Disclaimer

I do not own the HP universe or anything that comes with it.

AN

The working title was Shades of Grey. Somehow I thought, that would be misleading...

Slightly AU means: I shamelessly mix some aspects from the books with some aspects from the films. And I tweak some of the books/film events in retrospect for the sake of this story.

This story has turned out to be darker than my previous stories. This is still femslash, and there will be fluff, but also a lot of drama and angst.

This is the first time I start to publish a work in progress. Please be patient. I cannot promise regular updates. But I have a complete outline of the story.

"But he's there! Potter is there! Someone grab him!"

Pansy Parkinson's voice rang out into the silence that got a grip on every one in the Great Hall. Earlier in the evening, the whole body of students had been summoned there in their night dresses by their heads of houses. The students were scared and confused. Rumor had it that Potter tried to break an entry into the castle. That Snape was gone. And the Carrows? Professor McGonagall had taken charge and organized to evacuate Hogwarts. What was going on? Strangers whispered with the remaining professors. Some students claimed to have spotted Harry Potter roaming amongst them. And he was. He stood behind the Gryffindor table. Voldemort's disembodied voice had cut into the chaos and demanded to hand over Harry Potter until midnight. Everyone froze. Except Pansy Parkinson. A moment later she was faced with a wall of wands pointed directly at her and the rest of Slytherin House.

Hermione aimed at Parkinson, ready to stun the pure blood maniac at any false move. Their gaze met. Hermione saw how the other girl's hand flew to her mouth, how she opened her mouth as if to speak. Parkinson closed it again and only shook her head. If Hermione hadn't known better she would have sworn that Parkinson looked deflated, even apologetic.

Professor McGonagall ordered the whole of Slytherin House out of the Great Hall and from the school grounds under Filch's surveillance. Parkinson went with her house mates without any sign of resistance.

On her way out, Pansy turned her head to get a last glimpse of Hermione only to see that the girl's attention was focused on Weasley. The boy was whispering urgently into her ear.

###

A whole war had fit into this night. A quest for horcruxes and for the means to destroy them, too. Helga Huffelpuff's cup and a basilisk fang. Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem and fiendfyre. Harry and Voldemort. Nagini and Gryffindor's sword.

There was a promise. Hermione and Ron had kissed. She had to postpone to bask in that feeling.

There was death. Above all, there was death. Fred. Lupin. Tonks. Colin Creevey. So many others. And for some time, some gruesome span of time, Harry as well. But he was back again. So was the fighting.

Hermione, Ginny, and Luna faced Bellatrix Lestrange in the Great Hall. The first lady of the Death Eaters had singled Hermione out as her dueling partner, presumably to finish what she had started in Malfoy Manor. Ginny and Luna came to help Hermione at once. Around them other duels unfolded. Hermione was to preoccupied to register, who was going against whom. The three girls were hardly a match for the powerful dark witch. Lestrange had stunned Luna who was wheezing and coughing for air. Ginny barely avoided a Sectumsempra curse by jumping behind a passing statue. Hermione fired one jinx after the other. Lestrange blocked most of them. The ones that hit her only made her answer in kind and harder. Hermione managed to hold her position.

A stray curse caused an explosion near by. Stone chunks flew around. One hit Hermione from behind in the right knee. Her leg bend under the blow. Hermione overbalanced and fell to the floor. She lost the grip of her wand. Triumph flashed in Lestrange's eyes as she saw the Mudblood being defenseless in her presents once more. Their eyes looked. Hermione froze. Every sound reached her through a thick layer of cotton. Lestrange had a familiar, too familiar expression on her face, an expression that knelled torture. Hermione watched as the incantation formed on her nemesis' lips. The Cruciatus Curse ignited with a spark. A jet of red light erupted from the tip of the wand, shooting at Hermione. A shield charm build up from somewhere behind Hermione. It energized her hair as it encapsulated her. The curse and the shield met in the middle between the two duelists. The red light crashed into a sphere of blue energy and dissolved. Hermione turned around just to see Pansy Parkinson standing right behind her. Parkinson's wand pointed at Lestrange, emitting blue magical energy. It was the source of the shield charm. After a moment Hermione understood that Pansy was protecting her. The sound returned.

"The queer blood traitor is defending the Mudblood! How endearing." Lestrange said, cackling. Than she spat: "You made your decision. You know what to expect."

Pansy Parkinson? A blood traitor? Queer? What decision? Hermione was in shock, not even thinking about standing up again let alone retrieving her wand. She just stared at Pansy. Where did the other girl come from? All Slytherins and with them their first lady had been removed from the school grounds hours ago. Not for their safety. For the sake of the defense of Hogwarts. Nevertheless, there stood Pansy in the middle of the battle field. She did not take her eyes of Lestrange. She just kept the shield charm up, rage in her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Ginny used the distraction to attack the dark lady from the left. A fresh wound was bleeding on her arm. The Sectumsempra curse must have scratched her after all. Lestrange lazily countered Ginny's attack. Without effort, the older witch had the upper hand. Now Ginny was in trouble. Hermione shook of her stupor, griped her wand and got to her feet to help her friend. Too late.

„NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

Mrs. Weasley jumped into action, ready to kill. Bellatrix Lestrange fell.

Voldemort was on his own. A prophecy was to be fulfilled.

Hermione looked around. Pansy was gone.