Over the next few weeks the Herd had been setting up camp, trying to survive in the woods with the knowledge they had.

In the tent, Hermione was cutting Harry's hair as it was due a haircut. Ron was sleeping on the bed, Parker and Erica were reading through some old books to gather information. Erica was also trying to work an old radio they found.

"I'm close.' Erica shook her head.

"You're getting there." Parker nodded.

"I know I am, look at it." Erica tapped it.

"It's working." Parker pointed, looking up from her book.

"I'm proud of my work."

"Oh my god." Hermione realised,"The sword of Gryffindor, it's Goblin made."

Harry nodded slowly,"Yes. Yes it is."

"You don't understand. Things like rust don't affect it. It only takes in what makes it stronger... You already destroyed a horcrux, Harry."

"So to destroy the locket, we need the sword." Harry realized.

"That's why the sword was left to you by Dumbledore." Parker pointed.

"You're brilliant Hermione, truly." Harry held her hand.

"Hey, have we figured something out?" Erica asked.

"We need the sword, but it's been-

The lights in the tent then got taken by the deluminator before they returned,"The swords stolen... Yeah, I'm still here- Don't mind me, you guys keep the fun to yourselves." Ron held up his hands.

"Ron, it's not like that." Hermione shook her head.

"Don't expect me to be grateful because now there's another thing we need to find and risk our lives for." Ron spat.

"I thought you knew what you signed up for." Harry sighed.

"Yeah, I thought I did to." Ron nodded.

"What part of this isn't living up to your expectations? Did you really think we'd be at a five star hotel? Find a horcrux every day? Thought you would be back with mum for Christmas?" Harry pointed.

"I just thought that by this time we would've actually achieved something." Ron scoffed,"I thought Dumbledore would've told you something worthwhile, that we would've had a plan!"

"I've already told you everything Dumbledore told me, and you're wearing a horcrux, are you not?" Harry gestured to the locket that was around Ron's neck.

"Yeah, and we're about as close to getting rid of it as we are finding the other ones." Ron pointed.

"Ron, take off the locket. You've been acting like this since you've been wearing it-" Hermione went to hold Ron's arm.

Ron pushed her away,"You want to know why I listen to that broken radio every night? It's to make sure i don't hear Ginny's name. Or Fred. Or George. Or mum."

"You think I'm not listening too?! You think I don't know how you feel?!" Harry scoffed.

"No, you don't know how this feels!" Ron snapped,"Your parents are dead! You have no family!"

"Ron... Ron, that's enough." Erica stopped towards him.

"Don't even, Erica!" Ron pointed at her.

"That's it- Go! Go!" Harry shouted.

"Fine then, I will." Ron began to gather his things.

"Ron, please- You can't leave." Erica shook her head.

"Are you coming or staying?" Ron turned to his twin.

Erica stopped,"Ron, we signed up for this. We have to stay. Please."

"Erica." Ron sighed as he packed his stuff,"Coming or staying?"

"I'm staying." Erica crossed her arms,"I just thought I could trust you, is all."

Ron looked at the girls, looking at Hermione,"I saw what happened between you two."

"Ron, that didn't mean anything." Hermione told him.

Ron scoffed, grabbing his back and stormed out the tent.

"I don't know why I don't expect this." Erica sighed.

"I'm sorry, Erica." Parker shook her head.

"Dont be."

"It's the horcrux. If you wear it for too long then you get angry." Parker assured her.

Erica picked the locket off the ground, Ron had thrown it as he left,"Such a little thing, causing so much pain."

"We might need to move again soon." Hermione sighed, looking out the tent.

"Its that just wonderful." Harry sighed.

*********************************

The next day, they had moved to a cliffed area. Parker and Erica were outside reading, it was calming... It was quiet.

That was until they heard music coming from inside the tent.

"What are they doing in there?" Erica turned.

"No idea. But their music isn't the best." Parker chuckled and laid on a rock.

"Couldn't they have found something better?" Erica shook her head.

"I doubt we'll get much more channels." Parker shrugged.

"But classical? Really?"

"It calms the mood." Parker looked at Erica.

"I suppose so." Erica nodded.

"It's calming out here.." Parker looked over the edge.

"It's the view, it's a nice distraction."

"I wish we could just stay here, away from the fights."

"I wish we could be safe again." Erica sighed.

"So do I." Parked held Erica's hand.

"Will we ever... Feel safe? Even after this?"

"I hope so. One day we'll be okay." She smiled.

"You really think so?" Erica looked over at her.

"One day.. We'll be happy with Neville and Blaise." Parker nodded.

"That sounds nice. Erica smiled softly

"Maybe little kids?"

"Maybe."

"If we can handle them." Parker chuckled.

"God, if they're anything like you." Erica shook her head.

"Like me?" Parker gasped.

"Like you."

"I'm great, thank you very much." Parker nodded.

"Of course you are."

Parker hummed as Hermione walked out.

"We found a channel, it's called Potterwatch. I heard the twins talking." Hermione turned to Erica.

"You heard them?" Erica turned around quickly.

"Mhm. Its a channel they've made for our side. So it's not corrupted by the Ministry."

"Is... Is it still on?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

Erica got up, quickly heading inside the tent, followed by Hermione and Parker. Inside, she could hear Fred and George cracking their jokes.

"It's them, they're okay." Erica smiled softly.

"Course they are. Who'd doubt they weren't?" Harry chuckled.

"I didn't, I just- Well, I got a little scared." Erica crossed her arms as she sat down.

"They're okay." Parker rubbed her back.

"I've missed hearing their voices."

"I know." Hermione sighed.

"Now I know I have to keep going, for them."

Parker gave a small smile,"That's it."

"Dumbledore was right, y'know. About finding happiness in dark places." Erica hummed.

"Yeah, I guess so." Hermione nodded.

Erica sighed, resting her head on the table as she listened to Fred and George, just talking. It was the most relaxed she'd felt.

Parker leaned over and turned the music up slightly. Erica hummed slightly as she listened to it play.

Parker rubbed Erica's back before she sat down,"I think we should all try get some sleep."

"You tired?" Erica asked her.

She nodded,"Mhm."

"Come on then." Erica got up and stetched.

"We'll speak to you guys in the morning." Hermione nodded.

"Night, guys." Harry waved to them.

*********************************

"I think we might need to go to Godric's Hollow." Harry shook his head.

"Isnt that where your parents lived?" Erica turned to him.

Harry nodded slowly,"I was born there."

"We think there could be something useful there." Hermione agreed.

"Besides, the historian, Bathilda Bagshot lives there. We might be able to get some answers from her." Harry shrugged.

"Where have I heard that name before?" Erica blinked.

"She wrote A History Of Magic." Parker turned to her.

"Oh- Yeah, that sounds about right." Erica nodded.

"Unless you've heard it somewhere else." She shrugged.

Erica shrugged,"It was probably from the book."

They all then apparated to Godric's Hollow, into a graveyard filled with snow.

Erica walked up to a gravestone and brushed the snow off of it, pausing. On the gravestone it were the names James and Lily Potter. Harry's parents.

Hermione knelt down and created a small wreath with lilies.

"It'll be Christmas soon." Erica told them as Harry knelt by his parent's grave.

Parker looked around,"We've been away for that long?"

"I didn't think we had but.." Erica trailed off as church bells began to ring.

"Where to now?"

"Well-"

That's when the group noticed an old woman waving to them, a lantern in her hand.

"Is that.." Hermione blinked.

"A random old woman?" Erica whispered.

"Bathilda Bagshot?" Harry looked over at her as she began walking to her house.

"We better follow her." Padker nodded.

"Agreed." Hermione lead the group after Bathilda, into her house.

Bathilda walked into her home, picking up a match and attempting to light it.

"Do you need some help?" Hermione asked.

Bathilda just held the match out to her, not saying a word.

"You're uhm... Awfully quiet." Erica commented as Hermione lit the match.

Bathilda nodded slightly while Parker picked up a photo of a slightly older man,"Miss Bagshot, who is this?"

Bathilda mumbled something, although it wasn't audible before she headed towards a different room.

"Should... We follow?" Parker watched Bathilda.

"This is weird, no chance am I going in there." Erica crossed her arms.

Parker hesitated before she slowly followed after Bathilda,"Are you wanting to show me something?"

Bathilda nodded slowly, not facing Parker.

"Parker, I don't like this. Come back." Erica called after her.

"I'm on my way." Parker turned around and went to leave the room.

That's when she heard... A hiss from behind her. Bathilda's body, well, her skin at least was on the ground as Nagini lay on top of it.

"I hate seeing you in my own house, nevermind here." Parker cursed as she grabbed her wand,"It's Nagini!" She shouted to the others.

"Why is there a snake?" Erica questioned as she hurried in, Hermione and Harry not far behind.

"I don't know." Parker threw a spell at Nagini.

Nagini coiled back before lunging at Parker.

"Comfringo!" Erica yelled, her wand aimed at the snake.

Boom! The room went up in an explosion. When the dust cleared, Nagini was gone, the room was a mess however, everyone was okay and unharmed.

"Okay- Maybe that wasn't the right spell to use but I just panicked... A little bit." Erica blinked, putting her wand away.

"Just a bit?" Harry raised a brow.

"It got Nagini away, didn't it?" Parker dusted herself off.

"And the house." Hermione sighed,"We need to go."

They all nodded, grabbing onto each other and apparated away.

*********************************

Erica was laying on her bed, looking up. She couldn't sleep, although that was becoming more and more common.

Parker finally came back into the tent, she had been sitting on the cliffs for a while.

"Did I wake you?" Parker sighed as she hung her scarf up.

"Dont worry, I hadn't got to sleep yet." Erica shook her head.

"You need it." Parker pointed.

"I was going to get it." Erica pointed back,"And what about you, missy? You're still up."

"I was sitting out on the rocks." Parker hummed.

"Not sleeping."

Parker sat down and looked at her,"You know you're my best friend, right?"

"Of course I do." Erica nodded.

"I love you so much, Er.." Parker hugged her.

"Oh- We're hugging." Erica hugged back,"I love you too, Parker."

"We're gonna get back, be with our friends, our family." She assured her.

"We're strong, a little house explosion won't make me quit."

Parker chuckled,"I want you to have this." She handed over one of her necklaces,"Happy Christmas, Erica."

"Aw, but I didn't get you anything." Erica looked at it in her hand,"I didn't even make a rock."

"Well, I have plenty of rocks." Parker hummed,"I love your rocks."

"I'll make you one when we get out of this, okay? To make up for it."

"I know it'll be the best kind of rock." Parker smiled.

"It will be perfect." Erica hummed.

Parker hummed and leaned back, You better get some sleep."

"I will." Erica leaned against her.

Parker took a few strands of Erica's hair and began to plait them.

Erica yawned, looking up at Parker,"Thanks."

"Don't worry." Parker smiled.

"I try not to."

"Get some sleep."

"I will." Erica closed her eyes.

Parker hummed and closed her eyes as well.