Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story. That would belong to the talented J.K. Rowling.

First, I want to say that this is my first fan fic, so be nice, but give me the criticism too so I can get better. I got the idea for this story after listening to Hilary Duff's "Someone's Watching over Me" too many times. Song lyrics will be used, but this is not a song fic. Snippets will just be put in the beginning of each chapter to guide it along. This first chapter is just an introduction to where the story is going. The actual song part starts with chapter 2.

Also, thanks to my beta Mandy. Without you I would have had to do a lot more work on this than I did. shudders

The forest was bright, much too bright, almost as if the light was coming in all directions, not just from the sky. The trees in the forest were green and lush, and they were full of birds singing beautiful songs. The forest was dense, but there was a small area cleaned for a path, lined by medium sized, smooth pebbles. On this path stood a very confused looking Harry Potter.

Harry, also known as the Boy-Who-Lived, had no idea how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was sitting in the cave, and Ron telling him to go to sleep because he would take the last shift.

Ah, this must be a dream. Harry immediately felt more settled, and he allowed himself to look around and really take in his surroundings. I guess I should follow this path. Isn't that what they usually do? Follow the path to some opening where there is a pond or a creek or something? Then there will be a person waiting, or a cute animal, or…wait a minute. Am I supposed to be this aware when I'm dreaming? Harry shrugged to himself and started walking nonetheless. He soon reached a clearing with a creek running through the middle. Ha. I knew it. Harry sat on a large boulder at the edge of the creek, and just stared at the water, waiting for whatever would happen next.

"Ah, Harry. How wonderful to see you again."

Harry started and turned to see his old Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He had a great urge to run to him and hug him, but he withheld it and instead asked the obvious question.

"Professor, what are you doing in my dream? Or, as I should probably ask, what am I doing here?"

"Ah…you are too wise," said Dumbledore. "I have indeed brought you here. I have been watching your activities with young Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley over the last few months. I am very delighted that you have managed what you have, destroying all but one of the horcruxes. You work well as a team."

"Yes, we do," said Harry, thinking back on their adventures with a smile. They had been hard; there was no denying that. However, there had also been many laughs and good times as well, times that kept them sane and lucid during those difficult days.

"However, I think it is time for you to venture out on your own," spoke Dumbledore.

"What?" Harry was jerked out of his reverie. "How can you think that?" Harry paced in front of Dumbledore, obviously distressed, but more so than he should be as the trees around them swayed with the force of the power emanating from him. "There is no way I could have found those bloody things by myself, and I definitely could not have destroyed them alone," yelled Harry.

Dumbledore raised his hands. "I have no doubt of that, Harry. However, in this instance, you must do it alone." Dumbledore paused with a look of pity on his face. "You will not succeed if they are with you. You will see this soon. You must do this alone."

Harry turned back to the water, staring at his reflection, wondering if Dumbledore was right. He turned back around to ask how he knew this, but Dumbledore was gone. Not even a second later, Harry awoke with a start.

Harry sat up rubbing his scar and looked around, realizing he was once again in the cave. Ron was at the fire in the middle of the small space, apparently attempting to cook them breakfast. Hermione was sitting on her sleeping bag next to his in the back of the cave. She looked as if she had just woken up, her bushy brown hair still in a messy ponytail. However, she also looked alert, reading a book that was sitting in her lap, and looked up when he moaned a little.

"Harry, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Hermione looked at him suspiciously, but decided against saying anything.

Harry smiled at her. "I'm fine, seriously. Just…a little confused on where I was this morning."

Hermione nodded although she looked as if she still didn't quite believe him. However, before she could say anything, a loud "bloody fucking hell!" came from the other side of the cave, followed shortly by the smell of burned food and the clatter of a pan hitting the cave floor.

"Honestly! You would think that boy would have learned how to cook properly by now, especially considering how much he eats."

She put her book down, stood up, and crossed over to help Ron, leaving Harry to his own thoughts.

Was that dream real? Could Dumbledore be telling the truth? He looked over at his best friends, seeing Ron flailing his apparently burnt fingers about, and Hermione losing her attempt to not laugh at him. How can I leave them? How are they going to let me leave? There is no way I can convince them that I need to go off alone. I guess I will just have to talk it over with them later. Maybe they'll understand. As Harry stood up and stretched, he realized their topic of discussion had changed to how they were going to find and destroy the last horcrux. Oh, bloody hell.

After they finished the breakfast Hermione had made for them, the trio sat down, ready for their daily discussion of what was next.

"Hermione and I were talking earlier…while you were lazing around and sleeping in," said Ron with a smirk, earning him a smack on the shoulder from Hermione. "We really think the last horcrux is Voldemort's bloody snake."

Harry nodded, not at all surprised by this comment. While it seemed a bit risky to him to keep something that important in a living creature, it made the most sense. Voldemort could always control it in order to keep it with him, and it would again honor his ancestor, Salazar Slytherin.

"We think that we need to…," Hermione started.

"I have to do this alone," blurted Harry.

"Excuse me?"

Perfect Potter. What a way to ease them into it.

Harry heaved a large sigh and began. "Look, I had this dream last night. But, it wasn't a normal dream. It almost seemed real, like it actually took me to the place where it occurred. Anyway, Dumbledore was there, and he told me that I needed to finish this myself."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other with disbelief.

"Harry, are you sure?" asked Hermione.

Harry looked up, surprised that she wasn't outright protesting, yet determined to get this settled quickly. "Yes. I need to do this."

After another shared glance, Ron spoke up. "Okay then mate, tell us what we need to do."

Harry was thoroughly shocked that they weren't fighting him on this, but he was glad that they trusted him on it.

"First, you two need to go back to Hogwarts. I am not going to find Nagini until Voldemort wants me to. I'm also pretty sure that Voldemort is monitoring the school. He knows that we are not there. He may also know that we have destroyed his horcruxes. However, for some reason, he has not acted upon it yet. I think if you two go back without me, he will finally act, sending Nagini after me. That will give me the chance to kill her."

"After that, I don't know. I don't think he will wait long to come after me himself when he realizes she is dead. We will…battle I guess, and well, we'll see what happens."

Hermione looked horrified and close to tears. Ron had a complete emotionless look on his face. They had known what would eventually happen, but to hear it said out loud was shocking. It was a couple moments before anyone spoke. The first one to speak was Hermione.

"Harry, I know we said it was okay, but are you really sure? You can't go up against Voldemort alone! You are going to need our help!"

Harry reached over and put a hand on her leg. "It's going to be okay. I do have somewhat of a plan. I'll admit it's not much of one, but it's okay. Dumbledore said it would be. I have to trust him. Except for our fifth year, he's never led me astray."

"I know Harry; I'm just scared for you. We don't know that it will just be him. He could have a legion of death eaters with him to take you out first."

"She's right, mate," interjected Ron. "What if he sends someone or something other than Nagini to find you first? He doesn't know what the prophecy says. He doesn't know that one or the other has to kill each other."

"But we don't know that for sure, Ron. Besides, even if you two come with me, it can still end badly," said Harry, his frustration rising and quickly taking over any fear. "I should have known something was up when you two agreed so quickly. Look, there is nothing more for us to discuss. I'm going and you aren't. If you have a problem with it, take it up with Dumbledore's bloody portrait when you get back to Hogwarts."

With this, Harry got up and walked out of the cave. He stopped at the entrance and took a deep breath while he looked around. The location they had found for their hideout was ideal for their situation. The cave entrance is just past a very dense patch of trees and shrubs, making it almost impossible to find. Around the right side of the cave is a small clearing overlooking a valley. Harry walked around and sat on a large boulder at the edge of the cliff.

Damn them both! Why the hell can't they be more understanding? I appreciate that they care enough to want to stick it out with me, but I'm the boy-who-fucking-lived. I can take care of myself. I don't need constant supervision!

Harry was too deep in thought to hear Hermione walking up behind him, but he didn't start when she sat beside him. He expected one of them to come out and look for him, and he figured it would most likely be her. They'd been tiptoeing around each other a lot the last couple of weeks, almost behaving like love sick fools. It seemed to have changed overnight, but it had been coming for awhile. They had spent a lot of time talking late at night about everything. They both recognized that things were different between them, but it was almost as if they'd come to some sort of silent agreement. It was not the time for them to enter into a relationship.

They sat in silence for awhile before Harry finally spoke up without looking at her.

"I am going, you know."

"I know Harry, I'm just worried is all," explained Hermione desperately.

They were silent for a moment, simply wallowing in their own thoughts.

"I wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to you," Hermione whispers.

"Nothing is going to happen to me." More silence.

"How long do you think you will be gone?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know. I hope it only takes a few days, but it could take longer. I don't know how long it will take Voldemort to act."

Hermione made no comment. She just stared back out over the ledge. The silence was comfortable between them, so neither said anything for awhile. Then, Harry heard Hermione let out a shaky sigh.

"What?" asked Harry, still looking out over the valley.

"Promise me you won't die," exclaimed Hermione hysterically.

Harry was shocked and turned to look at Hermione for the first time since she sat down. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was now almost in convulsions.

Harry took her into arms, sorry for all the pain he is causing her. She turned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, crying fully now. They sat there for a few minutes, him rocking her, and her trying to control her sobs. Finally, Harry leaned back, and turned her head to face him. She had managed to stop the tears, but she was still sniffling. Harry held her face in between his hands, wiping the tears off of her cheeks with his thumbs, and spoke quietly.

"I promise I won't die. I'll come back. To you. To Ron. To everyone. I promise."

He kissed her forehead, and she gave him a shaky smile. They turned back to look over the valley once more, his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist. They said nothing more, and the only movement made was when one pulled the other one closer.

Ron had come out shortly after Hermione did to make sure she didn't do anything rash. He might not have liked the situation, but he knew Harry knew what he was doing. He had stayed in the back, leaning against a tree, but watched and heard the entire exchange. He sent a small prayer out that he would return for her. He had noticed that things were different between them. At first, he had been jealous because he had never had the chance to really be with her. However, he knew that they were made for each other where he and Hermione were not.

He never alerted them to his presence. Instead, he headed back into the cave. He and Hermione needed to be ready to leave later that afternoon, and he wanted to give the two as much time together as he could…just in case.