»»———— ALWAYS ————««
They hurried through the castle, helping out anyone they could. Val quickly stunned a Death Eater that was terrorizing two familiar red-headed boys. "Val?"
"Fred!" She smiled at him. To his surprise, she ran over to him and pulled him in for a tight hug. He gladly returned it. Draco just stood there, not liking it one bit. But he didn't say anything. "I'm so sorry. You must think so terribly of me."
"Of course not. I know you had no choice." He shook his head. "I missed you so much. I was worried."
"I'm fine." She assured him as she pulled away to look at him. "I'll let you in on a little secret." She mumbled, and he listened closely. "My father and I are double agents."
"My God." Fred let out a joyous laugh. "Of course. Of course you are! You're brilliant, Val! I never doubted you for a second."
"That means a lot, Freddie." She told him, and he nodded.
"I love you, Val." He mumbled. She gave him a sad look, but nodded.
"Be careful, Fred. I'll see you after we finish this." She paused. "By the way, Georgie, my dad's sorry about your ear! It was an accident!"
They rushed down the Grand Staircase, running into Death Eaters at every turn. Their arms hurt from waving them around and casting so many spells to fend them off. Harry put his arm out and stopped them before they ran out of the castle, Hermione narrowly avoiding being hit by a curse. Harry cast at the man at the right time, then they ran out. They ran through the battleground of the entrance courtyard, then backed away when the giant standing in the middle of it spotted them. They watched each other's back and held onto each other as they took off running from it. They ducked behind the bell that had fallen from the tower, their eardrums bursting as the giant hit it with its weapon, making the sound reverberate. As reinforcements came at the giant, they jumped up and took off through the covered walkway. They stopped when they saw Fenrir feasting on Lavender's body.
"No!" Hermione cried, casting a spell at him that knocked him off the side of the mountain. They stared at her body with sadness, and Ron remembered how they used to date in their earlier years. She didn't deserve this. None of them did.
The giant still tried to get them, but he failed as they ran out of the covered walkway and to the main bridge to the castle. They saw hundreds of Dementors coming at them, revealing that they had been controlled by Voldemort all along. Harry thought back to his first encounter with a Dementor, and Draco thought of how he teased Harry about it all year long. They stood there in shock at the amount of them, and Aberforth from behind them casted his Patronus to save them all. It was powerful as it reached beyond the bridge and sent every single Dementor flying back to Azkaban, where they belong. They didn't doubt that he was a Dumbledore for a second. They gave him a thankful look before they took off running down the stairs to the boathouse.
They crept down and hid outside of it, listening in on their conversation. Severus was speaking to Voldemort. "You have performed extraordinary magic with this wand, my Lord, in the last few hours alone."
"No. No, I am extraordinary." Voldemort replied as he stepped over to him, Nagini slithering close beside him. "But the wand resists me."
"There is no wand more powerful. Ollivander himself has said it. Tonight, when the boy comes, it will not fail you. I am sure of it." Severus consoled him, but he just stared at him with a menacing look. He knew what was coming, but he had to keep going. Whatever led them to win in the end. "It answers to you, and you only."
"Does it?" He asked, a slightly amused expression on his face. Severus just offered him a small smile.
"My Lord?"
Voldemort began to stalk around him intimidatingly, then. "The wand, does it truly answer to me? You're a clever man, Severus. Surely you must know. Where does it's true loyalty lie?"
Val thought back to that night in the Astronomy Tower, of what Dumbledore had asked her to do. To be the one to disarm him. He was so specific about it. As her father made eye contact with her through the stained glass, her heart began to beat quickly. The wand answers to her. She disarmed Dumbledore that night. This was all meant to happen. This was her purpose. Severus turned his back to the glass as Voldemort stepped away, hiding the kids. "With you, of course, my Lord."
"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner." He suspected wrongly. "You killed Dumbledore, Severus. While you live, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine."
"No." Val whispered as she realized what was going to happen. They glanced back at her, shaking their heads. As she went to jump up, Draco grabbed her in his arms tightly. "He's going to kill him. He's going to kill my father, let go!"
"You've been a good and faithful servant, Severus. You and Valencia both. Rest assured, she will not be harmed if she stays in line. But only I can live forever." He said as his expression turned hard.
"Let me—" Draco covered Val's mouth harshly, holding her in his arms with all his might. He didn't want anything to happen to Severus, but he knew he couldn't let anything happen to Val. And if she marched in there right now, it was only going to make things worse.
"My Lord—" Severus was cut off when Voldemort cast a spell, cutting his throat. Val jumped back as he fell against the glass in front of them with a hard thump. They all winced, not just for him, but for the pain Val was going to go through because of this. They may not have liked him as a teacher, but he was their best friend's father, and they knew he loved and cared for her deeply.
"Nagini, kill." Voldemort ordered. Val did everything she could to try and push out of Draco's grip, but he along with Ron and Theodore held her back. They all just sat there, watching as Severus' body continuously hit the glass harshly as the snake bit at him over and over. They couldn't imagine how painful it was.
"It's okay, little dove. It's okay." Draco cooed to her as softly as he could. Tears were escaping her eyes quickly, covering their hands. She couldn't move; they had her held down so tightly. They wanted so badly to do something, but they knew they couldn't. Not right now. They had no chance, and they couldn't throw themselves into the fire just like that. It would jeoprodize everything. So they remained sitting there, physically flinching every time Nagini attacked Severus. They did their best to muffle Val's desperate cries, which broke all of their hearts to hear. They all shook with trauma as they listened to Severus' attempts to breathe. Finally, Harry watched as Voldemort Apparated away with Nagini. They gently let go of Val as she ripped out of the grips. She ran inside the boathouse and collapsed next to her father, who was covered in blood.
"No." She whispered. "No, no, no." She placed her hands on his neck, trying to stop the bleeding. "No, this wasn't supposed to happen. No!"
They all swallowed hard, squeezing their eyes shut as her mournful and anguish-filled screams filled their ears. They could swear you could hear it for miles she screamed so loudly. Severus just watched her with the most remorseful look on his face. He was so weak, but he wanted so badly to take her into his arms and tell her it was alright. He didn't want her to see this, and he hated to see her like this. Draco walked over and knelt down next to her, trying to comfort her. But she just kept crying. Harry walked over to them, then, and despite everything, he pushed Val's hands away and covered his neck himself. Severus looked up at him, truly seeing Lily in him in that moment. He was always so kind, just like her. He didn't blame Harry for what he thought of him. That was his job, to lead him to believe he was bad. And despite having a personal vendetta against Harry because of his resemblance to James which reminded him so much of everything he lost, he always did everything in order to protect Harry. That was why he stayed alive after Lily's death. To protect Harry. Then, he found out Lyda was pregnant. And he always credited that to Lily.
Draco held Val in his arms as she cried. "Dad, please. Don't leave me. I can't do this without you. I know how we fought before, but I can't. You were always right. I need you. Please..."
"Valencia." He managed out hoarsely, and she looked up at him quickly as tears streamed down her face. "I'm so... proud."
"Please..." She begged, her head already beginning to ache from all the tears that fell from her eyes as she cried harder than she'd ever cried in her life. A single tear escaped his eye as he watched her, hearing her beg over and over for him not to leave her. But there was nothing anyone could do. This was the way it had to be. Voldemort couldn't realize the true owner of the Elder Wand until it was too late.
"Take them." He said between labored breaths. Hermione handed Harry a vial quickly from her bag, and he collected the tears into it. "Take them to the Pensieve. Both of you." Val and Harry stared at the floating memories in the vial. "Draco,"
"Sir," Draco whispered as he gave him his attention.
"Take care... of her." He managed out, and Draco nodded quickly.
"I promise."
"Look at me." He demanded of Harry. He did so. "You have your mother's eyes."
Harry stared at him oddly for a moment. Val placed her hands on her father's chest. She inhaled sharply as she tried to be strong for him. "I love you so much. You were the best father I could've asked for."
"I love you... always." He choked out, his head relaxing back as he closed his eyes and his last breath left his lips. Val broke down, resting her hand on his chest. He was still warm, but he was growing cold quickly. They sat there for a moment, just listening to her cries. Draco rubbed her shoulders, whispering soft consolations to her. They all felt so bad, tears welling up in their eyes over the immense loss the friend had suffered. Harry had lost his parents when he was young, but he couldn't imagine how she felt losing one right in front of her, at this age. He imagined it was something close to what he felt when Sirius died, but it wasn't fair. No one should go through that.
Suddenly, a ringing entered their ears. Harry stumbled back and reached out to brace himself on the wall. Once again, Voldemort spoke to them all. "You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman, and child who tries to conceal you from me."
"Come on, Val." Harry told her.
"I can't leave him." She shook her head. "How can I leave him here? I can't."
"Val—"
"I can't leave him!" She screamed. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that Voldemort just said all that, and I'm sorry for coming off inconsiderate but... I just lost my father. I lost him forever. He's never coming back. And I... I can't leave him!"
"Okay, okay." Harry nodded quickly, understanding where she was coming from. "Okay, let's... let's take him back. Theo, Ron?"
Ron, Theodore, and Harry carried Severus' body while Draco held Val and comforted her. Lolita and Hermione did the same. They made their way back up to the castle and into the Great Hall, where everyone else was either dead or being tended to. Everyone looked over at them as they walked in. Madame Pomfrey helped them lay Severus down on a mat. They positioned him gently and stared down at him. Val couldn't handle everyone's sympathetic expressions as they gazed at her. She knew what they thought about her father, but he was a good man. He was the most incredible man she ever knew. They had no idea of his sacrifices, of all the things he did to help the Order. But she was going to make sure it was known after all this was over.
She looked down at her hands, which were covered in blood. Her father's blood. It wasn't right, any of it. Molly rushed up to them quickly. "Ron, come. It's your brother."
"What?" He asked quickly. They all rushed after her down the Great Hall. George was in a mess of tears as he stood there, towering over what was revealed to be Fred's body. Val stopped in her tracks, making Draco do the same. George pulled Ron into his arms quickly as he began crying. All the Weasleys stood there, devastated. She shook her head quickly, more tears falling out of her eyes. She'd just lost her father, and now she'd lost Fred. She'd just seen him, and now he was gone. Just like that. She couldn't take it. She turned and ran out of the Great Hall. As she did, she saw so many people taking their last breaths. She stopped to stare at Tonks' and Lupin's lifeless bodies laying next to each other, their hands reaching out but not quite touching. She continued running away, sitting down on the steps quickly.
Draco took off after her. He paused as he listened to her cry. He hated to see her like this. He hated that she was going through this. It made him so angry, because she didn't deserve it. They were all just kids and they've seen more death and destruction than anyone else in the world. They were just kids...
He stepped over to her gently and sat down next to her. He placed his hand on her back, and she turned and embraced him in her arms quickly. He held her there, not caring about the tears and dirt that got on his expensive suit. After a while, she'd cried all the tears she could cry. She rested her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back and placed gentle kisses on her head. He held her hand in his tightly, and she did the same. "Everyone hates him. They don't care."
"Val—"
"They do. They think so badly of him. But I'm not going to let his name be tarnished like that. When this is over, I'm going to tell everyone of all the sacrifices he made. Of everything he did to help the Order, no matter what it cost him." She looked up at him. Draco nodded.
"We will."
"We?" She asked.
"Of course." He told her. She smiled slightly at him, though he could hardly tell. It meant so much to her that he said that. He grabbed her face in his hands as he looked at her. "Little dove, I am so sorry."
"It's okay." She mumbled. "It's okay, because he won't have died in vain."
Harry stepped out of the Great Hall, having been just as overwhelmed as her. He felt so guilty, as if everyone's blood were on his hands and this was all his fault. That was the way Voldemort wanted him to think. "Val, do you want to go view these?"
"Yes." She nodded, standing up and wiping her face quickly. She had to be strong right now, because when the time came, she was going to destroy Voldemort herself. She looked to Draco, then. "Will you stay with the Weasleys?"
"Well, I don't think they'll want my company." He shook his head, and she grabbed his hand.
"Please."
"Okay." He mumbled, nodding. She kissed him quickly before following Harry up to Dumbledore's office. Draco went inside the Great Hall and awkwardly made his way over to the Weasleys, where Fred's body had now been covered. "Uh," He stumbled over his words, making them all look up at him. "Do you need anything, Mrs. Weasley? Mr. Weasley? George? Food, water?"
Much to his surprise, Molly smiled kindly at him. "We're fine, Draco. Thank you." He just nodded as he stood there, toying with the ring on his finger. That was something he did often when he got nervous. "Uh, why don't you come sit with us? We could use the company."
"Are you sure?" He asked, and she nodded quickly.
"Of course. Come, come." She beckoned him over. He sat down next to her, and she grabbed his hand in hers. She treated him instantly as her own son, which was typical of her. "So, tell me, how is your mother? I've always enjoyed her lemon pasties."
In Dumbledore's office, Harry gave Val a look of confirmation before he poured the tears in. They both submerged their heads into the Pensieve, viewing the memories. It was a large collection, from before Val was even born and so on. It was an explanation and consolation of everything, to both her and Harry. Severus and Lily had been friends for so long, since they were children. She knew him before James. He was there for her when her Muggle family were hesitant about her magical powers. They took a liking to each other, Severus a little bit more than her. He was in love with her, and then she met James. James and Sirius bullied him terribly throughout the years. But Lily ended up marrying James, despite Severus always being there for her. He begged Dumbledore to hide James, Lily, and Harry when he and Voldemort learned of the prophecy. In exchange, he devoted himself to Dumbledore instead of being a Death Eater. He was there the night Lily died, holding her in his arms as he screamed out in pain. He loved her so deeply. Severus vowed to protect Harry since he truly loved her.
After that were his fondest memories of Val once she was born. Val got to see images of her mother before she left, the way she was. She could recall some of these experiences, despite being young. There were times of him getting irritated by her uncontrolled and prominent magic abilities. Of her stubbornness showcased in a multitude of ways. But, through it all, he loved her more than life. He recalled some of their best memories, her favorite ones. Like the one she used to cast her Patronus. Of him reading to her. All the times she made messes learning spells, much to his dismay. But he still found it so amusing and adorable. Then, played all the times he was most proud of her. And there were so many, but they went by so fast.
He kept the curse in Dumbledore's hand from spreading. They knew of Draco's order. Dumbledore had asked him to be the one to kill him, in order to avoid destroying Draco's soul and to ensure that Severus was trusted by Voldemort in order to help the Order. Then, they found out that Harry was also a Horcrux. That was the truth behind his scar. That was why he could speak Parseltongue and look into Voldemort's mind. That meant Harry must die, to ensure that Voldemort could never return. Severus was angered by this, because Dumbledore had spent all this time protecting Harry so that he could die at the proper moment. Like a pig for slaughter. Voldemort had to be the one to kill him. Severus had grown to care for Harry deeply, despite not showing it.
It reminded Val of her and Draco, the memories of him and Lily. They were both Slytherins, but they were mainly on two different sides. That made things hard for them sometimes. But, in the end, they were going to make it. He casted his Patronus charm for Dumbledore, showing it to be the same as Lily's, and hers, meaning he truly did love Lily, even after all this time. Always. That showed them everything Severus had done to help the Order. How he was the one to lead Harry to the sword that night, holding it for him until the proper time. And he was the one who gave Bellatrix the fake one. He was the one responsible for it all. Without him and demanding work as a double agent, they would've never succeeded. This was all because of him.
They inhaled sharply as they pulled their heads out of the Pensieve. Harry looked at Val for a moment before pulling her in for a hug. She was shocked at first, but gladly returned it. It felt good to know that Harry didn't hate her for everything she did, and especially not her father anymore. "I... I had no idea. I'm sorry, Val. For everything."
"It's okay. I don't blame you." She mumbled, pulling away to look at him.
"Your father was an incredible man." He told her, and she smiled slightly at that before she remembered the most important part.
"Harry, you're... You're a Horcrux." She whispered.
"I know." He sighed. "Which means I have to go to the forest tonight."
"Harry, no." She shook her head quickly. "There's got to be another option."
"It doesn't matter if there is or isn't, we don't have any more time. In order to defeat him, I have to surrender to him. That's what the prophecy always said. That's what will happen." He decided.
"You're so strong." She told him. "You've just been told you have to die, and you're taking it with such dignity. It's admirable, Harry. You're admirable."
"Hardly." He dismissed her.
"I disarmed Dumbledore in the Astronomy Tower that night. He'd asked me to." She commented, and Harry glanced over at her.
"I know."
"Which means..."
"Which means you can handle this when I'm gone." He grabbed her hands, and she sighed out. "Don't tell the others. I'm just going to go. I want to make it easier for them."
"Don't you think that's unfair?" She asked, and he shrugged.
"The truth is, I don't think I can face them myself." He said, and she was silent as she just followed him out. They walked down the Grand Staircase, and to Harry's dismay, they were all sitting at the bottom of stairs. They looked up at them when they heard them coming.
"Where have you been?" Hermione asked him, not being able to read the expression on his face.
"The Pensieve." He answered shortly. Draco grabbed Val's hand and pulled her next to him. He couldn't tell what either of them were thinking, either.
"What was it?" Ron asked.
"Severus. He did everything he could to help us." He said, and they gave him an odd look. "He and Val have been serving as double agents for quite some time. Dumbledore knew Draco was tasked to kill him, but he also knew he wouldn't do it. He was going to die from a curse from a Horcrux, so he asked Severus to do it. To spare Draco's soul, and to ensure Voldemort's trust."
"Blimey," Ron muttered, glancing over at Val.
"And he was in love with my mum, which is why he did everything he could to protect me. Always." He whispered, and they all just stared down at their feet. They always had the wrong idea of him. He was amazing, and so was Val.
"We thought you went to the forest." Ron shook his head.
"I'm going there now." He replied, walking past them.
"What?!" Theodore exclaimed, making him stop in his tracks.
"Are you mad? No." Ron shook his head.
"You can't give up like that, Harry." Lolita sighed. Draco was silent, because he didn't know what to say. Hermione and Val were quiet because they knew.
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked. She just needed to hear it.
"There's a reason I can hear them. The Horcruxes. I think I've known for a while. And I think you have, too." He said, and most of them were confused, but they were beginning to put it together. Hermione sniffed as a few tears left her eyes. She didn't want it to be true. She always pushed it into the back of her mind, dismissed it. But it was true. She couldn't stand the thought.
"I'll go with you." She offered, sadness lacing her voice.
"No, kill the snake." Harry shook his head at her kindness. He really had incredible friends. "Kill the snake, and then it's just him. And Val will handle that."
They looked at her, and she nodded, giving her promise to him that he wouldn't die in vain. That this would all end. Hermione grabbed Harry and pulled him in for a tight hug. Ron joined in, as did the rest of them. He smiled softly at them before walking down the staircase. They all just watched in silence as he did. It wasn't fair.