In The Arms of an Angel

Chapter 5 Memories and Horcri

Ron apparated into the living room only to faint at the sight of Draco. When he came to, he found Hermione laughing at him. "Ron, is that how you react to everything that shocks you? Because I really, really hope not." Ron smiled at her as he took her outstretched hand and let her help him onto the couch. He then looked over to Harry who nodded his head as though verifying that Draco Malfoy was indeed alive and in Hermione's living room.

"Hello, Malfoy. It's nice to see that you're not dead."

To say that Draco was gobsmacked at that would have been an understatement. "Thanks, Weasley," he said in a confused voice.

"Malfoy, I may not have liked you, but that doesn't mean I wanted you dead. Even though you did almost kill me." Here Draco had the grace to blush in embarrassment but before he could apologize Ron kept talking. "Malfoy, you were being a stubborn git not talking to Snape about what was going on, but I can understand wanting to protect your family."

"Well, then, thanks again." In response Ron shrugged his shoulders to show that it was no big deal and to him it wasn't. He had gotten over it a long time ago; right around when Percy was killed as a Death Eater even while he was protecting Ron from being killed in the skirmish.

After a little while Draco excused himself for the night to leave the trio for their talk. "So, you're sure that he's on our side?" Ron asked quietly.

"Yes," answered Hermione firmly. "He has just as much reason as the rest of us to hate Voldemort, and no, I'm not telling you why. Besides, he only seems to refer to Voldemort as a Bastard of some sort."

At that Harry started laughing heartily. Hermione looked at him and shook her head while giving him a look that said "man, you're weird;” Ron gave a slight chuckle, after all, laughter is contagious. "I wonder if Malfoy knows that Voldemort really is a bastard," Harry explained as his laughter subsided, causing Hermione to smile.

"So, did you two find anything out?" she asked, turning the conversation serious.

The trio had gone back to school for their final year with an unlimited restricted section pass from Headmistress McGonagall. They spent as much time as they could in the library trying to learn everything possible about the four founders. Otherwise, their time was spent on studies or going through the pensieve memories that Dumbledore had left to Harry in his will.

They had found two of the Horcruxes while they were still in school; Hufflepuff's cup had been in the Chamber of Secrets and they had found Slytherin's locket at Grimmauld Place in Kreacher's nest when they had gone there over the Easter holiday with the specific purpose of looking for it. Molly had been upset and tried to forbid them and make them come to the Burrow instead; but since they were all of age there was nothing she could do except let the Order know of their decision. It had taken them (mostly Hermione) the better part of the year destroying them without causing them bodily harm like Dumbledore’s blackened hand. As it was they had gone to the Chamber on three separate occasions once they actually found the cup before they figured how to get around the precautions that surrounded it.

In their research of Voldemort (mostly through Dumbledore's pensieve of Death Eaters under Veriteserum) they had learned that during the time he had been missing to do his "academic studies in the Dark Arts", Voldemort had visited many places but the two he stayed the longest at were Durmstrang and with an old recluse in Albania. In using that knowledge, coupled with the fact that the man liked to keep his horcruxes in places that had significance to him, Harry and Ron had searched Durmstrang high and low, via Polyjuice, Disillusion charms, or under Invisibility Cloaks. By the time they had to go there, Ron was grateful for Hermione's continued friendship with Viktor Krum, as he had left professional quidditch after a nasty break that refused to heal properly and became a local coach who helped out at his alma mater and was easily able to sneak them into the school. It was in the bowels of the small and dank castle of Durmstrang that the two young men had found Ravenclaw's wand, calling on Dobby or Kreacher to bring them food, drink, books, and Hermione until they knew exactly how to get safely around the barriers. It took them two full days and then another three days to properly destroy the horcrux.

So Ron and Harry's mission was to find out what Voldemort could have found of Gryffindor's to use as a horcrux. They knew for absolute certainty that it wasn't the sword that sat in the headmistress' office, as they had done many tests on it to be sure. They had given up on that this past time out and had instead decided to go to any place that they thought may have held meaning for Voldemort, or more specifically, places they thought Voldemort may have thought held significance for Godric Gryffindor, and searched high and low once they were there.

Hermione was set to figure out how to get rid of Nagini; she had a feeling that it would take a different potion and set of circumstances to get rid of a horcrux that was inside of a living body. Just killing the snake would do no good, as the soul would be freed and would probably be drawn to the nearest object or being that held the most power. They had to destroy the soul while it was still within the snake. She had a suspicion of the simplest way to do it; she just didn't think it would be at all easy.

"We didn't find a thing," answered Ron in a complaint.

"We checked pretty much everywhere we could think of that had anything to do with Gryffindor in hopes that Voldemort would have left the horcrux in one of Gryffindor’s places. Most of the places we were at for less than a day since they were too out in the open, but there were a couple that seemed secluded enough but we couldn't find anything, even with the blood magic."

"Do you know where you're going next?"

"Thought maybe we'd go through the pensieve again and hope we missed something."

"We've been through them a hundred times," Ron groaned.

"Yes, but every time we do we have a new idea of what we're not looking for so it should be easier to find what we are."

"That's horrible logic, Hermione."

"Just because you don't want to look again."

Ron grumbled under his breath in response.

Changing the topic to divert a fight, "So, what have you figured out while we were gone, Hermione?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at the two wearily. "There are a couple of different ways to go about getting rid of Nagini's horcrux. One is simple, but definitely not easy, and the other is damned near impossible."

"What's the first?"

"We find a way to convince at least one dementor to help us, and get it to take Voldemort's soul. I don't even think we'd need to kill her, so long as we can deal with a soulless snake, assuming that snakes even have souls, since I'm sure the dementor would take both. It’s simple, but not easy."

Both Harry and Ron had shuddered at the first mention of dementors, but Harry gave a profound wince. "And the second?" asked Ron with trepidation.

"There's a ritual. But we'd have to get Nagini away from Voldemort on a full moon so we can take her to a henge, any henge will do, so long as it’s not complete rubble and still maintains it’s magic. When we're there, we'd have to cut her open while chanting this extremely long and complicated spell while pouring a really complex potion over her guts. We would also need help because the spell requires four people."

Complete silence followed her explanation for several long minutes. Finally, Harry spoke. "Dementors it is, then."

For the next couple of hours the trio talked of what happened while they had been apart, though Hermione refused to tell them any of Draco's story, saying that it wasn't hers to tell, unless given permission.

After Ron had fallen asleep, Harry got out of his transfigured bed and silently crept out of the room and down the hall. He opened up a door and entered the room to find what could only be described as a sleeping angel. Though, it could be said that any time he looked at Hermione he would describe her as an angel. He stood there for a few minutes just staring at her before he moved over to the bed.

She woke up when she felt the depression in the mattress from his weight. "Go away," she mumbled, mostly asleep, her eyes still closed.

Instead of complying with her request, he leaned over and kissed her jawbone where it connected an inch or so below her ear. Her eyes flew open as she automatically reached out to push the intruder away.

"Harry!" she gasped, "You scared the living hell out of me!"

"I'm sorry," he apologized as he leaned in for a kiss.

As she had earlier, she pulled away from the kiss. "Harry, I told you we have to stop this."

"Hermione, you've said that on at least five occasions and I distinctly remember you fucking my brains out after four of them."

"That's just because I was weak. I'm not going to be weak anymore," she told him firmly, now completely awake.

"You are not weak. But me on the other hand, every time I look at you I go weak in the knees." He moved in again to try for that kiss. Every other time he had said something along those lines she had given in and he didn't expect this time to be any different.

But different it was, her hands came between them to serve as a barrier. "Harry, no. I mean it this time. This has to stop. There is no romantic future between us. I want us to be friends until we're old and grey; I want our children to play together and go to school together, maybe even marry each other. Most of all, I want to survive this war with all of my friends in tact. I want you and Ron to stay friends just as long as you and I. But the longer the two of us do this," she motioned between the two of them with her hands, "the less likely it is that all of that will happen and losing you would break my heart just like losing Ron would break my heart." Her voice was soft, but to him, her words were harsh.

"So you really mean it this time," Harry stated dejectedly.

"Yeah, I do," she answered in a voice so soft it was practically a whisper.

"Okay, then," he responded, holding her hand in his and bringing it to his lips.

When he arrived back in the room he was sharing with Ron he crept back into the bed and cocooned himself in the quilt. He covered his entire body from head to toe and then put a silencing charm around him. He cried quietly as he thought back, remembering everything about Hermione.

It was Harry's nineteenth birthday. A party had been thrown for him at Grimmauld Place. They ate a wonderful dinner cooked by Molly and he opened presents. Soon after, all of the "adults" left the younger ones to have their own party. Fred and George supplied the entertainment while Ron, Hermione, and Ginny supplied the booze. Four hours later the entire lot of them were beyond pissed and somehow Harry found himself the meat in a Hermione and Ginny sandwich for a fast song that came on the Wireless as Ginny's brothers encouraged them on. He knew that he was expected to return Ginny's feelings, and for a while he had. It was just that once he had broken up with her after Dumbledore's death, and he was away from her for awhile, simply put, he got over her. Recently he had taken to admiring Hermione from not-so-afar. He just didn't feel right at giving away this new fascination, knowing all about Ron's unrequited crush on the brunette, but something about her was irresistible.

To this day he wasn't exactly sure how she ended up naked in his bed that night or how no one else seemed aware of it, but there she was. It was the first time for both of them and in their drunken haze they didn't exactly make it the most special of times, but at least Hermione still had the presence of mind to remember the anti-pregnancy charm. Harry was quick and it was messy but he did eventually get her off with the fumbling of his fingers and a little help from her. The next morning they both woke up early, naked and in each others arms. It was beyond awkward and they each covered themselves up with a sheet as they stared at one another. Hermione picked up her clothes and put them on, never leaving the safety of the sheet until she was completely dressed. She hesitated for a moment before walking over to Harry and kissing him gently on the lips. She then left the room, neither having said a single word.

Nothing was said about it and both acted like it had never happened, Harry taking his cue from Hermione. A week later the trio was at Hermione's house, going over plans for the next bout of horcrux hunting... Harry and Ron were going to go to Albania while Hermione visited the public libraries for information on the founders that may not have been in Hogwarts. Ron left to stay at the Burrow for the night under orders from his mother. It was the first time they had been alone together all week, though neither had been avoiding such an occurrence.

They were sitting there watching a movie on the telly when Hermione scooted the short distance over to where Harry was seated beside her and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He didn't know how she got on his lap, if she had sat there or if he had pulled her there, but it didn't really matter. Soon enough his hand was under her shirt, playing with her breasts over her bra while she was slightly twisted so as to put effort into the hickey that was forming on his neck. Time for him had seemed to both speed up and slow down at the same time and the next thing he knew Hermione was naked and he was shimmying out of his pants.

She had pushed him so that he was sitting back on the couch again and he had half fallen into place. She straddled his legs as she moved in for a deep kiss. Her hand wrapped itself around his shaft and she tentatively gave him a few pumps, waiting out his reaction before she slightly picked up the pace. When she started rubbing the head of his penis along the inside of her folds and covering him in her juices he couldn't remember a time ever feeling so lost in another person. When she sat on his cock, slowly letting it in deeper and deeper until he was completely buried in her, he was in pure heaven and that was the moment she became his angel. They spent the majority of the night exploring each others bodies with mouths, tongues, and hands, learning every nuance of the other.

Over the next three months they fucked like rabbits every time they found themselves alone, christening every room in her house and even a few of the rooms at Grimmauld Place. It was on Halloween that Hermione first tried to break it off but between her lust, his lust, and the words he said to her melted her like butter and she gave in to him. In the following months she protested every time they were together, saying how it was wrong what they were doing, and how so many people would be hurt, but each and every time found her willingly surrounding his cock with her mouth or her pussy in search of ecstasy, until tonight.

He had finished crying a while ago, but he was still rather depressed as he was falling asleep. Suddenly he jolted awake, sitting up in the bed. What was the difference between this time and all the others? "Malfoy," he said darkly, glowering into the dark. This time as he started to drift off, it was to the thought of watching the blond, especially around Hermione. If he was going to lose her, it wasn't going to be to him. And in one minute, the rivalry of old was rekindled on one part, the other not having a clue.


*It would seem obvious that I listen to Pottercast and have borrowed some of their ideas, now wouldn't it?
Thanks to heather for betaing and rpkathera, kazfeist, and sheedy for reviewing! now off to bed with me.