"Stay close to us you three – and what are you playing at Harry? Put your invisibility cloak on now!"
Harry, Ron and Hermione were flying through the air on their broomsticks, accompanied by three of their friend's and member's of the Order. Mad-Eye had just reprimanded Harry on not wearing his invisibility cloak and hastened to remind him that he was Voldemort and his Death Eater's number one target. Harry apologised swiftly and wrapped the cloak around him, disappearing out of sight – he had been so busy still thinking of Ginny back at the burrow that the cloak had completely slipped his mind.
"Listen guys, I know we're not allowed to know what exactly it is that Dumbledore told you lot to do," began Tonks as she flew on one side of Ron, "I just hope that you can contact us if you ever need any help or are in trouble"
"Yes, Tonks is right" agreed Lupin, "just make sure you don't go sending any Owl's to us though – they could easily be intercepted"
Ron looked confused, "Remus, how else are we supposed to contact you?" he asked.
"It's alright Ron," replied Hermione, "I know how to send messages using a Patronus – you know, just like the Order"
"Well done Hermione, but remember always be careful – if you feel as though its not safe to reach us…then just let us know you are safe at least ok?" added Lupin, with a nervous look on his face.
Harry felt a guilty knot tighten in his stomach. He knew that the lives of the people he loved were at risk because of him, and as much as he tried to convince them that he would be ok, neither Ron, Hermione nor anyone else would let him complete the task on his own. Although the Order had no idea about Harry's mission to find and destroy the Horcruxes, he knew that they were all in danger – Voldemort knew that they would do everything in their power to prevent him from taking over, and he also knew about the strong connection that they all had with Harry. He couldn't bare it if any of them died, or were gravely injured because of him. The mere thought of it made Harry feel sick. As they all gently landed in a clearing of a familiar looking forest and Harry climbed off of his broom, it was as though Hermione had read his mind.
"Harry…we promised you that we would all help, and be with you every step of the way, so please stop worrying" she told him, resting her hand on his shoulder.
"Hermione's right Harry, our safety is a small price to pay if it means that you can finally destroy you-know-who…and for good this time" added Ron, walking over to pat his best friend on the back.
This was little comfort to Harry, who couldn't think of anything worse than losing more of the people he loved. But he reluctantly smiled, if only to leave his friends content that he was ok with it all.
"Where are we anyway?" asked Ron, looking slightly bemused.
"We're in a forest about ten miles from Godric's Hollow" stated Lupin while pacing slowly to and fro. Tonks went towards him and held his hand gently.
"Harry it's not entirely safe for you to visit your parent's graves yet – we think that the place is being watched by Death Eaters," said Mad-Eye glancing at Tonks and Lupin briefly, "they're probably expecting you to go there…perhaps you should all camp out here for a while and make sure you know what it is that you're going to do – its always best to have a plan" he finished.
Mad-Eye always liked to keep organised and reined a tight schedule – he reminded Harry of a Colonel training and leading his Army to battle. Every leader had to have a strategy.
Lupin looked at Tonks with a loving expression and kissed her hand before he let go, he walked toward Harry and stopped for a moment just looking at his best-friend's son with a solemn look in his eye. Then he opened his mouth and spoke,
"James and Lily would be so proud of you Harry, I hope you know that"
"Thanks Remus" he replied, "I know how much my mum and dad meant to you and I promise that I'll succeed, for all of you" he added, looking round at the others who were all smiling sympathetically at him.
"Well Harry," uttered Tonks, breaking the silence, "we best be off – Molly must be driving Arthur up the wall by now wondering where we've got to"
"Good luck you three, if Dumbledore believes that you can do it, so do we" cried Mad-Eye as he lifted himself up onto his broom.
Harry, Ron and Hermione watched as Lupin, Tonks and Mad-Eye flew away, and soon they were setting up camp. Hermione erected the tent while Ron and Harry cast protective charms around them in order to prevent them from being detected – by muggles aswell as Death Eater's. It was at least an hour before the trio could finally sit down to a lunchtime meal. Thankfully, Mrs Weasley had provided Hermione with a large supply of food, which she had fit into her bag along with many other essentials by performing an Undetectable Extension Charm. It was at times like these that Harry and Ron greatly appreciated Hermione's presence and spell work in their lives.
"So guys, like Mad-Eye said, we've got to come up with a way to do this properly" began Hermione, drinking a glass of Butterbeer, "what is it exactly that you want to do once we get to Godric's Hollow Harry?" she asked him as he took another bite out of his turkey sandwich.
"Harry…I don't wanna sound like a git or anything, but shouldn't we be trying to find the rest of the Horcruxes first?" he suggested, looking a little unsure of himself, "I mean I don't really think that you-know-who would hide one there would he?"
Harry sighed and looked up at his friends. Ron was right. What chance could there have been that Voldemort had hidden a horcrux at the place where his parent's had once lived? It had no real meaning to him other than the fact that it was the residence of the boy who had the power to vanquish the Dark Lord and that was certainly no reason to hide a horcrux there. The Gaunt shack and the cave where the other two horcruxes had once laid where of great significance to Voldemort and his past and as far as he knew, few others would know about these places.
"You're right Ron…I can visit my parent's graves later, right now we need to find Hufflepuff's cup, something belonging to Ravenclaw, Nagini and the real locket" he replied, suddenly holding the locket round his neck tightly. It hung round Harry's neck as a constant reminder to what he had lost for this fake horcrux, for Voldemort and made Harry utterly determined to find this R.A.B and the real locket to destroy.
Hermione's eyes began watering as she watched Harry's grip on the locket tighten and Ron went over to put his arm around her for comfort.
"So where do you wanna start then Harry?" questioned Ron as Hermione's head rested on his shoulder.
"I have a feeling…that we need to go back to Grimmauld Place…" he whispered sounding alarmed at his own words. Harry didn't know why, but a small voice in his head, was urging him to start at the house that his godfather had left him. He knew that it was risky – Snape could easily have told Voldemort about the old headquarters of the order now that he had revealed his true colours. Bur for some reason he knew that it was the right decision. Ron and Hermione appeared to have the same thoughts on how risky it was as they immediately began protesting and telling Harry their doubts, but Harry was adamant – they had to go there first. He frowned for a moment as he wondered whether the feeling in his gut was sent by Sirius as he looked down on his godson, giving him a message from beyond the veil. But then he laughed at himself and realised how stupid this sounded, putting this feeling down to the fact that he was sure there was something that lay undiscovered about the house of Black and it was after all once residence to a pure-blood loving family (with the exception of Sirius of course).
"Harry we can't all fit under your invisibility cloak anymore" said Hermione, causing Harry to re-awaken from his thoughts, "so I prepared some Polyjuice Potion last month for Ron and I"
"Yeah it's safer that way," replied Harry, "I'm sure most people – aswell as Voldemort know by now that you two are always by my side"
He gave them both a thankful look, which they returned with a sort-of 'don't-worry-about-it' smile and they all decided that they should begin trying to work out where else Voldemort could have hidden a horcrux and how they were going to destroy one when they found it. Harry thought it best that they disapparate to Grimmauld Place after dark as it was easier for them to move about without being noticed much, so they decided to rest for a couple of hours before the sun set.
Ron and Hermione lay down together on a bed, and as Harry listened to them whispering and giggling, and saw them holding hands out of the corner of his eye, he wished that he had Ginny in his arms. He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at the fact that Ron had the girl he loved lying right next to him, and yet Harry was miles and miles away from the girl of his dreams. He closed his eyes and imagined that he was walking along the banks of a river with her, her red hair shimmering in the sunlight and the soft touch of her skin against his. He remembered those kisses he had shared with her, and how sweet she had tasted – soon Harry found himself lost in dreams of a world where there was no scar, no Voldemort, but just he and Ginny lying in eachother's arms forever.
As Hermione lay resting against Ron, she looked at Harry and smiled as she saw how peaceful he looked now. She knew that it wasn't to last but was at thankful at least, that not every moment of Harry's life was taken up with fear, danger and pain from the dealing's of Voldemort. She gasped suddenly as she felt Ron squeeze her bottom,
"Oi, stop looking at Harry!" he cried, "it's me who wants your attention not him"
"Oh Ron for goodness sa-" she retorted, but Ron silenced her with a kiss and though reluctant at first, she found herself responding and was locked in a passionate embrace with him. Hermione felt tiny goosebumps erupting across her body as she felt Ron's hands gently stroking the flesh on her back under her top and she moaned as he kissed the nape of her neck softly.
"Mmm…Hermione I wish I could satisfy you right now" Ron whispered as she ran her fingers up and down his torso while kissing him temptingly.
"You know we can't Ron," she whispered back with a tiny gasp as she felt his hand sliding slowly up and down her inner thigh, "its not fair on Harry…"
Ron sighed disappointingly.
"I know…" he muttered while pulling Hermione closer to his body and feeling her perfect breast's crushing against his chest. Their kiss deepened, and hands wandered – it was too much for Ron to bare as he soon had to stop for fear of having sex with Harry in the room. Hermione suppressed a giggle as Ron groaned; heavily sexually frustrated and told Hermione to shut up because it 'wasn't funny'. Ron couldn't help but laugh a little as Hermione stuck her tongue out at him in response and she soon settled down to nap, cradled in Ron's arms.
As he watched her slowly breathing, Ron suddenly felt a nervous pang in his stomach. He was finally with the girl he loved after so many years of longing for her. What if something happened to him and he left her on her own? Worse still, what if she was snatched from him and he had to live without her, knowing that he would never see her again, never kiss her again, never hear her voice again? He couldn't let that happen. He was going to protect her no matter what…even if it meant sacrificing himself. He loved her too much to let her come to any harm. So many risks lay ahead of them, and yet he knew that they had to face those risks together. Kissing Hermione on the forehead as she slept, Ron realised that he couldn't possibly know what lay ahead of them. All he knew was that the girl he had always loved lay in his arms now, and he would cherish these moments with her forever. And hopefully, just hopefully, someone up there would give him many, many more years of these moments to come.