Harry Potter and the Blood Risen Moon (Completed)

Chapter 25: Gone Again

Harry sat on the couch, the cup on the coffee table. Hermione had gone into the kitchen to make some dinner while Harry tried to figure out what to do next. He couldn't touch the cup or be sucked in, which would result in him fighting Voldemort's soul and hoping he won.

From what they could figure out, was that they needed a way to cause more physical damage than the cup could repair. It led him to think of the diary he'd destroyed with the fang. The poison was more than the diary could fix, but Harry didn't have a way of getting another one.

So short of touching it and hunting down the soul fragment, what was he left to do? Hermione called from the kitchen and Harry stood from the couch and made his way into the kitchen. Hermione laid out dinner on the table and waited for him to join her.

Harry dug into his plate of food and ate like there was no tomorrow. "Harry, honey, slow down before you choke." Hermione said eating politely and watching Harry inhale his food with awe.

"Sorry love, but I need all the energy I can get." Harry said. His mind was made up, whether Hermione agreed or not. She would be safe here, at least while he was gone.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked setting her fork down. For some reason she wasn't that hungry anymore.

"Let's not worry about it now. I just want to eat this amazing dinner you cooked." Harry said. He thought about the note Snape had left for them. Nothing useful was in it except that the next item is in the Malfoy mansion where Bellatrix is hiding out.

He was going to have the order retrieve the next item while he was inside the cup. That way when he came out, he could jump into the next one. Hopefully with knowing what to do and being in control it wouldn't take forever like last time.

They ate the rest of dinner in silence while Harry thought through what he was going to do. Hermione wasn't going to be happy about this but what other option was there? When they finished Harry cleaned up the dishes while Hermione went back into the living room to try and figure out what to do.

Harry watched her from the doorway, once he was done with the dishes. The firelight from the fireplace lit her up like an angel. He was one lucky guy to have her as his girlfriend. Not only was she beautiful but smart and courageous. Everything he could possibly ask for in a woman. He'd been blessed and now he was leaving her to fight one on one with Voldemort's soul.

"I know your there Harry, might as well come out of thought and join mine." She called from her seat on the couch. Harry smiled and walked in from his hiding spot in the doorframe. He sat down next to her and kissed her cheek.

"What were you thinking about?" Hermione asked looking over at him.

"You." Harry replied taking in the beauty of her from this close. He reached up and cupped her cheek in his palm, the pad of his thumb rubbing her smooth skin softly. She closed her eyes and sighed, leaning into his touch.

"What's going on Harry?" Hermione asked opening her eyes and looking back at him.

"I'm sorry love, but I don't know of any other way." Harry said. Hermione pulled back from his touch, unable to reason what he was trying to tell her. "I have to go in and take him out myself." Harry said.

She shook her head, trying to not get emotional. He knew she understood, somewhere inside her mind. She just wasn't grasping that information, that reason for him to go.