Chapter 1

Harry's anger subsided as soon as he saw that Ron had left. He really didn't expect him to leave but, in his anger, he yelled the first thing that had popped into his mind. He sat down at the kitchen table and began to breathe heavily as he waited to see if Hermione was going to come back. He knew in his heart that Hermione would not leave him too, but he also hadn't expected Ron to leave. The few minutes that passed before Hermione stepped into the tent felt eternal. Her footsteps sounded defeated as she walked closer to him. Harry was looking down still in shock that his best friend of 6 years would just up and leave him so easily.

"He's g-g-gone! Disapparted!"

Harry looked up and saw tears beginning to form in the corner of her eyes. She sat down and put her head between her hands and began to softly cry.

"I shouldn't have yelled at him," Harry said.

Hermione was crying at that point but looked at him and controlled herself. She fought her tears trying to dry them with her hands.

"Stop, don't blame yourself for this. He has always been jealous of you and the horcrux didn't help at all. That is to say that it doesn't justify his actions or yours, but it was his lack of emotional control that led to this. I had been thinking that maybe we would be better off without him for a while but having him leave the way he did hurt. Honestly, in the past few days it was just nonstop complaining about when this would all be over".

This stunned Harry even more. He had thought that maybe she had feelings for Ron, especially after 6th year when he had found her crying after the whole Lavender situation. Then there was the look that Hermione had given Ron after he had expressed his concern for the Cattermoles. He remembered seeing such tenderness in her eyes and Harry felt like a third wheel in that moment. He decided it was better not to bring it up at that moment.

"What do you mean you had been thinking we would be better off without him?"

She dried her eyes as she began to get up and go to the stove in the small kitchen. She was quiet for a moment as she started to heat up water in the teapot. She turned and looked at Harry.

"I mean isn't it obvious that he was slowing us down? He didn't bring any help into this situation. I am sure that if it had been just, you and me in the Ministry of Magic, that we would have got out there without either of us getting splinched. Tell me did he help in any way other than drag us down?"

Hermione looked like she couldn't hold down just one emotion. Her eyes were wild between anger, sadness, relief, confusion and determination. She went quietly to let what she had said sink into Harry.

Harry thought about it in that moment. Ron hadn't really done anything to help, maybe carry the bodies inside to get the hairs from Mafalda, Reg, and Albert but other than that he did nothing. It was Harry that had stunned Umbridge and Hermione who had grabbed the locket. All Ron had done was work on maintenance in an office and run away with them.

Harry looked at Hermione and nodded.

"You're right, I hate to admit it but if it had just been us then maybe we wouldn't have had to use all the potions that you had stored in your bag. We wouldn't have had to be traveling by foot all this time. Maybe we would have already been closer to finding the next horcrux".

She nodded in agreement and proceeded to turn off the stove as the water finished boiling. She poured some water into a cup and placed her favorite teabag flavor in it, Yorkshire Black tea.

Harry was quiet but in his head he couldn't stop thinking about Ron's last words to him. Don't lie! You said it too, you said you were disappointed, you said you'd thought he had a bit more to go on than-.

"Did you really say that you were disappointed and that you'd thought I had a bit more to go on than what I had already told you?"

Hermione looked down guiltily and opened and closed her mouth as if not knowing what to say. She finally started to speak while facing the floor.

"I didn't say it that way, but the essence of it is true. I'm not disappointed in you as I am in Dumbledore. I honestly felt that he put us in this situation without giving you a real indication of what to do. Just a few clues here and there. If we hadn't overheard Griphook and the rest talking about the sword a few days ago we would not have any clue about the sword. We also wouldn't have known about the way he destroyed the ring if we had not asked Professor Black. I know that you think highly of him, but I think this would have all been a whole lot easier if he had given you more information".

Harry took in her words and could not find any fault with them. He knew that Dumbledore knew more than he let on and was not fond of sharing that information which confused Harry as to why he would not.

"Yeah… you're right. If he had told me more then we wouldn't be in this situation".

He got up and took the Horcrux that Ron had thrown on the floor. He held it up and put it in his pants pocket.

"We're not wearing it anymore, best to just have it nearby and put a sticking charm on the pocket so it doesn't fall out."

He grabbed his wand and did the charm to close his pocket shut to keep the horcrux inside. He turned to Hermione.

"Let's just get some sleep. We'll talk about what to do next in the morning. I think we had enough for today."

She agreed and they both went to their respective beds and laid down for the night. Sleep evaded them both as their minds and thoughts swirled around and they both lay there in silence until they passed out from lack of sleep.