It was supposed to be an easy snatch and grab, supposedly something that could help defeat the Voldemort. There had been many group meetings and countless arguments on how to actually pull it off until Kingsley finally solidified a plan with the lowest amount of risk. Of course, they were prepared for there being some of his followers there watching it, but Voldemort was no fool. But they didn't realize how many there were until it was too late to retreat, surrounded by Dark Eaters and the only exit out was blocked. Hermione and Draco managed to get separated from the rest somehow, and now they were alone, it was two against four, it wasn't fair.

He wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine, he knew she would be fine, she is after all, Hermione Granger, but he didn't say anything and dare to turn his head from the four masked men pointing their wands at them ready to shoot.

"I'm here." He tried to reassure himself and her, carelessly, he reached back to find her hand, squeezing it and to find comfort.

"Ready?" He asked her. He was many things, but a coward wasn't one of them. If he was going down, he would take as many with him before he falls and keep his mate safe.

"As I'll ever be." The words she spoke was a signal to both of them, and then, he fired the spell he could think of, throwing himself to the first one he saw from the corner of his eye. It has started. The battle was on.

It was going fine, he managed to kill every one of them on his own and from the sound of her voice shouting her own spells, it looks like she was too. Then he did one stupid mistake, he took out the tall, burly one that pointed their wand towards Hermione as she fought with his Aunt, Bellatrix. When his opponent went down, helping Hermione as she shot spell after spell at his crazy aunt, he allowed himself to relax for just a second. The next thing he knew; it all went to hell when he heard a shriek that went straight to his core. He turned around just in time to see his aun- no, the crazy bitch of a woman's knife that was thrown towards Hermione, it had hit her in the stomach, as she grabbed the knife, pulling it out as it drops to the ground from where she stood.

"NO!" An anguished cry tore from his very throat as he watched her fall on her knees, head bowed and hands covering her wound that's pouring out crimson colouring her clothes. The nightmare from weeks ago came to life, it had caused him to snap, letting out the Veela from inside of him.

With strength he never knew he possessed, he grabbed his wand and pointed it at the crazy witch.

"Oh, Draco. I did you a favour. Even if she was your mate, you shouldn't muddy your blood with someone as the likes of her. " She cackled. "You wouldn't dare to curse out your family, would you? Your Aunt?"

"You are no Aunt of mine." He gritted out.

With a final shout from him, he fired out a spell with the strength of everything he had of him left. All he saw was red, nothing else matters than to the crazy bitch that threw a knife at his own mate.

Losing the track of time, he made a growling noise when a hand touched his shoulder, getting ready to fire another spell or to rip this person apart.

"Whoa, easy there. It's just me, your friend, Blaise?" A nervous laugh escaped the brunettes' lips, not sure what to do with the situation.

"You can stop now; she can't get any more than dead." A flash of something dark flashed through his friends' eyes that had stopped Blaise from his hand to reach out again.

"What's going -" The voice asked, as they approached, stopping short when his green eyes met Draco's black orbs.

"Zabini, back away, slowly." Harry held his wand tightly, if something was about to happen he'll fire a stunning spell at Draco.

"Potter, he's my fri-"

"Malfoy isn't in control of himself right now. You remember what Narcissa said about how his Veela comes out when his mate's in trouble?" Silently, he watched as the dark skinned teen walked away and scurried off to see if Pansy needs help, Harry stood around to see Draco's ripped from inside of his shirt.

"Hey, I know you're angry and maybe upset?" he asked, but a deep growl from Draco told Harry everything he wanted to know. "Uh, okay, you're definitely upset. But you need to come back, to your normal self, she needs you."

"Potter, guys, it's bad!" Pansy's scared shout pierced through the air, words finally registering to Harry, Ron and Blaise. She had meant something again. Most likely to be of Voldemort followers coming to the battle field. His sharp claws disappeared, replaced by fingertips, the anger along with his large, wings. She was the only important thing to him right now.

He got up, not even bothering with a glance to the now large group of followers, moving with such speed.

The scent filled his nose was overpowering, something metallic that has mixed with fear. But most of all pain. Drained, Draco fell to his knees by her side, lifting Hermione cautiously until she had laid in his lap. The sob he'd been suppressing for so long got out when he saw the red, there was too much blood. She was still bleeding out in his arms and he couldn't do anything about it. He had failed to protect her.

"I'm so sorry, it's all my fault." His tears spilled over, and he didn't care what anyone thought of him right now.

"Not your fault." Even to now, she was the most breathtaking human being he had ever laid eyes on, or would ever again. Her hair spread out like a halo, her skin bright yet, still covered in splatters of her own blood.

"I should have-" His shaky voice had cut off when her trembling hand touched his cheek, and he willed himself to meet her loving, yet pained gaze, he reached up his hand and held her, that was now on his cheek, tightly.

"You've already saved me once, and so many times after that. But you can't save everyone, love." she told him, but he couldn't accept that she was here, dying right in his arms.

"No, no don't say that." Draco told Hermione with a tiny voice, "We can fix this, there's got to be some way to save you."

Desperate, Draco looked up to find something, anything, that could help his mate but instead he sees Harry, all of his friends who had joined the Order of the Phoenix, and everyone else crowding to their fallen member, they all had one thing in common, their eyes, pained to see his mate in deep shallow breaths. No.

"It's...okay." The sound of her coughing brought his attention back to her, ashamed that he wasted precious little seconds when he looked away from her. She lets go of his cheek and placed her hand on his chest, clutching his shirt into her hand.

"How? We're supposed to stay together, always. And now you-" He stopped as he saw tears at the corner of her own eyes.

"I'm lucky, I get to spend the rest of my life with you." A soft smile grazed her bloodied lips, and even know he couldn't help but to mirror her own, as weak as his smile was.

"You're amazing, you know that? You're one of the most passionate, loving and brilliant people that I've ever met. You've never fail to surprise me and every day you do the littlest thing that makes me fall in love with you over and over again. You make me a better person, make me want to try to be better, just for you, one that's worthy to deserve you." He needed to say it all now, it was his last chance. He could feel her heart beat slowing down through their bond.

"Of course." She laughed, wheezing a tiny bit.

He couldn't help the soft laugh that she had let out. She was always herself, whatever the situation was, even now. The attitude and the smile she had was his favourite thing about her. What he would miss the most.

"I'm tired." she told him barley in a whisper, still loud enough for his to hear, he recognized that her time was almost up and he couldn't make her suffer the pain anymore. So he pulled himself together, pulled her into his chest as he grabbed hold of her head, and told her, "It's okay sweetheart, go to sleep. I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"I Love...you...always." She flutters her eye lids as she slowly closes them, whispering to only him.

"I Love you more and always." He closed his eyes and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, holding her tightly as a final soft breath brushed against his neck, and then he heard her heart stilled.

The wizarding world didn't know what it had lost then, the most beautiful and the smartest witch of her age and the only sound to be heard was a heartbroken screech from a heartbroken Veela clutching his mate tightly to his chest as he cries into her hair and in a bird view from the sky, lights from wands lighted up, pointed towards the heavens to bid farewell to their friend, sister, member and mate.