The Protector

Hello Hermione

The sky above us was now a light grey. I assumed it was morning. That or the storm had just passed. I saw the tent, but it seemed unactive. "Is Hermione even there?"

"Yeah, she should be," Harry nodded. "Hey, Hermione? Hermione, guess what!"

After a couple of seconds, the tent's opening was moved apart. Hermione looked to be a mess. It seemed to me like she couldn't see Ron and I. I heard her say, "Are you okay? Everything okay?"

"Everything's great, actually," Harry pointed to Ron and me. 

She came up over the hill. Her jaw dropped when she saw us. I opened my mouth to say something, but Ron spoke up first. "Hey there," I looked over to him smiling. 

I sighed, "You...You shouldn't have done that. After coming back from a fight, you don't say 'hey' like that. You should've just let me talk. Now, I'm going to let her beat you. Have fun," I turned to Hermione, who was still shocked. "By the way, happy Christmas, 'Mione." I stepped to the side a bit. 

I watched as she stomped towards a very confused Ron. Within seconds, she was screaming and throwing things, "How dare you! Such an ass! Ronald Weasley! You just show up after a week of  you leaving us and you have the audacity to say 'hey'?!"

I chuckling to myself as I watched the love birds. 

She whipped her head towards Harry, "Where is my wand?"

Harry began to back up, "I don't know."

She stomped towards him too, "Harry James Potter, you better give me my wand!"

"I don't have it, 'Mione," he cried out, fulling grasping her wand. 

Hermione sighed. I chuckled by how angry she had gotten. She looked to me. A smile appeared on her face, "Bridge!"

"'Mione!" I smiled. She ran up and hugged me. I hugged her back. I watched as Harry and Ron got so confused. I grabbed Hermione's arms. I looked to her and I pulled her away, "There's so much we need to talk about!"

"Really?" She turned as we started towards the tent. 

"Oh yeah," I nodded. "We got into a lot of trouble. But first, take a lot at what Ron has."

She turned. She noticed what he had in both of this hands, "What is that in your hand?"

"The dead horcrux," Ron held up the burnt locket. 

"You...You destroyed it? How?" Hermione shook her head. "Nevermind. How were you able to get the Sword of Gryffindor?! Did you just stumble upon it?"

"No," Ron shook his head. "Why does Harry have your wand?"

"Never you mind," Hermione argued. "That doesn't change the way thing happened, you know. You can't just come back."

"Why would me destroying a horcrux change anything anyways?"

"He wanted to come back as soon as the affects of the locket wore off," I grabbed onto Hermione's arm. "We tried to. But you guys had already left."

"How were you guys able to find us then?" Harry asked. 

"The Illuminator," I replied. Ron pulled the trinket out of his pocket. 

"We aren't sure how it worked, but a few nights ago, we were staying at Fleur and Bill's cottage. I was messing around with it, thinking about you guys. And a light appeared. It started to speak to me. It...It had your voice, 'Mione."

She turned to me. I shrugged, "I don't know. I wasn't around."

"Well, what did I say?" Hermione looked back to Ron. 

"You were faintly whispering my name. Just mine. And when I closed it and reopened it, it came back. That's when I went to see you, Bridge."

I nodded, "That's why you were up."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Bridge touched it once we left the cottage. We disapparated to the trees. I was really hoping it would lead us to, at least, one of you. And it had. It brought us right to Harry."

***

Later that night, Hermione and I were keeping watch outside the tent doors. We had shared our stories of what had happened when we left. I could tell Hermione was still frustrated by Ron. So I tried to ease her up, "You know, all of Christmas while we were cooking and stuff, he was talking about you. How, if Hermione was there, she'd do it this way. Or how Hermione could've fought off those snatchers we fought against." 

"Bet he did."

"And that whole ball of light story," I sighed. "Ron doesn't make those things up. Although, it is really cliche. Made me want to puke when he told me."

She laughed, "Yeah...Where were you when he couldn't sleep?" 

"Which time?" I laughed. She chuckled too. I shook my head, "That time I was out on the beach. I was sitting on the grass near the waters, listening. Trying to stay calm. Trying not to think for once."

"Trying not to think about what?"

I shook my head, "I'll tell you later."

"Was it about Draco?"

I involuntarily tensed up, "A part of it was."

"I can tell. You still think about him. When you would leave the tent and you couldn't sleep, I could hear you crying outside."

I nodded, "There's a lot that we should talk about soon."

"Why don't we now?"

I glanced back to the boys. I saw the flame get larger then back to normal. "You alright in there?" Hermione and I called back. 

"Fine!" 

We both shook our heads. I looked to her, "Should we leave these two idiots alone?"

"How secretive is it?" She furrowed her eyebrows. 

"Quite," I nodded. I thought about the moment in Dumbledore's office. I sniffled as I felt the snot in my nose run down. I got up, "But you deserve to know. We don't have to go far."

She stood up as we began to walk. I only took a few steps ahead of us. I made my way up the small hill. I turned to the tent, "I already told Ron. He said he wouldn't say anything. So I need your word too. Harry cannot know. It'll...It'll ruin everything."

"Bridget-"

I could feel my eyes watering, "I need you to promise me, 'Mione. You need to promise you won't tell Harry what I'm about to tell you. Dumbledore's orders."

"I promise, but what is it Bridge?"

I took a breath. I felt a tear roll down my cheek, "Harry...Harry has to die," I whispered to her. "Voldemort has to kill Harry Potter. Or there is no way that we can win this Wizard War."

She covered her mouth, "Bridge..."

I nodded, "Yeah." I hugged her. I could feel her tears rolling onto my shoulder. I patted her back for a while. I swayed with her, "Dumbledore told this last year."

"You've been hiding this for a whole year?"

"Yep," I nodded. "And this all went down after Draco dumped me."

"How did you manage? When one thing wrong happens to me, I'm a wreck."

"I guess I knew I had to," I shrugged. "I had to be strong for you and Harry and Ron and Dumbledore. I didn't really have a choice."

"Hey, Bridge? Hermione?" Ron voice called out from the tent entrance. 

"Coming," Hermione's voice broke. I opened my arms once more. She hugged me once more before we headed into the tent with the boys. God how I've missed these two loons.