"I don't believe it!" Harry jumped to his feet, switching off Ron's radio. The trio had just been listening to Potterwatch. It was Lee and the Weasley twins' station, and it was, frankly, brilliant. "Did you hear what Fred said? He's abroad! He's looking for the wand! I knew it!"

"Harry-"

"Come on, Hermione, why are you so determined not to admit it?" Harry asked,"Vol-"

"HARRY, NO!" Ron bellowed.

"-demort's after the Elder Wand!"

"THE NAME'S TABOO!" Ron leapt to his feet as well, using his Deluminator to switch off the lights,"I told you, Harry, I told you! We can't say it any more!"

Hermione stood up quickly, fumbling for her wand in the semi-darkness,"Oh, hurry, we need to put the protection back around us - quickly - they'll be able to find-"

"Come out!" A rasping voice came through the darkness,"Come out of there with your hands up! We know you're in there! You've got half a dozen wands pointing at you, and we don't care who we curse!"

Harry felt a hand close tightly around his left forearm. He looked around at Ron and Hermione, now mere outlines in the darkness. He saw Hermione (who was stood on Harry's left side) point her wand, not towards the outside, but into his face. There was a burst of white light and he buckled in agony, unable to see. He could feel his face swelling rapidly under his hands as he collapsed to the ground.

"Get up, vermin." Someone flung Harry to his feet and dragged him outside. Before he could stop them, Harry felt someone rummage around in his pockets and pull out his temporary blackthorn wand.

Harry finally found the energy to struggle when he saw a blurry figure wrestling Hermione out of the tent behind him. "Get - off - her!" He shouted. There was the unmistakeable sound of knuckles hitting flesh. Harry let out a cry of pain.

"No! Leave him alone, leave him alone!" Hermione screamed.

"Your boyfriend's going to have worse than that done to him if he's on my list." The owner of the rasping voice told her,"Delicious girl...what a treat...I do enjoy the softness of the skin..."

Harry's stomach turned over. He knew who it was: Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf who had been permitted to wear Death Eater's robes in return for his hired savagery.

"Now, lets see who we've got...what's happened to you, ugly?" Greyback leered towards Harry. Harry didn't answer. "I said," Greyback repeated angrily,"what happened to you?"

Harry received a blow to the diaphragm that made him double over in pain.

"Stop it!" Hermione cried,"Don't hurt him!"

"Stung." Harry answered,"Been stung."

The following few minutes went by in a blur of anger and pain and, the next thing Harry knew, the trio were in Malfoy Manor. A Death Eater named Scabior was towering above them, a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands.

"'Ang on a minute, look at this!" He said,"'Ermione Granger, the Mudblood known to be travelling with 'Arry Potter. You know what, little girly?" Scabior bent down so that he was face-to-face with Hermione,"This picture looks a hell of a lot like you."

Harry's scar burned unbearably in the silence.

"It isn't!" Hermione squeaked,"It isn't me!"

It was as good as a confession.

"Well, well, well." Scabior stood up and paced the room,"This changes things, doesn't it?"

***********

"The prisoners must be placed in the cellar!" Bellatrix LeStrange shrieked hardly a minute later,"Hand me that sword, fool, and lead them down!"

"Yes, ma'am." Scabior bowed deeply,"Do it, Greyback."

"Wait!" Bellatrix said sharply,"All except for the Mudblood."

"No!" Harry found himself shouting, only to earn a hard punch in the stomach as Greyback grabbed the scruff of his neck. Struggling, Harry leaned as close to Bellatrix as he could and hissed,"Touch her and I kill you."

"We'll see." Bellatrix gave a small laugh and dragged Hermione by the hair into the centre of the room.

Ron and Harry stumbled down the stairs and into the cellar as Greyback locked the door behind them. Harry couldn't stop himself from shaking, and he felt as though a deafening alarm was ringing in his head.

There was a terrible, drawn-out scream from above them.

"HERMIONE!" Harry bellowed, rattling the cellar doors,"HERMIONE!"

"Mate-"

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"

"Harry?" An airy voice floated through the cellar,"Ron?" A short figure stepped out of the darkness and waved at them. It was Luna.

Harry sprinted towards her and flung his arms around her middle,"Luna! Luna, you-you have to help me!"

"Harry," Luna stepped away,"I can't do that, you know I can't do that. Oh, no, I really didn't want you to be caught."

Hermione screamed again from overhead, and they could hear Bellatrix screaming too, but her words were drowned out by Harry's shouting. "HERMIONE! NO - HERMIONE!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" Luna snapped suddenly,"She's going to be fine-"

"NO SHE IS NOT!"

"She will be if you stop shouting!" Luna raised her voice,"We can find a way out, maybe. But me, Griphook and Mr. Ollivander have been trying for a long time."

"Griphook? Mr. Ollivander?"

"Evening." A grim voice echoed in the cellar as an angry-looking goblin stepped out from behind Luna.

"Ollivander's over in the corner." Luna told them,"He was sleeping, but he's probably woken up by now."

From upstairs, they heard Bellatrix's voice,"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get the sword? Where?"

"We found it - we found it - PLEASE!" Hermione screamed.

"No..." Harry breathed, closing his eyes and feeling his consciousness slipping away,"No...stop it...leave her...take me instead...please, no..."

"You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!"

There was another terrible scream.

"HERMIONE!"

"What else did you take?" Bellatrix screeched,"What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"

"We-we didn't take anything, I p-promise!" Hermione cried.

"LIAR!"

Hermione screamed once more.

"HERMIONE!" Harry rested his head against the cold brick wall of the cellar, scar throbbing and head searing more than he could ever remember. His face was still too numb to feel the hot tear slide down his cheek. "Leave - her - alone!" He hissed through gritted teeth.

"Mate," Ron said quietly,"she can't hear you-"

Luna punched Ron on the shoulder to shut him up.

"I told you not to tell lies!" Bellatrix screeched,"Tell me the truth or I shall have to hurt your friends to get it out of you! SPEAK, MUDBLOOD!"

Hermione was screaming again. The sound went through Harry like physical pain. Barely aware of the fierce pain in his scar, he started to run around the cellar, feeling the walls for he hardly knew what, knowing in his heart that it was useless.

"What else did you take, what else?" ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"

Hermione screams echoed off of the walls upstairs. Harry was half sobbing as he pounded the walls hopelessly with his fists, not about to give up hope.

"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix roared,"Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

"I d-don't know any g-goblins!" Hermione screamed,"No! No, please! It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"

"Oh, a likely story." Bellatrix laughed,"Lucius, fetch the goblin from the cellar. He can tell us whether the sword is real or not."

"Of course." Lucius said,"Hold the wands, Draco, and don't you dare let them out of your sight."

Harry gasped, struck by a sudden idea. He turned, dropped to his knees in front of Griphook, and whispered into his pointed ear,"Griphook, you must tell them that the sword's a fake! They mustn't know it's the real one! Griphook, please-!"

"Stand back!" Lucius Malfoy's voice came from the door,"Line up against the back wall. Don't try anything, or I'll kill the lot of you. Goblin, come to the door. You are...required."

As Griphook left the cellar without a word in Harry's direction, there was a rather loud crack, at which Ron yelped,"DOB-"

Harry hit him on the arm to stop him from shouting.

"Harry Potter!" Dobby the house elf was beaming at Harry from the middle of the cellar. He was wearing his S.P.E.W. badge.

"Dobby, what are you-?"

An awful scream drowned Harry's words. Hermione was being tortured again.

"Dobby has come to rescue you!"

"Dobby," Harry tried to focus through the blinding pain in his scar as he felt his face begin shrinking back to normal,"you can Disapparate out of this cellar?" Dobby nodded. "And you can take humans with you?" Dobby nodded again. "Right, Dobby, I need to you grab Luna and Mr. Ollivander and take them to...to-"

"Bill and Fleur's." Ron said sharply,"Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth."

"And then come back." Harry said breathlessly,"Can you do that, Dobby?"

"Of course, Harry Potter!" Dobby squeaked.

"Mr. Ollivander!" Luna called,"Mr. Ollivander, quickly-"

Another figure emerged from the darkness. This time, it was a frail old man; the same frail old man that Harry had seen being tortured at the Burrow just before the wedding. "No need to call me, dear, I've been awake."

"All right." Luna nodded,"Whenever you're ready, sir."

Dobby gaped at her with his enormous, tennis-ball shaped eyes,"Sir? Ooh, Dobby likes her very much!" He took Luna's hand and reached up for Ollivander's. With another loud crack, they were gone.

***********

Ron and Harry crouched down at the top of the stairs, hidden from view, but able to see Bellatrix, Griphook, and Hermione in the centre of the room very clearly. Hermione was sprawled across the floor, partly conscious; Griphook was standing next to her, frowning up at Bellatrix, who was smirking maliciously.

"Unfortunately, goblin, I need you alive." Bellatrix sighed dramatically,"It's a good thing I can't say the same for you, Mudblood." She kicked Hermione hard in the stomach, causing her to let out a groan of pain. "Perhaps we should bring your dear friends up here and make them watch me end you, eh, Mudblood?" Hermione shook her head with a sob. "Are you sure?" Bellatrix whimpered,"That ugly one really seemed to like you, didn't he? Maybe I should bring him up here and make him kill you, instead."

"NO!" Hermione began to cry again.

Harry felt sick.

Bellatrix examined her dagger thoughtfully,"But I suppose it would hurt my enjoyment...no! I'll just do it myself. But, you know, I think it'll be a whole lot more fun for me if I don't use magic." Someone cleared their throat from across the room, and Bellatrix gasped suddenly,"Oh, of course - I'm so sorry! - what was I thinking? I don't need to waste my time on you, Mudblood! Greyback, take her."

"Like hell!" Harry scrambled to his feet before he had time to think about it. He lunged for Hermione, but Bellatrix was faster.

"Crucio!"

Harry fell to the floor in agony. Someone screamed. When Harry stood up, Bellatrix had a very tight grip on Hermione, who was now standing up quite precariously. Bellatrix's dagger was held up to Hermione's neck.

A quickening breath on his neck told Harry that there was someone quite close behind him, preparing to attack. He spun around to see Draco not three inches away from him. Draco jumped as Harry spun around, clutching the handful of stolen wands closer to him. Harry groped for them and wrestled the handful out of Draco's grip. Harry found Ron's wand quickly and threw it to him, pointing the blackthorn one at Bellatrix.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Bellatrix shrieked. Ron and Harry froze. "Drop the wands." Harry did as he was told immediately. "I said drop them!" She pressed the blade into Hermione's throat. Harry saw beads of blood appear there. Ron dropped his wand.

"Stop it." Harry said in the calmest voice he could force,"Let her go, just let her go now!"

Bellatrix looked at him uncertainly,"I suppose you'll be wanting the sword back, too."

Harry, completely taken aback, stammered,"Er - well - yeah."

A wicked grin spread across Bellatrix's face,"Well, then, this is going to be interesting, isn't it? It's the sword or the girl. Your choice."

The room went deadly silent.

"Take the sword!" Hermione yelled suddenly.

"Quiet!" Bellatrix shouted. A drop of blood fell from the place where her dagger was touching Hermione's neck.

"We choose Hermione." Harry said firmly.

"No!" Hermione choked.

"Mate," Ron whispered,"we need the sword."

"We choose Hermione." Harry repeated.

"I choose the sword!" Hermione objected,"Give them the sword!"

"Give us Hermione!"

Bellatrix cast her eyes to the blade that was shimmering on the ground by her feet. She looked up and nodded at Lucius, who scooped up the sword and pressed it into Harry's hands.

"Now, take her, Greyback, and make them watch."

"NO!" Harry roared.

Something squeaked above him. They all looked up at the humongous chandelier. There was somebody on it. Dobby. The chandelier made a horrific grinding noise and began to fall. Bellatrix dove out of harm's way, and Hermione crumpled to the floor in agony. Harry dropped the sword of Gryffindor and dove forwards, catching Hermione and pulling her away from the light-piece as it smashed to the ground. Holding her tightly, Harry could feel Hermione shaking like mad. Her left sleeve was rolled up to her elbow and the word 'Mudblood' had been cut deeply into her skin. She moved a trembling hand to her throat in an attempt to wipe away the blood. Griphook picked up Gryffindor's sword, but Harry barely noticed as the trio huddled into the corner of the room with the goblin, Dobby quickly joining them. The elf stood on the stair banisters by Harry's head, and was glaring furiously at the crowd of Death Eaters in the room.

"DOBBY!" Narcissa Malfoy screamed, pointing her wand at the house elf

"You must not hurt Harry Potter!" Dobby squeaked, pointing a shaking finger at Narcissa.

"Kill him, Cissy!" Bellatrix shrieked, but there was another loud crack, and Narcissa'a wand flew into the air and landed on the other side of the room. "You dirty little creature! How dare you take a witch's wand? How dare you defy your masters?"

Dobby stuck his chin into the air,"Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends! NOW!" He squealed.

Harry clutched Hermione tighter to him and reached for Ron's hand. Dobby grabbed Harry around the neck and Griphook held onto Ron's forearm. Harry saw Bellatrix hurl her dagger at them but they were already mid-Apparition. A searing pain flooded through Harry's arm, but did not let go of the still trembling Hermione.

As they hit solid earth, they could smell cool, salty air. Harry dropped to his knees and pulled Hermione towards him on the sandbas Dobby's grip slackened on his neck. "It's okay, Hermione, it's okay now. You're safe. Hermione, can you hear me?" Harry shook her shoulders,"can you hear me, Hermione? Please...please do something! You're okay, please be okay!"

"Mmm..." Hermione moved her head upwards and opened her eyes. They widened and her breath sped up,"Harry-"

"Shh." He dabbed at her neck gently with his sleeve,"Shh, you're all right, I'm here now."

"No...Harry..." Hermione tried to sit up but couldn't muster the strength. Instead, she raised a shaking arm and pointed past Harry and towards what he had assumed to be a shoreline.

Harry turned around and saw exactly what he had been dreading. Bellatrix's dagger had made it to them in time, and it had hit Dobby. "No - DOBBY!" Harry spun to Hermione, needing to ask her a question, but not quite knowing how.

"Go, Harry, I'm fine." She had read his mind once more,"Go, he needs you, quickly!"

"DOBBY!" Harry scrambled to his feet and sprinted over to the staggering elf. Falling back down onto his knees, Harry held Dobby in his arms as the elf took desperate gulps of air. "Dobby, no, don't die, don't die-"

The elf's eyes found him, and his lips trembled with the effort to form words,"Harry...Potter..."

"No!"

And then, with a little shudder, the elf became still. His eyes were nothing more than great, glassy orbs sprinkled with light from the stars they could not see.

***********

Harry could not bring himself to form words. He just knelt in the sand with Dobby in his arms until someone came and joined him.

"Harry..." Hermione breathed, sitting down in the sand next to him, wincing a little.

"Here." Someone else said, squatting down on Harry's other side. It was Luna. "We should close his eyes, don't you think? Then he could be sleeping." Harry nodded and Luna did so. She then stood up and walked back down the beach.

Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulder,"Harry..."

They stayed there in silence.

"You're sure you're all right?" Harry whispered once he was finally able to form words.

Hermione seemed on the verge of getting annoyed at him. She sat up and looked Harry straight in the eyes. Her face was grey and lined and there were dark black bags under her eyes. "Harry, I told you, I'm all right. Are you?"

"No."

"Okay." She nodded, resting her head back onto his shoulder. However, as though shocked by something horrified, she sat back up. "Harry," Hermione whispered,"you're bleeding."

Harry looked down at his arm. When they had Disapparated, he had felt a sharp pain there, but it had been quickly pushed to the back of his mind. Now, however, he could see a deep cut just below his shoulder. It was bleeding quite heavily, and the side of Hermione's face was wet with his blood.

"Stay here." She stood up.

"No."Harry tried to reach up for her, but it hurt too much to move his arm,"No, you need to...don't move...you need rest..."

"Stay here." Hermione repeated, and Harry heard her running footsteps behind him.

Not a minute later, she had returned with a bandage and some dittany.

"You could have conjured a bandage, you know." Harry said quietly, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Yes, I know, but I wanted to do it properly. Not with magic." She said softly,"Here, it might hurt a little." Harry glared at her. "What?" Hermione looked upset.

"You," Harry found himself struggling to speak again,"can't tell me about...about something hurting a little. Not after that, Hermione, after what you just went through. You can't say that, not to me."

Hermione suddenly looked as though she was about to cry. "Sorry." She mumbled, dropping dittany onto Harry's wound and wrapping it up gently. "What are we going to do with...with Dobby?" She asked tensely afterwards.

"Bury him." Harry told her, standing up and holding the elf tightly,"But I want to do it properly. Not with magic."

"I can get a spade." Hermione got to her feet.

He shook his head,"I can't...I don't want to wait..." Harry struggled to explain.

"Okay." Hermione nodded,"We'll use our hands."

"No, you need to rest. You're too weak now." Harry began walking up to an area with dryer sand,"Go inside and get some sleep or something."

"Harry, no." Hermione caught up with him,"I'm going to help you, whether you like it or not."

Harry didn't argue. The pair knelt down and began clawing at the sand, digging out a small hole. It took them a very long time, but they managed to finally finish it. They picked Dobby up together and lowered him gently into the hole, tears burning both of their cheeks.

Once they had finished decorating the grave, the pair didn't feel much like going inside. Instead, they walked hand-in-hand back to the shoreline and lay down to look at the stars. They didn't care that the sand was wet and got all over them, or that it was freezing cold even without the chilling dampness that encased them, for they had much bigger things on their minds.

"It's beautiful." Hermione sighed, gripping Harry's hand tighter.

Harry knew that she wanted to talk to him about what had happened back at Malfoy Manor, and he suspected that she was refraining partly for his benefit. He gave a sigh of contentment as said,"It's not as beautiful as you." Hermione went quiet. "Sorry," Harry said quickly,"Hermione, I-"

"I love you, Harry." She interrupted him.

"I love you, too, Hermione." Harry smiled into the darkness,"Thank you."

"Harry?"

"Hermione?"

"Are you all right now?"

Harry thought about it,"Thanks to you."

"Harry?"

"Hermione?"

"Do you want to...um...talk about what happened?" Hermione asked carefully.

"Only if you're ready." Harry replied.

"I am."

"So am I." Harry said softly,"What did she do to you?"

Hermione turned to face him,"It probably sounded worse than it really was..."

"Nonsense."

"No, really." Hermione said anxiously,"I mean, you must have heard everything we said."

"What?" Harry asked, thoroughly bemused.

"Well," Hermione looked quite uncomfortable,"I could hear you."

Harry could feel himself going red,"Oh. So...are you...um...trying to say that I overreacted then or that you're underreacting now?"

"That's still not a word." Hermione smiled,"And I'm saying that we both overreacted then. She wasn't going to break me, was she? I wasn't going to tell her anything."

"That wasn't one of the options." Harry frowned,"I knew she wasn't going to break you, you're stronger than that. No, you see, I was actually more concerned that you nearly died."

Hermione paused,"I was hoping we wouldn't come to that point."

"Well," Harry said firmly,"I was. Hermione, do you know why I was shouting and screaming and whatever the hell else I was doing down there earlier?"

"I - no."

"It was because I care about you more than anything else in the world, Hermione." Harry said exasperatedly,"And if you'd died...God, I don't know what I'd have done with myself! You mean everything to me, okay? You are everything to me, and you're pretty much the only thing that's made me want to carry on throughout the past six years, Hermione, can't you see that? You can never seem to understand the fact that you could possibly mean as much to someone as you do to me, and it honestly drives me mad! I love you, Hermione, and I know you love me, too, but I just need you to see that - however boring and plain and worthless you think you are - you are the only thing in my life worth living for. Please just try, try to understand that!"

Hermione was silent and, for a moment, Harry was certain he had said the wrong thing. But then he heard a sob and knew his words had hit home. He wrapped his arms around Hermione in a hug but she was already kissing him.

Harry pulled away, surprised by the tears now forming in his own eyes,"Do you understand?"

Hermione choked on a laugh and nodded vigorously,"I underst-stand."

"That's all I could ever ask from you."

"Harry," Hermione said, tone suddenly quite serious even though she was still sobbing,"I've got something you need to see, as well. You mean that m-much to me, too. Y-you are everything to me, and, oh, Harry, I know you f-feel the same as I do - that you c-couldn't mean that much t-to anyone - and I need y-you to understand now th-that you are loved very much, o-okay? And...and I don't think there are words that can describe how m-much I love you and how much I need you." She paused,"Do you remember when I told you y-you'd always be g-good enough for me?"

"Y-yeah." Harry sniffed, wiping a guiltless tear from his cheek.

"You can j-just forget about that, okay, because...because you will always be better than g-good enough for me, Harry. You will always be everything t-to me, and there is no one in this world I would rather sp-spend my entire life with than you, Harry."

Harry's insides did a little jig of indescribable elatedness. "There's n-no one I'd rather spend my entire life with th-than you, either, Hermione." He told her.

The pair stayed in happy silence for a little while longer, hand-in-hand, covered in sand and seawater, and freezing cold. Hermione was the first to speak again.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Harry." She whispered.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too." Harry breathed,"How can we do that?"

"Well," Hermione said slowly,"we could, you know, get married."

Harry felt his heart expand to about the size of the ocean they were laying beside,"We...we could?"

"One day." Hermione sighed,"One day we could, when all of this is over, we could be a family, Harry, if we wanted to, and we could live together for the rest of our lives and never, ever, have to worry about anything ever again."

"It's perfect, I love it." Harry paused,"You."

Hermione smiled,"Me too. You."

And, with that, the pair fell asleep on the freezing cold sand in each other's arms, both dreaming of the perfect yet seemingly unattainable future Hermione had just described.