Chapter 11

"This can't be right," Harry said, flipping through one of the Horcrux books.

Hermione looked up from hers, Fractured Souls. "What can't be right?"

Ron was dozing off to the side, leaning against the headboard of the bed he sat on, one of the other Horcrux books open on his lap. She rolled her eyes.

"It says here the only way to destroy a Horcrux is with Fiendfyre," Harry peered at her and scratched the stubble that had grown over his jaw in the past week. "But the Basilisk tooth did the job with the diary. And how do you suppose Dumbledore destroyed the ring? Or Regulus the locket?"

"We don't actually know if Regulus destroyed the locket. And remember, these books may not necessarily be complete. They're just describing what was known about Horcruxes at the time. In here," she pointed to the pages of her book, "it says that if a living being is made into a Horcrux, then when it dies the Horcrux is destroyed."

Hermione wondered if Malfoy would have any insight into the locket. Regulus was related to him, but Malfoy was born after Regulus died. And a traitor to Voldemort wouldn't exactly be advertising the existence of a stolen or destroyed Horcrux. Frustrated, she blew air out between her lips.

Harry furrowed his brow. "Why would anyone make a living being a Horcrux? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

"You'd think so," Hermione agreed. "But apparently it creates a connection between the two beings. It gives the Horcrux maker some amount of control and the ability to possess the other."

Harry's eyes widened as an idea suddenly came to him.

"Nagini!"

"You-Know-Who's snake?" Hermione asked, confused as to why Harry was bringing it up.

"Yes!" he said excitedly. "He can control her!"

Ron let out a loud snore. Harry and Hermione shared an amused glance and then lowered their voices so as not to wake him.

"But he's a Parseltongue, isn't he?" She was unsure where Harry was heading with the focus on Nagini. "You can control snakes by speaking Parseltongue to them."

"No I can't, I can only talk to them. They may or may not do what I tell them." His voice took on a superior tone. "They've got feelings too, you know. Maybe you need to start a Society for the Protection of Evil Horcruxes." He grinned at her. "SPEH. It's the sound one makes after they SPEW. A natural progression."

"I'll be sure to make buttons. Two Knuts each for a membership," Hermione's lips twitched in a smile. "So that's it then? Nagini, the locket, the diadem and the cup." The books Madam Pince sent them earlier on Founders' artifacts coupled with pilfered historical records from one of Kingsley's informants had been invaluable to their search. Her grin widened. She felt relieved now that their task wasn't so open ended. Four objects and then they could finish off Voldemort.

Well, three objects and a reptile.

"Yeah," Harry ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up awkwardly. He looked at her, not quite believing their discovery himself. "That's it. We solved it. Those are our targets."

She flipped through her book some more. "Fiendfyre is extremely dangerous. We'll have to think carefully about where to go to cast it. I'd almost prefer trying to sneak back into Hogwarts to get a Basilisk tooth from the Chamber of Secrets."

He snapped his book shut with a smile. "We could make a Horcrux bonfire in the cave where Dumbledore found Regulus's locket. Throw Nagini on there and it's a barbecue by the sea. I'll bring the Butterbeer."

"We're having a barbecue?" Ron stretched and rubbed his eyes as he woke up.

"Finish your beauty rest?" Harry teased him.

"Sod off."

The Horcrux book slid off Ron's lap and fell to the floor.

Hermione tsked at Ron and summoned the book with her wand. "These are really old references, Ron. You have to be careful." She turned the tome over in her hands and repaired the spine, which had torn off of the pages when it dropped on the floor. "If you're not going to bother reading then at least don't ruin them."

"I'm tired from combat training last night," Ron said, annoyed at her scolding. "Remus can be brutal sometimes. And Dawlish practically hexed my arse off. Look, I'll do whatever you want me to do, but I can't sit here and read textbooks. Six years I struggled through school. Why do you expect this to be any different?"

Hermione looked up sharply at him, equally annoyed. "Because this will help us win the war. We don't have anyone else that we can ask about this. We all need to try our best."

"I am trying my best, Hermione," Ron protested angrily. "I'm just not as good at this part," he motioned to the books on her lap, "as you two are."

Harry intervened before a fight could break out. "Ron." He leaned forwards to face Harry, a scowl still on his face. "We learned that Fiendfyre can destroy the Horcruxes and that the last Horcrux is Nagini."

"Well, good," Ron said, slouching in his chair and cracking his knuckles. Hermione winced at the sound. He was as bad as Malfoy with the joint cracking. "I wouldn't mind taking a whack at that snake."

Understandable. Hermione remembered how Ron's father had nearly died after being attacked by Nagini. Harry and Ron discussed whether it would be worthwhile to break into Hogwarts for the basilisk fangs while she continued to read more about possession. In three of the cases described, the Horcrux was made to gain control of a more powerful creature, like a Manticore. Being immortal was not the primary reason.

Hermione stopped and reread the passages about animal possession.

She felt goosebumps spread up her arms and down the back of her neck. Slowly, she raised her eyes to Harry in growing horror.

Could it… Could he…

Her heart thudded in her chest and the blood rushed to her head as she worked through the implications of what she just read.

Could Harry be a Horcrux? Was that even possible? Voldemort only wanted to split his soul into seven pieces!

No, it couldn't be true. Harry couldn't be a Horcrux.

Hermione watched him talking with Ron about the terror of seeing Moaning Myrtle again, seemingly without a care in the world.

Could Harry really be one?

Did Dumbledore know?

Even if Dumbledore did know, would he have said anything?

But… How else could Voldemort have possessed Harry in fifth year? Why else would Harry see those visions?

The Hufflepuff cup, the ring, the locket, the diary, Nagini, the diadem, and Voldemort himself. Those were the seven pieces to make a whole. He only wanted seven.

Was it possible that he made Harry a Horcrux by accident when he tried to kill him?

Harry was chatting with Ron, oblivious to her stare.

Voldemort had believed that seven was the most magically significant number. Maybe he was right. If Harry was a Horcrux, fracturing his soul into eight pieces destroyed Voldemort's body. It would explain why Harry survived the killing curse and Voldemort lost his body while casting it. It would explain how Harry was privy to some of Voldemort's thoughts and could feel his emotions. And it would explain how Voldemort had been able to possess him in fifth year, albeit briefly. It would explain why Harry was a Parseltongue.

He had a piece of Voldemort inside him.

But what did that mean? Did that mean Harry had to die? Was any of this even true? None of this could be true.

Could it?

"Hermione? Hermione?" Ron called her, snapping his fingers.

She jumped and pulled her gaze away from Harry to Ron.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Ron commented.

"I-" Hermione had no idea how to explain what she just figured out. No. What she may have figured out. It was too horrible to think about.

They heard a knock on the door and with a quick rush of adrenaline, Hermione summoned the Horcrux books and placed them in her beaded bag, zipping it up tightly. She nodded to Ron and he unlocked the door with his wand. "Come on in!" he called.

Ginny poked her head through with a smile, long red hair swinging with her forward momentum.

"Gin!" Ron leapt out of his chair, opened the door wider and crushed his baby sister with a hug. The Weasley family was much relieved she was safely hidden with the rest of them instead of at the Carrows' mercy at Hogwarts. Ginny squeezed Ron back and glanced shyly over at Harry.

"Mum let you come here? To Paddington?" he joked in disbelief. "Bugger it all. You might actually get sucked into fighting the war that literally every single member of our family is participating in except you."

Trying her hand at Occlumency, Hermione calmed herself, forced a smile to her face, and gave Ginny a warm hug and kiss on the cheek.

Ginny scowled at Ron's reminder. "I convinced her that even if I'm not old enough to fight – yet – I should still be learning how. It certainly can't hurt."

Harry nodded in approval. "Sounds about right." He stood up and was about to give her a hug as well, but after glancing at Ron he stepped back awkwardly.

Ginny blushed at Harry. "She won't let me stay here, but I'll be joining you three in combat training tonight. I've bargained for twice a week." She smiled. "I'm pushing for more."

"Well, we've got about an hour until it starts." Harry stretched his arms with a groan, easing his limbs after so many sedentary hours deep in thought over Horcruxes. "I need to clear my head after all that reading. Want to go outside for a walk?"

"Yeah," Ron said, oblivious to the fact that Harry directed his question towards Ginny. "Good idea."

Ginny looked slightly panicked at the thought that Ron would join them.

"Um, Ron," Hermione spoke tentatively. "Would you mind staying here for a few minutes? I need to talk to you about a few things."

Hermione wanted to give Harry and Ginny a chance to be alone. If Harry had to die in order for them to win this war, he certainly deserved as much time as he could get with Ginny. But she also wanted to know what Ron thought about what she just read. She couldn't confide in anyone else and wasn't ready to talk with Harry about it.

Ron looked down at her, confused. "Sure," he answered, eyeing Ginny and Harry suspiciously.

Harry flashed Hermione a grateful smile and carefully sidestepped around Ron to exit the door. Ginny grinned up at Harry and they left. Hermione closed the door behind him.

Ron turned to her, looking uneasy. "Are you going to yell at me again?"

"What?" Hermione asked, taken aback. "No, of course not!"

Did he always think she yelled at him? Well, he certainly deserved it enough.

His expression morphed into one of relief, and then a lazy grin spread on his face. He walked closer to her and placed his hands on her upper arms.

Oh!

That's what he thought she meant. Not that snogging wasn't something she wasn't interested in. She was. He was just such a prat last year with Lavender. But that was over and they'd had more time together with the Horcrux hunt. Things felt right for them now.

Ron was going to kiss her. She knew it. After all her wondering and dancing around each other it was going to happen. Her mind raced to what she had learned about Harry and she couldn't decide what she wanted to do.

Tell Ron?

Kiss Ron?

Cry?

The heat from his palms spread through her sleeves and he walked her backwards to the bed Harry had been sitting on previously.

"You just wanted me alone?" he asked, teasing her.

Hermione swallowed, suddenly very nervous. Her heart thudded rapidly against her ribcage. Ron's eyes were clear and blue, but hooded now. He closed the space between them and lowered his face to hers. She tilted her head up. She didn't know how to tell Ron what she'd just discovered. She couldn't now. Not when he was about to…

His lips were on hers. They were soft and warm. His fingers tightened on her arms and one of his hands circled around, resting on the nape of her neck underneath her hair. He opened his mouth and eased hers open with his tongue and lips so she could receive him. The back of her legs hit the mattress and he pressed her backwards as his tongue pushed against hers and a slow ache of desire spread throughout her body. She reached an arm behind her, awkwardly easing her fall onto the mattress and he laid atop her, pressing himself into her and snogging her heavily. She felt warm with his body on top of hers, and each time his tongue swiped her tongue, her core twisted. It was as if something was missing within her, wanting to be touched and filled.

He kissed better than Victor did, but she was much younger then, and didn't really know what she was doing. She cupped Ron's face, feeling his stubble and ran her fingers through his hair. He moved the hand that was on her upper arm down to her waist, his fingers grazing the skin of her mid-riff and she felt a thrill of excitement at his touch.

Her mind wandered to Harry and tears pricked her eyes, unbidden. Ron must have sensed something was wrong because he pushed himself up and looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" His voice was low and gravelly.

She shook her head and felt a tear run down her cheek. Were Harry's days numbered? She couldn't stop thinking about him.

"What did I do?" His eyes widened, slightly apprehensive. "I thought you wanted this?"

She chuckled as a few more tears came out.

"I do, Ron. This was nice."

"What's wrong then?"

She peered into his eyes. If she told Ron her theory, what would happen? He wouldn't be able to treat Harry normally. Their friendship would be strained, maybe they wouldn't be able to work well together anymore. If anything, Harry needed their love and support as much as possible. Now more than ever. If she was right and his days were numbered, he deserved the best of everything until that day came. Hermione was at least learning to Occlude her thoughts and emotions. Ron would be a disaster.

She took a deep breath and gazed up at him. His eyes were concerned, caring, and she felt a surge of warmth and affection towards him. Harry didn't want to be pitied by his friends. He wanted to be able to joke around. He hated it when everyone tiptoed around him fifth year, treating him as if he were a fragile piece of glass that could be broken at any moment.

No. She'd have to keep this bit of information to herself. It wasn't fair to Harry. She'd tear out the pages from the book Fractured Souls discussing theories relating to Horcruxes and animal possession so they wouldn't deduce what she had. She was lucky they hadn't so far.

"It's my parents," she lied. "I don't know why, I just thought of them now. Maybe because Ginny spoke of your mum. I just miss them," she said, turning her head to the side. More tears leaked out onto the bedspread. Now she really was crying over her parents, and felt slightly mollified in that she wasn't completely lying to Ron. But Hermione spoke a fear that she hadn't voiced to anyone yet, afraid if she did that it would come true. "I don't know if I'll be able to restore their memories when this is over."

Ron brushed the hair over her face and kissed her forehead. "You will. If anyone can, it's you."

She smiled up at him through her tears. Ron's confidence in her abilities warmed her heart but ultimately, she didn't think that was true at all. He had no knowledge of memory charms and how complex they were to reverse.

"Thanks Ron."

He pushed himself off the bed and extended his hand. She grabbed it and he pulled her up, affectionately tucking a curl behind her ear.

"Want to take a walk outside before combat training?" he suggested. "Would that make you feel better?"

"Sure," she said, relieved for the change in subject. "I could use the fresh air, but let's give Ginny and Harry some alone time."

Harry deserved to be happy for as long as he could.

Ron rubbed the side of his nose. "I'll never get used to it. My little sister dating. At least it's Harry this time."

She laughed lightly, wiping the remaining tears off her face with her sleeve as he opened the door to the bedroom and waited for her to walk out.

"Ginny's already dated several of the guys in our year and hers, Ron. How much time do you need?"

"Don't remind me," he grumbled, walking down the stairs and to the front door of Paddington safe house. "Once I heard Dean and Seamus talking about her last year and nearly decked them." He held the front door open for her to walk out outside. "I should have."

She stepped onto the porch and turned around while he shut the front door. Lavender was sitting outside on a bench, reading a copy of Witches Weekly and sending out little bursts of fire from of the tip of her wand. Hermione couldn't tell if the fire was for reading or to amuse herself.

Maybe both. She did seem to play with fire a lot lately.

"Well," Hermione said, raised an eyebrow at him conspiratorially. "We've got dueling practice pretty soon. You could pair off with one. I'll take the other."

His white teeth flashed as he grinned down at her in the moonlight.

She reached out to take his hand.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Will you tie me up this time?" Draco asked.

Hermione looked back at him over her shoulder, covering her breasts with a jumper, but the curve of her arse and back was on full display for him. Her hair hung down loosely between her shoulder blades.

"Beg me and I will," she smiled seductively at him.

Draco fisted himself with a groan. He no longer felt dirty for wanking to thoughts of Granger and didn't think he was degrading himself. But there was still something inherently wrong about it, and he continued to feel guilty every time he reached down his trousers, giving in to desires he shouldn't have. He supposed that's part of why it felt so good, and why he kept doing it.

The forbidden nature of finding Granger sexually compelling kept her image returning to him nearly every night.

Part of him desired her precisely because she was forbidden to him. He shouldn't want her.

Then again, he shouldn't want a lot of things and he was going after them anyway.

Knowledge. Screwing Dolohov and the others over. Getting himself and his family out.

Granger.

He squeezed himself, and bit his lip, shuddering as his hand slid over the skin of his shaft. His guilt made him conjure thoughts of Elizabeth instead, a pure-blood witch who wasn't entirely bad looking, and halfway decent at snogging, but found himself repulsed. Not so much of Elizabeth, but of the forced circumstances regarding their intimacy.

"Kinky bitch."

"You love it," she smiled seductively at him.

His thumb swiped the pre-come and he spread it down his length, providing more lubrication. He turned his head to the side, pressing his cheek into the pillow with a grunt, legs shaking with each stroke.

Draco remembered Granger in their shared classes. Brown nosing swot that she was, always with her hand in the air, trying to be the first to answer. The dirty talk was incredibly arousing coming from her. He imagined her lowering her hand, slowly turning around to face him, removing her robes, that swottiness directed towards him and taking on a sexual nature.

"Beg me and I will."

She was his secret. Not just the spying, but the desire. Part of the guilt he felt towards his parents and their expectations was replaced by a defiance that brought his orgasm on quickly. Each stroke of his shaft became a 'fuck you' to the Dark Lord and his army.

He sucked in a breath while his climax approached and clenched his body, muscles taut. He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed his chin up towards the ceiling. Toes curling in anticipation, his thumb stroked the tip of his member as come spilled out onto his torso. Each burst forcing a jerk from his body.

He exhaled slowly and then panted, chest heaving, and rested his arm on his forehead.

Spent.

Fucking hell.

Draco knew his parents and friends would be horrified if they knew he was masturbating so often to thoughts of a Mudblood. And Granger in particular.

In an interesting turn of thought, he wondered what Granger would think if she knew what he was doing.

Prissy, red faced, stammering, horrified…

Draco huffed a laugh, still breathing hard. Thoughts of her sputtering and full of embarrassment eased his own sense of guilt and mortification.

She probably never masturbated. She'd be too prim and proper to touch herself.

He froze.

Granger touching herself.

The smile slowly fell from his face as his cock rose to life again.

"You love it," she smiled seductively at him.

Chapter end notes:

Thank you to those that are reviewing. The comments are really fun to read!