The Things We Do For Love

THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE CHAPTER 9

"Harry, calm down. I'm sure Hermione's alright," soothed Ron, who stood with his arm around Elisa's waist.

Ron had said this many times and each time it had no effect.

"I'm telling you, Ron. Something's wrong. She shouldn't have been gone for this long; it's been nearly an hour and a half," Harry claimed, looking about the transformed Great Hall for any sign of Hermione.

Great flowing ribbons were strung across the room. Hundreds of candles floated in mid air and ice sculptures could be found across the gardens that had been magicked to not melt. The ceiling was still enchanted to look like the clear, beautiful night sky, but its beauty held no comfort and seemed strangely cold to Harry.

It was about an hour into the Ball and Hermione had yet to make an appearance. Each passing second, Harry was growing more and more concerned. Something about it just didn't feel right.

"She'll be fine. She has to be," Elisa said, trying to reassure herself of that as well.

As a few more minutes passed by, Harry began to pace restlessly. Ron, too, began to squirm in anxiety.

"Harry, would you cut it out, you're making me nervous!" Ron exclaimed in exasperation.

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as a loud BANG announced the arrival of some unwanted guests. All cheery music and friendly chatting came to an abrupt halt as several hooded figures made their way in, one by one securing the perimeter.

"Behold, your guest of honor has arrived!" the Dark Lord proclaimed, stepping into the center of the room with a sweeping bow.

The school as a whole gasped, and shrunk back in fear. The teachers were visibly strained and torn between the decisions of attack, or remain still for the safety of the students. The latter won out and none of them moved.

"Potter! Where are you? I know you're here. I have a friend here who would like to say hello!" his voice sneered in his obvious amusement.

Against the wishes of Ron and Elisa, Harry tentatively stepped forward to join him in the center of the crowd.

"Ah, you have changed much, Potter. Past puberty unscathed, I see? Mm-hm, how's life?" he began making idle chitchat.

Harry gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Where is she?"

The Dark Lord feigned ignorance. "Where's who?"

"Hermione, you prat! What have you done to her?" he shouted in his bravery.

A sneer curled his lips, as the Dark Lord stepped closer to Harry in anger. "Why she is here, and I have done nothing to her."

Just then, the Great Hall's doors swung gently open, Hermione swept into the room with her skirts billowing out behind her and blankly went beside her Master.

"Hello, my little flower. Why don't we tell Potter here how we feel?"

Hermione's eyes were blank and she spoke in a monotone voice. "I feel better now. I have seen the error of my ways."

Harry eyed her incredulously when he finally figured it out. "Imperius," he muttered under his breath, though everyone in the Hall could clearly hear him.

"Lily, dear. I grow tired of Mr. Potter's company, see to it, will you?" he ordered with a sadistic smile to Harry.

Hermione took a step towards Harry, who in turn, took a step back. Obediently she raised her wand and replied, "As you wish, my Lord."

"Yes, as I wish," he muttered in satisfaction. In his mind, it was the perfect way for Potter to die, by the hands of his best friend who had given everything to save him.

When Harry made no move to attack Hermione, even when her wand was pointed directly over his heart something happened. She suddenly smiled at him while turning around to point her wand at the Dark Lord.

"What?" he hissed in hatred.

Hermione sighed airily. "Honestly, do you think I would have been sent in as a spy if I couldn't resist Imperius? You really aren't that smart, are you?"

"Very good, my dear. Very good, indeed."

Hermione smiled at him in sickening sweetness and took a small bow.

"What do you want?" Harry now took control of the situation.

The Dark Lord scoffed at him, "Honestly Potter, you should know by now what it is I mean to do with you!"

Hermione snorted in defiance. "Really! And you should know by now that you *can't* kill Harry! Haven't you learned anything during your pitiful existence?"

He became visibly angered then, which was never a good thing. "You're quite talkative when you're not killing Muggles, you know that? It is very annoying."

A surge of hate and repulsion welled up inside her. "All this time! You knew, didn't you? From the beginning. You know who I was!"

He smiled at her. "Of course I did," he sneered.

Her wand hand shook in outrage. "Why?"

"I was bored. It was entertaining seeing you betray all of your beliefs for the 'greater good,' when in reality, you achieved *nothing.*" he laughed at her.

Hermione's face twisted in a bitter rage. "I'll kill you, you bastard!"

This only served to entertain him more. At length, he continued, "And I also knew that it would just tare poor Harry here apart when he realized all that you did... and for *nothing!* But I got bored with your compliance and I decided that it was now time to end the game. Yes, you were a very good Death Eater, though, I must admit. You did last longer than I had expected."

"Are you going to talk us to death? If so, I *beg* for mercy and ask that you just take out your wand and be done with it," Hermione sneered sarcastically.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? But no. I'm going to kill you both, have no doubt about that, and then maybe some others around here," his glare swept the frightened students.

"We won't let you," Harry claimed through clenched teeth.

The Dark Lord only sneered. "Well, you don't really have that much of a choice, seeing as you'll be first, Potter. I know it would just destroy everyone if the saw their hero fall; the first to go!" He raised his wand to Harry. "Goodbye, Potter. It has been interesting. Avada-"

Before he could finish the curse, Hermione lunged in front of Harry. Everything seemed to go in slow motion before his eyes. He saw Hermione fling herself in front of him, screaming, "No, not Harry! Please not Harry!"

He blinked as her screams brought back sudden memories of when his mother had died in her love to protect him. The screams that had haunted his mind when the Dementors were near and plagued his dreams almost every night. By the time he had reopened his eyes, all he caught was the remaining flash of green light and Hermione's pain stricken face as she crumbled to the floor.

"Hermione!" he shouted, suddenly able to move. He knelt beside her, clutching her in his arms and rocking her back and forward.

A silent tear streaked her cheek as her right hand lovingly caressed his cheek. "I love you," she finally confessed for the first, and last time.

His chest tightened as she went limp in his arms. Ruthlessly, he shook her lolling body.

"Wake up, Hermione! Please, wake up!" She remained motionless. "Come back... come back," he pleaded through his salty tears. Again, there was no response. "I love you."

It was of no use. Hermione was dead, and he did not get to tell her he loved her back.

"Well, isn't that a shame? - I was really hoping she'd see you die first," the Dark Lord said, coming up in back of Harry. "No matter," he stated with a shrug of indifference.

Harry didn't even turn around when he heard him shout the killing curse. He just sat there like a lost child, clutching Hermione to him.

And then, the strangest thing happened. Harry could feel the curse enter his body, poisoning him as it twisted through his veins hungrily searching for his heart, but then, all of that lethal energy seemed to all gather up into the pit of his stomach. He could feel the power, humming through him, and miraculously, it sprang out, hitting a very surprised Dark Lord.

"Well that was unexpected," he whispered in pain before he, too, dropped dead.

All went silent, only Harry's ragged breathing breaking the tension. Something was dripping into his eyes, causing a red haze to cloud his vision. Harry felt up to his forehead. Bringing his hand back down in front of his eyes, he saw that it was blood. His blood. Harry's scar had reopened for the first time in his life.

The significance in this was completely lost on Harry, who caressed Hermione's already pale face, staining it with his own blood.

The Death Eaters, lost without their Lord, one by one Apparated out of the Great Hall; how they did so, no one seemed to care. All eyes were on Harry who held the lifeless Hermione.

Tentatively, Albus Dumbledore came up in back of Harry.

"She saved us, Harry. She saved us all. It was her love for you that did it. When she sacrificed herself to save you, it marked you with her love. This love was strong and special, more unique than your mother's. She loved you as no woman has ever loved a man, Harry. He is gone now; gone for good. Hermione knew what she was doing; she knew it was the only way," he spoke in a compassionate whisper, his words carrying out to all corners of the Hall.

Harry shook his head in denial, the tears falling heedlessly. "It was too much. It's not fair, it's just not fair," he choked out in sobs.

"I know, Mr. Potter, I know. But life, is not fair."

Harry's face turned to stone as that statement sank in. Before anyone could say or do anything, Hedwig swept down into the Great Hall, dropping a letter onto Hermione's still chest. With shaking hands, Harry reached out and held it before his eyes.

The envelope read: To Harry, From Hermione...

~*~*~*~ (A/N): AH! I know...it's sad, and I know, another cliffhanger...but at least there is only ONE MORE CHAPTER! And then an epilogue... This chapter and the next are essentially the darkest part of the fic for a reason. In order for everything to be happy, things have to be sad first!