AN: I hope you all are still enjoying! Please review
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters
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Days turned into weeks, still Ron had yet to be seen. Weeks turned to months, every where Hermione and Harry ended up she would always look for him. Ron not being there felt weird for her, it was like when Harry wasn't around. Over the past seven years she spent so much of her time with both of them she couldn't imagine her life without either of them. "He'll turn up." Harry said trying to reassure her, sensing her worry. "How do you know?" she asked. "Well, I uh. I just do." he stated. Before leaving to the next location Hermione tied her scarf around a tree, anything to give him clues they had been there. Her and Harry disapperated.
Hermione sat in the tent, listening to the radio. Everyone she loved and cared about was choosing to leave her, Draco chose the Death Eaters over being with her. Ron chose the unknown instead of staying with her and Harry. She thought it only a matter of time before Harry also decided to leave her all alone. Harry however, was doing anything he could to make her feel better to show her he was happy she was there with him. Days later Hermione was sitting on a rock, reading. "Hermione. You were right." Harry walked over to her. "Snitches have flesh memories, but I almost swallowed the first snitch." he handed her the tiny gold ball.
"I open at the close." she read aloud. "Yeah, what do you think it means?" She looked at him. "I'm not sure. I found something too though." She picked up her copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard and pointed to the title page. "It's not a rune, and I can't find it in any other book. So I don't really know what it means." Harry took the book from her. "I've seen this before. Luna's dad was wearing it the day of Bill's wedding."
"Why would someone draw it in a children's book?" she questioned. Harry rubbed his hands together. "Listen Hermione. I've been thinking. I want to go to Godric's Hollow." Hermione stood up. "No Harry it's too dangerous. It means something to you he could be waiting there." Harry stood up behind her. "Well yes, but it also means something to him. He almost died there remember? Perfect place to hide a horcrux don't you think?" She sighed. "Even I have been thinking we will at some point have to go there. I think something else might be hidden there." Hermione started walking back to the tent as she spoke. "What?" Harry asked following her. "The sword. Where else would you hide it than the birthplace of the founder of Gryffindor?"
As the night fell, Harry and Hermione apparated into Godric Hollow. The ground covered in white snow, music coming a church nearby. "I think it's Christmas Eve." Hermione followed Harry's gaze to a graveyard. "Do you think they would be in there?"
"Yeah, I do." Hermione and Harry wandered the graveyard. Wiping snow off a headstone she found the same symbol she saw in the book, wiping further down the stone she read. "Ignotus Peverell." she stood up. "Harry." Her eyes roamed around for him, she finally spotted him off in the distance, standing in front of a headstone. Hermione walked over, she knew he more than likely had found his parents. She read the stone as she walked up behind him. Pulling her wand out, a small wreath of flowers bloomed on the icy ground. "Merry Christmas Harry."
A shiver went up Hermione's spine, not from the cold weather but from someone watching them. She could feel their gaze baring into her. "There someone watching us." she whispered. "By the church." Harry glanced over. A small figure was standing there, it looked like a very small old woman. She turned and began to walk away. "I think I know who that is." They began to follow her, Hermione got a feeling in the pit of her stomach, she didn't like something about this just felt. Off. She couldn't explain why. "I don't like this Harry." They stopped in front of a house. Harry's house. After a few moments the woman approached them, the flies buzzing around. "You're Bethelda aren't you?"
Harry and Hermione followed her back to a small house. Hermione looked around as Harry struck a match to light a candle. That feeling was still in the pit of her stomach, it was almost worse now. Harry followed the old woman up the stairs. "Harry." Hermione whispered. None of this felt right and the feeling was growing as she stood there. Hermione walked around the bottom floor of the home as Harry descended the staircase, the tip of her wand shining bright. A faint buzzing began to fill the air. Flies flew from a door ever so slightly open at the end of the hall. Cautiously she walked towards it, slowly pushing the door open. A swarm of flies flew in the air, buzzing. As Hermione rose her wand she could see a crimson splatter on the ceiling, and the real Bethelda in front of her. "Harry!" Hermione turned to run up the stairs, stumbling over a pile of books in the hallway. She made it to Harry just in time as a very large snake pumped at them. She grabbed Harry's wand, flames shooting from it and apperating out the window.
Hermione was sitting under a tree in the snow, a book in her hand. It was her turn to keep watch. Harry sat down across from her, leaning on another tree. Hermione handed him a book. "The boy in the picture." He flipped through it. "That's the thief I saw in the wand shop. Speaking of which, where is my wand?" Hermione looked down at her hands, she wasn't prepared to tell him this. She took a deep breath and moved her blanket over. "When we were leaving I used a curse and it backfired. I tried to fix it, but it didn't work." Harry looked at the shattered remains of wood on the ground. "I'm sorry." Harry sighed, "Just leave me yours. Go inside and get warm. Leave me the locket as well."
Hermione went into the tent, pulling a blanket over her as she laid down. For a second she forgot about everything that was happening and went back. Her mind traveled to fourth year when Draco had finally kissed her, their meetings in the library, when he finally said her name. His voice played in her head. "Hermione." he spoke. She wiped her eyes as a tear fell, she wondered if she would ever see him again, hear his voice, look into those stormy eyes. Draco's face was the last image her mind played as she went to sleep. The sun came up, warming up the snowy ground. She exited the tent as a familiar voice rang. Hermione saw a familiar red-head walking along side Harry. "You are an asshole Ronald Weasley!" The boys were almost shocked steam wasn't shooting out of her ears with how she sounded. She ran up to him, grabbing his bag and hitting him with it. "That's all you have to say is 'hey'? Where my wand Harry?"
Harry moved, she chased him. "Give me my wand Harry." She ran behind him. "Harry Potter you give me my wand!" he backed into a tree pulling his shirt down. "What is that?" Ron holds up the destroyed locket. "And how is it you just so happened to find the sword of Gryffindor?" Harry walked closer to her. "It's a long story." Hermione shook her head, she was so angry she was lost for words. "This doesn't change anything." Hermione turned to walk back to the tent. "Look I wanted to come back as soon as I left." Ron was trying to mend things. "I just didn't know where to find you. Then I heard you in Godric's Hollow coming out of the deluminator. I knew it would take me where I needed to go." She was still mad at him, but it was starting to go away slightly.
It was later on that night, the wind was whipping outside. Hermione entered the tent. "I want to go see Luna's dad." Harry looked at her. "Dumbledore wrote a letter to someone. Look at the signature." She folded the book back and showed the page to Harry. "It's the mark again. We keep seeing it. We need to get some answers, this obviously means something." Ron stepped up. "She's right. We should go see him." The trio traveled to Luna Lovegood's home, Luna's father was there but she wasn't. Mr. Lovegood answered the door, he looked different than he had at the wedding darker. "How can I help you?" he asked as they sat. "Its a symbol you were wearing at the wedding." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace. "This? Well, it's the sign of the deathly hallows. I'm sure you're familiar with the tale of the three brothers?"
"Yes." Hermione and Ron answered together. Harry looked at them, "Um, no." Hermione reached into her bag. "I have it in here." She pulled out Tales of Beedle the Bard and flipped through pages. She began to read the fable out loud. The tale talked of three brothers who came across death at a river after they made a bridge and cheated death. Death told the brothers they each would be granted a prize for evading him. The first brother asked for a wand so powerful, the second for a stone that could overturn death, the third brother asked for something that would allow him to go without being bothered by death so he was given a cloak. The first brother used the wand to kill someone, after bragging about it the first brother was killed and the wand was stolen. The second brother went home and used the stone to bring back someone he loved, soon she turned cold because she didn't belong there so he took his life. The third brother was left un-bothered till a very old age and the cloak was given to his son. "I still don't understand." Harry spoke. Mr. Lovegood found a pen and began drawing the symbol explaining how the story ties in with the symbol. "Together they make one master of death."
Mr. Lovegood grew flustered and frantic. "Thank you sir." Hermione said as they got downstairs. "We need to be going." Mr. Lovegood ran to the other side of the house, knocking into a table dishes falling to the floor. "No you can't!" he shouted. Hermione looked puzzled as he ran, blocking the door. "You're my only hope." He was trembling. "They were angry so they took her. They took my Luna!" He had a blank stare in his eyes. Tears fell from his cheek as he placed his hand on his chest. "My sweet Luna." he slowly walked forward towards Harry. "But it's you they want." Harry looked up at him. "Who took her sir?" Hermione knew the answer to the question, she wasn't sure why he had to ask. "Voldemort." As Mr. Lovegood spoke his name, black misty clouds flew in and out of the home. Paper flying in the air, dishes and windows breaking. The trio crawled on the floor, spells were flying from everywhere as they touched hands they apperated in a forest.
"Is there no one we can trust?" Ron stood. Hermione brushed the dirt off her. "I'll do the enchantments." Ron walked to the tree line before stopping. A man rose to his feet, along with another and another. They were surrounded. "Hello beautiful." A man stood before Hermione, her scarf around his neck. He played with the fabric as he spoke. Hermione recognized him as the snatcher from before. The three of them sprinted off into the woods. "Snatch 'em!" The group of hunters followed behind them. Spells hit the trees as they ran, twigs and branches breaking. Chains wrapped around Ron's feet as he fell. Hermione knew they couldn't out run them. She stopped, Harry running behind her as a spell hit him in the face. A stinging charm. His face began to swell. Hermione ran to his side and grabbed his wand hiding it. "What happened to you?" a snatcher asked. He moved around the group asking for names. They all lied. "Change of plan. This lots not going to the ministry." Bellatrix stood behind the gate as the snatchers approached. He moved Harry's hair back showing his forehead. "Get Draco." Bellatrix whispered. Hermione's heart stopped, they were at Malfoy Manor.
Draco's heart stopped as he saw her standing there in his living room. His worst fear. "Well?" Bellatrix pushed Harry to the floor in front of Draco. He looked at him, "I can't be sure." Draco lied. "Look closely." His father approached him. "If we bring the Dark Lord Harry Potter we will forever be in his good graces. Everything will be forgiven." Draco's mind was everywhere it needed to be but here. However, he had already made his mind up. He was not going to turn in Harry, he wasn't just going to hand over the girl he loved to the Death Eaters. He refused to do it. "Don't be shy." Draco kneeled in front of Harry looking at him. "What's wrong with his face?" Bellatrix looked up. "Oh yes. What is wrong with his face?" Harry was staring at Draco, his eyes pleading with him to do the right thing. Draco got up as Bellatrix walked towards Ron and Hermione. "What's that?"
"It was in her bag when we searched em. Figured it mine now." The snatcher clutched the sword in his hand. Bellatrix knocked him back, the rest of the snatchers began to run. They couldn't out run her spells through. She grabbed the sword, screaming "Get out!". She grabbed Ron. "Put the boys in the cellar. Whilst I have a little conversation with this one." Hermione was hyperventilating, Bellatrix was completely mad. Draco stared, he didn't like where this was going. Bellatrix pushed Hermione on the ground, straddling her she leaned down. "That sword was meant to be in my vault, how did you get it?" Hermione shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. This was it, she thought. This is how I die in Draco's living room. Every possible idea was racing through her mind, none of them good. "How did you take it from my vault?!"
"I didn't take anything I swear." Hermione's voice was almost pleading. "Please, I didn't take anything." She shook her head back and forth. Bellatrix leaned over, sinking her rotten looking teeth into her arm. Draco stood there, he watched as Hermione screamed. He had never heard her sound like that. He was frozen. Bellatrix pulled out her wand, the tip of it meeting Hermione's flesh she began to write. A seering, burning pain shot through her. "No!" she screamed her voice breaking. "Please no!" Tears flooded from Hermione's eyes as Bellatrix wrote on her. Her screaming echoed through the house, for Draco it was even louder. There was was, standing watching his insane aunt torture the girl he so dearly cared about and he couldn't do anything. His father and mother sat by the fireplace, completely unphased by what was happening right in front of them.
Thuds mixed with Hermione's ear piercing screams and she kicked her feet, moving back and forth trying anything to get the woman off of her. Her screams began to get louder. Tears welled in Draco's eyes as he watched the scene in front of him. He felt weak, like a coward for doing nothing, but what could he do. Hermione turned her head away, her gaze landing on Draco. She didn't have to say anything, he could see it in her eyes. 'Help me', they pleaded with him. Tears fell down his cheeks as he looked at her, she had fallen numb and gone quiet. Hermione laid there on the floor of the manor after Bellatrix was done carving the word 'mudblood' into her. She would now forever be marked as what she was. Hermione never took her eyes off Draco even as Bellatrix was screaming at a goblin banker. She wanted him to never forget this, how he stood there and watched.
Hermione closed her eyes, she felt even more betrayed and hurt than she did last year when she found out the rumors had been true that he had become a death eater. "Consider yourself lucky, goblin." Bellatrix walked back, circling Hermione laying lifeless on the floor. She wasn't dead, but she felt like she was. "The same can't be said for this one." Draco's aunt had decided she was going to kill Hermione. Draco sniffled as he stood in a corner, he wanted to run out, to grab his wand and stun her and get Hermione out of there. Draco also knew that doing so would cause even more problems, his father was there. How would he react? Would his father harm his own son for helping a muggle-born, for loving a muggle-born? Draco knew the answer. Yes. He was at a crossroad again. His family, or her.
Ron and Harry ran up the stairs, "Stupify!" Lucious Malfoy flew back. A small battle ensued between the boys, Draco and his mother. Ron and Harry moved towards the Malfoy's spells flying, as they moved back, blocking and dodging their attacks. "Stop!" It was Hermione. "Drop your wands." Bellatrix commanded, as they looked she had taken Hermione. A knife to her throat. Hermione's breath quickened as she felt the cold blade against her skin. Ron and Harry dropped their wands. "Now Draco." Draco grabbed their wands, he was going to listen and do as he was told now he felt it was the only way to not make this any worse than it had already gotten. Hermione wept as Bellatrix moved forward, her hand pulling Hermione's head back. "Looky looky. It's Harry Potter." She took a few more steps. "Call him." Draco stared at the mad woman. Harry glanced over at the blonde, wondering what decision he would make. "Call him." she demanded again, Draco stood there. He wasn't going to do it. Lucious on the other hand was not afraid to.
He walked forward, rolling the sleeve of his shirt up to expose the dark mark. Hermione looked at the ceiling, tears of relief fell as she saw a familiar creature swinging from the chandelier. It was Dobby. It came crashing down, Bellatrix fell backwards as Hermione ran forward to Harry and Ron. Draco fell, moving to the side. Harry grabbed the wands back from Draco and they disapperated onto a beach. Hermione clutched her forearm, the sound of waves rushing in the background. Everyone made it out, except Dobby. A knife had made it out with them, hitting the elf as they landed. "Hermione can fix this." Hermione looked at Harry, for the first time she had nothing. Nothing she had could fix this. "I'm sorry." she wiped her eyes. "I want to bury him. No magic." The trio sat in the tall grass. Thanks to Dobby they were alive. Things could and would only get worse from he