Hermione and Ginny made it to the Ministry lunch room before Harry and Ron. "I wonder what they want to talk to us about," mused Ginny.

Hermione shrugged, she was anxious to tell Harry and Ron what she found out about the cup. She was also trying to figure out how to get Ginny away long enough to tell them.

"Hello ladies," came a familiar voice from behind them.

Ginny turned to see her brother smiling at them, and close behind was Harry. They took two seats across from the girls. Harry looked at Ron, who swallowed hard and then went to telling the girls what he'd been dreading. "Well," he began. He looked up and then back at his twiddling thumbs. "I have a bit of bad news."

Ginny broke in immediately, "Oh, no. What happened? Who's hurt?"

"No, no, no, it's nothing like that." There was a collective sigh of relief from Hermione and Ginny. "It's just that, well, Harry and I are going out of town again. We don't know how long we'll be, but we're leaving next Thursday."

Hermione looked a little glum; Ginny on the other hand was completely depressed. "But you just got back," she whined.

Harry reached across the table and tookGinny's hand, "This is very important, Gin."

"Fine," she relented. "But where will you be going, and can I come with you this time?"

"This time, I'm really going to need you here. I think it might be too dangerous for you to come," Harry responded. "Anyway, we are going to Mortlake."

Hermione looked absolutely flaberghasted. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Mortlake? That's odd," Ginny replied.

"What's odd?" Ron asked.

"Well, Hermione just received an inquiry reply on the gilded chalice of Helga Hufflepuff. It was from a wizard in Mortlake who had seen Voldemort with it a long time ago."

"Harry, this is perfect. I mean it fits—OUCH! You didn't have to kick me. What did you do that for anyway?"

Hermione coughed, to get Ron's attention, she briefly pointed to Ginny before Ginny noticed.

Ron went pink in the cheeks, "Oh, sorry."

Ginny looked back and forth between Ron and Harry, with a very Mrs. Weasley expression on her face. "What's going on that you aren't telling me?"

"Nothing," Harry lied. "But you're right it is quite a coincidence that we are going to Mortlake, and that there is a possibility that the cup is there as well. Maybe we could look into that for you while we are there."

"That would be excellent," Hermione tried adding enthusiastically.

Ginny was still not convinced she was receiving the whole truth, as evident from the expression on her face—she actually looked ready to kill. "Okay, everyone, stop. What in the bloody hell is going on? I mean you are—Crap!" The glass of water Ginny had in front of her had just fell over spilling on her robes. She quickly got up, "I'll be back. I'm going to go dry off." She stalked away, angrily.

"Sorry, Harry," Hermione whispered. "I had to."

Harry looked confused, and then comprehension dawned on him. "You made her glass spill, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I figured you didn't want to explain everything, here and now."

"It's alright; I understand why you did it. And thank you. I didn't want to explain everything yet. So, is it true what she said about the cup?"

"Yes it is Harry. And, you'll never believe this, that wizard in Mortlake also said that a man by the name of Black was there several years later, looking for it."

Harry's and Ron's eyes widened. "But…but…but…" Harry stammered.

"That's not everything," Hermione added before he could actually get out a coherent sentence. "The man I originally contacted in the Mortlake region was a friend of Dumbledore. He sent back a letter saying that it was Regulus that was there and a letter actually written to Regulus telling him to back off."

"Well, I hope that we don't encounter a similar situation that you and Dumbledore did," Ron added.

"Which part?" Harry asked in disbelief. This was still a sore subject. Harry still, in part, blamed himself for Dumbledore's death.

"I just meant, you know, that I hope that if it's still there, that it's like, that it's not a fake, like the two of you found," Ronstammered sheepishly.

"Harry, we all know that it wasn't your fault," Hermione said trying to comfort him.

"Let's not get into this now," Harry choked. "I don't want to dredge up these memories."

"What memories?" Ginny asked as she sat back down.

Harry looked up, his eyes glistening, "Dumbledore's death."

Ginny reached across and took Harry's hand squeezing it affectionately. "It's okay Harry." She smiledsweetly, then, remembering the conversation prior to her departure,her expresion changed to a sarcastic smirk, "You know, this doesn't change the fact that the three of you are keeping something from me. So, what is going on? Really?"

Harry looked down; he pulled his hand away from Ginny. He took a deep breath and looked up into her eyes. "Ginny, I can't tell you. Not yet anyway."

"Does this have anything to do with what you were going to tell me the day Hermione and Ron got engaged?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances nervously, both turning pink with embarrassment.

Harry sighed again. "Yes it does. But I'm not ready to tell you, here."

"Why the hell not?" Ginny asked crossly.

"I can't answer that," Harry replied softly. "But, the day Ron and I return, I will tell you—everything. the whole truth—holding nothing back. I promise."

Ginny looked at him sternly, she studied him: his expression, his eyes, the color in his face, and the sound of his breathung. She then took a deep breath, "Do you swear enough, that if I asked you to make the Unbreakable Vow, you would do it?"

Ron and Hermione gasped at the course Ginny's thought process was going.

Harry on the other hand smiled lovingly at her and nodded. "If you ask it of me, I will do it."

Ginny smiled, "I won't ask you to, but knowing that you would do that is enough. I love you Harry. I don't want there to be any secrets between us."

Harry took a deep breath, "And after next week, there won't be."

xxxXXXXXxxx

"What in the name of Merlin were you getting at? I mean, the Unbreakable Vow? Why?" Hermione argued when they returned to their office.

"I was just making sure that he was telling the truth is all," Ginny answered pleased with herself.

"But the Unbreakable Vow? Why?"

Ginny sighed. She actually did feel quite horribly for what she did. "Well," she began timidly, "it's been how long since we got back together? And I thought all secrets were behind us. I wanted to make sure that he wouldn't back away, again. I know you and Ron have known since day one of when whatever it is happened. It hurts knowing that one day we will be married, and he doesn't have the same trust in me that he does in the two of you. I know he's known the two of you longer, and that he's been friends with you longer, but how can I help, if I don't know what's wrong. I know in all relationships there are some promises and secrets. But I have a feeling that this one, if kept hidden, will be the end of us, forever."

Hermione looked at her friend. She understood why. She knew Ginny was right; this secret could destroy the relationship between Ginny and Harry. "I'm sorry."

Ginny looked at her, "Sorry for what?"

"For yelling and for ruining Harry's chance of telling you last week."

Ginny laughed, "It's okay, and you didn't know what was going through my head when I asked that of Harry. And it certainly wasn't your fault that my brother proposed."

Hermione smiled awkwardly, "It kind of is."

Ginny looked stunned, "How do you mean?"

"He wasn't going to ask me that night. I tricked him into doing it. He was going to tell me something and I mentioned marriage and he asked."

Ginny laughed again. "He can be a bat-bogie-brain sometimes."

Hermione feigned offense, and then laughed herself. "You're right about that. I mean it only took him six years to even admit he had an inkling of feelings for me."

xxxXXXXXxxx

"My sister's gone mental!" Ron exclaimed once they were out of earshot of anyone.

"No she's not," Harry replied.

Ron looked at him disbelievingly. "Mate, I'd say you've gone mad as well."

Harry smiled, he knew Ron meant well. "She's got to know she can trust me. I've kept this from her for a while, and her not knowing can end it all. If that happens, then we are all lost."

Ron nodded, thinking, processing what he had just heard. "You're right mate."