After some time Harry decided the only way to open the locket was Parseltongue.

Harry spoke the words while Remus was standing ready with the sword. The locket however did not give up without a fight.

The piece of Voldemort appeared in corporal form as his younger self, taunting Remus with all his fears and doubts.

First was the figures of Harry's parents damning him for not being there for them,

Then was Sirius taunting him for doubting him and allowing him to die,

The figures of Remus's own parents calling him animal, wishing that he died that night when he was six rather than bring disgrace to the family

Lastly was Hermione saying that she preferred Harry the famous figure compared to a poor dirt animal.

"Don't listen Remus, you are stronger than he is! Do it!" shouted Harry

He saw Hermione and Tonks run from the tent in their old winter jackets to them when they heard the voices.

"Don't listen Remus I don't think that of you, I love you. We all do," said Hermione

"You can do this Remus stay strong" replied Tonks

With this show of love and confidence Remus was able to hack the locket in half. There was a bright light and an unnatural scream then all was silent once more.

Remus fell to his knees by the strain of it and Hermione ran to him and held him to her.

Harry felt that they probably needed to be alone so he took Tonk's hand and brought her back to their tent. She took his boots off then her own before they laid down in what was now their bunk. She had a sweater and an old pair of jeans on, he also was in jeans and sweater. He had to command her to wear these warmer cloths now that they where in the month of December. He shivered at the thought of her walking around half-naked in the snow.

She began to change to her usual colored hair when he said "no Lilith leave it as it is"

She looked startled at his request. She finally asked "Why master Harry when I look so much better without it?"

"Don't you know you are beautiful as you are?" he asked in all honesty.

She just shook her head no.

"You are, probably the most beautiful woman I ever come across.

You don't need to change what you look like all the time, it really not needed."

She leaned over and kissed him passionately All thoughts of being noble once again left his mind when her expert tongue was exploring his mouth, the last coherent thought was that he was making love to his Lilith.

According to Remus the marks they had found on his parents' graves and the Dumbledores were the mark of the Deathly Hollow originally owned by the Peverell brothers. The last few months were full of the debate over if the Deathly Hollows should be part of their quest, stalling them considerably. Harry's visions were getting more and more terrifying, Voldemort was enraged at the loss of his pet and was on the hunt that would for something that would make him more powerful. These visions would come to his mind even if he tried to block them out, terrifying them all.

Harry and Hermione were at odds at how to proceed. Hermione wanted to go to the school to look for the other Hecruxes while Harry wanted to look for the Deathly Hollows, he was convinced that it would be the best weapon against Voldemort.

They were having their usual fight over it and Harry spoke his name out loud, and out of nowhere four or five Death Eaters surrounded them lead by Fenrir Grayback.

Harry did not know where Tonks and Remus were but he was thankful that they did not get caught.

He was thrown in the Malfoy cellar with Luna and a broken and defeated Mr. Ollivander and the goblin Griphook. He could see that Bellatrix was out of her mind with worry when she saw that he had the Gryffindor sword with them. She grabbed Hermione for information and threw him down the stairs to the cellar. It was obvious that she wanted to do harm to him but couldn't because of the command to leave him only to Voldemort himself. It broke his heart to hear Hermione scream but he could do nothing. When he heard that Bellatrix was concerned about the sword he whispered to Griphook "I will give you the real sword if you tell her the one we have is a fake". He whispered desperate to save his friend. The deal making was interrupted when they heard a crash and cursing. He peered through the crack to see Tonks and Remus fighting Bellatrix and Greyback respectively. Never in the years that Harry had known Remus did he see him this angry.

The tips of his eyes were amber, sharp teeth that he did not even know he had were bared. Harry when he heard someone unlocking the door to investigate hid and struggled with the wizard, Wormtail, struggling over Wormtail's wand. In the struggle Harry shouted "You coward! I saved your life and this is how you repay me?"

Wormtail hesitated for a moment, and in that moment Harry was able to grab the wand. However he never had the chance to use it. The silver glove that was given to him by Voldemort when he lost his hand beat him to it. Harry watched was frozen by shock and horror as Wormtail was strangled to death. Tonks had no problem defeating and killing Greyback and went to Hermione and helped her up.

" Remus we have to go now!" Shouted Tonks trying to talk sense to the enraged werewolf. Harry ran to Hermione holding her on the other side. Tonks had to take him by the arm and pull him off her aunt whom was bloody and broken, and almost dead. While Tonks managed to get Remus to Hermione Bellatrix used her remaining energy to throw her small silver knife. Tonks however saw it happening and was able to deflect it back to her, killing the death eater instantly. She then went to her friends and Disapparated them away to Bill's home.

Two months later

Bill and Fleur were very gracious to let them stay so long. Mr. Ollivander, Luna, and Griphook were fit to return to their homes after a few weeks. Before Mr. Ollivander left he told Harry that there was evidence that the elder wand did in fact exist and death was not a factor for it to be considered the winner's property.

The four concluded that the behavior displayed by Bellatrix pointed to her having a hecrux. Before Griphook left and after much convincing, he told the group how to break into Gringotts to retrieve the item or items. Griphook was reluctant to help but he finally agreed when he was shown that Harry was not like other wizards when he offered the sword for his trouble.

The plan was put on hold while Hermione healed and Fleur gave birth to their son, Arthur

William Weasley. Then when Hermione finally healed Remus proposed to Hermione and she accepted. The four of them were witnesses as they wed in a civil ceremony over looking the beach near the Weasley home. Harry often sat on the rocks thinking of what he had to do, and his feelings for Tonks. Remus was right, these things have a way of figuring themselves out. When he saw that he almost lost Tonks in the fight with Bellatrix he realized how much he truly loved her. He was thankful that she did not die so he had the chance to prove it to her somehow.

to save Tonks, you need to follow your mother's example.

Where your treasure is there would your heart be also

The last Enemy that will be destroyed is death

He sighed, everything that he saw and heard indicated that he would die, and that death would save everyone, maybe even Tonks. He was not strong as his mother, or father or godfather. He did not know if he had the courage to face Voldemort and die for his troubles. He was seventeen for Merlin's sake! He barely started his life and now it would be cut short for something that he had no say in!

On the other hand Tonks was suffering for something she had no say in either. You do not choose who your parents are, what your blood is. She was now being punished for her mother's "sin" of marrying a Muggle-born wizard. Making her " impure" an unworthy to live, making her a target for a degrading unfair spell.

He sighed. He had a promise to keep to Dumbledore and his parents. He will continue for that alone and pray that all will end up all right.

Two days later

They went to Gringotts Tonks disguised as her hated aunt to gain access to her safety deposit box that held another hecrux, the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. They were doublecrossed by Griphook who was waiting for them demanding the sword. They had no choice but to hand it over. They eventually escaped on a dragon with the cup into the wilderness of Hogsmeade.

The next evening

Harry had a searing pain in his brain and a vision of a furious Voldemort retrieving what appeared to be a tiara and a wand in Dumbledore's tomb. As he opened his eyes again he found his head in Tonk's lap. Before he had a thought to change his mind he asked Tonks "What do you feel for me Lilith?"

"I think you are a decent man Master Harry. I always liked you, you are kind and compassionate to everyone. Lately I am unsure, I feel something deeper that I am not sure possibly love."

Harry was happy; there was hope at least. "I saw Voldermort again, he is at the school. We need to warn them"

Tonks Apperated them to the room of requirement where they saw the DA hiding out from Death Eaters. There Neville explained how rough things really were. Professor Carrow forced the students to perform Dark Arts on other students for punishment, among other horrible things. Harry warned them that the Death Eaters were coming and to be ready. Hermione then took out her fake gallon and summoned the rest of the DA for reinforcements.

He really did not know what happened after that. He hugged Hermione and Remus and said

"I love you, no matter what happens I want you to know that. You are the best friends anyone could ever hope for." Tonks did the same and said goodbye before she and Harry went to the shrieking shack where he received a vision that Voldemort was there with a badly beaten Snape.

He walked with Tonks to the shak all the way detesting the fact that he could not keep her away from the battle because of that bloody spell.

When they reached Snape he was dying from horrible burns from a spell he used to destroy the tiara.

Harry knelt down to him to hear his last words "Take it. Look…at…me…"

Harry saw that Snape was holding a vile of liquid that appeared to be memories.

Tonks leaned over and closed his eyes, her eyes pricked with tears for her former comrade.

" You should go to Dumbledore's office to look at that Master Harry, it very well could be important".

Harry leaned over and kissed her passionately. "I love you Nymphadora Lilith Tonks. Merlin help me I do. No matter happens to me I want you to know that. If I get out of this I intend to prove this to you, for the rest of my life if need be". The moment he finished his declaration her eyes glowed a bluish white light. He did not have time to try and figure out if the spell was completely broken or not but his instincts told him that she did not have to follow him to his death. He kissed her again and ran out to go to Dumbledore's study.

* Deathly Hollows chapter eight

** Deathly Hollows chapter sixteen

*** Deathly Hollows chapter Sixteen