Planning for Safety

Even with Hermione deliberately closing their bond down as much as she could manage, Harry still sensed there was something really bothering her. Moving a rather large rock from the tunnel's caved-in ceiling, Harry sat down on one edge of it for a minute.

"Take a break, Hermione. Sit here and tell me what's bothering you?"

Trying to move her dirty hair from her eyes, Hermione sat beside her betrothed. "You mean apart from being filthy, cold and knackered?"

Putting his arm around her, Harry pulled Hermione close and gently kissed her lips. "Now, could we have the real reason please?"

With a slump of her shoulders and a sigh, she let out part of what was bothering her. "Harry, are we moving too fast here?"

"Not two minutes ago you were complaining that this was taking ages." Seeing her smile, Harry promised that things between them would proceed at whatever pace they were both happy with. He then pushed for the real reason she was worried and Hermione duly obliged.

"It's my mum and dad, I feel as if I'm going to be abandoning them. The minute Dumbledore discovers you're not at Privet Drive, he'll come looking for me and Ron. Me not being there opens my parents up to being told any sort of lies - and that's assuming he doesn't take his wand out. If he does then things could get really ugly - and Dumbledore's the good guy. I really want to be with you but feel I need to protect them too. I don't know what to do…"

Tightening his hold on Hermione, Harry began basically thinking out loud on any ideas to try and fix this problem. "The Dursley house has protective wards on it, we could get some of those placed on your house. We could also see about emergency portkeys for your mum and dad too. I'm sure Dobby wouldn't mind keeping an eye on the house, getting us to them if we're needed…"

Harry never got to say anymore as Hermione was using his lips for a whole different purpose. It took a minute or so before Hermione could actually say what she wanted but Harry wasn't complaining. "Thank you, Harry. I know you're angry at my parents for the way they treat me, I guess I was worried you were just going to leave them to fend for themselves. I think I needed to hear you say the words."

"I know it's been a hectic few days but, after this job tonight, we've got nothing else planned until it's time to leave for home. We'll have plenty of time to sit and sort things like this out. Now, these rocks aren't going to move themselves…"

At that, Dobby appeared and snapped his fingers. Both teens had to shoot to their feet as the large rock they'd been sitting on flew over to join its neighbours as the little elf magically repaired the tunnel.

"Dobby, that's wonderful…" Two steaming mugs of cocoa were gratefully accepted by the young couple who were only now beginning to grasp just how powerful their little friend was.

"Dobby has folder from Steward Remus. Do you want Dobby to clear this up while you read it?"

Hermione couldn't prevent the shiver that travelled down her spine at Dobby's question. A swift shake of her head and she soon let both of them know how she felt. "Dobby, I don't want to spend one minute longer down here than I absolutely have to. We do what we came to and then get out of here - and take a long hot shower. Does Remus need an answer on any of this stuff?"

"There are properties here that Steward Lupin wanted you to have a look at, Dobby does not know how quickly he needs an answer, Dobby should have asked…"

Before Dobby could go blaming himself, Harry cut in. "If you could find us somewhere in the castle that we could look at these, Hermione and I could go there as soon as we get this done - and after we have a shower."

The little elf certainly perked up at being given another opportunity to help these two. "Dobby thinks the 'come and go' room would be perfect. It can be whatever you ask it for, even if you want a shower - or a big bath."

Harry certainly liked that idea, and a blushing Hermione seemed to as well. He had a question for his little friend first. "Is this room on the seventh floor, across from a tapestry of dancing trolls?"

"Yes, does Master Harry know about this room?"

"I have some information on it - though obviously not as much as you. I heard it was just a massive storeroom."

"Oh room can do much more than that, castle elves use it all the time…"

Swallowing a large mouthful of her cocoa, Hermione then grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled - though this time he wasn't resisting. "Finish this job, have a hot soak and see where we want to spend summer - now that sounds like a plan to me. Let's get a move on, slowcoach."

Drinking his own cocoa as they walked toward the door that awaited them, Harry felt a wonderful warmth seep into his very bones. Sitting their mugs down, Harry once more used parseltounge to command the door to open.

The smell of decay that greeted them had both reconsidering whether it was such a good idea to drink that chocolatey goodness. One thing was for sure, it wouldn't taste nearly as good on the way back up - and the vile stench in this dark and dank chamber was making the chances of that happening a distinct possibility.

The torches around the wall lit, giving Hermione her first real look at the beast. She was glad witnessing Harry's memories had at least prepared her for this, otherwise Hermione was sure she would be a blubbering wreck.

Both immediately got down to work, the less time spent in this place the better. They transfigured their potions knives into small hand axes before donning dragon hide gloves and hacking away at the base of the beast's many fangs.

After freeing four each, they were carefully wrapped before being placed in Hermione's bag. They practically ran from the chamber as soon as their task was done, not relaxing until the great door once more swung shut and locked. Hermione didn't even mind climbing onto the back of Harry's Firebolt, she was so keen to leave this place behind.

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