You saw Hermione near a suffering Ron.

"Y/n, quickly, in my bag, there's a small bottle labeled 'Essence of Dittany." Hermione said.

You quickly got the essence of dittany

Harry turns, sees Hermione, bent over Ron's twitching body.

"Unstopper it." She asks you. You open it. Hermione rips open Ron's shirt, which is soaked in blood. The flesh of his upper arm is flayed, as if someone had scooped a portion away.

"Hermione. His arm –"

"Just do it!

Y/N does so, hands her the bottle. She sprinkles three drops onto Ron's bleeding wound. greenish smoke billows.

"What happened? I thought we were going back to Grimmauld Place." Harry asked

"We were. We were there. But Yaxley had hold of me. I knew we couldn't stay once he'd seen, so when he let go I brought us here.Ron got Splinched. I'm... sorry." Hermione apologized

"Don't be stupid." You interrupt her holding Harry's hand

The smoke sifts, clears. Ron's wound no longer bleeds.

"It's all I feel safe doing." Hermione rises, takes out her wand and begins to walk in a wide circle, muttering.

Salvio Hexia... Protego Totalum...

"What're you doing?" Harry asked.

"Protective enchantments. I don't fancy another visit like we had on Shaftesbury Avenue, do you? Especially with Ron like this. You can get going on the tent...

"Tent? Where am I supposed to find –" He stops, glances down at her bag, then back to Hermione.

"Repello Muggletum... Muffliato..." You join in with her.

The tent glows from within under a starlit sky.

Hermione pours tea from a kettle into cups.

"How're the mushrooms? Seem to be the only edible things growing round here." You smiled teasingly at him. Harry grimaces as he chews. "Edible" is clearly debatable.

"They're great." He answered

"Make sure to leave some for Ron." Hermione called.

"No problem." Harry muttered

Harry sets his plate aside, plucks up the locket, dangles it in the firelight. Glances at Ron.

"How bad is he?" he asks Hermione

"He'll be alright in a few days. Hopefully. If we could take him to Hogwarts, to Madam Pomfrey –" You said. Harry's glance stops her, confirming what you know.

"So where do we go next?" Hermione asked

"Dumbledore had a theory. He felt that the Horcruxes would not be made out of random objects. And he felt they wouldn't be hidden randomly either. We know of three so far. The ring, which according to Dumbledore belonged to Tom Riddle's grandfather. The diary, which belonged to Tom himself. And this, which -- again, according to Dumbledore -- belonged to his mother.

Hermione eyes the locket as it glimmers in the firelight.

"it scares me a bit, that, thinking it's a piece of Vol—" Hermione was cut off by Ron.

"No, don't! Don't say it!"

Y/n, Harry and Hermione turn, see Ron stirring.

"It's taboo -- You-Know-Who's name. That's how they track people now. It's how they found us in the café that night." Ron said

"How d'you know?" you asked him

"I overheard a bloke from the Enforcement office talking about it at the Ministry. Blimey,

what's that smell?" Ron said

"Dinner?" you say grimly

"Not bloody likely. Smells like something Ginny would cook." He added. You chuckled.

"Tea?" Hermione asked

Ron nods. Grimacing, he pushes himself up, notices he's wearing a sling of Hermione's fashioning. He looks from it to her as she tends the tea, a flicker of remorse

playing over his face for his "dinner" remarks.

"Is that it?" Ron asks. Harry nods, hands him the locket. Ron turns it over in his hand. Frowns. Looks at Harry, who nods.

"I know. I felt it too.It's... it's like it's ticking or something, like it has a tiny

metal heart, like it's –" you explain

"... alive." Ron finished for you.

Harry nods. Hermione eyes it coldly.

"I hate it. It's like he's here with us." Hermione said insecurely.

"That's why we're going to kill it."

--

Ron leans against a tree, looking pale. Hermione nods to Harry. He raises his wand.

"Dissendium!" The locket spins swiftly in place, but remains whole.

"Incendio!" Flames engulf the locket and its metal flesh turns scarlet, but then the flames die.

"Expulso!" you cast. The tree stump explodes, but the locket remains unmarked.

"Confringo!" Hermione cast.The ground beneath the stump craters, but the locket remains untouched. Hermione lowers her wand, but you continues on, firing a succession of spells, looking almost possessed. Hermione studies you oddly until,

finally, you stop. All goes silent except for the leaves shifting in wind above. Then, slowly, another sound comes clear... a TICKING. Coming from the locket.

"It's angry." Ron said

Hermione and Y/n shiver. Harry steps forward, kneels down and takes the locket by its chain. It TICKS. He slings it over his neck. Rises.

"What're you doing?" you asked him concerned

"We have to keep it safe until we can figure out how to destroy it."

"I can put it in my bag –" Hermione suggested

"No."

"Seems strange, mate. Dumbledore sends you off to find a load of Horcruxes, but doesn't bother to tell you how to destroy them. Doesn't that bother you?" Ron asked.

Harry studies the locket, whose ticking has slowed, then walks off. Hermione eyes Ron, who returns her glance, then pushes away from the tree and walks off slowly in

the opposite direction. Y/n follows him.

--

Ron lies on his cot, fiddling with the radio. VOICES surface in the STATIC briefly, then fade.

"Harry turns the mirror shard over in his fingers, then eyes Y/n collecting flowers in the distance. She looks beautiful. Seeing him, she smiles, waves, moves on. The radio spits static and he tilts the mirror so he can see Ron. He looks annoyed, but holds his tongue and slips the mirror in his pocket. Noticing the locket, he slips it from his shirt, studies the fissures in the locket's metal skin. Suddenly he winces. The locket spills from his palm, dances upon the chain. The skin encircling his scar constricts.

Harry's eyes flutter open. He sees Hermione and Y/n, beautiful in the amber dusk, standing a bit away, studying him.

"I thought it had stopped." You said

Harry looks at you, shakes his head.

"You can't let him in, Harry. Dumbledore himself said it. You have to close your mind. It's too dangerous –" Hermione said.

"It's not a candle I can blow out, Hermione. It always burns, even if it's just a flicker. Can you understand that?"

Harry eyes her, then looks away. She frowns, concerned by this, then:

"Tell me. What you saw." You order him

"He's found him. Vol—" He stops, glancing back toward the tent, toward Ron.

"You-Know-Who. He's found Gregorovitch –"

"The wandmaker?" Hermione asked

"Yes. How'd you know?" Harry asked confused.

"Viktor got his wand from Gregorovitch. Most Durmstrang students did at one time. What's he got to do with You-Know-Who?"

"You-Know-Who wants something Gregorovitch once had – dunno what. But he's desperate to have it. It's as if his life depends on it."

Y/n studies Harry. The radio squawks from inside the tent. Harry's eyes flare; he starts to speak --

"Don't -- It... comforts him." You told Harry.

"Well it sets my teeth on edge. What's he expecting to hear? Good news?" Harry seethed.

"I think he just hopes he doesn't hear bad news. It gets him through the day." Hermione interrupts

"And what gets you through the day?"

"We've all made sacrifices, Harry. I left my husband – " you say fiddling with your wedding ring.

Harry eyes you expressionlessly, grits his teeth when he hears 'husband' nods toward the tent.

"How long before he can travel?" he asked you. You shake your head in 'I don't know'.

"I don't know. It takes time. I'm doing all I can." Hermione chirps

"You're not doing enough." He seethed towards Hermione

Y/n studies Harry's angry profile.

"Take it off." You order him. Harry turns, sees You studying him closely. You point toward his throat, toward the locket.

"Take it off. Now." You ordered him. Harry slips the locket off.

"Better?" You ask him concerned.

"Loads." Hermione takes the locket from you, cradles it in her fingers.

"It's cold. Even though it's been lying against your skin for days." Hermione sees Harry studying the locket, troubled.

"We'll take turns. Okay?" You whisper and then snatch the locket from Hermione slipping it over your neck

You frown briefly, sensing its presence, then looks up at Harry. He studies you, then nods.

A/n- Thank you so much for 200 reads!! Love you guys!!