Right. Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. I own the plotline, but not characters. Those would be the infamous J.K. Rowling's!

Hey...think she knows we write fanfics about her awesome characters? And what if she READS them?

Sorry...Rambled about something completely different...

Enjoy Chapter 5 of Haunted!

After Harry buried Dobby, we all went back inside. Everyone except Harry. He stayed where the new mound was. As we walked away, I had turned and saw him carving something into a rock. It read: Here Lies Dobby, A Free Elf.

Fresh tears pricked my eyes when I saw that. I turned and huddled closer to Ron. I didn't want him to let me go.

What happened earlier was brought fresh to my mind and shuddered. Ron felt it and looked at me.

"You alright, Hermione?" he asked me in a low voice.

I shook my head. "No, Ron. She…she…." But I couldn't go on. I couldn't say what was now permanently carved into my arm. I knew it was permanent. It was Dark Magic. That can't be fixed.

"What?" Ron asked as we stepped over the threshold into the small kitchen.

But I collapsed, the weight of what had just happened finally hitting me.

I heard Ron call out, but it was as if I heard it through water. It sounded dim. And then…black.

Xxxx xxxx xxxxx

"D'you think she'll be alright?" I heard someone ask.

"I dunno, Ron," said someone else. "She was tortured. She may take a while to heal. Physically and mentally."

My eyes fluttered and I mumbled, "Ron."

"I'm here, 'Mione. I'm here." I felt his hand on mine. I smiled.

My eyes opened and all I saw was Ron.

"I'm okay, Ron. Really." I sat up and winced. My arm had been bound and I had a splitting headache. "Where's Harry?"

"Here."

I saw Harry behind Ron and I said, "Harry, I'm sorry. But there was nothing I could do!"

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry said softly. "Really. I know that."

I nodded and saw Bill and Fleur out of the corner of my eye.

"Thank you," I said.

"For what?" Bill asked.

"For taking us in," I said. Harry nodded, but Ron never took his eyes from mine.

"It's nothing, Hermione." But I could see Bill looking at Harry tensely. And though he didn't ask questions now, I knew he was going to ask Harry later.

"I need to get up," I said. "I need to move around."

They obliged and Ron helped me out of the bed I had been laying in. I staggered a bit, but Ron held me up.

"C'mon. Let's go take a walk outside," Ron murmured to me.

I didn't disagree with him.

As we slowly walked, Ron put his arm around me.

"Hermione?" he asked me quietly.

"Yes?"

"Hermione, what did…what did she do to your arm?"

I reached for my arm and pulled back the sleeve. I hadn't seen it since it was freshly carved in.

It was red around the words. It looked angry and it still stung, but it didn't hurt as bad as it had.

"She carved it…into your skin…." Ron looked angry, but he also looked sad.

"It's okay. I'm proud to be a Mudblood," I said. And I was. There was nothing wrong with my being a Mudblood. There was nothing for me to be ashamed of. Ever.

I looked at my arm once more then pulled my sleeve back over it.

"Does it hurt, 'Mione?" he asked me gently.

I shook my head. "Not like before."

"What did she do to you?" he asked me in a tortured whisper.

"Something you don't want to know."

We walked in silence.

"I was scared for you, 'Mione."

"I know."

"Do you?" He stopped, and so did I. he looked me right in the eye.

"Yes." I looked right back. "I heard you. And you saved me."

He dropped his head. "But not soon enough."

"So I got a few scars," I said huffily. "I'll live. Obviously."

Ron grinned. "There's my Hermione."

I blushed. It was completely irrational of me to think he really meant that I was his. No matter how much I wish it was true.

After we spent less than a day at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur, in total safety, Harry called Ron and me together and we talked about how Bellatrix got scared when she thought we broke into her vault at Gringotts.

"It was very strange," I admitted. Then I said, "I have a hair of hers."

Ron and Harry both looked at me.

"What?" Harry said.

I nodded. "It fell on me while she was talking to Griphook."

Harry looked triumphant. "Look, I think there's a Horcrux in her vault. I do. Why else would she be so terrified that we broke in?"

"You have a point," Ron mused. "What d'you reckon it is?"

"We destroyed the locket," Harry said. He stood and began pacing. "Dumbledore destroyed the ring and then the diary is destroyed. That leaves something of Ravenclaw and something of Hufflepuff. Maybe Nagini. And then You-Know-Who himself."

I nodded. "So…something has to be in there."

"How we gonna do it?" Ron asked Harry.

"We have Bellatrix's wand," Harry said, nodding to me. It was in my bag. "And Hermione, you've got a piece of her hair. All we need is a disguise for me and you, Ron, and Polyjuice Potion."

"We still have some," I said, suddenly remembering we had maybe enough left for one person. "But I think it's enough for only one of us."

"Right. Well that'll work," Harry said. "C'mon. I want to talk to Griphook and Mr. Ollivander."

We first talked to Mr. Ollivander. As soon as he was better, he was being to Ron's Auntie Muriel's since her house was bigger. He was the first priority, according to Harry.

Harry asked him about Voldemort and his wand. Then Harry wanted to know if his wand could be fixed, but Mr. Ollivander said it couldn't. The last thing Harry asked was if Mr. Ollivander knew about the Deathly Hallows. Mr. Ollivander hadn't the faintest idea, and we left him to rest. And then it was Griphooks turn.

"You knew the sword was real, Mr. Potter," Griphook said in his gravelly voice, "otherwise, you wouldn't have asked me to lie for you."

"Yes. We knew it was real," Harry said. "Do you know what it's in the Lestranges vault?"

Griphook looked at Harry for a moment, as if almost assessing him.

"You are very strange, Mr. Potter," he finally said. "You saved a goblin and buried an elf. Most wizards would not do half as much as that. You are very strange," he said again.

"Yes," harry said impatiently. "But do you know what is in their vault."

"Yes."

Harry let out a sigh of relief. "Well, what's in it?"

"I can't tell you," Griphook said. "That is not something we goblin's tell anyone."

Harry beckoned for Ron and me to follow him and he said, "We need to get into Gringotts and we need him. What should we do?"

"Ask him to help?" Ron suggested.

We walked back in and Harry finally said, "Griphook, we need to get into their vault. But we'll need your help."

"You want a goblin to break into a vault?" Griphook asked. "You cannot do this, Mr. Potter. If you seek something that is not yours-"

"Then we'll be locked up, right, I got it," Harry said impatiently. "But we need your help. We'll…we'll pay you."

Griphook's eyes narrowed and then he smiled wickedly. "If I do this, I want the sword of Gryffindor."

Harry, Ron and I exchanged glances. We need that sword!

Harry excused us again and I said, "We can't give him that sword! This is ridiculous, Harry!"

"No, look," Harry said excitedly, "we can promise him the sword…but not tell him when he'll get it."

"And this is why goblins despise wizards so much!" I said hotly. "Wizards have always double-crossed them and –"

"Give it a rest, Hermione," Ron said. "Harry's right. We'll tell him we'll give him the sword, just not when."

I narrowed my eyes angrily, but didn't say anything more.

Really! This is exactly why they dislike wizards! I thought as we trouped back into the room. Wizards always double-crossed them! And goblins don't like the idea that we pass goblin-made things down.

I snorted as we walked out after Griphook agreed.

"This is wrong," I said as we made our way downstairs for dinner.

"Harry, can I talk to you for a minute?" Bill asked a few weeks later.

I watched as Bill led Harry out of the room and to the kitchen. Fleur followed not to long after, but she back out again not a second later.

Hmm. Must be serious.

I looked back at Remus. He'd just told us that he and Tonks had their baby. His name: Theodore Remus Lupin. Remus asked Harry to be the godfather and Harry agreed.

I was beaming. Remus was a father!

"His hair's changing already!" Remus boasted eagerly. "Just like Dora!"

"And here he was worried the kid was gonna turn out like him," Ron muttered in my ear as Remus drank deeply from his glass of Firewhiskey.

I smiled slightly, taking a sip from my own glass.

It burned going down and I didn't care much for it, but I was thirsty and there was no Butterbeer around.

Later that night, Harry told us it was time. So we decided to do it the day after tomorrow. Fleur protested, saying that we were safe there, but Harry was right. We have to keep going.

So after carefully planning it out, we got ready for the break in at Gringotts.

This is a tad long, but I hope that's alright. The last one was pretty short! But anyways...hope yer liked it!

Also, I feel I should note...you won't be seeing Ron called Hermione "'Mione." Why? Because I hate it. I don't know why, but I do. It's like, really annoying to me for some reason. But only if the need arises, such as moments like when I used it, will I use it. Yes. I'm weird. Whatever. Story of me life.

Anywho...hope ya liked it! And BTW...I LOVE reviews. Even if they're mean. So please...Review!

Thanks!

-LovelyAlice831-