A heavenly sigh passed Hermione's nose as she took the last bite of what she could manage of the big bowl of stew Mrs. Weasley had given her. She was sure it wouldn't make her happy to see the amount but her stomach really did feel as though it was stretched to its limit. She had been sort of relieved when Molly had shooed the boys out and into the living room. As desperate as she was to see them, she really didn't want to answer any more questions.

Molly kept herself busy by washing the dishes by hand, something Hermione was very sure she could have easily done with magic. It was appreciated silence. Hermione took a small breath and came to her feet, taking the half-finished bowl in both hands and brought it over to the counter.

"It was really good... I'm sorry I couldn't finish it all..." A soft smile was her response and she gave one in return.

"That's alright dear, I'm sure it'll take some time. I'll just save this for you. You needn't ask if you're hungry, it'll be right here waiting for you." Molly took the bowl casting a small stasis charm over it before setting it further up into the counter, "The boys are in the living room, just through that door."

"Thank you." Hermione turned away. Her steps were slow but sure, though her body still felt tight she felt confident in her movement. She pushed open the swinging door that led out of the kitchen and crossed through the small hallway into the living room.

Harry and Ron were leaning over the coffee table looking at the map when she came in. They gave her a soft smile in turn and Ron shifted to make room for her on the couch. Hermione took the offer, sitting down and placed her hands on her lap.

"What are you doing?" Hermione leaned forward very carefully looking at all the names crawling over the map like ants.

"Checking on Luna. Neville's joined her, so we think she'll be alright." Harry pointed to the map to show her.

"What about Professor Snape?"

"The gits back in his office."

Hermione glanced at Ron, the loathing in his tone too heavy to ignore. She pursed her lips but didn't reply, instead, she turned her eyes down to look where Harry had folded the map. Snape looked to be pacing, never a good sign. A small tick in the front of her mind caused her to furrow her brow. She leaned back into the soft cushions giving each of them a look before singling out Harry.

"What did the Dark Lord ask you for my return, Harry?" There was a small pause when they both looked at the other. "What?"

"You just called Vo-He-who-must-not-be-named the 'Dark Lord'." Ron shifted uncomfortably looking pointedly at Hermione's neck.

Hermione sneered slightly before shaking her head. She adjusted her collar a bit before swallowing down the unease in her throat. She hadn't even had a second thought about it. She wanted to believe that her time with Snape had done something to her vocabulary but her mind wouldn't let the growing anxiety go that easily.

Harry cleared his throat, pointedly deciding that was an argument for another time. A shallow breath brought Hermione's attention back to him, "Uh...well he asked for the Horocrux..."

"Which Horcrux?" Hermione could already tell she wasn't going to like the answer.

"The one you helped us find...the one at Gringotts..." Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair watching the emotions cascade down her face before finally setting somewhere between full rage and complete disbelief.

"You...didn't destroy the Horcrux after all this time?"

"Well... at first we didn't have a way to...then..."

Hermione took a deep breath holding her hand up to stop him. She closed and rubbed her eyes, still not believing what she had heard. Snape had been beaten, she had been beaten, because of their little mission. Her back went tight as the memory resurfaced and she turned her head away to try and hide the look of pain that crossed her features. She took a deep breath bringing down her temper before turning her head back to give them a look that would make even Snape want to be far away from her.

"Where is it?"

"Hermione-" Ron snapped his jaw shut when her glower turned on him. He licked his lips, nervously letting out a shaky breath. He turned his head slightly towards Harry giving him only the briefest of glances before giving Hermione his full attention again.

"It's...in the spare bag you left us..." Harry swallowed down his fear, he'd only seen her look that way when she'd hit Ron when he'd returned. It was scary then and it was terrifying now. "Upstairs..."

"And the sword?" Hermione's nostrils flared as she tried to keep her tone even. How could they be so stupid?

"With it..."

"Why have you not destroyed it?"

"It's been a little busy...you know...and stuff kept happening and..." Harry glanced to the side, "We were worried about you...I mean Luna helped us as best as she could but, she wasn't you, you know? Then she had to go back and...then we needed the sword and you were so close...we just...we wanted to save you..."

Hermione felt her temper deflating like springtime snow melting away on a sunny day. How could she be mad at them for wanting to save her? It was admirable if a bit foolish. She was sure they could have done both if either of them had taken the time to properly sit down and think about their options. Though, she was quite sure that had been her job all along.

"Well, I'm here now..." Her voice was soft and slightly apologetic. She reached out taking both of their hands. A brave smile on her face as she looked between them. "Let's bring this war to an end..."

oOOo

Neville looked down at the two-way parchment. He hadn't been able to stay as long as he had wished in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey had done her best to prolong the inevitable but as Luna was scheduled to stay there for the full day his absence couldn't be explained past lunch.

We've got to get to the RoR.

How?

They can't possibly expect prefects to watch us all night.

What about tomorrow, they'll know we're missing in the morning count.

I don't know...But we have to do something!

Maybe we should just wait until we hear from Harry. I don't think causing more trouble right now will do any of us any favors.

Neville glanced down the table at Ginny, pursing his lips. The girl set down her quill and lowered her head. He was right and she knew it. They had to wait.

oOo

The three of them had made it upstairs and down before going outside. All the adults had gone off somewhere possibly checking on the numerous reports they were receiving through the wizarding wireless. Going up was a bit more difficult for Hermione than going down but she had refused to let any weakness show. The boys needed her. The world needed them. She had no other choice.

The potion Mrs. Weasley had brought her after her bath had started to fade leaving her unbelievably achy all over. Hermione no longer wondered why Snape had made so many modifications to the various potions in his cabinet. It was wonder anyone took standard potions at all. Then again, not many people were tortured on a regular basis.

"I think you should have the honors, Hermione..." Harry set the cup down in the grass of the small field behind the safehouse.

Hermione waffled her head slightly. Even with all that had happened to her, all she had seen, she was still slightly unsure if she had the strength inside her to kill another being. Her eyes turned to Ron who held the sword, blade down, waiting for her to make a decision.

"You can do it 'Mione..." Ron gave her a tight smile offering out the sword.

Hermione gave him a weak grin in return but the weight on her chest was making it difficult to breathe. She closed her eyes for a moment trying to bring the courage into her heart. Her mind turned to the day where she had taken Snape's place upon the whipping block. The power she had felt. The strength of her resolve to end his suffering. She gave a stiff nod reaching out to take the sword. It felt unbelievably heavier than she thought it would and she had to put focus into keeping hold of it.

A deep breath brought her closer to the innocent looking cup on the ground. She could do this. She needed to do this. Another deep mind-calming breath rounded her focus. The sword in her hand no longer felt like an anvil. It felt strong, and filled with purpose. Her eyes narrowed when she raised the blade. She could do this... she could save not only him but everyone else as well. This was right, even if it wasn't easy. She raised the sword up, coming one step closer. She could do this. She had survived so much worse. What was killing one, to save thousands?

A wave of power rushed out over the field with the force of a landmine the second the blade pieced through. Hermione held onto the sword as tight as she could but was ultimately felled onto the ground by the large tornadic rise of grey smoke. The sword glowed brightly before dissolving away having fulfilled its purpose yet again.

Hermione scrambled back on her hands and feet trying not to get swallowed whole but she was nowhere quick enough. As soon as the smoke swallowed her the mark on her neck flared to life stealing the air straight from her lungs.

"You're tainted...filthier than the blood that flows through you. No one will never love you..."

Harry and Ron shielded their faces trying to push their way through to get to Hermione. The evil words within filtering through their hearts but they didn't believe them for a second.

Their eyes rose as an image of Hermione came to form in the center, painted silver and glowing just like it had in the locket. Her body was held up by invisible ties. Her arms over her head, a dark figure behind her pressed close so close it hid their face from view. Their hands mauling places no lover would ever touch in that way. The scene was pulled from the very deepest part of her subconscious. The memory that Snape had desperately tried to hide away to bring her comfort.

"It's not real! Hermione!" Harry pushed hard in vain against the vortex trying to find her inside, "Hermione!" He could hear her cry of pain in between the howling winds. She wasn't standing anymore. He could just make out the back of her head as she clutched tightly to her neck.

A deep roll of thunder shook the ground beneath all their feet before the image called forth from the cup and surrounding tornado burst forth in a massive crescendo before dispersing with one final push of its power. Both Ron and Harry stumbled back shielding their heads as it passed over them.

In the same moment that the world grew still, Harry felt his scar sear to life. An image of a dark stone room overlaid his reality and he saw it, the next Horcrux. The diadem. Ravenclaw's Diadem. Voldemort's emotions of fear and anger rolled through his entire core and he heard his serpentine whisper against his ear.

She will die, if you kill me...

She will die...

"Hermione?!"

Harry's world snapped back into focus like a heavily slammed door. His eyes swiveling around to the ground. Ron held Hermione's writhing upper body in his lap, her head was shaking back forth, eyes wide with fear.

"Don't! Do-on't t-touch me!" Her voice sounded harsh and scratchy. Her legs kicked out weakly and her hands came down from clawing at Ron's hold, to tear at the fabric over her stomach and chest, "D-dirty...so dirty..."

"It wasn't real..." Ron tried to believe his own words but the pain on her face was too real. He was instantly transported back to the time where they were spying on the Snatchers. Their crass words ringing in his ears. What had they done to her? How could he ever make that pain go away? Would she ever be able to accept the intimate touch of another?

Hermione shook her head, her eyes going wider. The panic inside her mind was pressing hard against the barrier Snape had put between her fugue state. She desperately wanted to escape the memory that had suddenly engulfed her senses. The smell, his hands, his breath in her ear. Screams, heartbreaking, soul-tearing screams.

Ron shifted her to try and bring her around. Her head arched back into the crook of his arm, rocking in his hold. Her arms were shaking more now unable to even hold on. Her panic having sent her body into a mild seizure. Harry felt as though the Hogwarts Express had run full force into his chest as he fumbled his way beside them.

"Hermione?" Harry's hand moved to her cheek where a light blue spiderweb-like line was slowly receding. Her eyes snapped to him as she continued her mantra. The path of raised skin on her cheek left no trace when the lines receded. His own breaths came harshly through his ears as he tried to understand what he was seeing.

"Hermione you're safe... you're with Ron and Harry. You're safe..." Harry tried to keep her head still so she could look at him. Ron leaned over more too so she could see them both but her eyes were unclear. Tears spilled over the corners rolling down her cheeks and onto their hand and arm respectively. Her body shook with sobs neither of them had ever heard from her before. They didn't know what to do, nor how to help her.

"They were just children..."

"Shh...it was just the Horcrux... Shhh... I've got you... you're safe... you're safe..."

"Children...innocent children...Please...please let them go..."

Ron wrapped his arms further, pulling her from her back onto her side into his chest. Her hands opened and closed against him indecisively, one pushing the other pulling. His lips came down to the top of her shielded head and he whispered his words again into her hair. "I've got you..."

Harry lowered his head pressing his palm into her back while her body continued to tremble under his fingers. "We've got you..." He sniffled and pressed his forehead to her shoulder before looking into Ron's eyes. "Let's get her inside where she can rest..." His voice sounded as broken as the girl in the redhead's arms.

"Right...right your right..." Ron swallowed down his tears shifting his hold. "Alright...here we go..."

Harry helped Ron to his feet where he could. Hermione had gone quiet but her body still shook in his hold. She kept her face hidden in the fabric clutched in her fingers. Harry could tell she was trying to stop herself but feared that doing so would only make the situation worse. She still hadn't said anything about what had happened to her. Though he was starting to understand. It far worse than he feared.

Hermione felt lost in a riptide of emotion too complicated to sort through all at once. The memory had been released back into its proper place but it didn't ease her heart. The time spent at the manor inside her cell had been one of the most terrifying experiences she had ever experienced in her short life aside from the whipping post. Even standing before Voldemort felt like a candle in a rainstorm compared to what had happened next. The sound of pleading mothers and screaming children. The horrific enjoyment that resounded throughout as their lives were cut short.

Harry walked beside them. Each step felt like a thousand meter climb up a steep mountain. It hurt more than words could ever express. His mind turned to Voldemort's words; had they come as a taunt or a warning? His eyes turned back to the girl in Ron's arms noticing she'd gone still.

"She's unconscious..." Ron had barely looked away from her face even as they walked. His heart felt as though he were stepping on it with each stride, pressing it further and further into the dirt beneath.

Harry swallowed thickly, letting his hand fall down. He took a moment to just breathe. He nodded his head slightly in understanding before moving to open the door.

"Why did this happen, Harry? Was this one stronger?" Ron could barely think, his arms trembling with the effort used to hold her up.

"I don't know...I don't know...but I saw it...I saw the next Horcrux..."

They both went silent, sharing a look down at Hermione. She was taking in small stuttering breaths, a deep popping sound coming out every third inhale. Her brow furrowed in pain as her body struggled against itself. What could they do now?

oOOo

Ginny jerked slightly when the paper hidden under her notes glowed faintly. She glanced up towards the front but Professor Bins was droning on like always.

We know what the next H is. It's at HW. Britannica may not be able to make it.

Ginny swallowed heavily turning her eyes up towards the front of the room. Her mind turning with how any of the D.A. might be able to help. Her only thought was that she might be able to stage a fight big enough to send her to the hospital wing for the night. After which, she was sure she could sneak out to the Room of Requirement and conjure the door they would need to enter the castle.

Ginny licked her bottom lip pulling the paper farther so that she would be able to write.

Wait for my signal.