Chapter 3

Hermione opened her eyes when the suffocating pressure of Apparition had ceased and tried to figure out where she had landed. Apparently, the coordinates had put her in a clearing in some sort of wood. There was a small pond not twenty paces ahead of her, but she did not approach it. Instead, she let out the breath she'd been holding and tried to relax. She knew she hadn't lost her mind, but part of her wondered if she was starting to. She didn't move, but her eyes looked around, seeking the presence of someone else. She pulled out her wand and lit it with a silent Lumos, thinking it might help her see something – anything other than the faint, dark outline of the trees illuminated by the waning moon. Seeing nothing still, she was forced to lower her wand and whisper into the stillness.

"Harry?" Her voice seemed preternaturally loud in the otherwise silent clearing. "Are you here?"

She heard a crack behind her and whirled around in time to see a silhouette advancing from the darkness into the glow created by her lit wand. As the body approached, she was able to make out a half smile on the familiar face in front of her.

"Hullo," he said, with the good grace to look quite sheepish.

She froze, wide eyes plastered on her face. She adjusted her hold on her wand from casual to threatening as she demanded, "Where did you find the sword of Gryffindor in the forest of Dean?"

He looked nonplussed for a fraction of a second, and then his mouth split into a wide grin. "At the bottom of a frozen pond. Ron saved my – Oof!"

Hermione had launched herself onto him, wrapping her arms around him fiercely and crying audibly into his chest. He stumbled backwards and put his arms around her as well, keeping them both upright. He let her finish her emotional catharsis and waited for her to step back and compose herself.

Face still wet, she said with an embarrassed smile, "Hello, Harry."

"'M sorry," he apologized to her, bringing his own wand out and lighting it. "How did you know?"

She shook her head in confusion, as if she couldn't figure out what to say first. "I saw you," she accused, pointing her finger at him. "I saw your body! Hagrid had your body! You were dead! You – you died! I saw you buried; I don't understand," she finally trailed off.

"You saw me pretending to be dead," he corrected. "Voldemort didn't kill me." He paused to see if she would interject. When she didn't he continued. "He thought he did – but he hadn't. When he cast the Killing Curse, it destroyed the last Horcrux." He tapped his forehead. Hermione gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, looking revolted. "And you didn't see me buried."

"I know that now," she explained almost angrily. "Your hand," she said, remembering his earlier question. Her eyes flickered down to his right hand. "The scar was missing."

Harry smacked his palm against his forehead. "Damn," he muttered. "I knew we'd forgotten something."

"I'm still," she looked almost pained, "so confused."

Sensing she was on the verge of a breakdown, he managed a warm smile, "I'll explain everything when we get home."

"Home?" she questioned.

"My home," he clarified. "My new home. I don't live in the woods," he chuckled as he surveyed the clearing. "It's right over there, you know," he pointed into the darkness.

Hermione squinted as she tried to see what he was pointing at.

"The pond? Where I found the sword? Where Ron saved my life?"

Hermione's eyes lit up as if she'd forgotten all about the third member of the Trio. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "Ron's going to be so happy! He's been so…lost…ever since you – left."

Harry looked uncomfortable and he rubbed the back of his neck as he mumbled, "You can't tell him."

"What?" She looked genuinely devastated. "Why not?"

"The fewer people who know, the better," he said. "Besides," he continued, "he's not ready."

"You're probably right," she conceded. "Do you think he'll ever figure it out?"

Harry shrugged with a sad smile. "I dunno. Maybe…maybe in time he'll piece it together."

Hermione looked down at the forest floor and shivered slightly.

"Come on, then," Harry put his hand on her shoulder and pressed on brightly, "D'you want to see where I live now?"

Hermione pulled one side of her mouth into a lopsided smile and nodded, "Of course."

Harry took her by the arm and Apparated them out of the clearing, just as the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon.