"Don't leave, I told you I wouldn't. So why are you?" Hermione's voice croaked, a mixture of desperation and sorrow in her tone.
"I can't, you know I can't," Y/N murmured, her brows furrowing with a heavy burden of guilt. She felt the weight of her...
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Y/N groaned, feeling herself being roused from her sleep by Aurora and the others. "Y/N, wake up! We've found something," Hermione's gentle voice called out. Y/N shifted, frustrated by the intrusion into her slumber.
The group guided her to the long table, and Hermione tenderly combed Y/N's tousled hair with her fingers, smoothing out the tangled strands. Y/N's gaze fixated on the note that Harry held in his hands.
"I know I will be dead long before you read this," Harry began to read aloud. "I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it." He placed the note down, and Ron furrowed his brow in confusion.
"R.A.B is Sirius's brother, Regulus," Ron mumbled, and Hermione nodded, her hand resting in her lap.
"Yes," she affirmed. "The question is, did he actually destroy the real Horcrux?"
A sudden clattering sound disrupted their conversation. The group exchanged cautious glances as they rose from their seats, adopting wary postures as they moved forward. Harry approached a locked door and pulled it open.
Kreacher emerged from within, and Harry immediately yanked him out of the cupboard. The elf grunted and struggled to break free, which made Aurora flinch at the rough handling, but Y/N reassured her that it was fine.
"You've been spying on us, haven't you?" Harry demanded.
Kreacher cowered, covering his head. "Kreacher has been watching."
"Maybe he knows where the real locket is," Hermione suggested.
Harry seized the locket from the table and thrust it in front of Kreacher's face, his tone growing more aggressive with the elf than with anyone else. "Have you ever seen this before?" he demanded, but the elf remained silent.
"Kreacher," Y/N addressed the elf in a calmer tone than Harry, giving him a firm look to emphasize her intent. Part of the reason the house-elf favored her over Harry, despite his occasional name-calling when she used to visit during her fifth and sixth years.
The elf stammered. "It's Master Regulus' locket," he whimpered, flinching.
"But there were two," Y/N leaned in closer over the table where Kreacher cowered. "Weren't there?" she inquired. "Where's the other one?"
Kreacher whimpered as he nodded. "Kreacher doesn't know where the other locket is," he confessed.
"Yes, but did you ever see it? Was it in this house?" Hermione pressed.
"Filthy Mudblood!" Kreacher hissed. "Death Eaters are coming—"
"Kreacher!" Y/N exclaimed, slamming her hand on the table, causing the elf to jump and retreat. "Watch your mouth, that's my girlfriend you're talking about."
"Blood traitor, waste of pure blood you have, Miss Crimson," Kreacher grumbled under his breath, his head bowed.
"Answer her," Harry demanded, holding the pendant up.
