Hermione's Horcrux

by elrosia

Missing scene from Deathly Hallows in which Hermione destroys a horcrux.

A/N: Missing scene from Deathly Hallows when Hermione destroys the horcrux. All feedback is appreciated! Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JK Rowling. There are a few quotes near the end that were taken directly from the book, and I've marked them with italics.

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"Even if we find the other Horcrux, how are we going to get rid of it?" Hermione asked Ron, her brow furrowed in concentration as she wracked her brains for a solution. "We still haven't even got rid of the cup," she pointed out unnecessarily.

Ron knew she was right. But what could they do? They didn't have the sword of Gryffindor, and without its basilisk venom…

Suddenly he had an idea.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, "I know what we can do!"

Hermione looked up at him in surprise. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Follow me," Ron said, quickly leading the way out of the Room of Requirement.

As Hermione began to follow Ron down the long hallway, she asked, "Where are we going?"

Ron turned to her and took her hand. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Of course, but— "

"Just wait," he said, cutting her off as he continued walking briskly down the hall, "You'll see."

She followed him in silence as they descended the staircase hurriedly and turned down another corridor onto the second floor. When he began to pull her into the girls' bathroom, she hesitated, a question on her lips. Ron, still retaining her hand, paused also and looked back at her.

"Come on," he said, tugging her through the doorway. She relented, closing her mouth as she followed him in.

When they got to the sink he finally stopped to explain. "We need basilisk venom to destroy the Horcrux, right?"

"Yes…" Hermione said slowly.

"Well," Ron continued, "there's still a basilisk down in the Chamber. Best part is it's already dead, so all we need to do is grab some of its fangs and we're set."

Hermione still looked perplexed. She crossed her arms, staring up at him with a small wrinkle between her eyebrows.

"Right," she said, "but, Ron, I think you're forgetting that we'd need to get into the Chamber first. And neither of us is a Parselmouth. We'll need Harry to open it."

"Not necessarily," he said. "I think I can do it."

"Do what?" said Hermione, not understanding.

"Open the Chamber," said Ron.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Ron…"

"Hang on," he said, "Just give me a minute."

She waited silently as he approached the sink, staring at the emblem of a snake carved into the tap. Ron began mumbling to himself, making odd strangled hissing sounds. Hermione was at a loss, not really sure what his plan was and even less sure that it would work. All she could do was watch and listen as his voice grew louder and more certain.

As Ron made a strange combination of hisses and rasping sounds in the back of his throat, a grating noise suddenly issued from the sink. Hermione jumped at the sound, her eyes wide, arms dropping to her side as she watched the tap begin to glow, spinning as the sink slid down, revealing the large open pipe that was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

Ron tapped a finger under her chin, closing her mouth, which had fallen open in astonishment. He grinned down at her. "You were saying?"

"Ron…that was…" Hermione faltered as she looked up at him, clearly impressed.

Ron chuckled. "Hermione Granger at a loss for words," he teased, "That's got to be a first."

"How did you do that?" she asked.

Ron's ears turned a bit pink as she continued to gaze at him in open admiration. "It wasn't that hard. I heard Harry do it with the locket and I just…imitated the sound," he said, shrugging.

"You're brilliant," Hermione said, causing the pink tinge of his ears to deepen into a burning red.

He turned away to hide his pleased smile as he said, "Come on. We've still got to go find the bloody thing."

Ron led the way, climbing into the pipe and glancing back at Hermione as he sat on the edge, before pushing off to slide down into the Chamber. Hermione immediately followed, sliding down the pipe for several long seconds before landing with a thud at the bottom.

"Ow," said Ron as she landed on him.

Hermione quickly scrambled to her feet, mumbling an apology. She pulled out her wand, muttering, "Lumos."

"S'alright," he said, climbing to his feet and looking around.

"Where do we go?" she asked him.

"It should be down here a little ways," he replied.

They both kept their wands out, Hermione's illuminating the way, as they proceeded towards the chamber.

Hermione followed Ron down the dark, damp corridor, listening to the sound of their footsteps echoing against the stone walls. It felt a bit eerie being down there in the silence of the underground tunnel. The light of her wand cast strange shadows against the walls, playing tricks on her eyes and causing her to feel a bit jumpy. She was glad Ron was with her; even more glad that he was walking in front of her and so couldn't see when she startled at the strange images she imagined she saw.

As they passed by a crumbling, translucent skin suspended in the form of a large snake, Ron heard a sharp intake of breath. He glanced behind him at Hermione. Her face looked pale in the glow of her wand, the light reflected in her wide eyes as her mouth was set into a firm line. An image suddenly flashed through his mind of Hermione's face as he was dragged away from her at Malfoy Manor and he instinctively reached out for her, grasping her hand in his.

"There's nothing down here anymore, you know," he told her.

"I know," Hermione said quickly, her voice a little too high.

Ron said nothing more, simply lacing his fingers through hers as he walked on. Every now and then he threw a glance back over his shoulder to make sure she was okay.

Hermione felt a warmth tingling in her palm as it pressed against his, spreading up her arm and eventually causing her whole body to relax just a bit.

After walking for a bit, they eventually came to a wall carved with two entwined serpents. They halted before it, Hermione looking up at Ron expectantly. He cleared his throat before repeating the strangled hissing sounds he'd been making earlier. This time he got it right much more quickly as the wall immediately split into two halves, sliding open before them to reveal the room beyond. Ron's eyes slid over to Hermione, a lopsided grin on his face as she beamed up at him.

They stepped slowly into the long chamber and looked around. As they walked further inside, Hermione's hand tightened on Ron's at the sight of the dead basilisk lying on the ground before them. But, it was she who approached first, releasing his hand as she stepped towards it. She looked up at the long, curved fangs hanging from its open mouth.

"How do we…" she asked.

Ron tucked his wand into his pocket before reaching up to grasp a fang firmly in both hands. He gave it a forceful tug, stumbling back a bit as, with a crack, it was wrenched from the jaws of the basilisk.

"Well, that was simple," said Hermione, reaching into her bag for the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. "Here," she said as she held it out towards Ron.

But, he didn't take it. "You should do it," said Ron as he, in turn, held out the basilisk fang towards her.

Hermione looked startled. "I – I can't – I don't –" she stammered, her arm outstretched as though still waiting for him to take the cup from her.

Ron put his hand on her shoulder, bringing his face close to hers as he looked her in the eye. "Yes, you can, Hermione. And I think you should be the one to do it," he said firmly.

There was a pause as she stood unmoving, her eyes locked with his for a long moment before finally lowering the arm holding the cup. She took a deep breath and reached for the basilisk fang, taking it from him and staring down to where it weighed heavily in her palm.

"Okay," she said and took a few steps toward the center of the room before setting the cup down on the stone ground.

Kneeling before it, Hermione looked down at the cup, tightening her fingers around the fang as she lifted her arm. She took a deep breath and brought her fist down, squeezing her eyes shut as the fang stabbed through the air and crashed into something solid. Opening her eyes, she saw the weapon's point resting on the ground beside the cup. She'd missed.

She heard Ron's chuckle and turned her head towards him.

"Next time try aiming for the cup," he said, adding with a grin, "And you might want to keep your eyes open."

Hermione gave him a scathing look, opening her mouth to retort, but she never got the chance. Just then, the cup began to vibrate and both pairs of eyes turned back toward it, the smile quickly fading from Ron's face. They both watched nervously as a hazy cloud of light issued from the cup, swirling around the object and expanding until it began to form into distinct images.

Hermione sat frozen as figures of her parents materialized in the air above the horcrux. Her eyes grew wide as she watched them frowning down at her.

The hologram of her father shook his head, saying, "We are so disappointed in you, Hermione."

"How could you do this to us?" cried the image of her mother, "We trusted you. Now we'll never see you again..."

Ron watched Hermione trembling on the ground before the horcrux. He saw her lips form the words 'I'm sorry', but no sound issued from her mouth. He stood torn, wanting to help but knowing she needed to do this on her own. "It isn't real," he told her. "Just stab it, Hermione."

But, Hermione didn't even seem to hear him as she watched the images of her parents dissipate and shift into several more figures. Ron couldn't help but be surprised as she was suddenly surrounded by the professors of Hogwarts.

"You were supposed to be the brightest witch of your age," said Professor McGonagall. "We thought you would amount to something. But, here you dropped out of school to run about the country with two teenage boys, doing what? Destroying horcruxes?" She shook her head sadly. "You wasted an entire year and couldn't even manage to find them all, nearly getting yourself and your friends killed in the attempt."

"All those brains came to nothing. She seemed to have such potential," said Professor Flitwick with a sigh.

"I always knew there was no real talent in the girl," chimed in Professor Trelawney.

Professor Snape sneered, "You couldn't expect much more from a Mudblood."

Suddenly the teachers were gone, to be replaced by Harry. "You were supposed to help me, Hermione. I was counting on you. I thought you were smart. But, all you did was chase Ron away and then mope around after he left. We failed because of you."

And then the scene shifted and Hermione saw herself standing in the rain, her tears mixing with the water pouring down her face as she called out to Ron. He said nothing, ignoring her cries, but his eyes met hers as he turned and disappeared.

Yet again the scene changed and she was faced with a young Hermione, a child with bushy brown hair and large teeth, surrounded by a group of children. A red-haired boy snatched a book from her hand and held it out of her reach, the others joining in as he laughed tauntingly. Her face turned red, her hair standing on end as she glared at him. He jumped back suddenly, dropping the book as though it burned, and turned on her.

"Freak," he hissed, his face a mask of anger and fear, the insult soon echoed by the other children.

"You don't belong," said a girl with long, blonde hair, shoving her back.

Now the images were changing quickly and it was Hermione reduced to tears as an eleven-year-old Ron called her a nightmare, and Hermione indignant as a fourteen-year-old Ron laughed at the idea of her being a girl, and Hermione standing frozen, watching a sixteen-year-old Ron entangled in the embrace of Lavender Brown.

Then it was Hermione in her four-poster bed, feigning sleep as Lavender and Parvati whispered together, Lavender gushing about her latest exploits with Ron.

Parvati glanced over at the sleeping girl and said, "I was sure he was hung up on Hermione."

Lavender snorted. "Trust me, she's not his type. Who could be interested in such a boring, mousy looking girl as her? She's practically a boy. I mean, does she even try to look attractive?"

Parvati giggled and said, "She'll probably marry an encyclopedia."

"And honeymoon in the library!" added Lavender. The girls covered their mouths in an effort to muffle their cackles of laughter.

Ron stood watching this display, feeling sick to his stomach. He wanted to do something but he didn't know what. "Just stab it, Hermione!" he called again, weakly.

Then the girls disappeared and it was just Ron. But, this Ron's face was contorted into an unfamiliar sneer as he looked down at her coldly. "I'm better off without you, Hermione," he said in a harsh, flat tone she had never heard him use before. "I left because of you and I should never have come back. All you've ever done since the day I met you was criticize me and hold me back. Why would you think I would ever be interested in you? It's pathetic."

The tears were running freely down her face now as the image shifted once more to show Ronald Weasley lying motionless on the ground, his face pale, lifeless.

Hermione let out a sob, her body trembling as she bent over the image of Ron's still form.

Ron felt his chest tighten as he watched her, his arms instinctively reaching out as he took a shaky step towards her.

Then he saw something shift in Hermione's face as she wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. Her jaw set firmly, features hardening into a determined expression as she gazed fiercely down at the ornate cup before her. She took a deep breath, fingers clenching as she gripped the basilisk fang tightly in her hand.

Suddenly her arm was raised, the fang slicing through the air before stabbing into the horcrux with a loud ringing clash. There was a piercing shriek as the cup cracked, the phantom Ron disappearing as the sound faded out until, finally, there was only silence.

Hermione dropped the basilisk fang, leaning forward as she rested her hands on her knees, her breath ragged.

Ron approached slowly and kneeled down beside her. He hesitated before resting a hand on her shoulder. "Hermione…" he said, his voice cracking on the word.

And then she turned abruptly, throwing her arms around his shoulders as she buried her face in his neck. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, rubbing her back as he struggled for words.

After a moment, he said, "None of that was real, you know." But, as the words left his mouth, he realized that some of it had been real. Some of those images that haunted her had been actual memories, and what's worse, some had been caused by him.

He pulled back to look at her, "I mean, you know that I…" he trailed off as he looked into her eyes.

Hermione sat back on her heels, wiping her hands over her cheeks before running them through her hair. "I know, Ron," she said softly.

"I'd be lost without you, Hermione," he said hoarsely.

"Ron," she said, taking a shaky breath, "if something happens tonight…I don't—" she stopped, unable to finish that thought.

"Listen, Hermione, I promise you I won't let anything happen to you," he said fiercely. "I would die before I let you get hurt again."

"No," she said sharply, "we make it together or we don't make it at all." Her eyes blazed as she added, "Promise me."

Ron felt the heat of her gaze as her eyes locked with his. He felt a thrill go to his heart as he looked down at her fervent expression. There was a long pause before he said finally, "I promise. Together or not at all."

Hermione looked searchingly into his eyes for another moment. Then, as if sensing he truly meant it, she nodded, moving to stand as she said, "We should get back."

Ron got to his feet, brushing himself off and stuffing the destroyed horcrux into his pocket as he looked up at the basilisk.

"We'd better grab some more of these to take with us," he said.

Then, he reached up and snapped off several fangs, handing a few to Hermione before they headed back down the long stone tunnel. When they got to the entrance again, they stopped in front of the large pipe, realizing they wouldn't be able to get out the way they had come.

"How will we get back?" Hermione asked, looking around them as though expecting to see an exit sign.

Then Ron had another idea. Pulling out his wand, he focused his attention as he shouted, "Accio Broom!"

Hermione's eyes lit up as she looked over at him. "Ron, you really are brilliant!"

"Always the tone of surprise," he said, looking very pleased with himself as he grinned at her.

She shook her head, laughing as she smiled up at him. As their eyes met, the air seemed suddenly charged with electricity. The laughter died in her throat, smiles slowly dropping from their faces as they stood unable to look away from one another. Neither seemed to be moving and yet, somehow, they were drawn closer together, her head tilting up as his bent lower towards her. Hermione felt her heart racing as Ron's lips came within an inch of hers.

And then a broom swooped between them, startling them both as it nearly collided with Ron before settling into his hand. They both laughed nervously, Hermione's cheeks flushing pink as Ron rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Well," she said after a moment, "I suppose we'd better get going."

"Yeah," Ron said, clearing his throat. "Right."

He mounted the broom and she climbed on behind him, each balancing a handful of basilisk fangs under their arms. Ron couldn't help smiling as her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded against his back and then they were off, flying up through the long pipe before emerging into the girls' bathroom once again. They landed on the stone tile and Hermione reluctantly released her hold on him, shuffling her share of the fangs in her arms as he shifted his burden, grasping the broom in one arm and the fangs in the other as he followed her out into the hallway.

They didn't say anything as they hurried back toward the Room of Requirement, both unable to keep the smiles off their faces. Hermione didn't know if it was the triumph of destroying the horcrux or the electricity she still felt buzzing in her veins at Ron's close proximity, but she suddenly felt lighter, as though somehow, she was finally free.

They ran into Harry then and began explaining their absence and what they had done, Hermione practically bursting with pride as she told him how brilliant Ron had been.

"He was amazing!" she said emphatically. "Amazing!"

Ron tried to play it off as though it was no big deal, casually joking as she praised him, but the tint of his ears and the smile lighting his face gave him away.

The conversation then turned back to the battle. But, as they all prepared themselves to return to the fight, Ron suddenly spoke up, realizing they had forgotten about the house elves. As Harry inquired whether Ron intended for them to ask the house elves to fight, Hermione felt a surge of indignation and disappointment run through her. She opened her mouth to protest, an argument ready on her lips when Ron suddenly surprised her.

"No," Ron said seriously, "I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobbies, do we? We can't order them to die for us –"

An inarticulate cry issued from her throat as she felt overcome by a wave of affection for this boy. Ronald Weasley, who once laughed at the idea of rights for house elves, who ridiculed her efforts to promote elfish welfare through S.P.E.W., was now defending them, urging for their protection. She was deeply moved, overwhelmed by a spectrum of emotion that she had no way of expressing. Except maybe one.

The basilisk fangs fell from her arms as her body propelled itself towards him. She gave no thought to her actions, moving on instinct alone as she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed her mouth to his at last.

At last. That was her only coherent thought as she melded herself with him, vaguely aware of the clattering noise as he dropped the objects in his arms and replaced them with her, pulling her to him so enthusiastically that she felt her feet leave the ground. The rest of the world fell away and it was just the two of them together in that moment. His kisses sent little shockwaves throughout her body, her lips tingling as they explored his hungrily. She threaded her fingers through his hair as he grasped her to him even more tightly, his strong hands pressed firmly against her back as their bodies swayed softly. She was drowning in him, lips warm and soft, tongues swirling, hearts pounding as their breath came in soft gasps.

"OI! There's a war going on here!" Suddenly the world reasserted itself. At Harry's interruption, their mouths broke apart, arms still wrapped around each other as they turned to him dazedly.

Hermione couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face at Ron's blithe response, "I know, mate, so it's now or never, isn't it?"

She was tempted to start kissing him all over again, but reminded of the battle going on and, most importantly, their mission, they finally pried themselves away from each other. Their faces were flushed a matching shade of pink, but whether from embarrassment or passion it is uncertain. As they each began to gather the objects they had so carelessly flung aside moments ago, Hermione stole a glance at Ron only to find him already looking at her. As their eyes met, an understanding passed between them. She felt a warm glow in her chest as she looked at him. Somehow, she knew they would both be okay. She knew they would keep their promise to each other. Not just that night, but always.