Until the End

by

Heather

Spoilers: Order of the Phoenix

Pairings: H/Hr

Rating: R requires the presence of a Parent or Guardian
This story is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for minors under 17. This story contains one or more of the following: graphic violence, explicit sexual activity, or

crude indecent language.

Disclaimer: This story, and any content relating to the Harry Potter franchise is not authorized by J.K. Rowling, or Scholastic Press. I own my computer ...

Read the story in the author's intended format

Fonts: This story is best viewed with the following fonts: "Harry P", and "Lumos". They can be found at in the downloads section. The story is written in "Garamond".

St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

Harry Potter stood hidden behind a curtain, Disillusioned, to secret his presence from inquiring eyes as he watched Hermione's third visitor of the day: Molly Weasley. His visit had been interrupted twice already by Fred Weasley and Neville Longbottom for it was a special day for Hermione Granger. It was her nineteenth birthday.

"Hello Hermione, dear. How are you feeling?" Molly asked in her motherly way.

Hermione, for the most part, seemed distant, staring at the curtain that cloaked her best friend in all the world.

"Hermione?"

"One, two, Dark Lord's comin' for you …" Hermione sang in barely a whisper with a schoolgirl tone.

Molly whimpered as her hand came to her mouth in shocked resignation.

"Three, four, better seal the door," Hermione continued slightly rocking back and forth as she sat cross-legged atop her bed clothed only in her soft cotton pajamas and a pale pink bathrobe cinched loosely at her midriff.

Molly summoned her courage and bent down, kissing Hermione's forehead she whispered. "I love you, Hermione. Please come back to us."

At that she spun on her heel and had to hold herself back from running down across Ward 49 otherwise known as the Janus Thickey Ward for long-term residents located on the fourth floor of the hospital. Harry waited until the door shut before he emerged from behind his curtain.

Hermione's eyes still tracked his figure. "Seven, eight, Harry can't wait…"

"Thought she'd never leave," he said as he approached and sat on the bed beside her still rocking form.

"Nine, ten, can't save Gen …"

"Still singing are you?" Harry inquired and took her wrist in his hand. "Ready to get out of this nuthouse?"

She looked up at him under hooded eyes. Hermione's hair was even bushier than her days at Hogwarts mainly due to her lack of grooming at St. Mungo's. It gave her somewhat of a frazzled appearance and added nothing to her visage of sanity.

"Up we go." Harry stood and pulled his best friend up along with him.

"Off to save the day again, Harry?" she asked

He paused and almost shuddered at the phrase he remembered more than any other from after his seventh year at school. He answered as he did then. "Only I can do this, Hermione."

Hermione's hospital slippers shuffled across the floor toward the Personals Closet that held the affects of each patient in residence.

"Alahamora!" Harry incanted, flicking his wand at Hermione's closet.

The door clicked open and Harry found a set of jeans and a black jumper along with socks shoes and most importantly, Hermione's wand.

"Ron's dead, you know," he said matter-of-factly.

Harry paused only long enough to draw breath before he bent down to slip off her hospital slippers and help her dress.

"I know."

"Blood was everywhere."

Hermione looked down at her hands and robe as if to see the red clinging. "I'll never be able to get this out … ruined for sure."

Harry nodded. "I'll get you a new blouse, Hermione."

She looked down at him kneeling at her feet and gave him a most innocent smile. "Could you get me a new Ron and Ginny as well?"

Harry didn't know how to respond to that particular statement and instead stood and removed her robe. She watched him unbuttoning her pajama top and giggled. "Harry, you shouldn't. What would Professor McGonagall say if she walked in and caught us?"

"Detention for us both, I reckon," he replied.

She nodded. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, a week's worth of detention with Filch, and a night with Voldemort."

Harry stripped her shirt off and dropped it to the floor and hurried up with the jumper, pulling it over her head and slipping her arms into the sleeves.

"Voldemort's dead Hermione."

Her eyes closed for a moment and she turned her head to the closest wall, staring at it like there was a picture hanging crooked.

"Do me a favor, Harry."

He pushed her back toward the bed and grabbed her socks and shoes.

"Anything you want … you know that. "

Her face screwed up. "Would you take Ron and Ginny down from the wall? They're dripping blood all over the floor, and Filch will have kittens if he sees the mess."

Harry looked toward the wall and back down to Hermione's feet as he slid on the first sock. "I'll come back and clean everything later. Filch will never know."

She reached up her hand and ran it through his dark hair. "You always take care of me -- don't you, Harry?"

He looked up into her sunken eyes; weary from the sights she's seen. "I've always taken care of you, Hermione, and I always will."

After tying off her shoelaces, Harry stood and retrieved the last few items from Hermione's closet. "Here's your wand … erm, I guess I'll hold onto that for the moment."

At a second glance to the other item he held, he knelt down and took her left hand, sliding a small gold circlet onto her ring finger. Hermione stared at it for a moment.

"Oh, Harry! Yes, I accept."

Harry smiled in a melancholy way as he fingered his own ring that has been on his hand since just after seventh year when they first married … only a week before he had fallen for yet another ruse of Voldemort's, going off to rescue Ron and Ginny, Voldemort, under cover of darkness stole his new wife. She was taken away from him and made with compulsion, via the Imperious Curse, to kill two of her best friends as they hung from a wall in a dark wizard's dungeon begging for her to fight the curse.

Harry knew she remembered every moment after the Imperious was removed, for she broke and has not been the same since. Over a year in St. Mungo's had not improved her condition and Harry knew of nothing that would other than his love, which he would give her until the end.

"I know you do, my love. I know you do."