Right, so I had this fabulous plead/rant written here complaining about how I had an unusually low amount of reviews for last chapter, but then the late stragglers came through for me and put some up there, so I had to take the rant away. Le sigh.
So in that light, I decided to be an extremely nice person. This chapter was ready to go, so I'm putting it up on Wednesday, two days early. This doesn't mean to expect updates on Wednesdays, it's just a gift from me to you (despite however small it is).
Nothing else to say, read on!
---------------
Chapter 6: Unexpected Gifts
"Are you going to tell us why we're here?" asked Lupin as Harry strode purposefully towards the door to Number Four, Privet Drive.
"No," he replied with such finality Lupin didn't say another word as he, Tonks, Moody, Luna, Ron, and Hermione all followed Harry up to the porch. "Please not my uncle," he murmured in prayer as he rung the bell. The door opened and Harry inwardly groaned.
"What in the bloody hell are you lot doing here?" said Vernon furiously, though keeping his voice down for fear of attracting attention from the neighbors.
"I need to speak with my aunt," sighed Harry, looking Vernon in the eye.
"She's out shopping," he replied with a grunt. "Won't be back for a while. Now go on, shoo."
"Who is it Vernon?" Harry heard Petunia ask from what sounded like the sitting room.
Had it not been for the fact that he didn't want to make his uncle angrier, Harry would've burst out laughing. Instead, he merely bit his tongue as his uncle closed his eyes in grudging defeat. He distinctly heard a snort come from Ron, though.
"Get in, then," said Vernon in such a deflated voice that Harry almost felt bad for him. Almost.
"Harry?" asked Petunia with a very shocked expression as she came into the hall. "What are you.." she paused momentarily as the six people he was with also entered. "What are you all doing here?"
"I need to talk with you for a moment," said Harry seriously. He glanced at Vernon who was staring at him with his arms crossed.. "Privately."
Petunia looked at Vernon slowly then back to Harry.
"Alright," she said after a moment.
"Hermione, Ron, please come with," said Harry as his aunt began to lead him up the stairs.
"What about Luna?" asked Ron, looking at her.
"She'll find out when everyone else does," replied Harry as Hermione walked up to him. "This needs to remain a secret for now."
"I don't like having secrets kept in my house you know," said Vernon brusquely.
"Then you should be thanking me," replied Harry, turning his back to continue up the stairs. "Because I'm about to remove one you've had in this house for years."
Vernon looked up at Petunia who, as Harry expected, looked back at her husband in complete bewilderment.
"Hey Dad, where're the chops?" Harry heard Dudley ask as he reached the top of the stairs. "They're not in the -"
He waited for the sentence to be finished, but all he heard was a loud squeak and the sound of the kitchen door slamming shut. Harry managed to keep a straight face as Petunia led the three of them into Harry's old room, but again, Ron couldn't suppress a choked laugh.
"Despite the fact that he's a good friend of yours," began Petunia as she shut the door. "I will never forgive that man for doing that to Dudley."
"Erm..." stammered Harry, trying to find something to say. Petunia waved him off.
"What's going on?" she asked seriously. "I'm well aware that you would've never come back here unless it was extremely important."
"It is," nodded Harry. "And I can't tell you just yet...first I need you to get the jewelry that you said was my mother's."
"Harry..."
"Aunt Petunia," said Harry seriously. "This is incredibly important, and potentially life-threatening if I don't deal with it right now."
"He's telling the truth, Mrs. Dursley," added Hermione.
"Very well," nodded Petunia after a second. "I'll be right back."
She was gone less than a minute, returning to the room with a small wooden box in her hands.
"Everything that Dumbledore gave to me is in here," she said, handing the box to him. Harry opened it and peered inside, ignoring the dust that flew into the air when he did so.
"Hermione," he said. "You know what I'm looking for. Is it in there?"
She peered into the box from next to him and shifted the contents slightly with her index finger. Harry's heart sank when she made no indication, but suddenly she gasped and looked at him.
"May I?" she asked. Harry nodded fervently and Hermione reached into box, carefully removing an exquisite bracelet, made entirely of long sapphires connected by rings of gold.
"I've always liked that one," said Petunia as Harry took the bracelet from Hermione, staring at it with wide eyes. "Never saw your mother wearing it, though."
"Bloody hell," exclaimed Ron in a whisper. "Is that what I think that is?"
"Yeah," replied Harry in an equally awed voice. As he stared into the sapphires he swore that he could see an evil presence lurking inside them.
"Let me check it first," said Hermione, drawing her wand. "Hold it flat in your palm."
Harry did as Hermione asked as she murmured something under her breath and hovered her wand over his hand. For a moment nothing happened, and then Hermione's wand glowed a sickening bright green.
"Can you let me in on what's going on here?" asked Petunia, eyebrows raised. Harry shook himself back to reality and handed the bracelet back to Hermione.
"That," he said pointing at the circlet of gold and gems, "Never belonged to my mother."
"Well then who's could it have been?" asked Petunia curiously.
"It belonged to the person who killed my mother," stated Harry boldly.
"V...Voldemort?" asked Petunia. Harry nodded.
"He must've been wearing it...it must've fallen off when the curse he cast at me backfired and the house was destroyed," he said.
"So...are you planning on using it as leverage, or something?" asked Petunia. "I'm not really sure what significance it has."
"What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room," said Harry. "You tell no one."
"I understand," replied Petunia.
"Ever," added Harry. His aunt nodded. "That bracelet is one-seventh of Voldemort's soul."
"What?" she asked. "How?"
"It's a rather complicated process," said Hermione. "But it involves murdering someone, then splitting your soul and putting the split part in an outside object...this bracelet is one such object."
"Why would anyone do that?" breathed Petunia with a shocked expression, placing her hand over her heart.
"Because unless all of one's soul is gone, you can't die," answered Harry. "And that, of course, is Voldemort's ultimate goal."
"Immortality..." whispered Petunia. "What are you going to do with it?"
"I am going to take it back to a safe place," said Harry. "And then, under careful supervision, destroy it."
"And that will destroy his soul?" asked Petunia.
"No," replied Harry. "That will destroy one-seventh of it. Voldemort created five other objects like this one...two others have already been taken care of."
"And then...when all of them are gone...someone can kill him?" asked his aunt.
"Yeah," said Harry with a strange smile. "Someone."
"We better get going," said Hermione, placing the bracelet in her pocket. "We need to get this secured as soon as possible."
"I agree," answered Harry. "You'll forgive me, I hope, for not staying longer, Aunt Petunia."
"Of course," she said. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exited the room, and just as Harry was about to walk down the hall, he heard Petunia call out, "Get the bastard, Harry."
Stopping, he turned and smiled at her.
"I will," he replied. And he walked down the hall to the stairs, Petunia remaining sitting in his old room.
"Shh," whispered Ron as Harry came down the stairs. He noticed that his friends were standing just before the doorway to the living room, and while Ron was bent over appearing to be eavesdropping, Hermione was standing with her arms crossed, looking at the ceiling. "Listen to this, mate."
Not able to resist the urge to see what was going on, Harry walked up next to Ron and stuck his head out just far enough to see what was happening.
"And, of course, the Ministry refuses to give my father the finder's reward because they're still adamant that it was a deformed billy-goat and not a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, but my father and I both know better," said Luna all in one breath. "I think that governments are just trying to hide the truth so they have less to worry about, don't you agree Mr. Dursley?"
Harry nearly choked with chuckles as he saw his uncle sitting in his usual armchair, his face nearly blue, while Luna, Remus, and Tonks sat on the couch, the latter's body wracking with silent laughter. He couldn't help but appreciate the irony that Uncle Vernon, Purveyor of Normalness to the World was now sitting listening to one of the most abnormal people in the wizarding world, which was already abnormal enough.
"Erm...I suppose so," Harry's uncle said.
"Oh hi there Harry!" exclaimed Luna, waving at him. The other three heads in the room turned and looked at him as he, Ron, and Hermione, stepped into view, and to Harry's surprise, his uncle rose from his chair immediately.
"You all done then?" he asked very quickly. Harry nodded, hiding a smile. Without a world, Vernon walked as fast as he could past them and up the stairs, Tonks promptly bursting into laughter when he was out of earshot.
"The look on his face!" she exclaimed, while Remus chuckled at Harry.
"Where's Colin Creevey when you need him?" asked Ron with a laugh.
"As much as I agree that it was second funniest thing I have ever seen," said Harry, "we need to get back to the Burrow."
"What was the first?" asked Tonks with a laugh, still breathing hard.
"Malfoy, the Amazing Bouncing Ferret, of course," replied Harry with a shrug, causing the room to burst into laughter again.
"McGonagal told me about that one," chuckled Remus. "But laughing matters aside, are we all set?"
"Yes, and speaking of McGonagal," said Harry as Remus, Tonks, and Luna rose. "She should be alerted that we found one."
"Found one what?" asked Luna as they walked through the house and exited by way of the back door.
"Just that we found one," said Harry. "She'll understand."
"Alright," shrugged Tonks, taking Luna's arm. "Are we ready?"
"Yeah," said Harry with a chuckle as Remus walked over to him. "Talk about a mood changer," he muttered to himself, though he saw Hermione smile at him slyly before the compression encompassed him and he was gone.
=====
"I came as soon as I heard," said McGonagal, throwing her cloak on one of the chairs in the Weasley's kitchen. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," said Harry as Hermione withdrew the bracelet and placed it on the table.
"That's gorgeous!" exclaimed Tonks, making a move to touch it.
"Don't," said Harry, looking at her. Tonks looked at him curiously, but pulled her hand back as McGonagal withdrew a monocle from her robes.
"It's most definitely a Ravenclaw piece," she said, inspecting it carefully. "It has her signature."
"I did a scan that I read about at the end of last year," said Hermione. "It came up positive."
"I see...well this is indeed an extreme gift of fortune," said McGonagal with a smile.
"Er...could you maybe enlighten us on what's going on?" asked Lupin. McGonagal turned to Harry who nodded. "Miss Lovegood, if you would give us a moment -"
"She stays," interrupted Harry. McGonagal turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm just going to tell her eventually anyway."
"What I'm about to say must remain secret at all costs," said McGonagal with a nod at Harry. "Understood?"
"Hey has anyone seen mum around...whoa...what are you all doing here?" asked Ginny, walking into the kitchen.
"Come in and sit down," said Harry before McGonagal could say anything. "You should hear this too."
"I fear that the amount of people who will know what is going on could compromise our advantage," said McGongal.
"I trust everyone in this room implicitly," replied Harry. "With my life."
"It may be your life you trust them with, Potter," said McGonagal seriously.
"So be it, then," he replied. After a moment of silence, the headmistress nodded and Ginny took a seat at the table, a bewildered expression on her face.
"Everything I say is to remain a secret to everyone outside this room, am I clear Miss Weasley?" asked McGonagal. Ginny nodded once and so she continued. "Who here does not know what a horcrux is?"
"Is that like a blasphomax?" asked Luna with a smile. Despite the seriousness of the topic, Harry couldn't help but laugh at that.
"No..." answered McGonagal hesitantly.
"I've heard the term...but I don't really know what it is," said Lupin with a shrug. McGonagal turned to Tonks who shook her head.
"Very well...I should start at the beginning then," she sighed. "Ron, fetch your mother's pensieve please."
"Right," replied Ron, and not missing a beat, bolted from the room, returning with a large silver basin filled with a silver mist a few moments later. Closing her eyes, McGonagal placed the tip of her wand to her temple and withdrew it a second later, a silver wisp clinging to the end of it.
"This is a memory that originally was in Dumbledore's pensieve," she said, placing the strand in the basin and stirring it. "But for security reasons, I thought it better to keep it inside my head."
Everyone in the room who hadn't seen the memory before watched in amazement as a much younger Horace Slughorn told a much younger Tom Riddle what horcruxes were and how to make them. When the memory was over, McGonagal pulled it from the basin and placed it back in her mind.
"So you're saying...Voldemort's made a horcrux?" asked Lupin.
"Remember, he said in the memory himself that seven was the most powerful number," said Harry, causing everyone to turn and look at him. "He made six."
"Six?!" exclaimed Tonks. "That's insane!"
"That's Tom Riddle," shrugged Harry. "That bracelet is one of the six."
"What about the others?" asked Ginny. Despite the situation, Harry smiled at her.
"You discovered the first one," he said. "The diary. Obviously it's been destroyed, so we don't need to worry about that one."
"That ring," said Lupin slowly. "The one Dumbledore was wearing everywhere last year...that was another one, wasn't it? That was the reason his hand was the way it was."
"Very astute of you, Moony," said Harry, using Remus' nickname on purpose. "And that one was also destroyed."
"I assume that's where you and Dumbledore went that night?" asked Ginny. "You found another one?"
"We thought we had," Harry sighed. "It was supposed to be a locket of Slytherin's. Voldemort likes important objects, you see. When I found his...his body after it happened, I took the locket...but it was a fake. Someone had replaced it before we got there and left a note inside it saying that they had uncovered the secret, and were going to try and stop Voldemort."
"So Dumbledore died for nothing?" asked Ginny bluntly. Harry sighed.
"Essentially...yes," he said morosely.
"Who left the note?" asked Tonks.
"R.A.B.," said Harry monotonously. "I have no idea who that is."
"R.A.B...." said Lupin thoughtfully. "Sounds familliar...but I don't know why."
"We haven't been able to come up with anything," shrugged Hermione. "It's really frustrating."
"So what are the other horcruxes?" asked Lupin.
"We don't know anything concrete, but Dumbledore assumed Nagini, the snake is one," said Harry. Lupin nodded silently.
"And Voldemort himself still has part of his soul, right?" asked Tonks.
"Right," said Harry. "Seven pieces...and this bracelet is one of them."
"So what now?" asked Ginny.
"Now," said Harry. "We destroy it."
"...erm...how?" asked Ginny.
"I think a simple reducto will do the trick," shrugged Harry. McGonagal nodded and drew her wand. "Pity too...it really is pretty."
McGonagal leveled her wand at the bracelet.
"Reducto!" she exclaimed, and a bolt of red light erupted from the tip of her wand.
The bracelet didn't move an inch.
"What in the...?" remarked Ron as he peered warily at the piece of jewelry.
"Of course," shrugged Harry, again causing everyone to turn and look at him. "Despite his fondness for magic, Voldemort knows that an average wizard would never carry the mechanical means to destroy a bracelet of this quality. We must have to destroy it by hand."
"I don't get it..." said Tonks thoughtfully.
"Think of it like this," said Harry. "Even though I've only destroyed one horcrux, I didn't do it with a wand, I drove a basilisk fang through it. The crack in the ring that Dumbledore had was too flawed to have been created by a simple spell, so I'm guessing he took something hard to it. No magic involved.
"So get a hammer," shrugged Tonks. Everyone stood motionless for a couple moments until Ron shrugged and went over to the drawers by the sink and pulled out a wooden mallet.
"Mum uses this for pounding dough," he said, giving it to Harry. "Should work."
"Well," said Harry contemplatively, taking the hammer. "Here goes nothing."
He raised the hammer over his head and brought it down on the bracelet with a solid stroke.
The result was sapphire-shaped imprints on the face of the mallet, and absolutely no damage to the bracelet.
"Huh," said Harry, peering at the dented hammer.
"Hang on a second," said Ron, leaving the room. A moment later he returned covered in dust but holding a two-foot long iron sledge.
"What the bloody hell is that?" asked Ginny.
"Something of Dad's, I think," replied Ron, handing it to Harry. "I saw it once in the garage...I think muggles use it for...smything or something like that."
"Smithing," corrected Hermione. "It's a blacksmith's sledge."
"Alright," said Harry, lining up the hammer to the bracelet. "Let's try this again."
Again, he raised the hammer above his head and struck the bracelet as hard as he could, crushing the table underneath it in the process.
"Er..." chuckled Lupin looking at pieces of table laying on the ground. "Reparo."
The table fixed itself, and Harry picked up the bracelet from underneath it. It was still intact, but several long, spider web-like cracks had appeared in the sapphires. Harry noted that the evil presence he had sensed earlier was now gone.
"How did you know?" asked Lupin after a moment of silence in which they all stared at the broken horcrux. "That your aunt had one?"
"It was the only possible answer," shrugged Harry looking at him and placing the hammer on the table. "My aunt had already told me that she had what was left of my mother's jewelry collection...Dumbledore had entrusted that to her. The timing of it was also much too convenient to be a coincidence...I'm guessing Voldemort sensed something through our link. We might not be able to see through each other anymore but that doesn't mean that he couldn't have felt that something was in danger. He seemed surprised that I wasn't there for any other reason except to 'reminisce' as he put it. It was almost like he was relieved when that's all it was."
"And he used Legilimens on you," added Ron. "I'm sure he would've found out if you hadn't put up the ol' Occlumency. When'd you finally get it down, anyway?"
"I...um...I didn't," said Harry sheepishly.
"What?" asked Hermione. "Harry that's impossible unless...unless..." he turned to her and saw hey eyes widen as she figured it out. "I'm so stupid..." she whispered. "And here I thought he was just muttering how much he hated you..."
"Who?" asked Lupin, Ron, Tonks, and Ginny at the same time.
"Snape," replied Harry flatly.
"Snape was there?" asked Tonks sharply.
"He's the one who put up the brick wall in my mind," nodded Harry. "I wouldn't have recognised it if I hadn't seen him staring me down, but once I realised it might be him, the presence was familiar."
The room was silent as everyone looked at everyone else, new, unanswered questions hanging thick in the air.
=====
"Harry."
Harry turned around from his perch on the roof of the Burrow and saw Hermione climbing out the window from the attic to get to him.
It had been many hours since McGonagal had left them to dispose of the broken bracelet, and after a very long discussion with Ginny, Luna, Tonks, and Remus concerning secrecy and the rest of what Harry knew about horcruxes, he had taken a shower to relax, and then gone to the roof to sit and contemplate in silence, the sun having long since set.
"And here I thought I had found a place where no one would find me," he chuckled as Hermione sat down next to him.
"The ghoul told me," she shrugged. "Turns out all you have to do is give it a little attention and then it's quite friendly." Harry laughed.
"Figures," he chuckled. "Ron said a while ago that no one had been in the attic for years...I bet it was surprised to have two visitors in one night."
"Yeah," sighed Hermione. "Harry...why are you out here?"
"I just wonder what everything means," he said, laying back and looking at the stars.
"With Snape?" she asked, laying back with him.
"I guess," shrugged Harry. "Not just him..." Harry trailed off and heard Hermione let out a soft sigh. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Your life was in danger today too."
"No it wasn't," replied Hermione with a dry laugh. "I knew that you wouldn't let anything happen to me."
"That's my girl," chuckled Harry, putting his arm around Hermione's shoulders and giving her a squeeze.
"I was scared earlier," said Hermione sighing. Harry turned his head to look at her and arched an eyebrow. "When he had you in the curse."
"I'm almost used to it by now," sighed Harry. "The first time is the worst because you don't know how bad it's going to be. It still hurts...but at least I can brace myself now."
"I wished it was me," whispered Hermione.
"You wished what was you?" asked Harry.
"That he had put the curse on me instead of you," she said softly, looking away.
"Don't say that," said Harry. "I pray that you never have to experience something like that."
"I just -"
"Hermione," said Harry sternly. "I need you to promise me that if it comes down to it, you will NOT take a curse to save me."
She turned her head and looked at him, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
"You know I can't do that," she whispered.
"You have to."
"I won't."
"Hermione -"
"No!" she yelled at him. "I wont...I can't lose you."
"You have to accept that as a possibility," whispered Harry as Hermione rolled over and wrapped her arm around his body.
"No..." she cried into his chest.
"You can't sacrifice yourself for me," sighed Harry. "Because then all of this...all of what we're doing, it would all be for nothing."
"How can you say that?" asked Hermione, looking up at him.
"Because you're everything to me," said Harry with a slight smile. "I wouldn't want to be living in a world where you didn't exist."
Harry swore he saw something change in Hermione's eyes when he said that, but a moment later it was gone and she rested her head on his chest.
"What about Ron?" she asked.
"Him too," replied Harry. "You both mean the world to me."
They lay on the roof in silence for a while, not trying to disturb the other as thoughts of war and death ran rampant through their minds. The silence was finally interrupted by a beep from Hermione's watch.
"It's midnight," she said softly.
"We should probably get down," said Harry.
"In a minute," whispered Hermione, not getting up. "I have something for you."
Harry watched as she reached into one of the pockets of her jeans and pulled out a small brown box. He took it and after giving Hermione an inquisitive look, opened it.
"Hermione," he breathed.
"It's just like Mrs. Weasley's clock," she explained as he removed the silver watch from the box and marveled at it. "It has one hand each for you, me, and Ron."
Harry stared in amazement at the hands which indeed read, 'Harry,' 'Ron,' and 'Hermione.' Right now Ron was on 'sleeping', and Harry and Hermione were on 'safe'.
"What is this for?" he asked in shock.
"Happy birthday," whispered Hermione, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"It...that's today?" asked Harry. Hermione stared at him. "I'm serious."
"You lost track of your own birthday?" she asked with a small smile.
"With all that's gone on, do you blame me?" he replied.
"I guess not," chuckled Hermione. "The Weasleys are throwing you a party in the morning, by the way."
"Really?" asked Harry with a smile.
"Yes, but I didn't tell you about it, so you still need to be surprised," she laughed.
"I can't believe I forgot it was my birthday today," chuckled Harry.
"Yes, it's your birthday, and you can now use magic legally," said Hermione with a smile.
"So I can," said Harry hugging her. "What do you think I should cast first?"
"I don't know," replied Hermione as Harry drew his wand.
"I think I've got a good idea," he said, pointing his wand at the window to the attic. "Accio Firebolt."
He heard a sharp buzzing and caught his still-miniaturized Firebolt in the palm of his hand.
"Engorgio," said Harry, and his broom grew back to its normal size.
"I'm not getting on that with you," said Hermione, crossing her arms as Harry stood up and mounted it. "Especially since it was in your smelly old pants all day."
"Please?" he asked seriously. "I've always wanted to do this."
"Do what?" asked Hermione.
"Go flying at midnight," he shrugged.
"You've never done that before?" asked Hermione curiously.
"No..." trailed Harry.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I always wanted it to be...special," he said with a small chuckle.
"Harry," smiled Hermione with a laugh. "You're a hopeless romantic."
"Don't you dare tell Ron," he replied seriously.
"I won't," laughed Hermione, standing up. "Do you promise not to do any quidditch moves?"
"Do you trust me?" asked Harry, offering his hand to her.
"What?" asked Hermione with a smile.
"Do you trust me?" repeated Harry softly.
"With my life," she replied, taking his hand. In one quick move he pulled her onto the back of the broom and was soaring into the air, Hermione's arms wrapped tightly around his waist.
"Must you go so fast?" she asked into Harry's back.
"What?" yelled Harry over the rushing wind.
"Slow down!" yelled Hermione into his ear.
Laughing, Harry slowed the broom to a halt and turned around to face her.
"You don't need to yell in my ear, you know," he said with a smile.
"Well you didn't hear me the first time," she replied sheepishly.
"Now that we're stopped," said Harry, continuing. "Have a look around."
He smiled at the look on Hermione's face as she finally took in her surroundings. He had used the broom's speed to his advantage and taken them above the clouds, the Burrow a tiny speck on the ground far below, the stars twinkling brightly at them above.
"It's beautiful," she breathed looking around. "My god...it's gorgeous."
"I know," replied Harry, though he wasn't quite looking at the stars.
"I never knew it was like this," said Hermione breathlessly. "It's so peaceful."
"So maybe you're getting used to flying?" asked Harry with a smile.
"If you're with me, I'm alright," she replied. "It's when I'm alone that I can't do it."
"Maybe with time you'll get the hang of it," said Harry.
"Maybe," smiled Hermione, taking his hands in hers. "I can see why you love it up here though, even when you're not playing quidditch."
"You want the truth?" asked Harry with a smile. Hermione looked at him curiously. "Quidditch was my excuse to fly. The sport itself...don't get me wrong, I enjoy it, but it's really flying that I love."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," sighed Hermione. "You were oppressed for so long by your relatives...and up here there are no rules, no boundaries, no one to tell you what to do."
"Except for the occasional passenger who tells me not to go fast," winked Harry. Hermione smiled and leaned her forehead against his, their noses almost touching.
"Harry?" she asked softly.
"Hmm?"
"Did you mean what you said earlier? When you said you didn't want to live in a world where I didn't exist?"
He stared at her for a moment before smiling.
"Of course I did," said Harry softly. "You're my everything."
"And Ron?" asked Hermione again. Harry laughed.
"Ron is my brother," he said. "He's extremely important to me...but you, you are what's most important to me."
"Harry," whispered Hermione. "I need to know something."
"Hm?" he asked.
"Do you love me?"
Harry sat back to get a better look at Hermione, her eyes glistening in the moonlight, the gentle breeze blowing her hair ever so slightly. He squeezed her hands gently and smiled.
"I hope so," he whispered. "But I...I don't know what love is."
"What about what you felt for Sirius?" she asked. "What you felt for Dumbledore...what you feel for me?"
"There's a difference between romantic love and love between friends and parent figures," said Harry. "Of course I love you as a friend...I just don't know if I love you more than that."
Hermione looked at Harry for a few moments before leaning in and kissing him softly on the nose.
"When you do know," she whispered. "Make sure I'm the first person you tell."
Harry nodded silently and turned back around, Hermione's arms going around his waist automatically as he began to fly them back to the Burrow.
Harry didn't sleep that night, he was too busy trying to sort out his mind. He wasn't focused as he walked down the stairs the following morning and actually jumped when the assembled people shouted 'SURPRISE!,' despite Hermione telling him about the party the night before.
Harry did, however, make sure he was looking straight at Hermione when he blew out the candles on his cake, both of them wishing for the same thing.
---------------
There you have it!
I hope this chapter answered some horcrux questions for you, and some H/Hr questions too. It took SO much willpower not to just have them snog each other senseless on that broom (a fact I'm sure none of you are too happy about).
And a slice of Pumpkin Pie to those who can tell me the movie that I referenced in this chapter. Another slice if you
can tell me what part of the movie it was from. I won't be posting the answer in the author's
note next chapter, so if you want to know, ask in your review! ;)