Lady in Red

This is my first try at a fanfiction. I read hundreds of wonderful stories out there and it is high time that I fulfill my promise to neelix and publish my own try. English is not my first language and up to now i don't have a Beta. So any mistakes or weird word constellations are solely mine, alas, that is the only thing belonging to me besides the plot ;) All characters belong to JKR, as usual. Enough foreplay, let's see where the muse leads us. and please: R&R

Oh and this will be as non-canon as they get ;) Don't say you haven't been warned!

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Hermione was developing a migraine. She could feel it coming. Closing her eyes she sighed, mentally chiding herself, she should have known better. She was Head Girl now and that came with certain responsibilities - she just hadn't counted on them being so tedious, or the students so full of mischief.

But she didn't have the heart to stop them. after all it was only 2 months ago that Harry killed Voldemort, well, at least he tried to.

Professor Snape had to do it eventually, but nobody except Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Harry, Ron and herself knew about this. And he preferred it that way.

Sitting at her desk she remembered the fateful day...
Nobody was more surprised than her, when, at the morning of the Final Battle, Malfoy senior showed up at the castle, revealing himself- and Draco as well -to be on the side of the Light. He had been a spy for the Order almost as long as the Potions teacher.

Her eyes clouded over when she was pulled deeper in the memory of the day when so many lost their lives on the battle field.

Harry walked confidently onto the battleground, closely followed by Ron and Hermione. All around them people were fighting, killing, getting killed and the air was full of screams.

When Harry confronted Voldemort, Ron and Hermione came face-to-face with his most loyal servants - Snape and Malfoy.

When the Dark Lord, as Snape used to call him, was entirely focused on Harry, the other four turned to him as well. As one voice they shouted "Expelliarmus" and before he even realized that his servantsbetrayed him, he was unconscious from the force of the combined spells.

Harry then walked forward, the Gryffindor sword in hand. Raising it, he tried to bring it down, to kill Voldemort and end it there and then, once and for all, but he couldn't. Tears came to his eyes and he trembled. It just wasn't in him to do it. He couldn't kill without being attacked.

And suddenly Professor Snape was there, standing behind Harry, one hand on his shoulder and the other taking the sword from him.

"Killing in a fight is one thing, cold-blooded murder an entirely different thing. you shouldn't have to do this, Mr...Harry." Harry was never more grateful to hear the snarky voice of the Potions Master.

Hermione smiled, she remembered this sentence as if it was spoken just a minute ago. Most of the battle was a mere blur in her mind, but this confrontation and this one sentence uttered by the Head of Slytherin House was burned into her mind for all eternity. It was the first time he had shown the boy-who-lived anything else than pure hatred. Shaking her head, she remembered what happened next...

Gripping the sword tighter, Professor Snape looked at Lucius Malfoy and on his nod he brought it down and stabbed his Dark Lord. One thrust was all it took to rid him of his evil taskmaster.

A blindling white light enveloped the fighters and when it was gone so was the most evil wizard of all times. All that was left were ashes!
Immediately Snape and Malfoy clutched their left arms, screaming in agony.

The Golden Trio was horrified, so it was true, Voldemort's Dark Mark was killing his followers. In a flash Headmaster Dumbledore stood before them, wearing a magnificient white robe, almost as blinding as the light before. With each hand he grasped the arm of one of his spies and started singing an unknown incantation.
Nobody recognized the language or the words he spoke, but it seemed to help. Professor Severus Snape and Mr. Lucius Malfoy were the only survivors of the Death Eaters.

It was truly over, the Death Eaters were gone and so was the threat of Voldemort.

Yes, Hermione thought, it was over. The students were bustling with newfound energy, especially the younger ones. Draco had made amends and was now a friend of the Golden Trio. Harry and Ginny got engaged on the morning after the battle, resulting in Mrs. Weasley sobbing happily, murmuring about Harry finally becoming part of the family.

To everyone's surprise Ron and Malfoy jr. had hit it off and as they often joked: 'Weasels and Ferrets make a powerful duo'

This had her smiling again. She should be happy...

Then there was a knock on her door and her headache came back full force. Sighing she pulled herself together and got up to answer the door.

tbc...

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I know i know, a lot of background info, but i have to set the stage ;) There will be lemons eventually ;) Stick around. So, what do you say? Worth continuing or should i just stop ;)

Love
Jocy