Different Page, Different Story

Hermione was exhausted but there was no way she would be getting any sleep tonight. The wedding seemed years ago. She closed her eyes while she lay next to Ron who slept on the floor beside the couch she rested on. She remembered how he looked in that tuxedo Molly had practically wrestled him into. The way he had been so jealous to see Viktor Krum at Bill and Fleur's nuptials.

He thought she hadn't noticed but she'd noticed everything about him. How he was always protective of her and sincere in his love for their friendship but that's what they would always have. A friendship. It pained her but in her heart she knew it was true. She wasn't sure if that's what he wanted but being so close to death so many times had taught her one thing. Life is too short to hope. Hope that one day Ron would change his mind about her. Hope that one day she would get the guts to kiss him. Hope was for people who weren't running for their lives. Draco's surprise allegiance switch was a testament to the fact that nobody knew what tomorrow would bring.

She took one look at him and scrambled to her feet. There was no point in laying there if she knew she wasn't going to sleep. After giving Malfoy directions to Regulus's room she had come here only to find Ron passed out and Harry gone. She would have sprinted towards the door to stop him from leaving if she hadn't heard him in the kitchen.

She clutched her cardigan tighter to her chest and descended the stairs. It was icy cold in the house and the events of the day before were still giving her goosebumps randomly.

At the bottom she took a right and was met with warmth and the smell of tea brewing. She closed her eyes and moaned before she entered the kitchen.

"Can't sleep either?" Harry said standing by the stove where he poured hot water over two mugs. "I heard you coming down, I assume we can both use something warm. Also, it's the only thing in the cupboards."

"We'll have to figure that out," she said taking a mug and sipping slightly in order to not burn herself. She took a seat at the table the Weasley family had once made seem so small.

"We have a lot of things to work out," Harry sat across from her and she noticed how he wasn't making eye contact. "Like what we're going to do with Malfoy."

"Did you listen?" Hermione asked letting her hands grip the mug and warm her fingers. "When I went to give him the toothbrush you were pretending to be asleep. Then when I came back you were gone." Harry nodded but she wasn't upset. She had done the same thing. "You should have just come in."

"It seemed like it was something you had to do. I owe you that much, you and Ron-"

"Harry please," Hermione said a bit frustrated. "We're not going anywhere you hear me? At least I'm not. Malfoy caught us all off guard. We'll get through this."

"I keep wondering when I'll feel guilty for practically imprisoning him," Harry looked up through his lashes. There was no emotion in his eyes, just an old soul staring back at her. "Maybe I am more like him than I thought."

"He feels some guilt," Hermione said trying to find some part of Harry that she had known. Ever since the night they lost Alastor and Hedwig, Harry had changed. Something had awoken and something else had died.

"That much is clear."

She stared at Harry while she drank her tea. Normally he would have asked her to kindly look away or ask her what her problem was but Harry was distracted with his own thoughts. She took a look around the kitchen and realized this was the first time they'd come to Grimmauld place after Sirius's death.

"Harry..." she whispered his name as she placed her mug on the table carefully. "As long as we're here maybe you should sleep in Sirius's room." She wasn't sure if it was a morbid suggestion but she'd do anything for Harry not to look like that anymore.

"Is it that noticeable that I miss him?" Hermione nodded unwilling to risk her voice. She hadn't known what it would mean to lose someone so close but now that her parents were wondering alone in Australia, unaware they had a daughter fighting in a magical war, gave her some perspective into Harry's pain.

"It feels wrong to be here without him even though he hated it," Harry took a sip of his tea and finally met her eyes. "I hate everything about this place but it's the only thing I have to remember him by. I don't even mind that it comes with Kreacher."

"Kreacher," Hermione kicked herself when she realized she had completely forgotten about the Black's house elf. "I hope Alastor brought him enough food when he was setting up the booby traps. Have you seen him by the way?"

She tried not to think about the late auror too much. There were only so many deaths that could fill her mind without her going mad.

"No and try not to say his name too much. I'm not ready to deal with him just yet." Their conversation fizzled and they stayed in comfortable silence even after the sun started rising.

She wondered what it was like outside. Surely there were still Death Eaters and Voldemort was more powerful than ever. He had Horcruxes galore and more power than any one being should have over an entire population of wizards. She thought about poor Fleur and Bill and wished that they had made it out safely.

After they had made the Unbreakable Vow; Harry, Ron and herself had been upstairs catching their breath when Mr. Weasley's patronus had arrived and relieved them of their fear for anyone who might have been seriously hurt. She had been shaking with worry but at that she had calmed enough to get an hour or two of sleep. She had to face the rest of the day on that alone.

"I don't know if you heard me tell Draco that I'd talk to Ron about a certain clause in our vow." Her voice trailed off wondering if he would catch onto her calling Malfoy by his first name. It tasted sour in her mouth and she didn't like it but old habits did die hard.

"The 'you can't hurt anyone on our side' clause. That includes us huh?" Harry said. "No I didn't hear you tell him but I did think about it when I threatened to kill him and then realized it seemed a bit cowardly to do that to someone who couldn't fight back."

"You didn't say anything to him about it though," Hermione remembered the conversation she had eavesdropped on. But then also remembered the things Draco had told Harry about the Death Eaters and what they planned to do to her and she shivered from head to foot.

"We'll both talk to Ron," Harry said avoiding her comment. "I think we need to decide how much to tell Malfoy about what we're doing."

"He knows it's something important," Hermione said standing up no longer being able to control her shivers. At least pacing wouldn't draw attention to the way goosebumps had made their way up her neck. "I told him it was more important than school rivalries. I meant it, but I don't want to put words in your mouth. Do you agree?"

"He wouldn't be here if it wasn't true. He might know something, anything. It's too much of a risk to let him leave now anyway." Harry also stood and came to her side, "I had a feeling in my gut telling me to take his deal. He's a bloody git and I'll probably never trust him much less like him but he did take the vow and that night on the tower, he was lowering his wand. These past two months have made me realize nothing is black and white."

She was about to say something else when Ron burst through the door, panic written all over his face.

"I thought-hurt you-in your sleep-you were both gone!"

Hermione went over to him and ran a soothing hand down his arm and tried to calm him, "It's okay Ron. Harry and I couldn't sleep. Sorry we should have written you a note."

Ron coughed and the redness she had come to associate with some deep emotion crept up and covered his face. "Right, I just thought that git had done something to you."

"He can't Ron," Hermione said stepping away and taking her hand off of him. "That's actually something we wanted to talk to you about."

Harry stood and placed a hand behind Hermione. She was glad she didn't have to do this alone. Telling Ron to behave was like telling Fred and George to never prank another living soul again.

"We think it'd be in everyone's best interest if we kept things civil. At least while we are all under the same roof." Harry began but Ron was shaking his head.

"No. No way, if he thinks he can just get away with being the same conniving spoiled ferret he was back in school then I won't hold back and you can't honestly expect me to-"

"Ron please," Hermione begged. She had wanted to relive the punch she bestowed upon him in third year plenty of times since they had found him here but she'd held back, how could Ron not? "He'll die the moment you provoke him. I saw it okay, the vow was legitimate."

"What!" Ron shouted and his face turned even more red if that was possible. She realized her mistake almost immediately. "He tried to hurt you? When?"

"It's not what you think, we were arguing and I was hitting him. He grabbed my wrists and yes for a second it hurt but the moment he knew something was wrong he let go. He felt something okay! Ron!"

She miraculously nudged her way between him and the door separating them and the rest of the house when he had turned to, no doubt confront Draco. Harry was just standing back, neither helping her or holding Ron back.

"Please, I'm actually begging you Ron. Don't do something stupid. The Horcruxes, that's what we want remember. If you do something you'll have his death on your hands. Do you want that?"

Ron was speechless but he had stopped trying to get past her. She could see some sanity returning to his eyes. He was still angry but he was listening now.

Harry who had been silent during this exchange placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. Ron took a step back and she noticed how close they had been. He had almost attempted to climb over her.

"Do you want that on her?" Harry asked while both Ron and herself stared at him in shock.

"I told you not to do it," Ron shook Harry's hand off of him and then turned towards Hermione. "I told you this was stupid. Only you two would see something good in that git. Well let me tell you something both of you wouldn't understand. People like him, wizards like him. They never change. Blood is the only thing they care about and he'll screw us all over sooner or later."

Hermione shook harder than ever. She couldn't believe that. Not after what she'd heard Draco tell Harry. How broken he had sounded over what he'd experienced. Things she had avoided thinking for years had flooded her thoughts in the hours following his confession and their conversation. Seeing Cedric's body and the similarities in color to Dumbledore's at the foot of the North Tower. Having to obliviate her parents in order to come here. Hearing the screams at Fleur and Bill's wedding and then being attacked at the coffee shop. There had to be some good in everyone or else her world would come undone.

"Please Ron," she almost whispered. She saw how he looked at her. Like he didn't even recognize her. She could feel tears running down her cheeks but she didn't bother wiping them away. He had never been good around her while she was emotional so she wondered if she was making things worse.

"Fine," he said pushing her aside and then turned to address them both. "I won't provoke the git but don't be surprised when he sells us out." Ron pushed past her and ran up the stairs. When he was back in the room they had all tried to sleep in he slammed the door and kicked around a few things then it all just went silent.

Hermione had been staring at the kitchen door while she listened to the commotion and when it seemed like Ron had settled down she turned around only to find Harry staring back at her dejectedly.

"Were you going to tell me-" Harry began.

"Yes! Of course I just had other more important things to talk to you about. It's not even a big deal Harry-"

"He tried to hurt you! How is that not a big deal?" Harry had grabbed the back of a chair and lifted it a few inches off the ground only to slam it down on the wooden floor.

"I can take care of myself!" Hermione scoffed, "besides, the vow worked didn't it?"

"That's not the point Hermione!"

"Then what is?" She yelled almost as angry as him now.

Harry seemed on the verge of saying something before he clamped down on whatever words that were going to spill out and decided to ignore her instead.

She let out an irritated growl before turning and leaving him to his lonesome. She climbed the steps and was about to turn into the room Ron was currently occupying before she decided what a terrible idea that was and continued to climb the steps onto the second floor. It had been at least 3 hours since Draco had gone to bed and since the rest of the house was so angry with her she figured she might as well add another one to the list.

She walked up to the room she had only been in once before during Molly Weasley's cleaning extravaganza back in their 5th year. Sirius' brothers room hadn't needed too much cleaning and she'd only been inside to help Mrs. Weasley with the linen.

She came to the door and raised her hand to knock when she saw something that made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Ron! Harry!" She screamed so loud she heard Draco fall off his bed on the other side of the door. "RON! HARRY! SECOND FLOOR NOW!"

She heard their hurried steps coming when Draco opened the door. He had his wand at the ready and was surveying the area around her but when he found no immediate threat he looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"What the bloody hell Granger?!" He lowered his wand when Harry and Ron raced towards her.

"Did he do something? Can I hit him now?" Ron pointed his wand wildly at Draco while the latter took a step back into Regulus's room, hands in the air.

"No! Ron, Harry look!" She pointed her finger at the simple plaque that adorned Regulus's room.

Do Not Enter

Without the Express Permission of

Regulus Arcturus Black

"Regulus? So?" Ron asked still pointing his wand at Draco then realization flooded his features, "Wait, R.A.B? Locket R.A.B? It couldn't be him could it?"

"Hold on," Harry said, "if you'll excuse us Malfoy." Harry grabbed the door nob and closed the door on Draco whose baffled face disappeared behind the closing door. He murmured a locking and silencing charm on the door before they resumed their speaking.

"Harry you told us that Sirius has said Regulus was a death eater who mysteriously went rogue and was killed. Is it so far fetched?" Hermione began.

"Wait," Harry said taking a step back. "Remember that locket we were all trying to open when we were cleaning, could it have been..."

His voice faded just as Hermione felt the blood drain from her face. Ron actually swore.

"It couldn't have been, wouldn't we have known?" Ron asked leaning against the door for some stability.

"I don't think so," Harry was a million miles away, lost in his thoughts. "The diary felt magical, it didn't feel dangerous but it did feel like...like it wasn't just a diary, if that makes sense."

"What happened to it?" Hermione asked the question everyone was wondering.

"Well lets think," Ron said almost like they hadn't just been fighting. "I remember all of us trying to open it and then when we couldn't..."

"We threw it away," Harry finished. He sank to the floor, resting his arms on his knees, his wand pointed down mirroring his disappointed facial features.

"No," Hermione said side stepping both Ron and Harry on her way to the stairs. She continued to talk as she heard them follow her. "Remember? Kreacher had been going through the trash. Sirius told us. He might have it Harry!" Hermione was almost giddy with hope. Now she thought it was the most wonderful feeling.

Her plan was to go and knock on Kreacher's known cupboard but Harry had more urgent plans.

"Kreacher!" He yelled behind them making Ron and Hermione jump. A second later they jumped again when an old and worn Kreacher appeared before them.

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-Maria