The Boy Who Fought: OC X Hermione

Destroying the Locket

"No. I can't."

"Then why are you here? Why did you come back?" Harry asked, as Ron froze and nodded. He was going to destroy it.

"I'll have to speak to it in order for it to open. When it does, don't hesitate. I don't know what's in here, but it'll put up a fight. The bit of Riddle that was in his diary tried to kill me." Harry told him, as Ron nodded.

"On three. One. Two. Three." Harry counts, speaking in Parseltongue and the locket opening.

"Stab it, Ron. Now."

"I have seen your heart and it is mine..." The locket whispered.

"Don't listen to it. Don't listen to it Ron!"

"I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears..."

"Don't listen to it Ron! Stab it!"

"Least loved, by the mother who craved a daughter. Least loved by the girl you're dating who prefers her best friend..."

"Stab it Ron!"

The locket quivered in Harry's hands and he dropped it on the floor. Two figures came out of the locket, Carson and Harry.

"We were better without you, happier without you."

The next people were Lavender and Parvati Patil.

"Who could look at you beside Padma Patil? What are you, compared with my best friend..?"

"Ron! It lies! Stab it!"

"Your mother confessed that she would have preferred me as a son..." the locket Harry told Ron.

"Who wouldn't prefer her, what woman would take you, you are nothing, nothing, nothing to her..." Lavender sneered as the figures of Lavender and Parvati kissed.

"Do it, Ron! Kill it!"

And with that, Ron stabbed the locket, and the images disappeared and everything went quiet.

"After you disappeared Carson, she cried for a week. She's like my sister. I know it wasn't your fault, but I thought you should know."

"Thank you Harry."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left." Ron apologized, as Harry nodded.

"You've sort of made up for it tonight. Getting the sword. Finishing off the Horcrux."

"Saving your life too."

"Yeah. Let's go."

"And just think of it. Only three to go." Ron told Carson as Harry went inside.

"Hermione! Hermione! You need to see this!" Harry called to her inside the tent.

"What is it? Is everything okay" Hermione asked, stepping out as she saw Ron. Carson hid away for a second.

"More than okay." Harry said, as Hermione saw Ron standing there.

"Hey." Ron said.

"You. Complete. Arse. Ronald Weasley!" Hermione yelled walking up to him. "You crawl back here after all these weeks and say, 'Hey?'"

"But look! Look who I brought with me!" Ron shouted, as Carson stepped out.

"Carson..." Hermione whispered, looking at Harry who nodded. It was really him.

"Hey 'Mione." Carson whispered, as Hermione rushed into his arms.

"I thought you were gone...I was so worried. I didn't want to raise him without you..."

"Well I'm back now. And I'm not going anywhere." Carson whispered to her, as he kissed the top of her head.

"He missed you too, the baby." Hermione told him, as she put his hand on her stomach, and he could feel the baby kicking.

"Yeah, he did, didn't he?"

"He's very active these days."

"Sounds like it."

"I told him all about you. At night. I would stay up and tell him about his father. I can't wait to meet him. I'm glad you're back Carson."

"Me too, my love. Let's go inside, shall we?"

"We shall."

The lovers went back inside the tent, and saw Harry and Ron with the sword. Hermione was still quite mad at Ron for leaving.

"And exactly how is it that you have the Sword of Gryffindor?" Hermione asked expectantly.

"It's a long story." Harry dismissed her, as Ron nodded.

"Don't think this changes anything Ronald."

"No, of course not. I only destroyed a bloody freaking Horcrux! And brought Carson back! Why would that change anything!" Ron asked sarcastically.

"You left! You left us! Carson didn't! He didn't intentionally leave us! We were separated! There's a difference!" Hermione snapped, her mood swings kicking in and she sat down on the chair with tears in her eyes, as Carson sat on the arm of the chair and wiped her tears away.

"Look, I wanted to come back the minute I'd left. I just... didn't know how to find you." Ron explained sheepishly.

"Exactly how did you find us? You too Carson?" Harry asked.

"Well, I killed Yaxley before he could kill me, then I figured you would go to Godric's hollow, so I made my way there. It took a long time, maybe a month. I got lost and went the wrong way by accident. I waited there cause I knew you would go eventually. Then, on Christmas I just missed you two leaving and found Ron in the trees. Although, I don't know how Sirius did it, I was living off what I could find in the dumpsters behind houses and pubs."

"We found you with this." Ron stated, holding up the deluminator.

"It doesn't just turn off lights. I don't know exactly how it works, but Christmas morning I was sleeping  in this abandoned house with Carson, we'd given some Snatchers the slip the night before, us being blood traitors and all. Anyway, we were sleeping when we heard it..."

"It?"

"A voice." Ron answered, "Your voice, Hermione. Coming out of this."

"And what may I ask, did I say?" Hermione snapped, her hand resting on her stomach.

"Our names. Just our names. Like a whisper. So I took this and I clicked it and this tiny ball of light appeared. And I knew."

"Knew what?" Harry asked.

"Just knew. On account of Hermione's voice. And sure enough, it floated toward me, the ball of light, right to my chest and then, went straight through, right here." Ron pointed to his heart, "I could feel it inside me. It was warm, like the first sip of a good cup of tea. And we knew it would take us where we needed to go. So we Disapparated and came out on this hillside. It was dark. We didn't have any idea where we were. We just had to hope one of you would show yourselves in the end. And you did."

Hermione got up and went outside, most likely taking watch. Carson followed her outside as the boys stayed inside. Carson walked out to see Hermione sitting on a log and looking at the stars. Carson sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him. Nobody said anything, and they just sat there in comfortable silence until Hermione blurted something out.

"I love you."

"I love you too 'Mione."

"I was so scared, I thought you died. Then I got the light and I knew you were alive, but I didn't know where you were. I thought I would never see you again, I thought our son would have to grow up without his father." Hermione whispered as she buried her head in Carson's neck.

"Of course I was trying to find you. I went to Surrey to try to get spotted, hoping you would see it and know I was looking for you. I'll always come back to you. I love you Hermione Jean Granger. Always."

"I love you too, Carson Marshall. Always."