The Longest Letter

Thunder pounded the night sky and ligtening lit up the small, abandoned cottage where three friends currently found refuge from the unfailing storm. Rain drops fell through holes that had long formed in the roof. The pitter patter of the drops on the cold floor filled the cottage. Wind blew through a few broken window panels, but anything was better than being outside.

A tall, slender girl with loose, brown curls running down her back walked over to the rundown fireplace. She examined it for a second and apulled out her wand. She whispered an incantation and a roaring fire burst forth into the once cold fireplace. She tucked her wand away and tested the heat against her ice cold hands.

"That's much better. I thought I would never fell anything with my hands again." She chuckled as she looked at her two companions.

"You're bloody brillaint, Hermione. HAve I ever told you that?" A red headed lanky boy said to her, as he walked over to the fireplace. He pushed his hands in almost entirely in the flames.

"Yes, you have and thank you, Ronald." Hermione said rolling her eyes. She looked to her other companion with a worried look on her face. He was walking around the perimeter of the cottage, hand inside his jacket, clutching his wand tightly. He was looking in every corner, out every window and even glancing through the holes in the roof. He seemed to be looking for some unforseen threat. When he walked towards the door to the one bedroom the cottage had, she reached for the doorknob, just barely beating him. He looked to her as he held her hand over the knob.

"I'll check the room, Harry, you go to the fire and warm up." She flashed him the smile that always seemed to warm him up from somewhere deep inside. He removed his hand from hers and nodded, allowing her to enter the room. He joined Ron at the fireplace, watching the dark doorway, holding his breath. Hermione emerged from the room a few seconds later, and he exhaled his held breath.

"All clear. There's a bed in there. The bed frame is broken, but if we lay the mattress on the ground it will work perfectly." She said enthusiastically. She knew they were all tired of sleeping on the ground, in caves or under trees.

"Well I claim the couch. It's closest to the fireplace. You can have the bed, Hermione." Ron spoke, still emersing his hands in the fire.

"You can have the bed, Harry, you need a good nights sleep. I can pile some blankets on the floor and be just fine." Hermione looked to Harry, praying that he would accept her offer, but knowing he wouldn't. His eyes held black circles under them, the look of not sleeping for nearly a month.

"It's okay, Mione. I can sleep on that chair over there. That way I can keep an eye on the cottage." Harry walked over to the window and looked out into the dark forest that surrounded them.

"If you insist, but you're more than welcome to it." Hermione replied disappointed. Harry turned to her and gave her a weak smile, letting her know he wouldn't give in. "Well then, I will go ahead and head off to bed then. I'm knackered. Night, boys." And with that she walked inside and closed the door to the room.

Harry exhaled deeply and ran his hands through his wet hair. He looked to the ceiling and rolled his eyes. He joined Ron at the fireplace. Ron chuckled to himself and moved to the side to make room for Harry.

"What are you laughing at?" Harry asked, a little hint of annoyance in his voice.

"You. Why don't you just admit it already? It would make this time alone with you two a whole lot easier." Ron said looking at Harry.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" Harry continued to stare into the fire, ignoring Ron's insistant stare.

"Bollocks! You know exactly what I am talking about. Just admit you love her. What have you got to lose?"

"I don't have anything to lose. BUt she has everything to lose." Harry said sadly.

"What are you saying? You know she loves you too. She always had. You can read it all over her face. She would be over the moon if she knew you loved her too. What would she have to lose?" Ron whispered loudly, making sure Hermione didn't hear.

"You wouldn't understand, Ron. Don't push it." Harry whispered back, walking away from the fire.

"try me mate, I'm not as daft as you guys seem to think I am. What going on Harry? You've been different ever since that trip we made to Hogwarts. What happened?" Ron asked, walking to Harry.

"I found out something about myself. Something about the horocruxes. Don't worry about it."

"If it concerns you, I'm going to worry about it. You are my best friend, you are like a brother to me. Tell me what's going on." Ron grabbed Harry's shoulders and spun him around.

"I'm a horocrux!" Harry yelled in a whispered tone. Ron backee away from him, shock covering his face. Tears welled in his eyes as the reality of what that meant set in.

"You can't be serious. It can't be. How?" Ron whispered, barely audible.

"My scar. Voldemort passed a piece of himself into me that night when I survived. I have to die in order for him to be destroyed once and for all. I don't like it any more than you do, but there's nothing we can do to change it. I'm going to die in the final battle and I'm going to bring that bastard down with me, for good. And because of that Hermione stands to lose everything if I tell her. She'll lose the man she loves." Harry exhaled heavily. He felt a strong saddness at knowing what Ron would be feeling. That sat in silence for several minutes while Ron processed the news.