Harry turned in his seat as Lori and Cedric slowly moved to the bench too, "What's wrong?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Not according to you, anyway."
"Look, if you've got something to say, don't be shy. Spit it out."
Ron rolled his eyes dramatically, "All right, I'll sit it out. But don't expect me to be grateful just because there's another damn thing we've gotta find."
"I thought you knew what you signed up for." Harry quipped slightly aggressively.
"Yeah, I thought I did too."
"Well then, I'm sorry," Harry continued, rising from the bench, "but I don't quite understand. What part of this isn't living up to your expectations. Did you think we were gonna be staying in a five star hotel? Finding a Horcrux every other day? Thought you'd be back with your mum by Christmas?"
Lori was the first of the other three to stand, her hand urgently lacing with Cedric's.
"I just thought, after all this time, we would've achieved something!" Ron bellowed, startling even Lori, "I thought you knew what you were doing! I thought Dumbledore told you something worthwhile, I thought you had a plan!"
Harry also raised his voice, "I told you everything Dumbledore told me! And in case you haven't noticed, we found a Horcrux already."
Ron grimaced, "Yeah, and we're as close to getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them, aren't we?"
Hermione simpered and stepped between the yelling boys, "Ron. Please, take..." His hands shoved hers away as she tried to pull the locket over his head, pleading lacing her tone, "Please, take the Horcrux off, you wouldn't he saying any of this if you hadn't been wearing it all day."
He glared at her, "Do you wanna know why I listen that radio? To make sure I don't hear Ginny's name, or Fred, or George or mum."
Harry snapped, "You think I'm not listening? You think I don't know how this feels?"
"No, you don't know how this feels! Your parents are dead. You have no family."
The two boys lunged at each other, Cedric darting away from a quietly sobbing Lori to pull them away before they seriously hurt one another.
"Fine, then!" Harry roared when he had been separated from Ron, "Go! Go, then!"
Ron yanked the locket from around his neck and shoved it in Hermione's direction before pulling out his enchanted galleon and throwing it at Cedric, "Keep your stupid coin."
With a few whimpers from Hermione, he turned and grabbed his bag, pausing by the opening to the tent and casting a look at the two girls, "And you? Are you coming or staying?"
Lori stepped back towards Cedric, lacing their hands together with a sad smile at her brother.
"Fine," Ron frowned, setting a stationary Hermione in his sights, "I get it. I saw you two the other night."
And with that, he disappeared through the canvas door and into the dark and rain, vanishing with a sharp crack as he disapparated.
*
Water rippled in small pools as Lori's feet skimmed the surface, tears tracing down her cheeks and landing with a small plop in the river outside the tent.
Cedric slid down beside her silently, wrapping an arm around her and placing a kiss to her cheek, "You really miss him, don't you."
Wiping away a lone tear, she nodded, "I was never the closest with Ron, that was always Charlie. He was an idiot at times, actually a lot of the time. But he had a good heart."
A frown slipped onto his lips as he noticed the glint of the locket around her neck beside the necklace he had given her, gently tracing a finger along her collarbone to the chain, "I'll take it now."
She pushed him away, edging her arm so he couldn't reach and standing up, walking back to the tent.
"Lori?" Cedric asked, following after her, "Lori?"
Fire burned in her eyes when she turned, "Go away, Cedric."
Taken aback, he slowly moved to pull the locket off her, before she whirled around and slapped him straight across the cheek.
He staggered back, lightly touching where her palm had struck as she headed back to the tent, completely unfazed as to what she had done.
"Petrificus Totalus!" he cast, Lori stiffening like a board, falling back onto the grass. Rushing over, he took off the locket, before standing up, "Finite Incantatem."
Guilt laced her features as she looked up at him, "Ced, I'm so sorry."
Smiling, he pulled her up and into his chest, resting her head on top of hers, "Nothing to be sorry for, that locket is dangerous."
He guided her back to the edge of the river and sat both of them down, before he laid back with his head in her lap. Almost reflexively, her fingers began to play with his brown hair as a small smile etched onto his lips.
"You miss him, don't you?"
Lori sighed and nodded, "I just feel so useless. I'm the leader of the Order of the Phoenix for Merlin's sake. And instead of leading them, I'm going camping."
His finger tucked some of her ginger hair behind her ear, "They know this is important. They believe in you, all of them."
Lori leaned into his hand, "All my life, I've been surrounded by lots of people. I grew up with seven annoying siblings and went to a boarding school. Now, I just feel so alone."
He nodded understandingly, "You're worried about everyone, at Hogwarts and everywhere else."
Tear tracks stained her cheeks as she gnawed her lip, "I just feel like I'm not doing enough."
Cedric chuckled slightly, "You're hunting down pieces of You-Know-Who's soul, I think you're doing plenty."
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