"Are you sure this a good idea, Harry?" asked Hermione, her shimmery wet eyes peering from underneath her mane of bushy hair.

Harry stared at the time turner hanging from his neck. "I'm sure it isn't, Hermione."

She stepped closer, pleading. "Then don't do it."

"What other choice do I have?"

Hermione took his hands in hers. "There is always another choice."

"Not this time."

She licked her lips and stared at the ground. After a painful pause she said, "You remember how to use the time turner?"

"Hermione-"

Her grip tightened on Harry's hands so he couldn't feel his fingers. "Remember you can't just kill him. He's already made a horcrux."

"The diary." Harry swallowed as the nerves were finally catching up to him.

"You need to find the diary, destroy it and then... kill Riddle." A tiny tear painted a red streak down Hermione's face. Her voice cracked. "Harry you can't do this. You're not an assassin!"

"I won't let more people die because I'm not willing to do what is necessary." Harry tore away from his best friend's touch.

"This isn't right. It doesn't feel right."

"It's not right. Or good. It's just what has to be done. Does Voldemort deserve to live more than Sirius, or Cedric, more than my mum and dad?" Harry's fingernails scratched against the brick wall of King's Cross station, unable to look at Hermione as anger rose inside him.

"No, Harry, of course not! That's not what I mean."

Harry's face softened as he turned to look back at his friend. "I know what you mean. Dumbledore is gone. This is our only chance."

"Nothing like this has ever been attempted. So many things could go wrong!" Her voice was high, shrill – a sound that usually bothered him. Tonight he just found it comfortably familiar.

Harry twisted a curl of Hermione's hair around his finger. "Things can't get much worse than they already are."

"Isn't that what people say right before things get worse?" Hermione grimaced. He shared her fears. But this was their best shot.

Harry crushed Hermione into a hug, holding her thin frame against him, breathing in the scent of ink and parchment that lingered with her. "Thanks Hermione. I wouldn't make it a day without you."

With a few more tears slipping from her eyes, Hermione slipped from his grasp. "Good luck," she whispered.

A/N: Whenever I end a fic, I start a new one. I've had part of this written for a while so I should be able to update regularly. Sorry Tom isn't in this chapter, but he'll be in the next one. Please review. Thanks for reading. P.S. This will get pretty mature as it goes along. Just a warning :)