Till The End | h.p

dancing again

When she wakes up the next morning, she's able to move once more. She refuses to speak with either of them, at least until Hermione pulls her outside the tent.

"I know you're angry with me..." she starts as she looks away, "But I really need you, right now," Sam watches as a tear falls, "We have to leave again, but he won't be able to find us-"

Sam interrupts her as she sobs by pulling her into her arms, "I'm here. I'm not going to leave you."

Hermione wraps her arms around Sam's shoulders and sobs. Sam holds her until her crying stops. Harry watches their interaction from inside and he smiles slightly, grateful that at least for now, they have each other. They pack everything up and Hermione ties her scarf to the tree, in hopes that Ron will be able to follow them if he decides to return. They apparate to a new location on top of a cliff. Hermione lets a tear fall before she wipes it away. Sam squeezes her hand as she and Harry start on the protective enchantments.

That night, Sam pulls Hermione into her room, "You shouldn't be alone."

Hermione gives her a sad smile before climbing into her bed. Sam wraps her arms around her as they both fall asleep. Harry walks in to try and talk to Sam, but he stops when he sees them. He bites his lip. He blames himself for the pain they're both experiencing. He shouldn't have pushed Ron over the edge, he should've kept his cool. He misses his best friend more than anything, but he still feels anger with him. He wishes that Sam would forgive him, but he knows it will take time. He moves back into his room and lays on his bed. He rolls over to look at his side table. He stares at the picture of him and Sam at the Yule Ball three years ago. Everything was so much simpler back then.

He closes his eyes, letting sleep consume him. Several days later, Sam still hasn't spoken to him. Hermione now listens to the radio every day, hoping she doesn't hear Ron's name. As the program ends, a song plays through the speakers. Sam holds out her hand for Hermione. She looks at it and places her hand in hers. Sam pulls her up and dances with Hermione. They spin around the room and smile lightly to themselves. Hermione lets out a laugh and walks over to Harry, offering him her hand. He shakes his head with a smile, but she pulls him up anyway. Sam assumes that she wants to cheer him so she begins to walk away, but Hermione also grabs her hand and throws them together.

Harry catches Sam from stumbling, they both hesitate until he removes the locket from around her neck and sets it aside. He studies her face for a moment and slowly grabs her hand. She stares at him in hesitation before he places his other hand on her waist. She slowly raises her hand and sets it on his shoulder. He begins to sway them slowly to the song. She looks around the room and doesn't see Hermione anywhere.

He spins them around before twirling her and bringing her back into him, much closer this time. She eases into him and feels the moment of peace and calm, pretending for once that everything is fine. They sway together until the end of the song. She pulls away from him first and he looks into her eyes that he finds utterly beautiful. She bites her lip gently, deep in thought, before stepping away from him and back towards Hermione's books. He stands in the middle of the room, staring after her, wishing she was still in his arms.

The next day, Sam and Hermione sit outside the tent going over different books, when Harry bursts out of the tent.

"You were right, Snitches have flesh memories, but I didn't catch the first Snitch with my hand, I almost swallowed it," he explains as he hands it to Sam and Hermione.

They look at the new inscription on it, "I open at the close," Hermione reads aloud.

"What do you think that means?" Harry asks them.

"I don't know," Hermione responds, "But we found something as well."

Sam shakes her head, "Stop trying to include me," she says to her, "I didn't find it."

She knows what they're doing and it only makes her more frustrated. Hermione sighs, "You're exhausted, Sam. Take off the locket, you've been wearing it too long."

Sam removes it and hands it to her. She does feel a slight weight being lifted, but she still means what she said. Hermione opens the book next to her and points to a symbol written in the book. A triangle, with a circle in the center and line right down the middle.

"At first I thought it was an eye, but now I don't think it is. It isn't a rune, and it isn't anywhere in Spellman's Syllabary. Somebody inked it in. It isn't part of the book. Somebody drew it," Hermione explains.

"Luna's dad was wearing that at Bill and Fleur's wedding," Harry adds.

"Why would someone draw it in a children's book?" Sam questions.

"I've been thinking. I want to go to Godric's Hollow. It's where I was born. It's where my parents died," Harry states.

"That's exactly where he'll expect you to go because it means something to you," Hermione informs.

"Yeah, but it means something to him too, Hermione. You-Know-Who almost died there. I mean, isn't that exactly the type of place he'd be likely to hide a Horcrux?"

Sam shrugs, "It's dangerous, but lately, I've been thinking that eventually we'll have to go there."

Harry raises his hands victoriously and Sam continues, "I think it's possible something else is hidden there."

"What?" Hermione asks.

"The sword," Sam explains.