Yeah, here I am again. I dunno, I guess I just don't like how little the ladies are represented in Hp, so I just keep doin these one shots. Ahwell. Enjoy, and review for love.

"SSSS-ssshaiiiissssss…." Wow. I hadn't heard Harry open the Chamber of Secrets in our second year, in fact, other than the snake attack in the dueling club, I had never heard parseltounge. It was pretty impressive, though, the effect only marred slightly by the look of horror on Ron's face. I had a feeling he was hoping he wouldn't be able to do it.

But the sinks moved apart with a grace that scared me. This was surely powerful magic. A pit opened up between them and Moaning Myrtle wooshed over it with wide eyes, and settled herself on the sink adjacent.

"You know, I wouldn't go down there if I was you. Of course, If I was you, I would be happy to get myself killed, at least it would be better then wandering the earth forever."

"Yeah, We got it, thanks, Myrtle." I said quickly. Ron was visibly losing confidence with this plan every minute. I took his hand, and he looked up at me. "C'mon." I stepped toward the pit.

"Wait!" I sighed, and turned back to Ron.

"What?"

"I should go first. Make sure there isn't anything down there." Don't roll your eyes, don't roll your eyes, It'll hurt his self-confidence, Don't roll your eyes….

"Is this really the time for chivalry, Ronald?"

"I'm not being chivalrous, I'm worried about you! Or is that not allowed?" I realized, vaguely, that any other time, my heart would have soared at these words. But we had a job to do.

"Well, that's all very well and good, Ron, but you need to save it for a later date." I let go of his hands and jumped.

I had never been one for fast rides, even before I'd known I was a witch, I hated roller coasters, and I the memory of riding Buckbe- Witherwings still has me quaking. But maybe it was the adrenaline that already pounded through my system, or maybe it was the insanity that had been in place ever since the wedding… I wasn't scared as I slid through the tubes. Perhaps it was just because I had already seen so many things in the last year, that being scared by this now seemed downright silly. I landed on a pile of bones, and a shudder racked my body. I stood up quickly, and waited for Ron.

When he wasn't there in two minutes, that was when the first pang of fear stole through me. I hadn't pulled him down with me, I hadn't had him go first… I just trusted implicitly that he would follow. But why should I have? He had left, Left me, left Harry, why should this be any diff-

"Oh!" I was on the pile of bones again, Under Ron, who had me pinned there. He looked about him, collecting himself, and got off me, while grabbing my wrist and pulling me up too.

"Sorry about that. There aren't exactly brakes on that thing." I nodded, and we walked toward a circled snake crest. Ron made the same horrible hissing sound, and it opened in what felt like slow motion, to what reminded me vaguely of the portrait hole. I climbed through, and it swung closed behind me.

"Ron!" I heard the low hiss again, and it opened again, allowing Ron entrance. I scrambled through, and was greeted by the basilisk's skin. I moved past, shuddering, towing Ron in my wake. We had walked for about fifteen minutes before we found the place where Harry and Riddle and the great snake clearly battled, the floor stained with ink, and dried blood which made a path from pooling around the great serpentine head of the most monstrous thing I had ever seen. The rest of the snake's body was lying in the murky pool before the large statue Harry'd described, and for this I was grateful. I am sure seeing the whole thing would have shattered my resolve, and Ron's to boot. I looked over, and, indeed, Ron looked a shade of green I had come to know and loathe all too well. I sighed.

"Well, let's do it." Ron nodded shakily, and walked over to the creature, grabbed a tooth, and yanked. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my wand, an action I had come to realize was my signature move.

"Diffindo" I aimed my wand at the snake's mouth, and several teeth fell out with a clatter. I shoved them into Ron's waiting hands, and grabbed the cup of Hufflepuff that lay innocently, discarded.

I had never destroyed a horcrux, or even seen it done. I knew we needed to stab it with the fang, but…

What if I couldn't do it?

"Ron." I said, trying to prevent my voice from shaking. "You do it." I pushed him the cup.

"No. He said, firmly, pushing it back towards me. "Hermione, you have saved us countless times. You need to be in on this. You need to have your name down on the list for people that have helped kill some of… Some of Voldemort."

I felt my inhale come in a gasp as he said the name. And I looked in his eyes, and only found firm belief. He handed me a fang and threw the others aside, grabbing the cup by the handles.

"Look. I'll hold it. I'm here. You gotta do this, 'mione. This is it, this is your time. It's now." I raised the fang, and hesitated. "NOW!" Ron repeated, forcefully. I plunged the fang into the bowl of the cup.

So dark.

A voice that, a distant part of my mind knew should have been evil, sounded seductive whispered to me.

Hermione… Intelligent. Powerful, it sounded. I groaned. Hermione Jean. The Gryffindor who should've been a Ravenclaw…

No, a feeble part of my mind answered. No, I am brave, I am not just smart, I… I…

Of course you are… The vice murmured back, unfazed. Always the clever one. But why? Always so afraid of failure… take the fang out, Hermione. Come to me. I could make you great. You would be infallible. He –a flash of Harry filled the black- would respect you in the way he never has, would admit that you are the one who made it all possible, that you are the one who helped him get this far… he would never underestimate you again… and the other one… -A flash of Ron- He would see you as a woman for the first time. He would love you. He would realize how great, how powerful you are. He would love you, and he would never be able to not. You would never fail at anything with me. Just take out the fang, and come to your master.

So tempting… my mind spoke in its feeble voice again. Ungh… I want… I want to be brilliant… I am… But this way…? So wrong… No, wrong… I realized slowly, the voice was so cold.

No, it's right, Hermione. You have always known the difference between right and wrong and this justice. You are so just. You can deliver punishment to those who deserve it…

No! That isn't my kind of justice… punishment… No, no… That wasn't me… The voice, it's not me, its him, its him! The Cup is Horcrux! I have to! I'm meant to… Kill…!

NO! The voice was there again, threatening to pull me down… But there was another voice in the recesses of my mind.

"HERMIONE! No, c'mon… Don't you believe it, whatever it tells you… It's Voldemort, it isn't you, you can pull out, you can get out of it. I know you Hermione, I trust you, c'mon! Come back! We have a battle to win! Come back to me! NOW, DAMMIT!"

Ron.

Something inside me fluttered weakly.

"Find your hands, and push down. You can do it, C'mon!"

Don't Listen to him, Hermione… Don't you want him, don't you want power...? No! No! Stop that! What're you doing? NO! But it was too late. I had found my hands, and they were pushing the fang through the metal until it broke. Keening filled my ears and exploded out of my mouth as the seventh of Dark soul died. I opened my eyes, and as always, bright and blue, his eyes found me, and his voice brought me back down to earth.

"Bloody Hell."