Harry woke suddenly, the room was dark but the outline of someone was silhouetted against the moonlit window.

"Sorry." said Ron turning when Harry knocked the table beside the sofa where Ron had placed his glasses.

"What's up?" Harry asked quietly, he felt groggy, having finally caught up on the sleep that he had been denying himself for the last few weeks.

"Hermione's not back yet." Ron said quietly looking back in to the vacant square below.

Harry looked up at the large clock hanging above the fireplace. The large hand was nearing the two.

Harry suddenly felt that deepening felling of doom creeping over him.

"We should go look for her." said Ron quietly his head resting against the window.

"You're suggesting we undermine Hermione's authority?"

Ron blew gently on the window; it fogged up gently under his breath.

He pulled a finger through the mist on the glass.

"It's been getting more and colder for the last hour…" Ron turned and looked Harry in the eye. "I didn't want to wake you but since you're awake."

"Dementors." Harry said weakly.

"You can feel them can't you?" said Ron giving an involuntary shudder. He turned and looked at Harry. "Yes Harry, I'm saying we undermine Hermione's authority."

Harry had already risen to his feet.

"Well what are we waiting for, where do you suggest we start?" Ron looked at him. Harry just fingered his wand and slid it in his back pocket.

"The orphanages, if she ran in to one of them there…." Ron trailed off.

"Hermione could fend of a few Dementors." Harry said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. Ron cast him an apprehensive look as they headed towards the door; he too stored his wand away in his back pocket.

"It's ok Ron we will find her." he said trying to reassure himself as well as the worried redhead that followed in his wake.

"So they just left you to die?"

"My family yes, they had no other choice, the plague came for us all."

The ghost looked at her as she lay on the bed making small clouds out the end of her wand.

"That is so sad." Hermione said quietly.

"You know this is the first time that anyone's ever really listened to me."

Hermione looked at the childlike face the freckles clearly visible on his ghostly complexion.

"Well you said that not many people had been able to see you?"

"No Tom was the first."

"So how can you say that no one ever really listened to you before?"

"Well…."

Hermione smiled gently.

"So you think it's funny?"

"Yes, I think it's funny…you remind me so much of Ron."

The ghost looked at her.

"Who's Ron?"

Hermione stroked the scars on the back of her hand.

"Ron is my boyfriend." a rush of colour came to her cheeks.

William laughed gently. "That's adorable. Just look at the way you get all embarrass."

"I don't get all embarrassed." said Hermione hiding behind her hands.

William laughed again.

"Of course you don't."

Hermione sighed. "It's just strange calling him that, I mean he was my best fried for so long."

"Oh I see it's one of the star-crossed lovers things is it?"

Hermione held up a hand to silence William.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Did I here what?"

There was a creek somewhere deep inside the old building.

"It's them." Hermione whispered standing up and pointing the top of her wand at the door.

"Can't be they always just appear in the room." William said quietly. He floated quite dramatically through the joining wall and in to the corridor.

Hermione's hand shook violently. Was this how she died? Alone in an old building? Would William be her constant companion from now until eternity?

William floated back through the floor and looked at her.

She knew before he spoke however, what was coming. She could feel the happiness draining from her and she felt the air around her freezing.

"Dementors." she said quietly William looked at her.

"Is that what you call them things?" William asked her quietly.

Hermione nodded.

"How many?"

William glowed in the moonlight that shone through the crack in the door.

"Trust me you don't want to know."

Harry watched as Ron followed his hunch.

They looked up at the dark building. Something was very wrong.

"I've been here before." said Harry quietly.

"We aren't the only ones looking for her." said Ron pulling Harry back just in time.

A Dementor floated past them , Harry felt the breath catch , but the screams of his mother did not rush to his ears, a burning sensation raged in his right arm and the words 'Kill the spare' fogged his mind.

The Dementor turned to them it's grotesque hand glistening in the streetlamp.

"Expecto patronum."

But it wasn't Harry that spoke.

Ron was glaring as the silvery shape repelled the darkness.

"Not bad." said Harry looking from the silver vapour to Ron who shrugged.

"Well I had a good teacher."

The silvery shape disintegrated leaving the path to the door clear.

Harry nodded to Ron who followed, silently the two of them moved across the cobblestones and up to the open door.

"You find her, I'll fend then off." Harry said as they stepped on to the icy tiles. Ron slipped and grabbed hold of Harry. "On second thoughts we better stick together." he said sliding himself.

Ron nodded as he grabbed on to the banister and pulled them both on to the wooden staircase.

"You know I'm really beginning to hate Dementors." said Ron pulling himself back up as he slipped again.

"Beginning?"

Hermione shook, an icy coldness began creeping up her arms, and she could hear voices talking. Ron's face drained of life floated in front of her eyes.

"You ok?"

"You don't feel it?"

"I don't feel anything, plus side of being dead." said William watching as the cloaked figures hovered on the other side of the door.

"Expect…." Hermione felt herself swaying.

"Expect what?"

"William get help." Hermione managed before sliding slowly to her knees. There were too many of them, she was outnumbered. The patronus charm needed a happy memory.

She watched the hooded figures hovering on the other side of the blue tinged door they hovered there. Were they unable to cross the boundaries imposed on Riddles old room?

She watched as the Dementor at the front slid silently forward.

It's cloak stretched by a unseen hand … she wasn't going to die, they were going to leave her worse than dead. Would Ron find her an empty shell of her former self-soulless and vacant behind dull dead eyes?

Without William's company the room felt a lot colder, that last bit of sanity was creeping from her. She held on to the cup for dear life, her last fleeting thought was that of Harry and Ron , what if they tried to cross the barrier? What would happen to them?

"Epecto patronus." Hermione pointed her wand at the door. This wasn't the way she went, not here not today.

The front Dementor fell back as the silver vapour hit it. It never formed but the vapour was enough to hold back hooded figure.

Hermione felt her arm shaking violently again and the icy hold taking her.

She wouldn't be able to hold them off much longer.

The front figure pressed it's hand to the door and it swung towards her gently.

Whatever the barrier was apparently the dead decaying flesh of a Dementor was impenetrable.

Hermione slid back on to the bed.

There was too many of them.

She felt the last of her senses sliding away.

"Their on the way, Hermione hold in their." Williams's voice broke the sobs that were issuing around her head.

Hermione raised her wand and shouted the incantation.

The silvery vapour knocked the Dementor back; it had been seconds away from her, its black cloak dragging the dust with it.

Then just as suddenly, as the icy cold had creped up on her, the warmth started to come back to her. She watched as two silver prophets circled the hooded evil. One large and one small.

The stag watched from the doorframe as the smaller of the two ran at the Dementor that had swooped down upon Hermione.

The Dementor backed away dissolving in to the dust. The small silver animal nipping at it's heals he entire way.

Hermione watched it as it turned and headed back to her.

The small jack rustle jumped up at her it's front paws resting on her shoulders as she lay slumped on the floor. She reached out and stroked it. The stag at the door bowed it's head before calling the dog back and disappearing.

"Harry? Ron?" Hermione pulled herself to the door.

"Hermione? Are you ok?"

Ron's voice carried along the empty corridor easily. She heard the broken furniture scraping off the tiles.

"I'm stuck…"

"We figured something must be up." Harry's voice echoed slightly.

"Yeah well it is. Riddle has the room covered in some sort of spell." Hermione saw the two figures moving through the light that came from one of the empty rooms.

"So he didn't want visitors?" Harry's voice sounded calm. "That's a big surprise."

"Where are you?" Ron asked quietly. He was on the other side of the empty doorframe less than a foot in front of her.

"Right here." Hermione said quietly.

"Right where? There's just an empty room."

"Trust me Ron I think I know where I am, I'm looking at you right now. You have that blue jumper on that your Aunt Millie made you for your birthday."

Ron looked down as if checking to see that's he was right.

"Well I can't see you."

William floated through the wall and observed the door.

"He's right mind Hermione, you can't see you." Ron looked around at the ghost.

"Well trust me I am here." she said casting a worried look around her, she had a feeling that's he wasn't alone anymore, and her company was most definitely this side of the door.

"Have you tried to apperate?" asked Harry.

"Yes. And I've tried to undo the spell but I can't only a parseltongue can get through that door."

Harry grinned in the darkness.

"Just as well you know one then." he opened his mouth and something like an erratic cat like noise came from his mouth.

"That's the noise." said William pointing at Harry. "Oh and I can see you Hermione." the ghost said pointing at the door.

"Good now lets figure out how to get me out of here." she opened her coat showing the three people on the other side the cup she had placed within. "We have something of importance we have to deal with."

She looked at Harry that strange darkness that lived behind his eyes these days flashed to the surface for a second. Hermione couldn't help but look away, whatever the creature was living deep inside her friend she didn't like it and would be glad when it no longer needed to raise it's head.

Ron watched her as she sat on the other side of the door; the three of them had listened to Williams's story about the Death eaters trying to pick up the facts from the story.

Ron ran it through in his head again.

"I have it, Harry you said that Dumbledore was surprised by the easiness of the blood offering right?" Ron asked Harry. Who was busy looking at the doorframe?

"Well yeah he couldn't believe that Voldemort would do something so basic."

Ron felt the grin cross his face.

"Don't you see? He thinks only really powerful and smart wizards will try and go looking for the things. Not the likes of me." Ron gestured to himself.

"Ron get to your point?" said Hermione from the other side of the door.

"You tried apperating right but it wouldn't work?"

Hermione nodded.

"Portkey. If the death eaters just turned up and couldn't leave the room that's got to be it. Straight in straight out no fuss." Hermione was looking at him as if he might possibly have gone mad.

"Portkey? But doesn't the ministry…." she cut off when she looked across at Harry. "Portkey seams like an option."

Ron grabbed an old table leg from the broken cabinet he was sitting on.

He handed it to Harry.

"If I do it I'm bound to mess it up right?" Ron said as Harry took out his wand and pointed it at the lump of wood.

Hermione was looking at Ron with a mix of curiosity and worry.

"I'll come in and get you, Harry is to important if it all goes wrong." he said taking the portkey back from Harry.

The sweeping sensation caught him, and the next thing he knew he was hitting hard cold stone.

"Ron are you ok?"

He felt her hands on his arm as she pulled him to his feet.

He pulled her in to a bone-breaking hug.

"I'll take that as a yes." she said quietly in to his ear, a shiver ran up his spine but it had nothing to do with the touch of Hermione.

Together they both rounded on the Dementors.

"Expecto Patronum"

Both had grabbed the plank of wood and had soon joined Harry on the other side of the door.

"William what's the fastest way out of here?"

"Fire escape at the bottom of the first floor corridor." the ghost said as he floated along side the three of them as they ran.

"Thanks William." Hermione said looking back over her shoulder to see if her Otter was still fighting with the stag and the dog against the blanket of Dementors. They were putting up a good fight and the Dementors were falling back.

"Least I could do." the ghost said quietly.

"Listen if there is anything we can do for you?" Ron said as he helped Hermione climb over an upended bookcase.

"It does get lonely here…" Ron cast a look at Harry and then at Hermione.

"You know it's the beginning of a new term at Hogwarts , you could always go there, I mean just cause you're not a wizard doesn't mean you can't go hang out there, I'm sure myrtle would find room for you in her toilet block."

"You think so?" asked the ghost.

"Yes Myrtle is always on the look out for a new friend, preferably male." said Harry as he pushed open the door to the fire escape.

"I might take you up on that."

"Please do." said Hermione as Ron helped her out on to the iron steps.

"Watch yourselves." William said as he floated back through the now closed door.

Hermione watched for a second until Ron took hold of her hand.

"Come on time to go home."

Ron handed her a hot chocolate as they sat around the fire in the kitchen of number 12.

Hermione accepted the warmth, not only from the chocolate but also from Ron's arms as they wrapped gently around her as he sat on the stool behind her.

All three of them were staring at the broken cup; it stood on a stool in front of the fire.

"That leaves the locket and something of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw's." said Ron eventually.

Harry nodded.

"Just two things?" asked Hermione.

Harry looked at the two of them the dangerous glint had returned to his eye.

"I destroyed the diary, Dumbledore destroyed the ring, the cup is destroyed and that snake is going to be the last thing I destroy before I go after him." Harry said in a low voice.

Hermione felt Ron shudder behind her; she had felt like doing the same thing herself.

"From now on we go nowhere alone." Harry said quietly.

"I know." said Hermione looking in to the fire, she couldn't help but think that right now things could have been so much different.

Harry picked up the cup, Hermione had done every spell she could think of on the thing and still it appeared to be nothing but a cup.

"What do we do with it now?" she asked Harry.

"We return it to Hogwarts. It's no longer a threat, and that's where it should be." he said quietly.

Ron got up and took the cup from Harry.

"Something so old and so full of magic, you would think that Riddle would want to keep it to use."

Hermione sighed.

"Well he's the all powerful Voldemort right, something as trivial as a magic cup isn't going to hold much sway, it's only because it's Helga Hufflepuffs." Hermione walked over and rested on Ron, he wrapped his arm around her. "I'm with Harry it should go back to Hogwarts. As should the real locket. They should be with the founders."

Harry nodded and looked at his watch. "We should go to bed." he said heading for the door.

"Night Harry." said Ron looking at the cup.

"Night." said Harry as he disappeared around the doorframe.

Hermione took the cup away from Ron and put it up on the fireplace.

"Thank you for coming to save me." she said gently kissing him on the chin.

His bright blue eyes looked down at her.

"Well I couldn't leave you could I?" he pulled her closer.

"I liked your patronus." she said gently.

"I thought you might, a little annoying snappy dog."

"No a loyal and faithful companion."

"Oh is that what it is?" he said smiling down at her. His scar glistened in the light of the fire.

"Exactly." she said running her hands up to the back of his head and pulling his head towards hers.

"You have to stop saving me…you're developing a bit of a hero thing…" she said smiling before he kissed her deeply.

The coldness she had been trying to shake since the Dementors attacked finally left her as Ron's mouth moved against hers his hands tracing patterns on the lower of her back.

Ron extinguished the fire with his wand and led her through the kitchen, the stone tiles lit with pools of dawn sunlight.

Out in the corridor Mrs Black cursed them wordlessly from her frame. Hermione made a point of stopping and kissing Ron again in front of it.

If possible, the picture began to act even more irate. Hermione smiled to herself as she led Ron to the room that they shared.

He turned obediently as she changed for bed, as she did for him.

She crawled in to the inviting bed and hugged Ron.

"So were going back to Hogwarts?" Ron asked as the first wave of sleep swept over the two of them.

"Yes, as soon as we find that locket."

"So not to soon then?"

Hermione smiled as she turned and kissed him.

"No not that soon."

Thanks for the reviews. I'm not aloud to do thankyous any more but I'm going to anyway. Lol thanks to the people who spotted the major mistake in the last chapter. I'm trying to go back and fix it but my accounts being strange lol.

And for your info I have now seen GOF and it was bloody marvellous i liked there take on voldemort ….even if the bath bit was disturbing….how perfect were the twins? And pore Neville I was in tears (and of course pore Cedric but he was asking for it) go see it. My faith in the films has been restored. as ever i love your reviews.

xxx paula-lou