It had been a few months sense Harry, Hermione, and Ron had been off into the world. Salem felt lost and empty without them here, the three were her main source of happiness recently and then they were gone completely. Hogwarts started up again, Salem didn't go, she couldn't bar to show up there without any of them, walk past the Room Of Requirments and not think of Draco. Not to mention hundred of Death Eaters where after her at this point, thankfully Molly had found multiple places to hide her when they'd attacked.

She was scared in all honest, she didn't know how people would react. The word about Draco and Salem spread quickly after he disappeared, one of the younger years opened their mouth about seeing the two oddly close on Christmas Eve. Naturally, rumors spread like wildfire about the two and Salem wasn't sure she could face them alone.

Molly didn't mind her staying at the burrow, she quite enjoyed the company of Salem and Callon while Ginny and Ron were gone. Salem stayed in Ron's room, finding it comforting and knew he wouldn't mind her keeping his bed warm until he was back. She used her time off to track more death eater attacks, stacks and stacks of newspapers in the corner of her and Ron's room of every event that happened.

She didn't get much, but it got her closer to Draco and that's all she wanted.

Salem had the idea ever sense the trio disappeared, she knew exactly what she needed to do and how it would work. Salem didn't expect it to take as long as it did, didn't expect it to keep her awake at night as horrible as it did. But finally she tracked enough information, finally she had mastered spells and learned basic combat good enough to do what she did.

Ron's heart beat in the Heartbeat Charm.

Leaving a note for Callon by their bedside table, Salem pulled on the Slytherin sweater incase it was cold. She figured her friends with be hungry, dirty, and maybe even cold. She packed enough for each of them to clean and eat and stay warm. A deep breath, it's all she needed, another deep breath while gripping the charm in her hand.

Pressing down on the charm, Ron's heartbeat could be felt in her hand.

Suddenly Salem was no long in the burrow, she was no longer inside the warmth and comfort of a room. Instead she had landed ontop of a redhead boy in the middle of the forest.

"Salem?" Ron asked as he groaned in pain while looking up at her. Salem couldn't say anything, grinning widely and gripping him in a hug, "Bloody hell, bout time you show up."

"I'm sorry, I had to get things sorted out." Salem said as she continued to hug him, all to long since they'd been apart, "You're filthy."

"Oh, appreciate it." Ron asked as she filled rolled off of him as they stood, "What took you so long?"

"I had to track the death eaters a bit more, so I could save you three and Draco at the same time. Where's Hermione and Harry?" Salem asked, taking note of the two not anywhere around in the empty, silent, and chilling forest.

The look on Ron's face said it all.

"You can say it." he said after he'd gotten cleaner then before, devouring one of the many sandwiches she packed for them while the two stayed warm around a fire, "Know you want to."

"You're a bloody idiot is what I want to say." Salem said as Ron grumbled with his mouth full, "You could have died out here alone, you could have ran into one of those horse fairies."

"Horse fairies? What are you going on about?" he asked with wide eyes at her words, Salem giving him a look.

"You know.. the horse fairies." Salem spoke with a knowing look, "Nevermind that, how are we gonna find them?"

"I'm heading back the way I left, Hermiones was pretty upset when I left." Ron said as he looked down when he said her name, Salem pained to see them apart, pained to see Ron hurting without her here.

"I get it." Salem said as she stood from her log to walk to the other side of the fire, "Believe me."

"Just feel... odd without her." Ron admits as Salem nodded, a small silence between the two before he spoke again, "How do you do it?"

"I don't." Salem said honestly, she would never admit this to anyone else, not even Harry and Hermione, "Just have to make everyone else believe I can handle it so they don't start to worry."

"I knew." Ron spoke while look over at her, his still dirty face had a nice glow from the fire as Salem's eyes had a gloss of red, "You don't hide things well, horrible even. Just reckoned you'd do much better then Malfoy."

He had a joking sense in his voice, the grin on his face making Salem laugh and bump his shoulder.

Once Ron and Salem felt as though they had enough energy to move, they began once again, following the gift Dumbledore gave Ron. Salem explained everything to Ron, how Hogwarts has gone horrible with Snape around and how they were all after her meaning she couldn't go back. She told him about his family, which he was beyond greatful for and relived they were alright.

Before the two could even think about the horrible burn in their legs from walking so much, they'd made their way to the small camp sight.

"Is this them?" Salem asked as Ron stared out at the lake, "Ronald?"

"You get Hermione, i'll be back." he said as he was off quickly, Salem didn't question it, she knew Ron could handle and protect Harry and she didn't want to miss the chance to see Hermione.

Salem crept into the dark tint, it was tiny and she could imagine Hermione and Harry had to take turns sleeping which was probably safer. Salem couldn't even see Hermione, navigating from the sound of her faint breathing.

"Mione." Salem said as she shook her slightly, "Come on, Granger."

Hermione grumbled as she rolled over, Salem saying her name again before her eyes widened in shock, "Salem?"

"Hi." the Slughorn girl giggled as Hermione launched herself at her in a tight hug, knocking the two backwards slightly as they fell.

"Oh." Hermione said with a laugh and a sigh of relief as she pulled away, "What ever in Merlins name could you be doing here?"

"Came to save you guys and hopefully save my boyfriend along the way." Salem said with a shrug as Hermione blinked confused.

"Boyfriend? Are you calling him that now?" Hermione laugh, remembering just months ago Salem was denying the word relentlessly.

"Might as well." Salem shrugged as she hugged her again, "Oh I was as bored as a book on charms, I thought you'd be back sooner."

"Believe me, so did I." she said before she stopped and look at Salem oddly, "Wait... how did you get here?"

Salem pulled Hermione from the tent as the two went to the edge of the small hill, seeing Harry and Ron on the ground next to each other, out of breath with pale faces.

"He's back." Hermione said in shock as she looked to Ron.

"She's back." Harry spoke to Ron with wide eyes.

"Harry!" Salem yelled as she ran down the hill, tripping and tumbling the rest of the way.

"Bloody hell." Ron said as he cringed, Salem stood quickly and launched herself into Harry's arms as he laughed through shivered teeth, "Blimey, you're freezing."

"You're here, I knew you'd come." Harry spoke while squeezing her yet again as they pulled away, Salem rubbed his arms to warm him up as he grinned though chattered teeth.

"How could you possibly know that, four eyes?" she asked with a faint grin, a soft and amused one all at once.

"I just did." he said back while hugging her yet again.

"Hey!" Ron grinned at Hermione goofy as Harry and Salem turned to watch the encounter happen before their eyes.

"You!" Hermione said angry as she yanked his bag off his shoulder with a glare up at the youngest Weasley male, "Complete ass, Ronald Weasley!"

"Yeah! You tell em!" Salem cheered Hermione on as Harry and Ron both gave her a crazy look when Salem let out a werewolf hollow as she cheered.

"You show up here after weeks! And you say hey!" Hermione yelled as she hit him with his own bag multiple times, "Where's my wand, Harry? Where's my wand?"

"I don't know." Harry said frightened as he stumbled backwards.

"Give her her wand, Potter." Salem said with a amusing look as she crossed her arms with a smirk.

"How come he's got your wand?" Ron asked as Hermione glared at Harry who was backed up in a tree.

"Never mind why he's got my wand!" Hermione snapped at the Weasley boy as she turned and took notice of something in his hand, "What is that?"

Ron held up the necklace with a grin.

"You destroyed it." Hermione said in shock as Salem looked to Harry confused, lost as to what was going on, "And how on earth do you just happen to have the sword of Gryffindor?"

"Merlin I need to go back to school." Salem said with a lost expression on her face.

"It's a long story." Harry answered for Ron as Hermione glared at both of them.

"Don't think this changes anything." she spoke confidently with a clinched jaw.

"Oh, of course not. I only just destroyed a bloody horcrux, why would that change anything?" Ron asked in disbelief as Salem rolled her eyes.

"Don't pity party her, Ron, she didn't ask you to." Salem stood up for Hermione as she stood by her side with crossed arms over the Slytherin sweater that gave her a rush of confidence.

"Look, I wanted to come back as soon as I left. I just didn't know how to find you." Ron said with wide and innocent eyes toward Hermione.

"Yeah, how did you find us?" Harry spoke up, probably best to prevent a argument breaking out once again, "Both of you, I mean."

"With this. It doesn't just turn off lights." Ron spoke as he pulled the small treasure from his pocket, "I don't know how it works but Christmas morning I was sleeping in this little pub, keeping away from some snatchers. And I heard it."

"It?" Harry asked him confused.

"A voice. Your voice, Hermione. Coming out of it." Ron spoke as Hermione shifted, Salem could see the flash of soft over her eyes but was determined to stand her ground.

"And what exactly did I say, may I ask?" she snapped as Salem tried to hide her proud grin.

"My name. Just my name. Like a whisper." Ron spoke with lovestruck eyes her way, Salem felt the pang in her heart. Not that she fancied Ron or Hermione more then a deep friendship, but their love for each other in some way made her think of Draco, made her question if they'd be this way if their little love story was anything but complicated as it was now, "So I took it, I clicked it, and this tiny ball of light appeared. And I knew. And surely enough, it floated toward me, the ball of light, and went straight through me. Right here. And I knew it was gonna take me where I needed to go, companied by Salem along the way, and we came to this hillside. It was dark, didn't wanna tell Salem because I knew she'd panic, didn't know where we where. I just hoped one of you would show yourselves. And you did, in the lake, and Hermione in the tint for Salem."

"Reckon you should have mention this epic plot twist, Weasel-Bee." Salem said to him with crossed arms and a raise to her eyebrows.

"Right, sorry." he said as Salem sent him a subtle wink in saying it was okay.

"Do you promise? Promise me." Hermione spoke as Salem captured her heart along with Harry's in her charm.

"I promise you." Salem said as she squeezed her hand, "Give Lunas father all my love please."

"You can work this well? You'll be back with us whenever you get done?" Harry asked her as well when she took his heartbeat.

"I will, won't take too long, I just need to do this." Salem said as Harry nodded, hugging her as Ron and Hermione joined in for a moment longer.

"You three be carful." Salem said with a sad smile to the two before the four hesitated but took opposites routs.

Her home.

The manor that the Slughorn family of three lived on wasn't large but it was far from small, up on a high cliff that made you feel as though you were floating in the sky. Salem smiled sadly as she pushed the rustic and old gate open and walking toward the home. Dead plants all around as the sense of depression took over the house.

Salem walked toward the cliff her mother and father both threw themselves off off nearly four years ago. Salem felt a sense of pain as she stood near the edge, she looked down at the height.

She had the power to jump if she wanted to.

But she didn't, she didn't want to one bit.

The windows from the house creaked when they slapped from the wind. Salem took a deep breath as she walked away from the cliff and toward the house that was painted in black with red shutters.

The door opened with a spell, Salem hesitated before walking inside. She knew where she needed to go, but being here for the first time in ages made her stop and look around at the old and abandoned home that was crawling with spiders.

Salem sighed as she walked down the small hallway, passing her room that was empty aside from the small bed that surely wouldn't fit her anymore. Shaking her head she made her way toward her parents room down the hallway, she couldn't let herself break, not now, not when she'd need to be back with her friends as soon as possible.

"Mo-" it was a habit, Salem stopped herself from saying the words, a crazy look on her face as to why she even attempted to began to say it. With a clear of her throat Salem walked into the room that was covered with dead leafs and spider webs. There was a single brief case in the middle of the floor.

The brief case.

Salem's feet creaked on the floorboard as she stood before it, bending down to unlock it with a sigh.

Her mother's wand was on the inside, one of the most powerful Slytherin wands in Hogwarts history. A black dress, the same black dress Emilia wore when she told Remus goodbye and came here to keep him safe. Salem sighed sadly as she gripped it in her hand, swearing she could feel a hand on her shoulder.

There was a photo of her father and her as a baby at the bottom, their similar honey hair blending together from where their heads were pushed together with wide smiles. That's what hurt her, that's what made her let a few tears fall.

Her father.

The best man she'd ever known, a man who deserved better then a woman who loved another man all her lifetime, and man who deserve better then leaving his life and dreams behind to protect his wife and child from the wizard world.

Two letters where at the bottom, two single letters.

It was her fathers handwriting, both of them. The first one was addressed to sirius and the second one was addressed to harry potter.

Salem tore Harry's letter open in confused, she had absolutely no clue in Merlin that her father knew Harry or why he'd wrote him a letter. Salem raked her eyes over each word quickly, a shocked expression on her face as she blinked violently.

"Holy shit." she spoke while fumbling with her charm to press down before she was suddenly on the forest floor with a mouth full of leaves.

"Guys! My d-" Salem began as she got to her feet and turned but stopped at the scene before her.

Death eaters in their natural form holding each of her friends tightly.

"Wondering when you'd show." the same man that was there by Bella's side the night Snape killed Dumbledore for Draco.

"Where is he?" Salem asked angrily toward the man, "Where's Draco?"

Salem was loud with her questions, hitting the mans chest angrily.

"Don't worry, darling." he said while grabbing her face roughly which caused Harry, who had a messed up face currently, to thrash against the man, "I'm taking you right to him."

•

kylie speaks

guess who's
reuniting
next chapter?

salem doing the
werewolf howl
like draco did
in prisoner of
azkaban radiates
major soulmate
energy.