It Was Never Supposed to Be Easy

A Suggestion

We walked, side by side, to the only doors that led into the rest of the house. All around us, the tiny elves watched us, their hands pressing into us, their hope sinking into our skin, and lingering into our clothes. My heart was beating faster and faster. Ron was as pale as the snow that still lay on his shoulders. I lifted a hand, brushing away the icy dust. He turned his head at my touch and our eyes crashed into each other. He stared at me and I dropped my gaze, letting my fingers fall to my side.

He said nothing, but I felt his eyes linger on me for a second too long.

Ginny had stopped sniffling.

It was so quiet, even our robes made no sound. All the hairs on my neck were standing straight up and I could feel my very spine tingling.

We reached the doors.

Pobbet stood very still, a hand on the tarnished knob. Finally she turned to look at us, her large eyes misting over with a veil of tears.

"Misses and Sir is very brave." she whispered.

We carefully avoided eachother's gazes. She suddenly dropped low, into a curtsey, her long nose brushing the floor. Her bow to us was as deep as if we had been High Officials, or even her Master.

"No, no Pobbet!" whispered Ginny fiercely. "Don't bow to us!"

She smiled weakly, her eyes shining. We watched as finally, a single tear brimmed over and landed in a pile of hope, as heavy as our hearts on the floor.

"It is an honor." she said as the rest of the elves sank into their own bows.

*

The silence of the house pressed around us, the dark reaching into our clothes and muffling our footsteps. We were like ghoss, falling into a weak, close knit line. Somewhere in the dark, Ginny's thin, cold hand found mine, and I wrapped my own fingers around hers, spilling my love for her and for Harry into my grip. It has never occured to me, just how much she loved him. She loved him. Up ahead I could just make out Ron's lanky form. Ginny loved Harry.

Ron continued his trek alone, down the hall, to what, none of us knew.

We walked down the corridor, lined with portraits of the Malfoy family. At the far end, as I knew it would be, was Draco's portrait. He stood tall, his hair shining, even in paint. He watched us, they all did. Silent eyes on silent intruders.

As I passed, he raised his hand, as if to wave.

My heart was rapidly falling into a spot near my stomach. What would happen to Draco? He had told me, once, that he was ready to die when the time came. Was he lying then? What had he said to me that was the truth?

Was it all a lie...no. No, it wasn't.

I didn't want him to die, but I knew, just as he did, there was no place for him on this Earth as long as the Dark Lord lived his terrible half life. I sighed a great sigh and Ron jumped a foot into the air.

"What? Hermione! God!" he whispered.

Ginny mashed his foot and he screwed up his face in the pain. I felt a giggle stretch my chest, sending my heart to it's proper place, or at least, closer to it's proper place than it had been in.

"Quiet, much?" Ginny snapped, stepping out for the other foot. I smiled and squeezed her fingers. She looked at me, and then shook her head, peering off into the dark.

We continued.

Somewhere in the distance we could hear a laugh. It was such a strange laugh, high and cold. In the dim halls it echoed even more strangely, sending shivers down our spines and our eyes far into the dark. Where was it coming from?

We reached a corner, and Ginny peered around it carefully. She motioned for us to look and we piled on top of her, craning our necks.

Nothing, the hall was empty. But fr down at the end, there was a door ajar, sending golden hope into the hall.

Ron snorted, "Well, that's not easy to sneak up on."

I peered around his shoulders, leaning in much to close. "It's empty." I muttered.

"That we can see." Ginny pointed out.

"Oh...right..." I shook myself for allowing such a slip. I wasn't thinking, I was falling behind. Another mistake and I, or one of my friends, could die for it.

We fell silent, each falling into out thoughts alone. Trying to find that possible solution. The solution that wouldn't get us killed.

"We...could make a run for it?" Ron suggested hopefully.

"Right into a trap." Ginny frowned.

"It's all we've got." I said finally.

"May-...maybe they aren't in that room?" Ron whispered, looking around the corner again.

We looked with him, Ginny and I craning our necks around in time to see a flash of light and hear a very familiar voice cry out.

"Or...that's exactly where they are."

"Harry!" Ginny moaned.

"Let's go." said Ron, his wand already at shoulder height.

We pounded down the hall, no longer caring if we were heard. Running as fast as we could, running to our friend. Ron reached the door first, and after a quick glance at us, he thew open the doors and we charged in.

"Experillamus!" we screamed. Light shout of our wands, richocheting into the room, sending the small crowd gathered flying. We didn't pause to gloat, sending out spell after spell, moving so fast that even the best Dark wizard didn't have a chance to react, after all, it was Harry who had taught us.

Even in my frenzy, I could still see Harry. He was crouched on all fours, clearly racked with the memories of pain. He was mouthing something, screaming something, but over the noise I couldn't make it out, and then I caught it,

"No, No, NO!" he was shouting. Voldemort stood over him and laughed and then...silence.

In the abrupt calm, Voldemort's laugh was much too loud.

"So, your little friends came to play." he spat out.

Harry struggled to stand, sweat beading up on his skin, his limbs shaking.

"This is almost over Voldy." he taunted disrespectfully. "Almost got me..."

He was trying to draw attention away, and it worked, almost. Ron, sensing that Voldemort's attention was wavering, charged like a bull towards him. Voldemort just waved his terrible fingers and Ron went hurtling through the air, crashing into a wall and falling still.

The scream that echoed around the room...it couldn't be me.

Harry was shouting again, as if the louder he yelled, the faster we would disappear to safety. Ginny was raising her wand in sheer defiance, there was another flash of light, and she too fell to the ground. She twitched, more of a convulsion, and then she too went quiet.

In the destruction all around me, in the death that was surely to happen, I felt my heart wander to Draco. Was he alive?

Did it matter?

Harry was screaming again, clutching his scar, and then he was hurtling himself at Voldemort. I stood, quite forgotten and watched my friend forget magic, forget pain, but only the yearning for victory, for revenge, but most of all, for the end.

Then the wand was at me.

"Potter, I'll do it, I swear." he hissed.

"No, Harry, I don't care. No!" I shouted, forgetting my fear, forgetting Draco, falling to my knees in desperation. Harry musn't die, not yet. Not when so much was riding on him.

"No, you won't." Harry spat back.

I saw his hand drift to the back of his pants...a glint of silver.

"And why?" asked the Dark Lord, as if this was tea.

"Because then I'll die too."

Voldemort blanched white for a second and then he went quite still.

"As if I care."

Harry flung a golden cup to the floor, and then, soon after, a locket.

"Recognize anything?" he taunted. "I know your secrets. I know them all. Dumbledore told me every last one. I house the last bit of your soul. If I die, your mortal, easy pickings for any old wizard. That's the prophecy. You cannot live with your soul in my hands, and I cannot live with your diseased bit in me. Lay a finger on anyone, and you'll be just as mortal as me."

Voldemort didn't move.

Harry smiled, triumphiant.

I saw something, something...in the rubble. With my foot, I carefully pushed aside an old tapestry...

Oh my.

Oh, yes.

Oh...oh, no.

***
EDIT:Ok, my spelling was terrible. For the four of you that had to suffer through that, I am so sorry. I'm on cold medicine, but still, no excuse.
-shameful head shake-

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