Disclaimer: If the Potterverse was mine, things would have gone very differently. That said, many thanks to JK Rowling for letting us play in the world she created. It's one hell of a sandbox.


Hermione sat on the edge of her cot and stared blankly out the front of the tent to where Harry was keeping watch. The cold, drizzly weather hadn't stopped for a week. There was almost no food left in the kitchen from their last tension-fraught grocery run. Ron had been gone for nearly a month. Worst of all, she had a horcrux hanging from her neck. She was hungry, depressed, and irritable, and there was no end in sight.

She flopped back onto her pillow and heaved a sigh. It had been a long few months. They'd been on the run, and creature comforts were few and far between. Really, that would have been fine with Hermione if they'd managed to make some progress. If she was honest with herself, she had to agree with Ron just a tiny bit—wandering and doing nothing was hard. But she would never abandon Harry over it. Even if she'd known what hardships this adventure would bring, she still would have been the first to sign up. There was nothing more important than what they were doing. Or at least trying to do. The more she thought about it, the less she understood how Ron could walk away. When he left, any lingering torch she carried for him was doused. She could never be someone who could only weather the relatively sunny days.

Hermione tossed and turned for several minutes as she tried to shut off her mind and just nap. She needed a reprieve. She needed to get away from the world for a while. She tossed and turned for nearly an hour, trying to forget about the locket around her neck and the weight on their shoulders.

Realizing that sleep would remain elusive, she stood and walked to the table that held their wireless set, which Arthur and Remus had helped her charm to receive both magical and muggle broadcasts. Fiddling with the dial, she searched for something other than static. She finally picked up what seemed to be a muggle news program. The reporter was reporting yet another bridge collapse, this time in Cardiff. Every word implied that the rash of strange disasters was God's response to the country's lack of morals or some other nonsense. Hermione plonked her head on the table and let out another heavy sigh. It was hard to keep the faith in their own mission when they constantly took one step forward and two steps back.

She heard swift steps across the tent and looked up to see Harry reaching for the dial.

"Don't do this to yourself, Mione," he softly chided her.

Hermione shrugged and nodded to the wireless set. "You give it a shot. Maybe you can find us some better news."

Harry nodded and began searching. Just as he was about to give up, he caught the last few bars of an upbeat song. A man's smooth voice can through the speakers, saying, "Hello again, friends, and happy end of the work week! As I'm sure you know, we've been experiencing some sad and frightening incidents across Britain these past few months—fires, bombings, natural disasters, you name it. In light of the events of recent days, we here at the station have decided to institute "Feel Good Fridays". We're gonna play nothing but a full hour of songs to make you smile, dance, and laugh, all program long. And we want you to get in on the positivity, too. Sing along, dance, get together with your friends and celebrate another day of living. Find something good in today and put those vibes back into the universe! But enough from me. Let's kick off this hour of feeling good with a little 'dancing' number—here's 'September' by Earth, Wind, and Fire."

Strains of brass instruments floated into the tent. Against her better judgment, Hermione felt her foot start tapping along with the beat. She looked up and saw that Harry had a small smile on his face, the first one in what felt like months. That was really a shame. He had a great smile.

Hermione mentally shook herself and pushed those thoughts away. It was just good to see him looking a little less depressed.

Harry looked over at her with a strange spark in his eyes and held out his hand. Oh no, she thought. Don't tempt yourself, Hermione. As she was about to decline, she could see him droop a bit and start to withdraw his hand. What kind of monster would she be to deprive him of a little happiness, however difficult it might be for her? She immediately grabbed his hand, and she was rewarded with a megawatt grin. Harry tugged her into the living area and started to reach for her when he caught sight of the locket around her neck. He reached behind her, gently tugged it over her head, and laid it on the table.

"We can let it go, just for a little while," he said.

Hermione smiled and nodded, immediately feeling more herself. Harry took her hands again and they began clumsily twirling each other around the tent. The voice in the radio crooned through the static, and Hermione could actually feel her spirits lifting. Harry suddenly dipped her low, and she threw her head back and coughed out a surprised laugh. As he spun her back out, Hermione was grateful for the moment of respite that put that mischievous grin back on her best friend's face.

As the song faded out, she pulled back, expecting Harry to release her. Suddenly, her eyes went wide as she heard Mel B talking about what she really, really wants. Hermione threw caution to the wind and started jumping and shimmying around the tent, singing the lyrics at the top of her lungs. Harry stood still for a moment, seemingly stunned. Hermione stopped in front him, grabbed his hands, and screamed, "Friendship never ends!" Coming out of his trance, Harry joined in. For the next couple minutes, the two flailed around the tent with as much silliness and gusto as they could muster.

They continued that way until they could dance no more. When the songs allowed, they danced together, twirling and whirling and dipping and skipping. When the song was too bouncy, they thrashed around like idiots, making up crazy moves to make the other laugh. As they danced, they heard the reception become steadily more staticky.

Finally, the man's voice came back through speakers. "Alright folks, we hope you've enjoyed the last two hours of Feel Good Fridays. Sadly, I have to say goodbye for now. We'll be back with the same programming next week, same time, same place. For now, I'll leave you with a little sunshine from the Fab Four." Gentle, melodic guitar music filled the room. Harry embraced her, and she thought she felt him hold her just a little closer. They swayed slowly, and Hermione dropped her head to his chest and enjoyed the last few moments before she had to put the locket back on. As the song faded to static, she looked up into a pair of finally peaceful emerald eyes.

"Thank you for that, Harry. I needed that more than I want to admit," she whispered.

"I think we both needed it," Harry countered. "I'm going to write down the station. We're doing this again next week."

Hermione nodded. She gave him a small sad smile, kissed him gently on the cheek, and drifted back to the table. As she looked out the front of the tent, she saw that the sun had indeed come out and was setting behind the trees. Steeling herself, she dropped the horcrux back over her head. A feeling of dread washed over her, and she sat back down at the table as she watched Harry take up his sentry post yet again. Despite the gloom she now felt, she couldn't help but look forward to next Friday and another dance with her best friend.


Another week dragged by as the two teens racked their brains in search of an answer to their horcrux problems:

1) They didn't know how to get their hands the remaining ones

2) They couldn't destroy the one they had

3) The one they had was slowly driving them insane

Hermione felt like an Israelite, as though the two of them were doomed to wander rural Britain for forty years. Every other morning or so they packed everything into her beaded bag, dismantled the wards, and Apparated to another destination of no particular import. All that really mattered is that they kept moving. It was exhausting.

By the time the next Friday rolled around, Hermione had almost forgotten their standing dance date. Harry, on the other hand, was ready. After breakfast, he helped her with the dishes and then immediately moved to the wireless. He located the station and turned the volume to very low, just loud enough that they would hear when Feel Good Friday came back on. At four o'clock the pair was getting ready to assemble yet another meager supper when they heard a semi-familiar voice rise above the crackle.

"Hello again, loyal listeners, it's your old pal Good Time Charlie back with Feel Good Friday. Last week was such a hit, our producers have decided to extend the program until eight p.m. You heard it right, that's four full hours of non-stop positivity! That's like your local extending happy hour by a full 120 minutes—maybe even better than that! Kicking us off tonight is a little throwback from 1982, here's AAAAAAFRICA!"

Hermione caught Harry's gaze and raised a single eyebrow. Harry just shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He went back to chopping vegetables as Hermione stirred the boiling pasta. When the chorus hit, the two friends simultaneously began belting it at the top of their lungs. They quickly turned to gape at each other, both shocked at the other's sudden vocal performance. Neither one would remember who started laughing first, but by the time they managed to catch their breath, the pasta was one big clump and bell pepper innards covered the kitchen floor. Harry was the first to wipe his eyes and stagger to his feet. He offered Hermione a hand, which she gladly accepted, and she vanished the mess. She began breaking the clumped noodles apart and looked back at him with a curious expression.

"Harry, if you don't mind my asking, how do you know all these songs? I'm really glad you do because this has been a blast, but I just figured, with all crap they put you through, the Dursleys would have forbidden you from listening to their wireless," she inquired.

Harry looked back down at the chopping board. Sensing his reluctance to talk about his less than pleasant past, Hermione quickly focused on stirring the pasta sauce and started babbling, "Harry, I shouldn't have asked. We were having a great time, and really it's none of my business, just pretend I nev-"

"Breathe, Mione! It's fine, you just caught me off guard is all. And if it's anyone else's business, it would be yours," Harry explained. Hermione, still concentrating on the simmering sauce, quietly sucked in a breath. He continued, "They never allowed me to listen to their wireless, but when they left the house and didn't lock me up, I would sneak into the parlor and listen to it the whole time they were gone. The set was next to the window, so I could see the drive from where I sat, and I always put it back the way I found it as soon as I saw the car. Then one year Dudley got two small boomboxes for Christmas, so he did something uncharacteristically kind and gave me the spare. I hid it under a loose board in the cupboard and listened to it anytime I got stuck in there. Music was always an escape."

Hermione continued stirring, unsure how to respond at first. A few moments later, she looked over Harry and gave him a small smile. "You're really something, Potter," she said. "There's always another layer to peel back."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "You comparing me to an onion?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. You've got a ton of layers. You're also really pale and kind of stinky," she deadpanned.

"Hey now!" he laughed, "I'm offended!"

The two fell into an easy banter as they finished the meal, silently agreeing to put heavier topics on the back burner and just enjoy an evening of laughter, food, and good music. When they finished their meal and the subsequent cleanup, they spent the rest of the night dancing and singing along to the program. Each felt it had not been nearly long enough when Good Time Charlie came back on and bid his listeners a good night. When Harry seemed reluctant to release her as she left his arms to cut off the wireless, Hermione chalked it up to her hopeful, over-active imagination. She watched him slide the locket around his neck and shortly retreat to his cot, eschewing her company in his horcrux-induced brooding. Every bad mood that came and went only made her want to get rid of this godforsaken locket more. There had to be a solution. And she was going to find it, if only so she and Harry could wander the countryside without the constant added gloom.


Harry took to turning the wireless to the same station every morning after breakfast, and it turned out to be a great resource. It provided succinct news reports every day, quickly reporting on the various "unfortunate events", "record-breaking disasters", and "strange disturbances" across the country. They used that information to know which areas were safer and which ones to avoid. However, the station also took the time to report positive stories, no matter how insignificant or far away, especially those about people helping others in the aftermath of said sad events. Its musical programs played a variety of music, mostly classic rock, pop, and easy listening.

One Tuesday around midmorning, Hermione was reading her copy of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" for the millionth time when she heard Charlie's name on the radio. Apparently he had some exciting news for listeners after the next song.

"Harry! Get in here!" she yelled excitedly through the tent flap, cranking up the dial.

"What is it?!" Harry called as he ran in brandishing his wand. His eyes quickly scanned the room for the danger that had caused Hermione to call him so urgently.

"Charlie's on!" she exclaimed, "and it's only Tuesday!"

Harry just looked at her. "Really? That's what was so important?"

She blushed, realizing he'd thought she was in danger. "Sorry, Harry. I just got excited."

Harry sagged into the kitchen chair, relieved. "It's fine, Mione. This damn locket makes me overreact to every bloody thing, it's not your- Oh hey, listen, it's Charlie."

"Hey, hey, hey again my friends, it's Good Time Charlie. No, despite your best efforts you didn't sleep until Friday evening. Feel Good Friday has been such a success that the station has decided to host a mid-week Happy Hour every Tuesday! That's right, you don't have to wait for the weekend to get another couple hours of nothing but positive vibes and jolly good songs. Join me here every Tuesday from ten a.m. until noon and together we can keep putting the good stuff back out into the universe. Here we go again, this time with a little number that's been signed, sealed, and delivered right from Stevie Wonder to you.

Almost as if they had planned it, the two friends moved to each other. Harry placed the locket on the table, and they danced away another two of their never-ending hours in the tent.

Weeks passed, and the two fell into the same routine. The wireless was always turned on after breakfast, and anytime Charlie's program was on they danced for its entirety, barring meal times. Hermione was really surprised that she never got tired of dancing for hours every week, but instead of getting bored with it, she was always left wanting more.

If she was being honest, the whole thing was completely uncharacteristic of her. She had never been one to let loose and dance and sing like a fool in front of anyone, even her friends and family. She refused to acknowledge what—or, rather, who—she knew was the reason for this change. Hermione just felt so at home with Harry. He never judged her for her bookishness or her bossy nature. He laughed with her instead of at her. He called her out when she needed it. He balanced out her more serious nature. He made her feel safe enough to be vulnerable. He made her feel strong enough to stand by his side as they fought Voldemort together.

Merlin, she had to nip this in the bud. She could not afford to have these kinds of thoughts about her best friend—especially not right now. But it was difficult when he was just so wonderful. Never mind that, Hermione would remind herself, keep your eyes on the prize. The more she found herself feeling this way about Harry, the more she threw herself into the horcrux hunt, still with no results.

Halfway through December, as Charlie closed his mid-week show, Harry stopped Hermione on her way back to the sentry post.

"Mione, can you sit down with me for a minute? I have an idea, but I'd like to hear your opinion," he said.

Warily, Hermione sat in her usual kitchen chair. "Okay, I'm officially suspicious. Do your worst, Potter," she instructed.

Harry rolled his eyes, but then he took a deep breath. "We've been discussing it off and on for months… but I really think it's time... I want to go to Godric's Hollow!" he blurted out.

Hermione was unsurprised. They had been talking about visiting, and as Christmas approached she found it incredibly normal that Harry was thinking more and more about visiting the place he lost his parents. Honestly, she had been expecting this conversation far earlier.

"I figured this was going to come up sooner rather than later," she admitted. "I made a list of pros and cons. Here, read it and see what you think."

Harry snorted. "Of course you made a list," he teased as he took the list from her.

Pros:

- Talk to Bathilda Bagshot

- May have sword

- Find out more about Dumbledore?

- See if she can give leads/advice

- Harry can visit his parents' grave

Cons:

- DANGER

- Spies for Riddle

- Possibly Riddle himself

- Booby-traps

- Emotional toll

"Wow, you really thought this through, didn't you," he conceded. "I agree with all these, though the danger is to be expected. We run that risk every time we go out in public, even if we're disguised. That being said, we can put together a solid plan and a couple contingency plans to protect ourselves. As for the emotional toll, all I can say is that I need this, Mione. I try not to think about it, but I've never even seen my parents' grave. I've never gotten to say goodbye. Or thank you. Or I miss you. Nothing. I think it would be nice to have some semblance of closure," he finished quietly.

Hermione couldn't argue with that. She took the day to mull it over, and that evening they put together a plan. They decided to visit on Christmas Eve night. The cemetery would likely have no visitors then, and it was a good bet that Bathilda Bagshot would be home even if she had spent the day celebrating with friends. They disillusioned themselves and used to cloak to sneak hair samples from a couple nondescript muggles. Hermione mentally patted herself on the back for having brewed Polyjuice Potion in bulk that summer. When the day arrived, they swallowed the potion, disillusioned themselves, got under the invisibility cloak, and Apparated to Godric's Hollow in search of answers.


A/N: It's been pointed out to me that this would likely work best as a two-part story, and after a little more experience writing and posting, I have to agree. Apologies to anyone who has this story on alert- nothing new to see here, just changing some formatting!

Update May 2020: WOW this has been up for (what feels like) a very long time. This was my first ever piece of fan fiction, and I'm glad that so many of you have enjoyed it. While I've been socially distancing and staying home more often, I've taken the time to revisit some of my older stories and give them a minor face lift. I've learned a lot about writing since I first posted this, and I hope the small changes I've made will make your reading experience more enjoyable. Thank you so much for all your support!