A/N: Okay, chapter is not awful. Just mostly sad. The next one will be out on the 24th! Enjoy c:

SAYIN' GOODBYE

After Hermione woke in the hospital wing of the school, alone, she'd been ushered out by the Matron to make room for students who needed the beds more than she. For a little bit Hermione had wandered, taking in the damage done to the school in a daze. Death Eaters had locked down the Astronomy Tower and then went about the school in the direction of all four house common rooms. It had been just after dinner and Hermione had gone to professor Sprout to discuss the best way to grow plants in foriegn soil.

Stuck in the memory of what had happened, Hermione didn't notice Dobby appear until he asked after her health. It startled her but she still complied with an answer. After a bit of chatter with Dobby, a pleasant but odd occurrence since she knew the elf didn't much like to make small talk, Harri had found them. Immediately Hermione knew that something was wrong.

A dread built up in her as her friend asked after her health and mental state while they walked back to the Chamber. Still Hermione replied truthfully. While her body had mostly healed her mind still felt numb. Like the entire attack on the school had been witnessed by another person and not herself. She wasn't entirely sure what to think of it.

By the time they were in the safety of the Chamber, Hermione had enough of the small talk and went straight to it. Asked what was bothering Harri so much. That's when Hermione found out that there would be a mass funeral for those who had died from the school during the attack. How the bodies had been taken by the Death Eaters. And the names of those lost.

For a long time they stayed in their shared dormitory, on Hermione's bed, while the brunette cried and Harri stayed close for any support- trying not to cry herself. Just like the time Hermione found out about her parents.

Only Dobby visited them, bringing a tray of food for them each, for which Harri thanked him. Well tired out and exhausted, Hermione laid on her back and stared up at the canopy of her bed blankly.

"He's killed nearly everyone I love." Hermione eventually stated, voice raw and tone pained. When she felt Harri move to lay beside her Hermione looked at her friend with sorrowful eyes. She took Harri's pale hand, "and he's still after you. My sister in all but blood. I won't let him kill you Harri. I won't."

For the first time since she found out about Anthony's death Hermione noticed that there was something else bothering her friend. When she asked, Hermione hadn't been prepared for the answer that she received. After some mental debate Hermione couldn't understand, Harri finally spoke.

"I... I think he might hate me...!" Harri blubbered, voice so choked with emotion Hermione could barely understand the words. Tears began to fall down Harri's cheeks in earnest, alarming the brunette. "I've hurt him...! So bad...!"

Hermione hadn't ever seen Harri cry, though she did know that the raven haired witch woke up with tear stains and puffy eyes quite often. It was less so now but it had been a frequent thing when they were younger. (Which led her to think that Harri cried while speaking to Goku. After all, Harri spoke to the other-worlder at every opportunity she got.)

Even though she was confused and emotionally drained herself, Hermione pulled her friend in for a hug. As she did, Hermione wondered who Harri could be speaking about. Whom did her friend care for deeply enough that it would cause her to cry in front of Hermione? That Harri would turn to Hermione for comfort and not Goku. It had serious concerns rise up in Hermione's tired brain.

Because only one name came to mind.

Had Harri meant Goku? Goku hated Harri?

The idea was ludicrous. In Hermione's mind, there was no possible way that Goku could hate Harri. Not when he showed his feelings for the raven haired witch so blatantly in his actions. Which meant that the only other possibility would be that Harri had gotten into some sort of fight with Goku. And Hermione had never seen the two fight. They were a united front on pretty much anything. Well, as united as two people could be when they could only speak to one another at certain times of the day.

Hermione only ever saw Harri smile as wide as she did when she was listening to Goku. And sure Hermione could get something that resembled a laugh out of Harri every once in a while- but Goku? It was practically effortless for him to get a real laugh out of the raven haired witch.

If it really was a fight the two had been in then Hermione couldn't imagine what that would have looked like.

Harri shook as she gasped for breath, trying to breath through her tears that soaked Hermione's sleeve. Confused, concerned, and exhausted, Hermione pet the unruly raven locks of her friend with one hand and patted her shoulder with the other. Belatedly Hermione wondered how they managed to get themselves in such an awkward hug, while laying down on Harri's bed, that still managed to convey comfort- because with her one arm above Harri's head as it was, it was starting to loose circulation, and Hermione was half certain that Harri could probably smell Hermione's armpit from where Harri had her head rested on Hermione's bicep...

All of a sudden their bodies prickled with goosebumps. They both stilled like two doe that had noticed danger nearby. Something immense and powerful and absolutely purely magical was in the dormitory with them. Neither dared to breathe. It lasted for all of two seconds. As abruptly as the presence appeared, it was gone.

It took a while before either of them remembered to take a breath. They stared at one another with wide eyes that silently asked if the other had felt that too. Eventually they gathered the courage to look around, oh so carefully and subtly. It was Harri who spotted it first, on the bedside table between their beds. A simple piece of rolled parchment that seemed to shimmer with how white it was.

Harri's tears came back instantly- and somehow- with more strength than before. She curled up on the bed like she wanted to hide from the world. Baffled, Hermione rubbed circles on Harri's upper back in attempt at comfort while she stared at the parchment.

"Harri... I don't understand..." Hermione carefully stated, not wanting to upset the other witch even more (if that was at all possible). All Hermione got was more sobbing. She doubted Harri could speak even if she wanted to. Any more words Harri would say would be incoherent.

For a long time they stayed there, until Harri's tears ran dry. When she felt that it was safe to do so, Hermione got up and grabbed the mysterious parchment from the bedside table.

Sat on her own bed, Hermione felt Harri's tired eyes on her as she carefully unrolled the gleaming white parchment. Inside was a list of seven bullet points written in emerald green ink that would match Harri's eye color perfectly.

A gasp left Hermione as she skimmed over the words, eyes wide. Eventually her eyes turned to Harri, "wha...? Harri, what did you do...?"

"I..." a whimper left her that had Hermione more scared than she cared to admit. The words that left Harri next were so quiet, Hermione nearly didn't catch them. "I asked for a different wish..."

Carefully Hermione looked between the list of horcruxes in her hands to the distraught witch on the bed. She didn't know what to say. For as long as she had known her Harri had wanted nothing to do with Voldemort or the Wizarding World except for the knowledge to protect herself and others. Hermione had come to accept that Harri wanted to leave this world entirely for another one that would treat her better. It was part of the reason why Hermione tried so hard to improve herself and work on her own magic. After all, with what little Hermione had learned of Harri's home life, how could she ask Harri to stay?

Which left Hermione to ponder about who would get rid of the murderer when their world's 'savior' was gone. There were no adults actively seeking out Voldemort's end, except for Dumbledore and themselves. But the old man was dead now (as Harri had included the Headmaster in her list) and even if he wasn't Hermione hardly trusted the man considering his actions with Harri and herself- or really, his lack of them.

(Which reminded Hermione to ask Harri later where the heck she was during that attack and why it was that Hermione couldn't find her friend in it. Did Harri finally snap and kill Dumbledore herself? Honestly, it came as a surprise how little Hermione cared if Harri had actually done it. All Hermione felt at that speculation was a twinge of disappointment and a lot of worry, because she didn't want her sisterly-friend to be charged for murder. ...Did Hermione have to help hide a body? She'd ask Harri later, when she could actually think on the best way to go about it without getting caught by the Ministry. Umbridge no one cared about- but the Headmaster of Hogwarts? There would be an investigation for certain.)

How hard would it have been for Dumbledore to put a protective detail on Hermione's family? Why didn't he try and teach Harri extra skills outside of school when he could see his professors weren't doing a good job? How could setting Harri up to be in a Tournament for adults be beneficial to Harri? Whatever did he do with Harri's family money?

When it was time for Harri to go then, at most, Hermione had thought that she'd gather more like-minded people against Voldemort and try to get their help in locating then destroying the horcruxes. (The more people that knew of them, the less protected those things were right?) Even if that didn't work, Hermione had been entirely ready to take the task on herself so Harri wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

After all, her friend had someone who was waiting for her. Who literally scoured his own world for a chance to get her to him, over and over. There was no one left here for Hermione that would do the same. Hermione would simply have to settle her payment to Voldemort by taking him out for good.

So the very idea that Harri would change her wish stunned Hermione. Why would she give up her chance to finally be with someone who cared for her? To end Voldemort? That seemed entirely out of character. Hermione could only stare, mouth agape.

"He w-won-n't wa-ant to s-see me ev-v-ver ag-gain." Harri brought up her hands to cover her watery emerald green eyes. Her words broke and jumped in tune. "He-he'll not lo-ook for t-the Dra-agon-n-n-b-ba-al-alls ag-gain."

Mouth closed with a snap, Hermione frowned. "That doesn't sound like Goku." She pointed out. Peering down at Harri, "has he told you all that...? Or are you guessing?"

"He m-mig-ght as w-well hav-v-ve to-old m-me..." Harri hiccuped, "yo-u-u didn't s-see him-im when-en I a-ask-e-ed."

"Well..." Hermione paused, "what did you see then?"

At the question the raven haired witch started to tremble. Nearly inaudible, "he was a-angry." She confessed with a whimper. "I made him a-angry... and s-so h-hur-r-rt."

The frown Hermione wore only deepened. To her this reaction was rather... extreme. Then again, Hermione also knew of how the adults and other students here acted towards Harri when they were angry with her. She had also guessed at just how badly her friend had been treated by her relatives. It was unfair and unjust but that's what Harri had to draw upon. Harri's relationship with Goku, Hermione knew, was one of the only positive ones in Harri's life. For a moment Hermione thought in silence as her eyes fell back onto the gleaming white parchment.

Even with a different wish being made, Hermione still found it hard to believe that Goku hated Harri. Yes, Hermione can see him getting hurt by this, but hate?

"Do you remember that time I kept pestering you about your relatives in fourth year?" Hermione watched carefully as Harri went still, "how about the time where I questioned if the Window had anything to do with Voldemort? Or when I told you about my attraction to Goku? You were angry with me all those times weren't you?" She let the words register. Then, "did that make you want to stop being my friend?"

One red rimmed green eye made itself known to Hermione, carefully assessing her. "You... y-you really t-think it's som-met-thing like t-that...?" Harri asked tentatively.

"Yes," Hermione felt rather confident with that. "Since you're the only one who can contact him, you'll only find out what he actually feels by calling him to ask. But since he actually fulfilled your wish..." she emphasized the parchment on her lap, "...and you said he was angry, he might just want some time to cool off. Calling in the morning should be just fine."

Harri stared. Then, "...okay." Harri agreed, quietly. The word had a small relieved smile grace Hermione's face. Then the brunette turned back to the parchment and began to read it in earnest.

"This is very detailed. We'll be able to make plans to get the items easi-" Hermione cut herself off with a horrified gasp. Harri looked at her with alarm.

"What?" When Hermione failed to answer right away, the raven haired witch sat up to her elbows. She rubbed at her teary gaze desperately. "H-Hermione, what i-is it?"

Pale, it took a few moments of gaping before Hermione found her voice again. "H- Harri..." she said, voice high and scratchy with terror. "Y- your... your name...!?"

Green eyes widening, "what...?"

When Hermione finally looked at her, Harri found herself dreading the answer she was about to hear.

"Ha- Harri..." Hermione swallowed, mouth dry. The brunette's fear was palpable. She could barely speak. "Your... yo- your name. It's on this list..?!"

Goku had been about to fall asleep in the bed that Kami and Mr Popo provided for him in the room at the Lookout, exhausted from his day and the emotions that had run their course through him. Jelly like in state, Goku had blinked up at the ceiling, absently watched how the light of the moon cast dark shadows there. All he could think about was the wish that he had wanted to make and the wish he actually made to the dragon. He couldn't sleep.

Then he'd heard Ri's voice, tentative in how she spoke his name. Something in him recoiled at that, alarmed.

Sat up, Goku reached for the coin purse that had been set on the bedside table and pulled out the Window Wood from within. When the image on the Window cleared enough to see, Goku felt his stomach swoop- like when Nimbus unexpectedly did a trick for him. He could hardly tell that Ri's eyes were green anymore with how red and puffy they currently were. There were salty tear streaks down her cheeks.

Concerned, Goku opened his mouth to ask-

"Are you very angry with me?" It was more of a squeak than a real question, blurted out at him the moment she spotted that he was about to speak.

At that Goku had let out a huff. "No," he answered honestly. While it hurt, he was glad that it wasn't anything more alarming that had made her cry. Actually, it hurt quite a lot knowing that he was the cause of those tears. He hated knowing that she was hurt enough to cry.

The way that she seemed to melt with relief at his words made something twist painfully in his chest. He frowned. Goku had already known how it must have looked to her. He had been angry after all. Just not with her. Not really. He didn't like it when she was upset.

"I'm sorry I left you with that impression." He apologized, only to pause when he spotted how Ri immediately shook her head in response.

"No, don't-"

"Ri, listen." Goku cut off sternly, only to soften his tone a moment after. "I was mad. Just, not at you. It's more..." he clenched his fists. For a second he glanced up at the door to his room and confirmed it was shut. Then he admitted to her what he hated admitting, even to himself. "...that I hate not being able to help you more. I can't do anything for you from here."

Once again Harri shook her head, "that's not true." Her emerald green eyes gained a watery quality to them but they still shone with absolute intension. "Your my best friend, Goku. My trusted confident. My most precious person."

She paused then, just long enough for him to absorb those words and he noticed how she looked like she wanted to add something else. The sincerity in her eyes had him captivated, the heat of her words made his heart race. For a second he thought he knew exactly what else she wanted to say, but didn't. He wouldn't have been able to say the words either, and he suspected that it would stay that way until she was on the same plane of existence as him.

Her words had not lost any of their weight, "I don't know what my life would have been like without you in it, and I never want to imagine it. This world- or any other- would be a lot colder for it."

His mind went blank when he'd tried to think of a reply. That nagging instinct had come back, full force, causing his brow to furrow in confusion. It insisted that something was wrong.

While they spoke of a lot of things together, they didn't tend to say out loud just how important they valued one another in this unusual relationship they shared. Those feelings were usually felt and expressed in silent or subtle ways that the other simply acknowledged and accepted. So the way Harri spoke now, while it made him feel warm and tingly and happy enough to cry... it was still worrying.

"Ri..." carefully Goku looked her over. It was very clear to him that she hadn't really slept a wink since they last spoke, much like himself, a few hours ago. Another thing to worry about. "Ri... what's going on? Why do you sound like..." he tried to think of the right words but it was difficult. Especially when the one he spoke to looked like she wished that he'd have asked her anything else. Then his eyes widened with shock as he realized what she was doing, "like your sayin' goodbye...?"

"G-Gok-ku," her voice broke around his name, volume impossibly soft and tone saturated with sorrow. While her tears began to fall in earnest, she didn't let her eyes stray from his own. "My n- name is o- on th- the list."

In that moment everything stopped. He didn't even dare to breathe. There was only one possible thing Ri could be referring to. Goku did not- could not- comprehend it. She must have seen the blank, bloodless look on his face, because she had felt the need to try and explain it.

"I'm a hor-horcru-ux." Despite the way she had to fight to get the word out, it was filled with venom. One of her hands came up to fist the fabric of her shirt right above her heart. "It's in-insi-ide me. A pie-piece of h-his soul." The disgust and wrath faded from her tone. Only utter despair and regret were left, "I... I h-hav-ve to... to d-die to get ri-rid of it."

Whatever stupor he'd been in, that certainly knocked him out of it. Fury crashed through him with more violence than when his Kamehameha tore up the earth.

"Yer not gonna die, Ri." He practically growled out before he could really think on it. At her flinch back he did his best to rein it back in but it was proving to be a Herculean task. "You are not." He tried again, enforcing his opinion.

Shocked out of her crying, Ri did her best to wipe away her tears while she spoke, "Goku... all the horcruxes must be destroyed. That-" she hiccuped, "-includes m-me."

"Ri! Yer not gonna be killin' yerself!" Goku immediately insisted, nearly letting his anger through once again. He took a breath to try and calm himself but it was proving impossible at this point. A panicky wrathful monster seemed to have hatched in his gut and it wanted to eat him alive. His Ki fluctuated around him dangerously, tore at the bed sheets beneath him and threatened to do the same to his clothes.

"...what else can I do..?" Ri questioned him softly, brokenly. In that moment he felt it, just like the time she told him of what had happened in her Ministry. Ri was utterly terrified. "Right now Voldemort is doing unspeakable acts to whomever he wishes. He's even doing something with our dead. All to attain his goal of a magic-only world where magic and power both are given only to those Voldemort deems worthy. If I don't stop him now... he won't stop with just my world." Goku watched as Ri rubbed at the tears in her eyes, felt his heart drop at the reminder. "If I don't kill Voldemort... he's already trying to get to your world, I can bloody feel it." She tapped the scar hidden under her fringe. "I don't want him to win. There is no known way to remove this blasted thing from me. Not without killing me. If we destroyed all his horcruxes, except for me, then killed him... I'd be his last link to life. There's no way he wouldn't fight to seize it. I already felt what it was like with him trying to take me over- I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting him in my head."

The racing organ bruised the inside of his chest. Goku felt scared and absolutely helpless. He couldn't loose her. When he looked in her green eyes, he could see how she believed there was no other way. He had to convince her that there was another way.

"You'll come here." Goku stated, mind racing nearly as quick as his heart as he said exactly what he thought. "Shenlong will get that thing out of you. We'll kill it then. And then we can make it so the murder doesn't know about the Shenlong's power or that you exist. There won't be any reason for him to try and come here then."

For a long moment she stared at him with wide eyes. Then, a glimmer of tentative hope started to shine through. Like she was grasping at straws. Through a stuttered breath, "you... you r-really think that would wor-ork?"

He sort of needed to. Goku didn't know what he'd do if Ri decided to go through with her plan of killing herself. (It wouldn't be anything good though, he knew that.) So he looked her in the eyes and nodded. He conveyed certainty like his statement was already fact.

"Yes." And he found himself fond of the image that brought up almost instantly.

Goku had no idea what this Voldemort actually looked like, but he always imagined the murderer as some dark vaguely human-shaped form with red eyes. In the image the statement conjured, he imagined that dark form jumping out of Ri's head just for Ri to zap the form with her magic to make it possible for Goku to go ahead and rip it to shreds. Almost like what he'd done to Piccolo. The thought of doing so nearly had him smile with anticipation.

A wet laugh left his friend then, startling Goku out of his thoughts. Like she had known his exact thoughts, "but... you don't know how to fight magic, goof." He appreciated her attempt at humor. It helped to sooth his panic and let his rage simmer down from it's rolling boil.

"Well, by the time we make the wish I will." Goku stated confidently, letting the start of a real smile start to show. He also felt proud that he'd managed to lift her spirits enough to get her to laugh her almost-there laugh that she had never really outgrown. When she blinked at him with confusion, he gave her a smile that was all teeth.

Innocently, "you didn't think it'd be a vacation when you get here, did you?" At her look his grin became mischievous and determined all at once. "Well that's too bad... I'm going to put you through your paces and see exactly what your magic can do against my Ki."

A fond sort of smile was growing on Ri's pretty face. "You'll be obliterated." Ri giggled, amused.

"Maaaybe," Goku tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "Buuut you'd have to actually catch me first."

"I'll lure you in a trap then," Ri gave a comical roll of her eyes, like luring him into a trap would be child's play. Goku admired her confidence, no matter how misplaced. "And take my time with taking you apart."

Amused, "you wouldn't have the stomach for it." He shook his head sadly. "Ya don't even know how to hunt down your own meal."

"Well, I'll be working on that."

Goku tilted his head curiously at the lack of playfulness there. Harri gave him one of her barely there smiles.

"Hermione and I will be hunting down the other horcruxes. They're hidden all through Britain, but thanks to the list we have their general locations and what deadly spells will be around them." She gave a glance to the side, as though to look at something. Then she leaned forward, only to come back into view with a gleaming white parchment in her hands. She turned it to show him the emerald green writing. He did his best to keep his expression neutral when he read Ri's name on the list. "And look at them all! Voldemort was seriously paranoid when set these up. It'll take us a while to look up all the counters to these, and practice or make them. I'm fairly certain he'll catch on to what we're doing the moment we start, so we'll have to move fast."

"And then you'll come here." Goku finished seriously, only to smile at the somewhat startled look on Ri's face. "We'll get it out of ya, Ri. We will. Trust me on this?"

Those pesky tears threatened to make themselves known again but Ri's gaze went soft as she look at him. Sharp emerald hues smoothed like stones battered in the river.

An affirmative hum was her answer to that, with a single grateful nod of her head. Goku's smile widened until it physically couldn't get any bigger. Happiness practically radiated off of him at that.