Hero of the Story || James Potter x Hermione Granger Fanfiction

25 | fall in love in a single touch

"He plans to make more?" Regulus paled considerably, warily glaring at the parchment in her hands.

"You have no idea," she murmured under her breath, smoothing down the edges of the parchment in slight worry. "Procuring the horcruxes may be easier said than done, but I have an idea about where they're hidden. Destroying them, on the other hand, well that's an entirely different story."

Hermione made a face and wondered about the dormant basilisk sleeping at the base of this beloved school. Fiendfyre was out of the question because she knew she could never control it, unless she asked for help from powerful wizards. Like Dumbledore. But Hermione didn't want to get involved with Dumbledore yet. She still somewhat blamed him for their lack of preparedness before. If only he'd have divulged a fraction of what they had discovered on their own, then Hermione felt like the war wouldn't have stretched on for much longer than they had intended.

"How the hell do you know all of this?" he asked, perhaps for the umpteenth time. "This is crazy bullshite, Pettigrew. I'd like to think you are lying, but you've been too bloody detailed for me to even consider this as an elaborate lie. Granted, you have the brains to conjure such a ridiculous thing, but I don't think your imagination would run that wild, just to convince me to turn my back on the Dark Lord."

She swallowed down a lump in her throat and glanced down at the parchment once more. "I truly wish I could tell you, Regulus," she softly said. "But I – it's too risky for you to know. I'll tell you when I'm ready because I'm sure you'll think I'm off my rocker. I just want you to trust me."

Regulus grew pensive for a while, an indecipherable glint in his silver eyes. "If you're worried your secret might be revealed to others, then you have nothing to worry about," he slowly said. "I'm a natural Occlumens and my Father has trained me these past few years to strengthen my talent. It's a useful thing, especially if you are under the Dark Lord's very beck and call."

Hermione gave him a sad smile. "I trust you, Regulus," she said reassuringly. "But, I'm really not ready yet. Helping you wasn't even part of the plan. But" – she gestured at herself – "here I am now."

His gaze never strayed from Hermione. "Why are you really doing this?" he tentatively asked. "Why do you want to help me."

The answer tumbled from her lips before she could even think of it. "Because I want Voldemort to die," she breathlessly revealed. "Maybe even more than you do."

Regulus' eyes narrowed in curiosity, no doubt wondering what she meant. Hermione, on the other hand, found herself lost in Hermione Granger's memories - near-death encounters with the vilest wizard she had never met and how he, and his cronies, were the reason for all the turmoil back in her previous life.

Her eyes grew resolute even when they became blurred with tears. Hermione Granger may have failed, but Hermione Pettigrew sure as hell knew she would fight tooth and nail just to get another shot at destroying the purveyor of evil in this world. If it meant Ron would live until a ripe old age, if it meant Harry's face would be unmarred by a scar, if it meant all of Hermione Granger's friends would never even have to face Voldemort and his wrath at such a young age, then so be it.

"What do we do next?" the Slytherin whispered, breaking through her tumultuous thoughts.

Hermione rapidly blinked before glancing back at him. She pointed at the number one on her list, a determined grimace on her face. "Retrieving Ravenclaw's Diadem will be the easiest of them all because it's here, in Hogwarts," she said.

"A horcrux in Hogwarts?" he asked, looking as if it was the most preposterous thing he'd ever heard of.

"Yes," she replied. "And I know where it's hidden."