Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End
Author's Note: From this point on will be the story of how Hermione and Ron got together and then came apart up to the scene that takes place in the prologue and Hermione is again. After this section is over, there will be another story continuing from Hermione being all alone and sad about her break-up to her getting with… let's just say her getting over Ron, really over Ron. So no, this isn't really a Ron/Hermione fic with a depressing end. It a Hermione/other people fic with a possible depressing ending. (What? I'm being honest) I'll have another note when we get back to the present.
Harry pushed his wiry frames higher up on his nose, concentrating. "It's the fastest way that I can think of. There's no other choice."
"Harry, there has to be another way. There's always another way. We can't miss our last year at Hogwarts. If we do, we might miss learning exactly what it is that would help us defeat Voldemort."
"Bloody hell, Hermione!" exclaimed a shocked Ron.
"What Ron?" Hermione said incredulously. "At Hogwarts we have a plethora of resources to help us find what we're looking for. We have teachers and a library and Dumb-" she stopped remembering that was no longer a Dumbledore to guide them in the right direction.
Ron looked aghast. "If the teachers were just going to hand us the answers on how to defeat You-Know-Who, don't you think they would have a long time ago? That they would have at least given them to Dumbledore before that evil git of a snake, before it was too late? If there were anything in the library to help us, I'm sure you or a professor would have found it by now and if not, what's to say you'd find it next year?"
"Ron, I-"
"Do you expect that at the end of NEWTS, the answer will be there? We'll suddenly know what exactly we'd been doing wrong all along? Or maybe a little party telling us that You-Know-Who had never been around and was just really strong study incentive?" He looked around him to see his best mate looking sullen. His blue eyes piercing Hermione's brown ones, he continued, "A study incentive made specifically for Harry maybe?" Harry looked up at his name being mentioned. His voice rose angrily. "Maybe the death of his parents and Dumbledore and Siri-" The raven-haired boy winced slightly at the mention of those who had died because of… for him.
She cut him off "Ron, enough. You win. The answer is not at Hogwarts," Hermione relented, not knowing if the full on mention of Sirius would be taken well by Harry. Ron followed her eyes to Harry and he looked guilty, his face taking on a red tinge. Harry's jaw twitched slightly and the silence became uncomfortable.
After a very long pause, Hermoine countered. "That doesn't mean that there is nothing left for us at Hogwarts. There is still a great deal that we can learn and the professors are vital resources that can help us."
"We can't tell them about the horcruxes," he said noncommittally. "Dumbledore said only us."
"We don't have to," Hermione said. "We can hint around it. Just to get enough information about it." The flash in Ron's eyes prompted her to continue before he went on another rant. "We really don't have much to go on right now, and I'm sure if Dumbledore had known he would have given us more information, but he didn't and anything we can get is better than what we have right now. Better than us going out there unknowledgeable."
Ron smiled slightly. "If we wanted to go unknowledgeable, we would have gone without you," he said, making a small dig at Hermione's bookworm nature. She frowned indignantly, but playfully, and even Harry's moody, concentrated expression had the smallest of smiles on it.
"Right," Harry said. "The Hogwarts library has nothing on you." A smirk played on his lips as an indignant Hermione turned to him.
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "And you're portable too!" At that, the golden trio burst into laughter, Hermione and Ron falling to floor after laughter had them too weak to stand.
A quiet calm fell over them. 'The calm before the storm,' Hermione thought. They had still not resolved the matter of travel. The doorknob made the slightest squeak and the trio turned to it. Another red head appeared. "Ron, mum said-" a high voice began.
"Expulso," Ron cried, banishing the voice and face from the room.
Hermione grabbed his wand hand and lowered crying "Ron! That was your sister!" They started to bicker and Harry was lost in it all.
Moments later, Hermione turned to him. "Harry, tell Ron that it is simply wrong to use magic on Ginny like that."
"Oh bullocks!" Ron said. "Of course he's going to agree. He's got a…" his face contorted as if he was about to have lunch again, but in reverse. "He's got a…" he couldn't bring himself to say it
As Hermione, amused, watched Ron try to think about the romantic link between Ron and Ginny, Harry interrupted. "No," he said darkly. "It's good. We still have something important to talk about." The good-natured air died instantly and Ron and Hermione nervously wondered how they had gone from Voldemort to portable Hermiones and then back.
Hermione started, "We should go back to Hogwarts. We've been building up to this for a long time, not just since the Triwizard but since Harry's birth even. There's no reason why we can't wait another year so that we can do it properly."
Harry jumped up suddenly clutching his hair in fury. "NO REASON?" Hr had finally cracked. "NO REASON, HERMIONE? HOW ABOUT EVERYTIME SOMEONE DIES AND CAN'T BE BROUGHT BACK? IS THAT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON? HOW ABOUT ALL THE POWER VOLDEMORT GAINS WHILE WE SIT AROUND STUDYING? HUH, HERMIONE? IS THAT A REASON?" Harry turned away, embarrassed at his outburst and Ron edged towards a withdrawn Hermione.
"Harry, it's-"
Harry's voice was languid and melancholy. "Another year means another year of deaths. What will seventh year bring with it this time?" His voice started to crack and his raised his hand to his face. "Who's going to die this year? McGonagall? Hagrid? One of …" His hand came up again and he wiped his face before lowering it and clutching a leg of his jeans. "One of you guys? All because I decided that I could wait one more year."
Ron and Hermione both took a step towards him. "Harry-" they began in unison. Blushing, Hermione let Ron speak. He walked over to his green-eyed mate. "It's not your fault that they died, Harry. It's, it's Voldemort's," he said, making the effort to show his friend that he would not fear the dark lord.
Hermione stood on the other side of Harry and gave him a sidelong hug. "Yeah. Harry, it's not your fault. They died to protect you, because they loved but not because of you. It's not your fault that you can't… you weren't ready to fight that.. That…"
"Bloody, slimy, foul, kneazle half-breed snake!" Ron exclaimed.
"Hey," Hermione said a hint of concern in her voice. "Crookshanks is part kneazle!"
"Who said he wasn't talking about Crookshanks?" Harry croaked, a smile on his tear-streaked face. Smiling, Ron and Hermione both hugged him tighter.
"I do have to go though."
"I'm with you," Ron pledged his loyalty.
After a small, but pregnant pause, Hermione replied, "Me too."
A/N: Feedback greatly appreciated.