The next day was New Years Eve and the students would be returning to Hogwarts. Which in turn meant that Ron and Hermione would start their search for the remaining hexocruxes. Ron was looking forward to spending the time with Hermione but not looking forward to the task at hand. Hermione had been silent all day. Ron thought it was because she was worried about Harry. Ron knew there was nothing he could say or do to help her feel any better at the moment. So many times in the past year Harry had mentioned the lost of Dumbledore but could it be possible that this would be a time that Harry would need his help more then ever? Dumbledore had been more then a mentor, a guide, and a teacher. He had been a friend, a friend that could not be replaced by anything or anyone. A friend that had left a void that had left nothing but memories.
Finally the silence was broken when Hermione spoke. "Ron, what do you think the hexocruxes that we are suppose to be looking for is?"
"I don't know but how are we suppose to know it when we find it?"
"Ron do you remember what Dumbledore told Harry the night he umm well the night they went after the hexocrux?"
"Something about traces."
"Yes he said that magic even the most advanced leaves traces."
"So Hermione how are we suppose to find these 'traces' of magic?"
"I'm still working on that I really don't know." With that she bolted towards the opposite direction, headed to the library no doubt. Ron continued on his way up to Griffindor tower wondering what the next hexocrux could be. The locket, the ring, the Hufflepuff goblet, something of Griffindor or Ravenclaw, the snake, and the diary. We are looking for the something of Griffindor or Ravenclaw's, what could it be? Just then a wonderful thought popped into Ron's head silently he thought accio Hermione's Hogwarts a History. If there was any place that had a hint of any kind this would be it. Hermione's book came flying towards him; Ron caught it and headed to his room ready to read. Ron was ready for a long night of reading for he was determined to know what artifact might have in fact been used for the next hexocrux. What can it be? When he lay on his bed and opened the front cover to prepare to read the door slammed open. "What the?" Yelled Ron, as he rolled off his bed with a loud "Don't do that!" Slowly he peered over the top of his bed watching Hermione stand their wow she looks like an angle he thought to himself sheepishly.
Hermione was giving Ron a quizzical look and asked "what are you doing up here?"
"I um... was going to read, I borrowed your book."
"Oh ok, well I have found something out. I have been in the library and I found something out."
No joke your always in the library why would now be any different? Ron knew that he needed to be nice so instead of voicing his thoughts he said "Really? What did you find?"
"Well I found this book." For the first time Ron realized that Hermione was in fact caring a book. "I checked it out years ago but I remember how it talks about the founders and there most treasured object and their lives."
"Hey that's what I was looking for in your Hogwarts a History."
"Um Ron it wouldn't be in there Hogwarts a History is about the building andthe enchantments not the founders."
"Oh" Ron started to blush he was trying to help really he was but when it came to books Ron just didn't know anything compared to Hermione. Hermione walked over to Ron's bed and sat down and started flipping through the pages. Hermione got a look that she always got when she was reading a book that she loved.
"Ah here it is Ron. Slytherin was always noted for his ring that he felt was the greatest gift God had given him. His wife was always seen with a single locket around her neck that apparently she never took off until the day she died.
Hufflepuff was always boasting about her goblet that apparently she always carried around with her no matter what. This goblet is said to have magical powers beyond comprehension that could only be used for good."
"Yeah until Voldermort got a hold of it then he twisted those powers to evil" Ron smirked.
Hermione gave him a dirty look. If anyone knew better the powers that cup had held it was Hermione. It had been the Hexocrux that was in fact hidden in the old orphanage that was just down the road from her own home. That hexocrux had almost killed her and that was when Ron realized that he would die if Hermione ever got hurt.
"Anyways, Griffindor was noted for his sword and the hilt of it has powers beyond comprehension. Hum."
"What is it Hermione."
"Did you know that the sorting hat belonged to Griffindor as well?"
"No I didn't how in the bloody…." Ron stopped when he saw Hermione's eyes she always hated it when he swore more so lately since they started dating. "How do you expect that the hat has survived so long?" Ron finally finished and turned to look at her. Hermione had started pacing the floor. Ron really did hate when she did this but today she looked so cute he couldn't help but smile.
"I'm not sure but I am positive that they are not hexocruxes."
"Why do you say that Hermione?"
"Well every student that has been through Hogwarts has had that sorting hat placed on their head and yet nothing has happened to them has it?"
"Well no one except Percy, stupid git." Hermione smiled slightly at this she knew how Percy had in fact refused to even attend his brothers wedding. She thought that the refusal was what finally caused his mother to stop hoping that he would ever come back.
"I really doubt that the Sorting hat did that though, the sword both Dumbledore and Harry have held it and nothing has happened to them. So that leaves something of Ravenclaw's doesn't it? Well Ravenclaw" Hermione scanned the pages flipping from one page to the next "Ravenclaw was always seen with her walking staff that was silver with a ruby top also with great powers of good and was always boasting about her globe of the earth."
"Interesting if I do say so myself " Ron chided.
"Ron I think that our best bet is in the Room of requirement."
"But how are we going to get in we don't know what the person was thinking when they hid it there!"
"Well last year Harry wanted to hide 'the princes' potions book do you remember what he said?"
"Nope. Do you?"Hermione smiled. Ron shouldn't be surprised of course she remebered she always remembered.
"He said he needed a place to hide it. That is our first place to look." So it was set the next day lessons resumed but during there free periods Ron and Hermione would start cleaning up the room of requirement in search of Ravenclaw's staff or globe. Yes it was going to take along time but that just meant that he got to spend all that time with Hermione.
The next morning Ron was awake before the sun rose he so wanted to see Hermione and yet he knew that he could not cross the hall to her room without waking all of Griffindor. Silently sitting in the windowsill embodied by moonlight looking at the door yearning to hold her to have her in his arms once more. Hermione why can't you be hear? I need you; I need to hold you in my arms. Just as Ron finished thinking a knock came to his door. Who could that be? Slowly Ron left his seat in the moonlight and opened the door. To his utter amazement it was her it was Hermione.
Ron even in the moonlight could tell Hermione was blushing. Had she not intended on his answering the door? "Hermione?"
"Ron, sorry to wake you I just had a thought or rather a feeling I don't really know which that I needed to come talk to you." I was just thinking that I needed to talk to her, is it possible that I willed her here?
"What did you mean by thought or feeling?" Hermione walked in to the room and sat in the windowsill allowing herself to bask in the moonlight.
"Well, it was like I heard your voice in my head."
"Is that possible or are you just hearing things?"
"Ron I'm serious." So in fact he had willed her there he had wanted it so badly that he had somehow communicated that to her.
He looked at her face so worried and yet so cute. "Hermione is it possible that you just couldn't sleep?"
"Well yes but you couldn't sleep either or you wouldn't be awake."
"No I have been up for a couple of hours. If you would like your more then welcome to stay. If you would like to get some sleep I understand."
Hermione turned to face him "Ron, you know I would rather stay with you." She cupped her hand behind his head and gently pulled his head towards hers.
A simple kiss had communicated more then a simple desire it had given way to a new ray of hope. Slowly Ron and Hermione sat in the windowsill, encircled in their love for one another. Cuddling under a small blanket the two of them lay there watching the snowfall like a blanket desiring to cover the land. Some time before three and five in the morning they drifted off to sleep, still holding on to one another.
When morning finally came Ron found himself wishing the night would come again. He had longed to watch Hermione sleep, to hold and protect her. The way they had slept last night, nothing could come between them. Hermione began to stir; she opened her eyes and gasped. "Oh yeah sorry about that."
"You don't have anything to be sorry about Hermione." Ron smiled wiping the mat of hair out of Hermione's eyes. They just sat looking at one another and at the new fallen snow.
"Hey Ron can I ask you something?"
"Sure shoot Hermione."
"Anything?" She probed.
"Yes anything," Ron spoke a little skeptically.
"How long have you loved me?"
"What" Ron blurted out?
"Exactly what I said, how long have you loved me?"
Ron thought for a moment then looked into her beautiful brown eyes that lay there gazing up at him. "Well as you know I have been a coward and a git were it comes to my feelings are concerned. I'm not exactly sure where the admiration turned to love."
"Oh" was all Hermione said. Ron could hear the disappointment in her voice she wanted an answer.
"I think it all started our second year, when you got petrified. I was so afraid of losing you that I barely left your side. Then when the fourth year rolled around and you went to the Yule ball with that prat Victor Krum."
"You were jealous of Victor?"
"Yes, more then you will ever know. Yet I thought you knew how I felt when you yelled at me that night. When you asked me to ask you next time there was a ball. And now I am the luckiest man alive to have you as my girlfriend." Hermione's eyed shone with emotion.
"Well for me it was slightly different. Do you remember the first day on the train, when you tried to turn Scabbers yellow?"
"Yeah sure what about it?"
"That was when I first started loving you." Hermione sat up and turned to look at Ron. "I have been trying to convince myself ever since that you didn't feel the same. There were moments that I thought maybe, but then you would shut me out again."
"We were both gits for waiting this long to speak our true feelings. We could have had so much time together." Ron took a deep sigh in regret why had he been filled with worries of rejection? If only he had voiced his feelings sooner they might have been able to share so much more time.
Hermione smiled as she gazed out the window longing to become one with the snow. Suddenly she jumped to her feet ran to the door and shouted over her shoulder, "get dressed I'll meet you in the common room." Five minutes later Hermione was waiting in the common room cloak and mittens in hand. Ron slowly descended the stairs holding his coat and gloves.
"So Hermione were are we going? Hagrids?"
"You'll find out." she grabbed his hand and pulled him out the portrait hole before he could protest. Slowly they stepped out side in what felt like nothingness. Hermione smiled, bent down picked up a small amount of snow. Quickly she formed it into a ball and threw it into the air, allowing it to hit Ron Square in the face.
Ron was in complete shock he was caught so off guard. All Ron could do was stand there and gape at her. When the initial shock wore off Ron scooped snow and flung it back in retaliation. Snow balls began to zoom in every which way both hitting and missing there targets. Somewhere in between the zooming snowballs Hermione had pulled out her wand and some how placed a barrier around her. No matter how hard Ron tried, he couldn't hit her. "Cheater" he screamed at her as he ran towards her. Squealing in delight Hermione ran in the other direction, Ron quickly caught up with her and tackled her. Snow flew back into the air with the impact of the two of them falling.
Ron looked down at her, she was totally soaked, "Hermione we should get inside and dry off."
"I guess your right, plus we are suppose to be in a certain room looking for something."
"Oh yeah right."
Dashing back towards the castle they headed to the common room, upon entering Ron realized how cold he really was. His fingers tingled in every possible way and yet there was warmth that he had not felt before. He wasn't quite sure what it was. Hermione and Ron had DADA in a couple of minutes. They both thought that taking the class was worthless after the events that the summer had brought. But McGonigal had insisted, so Ron and Hermione were slowly making there way to the classroom that had known so many previous inhabitants.
Many thought that after Snape had turned death eater it would be near impossible to fill the position of DADA teacher. But in fact it had been completely opposite, applications began to fly in (literally).
The new teacher had finally been chosen, professor Miller was standing in the front of the room, instructing the students to pull out their books. Before Ron or Hermione could sit down professor McGonigal came rushing through the doorway.
"Sorry professor but could I barrow Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger please?"
"Yes of course professor."
Ron and Hermione grabbed all their belongings and rushed after the headmistress. Professor McGonigal led them back to her office. Many times Ron and Hermione had to run to keep up, what was on McGonigal mind that made her in such a hurry? The door creaked closed behind them; Ron's eyes were drawn to a portrait of a sleeping man a man that he knew all to well. It was Dumbledore; slowly Ron's eyes meet the Headmistress'.
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger I do have my reasons for pulling you out of class. Please have a seat." She motioned towards the chairs at the front of her desk. "On our last visit Mr. Weasley you shared with me your deepest worries, I have been looking into these concerns. Harry does in fact carry many of the characteristics of a hexocrux. Unfortunately there is only one-way to find out, if he truly is a hexocrux or not, none of the Order are willing to try."
"What? Why?" Hermione burst in.
"Well Miss Granger to find out you have to try and…" She paused as if trying to find a new way to continue, trying to find the right words. She took a deep breath and pressed on. "Kill him" she finally finished.
"What" shouted Ron and Hermione together? Hermione sat in quiet contemplation and then finally asked, "Does Harry know about this?"
"No Miss Granger. I thought I would leave that up to you and Mr. Weasley." The room grew eerily quiet, yet fearfully alert. Jaws dropped in utter shock. All the portraits had now awaken and leaned forward as if it would allow them to hear better.
"Professor?" Hermione's voice was quivering in fear. "What do you mean by Ron and I telling him?"
"Miss Granger, you and Mr. Weasley are two of the only people that Mr. Potter truly trusts. Would it be fair if he heard the possibility of him being a hexocrux from anybody but the two of you?"
Ron and Hermione knew she was right but for once they wished that she wasn't. Ron was in utter shock, "Professor what exactly are the characteristics of a hexocrux." Ron not only wanted to know for Harry's sake but for his own.
"Mr. Weasley as you and Miss Granger have found out, each one is different in design and power but the same in purpose. Purpose being to make he-who-must-not-be-named immortal, any existing hexocruxes survival makes it so he-who-must-not-be-named cannot be killed. Each of the hexocruxes you have seen and found has had close similarities."
Ron thought for a moment she was right. The ring, the locket, diary, something of Ravenclaw's and the snake. "Well all the objects except the snake and the diary had a historical magical background. Each object had in fact at one point or the other belonged to Voldermort." McGonigal shivered involuntarily at the mention of his name.