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Post by Ron Weasley on Jul 12, 2011 18:51:05 GMT -5
For the first time in a long time, Ron wasn't eating even though there was food in front of him. He watched Hermione leave, about to say something, about to go after her - but Harry was first. His first instinct was to be angry. Angry at his friend for taking his chance to be with Hermione alone, to comfort her when she was sad. Or try to anyway. Rising from the chair, he paused only when the beautiful music echoed through the once deathly silent walls.
Even though he knew it was completely innocent for the two to be sitting together on that piano bench, it was extremely difficult to swallow down the jealousy that threatened to overwhelm him. The red head did manage, however, to look completely calm, and even smile a little as he leaned against the door frame, watching Hermione's delicate hands blur across the piano.
Bloody hell, a sight he would have paid for. His eyes focused on the tears on her face though, and he had to resist the urge to wipe them away. Not feeling comfortable enough to step forward, but too immersed to back away into the kitchen, Ron stayed where he was, listening to the music that was in fact having the calming sensation Hermione had hoped it would.
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Post by Harry Potter on Jul 12, 2011 23:00:19 GMT -5
Harry noticed the way Hermione's eyes misted up when she mentioned her parents and a surge of guilt hit him hard, almost like he was being struck in the ribs by a sledgehammer. If he hadn't been a marked man, "the chosen one" and all that and if he didn't have to go on this dangerous journey or if Hermione simply wasn't such a good friend to him then she could be safe and happy with her parents right now. It was his fault that she may never see them again and that if they for some reason met on the street right now they would have no clue that they had raised her and loved her so much.
Before Harry's own eyes could become glassy, he shoved these thoughts aside and got up from the bench, listening to the music as he moved over to the room's only couch. He dropped down onto it and reached for the moleskin pouch around his next, taking from its depths the snitch that Dumbledore had left for him. He was certain that something was hidden inside, but like everything that Dumbledore had left, it was incredibly frustrating and seemed to pose more questions than answers. He let the snitch fly a few inches, then caught it using his seeker skills and continued to do this absently. After three or so times he would try and prise open the cold metal but when it still proved impossible, he would go back to playing with the snitch, reminding himself forcefully of his father as he did so.
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Post by Ron Weasley on Jul 12, 2011 23:35:46 GMT -5
Ron was hesitant before moving, not knowing exactly why Harry had moved. He hadn't even looked at him really, so he couldn't have been the reason. No, it must have been something Harry was thinking about on his own that prompted the sudden change of seating. Nevertheless, Ron moved slowly, almost unsure, to sit next to Hermione on the piano bench, swallowing a bit before speaking softly.
"S'really beautiful, Hermione. Think I...think I could ever learn to do that?" He didn't think it was possible really. The piano looked so delicate when Hermione played, and he was sure his fingers were too big for the small, old keys. He glanced back to Harry who was playing with his snitch, wondering what he was thinking about. Before he could think too much of it though, Hermione had stopped playing in rhythm, instead going slowly and nudging him to make sure he was paying attention.
"Soft,"she said,"Like this." She pressed on the keys just enough to make the notes, then stopped and watched Ron so he could try. He stared at the keys for a long moment before banging them hard, the same notes, but without the gentle grace Hermione had given the tune. Laughing, Hermione shook her head, demonstrating again. "A bit gentler."
He tried again, many times, and though he couldn't say he was particularly good at playing the piano, he could at least say he'd done a good job at making Hermione feel better. And to him, that's what really mattered.
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Post by Harry Potter on Jul 13, 2011 17:22:52 GMT -5
Harry listened to the soft sounds of first Ron and Hermione talking to each other and then the music that floated around the room and for the first time in a long time he actually started to feel relaxed, no matter how odd it may seem that in the middle of all that was going on he would feel relaxed. He leaned his head back into the couch cushions and took some deep breaths.
After awhile, he got to his feet and crossed back over to the piano, hastily tucking the snitch back into the moleskin pouch around his neck and dropping the pouch beneath his shirt out of sight as he went. Standing behind his two best mates he gave a convincing yawn - as he was quite tired - and said, "I think I'm going to go to bed. We could each find a room here or we could all sleep together in here in some sleeping bags. What do you guys think?"
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Post by Hermione Granger on Jul 15, 2011 18:25:12 GMT -5
Hermione had played on until Harry's voice broke her concentration. Red faced, she shot a smile to Ron before standing to address Harry. "I'm not sure splitting up would be the smartest idea. We should stick together. We can all go look for some bedding and pillows though, to make the floor a bit more comfortable."
There weren't many other options, although she wished dearly that they could at least have a normal-ish night. She was still angry about never getting to celebrate Harry's birthday - something her and Ginny had prepared and baked for. "What do you think Ron? Want to stay together?" Although she doubted he'd want to split up, it was still more polite to at least offer.
Ron was already shaking his head. "No, you're right Hermione. Bloody hell, if something happens tonight, we'd all want to at least be together to fight it. Wouldn't want anyone disappearing." He shot a glance at Harry, mostly worried he'd somehow get snatched in the middle of the night. Stupid thought? Probably, but he was the one everyone was after, so he'd be the logical choice. "Harry...do you have a plan from here?" It was all well and good to be safe for now, but they couldn't exactly stay at Grimmauld Place forever and still expect to defeat You-Know-Who.
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Post by Harry Potter on Jul 15, 2011 19:43:12 GMT -5
Harry was glad that they both wanted to stay together. Eventually he would want to have his own room at the house so he could think but for the first night of their stay at the safe haven that was grimmauld place it was a comforting thought that they would all be together. He saw them both shoot what they probably thought were subtle looks his way and he knew that it was his safety that was really worrying them. Again, he was touched but the warm flare inside of him was doused at Ron's question.
"Er..." He chanced a glance Hermione's way. "I kind of thought we could go to Godric's Hollow...we don't know where any of the horcruxes are...maybe Godric's hollow would have a clue..." He spoke with the faint air of grasping at straws but he was so desperate to return to the place where he had lost his family that he would have said anything at this point. While waiting for a verdict on his suggestion, he headed for the door, assuming that they would follow him so that they could start working on Hermione's idea of looking for pillows and bedding.
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Post by Hermione Granger on Jul 15, 2011 20:10:08 GMT -5
Although she completely understood why Harry wanted to go back to Godric's Hollow...there was no doubt in the bright witch's mind that that would probably be the most dangerous place to go. "Harry," Hermione breathed out, trying her best to sound understanding and gentle before she continued. "That's exactly where he expects you to go, because it means something to you. It'd be incredibly dangerous..."
Even if there was something at Godric's Hollow - and there was no evidence that there was at this point - it would be a fool's mission to walk in there now, especially with them having just escaped Death Eaters. "I think," she whispered, trying to take the conversation away from the Hollow, "We should focus on the locket. We still need to figure out who R.A.B is, and find the real horcrux." It seemed like a good enough plan, but Hermione still found herself feeling more than uneasy about this whole situation. There was so much to do, and so little to go off of - yes, she was considered clever, but there was only so far that could take them this time.
Ron looked confused as he looked from Harry to Hermione. "I don't know mate. I guess something could be at Godric's Hollow, but I think Hermione's right - shouldn't we focus on what we have first?" The more he thought about what they had, the more he realized that really...they didn't have anything. They had a fake horcrux and a note, and were no closer to finding another one, or even knowing what another horcrux could be, considering the bloody things could be anything. He wandered ahead of the other two to a room with a creaked open door, but stopped short at the sign on top of it. Regulas Arcturus Black.
"Harry," he croaked, "Hermione...come look at this."
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Post by Harry Potter on Jul 15, 2011 20:23:43 GMT -5
Harry sighed heavily, having pretty much already known that his desire to go to Godric's Hollow would be shot down. Part of him had to admit that what they were saying made sense but still, now that he was faced with repeating the fact of surviving Voldemort's killing curse, he really wanted to go back to the place where it had happened before...and his parents' graves would be something he would like to see. He sighed again, nearly walking into Ron.
Ron's voice was kind of strangled. Harry peered at him, concerned. "Ron, what's wrong? What..." He stopped cold, his eyes having just found what Ron's had. "Regulus Arcturus Black" he breathed, hardly daring to believe that this might be the very RAB that they needed in order to work out what had happened to the real horcrux. He looked slowly from one friend to the other. "Do you reckon...?"
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Post by Hermione Granger on Jul 18, 2011 21:09:40 GMT -5
Hermione had come up behind the two boys, and her piercing brown eyes lingered on the name for a long moment. Finally, because no one had really said anything since Harry's question, she whispered so softly she wasn't even sure they could hear her. "Yeah Harry...I think it is."
The more she thought on it, the more it made sense. Regulus would have had access to more of Voldemort's secrets than an Order member or civilian. That also meant that he'd traded sides, something Sirius had either never mentioned, or never even known. "It...makes sense, Harry. Do you have the note and locket with you?" Now that they actually had something to go on, she was more than ready to start working on finding this horcrux - and then, ultimately destroying it. "Harry...what if...do you think it'd be in the house?"
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Post by Harry Potter on Jul 19, 2011 15:57:51 GMT -5
Hermione really didn't need to ask if Harry had the locket on him. He'd had the blasted thing and its accompanying note either in his rucksack or (more recently) the moleskin pouch Hagrid had given him for his birthday ever since Dumbledore's death. Even before her question was completely finished, Harry's shaking fingers were fumbling for the pouch around his neck, tugging out the golden locket on its thin gold chain. Tucking the pouch back out of sight beneath his shirt, he unrolled the letter and read out loud in a calm voice that quite contradicted the numb shaking of his fingers and hands:
"I have taken the real horcrux and plan to destroy it immediately. I face death knowing that one day when you meet your match you will be a mortal man once more." (ooc: not sure exactly what it says. I'm going off memory here lol)
Harry pushed on the door gently and it creaked open. "I guess we'll have to look for it and find out" he whispered to Hermione in response to her nervous question, though he wasn't sure why he was whispering. Perhaps it was just that the situation seemed to call for whispers. "Come on" he added over one shoulder, entering the dusty room cautiously.
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