𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒 | HPau

─ ⁰⁴. DON'T FREAK OUT

"Where are we?" said Ron's voice and Hermione turned to them with a sheepish smile.

"My apartment in Scotland," Hermione told them making them gape, "the one in Whales is for someone else, and the one in England is currently holding BZ and Teddy so. . . ."

"How many flats do you have?" Ron asked perplexed and Hermione shrugged.

"Would you rather have a flat or a tent in the middle of a freezing forest?" Hermione asked and Ron nodded, not arguing against her logic.

"You said we could go back to Grimmauld," Harry pointed out frowning at his surroundings.

"And we can," Hermione nodded, "I just thought it was better to stay here for a few days. We will go there after. But we can't stay there long," Hermione added in afterthought, "we'll have to pack anything else we still need and make sure everything is in check and then leave."

"Why?" Harry frowned.

"We're hunting Horcruxes Harry," Hermione said with a deadpanned expression, "what do you think dad'll do when he finds out? Let us continue? He will probably chain us to a chair and try to do it by himself or with Remus. I'm not saying they wouldn't be able to, but I don't know how that would go. They could end up dead. At least when it's us I have almost certainty we'll survive. Besides... I was thinking we could go on our own little missions."

"Missions?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow. Hermione smiled dryly as she sat on the couch.

"I... I need the final battle to occur when it's supposed to. It's the only way I'll know I can save... I'll know how to save people."

"When is it?" Harry pressed.

"May 2nd, 1998."

"Blimey, Dame. That's nearly a year from now!" Ron exclaimed and ran a hand through his face in stress, sitting down next to Hermione. "I thought we only had three Horcruxes to go."

"We do. But I don't want anyone to die because I don't know what'll happen. That's why we need the missions. We're going to save anyone in need, check on muggle-borns and whoever is in danger, and put wards up in defenseless houses. We won't be doing anything. But we have to wait."

Hermione waited in silence as the boys processed the information.

She knew there was the possibility she could end the war the following week, but that wasn't certain in the slightest—even if they had destroyed the Horcruxes. She knew that maybe she could end the suffering but Hermione didn't... care. Not if she wasn't sure her loved ones were going to survive. If the battle happened as planned she could save Fred. Remus. Tonks. She could prevent their deaths because she knew they'd happen. She couldn't say the same thing if she tried to finish this earlier. She was being selfish, but she didn't regret it one bit. The only thing she could do was try and help people without getting herself or Ron or Harry killed.

"Fine," Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Eight months. We can do that if you promise we won't just lay around. If we can't end this sooner, then we surely help everybody we fucking can."

Hermione nodded with a slight smile as she watched Harry Potter lean against the white wall and slide down sitting on the floor, his head in his hands.

"You're safe!" Sirius exclaimed as they appeared in the middle of the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, a couple of days later, now dressed in ordinary clothes. He strode towards the three and pull all of them into a hug.

"You can let go now, dad," Hermione groaned and Sirius nodded stepping away and seating at the kitchen table again, where they saw Remus drinking tea, looking rather ragged.