Hopes to be Happy | Hermione Granger [2]

Chapter 3 - R.A.B.

TW: Mentions of self-harm and slight mentions of death

No one's POV

After what occurred at the cafe, the group of four went to 12 Grimmauld Place, thinking it was safe to stay there for a temporary moment.

Soon after arriving, they decided to go to sleep. Harry and Hermione took the two couches, while Ron and Katerína slept on the floor.

After staying awake, staring at the ceiling for a while, the redhead girl still couldn't sleep. She got up, sitting in front of a window, staring at the stars while hugging her knees.

This reminded Katerína of her and Hermione's first date at the black lake. She remembered staring at the stars and water, listening to the curly haired brunette ramble on about school stuff.

She remembered feeling love for the first time ever.

Soft footsteps snapped the redhead out of her daze, yet she didn't stop looking at the stars. Katerína felt someone sit on her right, as the person stared at her sympathetically.

"What are you doing up?" The person, who was Hermione, asked. "Couldn't sleep." The green eyed girl replied, finally tearing her eyes off of the sky to look at the brunette.

There was a moment of silence of the two staring at each other, before Hermione spoke up. "Can you... take your gloves off?" Katerína was taken aback by her request, but did as she was told.

After slowly taking the black glove off of her right hand, the hand that didn't have the dark mark, the redhead slowly showed her arm to Hermione.

The girl with frizzy brunette hair examined her arm, locating every scar and cut. Tears filled her caramel brown eyes seeing all of this.

She gently grabbed her arm, tracing the scars, both sad and angry knowing that the redhead had gone through so much. So much that it led to what she did to herself.

"Oh my god." Hermione choked out, feeling a single tear roll down her cheek.

Time skip

The pair stayed up for a while, silent most of the time, not wanting to wake up the others. Eventually, Hermione managed to convince Katerína to go to sleep.

They ended up sharing a couch, since Hermione wanted to make sure her Rina actually got sleep instead of staying awake.

"I think I've found something." Ron said, waking up Hermione and Katerína, who were cuddled up together, while Harry, who was in another room, came out to find them.

The group of four went into a room that was super messy. Hermione was the first to go in, taking in the messiness. "Lovely." was the only thing she managed to say.

The redhead boy grabbed the door knob, leading to the creaking door to be closer to them, allowing them to see what was written on it.

"Regulus Arcturus Black." Hermione read out loud. "R.A.B." The redhead boy then said, referring to the note they found inside the fake locket.

Katerína just stared at them confused, but didn't speak up. She just went with it.

"I know I will be dead long before you read this. I have stolen the real horcrux and intend to destroy it." The boy with round glasses read out loud.

"R.A.B. is Sirius' brother." Ron said out of realisation. "Yes." Hermione then spoke, replying to the redhead boy. "Question is, did he actually destroy the real horcrux?"

Suddenly, a clunking sound filled their ears, leading to all of them snapping their heads to where the sound was produced. They all slowly stood up, cautiously walking towards an old wooden door.

Harry went to the front, opening it, to reveal a house elf. The raven haired boy grabbed the elf, pushing it out of the small room so all of them could see.

"You've been spying on us, have you?" Harry exclaimed, staring daggers at the elf. "Kreacher has been watching." The elf, named Kreacher, stated, hiding behind a small table.

"Maybe he knows where the real locket is." The frizzy haired brunette suggested. Harry hastily grabbed the fake locket, showing it to Kreacher.

"Have you ever seen this before?" The raven haired boy harshly asked, but got no reply. "Kreacher!" He then urged, though this time the elf did answer.

"Uh- uhm... it's Master Regulus' locket." He managed to stammer out. "But there were two, weren't there? Where's the other one?" The green eyed boy question.

"Kreacher doesn't know where the other locket is." The elf declared. "Yes, but did you ever see it? Was it in this house?" Hermione quizzed.

"Filthy mudblood! Death eaters are coming-" Kreacher yelled out, as both Ron and Katerína went forward, but was stopped by Harry and Hermione.

"You blood traitors! Weasley and Alvárez." Kreacher growled. "Answer her." The raven haired boy demanded. "Yes. It was here. In this house. A most evil object." The elf responded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"How do you mean?"

"Before Master Regulus died, he ordered Kreacher to destroy it. But no matter how Kreacher tried, he could not do it."

"Well- where is it now? Did someone take it?"

"He came... in the night. He took many things, including the locket."

"Who was it Kreacher?"

"Mundungus. Mundungus Fletcher."

"Find him."

With that, the elf teleported away, leaving the four teens alone in the place.

877 words