It Could Have Gone That Way; A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 70: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry opened his eyes to the sound of a low groan. Pushing himself onto his hands and knees on the suddenly leaf-covered floor, he crawled towards the sound. His eyes met Hermione, also on her knees, at Ron's head. Blood drenched the whole of Ron's left side, and his face was greyish white against his vivid hair.

"What's happened to him?" Harry croaked.

"Splinched." Hermione said, fingers busy at Ron's sleeve, where the blood was wettest and darkest. "Harry, quickly," she said quite calmly,"in my bag, there's a small bottled labeled Essence of Dittany-"

"Right..." Harry dived for Hermione's bag, which laid a little way behind him. Sticking his arm in, Harry fumbled around in the seemingly endless space, groping for anything that felt like a bottle.

"Quickly!"

Harry grabbed his wand from the ground,"Accio Dittany!" He caught the bottle deftly and ran back over to Hermione, thrusting it at her.

"He's fainted." She told Harry, dropping the liquid into Ron's wounds,"That's good, though, it'll hurt less for him. It'll take a while to work properly, but I'm going to put his arm in a sling, so it doesn't move. Ferula! There. Stay here a moment, I'm going to do some enchantments." Hermione scrambled to her feet, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her hands were covered in Ron's blood. "Salvio Hexia..."

"Why're we here, Hermione?" Harry asked,"And where is here?"

"This is the woods where the Quidditch World Cup was held. Protego Totalum. Yaxley caught hold of me as we Disapparated from the Ministry. I couldn't get rid of him - he was far too strong - and he was still there when we got to Grimmauld Place. I managed to shake him off and brought us here instead. We couldn't stay; I took him inside the Fidelius Charm's protection, so he knows we were staying there. Repello Muggletum. At least we got the locket, I suppose. Are you all right? You aren't hurt, are you?"

Harry shook his head in disbelief,"I'm fine. You?"

"Wonderful." Hermione said grimly,"Muffliato. Harry, could you get the tent out? It's in my bag - I borrowed it from Arthur on your birthday. Cave Inimicum. That's about as much as I can do." She spun around to see the tent, which was still in a heap on the ground,"Oh, for goodness' sake, Harry! Erecto!"

The tent constructed itself in one smooth motion.

"Sorry." Harry mumbled,"Help me take Ron inside?"

"I'll do it. Take my bag inside. Light the fire. Get changed. Put the kettle on." Hermione raised her wand carefully,"Mobilicorpus."

Harry did as she had told him without question.

***********

The trio didn't like to stay in one place for too long, so Hermione kept Apparating them to and from all the forests and woodlands that she knew in England.

Harry and Hermione took it in turns to go on watch at nighttime, and to wear the Horcrux. They had both agreed that Ron was still too weak, but he had insisted he was almost better. His persistence had, in the end, led to Harry and Hermione allowing him to wear the locket for short periods at a time, before finally granting him an equal share of it with them.

Ron wasn't acclimating to their lack of food anywhere near as well as Harry and Hermione were, which led him to be extremely snappy and bad-tempered.

"My mother," he said moodily one night as the trio sat down for a plate of charred grey fish and mushrooms,"can make good food appear out of thin air."