Chapter Text
Matt saw everything happen in slow motion; the green flash of light, Alex collapsing to the ground, Salome’s tears, Hermione holding Salome back as she lunged forward towards her mother, and the silence that followed. He didn’t move for a moment, just stood completely still and stared at the motionless body of his love.
He didn’t realize he was crying until he felt wetness on his hands.
It seemed surreal- like a dream- as he walked over to Alex and knelt beside her.
He could feel that he was sobbing, but he wasn’t paying attention to his tears. He traced his thumb across her cheek.
“Alex,” he choked out. “Please … please don’t leave me.”
After what felt like an eternity, her eyes slowly fluttered open.
“Matt,” she whispered.
His eyes widened. “Alex? Oh my god, Alex! You’re … you’re alive … you’re … “
By this time, Hermione, Ron, and Salome had joined Matt by Alex’s side.
“Mum!” Salome cried, throwing herself into her mother’s arms.
Alex hugged her tightly, sitting up so she was able to support her better. She then closed her eyes and buried her face in her daughter’s hair.
“So … it worked?” Alex asked a moment later as Salome pulled out of the embrace.
“I suppose it did,” Hermione said. “That’s how it worked for Harry. However, we can’t be certain until we see Voldemort.”
“Alex, your arm,” Matt said suddenly.
Alex looked confused for a moment. “My…”
She turned over her left arm and gasped. The Dark Mark was gone.
“I think that means it worked!” Hermione exclaimed. “Just like with Harry! The Horcrux was killed but you’re okay.”
Alex got to her feet and Matt embraced her tightly, crying into her shoulder.
“Thank god,” he whispered. “Oh, thank god, thank god you’re alright…”
“We need to go,” Hermione said. “We need to help Harry. Voldemort is now mortal, but we need to make sure he is defeated.”
Ron stayed with Matt and Salome in the forest to protect them, and Alex and Hermione hurried back to the school’s main building.
To their relief, they saw that the tides seemed to have turned and the Death Eaters were quickly losing the battle. They both kept their gaze trained straight ahead, not daring to look down at the floor incase they recognized a face from the dead.
They finally came to the main courtyard of the school. There was a large crowd gathered around Harry and Voldemort, and Voldemort was lying helplessly on the ground, looking weaker than they had ever seen him.
Hermione and Alex made their way through the crowd and into the circle where Harry stood over Voldemort.
“Alex,” Harry said as the pair approached him. “Would you like to do the honors?”
She swallowed heavily. This was the man she used to love. Used to. This was the man that had killed countless numbers of the innocent, and had roped her into it before she found her way out and gotten her life back.
“Certainly,” she replied, her voice surprisingly calm and level.
She took out her wand, and Harry and Hermione stepped back into the crowd.
Alex walked toward the motionless figure curled up on the stone ground.
“Goodbye, Tom,” she said, and he opened his eyes and looked up at her. She felt no emotion whatsoever, and simply pointed the wand at him and uttered the same words she had said only moments earlier back in the forest.
**********
After the war ended, Alex and Matt returned to their normal lives. They moved into an apartment together near London, where Salome stayed with them in the summer when she wasn’t at Hogwarts. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were frequent visitors. Matt and Alex got married two years later and bought a house in the English countryside. After Doctor Who, they both continued their acting careers and were very successful, but still made time to be with each other and Salome. All was well.