Count Your Blessings

=========================================================================================
Author’s Note
=========================================================================================

Alright, chickies! This is the last chapter of the story and I must say that when I started this story I had no clue what I wanted to do with it, or where I wanted it to go but I am wholly happy about the turn out of it. I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I have in writing it!

There might be an epilogue in works if and when I feel up to it, which shouldn’t be too long – I hope – anyway. Thank you all again!

Songs:
Look Within Yourself
Poets of Fall – Delicious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB097B218VI

I Need a Firewhiskey
Poets of the Fall - Locking Up the Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iap7PpYNcXQ


=========================================================================================
Look Within Yourself
=========================================================================================


The sounds surrounding them were near deafening. Hermione could barely see three feet in front of her, let alone the back of Draco’s head. However, she felt his hand on hers gripping her fingers tightly as they ran through the corridors. Both wands raised, Hermione and Draco came to a stop at the end of the corridor and looked from one route to another.

“We need to find Harry,” Hermione said with a breath, “I need to find Harry.”

Draco looked down at Hermione and nodded, “Let’s go this way.”

As he pulled her with him a spell whizzed through them. Draco moved, pushing Hermione back as the wall beside them exploded. Draco looked up and jumped, falling to the ground as the ceiling above them collapsed. He heard Hermione scream from the other side of the rubble and rose to his feet.

“Hermione!?” Draco shouted, clawing at the rubble, “Hermione!”

“I’m…fine!” Hermione shouted back, scooting away from the rubble with an injured leg. “I’m fine, Draco!”

“Stand back, I’ll blast the rubble!” Draco called, holding his wand out.

“No!” she crowed, “It might make the entire thing collapse. Go find Harry and the others!”

“Are you bloody mad?” Draco nearly snarled, “If you hadn’t noticed…I’m not exactly an Order member. They’ll hex me the chance they see me!”

“Just do it!” Hermione shouted, pulling herself up, “They’ll need help!”

“Urgh, fine!” Draco called, “Things I do for you, bloody bint.”

“Fucking ferret!” Hermione replied in a snarl, biting her bottom lip.

She looked down at her leg and closed her eyes as the blood drifted down a deep gash. The room was beginning to spin and she felt nauseous. Moving slowly, as much as she could, Hermione clung to the wall. Every step she took shot a jolt of pain up her thigh. Her nostrils flared to get as much oxygen into her lungs but she soon collapsed against the wall.

Her hand moved to her leg, pressing against the wound to keep the blood from flowing. She had cut an artery, she knew it and it was only a matter of time. Closing her eyes, Hermione gritted her teeth and let out a scream. The next thing she knew, she heard the tearing of fabric and hands. Large hands were cupping her high tightly. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw a mass of hair in front of her, rolling her eyes lower she gasped.

“Stay calm,” Millicent Bulstrode said huskily, “Daphne, I need your belt!”

“Here, you go,” Daphne said, popping up behind Millicent, “Hang in there, Granger.”

“W-what,” Hermione winced as Millicent tightened the belt around her leg, using her own torn robes to stop the bleeding.

“Don’t move,” Millicent said, “My mum was a medi-witch before she married. Taught me everything I know. Now…c’mon.”

She and Daphne helped lift Hermione’s arms over their shoulders. Hermione brought her leg up and felt suddenly sick from how quickly she rose. Millicent wrapped an arm around her waist and nodded at Daphne. The blond Slytherin darted off down the hall with her wand at the ready. She pushed open a door to Snape’s office and nodded to Millicent.

“We’re going to rush,” Millicent spoke so softly that it didn’t seem to fit her nature, “You’ve lost too much blood.”

Hermione winced again as Millicent simply lifted Hermione and half carried her to the office. Daphne moved to the side and let Millicent and Hermione in first before glancing around and shutting the door behind them. The blond girl rushed around the office, pulling back a chair from Snape’s desk so Millicent could put Hermione down

“Blood replenishing drought,” Millicent barked, pulling the belt quickly from Hermione. “This is going to hurt… a lot.”

Millicent pulled her wand out, a thick piece of wood that reminded Hermione of the top end of a pool stick. Waving her wand relatively swiftly, Hermione gritted her teeth as a growl tore through her throat. She felt the muscle of her legs begin to mend together, her skin pull over the wound until there was only a light pink scar. Sweat popped over her body as her hands gripped onto the edge of the seat.

Daphne handed Millicent a deep red vial and sat next to Hermione, dabbing her forehead with her sleeve. Hermione’s eyes connected with Daphne’s deep blue ones and she sighed. Millicent held the vial out for Hermione and watched the curly-haired witch drink the foul potion. Hermione grunted as her face flushed pink, as if she were blushed. Her mind stopped spinning and she could see clearly.

“Why are you helping me?” Hermione asked, watching Daphne pull off the remnants of the torn robe from her thigh.

Millicent shrugged, “Years of abuse from Parkinson and you’re the first person to stand up to her.”

“Some people envy the guts to do that,” Daphne finished, smiling brightly at her. “Not all of us are that bad. Slytherin. Yes. Bitch. Sometimes. Nutters. No.”

Millicent chuckled and helped Hermione rise from the seat, “We were evacuating the younger students when we over heard Pansy say she was going to ‘get you’…”

“Thought it might be in our best interest to find you before that happened but…we were just a tad too late,” Daphne finished, twiddling with some of her hair.

“The explosion?” Hermione asked, looking between them, “That was Parkinson?”

“She may be stupid when it comes to classes, but she knows a lot of dark magic,” Daphne said with a shrug.

“Well. Well. Well,” a shrill nasally voice broke through the moment of silence the three girls were sharing. “I’d thought I’d never see the day where a mudblood would be cornered…”

Hermione looked between Millicent and Daphne to see Pansy Parkinson standing in the doorway with her wand raised. She smirked evilly at the curly-haired witch and moved closer.

“Good job, Millie and Daph. I thought I saw you two dragging her in here,” Pansy grinned to the other two as she broke past them and pointed her wand at Hermione, “For once, Millie you used that brain of yours. No witnesses. In Snape’s office no doubt. Genius.”

“Pansy,” Daphne warned, grasping onto her wrist.

“Touch me again and I will slice you from naval to nose, Greengrass!” Pansy snarled, “This has been long coming and your ruddy conscience is not going to ruin this for me.”

“What are you going to do, Pansy?” Hermione asked bravely, his hand digging into her pocket, “Slip me another potion?”

Pansy’s nose twitched, “It was a brilliant idea for a while, wasn’t it? Before you had to go and steal my boyfriend!”

“You can’t take some one’s boyfriend if they never truly belonged to them,” Hermione replied, tilting her chin up.

“He’s going to come back to me,” Pansy snarled, “He always does.”

“He comes to you because you’re a shag,” the curly-haired witch almost grinned at Pansy’s scowl, “You’re nothing but a bloody shag. Everyone knows it.”

“Bitch!” Pansy snapped, slapping Hermione with gusto, “I’m going to rip your insides out, Granger, and I’m going to dance in your blood.”

“Gross,” Hermione said, uneasily calm and with a straight face.

“Millie!” Pansy crowed, “Tie her up, I don’t want her squirming.”

Millicent didn’t move, but held her wand up. Pansy swung around and glared, “Well? Move it you fat tub of ---“

A fist flew through the air and jabbed Pansy in the eye. Millicent growled as she stepped toward Pansy, her fists clenched.

“Another word Parkinson and I’ll have no problem gutting you,” Millicent’s voice was deep and almost like a mountain troll.

“What has gotten into you!?” Pansy shouted, cupping her eyes, “Are you both daf—“

Another punch, this time from Daphne, “We’re sick and tired of being pushed around!”

Pansy swung around, hitting Snape’s desk. She brought her hands out to hold herself up and grasped onto her wand. Spinning around quickly, Pansy’s angry face fell. Millicent, Daphne and Hermione held their wands up to her, the tips of their wands glowing with faint multicolored lights.

“Tie her up and stuff her in a closet,” Daphne said to Millicent and Hermione.

Millicent conjured several yards of ropes while she and Daphne shot them around Pansy. Pansy opened her mouth to shout but Millicent casted a silencing spell on her. With the help of Hermione, the three shoved Pansy into a closet near the door and locked it. They heard the banging from Pansy trying to throw her body against the door but only looked at each other and grinned.

=========================================================================================
I Need a Firewhiskey
=========================================================================================


Draco ran through the opposite end of the hall, ducking under a stunning spell Yaxley had thrown at Kinglsey when he passed. He slid across the floor as water burst from pipes above him, showering several Death Eaters. Moaning Myrtle’s laughs echoed across the halls, joined by Peeve – who seemed to have gotten a hold of the Weasley twins’ stash of dungbombs and used them against the Death Eaters.

He ducked as the wall beside him exploded and slid down the banister of the stairs with his feet. He spun around after jumping from it and spotted Harry battling Bellatrix. Blood dripped from the Gryffindor’s hand as he slashed at the air. Bellatrix cackled and threw a spell at Harry while his arm was down. Running across the hall, Draco tackled the shaggy haired kid out of the way. The spell cut into his back causing him to growl out in pain.

He and Harry slid into the wall with a loud thud. Draco pulled his wand out and rose, throwing off a spell from Bellatrix.

“Bombarda!” Draco shouted at the ceiling, watching it explode and crash between him and his aunt.

He looked at Harry, who was grunting with anger and flashing his wand at him. Draco held his hand out and quirked his eye brows.

“Going to sit there all day, Potter?” Draco asked, “Or you do reckon you are still fit to help out?”

“Sod off, Malfoy,” Harry growled, taking Draco’s hand as he was pulled to his feet, “Why are you helping me anyway?”

“Let’s just say a certain curly-haired witch called me a ‘fucking ferret’ if I didn’t help,” Draco shrugged, looking to the corridors as icy chills were sent through their systems.

“Dementors,” Harry whispered, grasping onto his wand tightly, “Do you know the patronus charm?”

“Of course,” Draco replied, “I’m highly talented.”

“Back to back?” Harry asked, looking to Draco who grinned.

“We can kill each other later,” he replied, placing his back to Harry.

“Wandless and with our fists, yeah?” Harry grinned, planting his feet behind him as the water on the ground began to freeze.

“Counting on it, Potter,” Draco said with half a laugh as the sight of hundreds of dementors closed around them.

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” both boys shouted as silvery wisps exploded from their wands.

The stag kicked up around him as he darted straight toward the center of the mass. Dementors instantly flew back, higher in the air and tried to swoop down on both boys. A large raptor blasted from the tip of Draco’s wand, soaring high into the air with a loud unearthly screech. Its wings shot out and flew in spirals around the Dementors, passing through several of them.

Harry’s stag rounded the pair slashing at the air as Dementors attempted to surround them. The osprey, Draco’s osprey patronus, flew around them flapping its wings as it landed on the horns of Harry’s stag. Draco and Harry looked at one another and nodded, shouting a war cry they dashed into the crowd of Dementors.

The stage bucked and kicked Dementors all around them while the osprey soared above them, diving around the Dementors unwise enough to try and get near them. They slid across the ground as a wall came crashing down over them, barely clearing it before it blocked the path from the Dementors to them. Draco spun around onto his stomach, as did Harry, and looked to him.

“An eagle?” Harry breathed as his stag surrounded them protectively.

“It’s an osprey, learn your birds of prey, Potter,” Draco panted as his patronus landed on the ground near them, quirking its head to the side. “Move you ruddy bird.”

Both the stag and the osprey dissipated as Harry and Draco rose to a stand. They shrugged their robes onto their shoulders simultaneously, glancing at one another. They turned slowly as an overwhelming feeling of dread filled the air. Harry’s eyes widened and his jaw clenched, as did Draco.

“I am not at all surprised of your treachery, Draco,” purred Voldemort standing beside Bellatrix Lestrange, who sported a heavy gash above her breast bone. His lipless mouth smirking upward, “But I am willing to forgive you, if you kill Potter…”

Harry looked at Draco, his wand clenched in his hand, but Draco merely tilted his head back, “Go fuck your self, my liege.”

Voldmort snarled and brought his wand out, “I believe I have incentive of my own…”

He snapped his fingers as Bellatrix cackled, bringing forth Hermione Granger. She struggled against Bellatrix’s grasp and looked to Draco and Harry with wide eyes.

“I will spare your precious mudblood, in exchange for the death of the Potter boy,” Voldemort grinned as Draco’s face fell, his eyes unmoving from Hermione.

“Don’t do it, Draco!” Hermione shouted, “Don’t do it!”

“I…I…” Draco looked to Harry, who had taken a step back, eyes blazing with flames. “I…”

“He won’t do it,” came a voice from their right, causing everyone to turn and look, “You cannot force my son.”

Lucius and Snape appeared looking tired but well. He stood beside Draco and sneered at Voldemort, “Your followers have fallen. You are alone….”

“Ah, Lucius…Severus…I can say that I am a little surprised at this turn of events….” Voldemort said, tilting his head mechanically to the side.

“You’re through, coward,” came the voice of Ron as he appeared beside Harry with Luna, Dean and Seamus.

“You can’t stop all of us,” Ginny said with her entire family behind her, including Neville. Their wands were raised and Fred and George sported a lopsided grin.

“We have far more people on our side willing to die,” came another, that of Theodore Nott.

He sported a thick oozing gash across his shoulder but stood bravely. Blaise, Millicent and Daphne surround him. Voldemort’s eyes settled on the colors of their robes, Slytherin colors. He sneered and turned his head, finding several others who arrived including most of the Order very much alive.

“Fools,” Voldemort spat, grasping onto the back of Hermione’s head and trudging her closer.

He pressed his wand up to her throat, digging into it harshly. “Do you think you can kill me? I am the Dark Lord! I am the most powerful wizard in the world!”

“Power is not about how many abilities one has, Tom,” Dumbledore said, coming up behind Harry, pushing the boy behind him, “Power is about what you do with them, and you…have no power.”

“Hah!” Bellatrix cackled, “Students and old men? Is that your army, Dumbledore?”

“Silence, Bella!” Voldemort snapped, grasping onto the back of Hermione’s head.

He turned and glared daggers into Draco’s eyes, “Her last thoughts would be about you….Avada ----“

Time stood still at that moment. Draco’s eyes widened as Voldemort’s curved lips slowly spoke the killing curse. He broke through his father’s grasp, as did many of the others standing beside him. They moved at a snail’s pace, robes billowing, voicing shouting and…silence.

Harry overtook Draco but both bellowed out, at the same time, “Avada Kedavra!”

His ears were ringing as bright green light showered Voldemort and Hermione. His crimson eyes widened as his wand slipped from his hand, clattering to the floor. Draco slid and wrapped his arms around Hermione as the killing curse missed her by a second. They fell back onto the ground, her heart punching bruises into her chest. Their eyes met as time seemed to speed up.

“NO!” Bellatrix cried, falling to Voldemort’s body, his eyes still wide, “My lord! MY LORD!”

Hermione wheezed and brought her hand up, her fingers still clasped around her wand. They stared at each other as people surrounded Bellatrix, grasping her by the arms and disarming her.

“Draco…” Hermione smiled briefly at him as he rose, helping her stand, “We got split up…Millicent and Daphne and I…Bellatrix ambused me and…”

Tears fell down her cheek as Draco wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, “It’s ok. It’s ok.”

Hermione brought her arms around his waist and sobbed into his chest, unleashing her pent up fear, anxiety and sorrow show. Ron, Luna and Ginny broke through the group and paused as Harry kicked Voldemort’s wand away and looked at the lifeless body of his enemy. Ginny rushed into Harry’s arms and cried with relief that he was alright. Ron wrapped his arm around Luna, who grasped onto his bright teal jumper.

“It’s all over,” Harry repeated, nodding to the group, “It’s over.”

Draco pulled from Hermione and brought his hands to her face, cupping her heart shaped head in his hands. She stared up at him under her wet lashes and closed her eyes as his lips descended on hers. Just about everyone beside Snape, Dumbledore and Lucius, dropped their mouths at the scene. Ron sputtered, his ears turning bright pink before he shouted.

“What the bloody hell!”

“I knew it!” Ginny laughed, stringing her arm through Harry’s, “I just knew it!”

“I’m so lost,” Harry said, gaping as Hermione brought her hand to the back of Draco’s head and deepened the kiss.

“Love,” Lucius coughed, “I need a firewhiskey.”

“I think I’ll join you,” Arthur Weasley said tearing his eyes from the couple.

Draco pulled from Hermione, their eyes dancing in the flickering light. She smiled and brought her hand to the side of his face, hugging him tightly before the rest of the crowd surrounded them. The war was over and she was free. He was free. They were free.









- END -