Harry's instincts took us straight to Hogwarts, but not before we had a quick tea break with Dumbledore's brother... Dumbledore.

"So, let me get this straight," Draco murmured in my ear as he balanced a delicate china teacup on a delicate china saucer, "Dumbledore murdered his sister?"

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," I whispered back. "Harry would never support a killer."

But, as I glanced sideways at Harry, I could see he was having serious doubts about this entire mission.

And, when Dumbledore's brother told us to turn around and just be the kids that we were, we were all tempted to abandon this silly Horcrux Hunt.

"Maybe he's right," Ron mused, stroking his beard which was no longer there. "I do miss Mum's hotpot..."

"Well," I said, looking up at Draco, a smile curving at my lips, "I guess we could go and start the search for my parents and-"

"Hi-de-Hi!"

We all looked up in surprise as Neville Longbottom randomly hopped out of a painting, scuppering our plans.

*****

Draco's hand clasped tightly in mine as we stood before the occupants of the Room of Requirement, everyone's eyes on him accusingly.

"He spent an entire year plotting to kill our headmaster and you expect us to trust him?!" Seamus spat angrily after Harry had attempted to assure everyone that Draco was on our side.

"Just because he's knobbing a Muggle-born, doesn't mean he's changed, it just means he's not fussed as to where his dick goes." Michael Corner added, the crowd around him murmuring in agreement.

"He had the chance to hand me over, and yet he didn't." Harry said, giving his glasses a little lift off his nose. "And he's here now saying that he wants to help which is good enough for me and therefore should be good enough for you."

"Here, here!" A familiar voice yelled.

The crowd parted to reveal a shiny faced Ginny, eyes twinkling as she beamed lovingly at Harry.

Harry opened his arms wide, welcoming her into his embrace as she threw herself hard against him, kissing him hard.

"Oh, Gin," he murmured, puncturing his words with kisses, "my sweet, Gin."

Behind him, Ron glared, looking thoroughly disgruntled at having to witness this public reunion.

When Harry eventually put Ginny down, he announced to the watching crowd that he had something to find.

"What is it?" Neville asked.

"I don't know." Harry replied.

"Where is it?" Lavender asked.

"Search me." Harry shrugged.

"Ooo, could it be the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw?" Luna suggested.

"Sounds legit," Harry agreed. "Let's go."

And away he and Luna went, leaving Ron, Draco and I standing around, unsure of what to do next. 

"Well, even if he does find another Horcrux," I murmured with a heavy sigh, "how are we supposed to get rid of it without the sword? We've still got Hufflepuff's cup to deal with."

Draco glanced down at me and exhaustedly shrugged. Ron, however, looked as though a light bulb had just gone off in his head.

"Wait- what about the Basilisk?"

"You mean the one Harry destroyed in second year?" I asked, wondering where on earth he could possibly be going with this.

But Ron nodded eagerly, his eyes dancing in excitement. "Hermione, if we could get down into the Chamber of Secrets, there is a huge possibility that its fangs are still down there. It destroyed the diary didn't it? I reckon I could give Parseltongue a good go, Harry makes it look so easy."

"Ronald, you genius!" I gasped, already reaching into my bra for the beaded bag. "If we get moving now-"

"Look, do you mind if I give this one a miss?" Draco muttered, letting his hand drop from mine to run tiredly through his hair.

I blinked at him, feeling an odd rush of disappointment. "Oh. Okay. Was there something else you needed to do?"

He looked visibly pained for a moment, his eyes staring sorrowfully into mine. "Uh- I want to slip into the dungeons, see if anyone's heard anything about my mother. You know, Blaise might have-"

"Of course, you must." I agreed at once, reaching out to touch his arm. "You go on with that and Ron and I can deal with this."

"Are you sure?" He asked, looking uncertainly between Ron and myself.

"I'll look after her, if that's what you mean." Ron grunted, draping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me firmly to his side. "You go on, mate."

Draco looked apprehensive about going, but short of other options, he gave a curt nod, his eyes lingering on mine briefly before he turned on his heel and left.

"Not even a kiss goodbye," Ron tutted, shaking his head. "Romance hitting the rocks, already?"

"He was being respectful," I pointed out, moving away from his embrace, "something you know not much about."

His eyes widened, looking affronted. "What do you-?"

"My memories came back, didn't they? I remember how it felt to have you shove Lav-Lav in my face."

"God woman, not that again," Ron groaned rubbing his hands over his face. "I thought we'd been through this-"

"I was just pointing out that Draco was being a gentleman." I sniffed, sticking my nose in the air. "That was all."

"C'mon," Ron grumbled, "let's get this cup destroyed before Harold returns looking like a princess."

*****

Despite it not being something you could learn, Ron somehow managed to speak Parseltongue.

"Perhaps that Potter luck is finally rubbing off on me," he chortled once he picked himself up from the ground after jumping in through the entrance, "pity he doesn't have a sister."

I rolled my eyes, leading the way down into the Chamber, wondering how Harry was getting on with locating the diadem. I also briefly wondered if Draco was having any luck in finding out news about his mother and prayed he hadn't run into any trouble.

"Here we go," Ron said, kneeling down by a great big snake skull and yanking from its mouth a fang. "Gimme the cup, let me show you how it's done."

Yet, as I passed it to him, he hesitated, a strange look crossing over his face; eyes glazing over.

"Ron?" I asked, bemused. "What's wrong?"

"Actually, Hermione, I think you should take this." He said, his voice having taken on an unnatural monotone expression, sounding almost as though he were reading from a script.

"Fine... okay." I was too anxious to get back to Draco to argue. So, positioning the cup on the ground, I took the fang from Ron's hand, and lifted my arm, ready to strike.

"You're beautiful, Hermione."

My arm froze in the air, and I glanced up to see Ron just staring at me, transfixed.

"Ron," I said impatiently, "now is not the ti-"

"I love you, Hermione."

I was baffled. What had gotten into him? Here we were deep in the Chamber of Secrets, just about to destroy a Horcrux, and he thinks now is the perfect time to have a deep and meaningful?

"Ron, please," I begged, shakily lowering the fang, "we've been through all of this. I'm with Draco, I love him-"

"No you don't, you were just angry at me," he snarled, his eyes flashing fiercely. "You wanted to punish me for Lavender. But I'm over her now. It's you that I want. You're supposed to be my girl, Hermione, not Malfoy's."

I wasn't sure what was going on, but this wasn't Ron. He loved me, yes, but he wasn't forceful and possessive like this.

And then I knew, it was the Horcrux. Thinking fast, I lifted the fang again, ready to impale the cup, but I wasn't quick enough, and a hand clamped vice-like around my wrist, fingers squeezing so tight that tears watered my eyes.

"Ron- let- go-" I gasped, struggling against him. But he was too strong and I couldn't shake him off me.

"You're mine, Hermione," he growled fiercely, eyes flashing red. "And I won't let you do it, I won't let you make the wrong choice."

We began to tussle, me trying to free my wrist, and him trying to make me yield my hold of the fang. He was strong, yet I was determined to destroy the cup, knowing that the second I stabbed it, whatever was possessing Ron would be gone.

"This isn't you, Ron," I cried, desperately trying to prise his fingers off my wrist. "You need to fight it. You need to let me destroy the cup."

"My Hermione," he rasped, his voice now completely unrecognisable. "My little Mudblood who likes to sleep with the enemy."

I silently willed Ron to resurface, but to my horror, he took it to a new level, with his other hand roughly clasping the back of my head and forcing my lips against his.

There was a loud clatter as the fang fell from my clasp and landed to the floor, quickly forgotten about. My only thought now was to get this monster away from me. Like hell was I going to let Voldemort's soul sexually assault me whilst using Ron's body as a vessel.

Fear made my heart race, and my mind was blinded by panic. His lips continued to try and force mine apart, but I refused him access, keeping my mouth firmly clamped shut as I flailed about, trying desperately to push him off me.

And then I realised, there was one way I could stop it, and that was to stop fighting it.

So, with little other choice, I parted my lips, and kissed him back, moving my plan into action. A loud groan vibrated at the back of his throat as he pushed his tongue inside my mouth and I tried not to shudder in revulsion.

And that's when I struck, making sure to bite down as hard as I could, my mouth instantly filling with the taste of metallic as my teeth sliced through flesh.

"ARGH! WHAT THE-?"

It worked. He jumped back, yelping in agony as he clutched at his mouth.

My heart was in my throat as I fumbled around for the fang, scraping my fingers on the stony ground in my haste to grasp it. And this time I didn't hesitate as I lifted my arm and quickly drove the fang through the cup, causing it to light up and scream, as though alive.

And then... nothing. The light went out and the screaming stopped. Whatever it was... was dead.

Panting heavily, I dropped the fang from my hand, glancing warily over at Ron who was still clutching his mouth, the red gone from his eyes, replaced only with pain and utter mortification.

"'Ermione," he said through a mouthful of blood, "I didn'- I didn-"

"It's okay," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I know it wasn't you, it was him... it."

And thankfully, whatever it, was, was dead.

*****

Hurt and anger filled him, coursing through his veins and literally making him shake from head to toe.

He would never un-see it, the sight burned forever in his mind; his girl kissing someone else. And not just anyone else but Weasley. The boy who originally had her heart.

He'd been halfway down to the dungeons when he realised what a mistake he was making. He shouldn't be leaving her side at a time like this, letting her wander into a literal snake pit with just Weasley for protection.

So, Draco turned and ran, hurrying to the girls bathroom on the second floor where he knew the entrance to the Chamber lay, praying he wasn't too late.

Seeing it was already open, he jumped inside, keeping his wand clutched tightly in his hand as he followed the long winding dark tunnel, tripping over bones and rocks until he reached the opening at the end.

And that was when he saw them. At first he thought they were involved in some kind of tussle, and he went to move towards them, ready to defend her. But then he saw that their mouths were glued together and she was not fighting him but kissing him - actually kissing him back.

It was like being punched very hard in the stomach. He didn't stick around, didn't want to watch. If this was what love did to you then he didn't want it anymore.

He'd given up everything for her.

Turning, he raced back up into the castle, the sound of blood roaring so loud in his ears, he barely noticed Voldemort's speech reverberating off the walls around him.

War was coming, and he had to pick his side.

Hermione Granger had just gone and made that a whole lot easier for him.

******