Disclaimer: Harry Potter and company belong to the mighty and all-powerful J.K. Rowling. I just steal them for a few hours at a time.
The little beaded bag was starting to show the wear and tear and Harry and Hermione's constant moving around. Harry dug around in it until he found the picture album that Hagrid had given him several years ago. Hermione was asleep, and Ron had left a while back. Hermione still cried at night, and Harry wished he could do something to comfort her.
Gripping the album, Harry wished for help. He needed to support Hermione. They had to have some sort of breakthrough to help them hunt Horcruxes. Ron was going to need help if Harry ever saw him again. Harry was angry with him for doing this to Hermione. He couldn't blame Ron for leaving, but seeming Hermione upset was too much. He longed to pull her into his embrace and rock her until her sobs stopped coming all together. He wanted to…
Shaking his head, Harry halted those thoughts. Hermione loved Ron, and Harry refused to upset her even more by admitting his feelings for her. Besides, Ginny was waiting for him, and he did love her, didn't he? Harry opened the front cover, seeking solace in the photos of his long-dead parents. They seemed so happy, so in love. Why did Voldemort have to show up? Why did he have to destroy countless families, including mine?
Harry kept picturing Hermione and himself in his parents' places. Them at their wedding, frolicking in a park, and holding a son with black hair and chocolate brown eyes.
"What should I do Mum, Dad? She's in love with Ron, and we're best friends. And I thought I loved Ginny. Where do I go from here?" Harry whispered, wishing the pictures would talk back.
Unbeknownst to Harry, James and Lily Potter took a few steps forward. Harry didn't open his eyes again until James began to speak, "Harry, son?" Instinctively, Harry's eyes shot open, and he drew his wand so that it was pointing at the photo. "Don't do anything rash," James warned.
"Sweetie, we just want to talk," Lily interjected. Her voice made Harry freeze.
Harry struggled to find his voice. "How can I be sure that this isn't some Dark Magic? That this isn't a trick by Voldemort to get to me?" Harry stammered out once he regained the ability to talk. They didn't flinch when he said Voldemort, and Harry took that as a good sign.
"You're just going to have to trust us. There's nothing we can say or do to prove it." Harry secretly agreed, but he very badly wanted to believe that this was real.
"We're just here to help." His mother's voice was soothing, and Harry was finding it difficult to not trust both of them. This was exactly what he always wanted; a chance to talk with his parents. He just wished they were alive and not merely photographs.
"Help me with what?" Harry decided to test them.
"Anything that we can. You were just asking us about Ginny and some other girl. We can talk about that if you want," Lily offered.
"Where would I begin?" Harry asked more to himself than anyone else.
"Describe what they're like and who they are to you." Harry felt strange talking about this, but he was grateful to finally have someone to talk to.
Harry hesitated before starting, not really sure of what to say or how to say it. "Ginny is my ex-girlfriend. We went out for about a month last year, but I broke it off to protect her. Though it wasn't really breaking up because I told her I'd be back for her. I loved her, but now I'm not so sure. She's also my best friend Ron's little sister, which complicates the matter even more," Harry found himself blurting out. It was easy for him to talk to his mum.
"Okay, and what about this other girl?"
"Her name is Hermione, and she's been my best friend since our first year. Hermione's saved me loads of times and has been with me through everything. She's in love with Ron, and he loves her too. However, Ron walked out on us a few days ago and now Hermione and I are by ourselves."
"Harry, what exactly are you doing? We know you aren't at Hogwarts where you belong. That much is evident." Lily's eyes were filled with worry.
"Ron, Hermione and I are out hunting Horcruxes, or rather, Hermione and I are now. We're hiding out from the Ministry because it is now under Voldemort's control. He even has Snape running Hogwarts, so we're not safe there either." Harry was busily explaining all of this to his bewildered parents. He could tell that they became extremely worried.
"What about Dumbledore? Why isn't he protecting Hogwarts?" James finally piped up. Harry nearly had forgotten he was there.
"He's dead. Snape killed him at the end of the last school year." Harry banished the tears that were threatening to spill over onto his cheeks at the mention of his mentor and close friend.
Lily emitted a sob at that declaration but remained composed as more attempted to take over her body. "When did he come back? He was supposed to die when I cast that spell on you. It's not possible!" A hysterical edge came into her voice, and James pulled her closer to his side.
"It destroyed him, but the Horcruxes he created prevented him from actually dying." Harry felt the urge to reach into the picture and comfort Lily's shuddering frame as well, but common sense stopped his fingers before they could try.
"We were afraid of that, but we didn't have concrete proof to support that he had made any. When did he come back?" James reiterated Lily's question while keeping an arm around Lily's shoulders to calm her hiccupping fit.
"At the end of my fourth year; I was there. He used my blood so that he could void the spell," Harry was addressing Lily.
James finally asked the dreaded question, "How many times has he been after you?" Both of his parents were hoping he would only admit to one instance.
"Pretty much every year that I attended Hogwarts, he tried to kill me in some way. I'm really very lucky. Without Hermione helping me the whole time, I probably wouldn't be alive." His mum and dad gasped at those figures. They had only prayed that it wouldn't have been that terrible.
"You've faced him that many times, and you're still alive? You truly are our son." James was impressed and horrified all at the same time.
"Yeah, Dumbledore told me about the Horcruxes last year, and I've been hunting them down ever since. I was going to do it alone, but Ron and Hermione insisted upon helping."
"How many do you have left?" Harry wasn't really shocked that his parents knew about Horcruxes.
"We're not entirely sure. There are either six or seven total. We know that two have already been destroyed. I destroyed the diary back in my second year, and Dumbledore took care of Marvolo's ring. The night that Dumbledore was killed, we had found a decoy of Slytherin's locket. Somebody had already taken it, but we found it and are currently looking for a way to destroy it as well." The memories of that night were still hard for Harry to cope with, so he swallowed the lump in his throat before it could give him away.
"Do you have any idea what the others are?"
"Hermione and I believe that one is Hufflepuff's cup and that another is probably Nagini, his snake. We're not sure what the others might be. Any ideas?" Harry was really hoping that his parents might know what the other Horcruxes were so that he and Hermione might have a starting point.
Lily was finally recovered enough to participate in the conversation again. "I started researching these after I found out that Voldemort was coming for us. I didn't know about any diary, but my studying led me to believe that Ravenclaw's diadem is one. However, that relic seems to have disappeared around the same time that Hogwarts was founded."
Hermione's voice coming from inside the tent snapped Harry out of his dream world. "Harry, who are you talking to?"
"Before you go, take my advice. Go to Hermione and comfort her. She will appreciate it, believe me." Lily winked after offering this last piece of motherly advice.
"I will. Talk to you guys later," and Harry shut the album cover. "No one. Are you okay, Hermione?" Harry could hear her sniffling from where he was outside the tent. He walked back inside and sat on the edge of her bunk. Not knowing what else to do, he started massaging her shoulder. Even in the dark, Harry knew she was looking at him, probably with disbelief in her eyes.
Hermione didn't say anything, but instead sat up to allow Harry access to both shoulders. She sighed with contentment and seemed to relax. Then Hermione turned to face Harry and enveloped him in a hug. "Thank you, Harry," she whispered in his ear.
"I'm sorry for not doing this sooner, Hermione. You've needed me, and I just kept distancing myself. I am truly sorry," Harry murmured back.
"Why did you distance yourself?" They had broken apart, and now Hermione was facing Harry. She conjured a light and sat it on the bed next to them. Harry saw the curiosity in Hermione's expression just as she could see the remorse in his. It was a long minute before he answered her.
"I'm not really sure. I guess part of it was not knowing how, and the other part was me knowing that you'd rather have Ron here." He answered honestly, but he cringed inwardly at using Ron's name. Harry wasn't sure how Hermione would react.
"That's why you think I'm crying?"
Harry thought that was the cause, but with that question, he realized he was wrong. "Isn't it?" If it isn't Ron, then what is it?
"That's part of it, but it's not for the reason you think." Harry usually could tell what was on Hermione's mind, but now he was drawing a blank.
"Then why? I don't understand." Harry was almost afraid to ask, but he just had to know.
"He left us when we needed him the most. I'm more frustrated than anything else, but when I thought about everything else going on right now, I just broke down for a few days."
"I thought you loved Ron."
"I tried, and I think I convinced myself that I did until he left. Then I just got angry and realized how immature he actually still is." At first her tone was calm, but the frustration she had been harboring started to show itself. "Twit. He shouldn't have walked out."
"Hermione, it's okay. I was mad at him because I thought he had hurt you. I hate to see you cry. Truthfully, I don't blame him at all," Harry admitted.
"Thanks, Harry. I really do feel a lot better now," and Hermione did look a little more cheerful than before. She threw her arms around Harry's neck again, but she ended it this time by kissing him on the cheek.
"What was that for?" Harry's hand was resting on the spot where her lips had just been a moment before.
"For being a good friend. Now go on and get some sleep; it's time for me to take my watch anyway. Good night, Harry," and with that she disappeared to the other side of the tent, taking the light with her. Harry laid back and pondered what had just happened. He fell asleep with a smile on his face and thanks to his mum in his head.