AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yeah, I am such a fucking liar...Lol...But I had sudden inspiration and was like, "Well, maybe I won't have to wait so long after all." However, I wouldn't have this chapter done if it wasn't for a really good friend of mine (I won't mention her name because she didn't tell me I could). Be grateful for friends, you guys, because if I didn't have any you wouldn't be reading this now.

WARNING:

I feel an air of sadness, because as you well know, this be the end. Well, we've had a good run, don't you think? This warning actually is here for a reason-there be lots of general sadness up ahead. Even more so than the chapter before this, I think. Happy reading!

Broken

The Final Chapter

Ron walked the corridor with nothing but the sound of his footsteps echoing off the stone walls to keep him company. Oh, occasionally he would pass a student who-after finishing their dinner early-was heading back to their common room, but for the most part he was alone. Unlike usual, this night he welcomed the solitude. It gave him a chance to mull over what he had learned during the past few hours. He kept a constant mental picture of Hermione in his mind-he kept replaying what had happened between them. He just couldn't believe it-she had lied, she had cheated...like some no-good, dirty...Slytherin!

Of all the things that could have gone wrong with his life, why did it have to be her? She was perfect-his true love, the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Was he to have no future, then? For he couldn't imagine a future without Hermione, and that's just what he was looking toward. He couldn't take her back, not now. He had thought, maybe after he had given himself some space from her, he could go back and let her explain, and he would take her back because he loved her so much. Hell, he would even take responsibility for Malfoy's kid, because there was no way Ron could see that bastard as a father.

But he couldn't now. Apparently she loved Malfoy. How in the world she managed it, Ron didn't know. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing loveable about Malfoy-he was downright evil. A pain in the arse for seven years, a soon-to-be Death Eater. By Merlin, he was the bloody enemy; didn't that matter to Hermione anymore?

Most of the students had left the Great Hall by now and Ron was on a mission. With any luck at all, Malfoy would still be on his way to the Slytherin common room. Ron didn't know what he was going to do once he found Malfoy-congratulate him or kill him-but he did know that he had to find the git and say something to him. He couldn't let this whole situation just pass him by and not to anything about it. Something, no matter what it was, had to be done.

xXxXxXxXxXx

Hermione raced down the corridors, looking everywhere that she thought Ron might be. Harry and Ginny were looking as well, scouring the other side of the castle for him. After he had walked out it had taken Hermione all of ten minutes to realize that she had to go find him and explain to him why she was with Draco in the first place. It probably wasn't a good idea to tell him that Draco had raped her, but she didn't have a choice. She couldn't have Ron hating her without knowing the full story.

But that plan was quickly dying, as she couldn't find him anywhere. She had no clue where he might have gone. Most of the students where just finishing dinner and going back to their common rooms, so he couldn't have gone far without someone seeing him. But, when she asked the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students that she met if they had seen him walking past, no one could give her the answer she wanted.

If there was ever a time to be logical Hermione Granger, it was now. Where would he have possibly gone? He was distraught at having just found out that the woman he loved was cheating on him with his worst enemy. It's not like he would...

Hermione stopped. Of course, that was it. Ron was distraught, upset, not thinking clearly. In his mind, not only was Draco the enemy, but Draco had also stolen her away. There was only one place Ron could be going, and that was to confront Draco.

There was no time to waste. Hermione knew that the Great Hall would be almost empty by now; everyone would have already gone back to their common rooms. Ron probably knew this as well, so he had most likely gone to the entrance to the Slytherin common room to head Draco off. Hermione grimaced as she pictured Ron, a lone Gryffindor, pitted against a large group of Slytherin students. She had to hurry.

She broke into a run, and didn't stop until she had reached the darkened corridor that she knew so well. The corridor where many a time she had lied to Ron to get him to leave, just so she could be with Draco. How ironically fitting that it should end there. As soon as she started towards the Slytherin common room, she could see the reflection of lights from the spells, and she knew that they had already started to duel. As she approached them, she almost got hit by a stray spell–she would have been hit if Blaise had not been there to pull her to safety.

"Are you mad?" he hissed at her.

"Are you?" she fired back. "Why haven't you stopped them?"

Blaise shook his head. "This isn't my fight," he said simply.

"Not your..." Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "They're going to kill each other!"

Blaise shrugged. She was probably right, but what was he supposed to do about it? Draco was just as likely to hex him as Ron if he interfered. Better to let them settle it on their own. Besides, Blaise had no part in this fight. It wasn't as if he, too, wanted Hermione. He was perfectly happy with Raven. Then again, he could see why Draco and Ron would feel the need to fight over Hermione–he would have happily fought anyone for Raven. Blaise jumped, pulling Hermione with him, as a blocked spell zoomed their way. The spell hit the wall that a few seconds before had been right behind them. Hermione shrieked, and the sound tore Ron's attention away from the fight for only a moment. However, that moment was enough.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco yelled. Ron flew backwards and landed on the stone floor, his wand skidding a few feet behind him. Draco stalked closer to Ron, looking like a predatory animal about to go in for the kill. Hermione had never seen him look so dangerous, and it frightened her. "I told you to leave me be, Weasley," he said as he approached Ron. Frightened but too stubborn to give up the fight, Ron scampered backwards as Draco came forward in an attempt to get his wand back.

"Did you really think getting rid of me would make her take you back?" Draco drawled as Ron grabbed his wand and scurried to his feet.

"It was worth a try," he retorted. "I wouldn't be the only one happy to see you gone."

For some reason, that hit a nerve with Draco. He raised his wand and she could almost see an Unforgivable Curse on his lips. Calmly she stepped in front of him, and put her hand on his arm, forcing it down to his side.

"Don't," she whispered. "I'm not worth it."

He looked into her eyes and for a moment it was like she didn't even know him. The person who gazed back at her was not the Draco she loved. This was a monster.

"Get out of the way, Hermione," Draco ordered.

"No!" she cried, too stubborn to let them harm each other like she knew they would.

"Step aside, Hermione," came Ron's voice. "Just stay out of it." His voice sounded pained, like it was by force that he even existed at that moment. Hermione shook her head. She looked up at Draco with pleading eyes, silently begging him to stop this nonsense before something terrible happened.

"Hermione if you don't move I'll hex you, too!" Ron called. Her eyes went wide.

Draco looked back at Hermione coldly. "Move!" he growled, shoving her out of the way just as Ron raised his wand. He wouldn't let Ron hurt her just because he himself was in pain! "Avada–"

"No!" Hermione screamed.

"–Kedavra!" Draco finished. The bright jet of green light shot from his wand, and in the blink of an eye Ron was thrown backwards, his body landing awkwardly on the stone floor.

Draco stilled, seemingly in shock of what he had just done. Never before had he ever truly thought about killing someone–and there was Weasley, cold and dead at his feet, killed from a spell uttered by his own tongue. Hermione stood just as shocked, her mouth slightly open, staring down at the body before them.

Draco's throat was dry–his voice was raspy as he called out to her. "Hermione?"

She turned to him. "You...killed him," she whispered.

Draco shook his head. "He was willing to hurt you to get to me." Draco ran a hand through his blonde hair.

Hermione shook her head. "You killed him," she said again, louder this time. She turned to Draco with a glare, this time shouting it out: "You killed him!"

Draco took a step towards her and she shrieked, pulling out her wand. "Stupefy!" she cried, letting out a sob as Draco's unconscious form crumpled to the floor.

"Draco!" Blaise cried, causing Hermione to jump. She had forgotten he was even there. He took a step back as Hermione turned towards him. "Hermione, calm down," he said in a soothing voice.

Pointing her wand at Blaise and knowing that she would never be able to cast a spell verbally correct if she was crying, she thought Stupefy! and watched as Blaise's form fell forward onto the stone. She took off down the dark corridor at a run, thinking of getting only to one place: McGonagall's office. It was the nearest one and besides that, Hermione had always felt closer to McGonagall than any other teacher at Hogwarts.

As she rounded the corner she spotted the older woman about to walk through the classroom door. "Professor! Professor!" Hermione shouted through tears she had forgotten she was shedding. McGonagall turned, shock registering on her features as she realized who it was that was making all the racket.

"Miss Granger–what has happened to you?" she asked in a concerned voice, making her sound sort of like a grandmother.

Between trying to catch her breath from running all the way, and crying, Hermione almost wasn't able to speak. "It's not me, it's–it's Ron. He–he's dead!"

"Dead?" McGonagall gasped. "How?"

"Malfoy!" Hermione spat the name like a poison. She rushed into her explanation before McGonagall could speak again. "He ruins everything! All along he's been causing problems! Ron thought I was cheating on him with Malfoy, but I wasn't. Malfoy–that is, I...Ron went looking for him, and they dueled. Malfoy disarmed Ron and shoved me away–I tried to stop them! Then he...he just killed him. I stunned Malfoy and Zabini. They're lying in the dungeons now."

McGonagall knew that in situations like these it was best not to lose one's control. As much as the news of Ron's death upset her, she had to take action. "Miss Granger, you had better come with me," she said, and took off down the corridor. Hermione, for once completely and utterly helpless, could do no more than follow the older woman's instructions. They took a way into the dungeons that Hermione had never taken before, but she knew once they were down there that they were on the opposite side of where they needed to be.

"Professor McGonagall, they aren't–"

"We have a stop to make before you can take me to the bodies, Miss Granger," McGonagall said briskly, continuing to walk at a fast pace down the labyrinth that was the dungeons. Suddenly they came upon a door that Hermione would have missed if she hadn't been looking for it. McGonagall rapped her knuckles against the dark wood. "Severus, are you in there? Severus!"

Hermione had never been quite so glad to see Snape before as when he opened the door of his living quarters. "Minerva–and Miss Granger. To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?"

"Severus, there's been a situation," McGonagall said solemnly. "A student has died this night–I need you to go alert Albus."

At the mention of a student's death, Snape dropped his sarcastically polite exterior and became all business. Hermione, although she was loathe to admit it, actually admired that quality. She liked to think she possessed it herself, to an extent. "Yes, of course," he said, stepping out of the room. "I shall go at once. Tell me, Minerva, who is the student?"

"Ronald Weasley," she said. "And his murderer, apparently, is Draco Malfoy!"

Snape seemed quite shocked at the news that Draco would have killed a fellow student. "You're sure?"

"I saw it happen, sir," Hermione said quietly. Snape's expression clearly stated he didn't trust her at all on the matter, but he said nothing.

"I shall go inform Albus immediately," he said, taking off down the corridor with a swirl of his black robes.

"Now, Miss Granger," McGonagall said when Snape was gone. "Take me to where it happened."

Hermione nodded and took off down the corridor almost at a run. She prayed no one had walked by–even though all the students were supposed to be back in their common rooms by now–and revived Draco and Blaise. Her fears, however, were unfounded–as she approached the site of the duel she could see clearly that Draco, Blaise, and Ron's body had not been tampered with.

Hearing about Ron's death and seeing Ron's body were apparently two totally different things, for when they reached the spot McGonagall stopped, her gaze fixed upon Ron. She seemed to be in shock that he was actually dead–and not only was he dead, but one of his fellow students had ended his life. McGonagall had not been affected quite so much by the death of Cedric Diggory–for even though he had been a fine student, she had not known him all that well. But this was Ron Weasley, one of her Gryffindors. The boy who had beaten her gargantuan chess set when he was only in his first year. The boy who had flown a Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow, and then had seemed so upset when he thought she was going to expel him. A more true and loyal friend McGonagall had never seen–oh, what would Potter say when he found out?

"Professor?" came Hermione's voice, concerned with her teacher's apparent distress.

"I'm fine, dear," McGonagall assured her as Hermione took a step forward.

Hermione kept her eyes downcast, staring at the bodies at her feet. McGonagall assumed she couldn't take her eyes off Ron–she knew they had been in item, and best friends before that. His death must have been especially hard for her, in McGonagall's opinion. Little did the older woman know that Hermione's gaze was not directed at Ron, but at Draco instead.

Why? She kept wondering. The question was persistent in her mind. Why had this all happened? Why her? Why him? What had compelled him to rape her in the first place? Why hadn't she gone to Dumbledore sooner? Why did she have to become so addicted to him? For at first, that's what it had been–an addiction. An addiction to a dark and powerful drug. And somehow that addiction had turned into love. Why? Why did he have to ruin everything? Why did life have to be so bloody complicated? Why was it that every time she got a little bit ahead, the ground gave way beneath her, plunging her back into darkness? Her life would have been so much simpler, so much happier, if he had never bothered with her. Why? Whose cruel idea was it to have it happen this way? Whose cruel idea was it to take away her future of happiness? She could never have a future with Draco–Draco? What kind of a future would that be? They were too different, and besides, Draco was a murderer–she couldn't stay with the man who had murdered her best friend, the man who had ruined her life!

Why?

"Miss Granger? I say–Miss Granger? I need you to come with me, please."

Hermione started, the hand on her shoulder and the gentle voice at her ear bringing her out of her reverie. A dozen wizards and witches in official-looking robes gathered around them. Ron's body had been covered and placed on a levitating stretcher. Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore stood talking to an older man that Hermione realized–to her completely mortification–was Haversfield McAshton. Of course, she should have known the Hit Wizard Department would be called in. Murder was a domestic crime in the magical world. The Head of the department had probably only come when he heard her name mentioned. Damn.

The fairly young wizard who guided her over to where her professors were standing seemed familiar–Hermione knew she had seen his face before. They stopped so that the wizard could talk with McAshton, leaving Hermione to face her teachers alone. She looked to Dumbledore and saw that the twinkle was completely gone from his eye, and one thought glimmered in her mind above all others: He knows.

She didn't know what she would say, but she couldn't just stand there. "Professor, I–"

Dumbledore held up a hand. She lowered her eyes in defeat. She wouldn't look completely downtrodden–there was her Gryffindor pride to consider. If there was ever a time to be strong Hermione Granger, it was now.

"We need to ask you some questions now, Miss Granger," the young wizard said, turning away from his department head. "Your teachers have asked to sit in."

Hermione looked at the three of them, and then back to the young wizard, and nodded. He led her away from the group of busy Hit Wizards and Hit Witches towards McGonagall's office, which did happen to be the closest. Hermione took a seat at a desk near the front, and–with McGonagall's permission–the wizard took her seat behind her desk.

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner," he said. His voice was kind, and Hermione knew he was a good person just from the sound of his voice. It was probably the reason he had become a Hit Wizard–his being a good person. "My name is Rex Riley."

Rex Riley? As in Raven Riley's older brother? Hermione's eyes widened. Could this night possibly get any worse?

When she didn't respond, he jumped straight to the point. "Why don't you explain to me what happened tonight, Miss Granger?"

Hermione ran a hand through her long brown hair, which happened to be colored about as dark as her current mood. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is always a good place," Riley commented. Oh, this was definitely Raven's older brother.

"It's a long story," she said simply.

He gave her an almost sad smile. "I've got time."

Unbelievably enough, Hermione told the whole story before she could stop herself. An account of the last eight months fell from her lips in agonizing detail, and her audience stayed completely silent as she spun her tale of abuse and betrayal and lies. To her astonishment it was not hard to talk about it–she had thought that some parts would be especially painful to talk about, but it seemed as if this was just what she had needed, and by the time she was done she felt light-headed.

Riley exchanged a look with Dumbledore when she fell silent. "Hermione, are you sure everything you've told us is the absolute truth?" Dumbledore questioned.

"I'm sorry, Professor," she said, "but I wouldn't lie about something like this. I know I've done some terrible things, but I am telling you the truth."

Dumbledore sighed, and he suddenly seemed very old and frail to Hermione. "I was afraid of that," he said quietly. "There's only one thing to do, then."

xXxXxXxXxXx

When Draco woke up, the first thing he noticed was that he was cold and stiff, like he had been lying on the floor for a long period of time. His headache was so bad that it threatened to split his skull, and his eyes were slightly out of focus.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Merlin, that voice was loud. "Mr. Malfoy, can you hear me?"

"I bloody hear you," he muttered darkly, bringing a hand to his head. It was almost as if his touch completely jarred his memory–suddenly he remembered everything, the duel with Weasley, and Hermione...

Oh, fuck.

He blinked and looked up. Standing above him was a wizard–with a face he was sure he had seen before–wearing official-looking robes, surrounded by other wizards wearing the same robes. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape also happened to be there. Blaise was standing between two older wizards, almost as if he was their prisoner, and standing beside the familiar wizard who had woken him up, was Hermione.

"Hermione!" Draco exclaimed, evidently very happy to see that she was all right. He stood, which caused all the blood to rush from his head, and he grimaced. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Draco...I'm fine," she answered softly, in a voice that didn't sound like her at all. He reached out to grab her arm, but the wizard standing beside her grabbed his wrist before he could reach her.

"I'm afraid I can't let you touch her," he explained.

Draco's anger flared. "And why the fuck not?"

"Because, Mr. Malfoy," McAshton said, stepping out from the small crowd of people. "You are under arrest, for the murder of Ronald Weasley, and the repeated rape of Hermione Granger."

Draco's face went paler than usual, like he had just seen a ghost. His disbelieving gaze rested upon Hermione, who couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. How was it that she could still–with the knowledge that he was a rapist and a murderer–yearn for his touch, his kiss, his love in return of hers? How could she feel terrible that he was being arrested for what he did to her? What he did to Ron? He was being locked up for ruining a handful of lives, and yet she wanted to throw herself at McAshton's feet and beg him to take her instead.

He didn't struggle or fight back. He went quietly. McAshton walked behind him, his wand pointed at Draco's back, and Riley walked in front. They were flanked by other Hit Wizards. It was almost as if they were escorting a dangerous criminal and not Draco Of course, wouldn't he be considered a dangerous criminal now? Hermione felt lower than the ground they walked on.

"Can I just say something to her before you take me away?" Draco requested to the older wizard behind him. McAshton gave the signal for them to stop walking and turned back to Hermione. She nodded, and began to walk forward.

When she was standing beside him she looked up at him with hurt, saddened eyes. "Draco?"

Unexpectedly, before the people around him could stop him, he grabbed Hermione and pulled her to him. Before she had even had time to breathe his lips were on hers. She tasted many emotions in his kiss. Anger. Sadness. Regret. And in his lips she also found an apology, which only made the fact that they were taking him away from her so much more difficult to bear. "I won't be in Azkaban forever," he said against her lips, only breaking the kiss for the need to breathe. "This is far from over."

Arms snaked around Hermione's waist, and she was wrenched from Draco's grasp. The Hit Wizards assigned to escort him were pulling them apart. Before anything else could be said, they had stunned Draco and were levitating him down the corridor on their way out of the castle. They left Hermione standing alone in the stone corridor. Snape, McGonagall, and Blaise were standing near the three Hit Witches and lone Hit Wizard who had been ordered to guard Ron's body.

Hermione watched as they took Draco away, and his words rang in her mind like music that wouldn't leave. This is far from over. Those words chilled her blood, and at the same time sent a thrill down her spine. He was right–he wouldn't be in Azkaban forever. Because he was only seventeen, he probably wouldn't get as long of a sentence as most murderers did. All while thinking of those words, she kept hoping that it was a promise, and not what she knew it was. For even though she tried to convince herself that Draco's last words to her had been a promise, she couldn't believe herself. She knew Draco too well to be fooled. But even so, that didn't stop her from wishing that those last words to her were a promise and not what she knew them to really be–a threat. A cold-hearted threat.

Wishful thinking, Hermione. Wishful thinking.

A/N:

Wow, it's over! I can't even believe it. This story has been such a big part of my life these past couple of months that I'm almost distraught to see it done with. I want to thank everyone who just read it and liked it. Even if you didn't send me a review (GRR...) I still want to thank you, just for reading it and enjoying it. I am here to entertain, after all. Then I want to thank everyone who did review-some comments were so nice that it was painful (lol) and others were highly amusing-and then again others were slightly confusing, but that doesn't matter! My story is done. Finished. Finally over.

But never fear! I won't break my promise to you! There is a sequel coming, but it might not be for a little while. I haven't even started writing it yet. All I have is a title for you to look for. The sequel is called Taken, and it will be out as soon as I get it written, I promise. Put me on your author alert list so you don't accidentally miss it!

I'm having a hard time leaving, because when I leave that'll mean it really is over. But I am going to be late for school, so goodbye, dear readers! See you at the sequel!

-The Witch and the Saint

Dedicated To:

Everyone, because I'm feeling generous today