The End's Intent

Chapter 27

Logically, Hermione knew she was not the only one standing there in front of Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters, but at the moment, it definitely felt like it. Her vision seemed to narrow down until the only thing she could see was Voldemort glaring down the hill at her with Harry's limp body floating a meter off the ground.

Hermione stumbled back into something hard. Something was holding her but all she could see was Harry's body and Voldemort's glare. She pushed away from whatever she had run into, twisting out of its grip. Her feet dragged on the ground even though she wanted to run and she fell as a stick got caught between her steps. As she hit the ground, she felt her eyes water and suddenly she couldn't breathe and Voldemort was cackling above them.

Her view of Harry and Voldemort was obscured as someone crouched down in front of her. With the tears in her eyes blurring her vision and the growing panic in her chest, she couldn't make out the person's face. She could hear him calling her name, but with Death Eaters behind him and Harry's limp body flashing across her mind's eye, she couldn't focus on him.

Something beneath her shifted and a second later, she was lifted up and pulled against the person's warm body. She shook slightly as she cried and her lungs felt like they were shrinking in on themselves. The area around her changed as she was carried into the courtyard and just for a second, she caught a glimpse of the DA flyer on the nearby pillar. She was set on the ground and the familiar figure crouched in front of her again, but her mind went blank as she stared at the poster she had made so long ago.

"—at just me—"

Somehow, the words the person spoke were clear for a second. It was just enough for Hermione to recognise the voice and her attention snapped forward to look at Draco. His face was still blurry, but she knew without a doubt it was him. She wiped at her tears and his face became clear for a second before more tears filled her eyes.

"Harry—" she gasped. Her chest felt tight and she reached for Draco's robes desperately, hoping that somehow just holding onto him would keep her from dissolving into an even worse mess.

"I know," he said softly. He reached up to cup her face and ran one of his hands over her hair soothingly. "I know, Hermione, but you have to breathe."

"I can't," she said, choking as another cry escaped her.

Draco's hands on her kept her grounded, though, and as she stared at him, her breathing slowly went back to normal. She wiped her eyes and sniffled, but didn't dare look away from him as she could feel her body just waiting for something to set it off into a panic again.

"Are you feeling better?" Draco asked softly, pulling her to his chest and wrapping his arms around her. Even with her locked tightly in his arms, she felt like she could breathe again so she nodded.

"Is Harry really—" she broke off, not wanting to say the word. Draco would know what she meant though.

"It certainly looks like it," he told her. Hermione frowned and twisted slightly so she could look up at him. She looked at him strangely but he shook his head. "I don't know, Hermione. But I do know the Dark Lord is very angry and Nagini was nowhere near."

With a jolt of realisation, Hermione remembered their mission to kill Voldemort's last Horcrux.

"He did it then? He killed Nagini?" Hermione said. Draco nodded and while the thought that they could finally kill Voldemort should have been good news, Hermione couldn't help but feel upset that her best friend had needed to die in order for them to win.

"The Death Eaters are prepared to fight, Hermione," Draco reminded her. He moved out from under her so he was now facing her. "Even if the Dark Lord can be killed, it won't be easy."