the battle left with nothing but to watch. She wasn't sure which spells they were both using, but they looked powerful.
Herself, Harry, and Ron had, over the course of their seventh term, hunted down and destroyed the Horcuxes, a puzzling, dangerous job that nearly at one point or another had them all at Death's door. Yet together, they always managed to make it back. As time passed, and more and more information had been revealed, Hermione had seen a growing change in Harry.
From the start he appeared resigned, as if he already knew how this was all going to end, which he was why he had wanted to do it alone, but the closer they got, the more he tried to push them away, trying to ease his friends' pain in what he thought was his path's inevitable end. She had fought those feelings, constantly telling him that there was more than one way for this to end - that Harry had a choice and that they would all make it out okay.
He also seemed to be hiding something; some small tidbit of information that he had garnered during their adventures but no matter what she or Ron tried, he wouldn't say what it was, or even if there was anything he was keeping to himself.
This brought them to the cave, Harry and Voldemort locked in a duel that would decide the fate of the world, Wizarding and Muggle alike. It was a hard fought battle but Harry was holding his own exceedingly well. She kept thinking that he was going to do it, that she was right - he was going to defeat Voldemort and everything would be okay. Voldemort look enraged and strained and to her surprise, Harry looked calm and strong, as if he had been preparing for this moment all his life.
The point where the two spells met danced back and forth between the two, as their wills strained to dominate the others'. Suddenly it started creeping towards Voldemort, to his great terror, and he seemed to put all of himself into countering it. This is it, Hermione thought, this is where it ends! She was looking at Harry, pride and love - a love she had shied away from for years out of fear that it wouldn't be returned, but had finally embraced in that moment - shining in her eyes when, to her complete surprise, Harry looked at her. Why the bloody hell was he looking at her when he should be concentrating on Voldemort?
Then she saw the look in his eyes and she felt her heart drop; he was looking at her with the resignation she had battled against this whole time, like he was about to give up. She started to pull her own wand out of her pocket and move towards them, desperate to do anything to help when Harry suddenly smiled at her, a smile full of compassion, understanding and, dare she dream it, love! His eyes, that just seconds ago showed defeat, now seemed proud and glowing. He nodded at her, just once, and then he let the connection go.
Voldemort's energy rushed towards Harry like a snake, and just when it should have hit him there was a great explosion of light and thunder and then everyone saw Voldemort go spinning away, light leaking from him like water from a vase and with a last terrible scream, he erupted in golden light, vanishing forever.
Harry also went flying away, landing hard on the ground, but still moving. The Aurors raised their voices in celebration, some swooping in on the stunned Death Eaters, others embracing each other in pure joy. For a moment they all seemed to have forgotten about Harry and in the confusion Hermione rushed over to him. She could hear cheers from the Aurors but they were pushed to the back of her mind when she knelt beside Harry.
He was bleeding profusely and the light was leaving his eyes. She put his head on her lap, calling desperately for help but her voice was lost in all the noise. Suddenly she heard his voice, barely above a whisper, say her name.
She looked down at him, the tears welling up in her eyes as he stared up at her and smiled.
"I'm sorry Hermione," he said, coughing. "It had to be this way."
"No," she said, running her fingers through his wet hair. "You're going to be fine Harry. We're going to get you better."
"There's nothing to be done. It was the way of the spell and the connection between Voldemort and me."
"What spell? What connection?" she asked. "What do you mean?"
He coughed again, this time harder, blood spattering his lips. "The one I've been keeping from you this whole time; the one I knew would end things. It doesn't matter now. It's over. I get to see my parents again, and Sirius, and Dumbledore, and all the people I love."
She felt a great wave of pain welling up insider her, threatening to swallow her completely.
"Everyone except you," he said, causing a shocked gasp to escape her lips. "I wish we could have been together Hermione. You must know that you got me through all of this, even though you may not have realized it and I may have acted like a git every now and then, but I've come to love you more than I thought was ever possible."
"Then don't leave," she begged, her voice as quiet as his own now. Finally people were starting to realize that something was wrong and hurrying over.
He feebly reached up with one of his hands and gently caressed her check. "If there's one thing I've learned from all of this, it's that Sirius was right - that the ones that love us never really leave us. They're always there. I want you to be happy Hermione. That's all I've ever wanted."
By now there was a ring of people around the two on the ground, a horrorstruck look on their faces.
"Harry, please," she said, feeling the last ounces of her strength give way.
He looked at her with the green eyes she would never forget, smiled and said, "Goodbye my love," and breathed his last, his eyes closing forever.
Something inside of her snapped, and every feeling of pain, anger and sorrow that she had held back all these years erupted out of her in a scream that filled the cave.
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After who knows how long, her voice finally cracked and she wept, her head bowed down as if by some great weight, her tears falling onto Harry's face. In between sobs she gasped his name, as if by her own force of will she could bring him back into existence.
Deep inside her, in the logical part of herself that she had always let rule her she knew that there was nothing she could do now, that he was gone where she couldn't reach him, but for one of the few times in her life, she pushed that side away, clinging desperately to the fleeting thought that he might come back.
"Hermione, love, you have to let him go," she heard Mrs. Weasley, her voice thick with tears, say as she placed her arms on her shoulders.
"No," she said, wrapping her arms even tighter around the body, every part of her wanting to die and join Harry.
Suddenly there were more arms on her pulling her away from the one person she had truly loved. She screamed and cried, wailing with all her heart as they were finally separated and she was dragged away.
She struggled and kicked and managed to free herself, running back to Harry and softly kissing his lips, tears anew springing into her eyes, running down her cheeks, over her lips and onto his.
He was gone. She knew it and let it all out - all the sorrow and heart-break she felt, and sobbed. This time she didn't resist as the arms gently drew her away, cradling her like a child as she fell into blackness.
On Harry's lip was a lone teardrop from his and Hermione's first, and last, kiss.
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