The Things We Do For Love

Choices

He didn't know how much more of it he could take. Her screams were ripping his soul to pieces and all he could do was sit in abject silence, frozen in place. While his best friend Ron went about screaming madly for someone to do anything, Harry did nothing but wait. Wait for what, he didn't know, but he waited nonetheless.

As each moment passed by, Harry was reminded of his failure to protect his best friend. He had willingly brought her into this war, not caring or knowing that she would face grave consequences for it. He was selfish and he knew it, he knew he needed her by his side and he was too afraid to be without her. Now, his worst fear was merely seconds away from coming to life as her screams became weaker.

"Master Harry?" Harry was jolted from his misery by the squeaky voice of one of his oldest friends, Dobby the house elf.

Immediately, Harry's despondence was broken and he lunged into action. He knew that he needed to act with some dispatch and drew his wand, signaling to Ron to do the same. Regardless of what would happen next, he needed to save her life. Everything else be damned.

"Dobby? Can you get us up there?" Harry said while jumping to his feet, not wasting any time with pleasantries.

Dobby nodded, knowing the situation, and grabbed both Harry's and Ron's hands to take them to the atrium of Malfoy Manor.

No sooner had he arrived at the scene of Bellatrix Lestrange torturing his best friend than Harry drew his wand and stunned every single one of Bellatrix's accomplices with lightning-quick speed. The rage that filled him as he looked at the shuddering, whimpering form of his best friend had turned the room icy cold, bringing noticeable shivers to Ron and Dobby.

Harry marched towards Bellatrix who reacted quickly by pulling his best friend to her feet and leveling her dagger at the girl's throat.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks in an instant. He mentally sought anything that would help him right then but found nothing. Instead, he resolved to reason with Bellatrix, hoping that she would take him instead and let his best friend go. This was happening because of him anyway, he deserved penance for bringing her into his battle.

"Bellatrix," Harry called as he drew his wand with intent to attack, "LET HER GO."

The boy watched as the murderous woman laughed at him, only filling him with more anger. He made to speak once more but was promptly interrupted as Bellatrix slowly dragged the blunt end of the knife onto his best friend's neck, her unspoken threat very much clear to him.

"Now be a good boy and drop your wand." He didn't miss the slight fear in her tone as she commanded him but decided to obey her anyway.

"Bellatrix, your problem is with me," reasoned Harry as he lowered his wand before continuing, "it's not with her."

He hoped that Bellatrix would listen to reason but all of his hopes were dashed as the crazed woman shot a sinister grin at him, showing her discolored teeth. If Harry didn't know better, he would have considered her to be a demon of some sort. Though, as it stood, she wasn't far off.

"You are absolutely right little Potter." Bellatrix laughed cruelly. "So consider this your penance for bringing her into our quarrel in the first place," she smugly intoned before beginning to draw the knife across her hostage's neck.

Fear unlike any other gripped Harry's heart but his hatred for Bellatrix soon replaced it and, before he knew it, his wand was drawn. His magic flowed through his body, powered by his hate, only needing one incantation to escape his wand and wreak havoc on its target.

"AVADA KEDAVRA."

The air was vacuumed out of the room at Harry's furious yell. It was as if time slowed, trapping him in the moment as he watched the telltale green flash of the spell he casted escape his wand and beeline straight to Bellatrix's chest.

Bellatrix's body dropped to the floor, cold and devoid of life as the green light of the spell hit her square in the chest. No sooner had she fallen than Harry rushed over to his best friend and cradled her in his arms. So worried was Harry about his best friend that he didn't realize the consequences of the choice he just made.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," Harry hushed her as she moaned and whimpered in his strong arms. Hot and furious tears came quickly at the feel of her tortured body in his arms but he kept control of himself, knowing that he needed to be strong for them both. Inwardly, though, he cursed himself for ever involving her in his battle.

"Harry," she moaned weakly, clutching his chest with what little strength she could muster.

"It's okay, Hermione. You're safe now," Harry whispered, stroking her hair and thanking every single deity that she was alive. He couldn't resist his feelings any longer and dropped a kiss onto her head as he felt her warm and lithe body in his arms. If he could have it his way, she'd stay secure in his arms forever, safe from the myriad of dangers within the world.

"Harry." The boy in question was taken from the moment at the whisper of his other friend. He turned to look at him and was met with a look of fear and disgust. Suddenly, Harry realized what he had done.

"You killed her," Ron whispered with evident fear.

Harry, with Hermione still in his arms, turned to look at the corpse of Bellatrix. Her eyes were frozen wide in shock as she laid unmoving on the pristine floor of Malfoy Manor. Harry didn't know what he expected to feel at the sight of her body, but he felt nothing. There was no guilt, no fear, no disgust at himself, instead, there was nothing. All that mattered to him was Hermione. She was safe.

He scanned about the room for any sign of movement and found nothing. His eyes came to rest on the stunned body of Antonin Dolohov, however, and the boy barely restrained himself from walking over to him and delivering the killing curse to him as well. He was the one that put Hermione in the hospital wing two years ago. He didn't know it yet, but he was a dead man. For now, they needed to get out of here and Harry didn't need to scare Ron, Dobby, or Hermione any more than he already did. He would get Dolohov another time.

"Dobby, get us out of here."

"Y—yes, M—master Harry," Dobby stuttered out, belying his own newfound fear of Harry.

"Take her, Ron," Harry coldly commanded as he gently handed Hermione over to Ron's waiting arms, his heart wincing at the loss of contact from her.

"Harry," Hermione whimpered out once more while refusing to let go of Harry's arm.

"Shh, you're safe Hermione, let's get out of here," Harry assured before softly pulling her hand away from his arm and letting her hold onto Ron.

As Dobby approached them, Harry knew that nothing would be the same between his friends and him. He needed only one look at Ron and Dobby to see that they were afraid of him, that they thought of him as a monster now. Still, the boy couldn't care less. All that mattered to him was Hermione. He knew he would kill Bellatrix over and over again to save her life. He knew that there was no line he wasn't willing to cross for her.

Dobby grabbed the trio's hands and soon apparated them to safety, leaving Malfoy Manor to the stunned Death Eaters and the corpse of one Bellatrix Lestrange.