A/N: Hey I just really want to thank those who reviewed, you guys are great!
Disclaimer: Do I have to say I don't own Harry Potter for every chapter? Would I really get in trouble if I didn't put a disclaimer? I think we all know I don't own Harry Potter.
Sometimes her friendship with Harry just wasn't enough. No, she didn't mean it that way. It was just, why didn't Harry ever come to her for advice concerning something other than an essay? Specifically, why was discussing any romantic relationship so taboo for them? She and Ron had discussed it before. Well, if shouting matches and accusations counted as addressing a situation then they were golden.
But with Harry things were different (Weren't they always?). He was always very introverted but after seven years of friendship she'd think he would be able to talk to her about relationships. Certainly it would have killed her to hear him talk about some other girl and how she makes him all jittery inside, but it hurt just as much to find out from Ginny that Harry and she were dating. Ginny hadn't even told her, she overheard Ginny gossiping to Parvarti about it. It bothered her that she never found out what happened with Ginny and Harry. Did he love her? Was he still in love with her? Why did they break up? Did they break up? She wanted to blurt out all these questions, maybe give him some Vertiserum and finally know the truth…
But she was afraid. She was afraid of upsetting him, but more than that, she was afraid of the truth. It was much easier to pretend that he was over Ginny. That they were over and he could then be hers. Hers? Well that sounded quite selfish now didn't it?
Hermione shook her head to clear her thoughts. She stared out the window that she had charmed to look like her garden at home. She hated thoughts about all that stuff. It was so insignificant when compared to the large scale of everything. Who was she to care? She had no business knowing the personal aspects of his life. On the other hand, they were best friends, that was supposed to mean something.
"So this is what you really do all day?" Hermione jumped nearly a meter when she heard him. He was leaned against the doorway staring at her intently.
"No, I just can't clear my head is all." She replied coolly. She readjusted herself in her seat.
"Anything I can help you with? I just lost horribly to Ron in wizard chess." Hermione paused. There were a lot of things he could do to help her, but nothing she would ever ask him to do.
"No, I found a small excerpt about Horcruxes though. And considering all the factors in Riddle's life- people, places, things, memories-I've started to make a list of possible Horcruxes. Now, it's still in the early stages of development and I'm sure there are things on there that don't belong and vice versa, but it's a start." She said meekly handing him the list that she had begun. He looked it over briefly.
"Hermione, you're brilliant. You did this all in the past four hours?" He asked referring to the last time he had checked in on her. She nodded.
"Harry, I was thinking. This library is great and all but Hogwarts' library is so much more advanced. I already wrote Professor McGonagall about maybe going to visit Hogwarts for a couple of days to search the restricted section for useful information. I'm still waiting on her reply."
"I think that's a good idea Hermione. Hogwarts is safe and their library is much larger than this one."
"Good, now hopefully Professor McGonagall will allow me too." Hermione smiled brightly. She wanted so badly to return to Hogwarts. She missed it all terribly-the warm glow of everything, the enchanted ceiling of the great hall, the musty bookish smell of the library-she just wanted to see it all again.
"Hermione, do you think it would help if you saw the locket? The fake?" Harry asked hesitantly. He had yet to show anyone the locket. Hermione's eyes lit up just a bit.
"It could. Although it's a fake, maybe it looks like the real one. It could help us later on." Hermione shifted. She had wanted to see it so badly. "Yes, perhaps a look…" Harry smiled at her.
"It's in my room, come on." Hermione jumped up from her chair and followed him out the door. Her heart did tiny flip flops as she walked behind him to his room. He opened the door and she looked around before walking in. It looked pretty much the same as it had when Sirius lived in it. The wood was slowly rotting, the curtains hung tattered and pale, and there was what looked to be a hippogriff treat in the back corner of the room. He closed the door behind him and a tiny piece of paper fluttered off the dresser onto the floor. They both stared at it. Hermione recognized the lavender ink scrawled across the paper.
The night they had gone into Diagon Alley for dinner had been wonderful. They ate at this quiet little place with candlelight and delicious food. Then they walked arm in arm in arm around in the crisp October air. The only damper on the night for Hermione had been the overly friendly hostess. She was a pretty witch that kept using her pretty smile to try and capture the attention of the famous Harry Potter. Harry had been slightly embarrassed by all the attention but even more embarrassed when the witch slipped him a piece of paper and whispered something playfully in his ear. He had turned the loveliest shade of Gryffindor scarlet.
And now it was laying there between them. The hostess's note for Harry. He had kept it. She had told herself that he threw it away as soon as he got home, but instead, he had kept it. He looked up at her for a moment but then dropped his eyes back to the note. Hermione suddenly was very interested in the shredded curtains on his wall. Harry buried his hands in his pockets.
"So are you going to-" Hermione started.
"No-no, I couldn't. There're so many things going on and- and I mean, I'm just not that interested." Harry stammered quickly. Hermione smiled inwardly for a moment.
"I meant are you going to show me the fake?" Harry scratched the back of his head.
"Oh, yeah, of course." He awkwardly picked up the piece of paper and threw it in the waste bin. He went to the top drawer of the warped dresser and pulled out a box carefully. He sat down on his bed and Hermione sat down next to him, barely touching. He slowly lifted the top of the box. Inside was a handkerchief wrapped around a gold locket. Hermione picked it up carefully. She ran her fingers over the cool shiny metal. She silently read the message inside; "To the Dark Lord/ I know I will be dead long before you read this/ but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B."*
She closed the locket once more and examined the 'S' on the outside. "I figure it had to be a former Death Eater because R.A.B refers to Tom as The Dark Lord." Harry brushed against her arm and she shivered slightly. She let the locket slip through her fingers and watched it swing like a pendulum between them. She turned to him, realizing he was mere inches away from her.
"Harry, I think- I think I've seen this before."
*Direct excerpt from book 6 Chapter 29. Thanks Mugglenet.com for the quote.