The research on artifacts belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw wasn't going well.
In the two weeks that Draco and Hermione had spent searching for potential heirlooms belonging to said founder, every corner they had turned became a dead end.
"Unbelievable," Hermione had said in frustration, as she tossed a text carelessly beside her on the sofa, "Everything I've read about Rowena's belongings is all speculation - nothing concrete."
She sighed and looked up at Draco, who was sitting in his usual spot on the reclining chair, "There are about one hundred different leads that we could follow - but who has the time and manpower for that?"
She stood and began pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, "And what's more...time is a luxury we don't have. We've already wasted precious researching hours by brewing the Polyjuice Potion - I know it was necessary, but I still feel as though we haven't accomplished anything. And if what Snape told us is true..." she trailed off.
Snape had contacted them a week ago by means of his Patronus. Evidently, his situation was too dire to warrant using the Dark Mark and meeting Draco in person. His Patronus remained for a total of three seconds before disappearing.
"He is on the move. You must hurry."
The message, of course, sent Hermione into a fit, and she began researching with new vigor and desperation.
And then, the newspaper articles started appearing.
Hermione took regular visits to Hanoock - usually during the late evening hours, so that she wasn't as easily recognized, and snatched copies of the local paper. The last few days alone had reports of mass murders of unidentified groups of individuals that left the local muggle authorities scratching their heads.
"It's him," Hermione said, returning from Hanoock one blustery night, and throwing the paper into Draco's lap, "It's Voldemort. Something must have happened if he's feeling confident enough to be making his actions public like this. Before we know it...he'll be after the Ministry."
Draco frowned as he scanned over the article, "What more can we do?" he asked, "We can't go out and meet him head on until we find that Horcrux. And as for the Death Eaters...we can only hope that the Order has enough resources to handle them."
Hermione sat on the sofa, leaned over and put her head in her hands.
After a moment, she heard the creaking of the recliner as Draco stood and then sat down beside her.
"Hey," he said, taking both of her hands from her head and setting them gently in his lap, "It'll be okay. We can do this."
His thumb gently grazed the back of her hand for a slight moment.
Hermione's startled eyes searched Draco's face, and then just as quickly as it had happened, Draco returned to the recliner without another word.
Hermione's mind reeled over the imposed intimacy of the gesture, but then she remembered herself.
"You're right," she said, with a new sense of discipline, "We can do this."
Draco began reading and scanning through as many of the dark texts from his library as he could - praying that there might be something - anything mentioned about a special heirloom with potential power and dominion. At the same time, Hermione was racking her brain and going over the minute details in Hogwarts: A History, while copiously scanning the index and bibliography.
It was the night after Draco had fleetingly, albeit intently touched Hermione's hand.
Why am I referring back to that?
Are all the important events in my life going to now be traced back to that single moment?
'Two years, and twenty-six days after Draco touched my hand with such tenderness...gentleness...
Okay, enough, Granger.
You're starting to lose it.
Hermione was sitting on the sofa, scanning over the bibliography of Hogwarts: A History, while Draco was in the kitchen preparing something for them to eat.
From the smell of it, whatever it was; it was burning.
"Let's see...Year with the Yeti, by Gilderoy Lockhart - like that will have anything remotely factual... Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, An Anthology of Eighteenth-Century Charms..."
Hermione was pondering over the implications of the last text when, without warning, a great stag Patronus burst into the entryway and shook it's massive head.
Draco, upon seeing it's brilliant light, came running from the kitchen still holding something closely resembling a spatula.
"Hermione!" The Patronus pleaded with Harry's distraught voice, "Please, wherever you are...we need you...there's been an attack - Lupin...it's bad. I'm not sure if he's going to make it. Please...we're at the new headquarters location, on the shores below the White Cliffs of Dover...I need to know that you're safe. Things are getting really bad..."
The Patronus looked knowingly at Hermione, and then disappeared into a vaporous mist.
Hermione stared at the space where Harry's Patronus had just been - her eyes wide with shock.
Then, shaking her head, she reached into her robe, pulled out her wand, and shouted, "Accio Hermione's cloak!"
Draco - still reeling over the sight of Harry's Patronus, dropped the spatula and ran over to Hermione.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked, as she grabbed her cloak, and roughly threw it over her shoulders.
Draco looked at her in near desperation, "You can't go out there, Hermione. It's too dangerous."
Hermione shoved Draco's hand off her shoulder and strode purposefully to the great entryway doors.
"Don't you dare attempt using that on me, Draco. I can take care of myself - and you know it," she said with a note of finality in her voice.
But Draco quickly caught up to her and spun her around so fast that Hermione's head was momentarily spinning.
"Are you kidding me? The newspapers are reporting mass murders all over Britain - which you know damn well to be muggles and muggle-borns, and you're telling me that it's not dangerous for you to go out there? Not to mention that you will have to answer to Potter and the rest of the Order where you've been this entire time! Do you not recall Snape telling you that it would be dangerous for Potter to know anything that we've been working on? It's a bad idea all around, Hermione. I refuse to let you go."
Hermione's eyes narrowed as soon as he spoke that last sentence, "Oh, you refuse, do you? Well, let me tell you something, Draco," she spat, as she emphasized his name, "You do not control me, or own me, and you do not have the power to refuse to let me do anything. Harry and the Order are in trouble, and they need me. I'm going."
Draco gripped her arm all the more tighter and looked into her eyes, "Please, Hermione," he begged, "Don't do this. We don't have much time...Snape said that we must hurry."
Hermione's eyes softened momentarily, "Draco, do you remember what I told you the very first day that I saw you in the manor? I gave you my word. Remember? I need you to trust in that. And I swear to you, I will be back," she paused as she sought his frightened eyes, "I will help you finish this - I swear to God."
Draco's eyes appeared wild and unfocused and he pondered what she had just said, "Snape told me not to let you out of my sight. Something could go wrong...something could happen...and then if I came out to...help you...everything would be ruined. Everything that we've worked for. You can't go, Hermione. Please, you must see the greater cause in this."
Anger returned to Hermione, and she pulled forcefully away from him - but to no avail, "Draco. Let go of me! Don't you put this on me like that! Lupin could be dead! I have to go! Don't you see? He's the leader of the Order! I can help! And maybe they have information that will help us with what we're looking for! Now, let go!"
Each word she annunciated was followed by a hard jerk as Hermione tried to free herself from Draco's grip.
"Hermione, no! They are specifically targeting muggle-borns! Stop being so thick! You would be the Dark Lord's greatest prize - the best friend of Harry Potter! Do you even know what he would do to you?" Draco yelled, as he struggled to keep her within his grasp. "He would torture you beyond anything you can possibly imagine in order to lure Potter to him, and then he would kill you both!"
"Stop it!" Hermione shouted, "I'm not a child, and they need me! Don't make me do this..." she warned as she locked eyes with him.
When he still refused to loosen his hold; Hermione, with incredible speed and precision, pulled her wand out with her free hand and pointed it directly at Draco.
"Stupefy!" she screamed.
"Protego!" Draco called, at the exact same moment.
The red light that shot from Hermione's wand hit a brilliant blue shield that surrounded Draco.
And that was all she needed.
Now free from Draco's grasp, she ran at full speed through the massive doors and into the menacing night storm.
But Draco was hot on her heels, and the minute she was out into the blowing wind and rain, he pointed his wand at her running form.
"Impedimentia!" he screamed.
Hermione turned around, and wordlessly deflected the curse as lightening flashed and lit up the castle grounds.
"Stupefy!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
"Impedimentia!"
Draco shouted in succession.
Hermione was forced to stop running toward the apparation border and dodge to her right to avoid getting hit.
"Draco! Stop this! I'm wasting time!" She screamed over the howling wind, "You do not want to duel with me - I swear to you!"
But Draco was looking at her with purpose. Whether due to the fact that he had stalled her from running head first into what he felt was inevitable danger, or the fact that she was now so furious that she would duel him in a heart beat, he wasn't quite sure.
And in that moment Hermione saw in Draco's eyes, as the lightning flashed and lit up the depths within, that he was not going to let her leave.
She stared silently at him as the storm blew her hair and robes into a raging fury.
"Fine," she muttered to herself, deeply, "So be it."
Draco's wand hand twitched as he waited for her move.
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione yelled.
The force of the spell was so great that Draco had to dive out of the way and into the muddy ground.
He looked up from his prone position - genuinely startled, and then a small grin spread across his face.
She wasn't holding back.
He was on his feet again, within seconds, "Is that the best you've got?" he yelled, provokingly.
Enraged, Hermione began maneuvering her wand in a furious succession of movements.
Brilliant colors of red, blue, yellow, and purple lit up the night sky and reflected wildly in her eyes and she deftly maneuvered her wand.
Never once did she utter a single word.
Draco was blocking, dodging, and diving as best he could as the curses kept coming in his direction.
Every time he went to go on the offensive, another curse would fly directly at him, and he was forced to defend himself or dart swiftly out of the way.
Finally, dropping to the ground and rolling slightly to avoid a blue jet of light that narrowly missed him, Draco pointed his wand at Hermione and screamed, "Expelliarmus!"
Hermione, who was in the middle of a complex wand motion, was not ready for the spell, and her wand was forced from her hand.
Despite the powerful storm that was raging around them, Hermione heard her wand land with an audible "clang" next to Draco's prone position on the ground.
Lightening flashed, as Draco grinned in triumph and he grabbed her wand and stood from the muddy ground.
He raised Hermione's own wand at her, and shouted, "Stupefy!"
But instead of dodging or running from the spell, Hermione gave Draco a knowing grin just as the force of the spell was about to hit her.
She raised both her hands and yelled loudly, "Protego!"
A blinding light emanated from her hands, and a blue shield completely engulfed her - leaving her completely unharmed.
Breathing heavily, Draco appeared mildly startled.
But then, with a wand in each hand like a warrior engaging in battle, he began firing off every spell that he could think of.
And once more, a plethora of colors lit the entire expanse of the grounds, as Hermione blocked, dodged, and fired off spells of her own without the use of a wand.
An overwhelming crack of a thundercloud above made Hermione drop to her knees and cover her ears - so great was the percussion.
Draco, taking advantage of her vulnerable position, stood, and fired a spell directly at her.
Looking up, Hermione saw the jet of light heading straight for her, and everything seemed to momentarily slow down.
With a contemptuous glare at Draco, she closed her eyes.
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Her erratic breathing filled her ears with such an overwhelming volume that she could no longer hear the ranging inferno around her.
Still crouched on the muddy ground, Hermione slowly and deliberately opened her eyes just as the blazing light was ready to hit her squarely in the face.
A brilliant light instantly emanated from within her, and she launched herself into the sky in her griffin form, just as the spell hit the ground beneath her.
Despite the torrential storm around her, she heard Draco curse loudly as he, too, transformed into his animagus form, and kicked off the ground hard after her.
While the dragon had the advantage of speed and power, the griffin had agility, sharpness, and the ability to turn on a dime.
Hermione flew around the spires of the castle, deftly weaving in and around them, as Draco let out a roar of frustration behind her. As Hermione rounded the highest spire, she was met by a blazing stream of fire from Draco's mouth. Immediately, she shot straight up into a vertical position, like a rocket launching into the night sky, as the light diminished beneath her.
And then, with her keen griffin senses working in overdrive, her eyes searched the muddy ground beneath her as she desperately searched for her wand. A slight gust of wind blew a small stick of wood around recklessly several meters from where she hovered, and immediately, she dove into a tailspin to retrieve it.
There it is.
She pushed herself further and faster towards the earth as she heard Draco's powerful wings just slightly behind her.
Stretching her claws forward, she continued to dive toward the earth, and then, pulling up at the last possible second, she reached down and snatched her wand.
The larger and less agile form of Draco had pulled up moments before, and now Hermione was spinning through the air in a corkscrew formation as she launched herself with all the power in her body towards the apparation point.
Keeping her head low and streamlined with her body, she continued to pull herself forward as Draco became caught in a strong gust behind her. She heard him slow as his wings pounded the air to regain control, and her eyes narrowed with purpose as she was mere meters to the large, black boulder.
Finally throwing herself over the rock, she transformed to her human form, clutched her wand tightly, and apparated.
The last sound Hermione heard before she felt the familiar compression, was the anguished roar of a dragon.
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Hermione was running.
She ran as fast as her legs could carry her - which was, unfortunately, not as fast as she normally ran.
Greatly fatigued from her recent exertions with wandless magic and her battle in the night sky with Draco, Hermione struggled and stumbled over the precarious rocks and driftwood as massive waves crashed against a nearby shore.
The full moon gave off enough light for Hermione to see that straight above her was a massive cliff that appeared to be at least twice the size of the one at Muron Castle. Further up the shoreline, she could make out the forms of wind beaten trees that clung fiercely with their straining roots to the slippery rocks.
Hermione pressed forward - towards the new headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
Tripping over a blunt rock hidden surreptitiously in a kelp bed, Hermione launched forward, scraping her knee on a particularly jagged rock. Briefly stopping to wipe the blood from her leg, Hermione cursed quietly, and was off running again.
Her thoughts kept returning to Harry's urgent Patronus.
Lupin...It's bad...
I'm not sure if he's going to make it...
Tears stung Hermione's eyes and she continued to push herself along the shore.
How could the Order survive without Lupin?
How could she survive?
Remus Lupin had been her mentor, teacher, and friend for as long as she could remember.
Ever since Dumbledore's death, he had been her refuge - the one person besides Harry that she had to hold onto.
Lupin was the only thing in her retched world that had made any sense after Ron had been murdered.
And though Hermione had never admitted it, because she was slightly ashamed, Lupin had become more like a father to her than anyone had ever been - even her own blood father.
She remembered how Lupin had smiled when she first told him of his influence and the effect he had been upon her life.
"Hermione," he had said looking down at her, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
Hermione smiled, knowing the reference was to Albus Dumbledore, "Issac Newton? I'm impressed. He was a muggle, you know," she had said, with a grin.
"That's what you think," he replied with the same smile.
A tree branch scraping her face brought Hermione back to reality as she raced along the treacherous shoreline.
The beach was so cold that the trees sagged with the added weight of the frost.
She could see her breath.
And then, miraculously - there it was.
An old run-down shack.
Bent on it's hinges, the post and lintel doorway looked as though it might topple over at any given moment. The structure appeared not unlike the Shrieking Shack back at Hogwarts.
Light was coming through every window, making a clear path to the front door.
With a renewed sense of energy, she sprinted up the path to the doorway and collided with a figure that had come through the unbalanced entryway at the exact same moment.
A mass of untidy raven hair was all she needed to see to know that it was Harry Potter that she was clinging to. His arms immediately embraced her and they clutched each other tightly - as though they might never see one another again.
"Hermione!" Harry said into her thick, muddied hair, "I've been so worried about you!"
"I know!" Hermione replied, as her arms tightened around Harry's neck, "I'm sorry. I couldn't say anything...I've missed you...so much," she trailed off.
After several moments of embracing, they pulled apart and looked each other over for the first time in months.
It was the longest that they had ever been apart.
"Hermione," Harry said, as he took in her bleeding cheek and her muddy, torn robes, "What happened to you? Are you hurt?"
Hermione looked down at her robes and shook her head, dismissively, "I'm fine. How's Lupin? What happened?"
Harry seemed reluctant to let the subject of Hermione's wellbeing slide, but he quickly ushered her through the door, "Come in, it's freezing out here."
Hermione nodded, "I know. I could see my breath. What's going on? I've never seen trees freeze this close to the ocean before."
"Dementors," Harry said, angrily.
Hermione's eyes widened as she put a hand over her mouth, "Dementors?" she repeated, "But how could they know you were here? Were you followed when you evacuated Blackmoor Forest? Is it Voldemort?"
Harry shook his head, "Not now, Hermione," he said, as he lead her through the narrow hallway that opened into a cozy family room.
Lupin was laying pale and prone on a couch, with Tonks leaning over him holding a washcloth to his forehead. Hagrid and Moody were next to a small fireplace, working over an ancient looking cauldron, and Mr. Weasley was in the corner, looking slightly worse for wear, but leaning intently over a book.
Despite the grave situation, Hermione's heart nearly burst with happiness at seeing her close friends and mentors. Tears filled her eyes, as she saw Tonks look up from Lupin, gently set the washcloth down, and then sprint to embrace Hermione.
"Hermione!" Tonks cried, as she hugged her friend, "We've been so worried!"
At Tonks' exclamation, everyone in the room turned to acknowledge Hermione's presence.
Mr.Weasley quickly left the small desk he had been occupying, Hagrid thundered across the small room, and even Moody looked up from whatever it was he was brewing.
They all hugged and greeted Hermione with tear filled eyes - with the exception of Moody, who strode across the room, grabbed Hermione's arm, and jabbed his wand to her throat.
"We don't know for sure if it's her!" he yelled, as everyone immediately screamed for him to let her go.
"Alastor!" Mr. Weasley shouted, "Harry just summoned her, of course it's Hermione!"
"Where was the last place that you went on a mission with me?" Moody demanded, as he spun Hermione around so they were face to face.
"Malfoy Manor," Hermione replied, angrily, " And it was the seventh time we had searched the damn place!"
Moody roughly released her arm and returned to his cauldron on the fireplace without another word.
Hermione glared after him.
"Yeh okay, Hermione? Yeh look eh little roughed up," Hagrid asked, as he placed a massive hand on her shoulder.
"I'm fine, Hagrid, really. I just tripped and feel into some mud," she replied, and then turned to Tonks and Harry, who were kneeling over Lupin's unmoving body, "What happened to him?"
Harry looked up her, took off his glasses and wiped them on his equally dirty robe, "He's been hit with a curse that I've never seen before. No one knows what it is. He's barely...hanging in," he said, casting a cautious glance a Tonks, who was stroking Lupin's forehead and sniffing loudly.
Hermione walked around the couch and closely observed Lupin for the first time since arriving at the shack.
She couldn't believe what she saw.
Staining Lupin's pale skin, were crimson streaks that were oozing from every orifice on his face. His ears, eyes, nose and mouth all had blood pouring out at a rapid pace. Tonks couldn't wipe the surface clean fast enough before the traitorous crimson liquid appeared again.
It was a grizzly sight.
"Oh Remus," Hermione said, softly as she feel to her knees beside Tonks, "What happened to you?"
"It was Malfoy," Harry said, furiously behind her.
Hermione's head spun around so quickly that she heard a slight "pop!" in her neck.
"What?" she demanded, locking eyes with Harry.
"Lucius," Harry reiterated, "He was the one that hit him with the curse."
Hermione's heartbeat slowly returned to it's normal baseline.
The mention of the Malfoy name around the Order frightened her - no one could know about Draco's true loyalties.
As she returned to the gruesome sight of Lupin's face, a startling realization hit her.
"Wait," she said quietly, more to herself, than to anyone in particular, "I've seen these symptoms..." she whispered, as she regarded Lupin more closely.
"What?" Harry and Tonks both asked, as they look at her frantically, "You know what this is?" Tonks asked - her voice pleading.
"Yes, I've read about these symptoms before..." Hermione trailed off.
Her thoughts flew to the night she had read about the Mudiaticus Curse.
What was that book?
Think, Hermione, think!
Or course!
Beyond Unforgivables: Uncommon Curses that can be the Wizard's Darkest Ally.
And then, it all came flooding back at a rapid pace.
Hermione had read about Lupin's symptoms in the very chapter before she had been injured by the Mudiaticus Curse. It was in Beyond Unforgiveables; one of the texts she had read from Draco's library.
...will cause blood flow to pour from every orifice on the face, eventually leaving the victim to bleed to death.
Yes, but what else?
Hermione massaged her temples and she struggled to remember the passage.
...excruciatingly painful...
...will take hours for the victim to finally succumb...
...wave your wand in a figure eight clockwise pattern...
And then, Hermione's eyes shot open.
To counteract the effects of this curse, the victim must have a sufficient offering of blood from an outside participant, which is to be administered into the mouth. The moment the blood touches the mouth, the outside participant must recite the incantation, 'Sangre Reverso!'
"I've got it," Hermione exclaimed, as she pulled up her cloak and robes, revealing her cut knee.
Everyone's attention was focused on Hermione - the newfound hope for their fallen leader, nearly tangible.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked, as he knelt beside Hermione.
"Saving his life," she replied, as she conjured a vile and started siphoning blood from her knee. Slowly, she filled the vile and then hobbled over to Lupin. Gently lifting his head, she put the vile to his lips.
"What the bloody hell are you doing!?" Moody demanded, as she limped forward on his bad leg.
Hermione turned around with fire in her eyes, "Trust me, Mad-Eye, this will work."
Moody started shouting again, but before he could do anything, Hermione had emptied the vile into Lupin's mouth, and shouted while drawing her wand, "Sangre Reverso!"
Silence.
Everyone leaned forward.
I can only pray that it was 'a sufficient offering.'
After several moments of silence, there was still nothing.
Cursing loudly, Hermione threw up her robes again, and was once more preparing to dig all the blood she could out of her knee, when suddenly, there was a loud shriek from Tonks as she leaned over Lupin's body.
"It's working!" she screamed, as tears of joy flowed down her face, "He's no longer bleeding!"
And sure enough, when Hermione leaned around Harry to look at Lupin's face, the crimson stain was no longer present. His sickeningly pale face had regained some color, and his breathing was less shallowed.
"It worked, Hermione! It worked!" Tonks cried, as she threw her arms around her friend, "Thank you! I don't know how I can ever..."
But Hermione cut Tonks off, "Hey, there's no need to thank me. I'm just glad that I could help," she said as she pulled Tonks away and steadied her.
"That was brilliant, Hermione! Well done!" Hagrid exclaimed, happily, as he roughly patted Hermione on the back - nearly causing her to fall forward on her face.
Hermione smiled and excepted all of the 'thanks' and the 'well done's' from the Order, but her eyes sought for the emerald green ones that she knew so well.
Finally, she found them.
"Hermione," Harry began, quietly, "Could, I...er...talk to you for a moment in private?" he asked, as he looked around at the others.
"Sure," Hermione replied, reluctantly, "I'll be right back, Hagrid," she called over her shoulder. But everyone was too overjoyed about Lupin's sudden change in condition to notice her leaving the room. She followed Harry up some precarious wooden stairs that creaked and groaned under her weight.
On the second level, they entered a small bedroom that housed a twin bed, a desk, and several Quidditch supplies. On the desk was a photo of Harry and Ginny at her graduation.
"Home sweet home?" Hermione asked, as she sat herself on the edge of the twin bed.
Harry tried to fake a smile, but failed miserably.
He regarded her silently for several moments before speaking.
"Hermione," he began, in a low tone, trying to keep his composure, "It's been months. Where have you been? I was worried sick!"
His voice level was starting to rise.
Evidently, all hopes of composure were fluttering out the window.
"You leave me this note...a vague note that says that you're going to Malfoy Manor, and then I get some strange message from your Patronus, and that's it!? We went back to the manor and Death Eaters had been there! The whole front of the home had imploded! Can you even imagine how worried I was?"
Harry was absolutely fuming as he paced the rickety floor in front of her.
Hermione watched in silence, as he continued with his tirade, until he halted and knelt in front of her and grabbed her cold hands.
"Hermione," he said, straining to hide his emotion, "I thought I had lost you. The Death Eaters have been on the move ever since you left...I wasn't sure if you had be captured...I didn't even know if you were alive..."
Oh, Harry.
I'm so sorry.
"Harry," Hermione began, her voice too, strained with emotion, "I am so sorry. But please," she implored, as she grabbed his hands tightly, "I need you to believe me when I say that it was something that had to be done."
Harry looked up at her, his glasses still dirty, as tears slowly streamed down his face, "Where have you been?"
And Hermione thought of Draco.
Draco had wandered into her heart quietly, stealthily, so that much of the time she wasn't truly sure that he was actually there.
But he was.
She thought of the indescribable look that sometimes crossed his eyes as he looked her over when he didn't think she was looking.
She thought of the genuine panic he had been in when her arm was literally splitting in two.
And as she thought of him, something in her heart began to swell.
Hermione's eyes were locked on Harry's and then she forcefully closed them, squeezing them tight, as a few tears escaped, "I can't tell you," she whispered.
Harry's eyes searched Hermione's face, but she still refused to open her eyes, "You can't tell me?" he demanded, "Why the hell not?"
"Harry, please!" Hermione cried, as she opened her eyes, and fell down to her knees so that they were level with one another, "Please," she pleaded again, "If there was anytime ever in the history of our friendship that I needed you to trust me, to believe me, to have faith in me - it's this moment."
"Hermione," Harry whispered, "we've told each other everything our entire lives. We have no secrets. You were the first one to know about Ginny...we tell each other everything, right? Horcruxes - everything...we have no secrets."
Hermione looked at Harry for a long moment.
She never imagined it would be so difficult for her to keep this from him.
It would be so easy just to tell him.
And he was right, they had told each other everything for as long as she could remember.
They had no secrets.
But then Hermione remembered Snape, and what he had said regarding Voldemort.
"The Dark Lord can access Potter's brain at any given moment. If he were to find out that you were in leave with myself and Draco, it would destroy the entire operation. Not to mention...kill us all."
And that was what it boiled down to.
Harry would just have to trust her.
"Harry," Hermione said, as she grabbed the sides of his face and looked deeply into his eyes, "I know we have no secrets. But this...this is something else. Not only is this for your protection, but for mine and everyone else that has been involved in this rebellion. The Order - everyone. I need you to put your faith in me. This is something...that we can't do together." Harry's eyes widened at Hermione's last words, "I'm so sorry," she finished.
Harry looked at her quietly for several moments, before he mimicked her action and grabbed the sides of her head so that they were clinging to each other - face to face.
"Hermione, I trust you...I trust you with my life. And I'll believe you when you tell me that this is something that you have to do on your own. But you look me in the eye right now..." he cracked as he starting crying freely, "...and you promise me, that no matter what, you will come back. No matter what, you'll be okay. We've already lost Ron to this madness...I...I can't lose you too. You're my sister - my best friend. You have to promise me, Hermione."
Hermione's cheek stung from where she had cut it on the tree. Her salty tears were pouring freely into the open wound.
"Harry," she began, shakily, "I swear that I will do everything in my power. I promise you...this will end. Voldemort will not win. And you will have a normal, happy life like you've always deserved. I swear it."
Harry nodded, as he gently rested his forehead against Hermione's.
They sat that way, for several moments.
Finally, Harry broke the contact, wiped his nose, and looked at Hermione.
"The last Horcrux belongs to Ravenclaw," he said, as his voice gained some composure.
Hermione's eyes immediately lit up, "I know," she said, "Did you tell Lupin?"
Harry nodded, "Right after you sent your Patronus. You were right, he's been an invaluable asset. We've been researching together, between running from the Death Eaters and finding new locations to stay at."
"You mean, you haven't been here this whole time?"
"No, it's been too dangerous. It seems like every time we take up new headquarters, the Death Eaters always seem to find us," Harry said angrily, "We've been moving locations every week or so to try to throw them off the trail."
"The Dementors," Hermione said, with fury, "That's how Voldemort is tracking you. They're sensing your specific memories...your good thoughts."
Harry nodded, again, "We think so too. The Death Eaters have been in all but open rebellion the last few months. Hundreds of muggles and muggle-borns have been murdered...that's why I was so worried about you..."
"I know," Hermione said, quietly, "I read about the murders. Something must have happened to make Voldemort feel he can make open attacks like this. You need to be careful, Harry. It's you that he's after."
Harry said nothing for a moment.
"The curse that hit Lupin was meant for me."
"What?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening.
"The curse. The Death Eaters were attacking a huge group of muggles in Surrey, and as soon as Order spies caught wind of it, we left as fast as we could. It was a small impoverished neighborhood - off the beaten path...Lucius was there leading the attack - his mask was off...and the moment he saw me...it was like he lost control of all his inhibitions...he saw nothing but me. He fired the curse, but I had just been hit with a stunner, and...and Lupin jumped in front of me and took the blow."
"Oh, Harry..."
Harry looked up at Hermione, "He would have died if it wasn't for you."
Hermione blushed slightly and looked down and her dirty hands.
"Where did you read about that curse?" he asked.
Hermione shook her head, "That's not important. What's important is that he's going to be okay now."
Harry eyed her skeptically, but didn't question any further.
"How did you know the Horcrux was something of Ravenclaw's?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.
"Lupin. He's certain that it was her compass."
"I've read something about a compass, but are we talking about a navigational compass, or one used for geometry?"
"Navigational," Harry said, as he stood from the dusty floor, pulled Hermione up and sat on the edge of the bed, "Lupin found some letters in Sirius' old stuff from that last time we went to Grimmwald Place - the night you disappeared."
Hermione looked guiltily to the floor.
"The letters were written to Sirius from his brother - R.A.B.," Harry continued, "Apparently, right before Regulus's death, they had some sort of reconciliation. In the letters, he mentions the locket that we already destroyed, along with a compass of apparent limitless power."
"Limitless power?" Hermione asked, as she raised her eyebrows, "Don't you think that we would have heard of such an artifact? And why wouldn't Sirius have just told us about the compass?"
"That's the thing," Harry said, and he subconsciously fingered his wand, "...the letters were never opened. I don't think that Sirius ever read them."
Hermione's brow furrowed in concentration, "Well, then there was probably no reconciliation at all. Sirius must have received the letters, but refused to open them."
Harry appeared to be pondering that for a moment, "Yeah, that could be. But regardless, it's something to go on, isn't it?
Hermione nodded, "Definitely. But what kind of limitless power are we talking about?"
"The letters spoke of now the compass navigated. Supposedly, when Rowena held the compass, it would point her to that which she desired most."
Hermione shuddered as her eyes widened, "But if it shows the user what they most desire, why wouldn't Voldemort just take it and use it to find you?"
"That's what Lupin was originally worried about," Harry replied as he twirled his wand, "But the letters went on to say that the owner must possess a pure heart and a virtuous spirit. Legend has it that the compass was a gift from Merlin, himself."
"Well, it looks like that rules Voldemort out," Hermione said, with relief.
Harry nodded, "Lupin thinks that Voldemort originally chose the compass to be one of his Horcruxes so that his soul would pollute it - and the piece residing inside it would enable the compass to work for him. Obviously it hasn't though - or I would have been dead a long time ago."
Hermione massaged her temples as she glanced over at the picture of Harry and Ginny.
"Does Lupin have any idea where the compass might be?"
"He has a theory..." Harry began, "But it's the only thing that we really have to go on."
"I'm listening," Hermione urged.
"Well, apparently not long before Voldemort killed my parents and lost all his power, he went across the English Channel in search of an old vessel that had been historically preserved since before the French Revolution. Louis XIV, himself was said to have sailed on it."
"The Sun King?" Hermione asked, with a hint of speculation.
"The very one," Harry confirmed as he continued, "Having just come from Britain, one of his French crews were sailing home across the Channel, and there was a horrible storm - sinking the ship and killing everyone on board."
"During the early twentieth-century, British navel intelligence found the ship using sonar and brought it to the surface and the bones of the French sailors were still entombed within the ship's hull..."
"Harry," Hermione cut in, "Wait...I've heard this story before," she said as she stood from the bed, and walked towards a modest sized window, "Supposedly, the ship was haunted from the sailors that were killed in the storm. The French authorities sunk the ship not long after they resurrected it due to all the so called 'strange happenings' aboard it."
"You don't believe it?" Harry asked.
"Of course not. It's a load of rubbish. I heard all about it when I visited France with my parents one summer during school. Apparently a teenager was murdered near the bow right after it had resurfaced...but it was most likely due some drug deal gone bad - not some angered spirits."
Harry chuckled, softly, "Always the skeptic, Hermione."
She shrugged, "So if the ship was sunk, how did Voldemort get access to it?"
"Lupin thinks he used accio on it. Obviously it would be extremely difficult - to summon something of that size and weight, but Lupin thinks with Voldemort's twisted and incarnate abilities, he somehow managed - and that's where he originally found the compass."
"Hmmm..." Hermione muttered, "Well, if he left the compass on the ship, it would be the perfect hiding place for a piece of his soul. Who would think to raise a 'haunted' ship from the bottom of the ocean?"
"Exactly," Harry said, as he joined her by the window, "But there is one slight problem..."
Hermione raised her brow, "And what's that?"
"With the Dementors on full alert and Death Eaters around every corner...there's no way that I could go after the Horcrux without being noticed - we used the last of our storage of Polyjuice Potion about two weeks ago. And since Lupin and I are the only ones that know about it..."
"I'll go," Hermione cut in, "I'll see if the compass is there."
Harry smiled fondly as his best friend, "It'll be dangerous," he warned.
Hermione smiled, "Exactly. It's just my style."
"Hermione," Harry began, "If there was a way that you didn't have to do this..."
"Harry," she interrupted, "...listen to me."
She grabbed his chin, and tugged down on it so that their eyes were locked, "You know that I'm capable of doing this. Now have a little faith, would you?" she teased.
"Okay," Harry said, with a smile.
Hermione nodded, "Good. Now, I have to go Harry, I left things...a little out of place when I came here. You tell the others that I said, 'goodbye', okay?"
Harry shook his head, "No, Hermione, I really think that you should just - "
"Harry, no," Hermione said as she pried open the window pane, "...they don't know me like you do. They won't accept my explanation - especially Moody. He'd tie me to a chair before he let me go. And...and I don't want to have to say goodbye."
Harry regarded her momentarily before he spoke, "Okay," he said quietly, "Okay."
Hermione nodded as she pushed the window pane through so it swung out on an angle.
The cool night air instantly filled the room.
"Hermione," Harry began, "What are you going to do? Swing out the window? We both know you hate heights. Come on, I'll sneak you out the front door."
But Hermione shook her head, and then wrapped her arms firmly around him, "Be safe, Harry. I'll find that Horcrux and then we'll be one step closer to Voldemort."
Harry returned the embrace, "Be careful, Hermione."
"You too," she replied, and then added, "For Ron."
Harry smiled, "For Ron."
And then, Hermione grabbed both sides of the window, and stepped out onto the precarious ledge.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted after her, "Wait! Are you completely mental? It's a long drop - you'll break your legs! Look, let me just levitate you to the ground!"
But Hermione turned, and gave Harry one final smile as she launched herself from the shack, and transformed into a griffin before she plummeted to the rocky ground.
Wings pounding, Hermione forgot how exhausted she was, but she turned her head around to take one last look at the shack.
Harry was leaning out the window, his fists pumping at sky. A giant grin was spread across his face as he hooped and hollered for his friend.
She cried loudly into the night sky and then banked around a protruding ledge - heading swiftly back the way she came.
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Hermione was running again.
This time, she was running toward Muron Castle from the large black boulder at the tree line.
Her legs ached, but she pushed herself forward.
Her absence from Draco had left her unnerved.
What if he's done something foolish?
What if he summoned Snape?
If he tried to follow me, he could have been caught, tortured, and who knows what else.
Oh, Draco.
Please be at the castle.
Please be safe.
The storm that she had left hours prior was still raging furiously around her.
The rain drops stung the cut on her cheek.
But she ran.
When she finally reached the massive wooden doors of the castle, Hermione reached with her numb hands into her cloak to fish for her wand.
It was a fruitless attempt, because at that exact moment, the great hinges gave way and the huge doors swung outward.
And there was Draco.
In two strides he closed the distance between them, and instantly she was in his arms.
And never before, in her entire life, did embracing someone feel so right.
And there, in that moment, as the storm pounded loudly around them, Hermione had never felt so at home.
Please Review!!
A/N: Ok, so I have never been to the White Cliffs of Dover. Hell - I've never even been to the U.K., so my description of the shore beneath the cliffs (if there even is a shoreline down there) might be completely and utterly wrong. If that's the case, please kindly put it in your hearts to ignore it. This is fiction, right:) Hopefully, some day I'll be able to travel...Also, I can't remember if it was Louis XIV that was the Sun King, or Louis XVI, so I apologize if that little tidbit is incorrect. Thanks!!