A/n: Sooo I am a horrible person for making you wait since September. I know that. This chapter has been in progress ever since then and lets me tell you how important it is to find a writer's block cure because this is ridiculous. Still, I am here, I am not dead and I bring you a lengthy update worthy of such a long wait. I hope that you can forgive me and just enjoy the story. Also just in case you want to be in the know of updates and other projects, I suggest you follow me on tumblr which is listed on my account as I am quite active there. Now without further ado, here is chapter 22 and I have a feeling it will be worth the horrific wait.

And I keep waiting

For you to take me

And you keep waiting

To save what we had

So I'll make sure to keep my distance,

Say I love you when you're not listening,

How long, can we keep this up, up, up?

"Distance"- Christina Perri

The next morning, it was the feeling and sound of breathing that woke Harry up. Squinting, he could see Hermione, still blissfully asleep. She had one hand lying limply on his bare chest. He felt a flush around his cheeks as he realized what an intimate situation they were in. He had never shared a bed with anyone, much less a girl. Sure they had only just slept next to each other, it was all very innocent. Still, he knew that it was something that could only happen once and should never ever be mentioned to Ron.

Despite all the uneasiness he felt by the position he was in, he couldn't help but admire her face in a way he had never taken the time to before. There was the faintest smile on her chapped lips that had just the tiniest hint of blue. His eyes followed the length of her right arm until it finished at his bare chest, lying there casually yet protectively. He felt a huge grin form on his face, one he couldn't control for the life of him.

If life was a fairy tale, they could've laid there perfectly, isolated from the world and happy. Unfortunately for Harry, life was far from a fairy tale and the sooner he grasped the concept, the better off he would be. Life wasn't fair. He had just narrowly escaped death a few hours ago and there was still plenty of struggling to deal with. There were back to square one. They still had yet to find the sword to destroy the wretched locket. They had risked their lives for nothing. Hermione had been right in avoiding the place. Right like she always was. Harry didn't know where he would be now if it weren't for her.

Harry got up from the cot with great difficulty. He was trying his best not to wake Hermione up, for he knew how long she had been up taking care of him. The dark circles under her eyes and her pale complexion were telltale signs of how exhausted and sleep-deprived she had been.

As he emerged from the bed, he saw her curl up and stretch her arm into the now empty space beside her. He hoped desperately she wouldn't wake up in alarm. He waited a few more minutes until he was sure she was still sleeping soundly before he walked away into the tent's kitchen. There was not much he could do but prepare some hot water and honey. Instinctively, he patted down his pocket to where his wand usually was; but his stomach dropped as his hand was greeted with nothing but lint.

Harry swiveled around in his spot and looked around anxiously. He tried to take a minute to retrace the previous night's events in his mind but it was all foggy.

"Harry?" he heard Hermione's scratchy voice ask.

"Oh…good morning Hermione," Harry said nervously. "Go on back to sleep, I'm just looking for my wand to make some nice water and honey for us."

"Your wand?!" Hermione exclaimed.

Hermione's reaction was a surprising one for Harry.

"Yeah…would you happen to know where it is?" he asked.

He saw Hermione bite her lip nervously as she looked down at her beaded bag which was lying right underneath his bed.

"Hermione?" He interrupted her thoughts. "My wand please?"

Harry watched in alarm as her eyes were clouded in tears. This was not a good sign.

"I—I'm so sorry." She whispered tearfully. "I don't know what happened. I think the spell I cast at the snake rebounded and… I feel so stupid."

She reached into her bag with trembling hands and retrieved the broken fragments of what used to be Harry's wand.

Harry felt a tug in his heart. Not only was it the terrifying fear of vulnerability of being without a weapon, but now he had to come to terms with the fact that his wand would never again save his life. He had survived in his fourth year simply because of the special connection between his and Voldemort's wands. That connection was now broken. Voldemort was succeeding.

Harry looked down at the pitiful shards of wood. It was done. This was all the sign he needed. The fates had spoken.

He squeezed the broken wand tightly before he threw it to the opposite side of the tent.

"I know you're angry and you have every right to." Hermione said trembling. "I can't tell you how horrible I feel."

"It's done." Harry said simply, taking in deep breaths. "I'll just use yours for the time being."

Hermione pulled her wand from her pocket and walked toward Harry to hand it over. He avoided her gaze and took the wand from her in utter silence.

"You stay…" he ordered, as he saw her make her way outside.

"But-"

"You need the rest more than I do." He reasoned. "Just stay in the warm."

Without even a chance to hesitate, Hermione watched Harry disappear through the flap and into the cold wilderness outside. She had no idea where they were. It was the first time she had apparated with no specific destination and she hoped her charms would last long enough for her to gather her thoughts on the next location. She sat back down dejectedly, accidentally knocking over her beaded bag that lay on the floor.

"Yeah like I'll really be able to sleep now." She whispered to herself mockingly.

She crouched down to her bag, earnest to read some light material to clear her head. As she plunged her arm deep into the bag, her hand came in contact with the stiff bind of a book. Feeling foreign to her, she retrieved it to inspect it. It wasn't until she saw the cover that she remembered. She had gotten the book from one of Bathilda's tables mere seconds before she had heard the thud and struggle of Harry and the snake back at Godric's Hollow.

'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore' read the title.

She had gotten the book despite its unreliable author simply because she was desperate for any clue she might have missed. Surely Bathilda of all people, even if she had died, must've had more information on Dumbledore than either she or Harry had. She opened the book and settled back into the bed beneath the covers and into the warm.

Outside the tent, Harry clutched Hermione's wand with a vise-like grip. It was the only connection he had with the wizarding world anymore. No longer could he count on the protection of owning a brother wand. He was so vulnerable and defenseless. That wand, apart from luck and the help of his friends, has saved his life many times. Now he was out on the battlefield like a soldier without artillery, a wide-eyed deer in an open plain. It was too late to regret visiting Godric's Hollow, but Harry could not help to do so. It had been such a stupid move and probably something Hermione had foreseen. All because of his stupid blind faith in Dumbledore. Somehow, despite everything screaming the contrary, he still strongly believed that somewhere, Dumbledore would have left him some clues about how to carry on. He was horribly wrong, and it was that more than anything that hurt Harry the most. The wisest man in the wizarding world had left three underprepared teenagers to meet their doom.

He was angry at the whole situation. Angry that the one person he had once thought he could depend on had failed him so miserably. Nothing. Dumbledore had left them all with nothing. Everything they had inherited; the snitch, the battered old children's book, the Deluminator…it was all a cruel joke. They had given him too much credit.

Harry shivered violently against the cold. Hermione had picked a naked, frozen wilderness. Though he understood why she had done it, he couldn't help but feel uneasy with the location. Its openness of it would give them a heads up on any unwanted visitors that could threaten their safety. However, in the not-so-distant background, he could see the fog and smoke from a nearby factory. There were bound to be near some rural residence, which meant it was more than likely that Snatchers would soon be appearing. Considering they still had a few more hours of daylight, Harry made his decision to move yet again.

He got up from the small cushion he had taken with him and went back into the semi-warmness of the tent. As he walked to the cot, he could see Hermione's form hidden by layers of blankets. There was a light sound of snoring which told him she was deep asleep. As he crept closer, he could see a book lying face down in her hand. He gently slid the book from her hand for a closer look; 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore' by Rita Skeeter.

Harry knew that if they were to move, now would be the appropriate time. On the other hand, the book could finally provide him with Dumbledore's real story. Long ago, back at Bill and Fleur's wedding he had come to the realization that he hardly Dumbledore at all. After hearing old friends of his bicker among themselves over who knew him better, Harry was uncomfortably aware of how everything he ever admired about Dumbledore was based on embellished tales and legends. What did he know about his personal life? How could he have trusted in him so recklessly when he knew literally nothing about him? He knew more about Voldemort's past than he did his mentor's. It was an unsettling feeling. Still, having personal experience with Rita Skeeter, her story couldn't hold that much truth…or would it?

Deciding against his immediate concern about moving, Harry opened the book and began to read. Chapter after chapter Harry was torn between feeling sympathetic and shocked at the painful past Dumbledore had hidden from him. Were they all really lies if he had not once bothered to ask Dumbledore during the many private session he had with him? Apart from being angry at Dumbledore for not seeing him as a person he could confide in, he was also angry at the lack of interest he had ever had in his mentor's life. How selfish could he have been?

"Harry?" said Hermione's voice.

She had finally woken up from her nap and closed the book on Harry's lap.

"You don't believe this do you?" she asked. "You know that vile woman's credibility is questionable."

"This is what I do best isn't?" Harry asked, getting up from his chair. "Obsess over my problems, not listen to anyone…this is why he didn't trust me. Why else wouldn't he have told me about all of this?"

He pointed angrily at the book.

"Of course he trusted you!" Hermione soothed. "You have too much on your plate; he didn't want to burden you!"

"He wanted to rule against muggles Hermione!" Harry argued. "He was friends with Grindelward a wizard who was once as powerful as You-Know-Who, someone he DEFEATED and he didn't once think that was something he could've brought up?"

"Exactly, what makes you think that what that horrible excuse of a writer said is true?" Hermione answered. "And even if it is, it doesn't change who he became. Yes, he did some things I never would've thought he would do but…we all do stupid things when we're young. He saw that his beliefs were wrong and he changed for the greater good. Those words don't necessarily have to keep their original negative connotation."

"No, youth isn't a good enough excuse. We're the same age he was back when he was being all superior about his wizardry." He spat. "He was doing the same twisted things we are risking our lives for! No one felt obligated to inform me of this?"

"I know this hurts…" she continued in his silence. "It hurts because you had to find this out from another source. But don't let this change your memory of him."

"It's too late." Harry said wearily. "All I can see is the bitter outcome of trusting someone so blindly. He asked too much of me. What mentor asks for you to set your life on the line constantly and can't be bothered to tell you anything about himself? All the while I have to do his will like some robot, no questions asked. He's Dumbledore, you don't question, you just sit and admire. He's led us to our deaths for the last time. I'm doing stuff my way now."

"W-what do you mean by that?" Hermione asked fearfully.

"We're moving." Harry replied. "I'm done waiting for help that will never be here."

"Night is about to fall…" she said concernedly.

"I think there's a town a few miles ahead; we could make it there in time by foot. The smoke from the factory didn't seem too far." Harry explained. "Do you still have some muggle money?"

"Yes, why?" Hermione asked.

"We could stay in a bed and breakfast once we're there, take a break from the cold tent." He said.

"Harry I don't think—

"We'll polyjuice as some random muggles this time." Harry interrupted. "It's just for one night, I don't trust muggle villages either, not after all the Snatchers raids."

"Well…when you put it that way I guess we can." Hermione smiled. "It'll be nice to sleep in an actual bed for once."

Harry helped Hermione pack all their belongings into her miraculous bag. It took them a tad bit longer now that they only had one wand between them. Once they were done, he let Hermione take down the charms as she was the one who could do them faster. Once all trace of their presence was gone, they hid behind the invisibility cloak and made their way to the town on foot. The village was not that far, but it was far from a mile walk. Walking underneath the invisibility cloak slowed them down even further as they had to make sure their feet remained invisible. After what seemed like an hour, Hermione gasped so loud that it took Harry by surprise.

He watched in alarm as Hermione walked out from underneath the cloak and towards the side.

"Harry look!" she pointed. "A train track!"

"Okay…"said Harry, slowly following her. "So what?"

"Do you think it could be the same tracks the Hogwarts express uses?" she asked him in excitement.

"I don't know." Harry answered uncertainly.

"I was really looking forward to our final year." She continued with melancholy. "I hoped I would've been chosen as Head Girl, and got the best marks in our N.E.W.T's….graduation."

"I'm sorry you had to miss that." Harry said genuinely.

Harry watched as she walked towards and onto the rails of the train track. The tracks seemed long since abandoned and Harry was pretty sure now that they were definitely not the same ones as the ones the Hogwarts Expressed traveled on.

"Yeah…it would've been amazing." She nodded as she balanced on the rail. "Still, I wouldn't have had the chance to see the countryside, or had the longest camping trip with my friends."

"Hogwarts will still be there when this is over." She said smiling at him. "And we'll get to do all that we've missed."

"Right?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course Hermione." Harry replied joining her on the other railing. "Of course."

They walked along, balancing on the railings for a little while longer. It was a welcome change for once to act like the teenagers they were. Harry hadn't felt carefree since the night that felt like ages ago, the night he danced with Hermione. It started clumsily at first and it ended up being the first slow dance of his life. He felt happy then, much like he did at this very moment. Still, in the back of his mind was the little voice in his head that kept reminding him that loving Hermione could only end in tragedy. For the both of them.

"We should get a move on." said Harry gently. "Night is about to fall and it isn't safe to be out in the open like this."

"You're right." Hermione agreed. "Let's go."

An hour later, they now had a better view of the lights from small cottage houses. They huddled closer together underneath the invisibility cloak as they made their way onto the snow-covered pavement. It was a small town, much smaller than Godric's Hollow had been. It was clear that the houses belonged to the factory workers and their families and Harry was starting to lose hope that they would find a place to stay. As they walked further past the factory, they found a tiny bed and breakfast on a corner with a vacant sign illuminated.

Just then, almost as if planned; a middle-aged couple came out from the bed and breakfast holding hands and laughing.

"Oh Jeffrey, this has been by far the best birthday I've ever had!" said the red-headed woman.

"Night's not over yet." said her date. "I plan on winning you the biggest plush toy at the carnival."

Hermione looked back at Harry with guilt. She didn't feel good ruining the couple's night but it was most likely the only chance they would get to get to go into the bed and breakfast.

"Do you have the Polyjuice ready?" Harry whispered to Hermione.

"Mmhmm" she replied.

They walked as fast as they could underneath the cloak and followed the couple to the alley behind the factory. Making sure there was no one around, Hermione cast a nonverbal spell to knock them out. Once they were out cold, Harry dragged them both into a storage shed nearby before plucking out a couple of their hairs. Hermione already had the flasks of polyjuice potion ready for them outside when he reemerged.

"How long will it last?" Harry asked grabbing a flask.

"About an hour at most." Hermione informed him. "We're running really low on polyjuice potion."

"That's all right." Harry said dismissively. "We only need it to get in anyway….cheers."

They tapped the flasks together and gulped down its thick substance. Soon enough they were kneeling on the floor as their skins writhed and wriggled into their new personas. After a few uncomfortable minutes, they found themselves in the same clothes but in entirely new bodies.

"Did you get their names?" said the woman in Hermione's voice.

"Yes." Harry replied picking up the licenses he had pocketed after placing the muggles in the shed. "I'm Jeffrey Caudwell and you're Diane. My uh….wife."

"Hmm" Hermione muttered.

"Is it horrible that I'm not in the least bit unnerved by what we just did?" she asked.

"Things have certainly changed." Harry shrugged.

"They'll be safe here right?" she asked getting concerned.

"Yeah, they'll probably think they passed out from drinking." He reassured. "By that time we'll be gone."

"Right." Hermione said grimacing at how nonchalant he was being. Things certainly had changed.

"Well let's go I'm completely knackered." Harry exclaimed. "This town was a lot farther than I had thought."

"Yeah…let's just turn in." Hermione nodded.

After Harry put away his invisibility cloak, they walked back to the small bed and breakfast. There was a kind old man tending the little counter inside that greeted them with a warm friendly smile.

"Oh back so soon?" he asked.

"Well we uh…" Harry started.

"We decided to stay in instead." Hermione added. "It's too cold out anyway."

"Very true." The old man nodded. "It's much too cold out there. You two are lucky you came when you did. You got the last vacant room. Our little town is quite popular when the carnival comes. I'd hate to be out there in this cold."

"Yeah... we're lucky I guess." said Hermione laughing.

"Would you two want a cup of tea?" the old man asked. "I was just about to put the kettle on and go to sleep for the night."

"Oh that's all right; we'll just grab something from the vending machine." Harry dismissed.

"Oh don't do that, remember all guests are free to use the kitchen whenever they wish!" the old man insisted. "Just slide the card into the reader and you can enter."

"Oh that's another thing!" said Hermione hitting her forehead with her palm exaggeratedly. "We forgot our card…is there any way we can have another copy? With a fee of course."

"Oh it's no problem." said the old man walking back to the counter to his computer. "Caudwell right?"

"Yes." Hermione replied.

"Right…"said the man as he typed away on the keyboard. "Here you go."

"Oh thank you so much!" Hermione cried.

"Oh it's my pleasure." said the man kindly. "Have a good night!"

Harry waited for the man to disappear into a small room beside the counter before he spoke again.

"Nice one." He whispered to Hermione.

"I'm not called 'the brightest witch' for nothing." She winked mischievously. "Now let's get on, or this will have been for nothing."

They walked up the old flight of stairs to the second floor to where their room was. It was a narrow hallway, filled with pictures of the old man and his family. The whole place had a warm friendly aura, similar to what they felt whenever they were in the Burrow's protective walls. They stopped at their room, number 3. As they slid the card into the reader, it clicked and the door sprung open.

"One bed." Harry sighed as the room came into view with the flick of a switch.

"Well we are married." said Hermione lamely. "I mean…they're married. Obviously. "

"No problem, I'll just sleep on the floor." Harry decided.

"Oh come on don't be thick" retorted Hermione rolling her eyes. "The bed is perfectly capable of carrying the both of us."

"I don't think it's a good idea." Harry said shakily.

"We already did it back in the tent." Hermione reminded him.

"Yeah and I'm sorry about that." He said sheepishly. "It was completely inappropriate of me to do that."

"Why?" Hermione asked. "We didn't do anything. We just shared a bed…why are you blowing this out of proportion?"

"I don't think Ron would be pleased." Harry admitted.

"Oh..." Hermione said slowly. "And what if he wasn't? He's not my boyfriend and at this point, I would've thought we were close enough friends where this silly thing wouldn't be an issue. Still, if it's going to be a problem then suit yourself. I'm going to take a bath."

Harry watched her go with a heavy heart. He didn't feel like he was blowing this out of proportion at all. It was one thing to have been under a fever haze, begging Hermione not to leave his side. It was a different story when he was fully aware that he was a lonely teenage boy and she was a teenage girl for whom he had too many unresolved feelings. It was a recipe for disaster and one he had to stay far from concocting.

He took the advantage of the fact that Hermione was in the bathroom to change into his own pajamas. He pulled out a white shirt and black sleeping trousers that were two inches too short. Once he was comfortable, he laid back down on the bed. The wind was beating on the window in a repetitive rhythm and Harry was grateful that at least for one night he and Hermione would have some warmth. It was until he was nestled into the warm duvet that the full weight of his fatigue dawned on him.

A few minutes later Hermione walked out, feeling like a brand new person. She was wearing her warm striped jumper and an old pair of fleece trousers she had since her 5th year, her hair wrapped up tightly in a white towel. As she walked out she was stunned to see that Harry was fast asleep on the very bed he had refused to lay upon. He had regained his real appearance, just as she had.

"Harry..." she whispered, gently shaking him.

"Mmm….what?" he said groggily.

"Well I'm about to go to sleep and I figured I would be kind enough to let you know that you're not in fact sleeping on the floor." She mused. "Which you made quite clear to me was what you had your heart set on."

"Right." Harry said pushing himself off the bed.

"Harry…it's just for one night." Hermione pleaded. "I don't feel right letting you sleep on the floor."

Harry sighed.

"Fine, you win." He said throwing his arms in the air in defeat.

Harry rolled over closer to the edge of the bed in an attempt to have the biggest space possible between himself and Hermione. An act; of course, that did not go unnoticed by Hermione.

"Well…goodnight." She said breathlessly choosing to ignore Harry's silly behavior.

"Goodnight." Harry replied.

Hermione pulled on the duvet hard, knowing full well she would leave Harry only half covered.

"Hey!" he exclaimed before he pulled back the covers over the rest of the body.

Hermione laughed before she did it again. It went on for a few more turns, causing a ridiculous amount of laughter from both of them.

"All right!" she said finally. "Enough playing around…goodnight. For real this time."

"Okay." Harry chuckled. "Goodnight."

Minutes passed and Hermione found herself struggling to fall asleep. The body next to hers was stealing all her attention and making her heart race at an alarming rate. She turned over, facing Harry's back, her mind wrestling with the idea of finally asking a burning question that had been bothering her for months. It was a few more minutes until she could finally muster her bravado to do it.

"Harry…." She started.

"Hmmm?" He groaned with his eyes shut tightly.

"Are we ever going to talk about this?" she asked.

His eyes opened immediately.

"Talk about what?" he asked curiously.

"Us…what are we anymore?" she continued.

"I don't get what you're asking." Harry said in fluster.

"We kissed. Surely you haven't forgotten that! " She reminded him, resting her chin on her propped hand. "Have you?"

"No…" he said simply.

"Well…" she prodded. "What does it mean?"

"It was a kiss, Hermione, I felt like giving you one and I did. End of story." He said dismissively turning over.

"Really?" Hermione answered. "Well, last time I checked you don't kiss someone just for the hell of it Harry. At least I don't."

Harry remained unresponsive as Hermione stared at his back intently.

"We've been doing this dance for months and I know you are aware of it too." She continued.

Sensing she wasn't going to let up any time soon, Harry turned back around and finally spoke up.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked.

"I just want some reassurance that this is not all in my head." She pleaded. "It's too real to be. We danced together; we kissed…we're even sleeping together!"

"Not in that way!" Harry corrected in alarm.

"I know not in THAT way." She muttered. "Still…is that something you do with just a friend?"

"I don't know." Harry shrugged.

"Would you have done that with Ginny?" she asked curiously.

It was then Harry finally looked her in the eyes. They were teetering on an edge he had hoped they would never reach. Still, looking back on the circumstances, Harry should have sensed it coming. They were a boy and a girl who had been sharing a cramped space for months. They had an unspoken connection that had only deepened in the past few months. As happy as it made Harry to know Hermione was sensing that their feelings had long since passed the platonic line, it worried him immensely because it only put her at even greater risk.

"Harry please answer!" Hermione demanded.

"No." Harry replied genuinely. "You're a smart girl Hermione; you don't need me to say what you already know."

Hermione nodded her head silently, unable to speak due to the quivering of her lips.

"Look," said Harry delicately placing a hand on her limp forearm. "We're okay...we're closer than we've ever been, isn't that enough?"

Hermione pulled her arm away from his touch.

"I'm just tired of the guessing games Harry." She whispered. "I know that this isn't the best time to be thinking of this. I know the timing couldn't possibly be more inconvenient but, it is what it is. I'm pretty good at reading your mind most of the time but when it comes to us…I draw a blank."

"I know that you're scared for me." She went on. "I understand that perfectly. Still, I just don't like being in the dark. "

"I …." Harry started, unsure of what to say. "I think we should get some sleep. We need to leave as soon as the sun rises."

Hermione looked disappointed but not at all surprised. She remained sitting upright on the bed as Harry turned off the bedside lamp and slid beneath the covers once again. She waited an hour before the steady breathing and light snoring at her side acknowledged the fact that Harry was fast asleep. It was until then that she found the boldness to whisper what she had been yearning to hear:

"I Love you too."