janus ~ hermione granger

lxxv

"but you can make a brilliant patronus!" ron protested when harry came back, empty handed and out of breath. the moment he has arrived to the tent, he informed them of his little run in with a dementor.

"i couldn't make one. wouldn't come," the poor boy panted.

the twins both noticed the looks ron and hermione were giving harry, causing them to go over to his side and help him sit down on one of perkin's old armchairs.

"so we still haven't got any food."

"shut up, ron," the couple snapped.

"harry, what happened? why do you think you couldn't make your patronus? you managed perfectly yesterday!"

"i don't know."

"what?" ron snarled after kicking a chair leg. "i'm starving! all i've had since i bled half to death is a couple of toadstools!"

"you go and fight your way through the dementors, then."

"i would, but my arm's in a sling, in case you hadn't noticed!"

"sounds like a you problem," maddy muttered under her breath.

whack.

"that's convenient."

"and what's that supposed to-"

"of course!" hermione's hand made contact with her forehead, silencing the boys. "harry, give me the locket! come on."

"the horcrux, harry, you're still wearing it," phoebe's eyes widened in realization, turning to harry when he didn't react.

the moments the gold chain lifted over his head, he felt free and oddly light.

"better?"

"yeah, loads better!"

"why didn't i think of that? it made mads slightly act out yesterday. it has a negative influence. perhaps we ought to not wear it. we can just keep it in the tent."

"we are not leaving a horcrux lying around," harry firmly spoke. "if we lose it, if it gets stolen-"

"oh, alright, alright," hermione placed it on herself, "but we'll take turns wearing it, so nobody keeps it on too long."

"great, and now we've sorted that out, can we please get some food?"

"fine, but we'll go somewhere else to find it. there's no point staying where we know dementors are swooping around."

in the end, they settled down for the night in a far-flung field belonging to a lonely farm, from which they managed to obtain eggs and bread.

"it's not stealing," hermione attempted to convince herself as they all devoured some scrambled eggs on toast.

"well it's definitely not borrowing," maddy chuckled, taking a bite of her food."

"i left some money under the chicken coop."

ron opened his mouth, which was still full of food, so before he could say anything, phoebe nudged him.

once they finished, they were able to relax, and enjoy each other's company. they also decided ron wouldn't wear the locket whenever he was hungry, so they wouldn't have to deal with an unreasonable, irascible, red-head.

they also came to the conclusion(well, harry and the twins) that the oldest two would wear the locket the most, seeing as for some reason, it affected them the least. it might have to do with their ancestors.

"so where next?" ron questioned, assuming one of the other four had an answer.

in fact, they didn't have any new information. their conversations were actually beginning to be repetitive, being the factor of maddy's complaints whenever hermione pulled her aside to once again, recite the places voldemort had lived in or visited.