I don't own anything, J.K Rowling does.

WARNING: Mature themes brought up so if you are less than 18 and / or easily triggered by mature content DO NOT READ THIS STORY. You have been warned.

A/N: Hey guys, this will be the only chapter I'll post this week. I am trying to write longer chapters for those of you who want longer ones but they will take a little more time to write. So, there will only be one or two chapters per week. Hope you like the chapter I put together for you. I know I am making Ron acting like a huge jerk. Sorry for Ron fans but I think that he was kind of a jerk leaving Harry and Hermione on their own to battle against Voldemort and search for Horcruxes and came back like mothing happened. So I think he has this jerky side to him that I reflect in my work.

Chapter 13

When Hermione apparated inside the boundaries of the wards protecting the tent. She rubbed the tears that had welled up in her eyes with her sleeve and entered the tent. Ron was sitting in front of it twisting his wand in between his fingers. He was obviously waiting for her to return. When he saw her, he tried to look busy by conjuring quickly a small wooden statuette and throwing jinxes at it.

"Hey Ron, Happy New Year. Practising? Would you like any help? Wait, I'll just fetch my wand and…" Hermione began knowing what made her friend react as he did. He was still angry at her for being with Severus, but she couldn't deny what her heart was telling her. Could she?

"Cut the shit Hermione. Just go, I don't think I can put up with you right now. Happy New Year by the way." Ron said, his voice transmitting the anger he was trying to bury. She felt hurt at how her friend had talked to her. She knew that he wasn't exactly pleased with the situation but it was no reason to talk to her like that.

She went into the tent only to find Harry at the living table reading a large volume a small blank book she assumed to be a journal opened on the side. The tip of a new quill was laying on the border of a small travel ink well. She looked above his shoulder, him still focused on his book his eyes scanning for new information. She knew that book. It was Obscure Symbols and their Obscure Meanings by Xenophillius Lovegood. She had read it in her 5th year at Hogwarts, her friend Luna had given her this book for her birthday and she had read briefly through it before forgetting about it. She had come back across it when she had prepared to leave her house for the final time and flee with Harry and Ron to chase for Horcruxes. She had then placed it on the bookshelf that Harry had made out of dead wood they had found on their first campsite they had went to.

"Happy New Year Harry." She said startling him a little. He jumped from where he was sitting before hugging her tightly.

"Happy New Year Hermione. It wasn't the same without you. Ron was really angry for the whole night. We had a little party together and drank a bottle of firewhiskey before going to bed. We figured you wouldn't be back before a little time. I saw Ron going outside two or three hours ago. I think the both of you should talk but before tell me how it was. But do spare me the details. I might be accepting the relation, but it is still very hard for me to picture you with my old Potion Professor." He said, relieving Hermione as he was genuinely happy for her and was evening letting her talk to him about it.

"It was so romantic Harry, he had booked a room for us in an elegant Inn in Hogsmeade. I don't want to think how much he spent on that room. It was beautiful. Then, well we… you know… and after we had breakfast and we danced. It was so romantic. Who would have thought him to be the romantic kind, but he is, he really is." Hermione said her eyes full of tears

"It was so hard to leave him earlier. I just wanted to stay in his arms a little longer. I worry for him all the time. I am scared that one day I'll come to see him die. I just want this blasted war to be over with so I can spend the rest of my life with him as his wife. I would not be able to live without him Harry." Hermione was now crying and Harry took her in his arms trying to appease her.

"Hey 'Mione, you know we'll do whatever is possible to end this war as quickly as possible. I know it seems like an eternity, believe me I do. But we have to be strong and fight with all our strength to defeat Voldemort. You for Severus and me for Ginny. They both love us and we love them so I want you to promise me one thing Hermione. If I either of us die, the other will protect the loved one. Because I would not rest in peace until I know Ginny is safe and so will you if Snape wasn't in safety." Harry had talked while his hand brushed down Hermione's now tamed curls. He too had tears in his eyes know as he thought about Ginny who he knew was wondering of his whereabouts.

"Now, why where you reading this book?" Hermione once again wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve.

"You know at Bill's and Fleur's wedding, Mr. Lovegood had a necklace. It bared a strange symbol. I looked through your journal and found that by superposing what we thought were runes, we obtained the same symbol. So, I went through your books and found this one wrote by Mr. Lovegood. And it is brilliant, simply brilliant, he explains everything from basic symbols like the meaning of gold, to more advanced ones like the deathly hallows' symbol." Harry said in a Hermione fashion.

"What are the Deathly Hallows, Harry? I think I heard about them, but I don't remember where." She said searching through her memory for hints of the deathly hallows.

"I don't really know myself Hermione. Mr. Lovegood's book only goes that far on each symbol and his way of phrasing things is strange. Take a look if you want." Harry said flipping through the pages rapidly. After landing on the correct one, he pushed the book towards her as she sat on the bench next to him.

The Deathly Hallows

For thy to master death. Thy shall them reunite. They show themselves to the pure hearted ones. For they shall bring Him to his own. Thy shall take them and thy will conquer it. But remember thy are human and that death isn't.

Hermione read the text over and over again. Not managing to understand the true meaning of the words below her eyes. All what she could figure out that they could be some kind of weapon to defeat someone. Who, she hoped it was Voldemort. All what she was positive about was that they had to reunite them. But how many were they. Two, three, four, more? She didn't know. And most importantly what were they. They had to be strong magical artefact. But so many existed.

"Harry, I think that we better go visit Mr. Lovegood. Maybe he can enlighten us. I do hope so" she said while flipping through the page trying to see if there were any other mentions of those Hallows. Their had to be even though it was one of the smallest paragraph on a symbol. The longest one on Flundel: runes used by the first goblins to live in Egypt in the 4th century and having the peculiar ability to change by themselves if read by someone who wasn't goblin, being 5 pages long.

"I think you are right Hermione. I think he might be the key to defeating Voldemort. We'll just tell Ron and then I guess we'll be going to see him tomorrow. We'll have to put up more defences around the tent and campsite so that no one discovers it while we're away, but I hope we'll be able to set everything up before tomorrow morning. We have to see him as early as possible so that Voldemort can be defeated." Harry said his voice full of determination.

Hermione patted his shoulder lightly and Harry began tidying the table he had been using for a few hours before. She went outside and found Ron exactly where she had left him. At the step of the entry to the tent, crouched next to the fire, his wand spinning in between his fingers. Hermione counted in her head up to three before clearing her throat.

"Ahem, Ron, can you come inside for a minute. We have discovered something and we'd like to share it with you. It's about Volde…" Hermione began balancing her weight from one foot to the other.

"Don't you dare tell his name. You know perfectly well I hate it when we speak his name. As for the piece of information, it better brings us closer to defeating He Who Must Not Be Named." Ron scolded not even looking at her.

"We both think it might. Just come inside and we'll talk about it." Hermione said stepping a little out of the way of the entry. As to let him inside. He rose to his legs and went straight inside. Hermione casted a few more wards before entering herself the tent and warding the entryway too.

The boys were sitting at the table, Harry had the book opened at the right page and turned towards Ron. Pointing at a particular paragraph at the bottom of the right page. Hermione stayed in the entryway. She had decided it would be best if she didn't intercede this time. Not wanting to break the already tumbling trio. She watched as Ron read and reread the paragraph over and over again. His eyes frowning as like his friends he didn't really understand the signification of it.

"Blimey, can anyone tell me what all that rubbish actually means?" Ron asked perplexed.

"We think there is a kind of weapon we could use to defeat someone. Someone who believes to be immortal and that only this weapon can bring down. As this book was written less than a century ago. We can suppose this someone is Vol… You Know Who." Hermione said as Ron flinched at the beginning of the mention of Voldemort.

"The problem is that we don't know what those Deathly Hallows are. We suppose they are powerful magical artefact but how many are they and what are they. That we can't really know for sure. We can only say that they must be united to work as one. We were saying that it might be a good idea to go and visit Luna's father as to ask him some explanations about it. He might have an idea of what they are and how we could find them." Hermione continued walking towards the table and sitting across the table.

"Alright, when do you want to go?" Ron simply said. Harry and Hermione looked at him strangely. For the last week every time he had talked to them. He had argued about everything. He kept himself away from the both of them apart from meals and when it was time for him to go to sleep.

"Well the earlier the better. So, tomorrow afternoon just before tea time." Hermione said her voice stuttering in surprise.

Harry and Ron cleaned up the table and prepared the trio's things for the next afternoon while Hermione fixed them some dinner. The three of them ate talking a bit more, it was like they were the unbreakable golden trio all over again. They finished their meals and after they had cleaned up took one after the other their showers before heading to their bunks and settling for the night.

It was 9 a.m. when Hermione woke up. She looked around her only to find that the boys were gone. She went out of bed and made it wandlessly and wordlessly. She found them in the kitchen eating breakfast.

"Figured we'd let you sleep. You must be a little tired." Ron began, "hey 'Mione about you and Snape. I'm sorry I behaved the way I did. I know how it feels to love someone. I love you and that is why I'm letting you go. I see how happy he's making you and that is what's the most important for me. If you want to be with him then so be it. Just know that I'll always be by your side no matter what and if he hurts you in any way I'll kill him." Ron said. Hermione felt that Ron was truly sorry for his behaviour, she loved him too but more like a brother. She felt relieved that he accepted her relationship with Severus.

"Thank you, Ron. It really means a lot to me. I am truly happy with Severus. The only thing that worries me is if his true allegiance is discovered. He will be killed and I'll die of sadness. I can't live without him. Each time he holds me. I feel like nothing matters anymore. Like I am unbeatable." Hermione said with stars in her eyes.

"Guys. We have to prepare for the meeting with Luna's father. Maybe we'll see her at the same time. I don't know if she has returned to Hogwarts this year. With the war looming over our heads…" Harry said his voice full of concern.

"Yeah, let's. I'll just check and place new wards on the tent while the both of you can go one last time over the defensive spells Severus did for us." Hermione said. She cleaned up her breakfast things before going towards Ron and Harry and giving the both of them a short and friendly hug. She picked her wand up from her night table and went outside placing the strongest versions of the wards she knew on the tent to prevent anyone from entering it.

A few hours later, the three of them Apparated in front of a rocky house. It looked like a great cylinder only held by the willingness of Merlin knows what.

"That's got to be Luna's house, who else would live in a place like that?" Ron said as they walked up a twisty path to the front porch of the house. They knocked three times with the brass eagle shaped knocker and heard the sound of locks behind the heavy door. The door opened and a tall white-haired man stood in the doorstep. He rose an eyebrow as he saw the three figures in front of him.

"Mr. Lovegood, may we come in?" Harry asked politely. There was a long pause and a few seconds after, the man stepped aside.