Not two hours later, Kreacher returned with Mundungus and to everyone's surprise, Dobby. About thirty seconds were spent on greeting the happy elf before the trio turned to Mundungus, who was quivering in his boots.

Harry took out the fake locket and looked at Mundungus with an intense and furious look on his face.

"Last time you were here and nicked a bunch of Sirius' stuff- don't deny it!" Harry said when Mundungus raised his hand to dispute the statement.

"Did you see another one of these?" Harry said, raising the locket.

"Why? Was it valuable?" Mundungus asked, his eyes glinting.

"You still have it?" Hermione pressed.

Ron gave Mundungus a dirty look. He didn't even need to read his mind to make his next assessment.

"No, he's worried he didn't get enough money for it." Ron said, his voice dripping with disgust.

"Had to bleedin' give it away, didn't I?" Mundungus mumbled.

"Who to?" Harry asked.

"Some old Ministry hag. There I was, floggin' me wares down in Diagon Alley, and she shows up, and threatens to shut me down and lock me up. She'd have done it too, if she hadn't taken a fancy to that locket." said Mundgungus.

"Who was it though?" Harry asked, starting to get impatient.

"I dunno, I just sort of remember her face." said Mundungus.

"Alright, I'm out of patience." said Ron, who shut his eyes for a second. When he opened them, he was grimacing.

"Dolores fucking Umbridge." said Ron.

"What? How did-"Mundungus started.

"Just leave Dung. Don't let me catch you with any more stolen stuff. You don't have any more useful information right now, so I don't have much of a reason to be civil any more." Harry said dangerously.

Mundungus didn't need telling twice, and ran out of the door, before apparating.

Kreacher and Dobby also gave low bows and apparated away.

"Ron, are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. I read his mind, and he was remembering himself giving the locket away. He gave it to fucking Umbridge. So now we have to break into the bloody ministry of magic, steal from one of the biggest pieces of shit to walk into that building, and a bloody horcrux, no less, and get out without being caught, all the while probably being the three most wanted people in wizarding Britain." said Ron.

"Sounds about right." Harry mumbled.

"Well then, I suggest we get to work on constructing a viable plan, don't you?" Hermione said sharply.

The boys looked slightly sheepish.

"Grumbling about will do no good. We should start with the horcrux itself. What do we all know about it?" Hermione asked.

"Destroying the thing isn't going to be easy. Basilisk fangs we might go and get if we get a chance to go back to Hogwarts, and the sword... who knows where the hell that thing is?" said Ron.

"Riddle's memory tried to stop me before I tried to stab his diary. The horcrux will definitely fight back when we try to destroy it." said Harry.

"Good. What else? Is there a way to detect them?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. I know we won't be able to summon it." said Harry.

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent hours planning for every possible encounter they'd have at the ministry, under the assumption that they'd be disguised as Ministry workers. Which ministry workers they'd be posing as was still open, but they knew that at least someone in magical law enforcement would likely be a good bet.

They decided to turn in early that night - no doubt the day they had ahead would be long and extremely difficult, and no doubt extremely dangerous.

This night though, they felt ready enough to sleep in actual beds. Ron and Hermione took one of the guest rooms, the ones that Ron's parents had used two years prior. Harry couldn't bring himself to sleep in Sirius' old room, and slept in another guest room.

They had been afraid before of the many suicidal things they'd tried to do, such as going through the trapdoor after the philosopher's stone in first year or trying to save Sirius from Voldemort himself in fifth year. But to Hermione especially, this time was different. Despite being in a warm, comfortable bed with Ron, she found herself tossing and turning for quite a while. Eventually, she gave up and decided to try and talk to Ron.

"Ron? Are you awake?" Hermione whispered.

"Sort of. What's going on?" Ron asked, sounding rather sleepy.

"Oh, you're almost asleep, I shouldn't-"Hermione started.

"If something's bothering you, you do realise you can tell me, right?" Ron said, sounding much less tired immediately.

"I know, but I don't want to be a burden." said Hermione.

"It's not a burden Hermione, if something's bothering you, it's important. Simple as that." said Ron firmly.

"Alright. Well, the thing is I'm just... scared." said Hermione.

"I'd be surprised if you weren't. But what scares you the most right now?" Ron asked.

"I don't know... just everything about the current situation. War I suppose. We can't outsmart war, we can't hex or curse war, and we can't ever fully protect ourselves from it. The fact that we're doing... what can only be described as covert missions in the midst of a war that's being fought over the rights of people like me to even exist..." Hermione said.

Ron realised that Hermione's eyes were welling up with tears just from the sound of her voice, and so he turned to face her and embraced her.

"You know you're smarter than any of those fucks who want to kill you right? If you don't out-hex any of them, you'll probably bore them out with a house elf rights lecture. They won't want to mess with you if they get a taste of what Hermione Granger is really made of." said Ron, smirking at her.

Hermione, in spite of beginning to cry, let out a small laugh.

"Plus, you know I won't let them get anywhere near you. I promised myself when this all started that I'd see to it that you survive, and I don't care what I have to do for that to happen." said Ron firmly.

Hermione didn't like the implications of what that statement meant.

"Ron..." she started.

"I know what you're going to say. I shouldn't be looking for a reason to sacrifice myself. Believe me, I'd like to survive all this. But if there's a choice between saving myself or you, it's a no-brainer. Things get a bit more complicated when Harry's thrown into the mix of course, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm dying before anyone even gets close to killing either of you two." said Ron.

"You know I'd do the same, don't you? I think that puts us at an impasse." said Hermione.

Ron paused for a moment.

"I know. What I'm getting at is that we're all scared, but I think, because this war is really about people like you, it's better overall if you outlive me in it. Sends a bit of a message if you know what I mean. A pureblood dying for a muggleborn. Plus, there's no bloody way I'd be able to live without you." said Ron, cupping Hermione's cheek.

"You're made of stronger stuff than that. And I don't care about what message it sends. You are arguably the most amazing person I've ever met, and certainly the person who's had the most profound effect on who I am today. Without you... I don't know what I'd be right now. I don't think I'd have a strong grasp of what's really important in life." said Hermione.

"I think you would. Yeah, without me no one would be giving you a swift kick up the arse to tell you when stuff outside school and work needs your attention, but you'd be able to figure it out for yourself." said Ron.

"I sometimes think you give me too much credit." said Hermione, shuffling closer to Ron until her head was at his chest. Ron wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't. I sometimes think you don't give yourself enough." said Ron.

"Look who's talking." said Hermione, looking up to face him.

"Yeah, yeah I know, but come on, you'd do fine without me. I can't say the same about myself." said Ron.

"I could. Perhaps you'd have gained a grade or two lower in the OWLs that you don't even care about, but you underestimate yourself a lot as well." said Hermione.

"Or so I've heard." said Ron, grinning at Hermione.

"In a way though... I'm glad. I've never been someone who has a lot of patience for arrogance." said Hermione.

"Here I was thinking it was just the hair." said Ron.

Hermione stayed silent for a few seconds before bursting out into laughter.

"In all honesty, it's more... your entire being." said Hermione once she'd stopped laughing.

"Same goes for you. You've been my girlfriend for like... ten months and I still can't stop thinking about you. That can't be normal." said Ron.

"No... I daresay it isn't. Mind you I think it far outdoes what a normal relationship is like. I still attribute that to the way you've been with me." said Hermione.

"How's that?" Ron asked.

"Patient, understanding, considerate... attractive." said Hermione.

"Sounds like those first three wouldn't normally be used to describe me." said Ron.

"Before you actively tried to grow up, I certainly wouldn't have. That being said, it didn't make me any more capable of controlling my feelings for you." said Hermione.

"Good to know we've been on the same page for longer than needed." said Ron, smiling.

"Sometimes I find myself cursing cats, rats and Bulgarian Quidditch players." said Hermione.

"Emphasis goes to the Bulgarian Quidditch players I hope." said Ron.

"Especially Bulgarian Quidditch players." Hermione whispered, leaning forwards.

Ron put his arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her closer to himself, and met her lips with his own. Hermione responded by rolling on top of him.

"Ron, I don't know how this is going to sound given the circumstances but... how far do you want to go tonight?" Hermione asked.

"Rather not think about it. Just stop me when you think we should stop." said Ron, with a rather obvious hunger in his eyes.

Hermione thought that made enough sense, and so decided to start kissing Ron again.

Ron's hand slid under Hermione's shirt, but before he could do anything else, they heard what was in that moment, the absolute worst thing they could have heard.

Harry was knocking on the door.

Hermione groaned loudly in frustration, and Ron shut his eyes and sighed.

Apparently Harry had heard Hermione.

"Err... is it a bad time?" he asked.

"Yeah, but come in anyway." Ron called.

Harry slowly opened the door as if he was walking in on Ron and Hermione having sex (though had he given it twenty minutes, that would have been a distinct possibility.

"Sorry... I just found something and..." Harry said, trailing off.

Hermione rolled off Ron and got off the bed.

"Come on Ron, let's check out whatever this is." said Hermione.

Ron slowly and reluctantly, Ron followed Hermione to the door.

"Yeah... sorry for interrupting, and you know I wouldn't have unless something... you know, worthwhile showed up." said Harry.

"We know. Just try and make it quick, alright?" Hermione asked.

Ron smirked at the implications of Hermione wanting to hurry up.

"Well actually it's just these." said Harry, pulling two (what looked like) pieces of paper out of his pocket.

It turned out that he found half of a photograph, with the other half completely missing, and a letter. The letter was from his mother, addressed to Sirius.

"Oh..." Hermione said, immediately feeling quite insensitive.

The photograph showed a tiny, baby Harry, zooming around on a tiny toy broomstick, in and out of the torn frame. A pair of legs could be seen, they looked like they belonged to James Potter.

"I know this isn't helpful. It's just... weird you know? My mum wrote this. I haven't even met her and yet it just feels..." Harry started.

Ron and Hermione had the sneaking suspicion that Harry was holding back tears.

"It's not weird. Sirius meant a lot to you, and whether you met your mum or not, she'll obviously mean a lot to you. Everyone keeps saying that you're basically your dad walking around, and there's not a whole lot of your mum physically left, so... yeah." Ron said lamely.

"I wish I could see the other half of this." said Harry.

"I do too. Harry I'm sorry I was annoyed when you knocked." said Hermione.

"No, that's fine, you didn't know what this was about. I just felt like you two should get to see it. I mean I haven't exactly got a family in name, so I felt like I should show it to my family in practice." Harry said.

"Bring it in." said Ron, opening his arms wide.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all hugged each other. For whatever physical attraction Ron and Hermione had for each other, even the love they had for each other, the unspoken, non-negotiable fact of the matter was that the three of them were friends first.

And they always would be.