"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery.

Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself . I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

Draco and I looked at one another. We were still sat side by side in the alcove behind the tapestry. I had no idea how long we had been there. Time stopped making sense a long while ago.

I realised that the noise of the battle had ceased. The quiet felt odd. My ears were still ringing from all the horrifying noises I would never un-hear again.

"Do you think it's safe to go out?" I whispered.

Draco hesitated, "I don't know," I could tell he was listening out hard for signs of danger on the other side of the tapestry.

Clutching my wand in his hand, he crouched forward and pulled the tapestry cautiously aside. He got up, stepping slowly out into the corridor, as I closely followed behind.

Draco grabbed my hand instantly, looking around, his wand hand raised ready. But the corridor was deserted. The silence was almost eerie.

"Colin," I whispered, as we started to make our way cautiously towards the stairs that would take us down to Entrance Hall. "We can't leave him here."

Handing over my wand, Draco swung back to where we laid him out of sight, and carefully hoisted Colin's limp body over his shoulder. I looked away painfully at the sight.

We slowly made our way down towards the deserted Entrance Hall. I looked over in horror at the once grand area. The flagstones were stained with blood, and emeralds from the shattered Slytherin hourglass were scattered all over the floor along with pieces of marble and splintered wood. Even part of the banisters had been blown away.

Noise was coming from the Great Hall, gentle murmurs mixed in with the odd wail. Mourners. Silently, Draco and I headed forward, stopping at the doorway, observing the scene in front of us.

The house tables were gone still, and the room was crowded. Survivors stood in groups, their arms around each other's necks. The injured were being treated up on the raised platform by Madam Pomfrey and a group of helpers.

The dead lay in a row in the middle of the hall. I yearned to turn away and run up the marble staircase. I did not want to see who else had lost their life in this terrible war.

"Come on, Rosie," Draco spoke gently, looking at me sadly, Colin still over his shoulder.

I nodded, walking by his side as we approached the middle of the Hall, laying Colin carefully down on the floor.

Almost at once, a wail came from the other side of the room. A woman, who looked to be in her forties, came running over to where we were knelt by Colin's body and my heart wrenched, knowing straight away by the look of desolation on her face that this was his mother.

"Coliiiiin! Nooooooo!"

Both Draco and I jumped up immediately, as she threw herself down onto his lifeless body.

"My baby, my baby," she sobbed, as she cradled him to her, tears pouring down her face into his dirty, blonde hair.

I couldn't watch any more. I turned away, feeling sick to my core with grief and horror. I longed not to feel anything. I was tired, so tired that I barely noticed a pair of arms circling my waist until Draco spoke in my ear.

"It's OK, Rosie. It'll be OK." I allowed his soft velvety voice to comfort me as tears flowed from my eyes. I felt broken.

Draco led me away from Colin's body and his grief stricken mother to the other side of the hall and sat me down on one of the benches, holding his arm tight around me as I cried into his chest.

"Let's get out of here, please Draco. Take me away from this place." I sobbed.

"Rosie, we can't. I wish so much we could, but we can't."

"Why?!" I snapped, a ball of anger exploded in my stomach. "Why do you keep saying that? We can be together, Draco. We don't have to do this anymore. I love you and I know you love me. Why do you keep fighting this? Haven't we been through enough?!"

Draco's anguished face looked down fiercely into mine.

"Because he will kill us, Rosie! As long as he is alive, he will forever know where to find me. As long as he is alive, you will not be safe with me. Ever."

I knew he was right. But I didn't want to believe it. To admit it out loud would make it true.

I rubbed my face furiously with the dirty sleeves of my robes, trying to stem the fresh flow of tears. I winced in pain as I knocked several cuts across my cheek.

Draco snaked his fingers around my wrists, pulling my hands away from my face and rested his forehead on mine.

"Please know that I love you, Rosie. I'll never stop."

Sadly, I closed my eyes, drinking in his words.

"I love you too, Draco."

"Rosie, thank god!"

I looked up, wiping my eyes, to see Hermione, looking the worse for wear, but alive. I flung my arms around her, nearly knocking her over.

"Hermione!" I cried, relief flooding me. I stepped back, scarcely able to believe she was there. And then fear crept back in like a nightmare. "Ron...? Harry...?"

"Ron is over there with the others," Hermione said, gesturing towards the group of redheads across the hall. "And Harry... well, I'm not sure..."

"Please tell me he hasn't gone to Him?" I quavered.

Hermione looked at me with an expression of great sorrow. "The last we saw of Harry, he was with Snape. Rosie, Voldemort killed him, he killed Snape."

There was a loud cluttering behind me as Draco stood up abruptly, nearly toppling the bench over.

"Snape's dead?!"

I whirled around and saw the horror upon Draco's face. I grabbed his hand as Hermione nodded and whispered "I'm sorry,"

Before Draco could react any further, a clear, cold voice filled the Hall. Everyone froze as they listened to the words.

"Harry Potter is dead."

Everything buckled beneath me, Draco caught me before I smacked the floor. Screams and howling filled the Hall around us.

"He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."

Draco held me up in his arms and our eyes met in horror.

It was over.

***