A/N: I know this chapter is short, but it ended really naturally, and I didn't want to push it. Anyway, thank you for all of your love and patience with me! Please continue to read and review you wonderful, wonderful people. Much Love- Bookworm
She came to when something cold was being pressed against her arm. It stung, and her eyes flew open. She tried to pull her arm away, she didn't want anyone from that horrible place to be touching her. She saw blonde hair, and her heart raced. Who was touching her?
"Shhh… I am 'elping you." She heard the person say, relief flooded through her as she realized who was helping her.
"Fleur?" She asked hoarsely, tears pooling in her eyes.
"You are safe." Fleur said, moving so that she was in Hermione's line of vision.
"Where are-" Hermione began, feeling tears flood over her eyelids and onto her cheeks.
"Zey are outside…" Fleur said, looking away from her and dabbing the wet cloth back onto her arm.
"Why are they outside?" Hermione asked. Fleur glanced at her, but stayed silent as she continued to work on Hermione's arm. Hermione furrowed her brow, and grabbed Fleur's arm, stilling her movements. "Fleur, why are they outside?" Hermione asked again, her throat burning as she spoke.
"I am sorry 'Ermione, ze elf zat brought you 'ere…." Fleur trailed off, looking forlorn.
"Dobby? What about him?" Hermione asked, sitting up in the bed.
"Zey are burying 'im." Fleur said, finally making eye contact with Hermione. Her eyes were red and puffy, she had obviously cried recently.
"I have to go outside." Hermione said, attempting to stand from the bed. Fleur put her hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stay in the bed. Hermione glared at her and snatched her wand from where she saw it on the bedside table, bringing it up to point at Fleur. "Let. Me. Up." Hermione growled. Fleur slowly removed her hands from Hermione and nodded.
"Let me 'elp you." Fleur said softly, offering her hand out to Hermione, who took it gratefully. They slowly made their way down the stairs and out of the house, Fleur holding onto her arm the entire time. Fleur guided her to where they found Harry, Ron, and Dean all digging into the ground. Luna was standing nearby, holding a small bundle in her arms. Hermione and Fleur made their way to Luna, and new tears filled her eyes when she realized that it was Dobby that she was holding in her arms.
"What happened?" She asked softly.
"Bellatrix." Harry said, stabbing his spade into the dirt angrily.
"Oh." Hermione whispered, remembering that she had seen a flash of silver when they had apparated away. She must have thrown the knife she had been using on Hermione. "Where is it?" Hermione asked, making all three of the boys in front of her turn to look at her.
"What?" Ron asked, furrowing his brows.
"The knife." Hermione said, looking down at the ground.
"Erm… Here." Dean said, pulling out it from his pocket and looking at it with disdain. Hermione silently held out her hand, and he placed it into her palm gently. She brought it up close to her face, examining it, before pointing her wand at it. It disappeared from her palm, and she had a satisfied smile on her face.
"What did you just do?" Ron asked.
"Well, if it worked, that knife is now on the bottom of the ocean." Hermione said, stowing her wand away in the overcoat she wore.
"And if it didn't?" Dean asked apprehensively. Hermione thought for a moment before shrugging.
The boys nodded, and turned back to their work filling the silence with the sound of metal hitting dirt. Hermione watched the sea behind them, thinking about how if they weren't in this particular situation, they would all be able to enjoy this view. Fleur made sure that Hermione would be fine before she walked back to the house alone, leaving the younger group to themselves. Just as Hermione shivered from the falling temperature mixing with the chilly ocean breeze, Harry threw his spade out of the hole and climbed out.
"That's good." He said, taking a step back and looking at the grave they had just dug. Ron and Dean followed suit, throwing their own spades to the side and climbing out to stand next to Harry. Luna stepped forward and gently laid Dobby inside of the grave.
"Should we say something?" Luna asked, and Harry nodded.
"Dobby-" Harry choked out, and shook his head as tears spilled onto his cheeks. Luna placed a hand on his arm and gave him a smile.
"Should I?" She asked softly, and he nodded, swiping the tears from his face. Luna took a step forward and cleared her throat.
"Thank you so much, Dobby, for rescuing me from that cellar. It's so unfair that you had to die, when you were so good and brave. I'll always remember what you did for us. I hope you're happy now." Luna said with a clear voice and a solemn smile on her face. Ron wrapped his arm around Hermione when she shivered again, and she leaned into him as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"That was great." Dean said, everyone muttering their agreement around her.
"Thank you." Harry muttered, turning and giving Luna a hug. Hermione pulled her wand out and pointed it at the mound of dirt that the boys had just made. It slowly lifted from the ground and placed itself back into the grave, creating a small mound. Harry stepped forward after a moment of silence and placed a smooth stone over the head of the grave.
"Harry, do you want me to?" Hermione asked, taking a step forward.
"No. I want to do it." Harry said, shaking his head as he pulled out his wand. She watched as he held the wand over the stone, carving words that would stay forever. After a few minutes, Harry tucked his wand away and placed one hand onto the stone.
"I'm so sorry." Harry whispered before standing and taking a step back so everyone could read the words he had carved: Here lies Dobby, a free elf. Hermione smiled at him, and pulled him into a hug.
"We should go inside." Ron said.
"I'm going to stay here for a minute." Harry said softly. Hermione nodded, and turned with Ron to go back to the cottage behind them.
"Are you alright?" Ron asked softly.
"No." Hermione said softly, shaking her head. "Are you?"
"I don't think any of us are." Ron answered as they stepped over the threshold into the cottage.
"I should… I'm tired.." Hermione said. Fleur had apparently heard her, and appeared in front of them.
"I 'ave food ready. Come eat, zen I will 'elp you back upstairs." Fleur said, taking Hermione's arm and leading the group into the kitchen.
"I just want to do something more than just sit here! They are out there, fighting, risking their lives. We are here, doing nothing!" Fred said, his face red as he looked around the table of Order members.
"Fred, calm down." His mother said, staring at him.
"Calm down? Why?! We should be out there, doing something. Anything!" Fred said, looking to George for support. "Why aren't we out there doing something?" He asked.
"Fred, you have to understand. Leaving here would put any of us in danger." Arthur said calmly, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.
"That's what Polyjuice is for!" Fred said angrily.
"Fred, what would you do? Honestly, what could you do right now?" Arthur asked, gazing at his son.
"I- I don't know." Fred said, looking down at the table.
"I think supper is done." Molly said softly, standing and gathering the plates from around the table.
Fred and George both stood from the table and made their way up to their temporary room.
"Fred-" George began as he shut the door behind him.
"George, I feel so helpless." Fred sighed, flopping down onto the bed. "Ugh, I hate this house." He said, looking at the decorative wallpaper.
"I know Fred. Trust me, I know. But there's nothing we could do." George said solemnly. They sat on the bed in silence for a while, before a thought struck Fred.
"George… What if there was something we could do?" He asked, hopeful.
"What do you mean?"
"George, we read the paper every day. We see how many muggles die every day. What if we could help protect them?" Fred asked.
"How though?" George asked.
"Protection spells. Just around the neighbors. Its something at least." Fred suggested.
"Mum and dad would probably even agree. We could get them to help, we could help twice as many people." George suggested.
"You really think so?" Fred asked, still angry that their parents didn't see things the way he did.
"Let's go ask. We are of age, we can go even if they don't agree." George said with a shrug. Fred thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
To Fred's surprise, their parent's did agree that it was a good idea. They all agreed that they would head out immediately, they also agreed to not tell Muriel about their plan as they were sure she would think it was a horrible idea. They split into two pairs, and headed out of the house. Their Aunt Muriel lived in a mostly muggle town, so they spilt, the two pairs going in different directions down the street.
"Here's the first one. Does it look like anyone is home?" George asked as they came upon the first house. They peered at the home, looking for lights or movement in the house.
"Erm… No, I don't think so." Fred said, pulling out his wand.
"Okay, let's be quick about it, we don't want anyone to see us." George said, Fred nodding in agreement. They both glanced down the streets, and only seeing their parents down the lane, lifted their wands in tandem.
They worked quickly, only casting the more simple protection spells and charms before they moved onto the next house. They had all agreed that once they were done with the street, they would meet back at the house, so Fred and George began to make their way back, knowing that their parents would take a little longer since they had a few more houses than Fred and George had. They sat down on the stoop, Fred letting out a long breath.
"Okay Freddie?" George asked, glancing over at him.
"I suppose. I just…" Fred trailed, not sure how to articulate how he was feeling.
"Feel like it's not good enough?" George asked, putting his chin in his palms. Fred let out a laugh and nodded, leaning into his twin. "You think it'll be over soon?" George asked. Fred thought for a moment and shrugged.
"I really don't know. We can hope it is. But… we haven't heard anything about them in…" Fred trailed off, trying to think of when they had actually heard anything about the trio that had left to fight Voldemort.
"Weeks." George finished for him.
"Weeks." Fred sighed, nodding.
"Harry, I'm not sure that this is such a good idea, you heard what Bill said. We shouldn't make deals with goblins." Hermione whispered as they climbed the stairs to see the goblin.
"Hermione." Harry said, stopping the group halfway up the steps. "You heard what Bellatrix was saying. She was worried that we had been in her vault, I think that there's another Horcrux in there. Maybe the cup. Dumbledore showed me a memory of You-Know-Who visiting a woman who had the cup."
"I just… maybe there's another way? Maybe we could ask Bill?" Hermione suggested.
"Hermione, you heard Bill, he can't even go to work because the goblins won't choose a side, they help themselves. They take deals that will help them." Ron cut in.
"I don't like this." Hermione said as they continued up the steps.
"Hermione, it's our only choice." Harry argued.
"Harry, he wants the sword. We need it! Its the only way we have to destroy Horcruxes." Hermione whispered as they reached Griphook's door.
"I never said when we would give it to him." Harry said, biting his lip nervously.
"Harry, that's not a good idea." Hermione hissed as Harry opened the door.
Harry and Griphook quickly had a plan to get into the Lestrange's vault, and Hermione was less than thrilled when she realized what they were saying. She glanced at Ron, just to be sure that he was hearing the same thing that she was, and by the grim look on his face he didn't much like the plan either.
"Hermione, do you think you could do it? You have her wand after all." Harry asked.
"Harry.. I can't." Hermione said, eyes wide at his suggestion.
"Hermione, you were the closest to her! You are the only one that could!" Harry pleaded.
"Harry that's…" Hermione saw the look on Harry's face and let out a sigh. "I need to think." She finished, standing and exiting the room. She slowly made her way back downstairs, thinking that some fresh air would help her decide what she should do.
" Oh! 'Ermione dear, I was going to wash some clothes, may I take your's?" Fleur caught her just before she left the house.
"Oh, erm of course." Hermione mumbled before walking to her bag and grabbing their clothes. She had just grabbed the sweater she had been wearing at Malfoy Manor when she noticed a long hair on it, making her breath catch in her throat. She clutched the hair in her hand as she slowly walked back up the stairs after giving their clothes to Fleur. She felt tears gather in her eyes at the realization of what she was about to do, and took in a deep breath as she placed her hand on the door.
"Harry." She said, holding up the hair. "We have polyjuice."
"Are you sure?" Ron asked, standing from his chair.
"Are you sure it's our only choice?" She directed her question to Harry and Griphook, who both nodded their heads. "Okay." She agreed. "There's not enough room for you three under the cloak for all three of you though." She said, taking her seat.
It took a while for them to figure out how everything would work, and it was eventually agreed that Harry and Griphook would be too high risk to not be under the cloak. It took days to bring Ron round to the idea that his appearance would be magically altered so that he wouldn't be under the cloak, and though he fought them about it at first Hermione made it clear that if she had to pretend to be Bellatrix, then he would need to let her alter his appearance.
Once they were as ready as they could be, they all gathered outside where Hermione stood, staring at the bottle in her hands.
"Are you ready?" Harry asked, placing a hand on her arm. She nodded her head silently, still staring at the bottle. After a moment, she knocked the bottle back and closed her eyes as she felt her body begin to change.
"Eh." Ron said, taking a step away from her. She glared at him and shoved her black curly hair out of her face.
"Oh, stop it Ronald." Hermione said, only Bellatrix's voice came out. "Come here, let me fix you up." She said, gesturing for him to come closer. He looked uncertain for a moment before taking a few steps toward her. He flinched when she lifted her wand, and she let out a sigh before casting a few spells and giving him longer, darker hair and a full beard.
"That should do." She said, giving an approving nod.
"Yeah?" Ron asked, turning to look for Harry's approval. Harry looked at him for a moment before giving a nod.
"You don't look like yourself at all." Harry agreed. They quickly went over the plan one more time before Hermione threw the invisibility cloak over Harry and Griphook and they apparated to Gringotts Bank.