Disclaimer: I ask and I get no response. How RUDE!
A/N: Sadly, this will be my last Author's Note for this story. Let me just tell you what a pleasure it has been to have you as reviewers and to know that you enjoyed this story, because I enjoyed writing it. Although my hands would tell you different.
Hermione rushed through the fallen bodies around her, desperately trying to find anyone that looked like Viktor. She ignored the pain in her side as she continued her search, the bile rising in her throat everytime she saw the vacant stare of a corpse. She recognized too many of them as Aurors and she prayed everyone she cared about was alive.
She turned around frantically when she felt a hand grab her arm. She locked eyes with Harry for a moment before turning to walk away again. A thought popping into her head she turned back. "Where did you see him last?"
Harry just looked at her, pity in his eyes. "He was knocked off his broom over that way," he said pointing. "He was pretty high off the ground-"
Hermione didn't stay to hear Harry finish. She limped as fast as she could in the direction he'd pointed, her side now becoming slightly numb from the pain. She looked down when she saw someone move out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes met a very messy looking George. She got down beside him and helped him sit up.
"It's ok," he said with a smile that faltered when he moved. "I think I just got the wind knocked out of me."
"You need medical attention," she said quickly, looking around for any available Mediwitches. She yelled at the few that were nearest to her and they came rushing over, taking George from her grip.
This is how things went for the next half an hour. She would run off to find Viktor and find someone else. She would call the Mediwitches over and they would take them from her, some of them dying as she held onto their hands. Her eyes were bloodshot, her side had finally stopped bleeding, her robes clinging to it like a second skin. She looked down at the blood on her hands, most of it belonging to her fellow Aurors.
Hermione shuddered when she looked down into the pale face of Lucius Malfoy, the smirk finally gone from his chiseled face. She resisted the temptation to spit on him as she stepped over his corpse. She tripped over another body she hadn't seen and landed on her knees, skinning them and making her wince in pain. She sat back on her heels to see what she had tripped on.
"Oh God," she said, her hands trembling as she moved the hair out of his face. She felt his neck for a pulse, and she couldn't find one. Panic setting in, she looked up, trying to find her voice to call someone, anyone. "Harry," she said, her voice wavering. "HARRY!" she screamed.
Hermione screamed for Harry over and over and over again until she finally heard footsteps headed toward her. "Help," she said meakly as Harry, followed by Ron and Arthur ran over to her. Hermione watched as Harry fell to his knees, cradling the body she had in her lap.
Arthur got down and tried to find any sign of life, but he couldn't, tears falling down his cheeks. Ron pulled Harry away as Arthur levitated the corpse of Remus Lupin over to the Mediwitches and an unscathed Tonks.
Ron stayed behind and helped Hermione off the ground. "You need to see someone Hermione," he told her. "You can barely stay standing up on your own."
"I have to find him Ron, I have to. He's still out here somewhere."
Ron just smiled at her, knowing she was going to refuse before he'd even asked. "Please, take care of yourself," he said again.
Hermione started back towards the direction Viktor had been seen last, her legs starting to give out under her. She slumped to the ground, tears leaving clean streaks down her dirt-stained cheeks. A slight movement caught her attention. She turned and looked left, the wind blowing her hair across her face. She quickly brushed it aside and crawled over to the movement. As she neared she saw it was a chest moving up and down very slowly, making the body half way on top of it raise and fall with it. She shoved the dead woman off and looked down into the pale face of Viktor.
Her heart jumped, he wasn't dead! She raised her hand to feel his pulse beating erratically under his very clammy skin. Without moving she started screaming again. This time Ron, Fred, and Arthur ran over to her calls. As Fred and Arthur carefully moved the dead witch off Viktor, Ron picked Hermione off the ground and supported her weight. She fell against his chest, sobbing as he half carried her to the Mediwitches waiting for them.
There were few Aurors that were left that could stand on their own as Scrimgeour observed the last of the wounded being taken to St. Mungos. Despite her wounds, Hermione would not be parted with Harry and Ron. Scrimgeour shook his head, muttering in hushed tones with Arthur. Finally they stopped and the Minister of Magic addressed the wizards and witch that stood before him.
"The entire wizarding world as well as the muggle world owes every one of you their life. And I am going to the Muggle Prime Minister to let him know the events of today. I request, but do not demand, that you accompany me so he can see the heroes of this battle."
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A loud pop ripped the Prime Minister from his work. He immediately looked up to see the Other Minister standing directly in front of his desk.
"I come to you today to inform you that You Know Who has now been defeated once and for all. He and his followers took a lot of ours with him, but we were still successful. He has no hope for revival this time."
The Prime Minister stood up from his desk and walked around, surveying the people in various states of disarray behind the Other Minister.
"The people who see behind me are a few of the heroes that battled today. These are the ones that can stand."
His eyes locked with the only girl in the crowd, silent tears running down her dirt and blood caked cheeks. "These are children," he said, gesturing to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Some of them yes, but they saved us, saved you."
"This girl?" he asked, refering to Hermione.
"That girl is the brightest witch to have graduated Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is a muggle born. She is a hero of both worlds," Scrimgeour said, defensive of the already devestated child.
A sad silence filled the room.
"I would like to thank every one of you for what you have done to save your world and mine. I only pray that your lives may return to some sort of normalcy. I think we all need a bit of that." The Prime Minister watched as they popped out of his office one at a time. He looked back over at the girl, watching as the boy beside her wrapped is arm around her shoulders protectively before they too disappeared.
Those that had just appeared in the lobby of St. Mungo's from the muggle Minister's office were taken by staff waiting for them to seperate rooms. During the commotion Hermione slipped away unnoticed. She walked quickly down the hallway dedicated to the Aurors that had fallen in battle. She looked inside every window, opened every door, hoping to find Viktor.
She finally pushed open the door to the room Viktor was in. She walked over to him, his chest rising and falling evenly now. There were bandages wrapped around his entire arm and another one wrapped around his chest, stained slightly pink. Relief finally flooded over her and she fell to the floor beside his bed, her body shaking. She had no more tears to spill.
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Hermione's eyes opened slowly, taking in her surroundings. She tried to sit up, but the dizziness made her quickly abandon that intention. She looked up to meet the eyes of Harry.
"You should be thankful most of the blood on your robes wasn't yours," he said as she fell back into a dreamless sleep.
One Month Later
Hermione wrapped her bare arms around herself, a cool winter breeze blowing across her skin. She looked up at the sky, counting the stars to avoid the sounds behind her.
A Grand Celebration was in full swing, celebrating the defeat of the Dark Lord, celebrating the fallen witches and wizards, and celebrating the witches and wizards that had survived through it. She didn't want to be there. She didn't want any part in something that would remind her of the hardest times of her life. She just wanted to look forward to her future.
"Never look back," she whispered into the wind.
She felt Viktor's arms wrap around hers.
"You'll catch a cold out here."
She only smiled and leaned back into his warm body as her eyes closed. After a few moments Viktor turned her around to face him, wiping the solitary tear off her cheek.
"I love you."
Viktor leaned down and kissed her, erasing the pain and promising a future of happiness.
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THE END
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Author Babble:
Would I be undermining my authority to tell you I cried almost the entire time I wrote this? Because I did, I really did. Not only because of the things happening, but because it's over, finished, done. Maybe I'll write a happier follow up fic telling about Hermione and Viktor's future together.