DISCLAIMER: I MAKE NO MONEY FROM THIS. SADLY.

Hermione Granger stood, wand clenched in her bloodied, dirtied hands, gazing down at the unmoving form of her friends. Ron, eyes glassy and unfocused, hit by Dolohov's Killing Curse. Fred, taken down by Rookwood. George, who'd avenged his twin and fell at Voldemort's own hand. She dragged her had over her eyes viciously. Tears would not help her now. Remus, Tonks, McGonnagall, the list stretched on. It was just her and Harry left now. Numbly, she shuffled over to where he sat, Ginny's still warm corpse cradled in his arms. "Why, Hermione," he asked, his voice impossible steady despite the tears she could see streaking down his face. He turned his brilliant green eyes, burning emeralds so full of pain, to her face. She could only shake her head helplessly. Gently, as if she was only asleep, Harry lowered the girl he had loved to the floor and placed a kiss on her forehead. He smoothed her hair, and got to his feet. "I'm done Hermione," and now his voice cracked. "I'm just done. I want it to be over." She reached her arms out and stepped into them, and they stood like that for a long while, silent tears streaking down their faces. "I know Harry, me too." Unbidden, memories rose before her eyes—her parents, as she'd Obliviated them, their blank faces as they waved goodbye. She would never see them again. They'd died in a "freak plane accident" as they'd left for Australia. Gone. She remembered Ron, his huge smile after she'd told him she loved him. Gone. Ginny, her red hair whipping around her as she taught Hermione to fly, laughing, breath misting in the cold. Gone. Everything was gone.

Finally, the two broken teenagers stepped away from each other. "Together?" she asked Harry. "Together." He replied, a sad smile curving the side of his mouth. Hand in hand, they stepped over the bodies of the dead, Death Eater and friends, all united in death. Together, they made their way out of the castle, into the forest to meet Lord Voldemort, so that they too could join the rest.

It was not hard to find him. He stood waiting, pale hands folded lovingly over the knobbly wand Hermione recognized as Dumbledore's. The Elder Wand, the Deathstick. Around Lord Voldemort stood five or six Death Eaters, all that remained of the force he had amassed to attack the mighty fortress of Hogwarts. He did not seem to mind that his forces had been thus depleted. After all, Hermione thought, he could always find more. "Potter," Voldemort hissed quietly, ignoring Hermione at Harry's side. "The Boy Who Lived…. Come to die?"

"I suppose so," Harry said quietly. Voldemort's red eyed gleamed in triumph. "Then I must oblige you," he inclined his head, fingering his wand gently before raising it, pointing it at Harry. Harry lifted his own, his replacement wand, stolen from Draco Malfoy, and leveled it at Voldemort. The black robed followers gathered quietly around them in a loose circle. She read desperation on their faces as well and realized they were not the skilled, experienced, devoted inner circle she had initially assumed they were, but merely wizards who had chosen the side they thought would win. They too, wanted everything to be over. "No one left to hide behind, Potter," Voldemort gloated. "No," Harry agreed mildly. Voldemort seemed annoyed at being unable to rile Harry. "And now you shall go to join them," He hissed smoothly. "Yes," Harry said calmly, staring blandly into Voldemort's face. Voldemort snarled. "Crucio!" He shrieked, wand aimed not at Harry, but at Hermione.

She didn't fight the scream that rose to her lips, but the pain no longer affected her as it once had. She was far too familiar with it for it to be effective anymore. Harry stood, unmoved. "Is that it?" he asked Voldemort. "Weren't you going to kill me?" he taunted. Voldemort tilted his head, and for a moment, confusion flashed across his face. "Are you truly so eager to die?" He asked, curiously. "There's nothing left for me, is there, Tom? Nothing left for either of us," he said, looking down at Hermione, a small smile quirking his lips. Hermione had fallen when she'd been struck by Voldemort's curse, but she got back to her feet, taking the hand Harry offered her. They stood side by side, facing the Dark Lord.

"Very well then," Voldemort said quietly. "Avada Kedavra!" "Expelliarmus!" Harry intoned. The two beams of light raced towards each other, collided, and Voldemort was dead. Harry looked at the Elder Wand in his hand and pointed it at himself. He met Hermione's eyes, which, for the first time since leaving the Great Hall, displayed fear. "I'm sorry 'Mione. But there really isn't anything left for me." Hermione raised her wand, but she knew she would be too late. "Avada Kedavra" "EXPELLIARMUS!" In a bizarre parody of previous events, the two spells once again collided.

But even as the Elder Wand was ripped out of Harry's hand, the green light of the Killing Curse had left its tip, had hit Harry, wrenching his hand from hers, and now Hermione was alone. Numbly, she stared down at Harry. She understood. She would join him soon. But not just yet. Lifting her head, she saw that the Death Eaters had fled. Good. She didn't think she could've fought them. She picked up the Elder Wand. Next to it, she saw a dark stone on the forest ground, marked with the sign of the Hallows, and slipped both into her pocket. She flicked her own wand at Harry, levitating him. She would lay him to rest next to Ginny and the others in the Great Hall. Then she would speak to Dumbledore's portrait, explain what had happened so that the rest of the world would know, and then, then she too could be free.

Gently, she lay Harry next to Ginny. She placed their hands together. As she straightened up, she saw the familiar silver fabric of the third Hallow in Harry's pocket. Without knowing why, she picked it up. She would ask Dumbledore what to do with it, she decided as she made her way to the Headmaster's office. As she entered, there was no noise. No applause. She was glad. There was nothing to celebrate. It had been a pyrrhic victory. She ignored the other portraits and moved to stand in front of Dumbledore. His eyes were full of sadness as he looked down at her.

"It's done." She said, the words dead in her mouth. "After Harry found out he was a Horcrux, he went into the forest. He died. Voldemort brought him back to gloat. Neville killed Nagini. Harry tried to duel Voldemort but he commanded his Death Eaters to destroy us all, sealed us in the Great Hall and left after telling Harry to find him in the same place after the death eaters killed all he held dear. So we did. Harry killed him. Then he killed himself. He's in the Great Hall, next to Ginny." She turned to leave. Dumbledore called her back. "Ms Granger, I am truly sorry for what you have lost." She saw tears running down his painted cheeks. "So am I." She said dryly. "But Ms. Granger, don't forget, there is always something to live for," Dumbledore continued. "Not this time." Hermione had forgotten about the Hallows. She just wanted to join her friends. She wanted to see Ron again. She wanted to see Harry. Pointing the Elder Wand at herself, she enunciated carefully, "Avada Kedavra". The world seemed to stop. All she could see was the green light coming toward her. Then it hit her, and Hermione Granger vanished in a blaze of light.

Hermione realized several things at the same time. Firstly, that she was thinking. Second, she felt great. Third, that she was laying down. These things led to the realization that she was self aware, and that she had a body. Blinking, Hermione opened eyes she hadn't realized were closed. She lay in a white mist, but as she thought about it, the white mist consolidated into a Library, a place she'd always found comfort and safety in. She wasn't quite sure which Library though. It looked a bit like the Hogwarts library, but also like her father's private library, and also like the public library she'd often visited with her mother as a child. Looking down, Hermione realized she was wearing only a cloak. The invisibility cloak. She frowned, realizing that she'd forgotten to tell Dumbledore about the Hallows. She dismissed the thought. It was no longer important. She did wish she had clothes though. As she thought this, a neat pile of clothing appeared on a nearby table. She walked over and pulled them on. She noticed, as she put her arm through the sleeve of the warm, clean shirt she'd found, that she was also wearing the Resurrection Stone, set into a gold ring. When she looked at her other hand, she realized she'd been clutching the Elder Wand as well. All three Hallows.

As she came to this realization, she heard a soft cough from behind her. She turned, not sure what to expect. "Harry?" she gasped. He smiled at her, and she flung herself into his arms. They stood like that for what could have been seconds or hours or days or years but it was never long enough. Finally, she broke away from him. "How- What's—Where—" she said, utterly confused. Harry grinned at her, completely carefree. "Of course you'd bring us to a library," he teased. "Always the bookworm." "Is this real?" Hermione asked, voice shaking. Harry nodded. "Where are we?" Hermione asked. "I mean, where's this library?" "It's kind of hard to explain. Basically, Luna's dad was right. Whoever unites the Hallows becomes Master of Death. What that means is that you can't really die. If you do, instead of getting punted on to the afterlife like most people do, you come here. I came here when Voldemort tried to kill me—maybe it was the Hallows, but for me, Dumbledore thinks Voldemort tied me to life. Either way, you're not dead, if that's what you were wondering. But you're not exactly alive either. You're in between. Kind of like a sort of limbo, I reckon." Harry explained. "That's right," another, unfamiliar voice turned. Hermione whipped around, wand raised, but Harry seemed unconcerned. "Hermione, allow me to introduce… Death."

Death stood calmly in front of Hermione. Death looked exactly like Ronald Weasley, but his voice was different. She couldn't explain it. It wasn't a human voice. It was old and young, terrifying and comforting, cold and warm all at the same time. Maybe it was the multiple shocks that she'd already been through, but Hermione did not bat an eyelash. "Why does Death look like Ron?" she asked Harry, quite calmly. "I thought this form would comfort you. I could also choose to look like this," Death turned into a towering figure with a scythe, then a small, innocent child Hermione recognized as a friend of hers from kindergarten, and then into Hermione herself. "It does not matter, Mistress." Hermione shivered. "I don't particularly want to be your Mistress," she said uncomfortably. "I just wanted to die." Death nodded. "I know. That is why you are my Mistress." "What? But I just said—" "Only a select few can unite the Hallows, Hermione," Harry interrupted. "And to truly Master them, you can't be afraid of death. You can't want to be the Master of Death. But once you are… you're kind of stuck with it I think."

"What does that even mean?" Hermione demanded. "Whatever you desire, Mistress. I cannot, even though I believe you do not desire it, send you back to whence you came. Death is death, even for you. But I can send you on to a different time, one where you could make a difference. You could save him," Death inclined it's head to Harry. "You could save your entire world. Of course, it wouldn't be your world exactly. Parallel. Like I said, death is death, even for you. You could visit those you've lost. You just can't move on completely." Death said, sounding rather bored. "I want to see Ron," Hermione said at once. Harry shifted, uncomfortable. "Er… Hermione, the thing is, the… Afterlife, I guess you could call it… Well I better explain it first. Basically unless you do something really bad, you get a good afterlife. And everyone gets their own. It's like your own bubble of perfection. And you can visit and share the bubbles of your loved ones. It's kind of like being alive and living out a fantasy life honestly. And well, Ron…" he hesitated. Hermione's eyes narrowed in confusion. Death snorted impatiently. In a flash, the three of them stood outside the Burrow.

Harry looked flustered. "Look Hermione, just remember, it's been a while. I know it's only been a few minutes for you since everything happened, but here time doesn't work the same. Ginny and I are… well married, and—" Hermione hugged him. "Oh Congratulations Harry!" she cried, joy shining in her eyes. Harry smiled back at her, letting out a long sigh. "Try not to judge him too harshly," he said quietly to Hermione, as he opened the door to the Burrow. "Hermione?" A red blur, darted towards her. It was Ginny, young and beautiful "Al? James? Lily? Come over here and meet Aunt Hermione," she called. Hermione observed with wide eyes, as three children skidded around the table. "Hi Aunt Hermione! Mum, we're going to play quidditch with Grampa James and Sirius!" They chorused, as they raced past her out of the house. Ginny smiled fondly at them. Harry slung an arm around her, kissing her lightly on the top of her head. Just then, Ron's familiar voice called out from behind them, "Ginny? Did mum finish making that pie yet? I'm starving—" Hermione turned and saw Ron descending the staircase. He saw her and froze. "Hermione?" he croaked.

Hermione ran towards him, and he opened his arms as she leapt into them. "Ron," she cried, burying her face in his shoulder, inhaling his familiar scent. "Ron, I love you," she whispered. "I never told you, but I love you… I'm so glad I found you again." Ron shifted guiltily. "Hermione there's something I have to tell you," He said, pushing her away slightly, examining her face nervously. Hermione cocked her head in confusion. "I—that is to say—er, well," Ron stammered nervously, eyes darting around the room which was now empty, save for Death, who was leaning back in a chair. Ron didn't seem to be able to see Death, however, as his eyes skated over her. "He's together with that girl from school," Death said, boredly. "The one named after a flower. Not Pansy… Tulip? No, that was her mother… Lavender. That's it." Death snapped its fingers. Hermione felt as if something had reached into her chest, seized her heart and twisted. Hard.

"You're with Lavender?" She said, marveling at how controlled her voice was. Ron stared at her in shock. "How did you know—did Harry tell you—" Hermione could feel tears in her eyes. "You don't deny it then," she said softly, feeling rage in the pit of her stomach. "You said you loved me. You said you were going to marry me!" She yelled, furious. "I do love you—" "Save it, Ronald," Hermione snarled. "It's been a long time for me—" "Well it bloody well hasn't been a long time for me!" Hermione screeched. "And anyway I don't see Ginny with Dean Thomas, do you? She waited for Harry! Why didn't you wait for me Ron? I loved you!" Ron raised his hands helplessly. "I'm sorry Hermione- I just- I love you, please, but be reasonable, 'Mione! You can't honestly have thought we would've worked out as a couple! Come one, just put it behind you—" Hermione stared at him, incredulous. "You utter prat Ronald Weasley! If you weren't already dead, I'd KILL you!" She snarled, the betrayal bitter and painful. "I can't look at you." She said quietly, turning on her heel and leaving him behind. Death followed her, smirking. Harry stood waiting outside. "Leave me alone," she snapped. Harry ignored her, gathering her into his arms and looking at her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry Hermione." And for the first time in what felt like forever, Hermione Granger cried.

She didn't know how long she stood there crying into Harry's shoulder. But she did know that she didn't want to stay here. Wherever here was. "Who's afterlife is this anyway, " she asked weakly, wiping her nose. "Molly and Arthur Weasley's," Death replied at once. "And that's another thing," she said. "Why is it only Harry and I can see you?" she frowned. It was Harry who answered this time. "Because I was Master of Death, and now, you are. It also means you and I can travel into any Afterlife we want. Came in handy trying to find my parents. I'll have to introduce you sometime. You'll love them. And little Holly Potter." He smiled at her. Hermione shook her head. "Maybe not just right now, Harry, I don't really like the.. Afterlife… at the moment." She said wryly. Harry inclined his head in understanding. Hermione shifted her gaze to Death. "You said you could put me in a parallel world. What do you mean by that?" Death shrugged. "I'm sure you've heard of parallel universes. I'd just slip you into one. Death exists everywhere, so as Master of Death, you can go anywhere. Just not back to the world you came from. If you die, that world is closed to you. Sorry." Hermione shrugged. "Not like I have anything to go back to anyway. If I let you send me there, would I still be able to come here? And visit?" she asked. Death shook his head. "This place is for the dead, Mistress. You have no world to belong to, which is why you can come here, but once back in the living world, you cannot return until you're killed again. That's what the stone is for—so you can summon those you want to see to you." Hermione nodded. "I think you should do it," Harry told her honestly. "You don't belong here Hermione. Go, live your life. Come back when you're old and gray. We'll all be here waiting for you." Hermione sniffled. "Okay." She turned to Death. "But first, I want to see my parents." Death clicked its fingers and Harry and the Burrow vanished, replaced by the familiar interior of Hermione's old home. "Mum? Dad?" A young couple who were reading on a nearby couch, looked up. "Mum! Dad!" Hermione ran towards them and gathered them into a tight embrace. "I've missed you so much."

After what seemed like forever, but was not long enough, Hermione left her old home. She found herself again in the library she'd arrived in. Harry was waiting for her with Death, who had changed from Hermione's form into that of a young boy. Death reached out and flicked its fingers. The Hallows flew into them, pulsing with an eerie silver light. Death pressed its fingers to Hermione's wrist, and a brand appeared there, in the shape of the sign of the Hallows, while the Hallows themselves vanished. "You may not have the Hallows in this world, but with this, you may draw upon their powers. Simply imagine yourself using the Hallows, and their powers will be yours to wield. When you enter this world, you will be mortal once again. When you die, you will return here. You will again receive the choice to stay in the Afterlife, or move to another world. I am sending you to a world that will progress in almost an identical fashion as your own. However, with your help, all the pain and suffering that has befallen you can be avoided. Prepare yourself, for I will send you on shortly." Death said. Hermione turned to Harry. "Take care of yourself alright? And Ginny. And your kids. And the rest. Tell them I'll see them soon. I'll see you soon." She rambled, not quite sure how to say goodbye so soon. Harry smiled warmly at her. "Of course. You better call me often. I'll be waiting for you." With one last hug, Hermione stepped away and took the hand Death had outstretched. "Bye Hermione," Harry said. And Hermione Granger vanished.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the woman whispered as she left the baby on the doorstep of the orphanage. She turned and hurried into the night, tears rolling down her cheeks. She died two weeks later of severe pneumonia. The baby on the other hand, took its last breath moments after the woman had left it behind. The cold December air seemed to fill with… something as the baby's chest stopped moving. Then, all of a sudden, the tiny heart began beating again, and Hermione Granger opened her mouth and screamed.