Harry and Lupin apparated just outside the wards surrounding the Burrow. The damp air slid wet tendrils down the collar of Harry's shirt and slinked down his spine. His stomach churned and his sweaty palm tightened around his wand, out and at the ready. Lupin seemed about to speak but he was cut off as the door of the house burst open, pouring vibrant gold light into the thickness of the night. A small figure shot out the door and hurtled toward them. Harry barely had time to recognize Ginny, a look of fierce determination on her face, before she had thrown herself into him, her momentum forcing him back a step. His hands came up to her waist automatically but she was already pulling away. With one arm still secure around Harry's neck, her free hand latched onto Lupin's wrist and she dragged them across the barrier of wards that would only allow passage by those in the company of a member of the Weasley family.
"Tosspot," Lupin said mildly, disengaging himself from Ginny's grasp and straightening his robes. Harry rounded on him in shock but Ginny laughed at the stricken expression on his face.
"It's the password, Harry. Fred and George picked it. Obviously," she rolled her eyes. Harry shifted Hedwig's cage in his hand as they trudged toward the house. Lupin levitated Harry's trunk behind them.
"You probably should have asked us for it," Harry said softly. "How do you know I'm me?"
"I know you're you," Ginny said without looking at him, "Remus gave it in any case."
"Oh," Harry said intelligently. He looked up as a shadow fell across their faces. A hulking form had appeared in the doorway, entirely backlit by the light inside the house. One long arm reached out as they moved up the steps and pulled Harry into a rough one-armed hug.
"Alright, Harry?" Ron asked, releasing him and standing aside to let them cross the thresh hold. Hermione moved around him, embracing Harry warmly.
"Hi, Harry," she murmured.
"Hi," he said, his cheeks going pink at the attention, which only increased as he was quickly buried in a mountain of red hair and pulling hands and raucous voices. Fred and George were there clapping him loudly on the back, Mr. Weasley shook his hand, smiling broadly, and for fourteen terrifying seconds Harry was cretain he would suffocate as he was crushed into Mrs. Weasley's generously maternal bosom, before Ginny firmly took him by the elbow and rescued him.
"Come on, Harry," Ron said, shouldering Harry's heavy trunk across his back and turning toward the stairs. Harry smiled awkwardly at the other Weasleys before finding Lupin's eyes.
"Stop in before you leave, yeah?" Harry said and Lupin nodded, then turned toward Mr. Weasley.
"Arthur, might I have a word?"
"Of course," Mr. Weasley said, a slightly startled expression on his face as he studied the younger man. "Of course. In the kitchen? I'll make some tea."
Harry thought he heard Lupin sigh softly as he turned and followed Ron up the stairs, Hermione trailing behind them. They made a slow procession to Ron's room, turning left at the top of the stairs. Ron swung Harry's trunk to the floor of his room with a grunt as Harry sunk down onto the bed, lowering Hedwig's cage down beside his feet. Hermione hovered awkwardly near the door.
"Are you alright, Harry?" she asked, watching him carefully.
"I really wish people would stop asking me that," Harry muttered moodily, running his hand back through his unruly hair.
"Did you talk to Lupin?" Ron asked, then immediately went slightly pink, "Well, obviously you did but-"
"What did he say?" finished Hermione in an anxious voice, "Did he say anything?"
Harry sighed and looked up at his friends.
"It's Sirius' brother. RAB. Sirius' brother, Regulus," he said softly. Ron's eyes went wide and Hermione sucked in a sharp breath.
"He's sure?"
Harry nodded. "He said he'd seen the locket at Grimmauld Place. Sirius had it."
Hermione gasped and Harry and Ron looked at her sharply.
"What?"
"I remember!" she said, her hand lifting to her throat, her eyes slightly wild, "We all saw it. Before your hearing Harry, remember? We were cleaning and there was a locket that none of us could open. How could I have forgotten about it?"
Ron was gaping at her, lowering himself slowly to sit on Harry's trunk.
"Forgotten about it? How could you possibly remember that Hermione? Honestly, your brain is dead spooky."
Hermione colored slightly but her lips twitched in a pleased expression as she looked down at her hands.
"Well, Sirius had it after that. Before he . . . before he died," Harry choked on the last word and Ron shifted his feet uncomfortably. Hermione touched Harry's knee gently, but he shifted slightly away. He shook his head.
"Remus said he knows someone who might be able to help with the Horcruxes," Harry stood up, feeling agitated, and paced the room.
"Who?"
"I don't know. He said he needed a few days."
"But he said they could help? How?"
"I don't know," Harry said, again, exasperated, "But what else have we got?"
"Harry," Ron took a breath, "what do you want to do?"
Harry could feel their eyes on his back, waiting for him to give a direction. The problem was he didn't have one. He turned back to them, leaning heavily against the wall.
"Dumbledore thought the other Horcruxes might be somehow connected to Hogwarts. We have to try to figure out what they might be."
"How?" Ron looked slightly lost. Hermione stood up, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
"Well, I brought my copy of Hogwarts:AHistory. We could start there?"
Ron grinned at her.
"Hogwarts:AHistory to hunt Horcruxes. One of these days, Hermione, that book is going to fail you, and then where will you be?"
Harry laughed as Hermione tossed her bushy hair indignantly behind her shoulder.
"How have things been here?" Harry asked, shifting the topic abruptly. Hermione looked at Ron, who sighed.
"Mum's driving everyone mad, so not that different than normal," Ron frowned at his hands. "I haven't told Mum and Dad that I'm not going back to school."
"Maybe we will go back, if the other Horcruxes are there," Hermione suggested, trying, and failing, to keep the slight hope out of her voice.
"I doubt we'll have much time to study Charms while we're looking for a load of evil soul splitting artifacts, Hermione," Ron said quietly. Hermione blinked rapidly and dropped her head. Ron's attention lingered on her, an uncharacteristic tenderness on his face.
"What did you tell your parents, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"They . . . well, I told them they should leave the country. They didn't want to go."
"No, they didn't want you to stay," said Ron.
"Can't blame them for that," Harry said.
"Ron and Mr. Weasley came along," Hermione whispered.
"You did?" Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron.
"Dad gets on with them really well, you know, so . . . " Ron shrugged nonchalantly but he couldn't quite meet Harry's eyes.
"So they left?"
"Yes," Hermione's gaze was still trained on the floor, "They agreed eventually."
"It's for the best, Hermione," Ron said gently.
"I know," Harry saw two fat tears roll off the end of Hermione's chin, catching the light with a flashing glint as they fell to the ground. Ron stood, crossed the room and wrapped a long arm around Hermione's shoulders. Harry shifted awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," he mumbled. She wiped her eyes with her fingertips.
"Don't be sorry, Harry," she croaked. "It's not your fault. It's like Sirius said, remember? There are things worth dying for."
Harry felt as though a steel hand was squeezing his ribcage. He spun away, swallowing hard just as a knock came on the door. Thankful for a distraction, he opened it, stepping to one side to let Lupin in. Clearing his throat roughly, Harry looked up at the older man. Lupin's eyes squinted for half a second, darting briefly to Ron and Hermione, before returning to Harry's haggard face.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Lupin said.
"It's ok," Harry said rather more gruffly than he intended.
"I was wondering, Harry, if I might borrow Hedwig? It shouldn't be more than a few days."
"Oh. Sure. Of course," Harry crossed to the bed. Hedwig gave a inquisitive hoot as Harry lifted her cage from the ground and handed it to Lupin.
"Thank you," Lupin took the cage carefully, twining his long fingers around the ring at the top. "I'll take my leave then. I will check in tomorrow, Harry. Alright?"
Lupin rested his hand on Harry's shoulder, the weight comforting, and Harry nodded. Lupin squeezed it for a half second, inclined his head to Ron and Hermione and was gone.
"What was that about?" Ron asked.
Harry shrugged half heartedly, but lingered in the doorway, watching Lupin descend the long staircase. It was only when he turned back into the room that he realized Ron and Hermione were watching him. After a moment, Ron stood up and stretched.
"Have you had dinner yet, Harry? I'm starving. Let's go see if there's any pie left."
Harry smiled wanly and followed them out the door.