I do not own Harry Potter, the lovely JK Rowling does...


Exhausted, Hermione collapsed on the bed after dinner. Mum and Dad were taking Emma and James tonight, which she was grateful for. A peaceful sleep that would last for more than three hours straight. It seemed she hadn't slept at all. Not that she minded. She loved James to death, and she'd willingly lose sleep to care for him. But she just needed a break.

Harry lounged beside her, watching his fiancee sink into the sheets.

"You're beautiful," he murmured.

Hermione blushed and blinked at him, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," he said honestly, and he pressed his forehead to hers like they were earlier when Hermione took her nap. His arm extended around her waist and pushed her closer to him. He was older now, she realized. Nearly seventeen. And he was taller, probably Ron's height. His voice, while deeper, was the same and always calming. His green eyes hid behind his glasses and Hermione reached up and pulled them off of him.

Automatically, he started to squint in order to see her clearly, "You and I are a pretty messed up pair, huh?"

"How so?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged lightly, "I'm missing, you're destined to be the Savior of the Wizarding World, and I'm the bookworm. You're the lazy bum."

"Oi! I'm not a lazy bum," Harry insisted jokingly, chuckling.

Hermione didn't defend her initial claim. Instead she kissed him and slowly turned them so that she was hovering on top of him. His hands still rested on her waist, steadying her. Hermione's own hands were tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. She could never get enough of him.

"I love you," he murmured against her lips.

A smile on her own caused her to pull away, and look at him, "I love you more than you'll ever know."

Hermione was pleased when she saw his eyes light up, even though they were squinting up at her. Hermione kissed him again and pulled her wand out of her back pocket, wordlessly saying a silencing charm. Harry got the hint.

When Hermione awoke, the sunlight was filing in through the windows. She snuggled against Harry's chest, taking his warmth, hoping she'd get a few more hours of sleep. Of course, the knock at the bedroom door denied that.

Hermione moaned in despair and Harry chuckled, "Morning," he murmured.

"Morning," she replied, giving him a quick kiss before sliding out of the bed and pulling her robe on. "Just a second!" Hermione called to whoever was at the door.

"James is hungry, dear," her mother's voice called back. "I've just brought him by."

"Oh," She pulled her pajama bottoms on and opened the door, blocking the view of the bed where Harry was -though she knew he was under the covers and wouldn't scar her mother for life. She took the baby from Linda's arms and he gurgled before letting out a strangled cry and attaching to her hair.

Hermione giggled and uncurled his strong fingers, "I know, James, my hair is fascinating. Let's get you fed, huh?"

Hermione's mum mumbled something about Richard and dashed away, her cheeks red. Hermione was confused as to why until she closed the door and turned to see Harry sitting up in bed, and reaching for his t-shirt, which happened to slightly show his rear-end.

Hermione blushed, and rolled her eyes, "You've thoroughly flashed my mother."

He yelped and fell out of bed, taking the covers with him to cover up. Hermione giggled and sat down in the chair, shouldering her robe to the side as she fed James. Hermione watched as Harry crawled off the floor and pulled his clothing on. The scars on his body were very visible in the sunlight, but she tried not to stare.

Harry walked right up to Hermione, reaching into his pocket, and pressed a locket into her free hand. Hermione stared at it confused, "That was the most unromantic way to give me a piece of jewelery, but-"

"It's not for you," Harry explained. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, this is how Dumbledore died."

She immediately dropped the locket, wondering if it was cursed.

"Okay, I'm not saying this right," Harry admitted. Hermione gave him a look that clearly said, "You think?" Harry sighed and started again, "The night Dumbledore died, we went to this cave. He told me that we were looking for a way to defeat Voldemort-"

"And that necklace?" Hermione prompted.

"I'm getting there," Harry smirked. "This locket was in the cave. We got it and then returned to the Astronomy tower. Death Eaters stormed the castle, and you know the rest. But last night, before I fell asleep, I read it and saw that it was a trick. This necklace is a fake." He picked it up off the ground. "Horcruxes."

Hermione froze at the word, "What?"

"Horcruxes. They're... pieces of his soul," Harry tried to explain.

Hermione nodded, "I read about them in the library here... Harry, are you sure?"

He nodded, "The note is written by R.A.B. And he said that he discovered the secret and well-" He handed her the locket once more and using her free hand she opened it up and read the note.

"So... there are how many, exactly?" Hermione asked faintly.

"Well..." Harry hesitated and she knew it wasn't a good number. James finished then and Hermione put him over her shoulder as she paced the room, burping him. "How many, exactly? Seven. But Dumbledore didn't think he finished. He says there's six."

Hermione gently patted James' back as she nodded to myself, "Okay... so what to do?"

"I have to find them, and destroy them," Harry told her.

"I'm going with," she told him.

"Hermione-"

"No," Hermione told him. "I have to. Harry, now that Dumbledore's gone, he isn't a threat to me anymore. To James. I'm helping with this because I am your friend, your fiancee, and I am not going to just stand aside and watch you get hurt or lost."

"Hermione, it's dangerous-" Harry protested.

"And it's war," she told him. "Come on, I'm not arguing, Harry. It's best you don't go alone. Who are you going to take instead? Ron?"

Harry winced, "Er..."

Hermione blinked, "You were, weren't you?"

"He was, er... sort of there. And I had to-"

"Alright, fine. If you chose Ron over-"

"But what if I did something else?" Harry asked. "Someone the Death Eaters would never suspect I'd travel with."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Who?"

When he told her, Hermione just blinked a moment, before nodding, "Alright. If they say yes."

She convinced him to go on a walk with her and they ended up in the kitchens. The elves happily made them a meal and a few bottles for James for later.

"I'm trying to switch to formula," she explained to Harry. "It's killing me, feeding him all the time. And it'll be easier to sleep if I don't have to be completely awake."

He shrugged, like he didn't require an explanation, and ate some breakfast with me. James happily stuck his hands in Hermione's eggs and then clapped, getting the eggs all over himself.

She giggled, wiping his hands and halfheartedly scolding him, "James! That's not your food."

Harry muttered a quick Scourgify and Hermione let her fingers run through James' thin hair, watching Harry, "When do we leave?"

Harry's eyes moved to her, taking them off James, "We can't take James, and we can't leave him here alone."

And there it was. The big issue. She glanced at James, the same moment Harry did, and James glanced up to look between them, like he knew they were talking about him.

"He wouldn't be alone," but even to her, the words sounded false. She ran her hand through his hair again, "We'll discuss it whenever it's time to go."

Harry nodded slowly, "Okay, til later."

It was near noon when they departed from the kitchen, James happily gurgling in Harry's arms. "Let's go to the garden," she said quietly, taking Harry's hand and lacing her fingers with his own. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"Let's," he agreed.


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Another chapter! Reviews are most welcome(: