They entered the run down small house, the woman was definitely a hoarder before she died, the 'woman' moved to the side table and tried striking a match to light a candle but her hands shook too much. To unknowing eyes it was age but Lyra knew it was because this was a woman who had not had hands for God knows how long, she wasn't meant to be in this human form anymore, due to her curse but here she was.
"Here, let me" Harry being the trusting innocent soul he was walked forward taking the matches from the woman.
The match sparking lit the woman's face up and Lyra watched as she stared up at Harry up through her brows, her face flat of all expression, it sent chills down her back, her adrenaline was flooding her bloodstream the longer they were there. It was like when you watch a horror and the music starts to pick up, the point where the main character is moving slowly in the dark and you just know shit is about to go down, that's the worst bit, the knowing yet it still makes you jump.
She turned to look at both Lyra and Hermione letting Harry passed her, she stared with dead eyes, there was no emotion not even a flicker and Lyra felt Hermione take a half step back, she moved to the side covering Hermione to help the uneasy feeling "Miss Bagshot? Who is this man?" Harry's voice called the woman's unblinking stare towards him instead and Lyra felt Hermione breath out, the release of air ruffling her curls.
The woman obviously did not speak, she merely picked up the candle "That's Gellert Grindelwald, he was a Dark wizard who was considered to be amongst the most powerful and notorious wizards of all time, that was until Dumbledore killed him that is" Lyra answered looking at the frame which held an attractive young-ish blonde man, she moved to follow the snake/woman upstairs, Harry was hot on her heels while Hermione looked downstairs.
Lyra's heart was pounding so loud she could hear it in her head, she jumped slightly when Harry casted a Lumos to light the way for her as she moved around piles of stacked up things mainly books and newspapers, she saw Nagini stood still in human form in a skinny corridor. The woman turned to look at Harry "Come"
The use of parseltongue still shocked Lyra, her hands shock as she tried to push it all down, she would have only one chance. Harry nodded and squeezed past Lyra placing his hand on her lower back, he didn't even seem to realise what the woman had done, he didn't realise when he was speaking parseltongue or when someone was speaking to him in it.
The woman turned back to Lyra who gestured to her "You go ahead" Lyra spoke in the snake language, the snake seemed surprised, her eyes widened ever so slight but she moved to follow Harry which was good for Lyra because she could attack from behind. The pair went into the room and Lyra stayed outside pretending to be looking around, she needed the snake to feel comfortable to change without her there, she could risk it not working simply because she was under a spell.
She ran in when she heard Harry yell out after a huge crashing noise, pulling the fang from her pocket Lyra sprinted forward seeing Nagini wrapped around Harry, she lunged and there was a lot of thrashing about. Harry yelled out when Nagini tightened around him, he felt fangs sinking into his skin, the snake was screeching while Lyra yelled, it was chaos.
Hermione, who had sprinted up the stairs in search of her friends, watched Lyra get thrown through the thin dry wall that she was about to pass "Lyra!" she screeched but when she looked up she saw Harry and a huge snake in what seemed to be a babies playroom, Hermione lifted her wand up and knocked the snake away from Harry. Lyra rolled onto her hands and knees and lunged forward once more fang gripped tightly in hand "Lyra don't!" Hermione screamed seeing the snake spin round ready to strike, snakes are knowing for being fast but Lyra had always thought if she hadn't needed to be in Gryffindor so bad then she would have been in Slytherin, because while Nagini's fangs sunk into her torso Lyra's own fang sunk deep into the snakes scaled side.
Nagini screeched pulling away from the girl who instead of letting go, dragged the fang down the length of her side before ripping it out, blood splashed up hitting Lyra's face as the snake continued to screech and thrash about before it flopped onto the floor still.
"Is it dead?" Harry whispered having moved backwards towards the two girls both Harry and Hermione watched Lyra rustle through her bag before she pulled out a dagger "Woah!" Lyra made a show of bringing the Basilisk fang down and ran it a crossed the goblin made steel of the dagger even though it was already inpregnated with the venom because she had told her friends she had forgotten about the fangs.
When she was done she slid towards the snake ignoring the two Gryffindor's behind her who objected to it, she worked quick with removing the snakes head from it's body "We need to go! We need to go now" Lyra threw both the dagger and the snakes head into her bag "NOW!"
Hermione grabbed both Harry and Lyra and apparated them out of the house.
~~~
Nagini's venom wasn't poisonous in the way some people might think, she did have venom but instead of killing it stopped the blood from clotting, it slowed healing almost entirely to a stop which giving how dangerous that could be was how she killed so many, it was the reason why Mr Weasley was still alive.
What had confused Hermione though was why when she used Dittany on the pair of her friends Harry's wound healed almost instantly while it had no effect on Lyra's "I don't...I don't know what to do, it won't stop bleeding!" she stressed pushing her hands against Lyra's torso which was producing so much blood, the red liquid was spilling through her fingers as she tried to apply pressure.
"God Hermione! Do something!" Harry watched in horror "Use the Dittany"
"I did" she screeched "I did! It did nothing!"
"Fuck!" Harry starts rummaging through Hermione's bag.
"M-Mine" Lyra stuttered while her head spun, apparating wounded was never a good idea "Mine, med kit...Muggle way"
Hermione shook her head as tears streamed her face trying to keep pressure on the wound "What?"
"Muggle way" Lyra breathed out trying not to puke as she felt light headed, her world was spinning and she was seeing double "Med kit in my bag"
"Lyra open your eyes, you can not fall asleep!" Hermione snapped seeing her friends eyes flutter shut the double images hurting her head "Open your eyes! Harry get her bag there's a med kit in it"
Harry slid over grabbing the bag off her bracelet, the small charm like thing feeling tiny in his fingers, he enlarged the bag and held his wand out "Accio Med kit!" a smaller bag flew up at him and he caught in dropping the original bag to the ground he moved closer as he ripped the green med kit open.
"She said we need to do this the muggle way" Hermione sobbed looking at the supplies in the bag, there were even how to instructions which Lyra had added just in case she ever needed to do something "Which means pressure and we will have to sow this up, i think the venom stops clotting, you need to keep her awake" Harry nodded and moved towards Lyra's head, he lifted it gently placing it onto his legs as he moved the hair from her face "Lyra i...I'm not good at--You'll scar"
"Don't care" Lyra shook her head, her body was still in shock from the apparating, doing so wounded was always dangerous "It's okay"
"Hey, don't do that" Harry tapped her cheek when her eyes shut "Look at me, focus on me Lyra, only me come on" he moved his face closer and his eyes locked with her "You killed it, his snake"
"Yea" she hissed through gritted teeth as she felt a sharp stabbing at her wound as Hermione pushed the needle into her skin to stich her up trying to stop the bleeding, the feeling of the needle pushing through already tender skin followed by the thread made her yell out slightly as it burned.
"I'm sorry, i'm so sorry" Hermione chanted as she continued stitching the wound with trembling fingers.
"'s fine" Lyra gritted her teeth trying to to yell out anymore, half for Hermione sake and the other half because she knew there were no protective charms around them yet, her hands though were clutching Harry's in a painful grip as she used it to anchor herself "You're doing good Mi, you've got this"
Harry couldn't watch, he just couldn't watch as blood poured from the wounds staining her skin red so he kept his eyes on her face also using the pain in his hands to anchors himself "You kept the head, why?" he tried to take her attention off the pain.
"Venom, Basilisk Venom mixed with Nagini's...Lethal" she breathed out sharply as thread pulled at her torso "Needed to make sure she was dead...I had a vision...She was another horcrux"
When Hermione was done she moved away and was quick to set up the tent, she made Harry carry Lyra inside while she worked on the protective charms, the whole time she kept her eyes off the blood soaked snow. When it was done she walked backwards until her back hit a tree and she slipped downwards crying as she hung her head between her knees.
Who knows how long she stayed like that until Harry joined her "She's sleeping" he looked around him at the serene scene before him "You've out done yourself this time Hermione"
Hermione wiped her tear streaked face "The Forest of Dean, i came here once with my Mum and Dad years ago, it's just how i remember it" she sniffled looking around "The trees, the river, everything. Like nothing has changed" her eyes caught onto the large patch of stained snow and felt her throat catch "Not true of course, everything's changed" Harry glanced over at what Hermione was staring at, seeing the blood he raised his wand and vanished it leaving behind frozen leaves and twigs beneath it "Maybe we should just stay here Harry"
"You know why we can't" he looked back towards the tent "Besides both Sirius and Remus would kill us for keeping her here"
Hermione huffed a small smile gracing her mouth "Wouldn't be the only ones either, the Malfoys would hunt us down"
"They already are" Harry muttered and Hermione frowned.
"I don't think they are" she whispered feeling awful about what she was about to divulge "I...I think they've been helping us Harry, helping Lyra at least"
"And why would you think that?"
"I've been thinking, the clues are all there Harry. Mr Malfoy gave her the diary, back at the Ministry we all saw what he did Harry, he deflected the curse Bellatrix threw at her and when Nott had her did you see him? He looked absolutely furious...I watched him drop the prophecy Harry"
"Well that doesn't mean he's good Hermione, he just loves Lyra"
She shook her head "I think they're protecting her while feeding her information, beside i'm pretty sure they know where we are anyway, well not this second but yeah"
Harry startled "What? Why would they know where we are?"
"Lyra speaks to Draco everyday Harry, they have connected journals...I noticed years ago but it's the one thing she keeps secret so i never asked her about it"
"She tells them where we are?" he glared at the tent.
"What? No!" Hermione gaped at Harry "No Harry, with joined journals like that i'm almost positive one could trace the other one, find it's location"
"Then we need to get rid of it" Harry moved to his feet but Hermione latched onto his arm.
"No! You can't do that Harry! We all have something that keeps us sane, you can't take that from her!" Hermione snarled pushing him back to the floor while she stood over him "You can not be such a hypocrite, you have linked mirrors with Sirius, they can be traced as well do you want to get rid of them also?" Harry was silent "Didn't think so, that keeps you sane Harry just as the radio did with...My books do with me and talking to Draco does that for Lyra, don't take that from her because i'm almost positive it wouldn't just hurt her"
He frowned "What are you talking about?"
"I think the Malfoys are spies for our side, Mr and Mrs Malfoy have each other and Draco has Lyra, i think writing to each other keeps them both sane, it would explain why Lyra is so protective over it"
"Do you think...Do you think they're--"
Hermione hesitated "I don't know, at first i did and then they stopped talking around third-Fourth year but after everything i've worked out i don't think they stopped talking at all...I know Draco does, he's not very subtle about it but i'm not sure about Lyra" and that was the truth, she saw how Lyra looked at Harry, she knew Lyra felt strongly about Harry but she also saw how protective she was of Draco, how when her eyes found Draco they were locked on.
It was quite strange actually, Lyra had told her about what her Amortentia smelled like when she asked, Lyra had told her she smelt Treacle Tarts, Dark Cherries and Apple Pies. At first she'd been confused but the more she thinks about it, it made perfect sense.
Treacle Tarts...Harry.
Dark Cherries....Lyra.
And Apple Pies...Draco.
~~~
"Careful" Hermione helped Lyra get out of the cot "Do not open your stitches"
"I'll be careful i promise, i feel much better anyway i promise" Lyra smiled "Thank you Hermione, i know how difficult that must have been for you and i'm sorry you were forced to do that"
"I wasn't forced Lyra, you're my best friend and now i can say i have a new skill" Hermione smiled slightly trying to make light of the situation seeing how guilty Lyra looked "I'm just glad it worked, how did you know?"
"I assumed, after Mr Weasley i thought that it took so long for them to close his wounds because they continued to use magic...Do you know why Harry isn't speaking to me?"
Hermione grimaced accidentally and then grimaced again knowing Lyra had seen her grimace the first time "I...It's my fault, i told him that i thought the Malfoys were spying for us, protecting you by being in the thick of it and then...I'm so sorry Lyra really i am but i told him about your journal, the linked one"
Lyra sighed "No one can have secrets in the wizarding world huh?" she shook her head.
"He wanted to get rid of it" Hermione whispered watching as Lyra's head snapped towards her as her hand flew to the bag that was back on her bracelet "He didn't don't worry but he...He's hurt Lyra, he likes you and he thinks this changes things"
Lyra's head thumped against the pole of the tent as she leant against it "Damn it, I-I don't know anymore, is it wrong for me to like them both? Harry makes me feel alive, i get nervous around him and my heart races when i'm with him...But Draco makes me feel safe, he feels like...He feels like home"
Hermione smiled softly "It's not wrong Lyra, nothing about that is wrong" she fell silent as thought spun around in her head, she'd been reading on a subject recently after seeing it, it had intrigued her and it might just fit her best friend perfectly "Have you ever heard of a Triad relationship?"
Lyra froze before she burst into laughter "Mi, i know you're trying to be helpful but this is Harry and Draco we're talking about, they hate each other. Even if it was the normal Triad relationship where they didn't have a romantic relationship with each other which they would never, they wouldn't even begin to imagine to share me with the other"
"I wouldn't be so sure"
"Mi, Harry is still sure Draco is the second version of You-Know-Who"
Hermione sighed "At least talk to him about it" Lyra nodded and walked outside trying to find Harry while at the same time trying to slow her racing heart.
Harry had been sat against a large tree with a blanket draped over his lap to keep warm while he sat in the snow "Hey" she called out gently and his head turned to face her.
"Hi"
Lyra cleared her throat and sat on the floor next to him "I need to talk to you about something that is likely going to be uncomfortable for the both of us but i need you to at least listen alright?" Harry didn't speak he merely nodded and she sighed "Alright...Hermione told me that i should tell you about Triad Relationships, have you ever heard of them?"
"I heard Hermione muttering about it yesterday but no, i don't"
"It's--" she cringed slightly "It's common in the wizarding world for Triad's to exist, they're relationships containing three magical people but it's mainly two wizards with one witch. It's like that because most times if the two witches are not completely compatible their magic can become volatile if the other witch was to become pregnant"
"Okay?"
"I meant..." she sighed "God this is--Our magical cores can sometimes be compatible with many much like muggles. Hermione wanted me to make you aware of this because of my journal"
"Your journal?" Harry frowned before his eyes narrowed "The one you write to Malfoy in?"
"That's the one yes"
"How long have you been writing to him?"
"I gifted him the journal back in first year" she studied him closely.
"I don't see how this is relevant?" he sassed and she wanted to wring his neck.
She was just going to have to spit it out wasn't she? God, she hated Hermione "My amortentia is Treacle Tarts, Dark Cherry and Apple Pie Harry"
His hand came to his mouth as he wiped it roughly feeling the facial hair that was started to come through with him not being able to shave "Are you being serious right now? You're talking about me and Malfoy aren't you?" he chuckled dryly "He's not exactly the good guy here Lyra"
She stood "Forget i said anything" she started to walk off but stopped and spun back "For your information Draco is the good guy! He has been protecting me, protecting us since You-Know-Who came back! As did his parents who are like family to me so when you come to terms with the fact that you don't actually know everything come find me"
"Stop!" he yelled springing to his feet, he grabbed her elbow "Don't do that, don't make me out to be the bad guy here Lyra, they live with him! They answer to him!"
"They have been doing what they need to do to survive! Lucius helped me get two of the horcruxes! Narcissa helped me learn Occlumency which benefited you! Draco has rallied the Slytherins for us! They did that for me and by extension you! For the good side"
"What are you saying!"
"I love him!" she screeched and both fell silent, Harry's face fell as if she had struck him and she panted feeling her eyes well making her squeeze them shut.
He swallowed thickly feeling like his chest had just concaved in on itself "Well i'm sure he'd love to hear that through your little journals" he went to walk passed her but she threw her arm out and grabbed his hand.
"I-I..." Lyra swallowed around a lump in her throat "Harry i love you as well and i'm afraid because--" she shook her head "Because there's a large possibility that i'd lose you both, that i'd lose one of you and i can't" unable to say anymore she covered her mouth with her free hand to cover up the sob that tried to break out.
Harry shook his head looking pained "I'm not bi Lyra, i'd never love him like you do"
"No Harry, Triads aren't always a complete Triad. What i mean by that is that you and him wouldn't need to love each other, there'd never have to be any romantic feeling between you two but a Triad lives together" she sniffled.
"How would that even work Lyra" Harry sighed looking up at the sky not baring looking at her with the emotions floating around in him "We're both the last of our family names and none of my kids are going to have the last name Malfoy"
She huffed slightly her mouth curling up in a sad smile "Triad's normally keep their last name but hyphen them, for a Triad with two wizards and one witch the first children from each males would become the heir of the respective house and the third child would become the witches heir if she were the last of her name, any other children born from that matching would be named second borns respectively"
"I don't know Lyra, this is Malfoy we're talking about"
"I'm not asking you to decide anything right now, i don't even know if you think about me like that or if it would be something Draco would want either but Hermione told me to at least make you aware of it so that's what i've done"
Harry frowned "Not know...Are you blind!" he hissed and she reared backwards slightly "You don't know--Lyra i have been in love with you since the end of fourth year! Possibly longer"
"You dated Cho" she glared at him.
Harry grimaced rubbing the back of his neck "I did" he nodded "I did do that but only because you were so unreachable, i didn't think you'd even give me a second look and you had that thing with Charlie!"
"Oh so it's my fault?" she shouted but yelped when he pressed his lips against her roughly, heat seared through her and instead of pushing him off like she should have done she kissed him back just as roughly shoving as much of her frustration and anger into it as possible but he didn't seem to care in the slightest.
When they both pulled away panting wildly he grabbed her chin and lifted her face upwards to lock eyes with him "Let's get through this fucking war first and then we'll talk about this Triad thing, i want proof that Malfoy is everything you say he is otherwise there ain't no way i'm letting you get hurt"
"You're not the boss of me" she glared at Harry who scoffed and shook his head.
"Never said i was but you've just opened the flood gates Lyra, i've been holding back because i didn't think you loved me but now i know you do i don't think i can close that off and that means i'm not letting you get hurt but some pointy prick"
Lyra went to move back "He's not pointy" but before she could get far Harry tightened his grip on her jaw.
"Just agree"
She sneered at him but huffed "Fine, after the war is over and it's proven that Draco is actually one of the good guys, we'll talk about this Triad thing"
"Good" he smirked and kissed her again "Are you still angry with me?" he whispered bringing his head closer to rest against hers.
"No, i wasn't mad simply scared"
He took her cheeks within his hands "You don't need to be scared Lyra, i'm not going to let anything happen to you"
Lyra shook her head "You can't promise that, it's war, things happen Harry, don't put that on yourself"
"Are you two done arguing?" Hermione's smug voice called out making them both snap out of what had risen between them but Harry took her hand in his interlocking their fingers not willing to let her go just yet.
"Yes Mi" he rolled his eyes.
Lyra jabbed him in the gut with her elbow roughly "That nickname is reserved for me, get your own Potter " she snarled lowly.
Hermione snickered slightly "Good because we need to talk about when we're going to start destroying these horcruxes" Hermione nodded them towards the tent and with the mood dropping they all walked inside. They sat around the glass jar which contained a bluebell flame "So we have three horcruxes, you both destroyed the diary, Dumbledore destroyed the ring, Lyra killed Nagini the other day which was another that leaves one missing" Hermione wrote down on a piece of parchment.
"I think we destroy the Locket and the Cup, we leave the Diadem, use it as a trap as such"
"Why?" Hermione frowned at Lyra's plan.
"Well we don't know what the last one is do we and i believe he feels it when we destroy them meaning--"
"Meaning he'd keep the last one close to him" Harry finished off the sentence "But why leave the Diadem?"
"I found it at Hogwarts that's why, in the Come and Go room" Lyra sighed "He'd left it there and now that he has control of the school he'd still believe it's there...If we can get the school evacuated of the younger children, we could use the wards of the school and fight them"
"If he believes the Diadem is in danger and thinks it's still there it would be best if we cleared the school anyway and using the wards is a good idea, we'd draw him out essentially" Hermione nodded biting onto her lip worrying it.
"Exactly, we destroy the Locket and the Cup within the next few days after we get warning to the Order to somehow clear the school and then using the threat to the Diadem we draw him out of hiding where he will have the last Horcrux" Lyra clapped her hands together.
Harry nodded "It's a sound plan Lyra but how are we going to contact the Order without endangering anyone?"
"I do have house elves you know?" she winked "Besides i want him here to see it be destroyed, it was my uncles last dying command to him and i want him to see it be completed"
"Alright and then we send your elf back with a message, we give them a few days to infiltrate Hogwarts and start clearing out the children" Harry nodded.
"Right...Sounds like this could be the end doesn't it?" Hermione frowned but she was right, it did feel very final.
~~~
Lyra wrote a letter for when they called upon Kreacher, it read:
Dearest Father,
It is time for all of this to end, we have almost everything we need but You-Know-Who holds the last, we need to draw him out of hiding for this all to be over. One of them lies inside Hogwarts, he knows this and with him being in control of Hogwarts we need to evacuate the children out.
The Order needs to clear the children from Hogwarts because it is to be the final battleground, i've seen it.
Clear the school.
Be ready.
Stay safe.
Forever yours,
Lyra.
Now it just needed to be sent, she looked up at Hermione who nodded "Kreacher?" a gentle pop sounded and her eldest friend smiled softly at her.
"Mistress" he joined her at the table "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine Kreacher but i need you to do something for me alright, it's extremely important"
"Of course" the elf nodded.
"I need you to get this letter to my father, the Order needs to get this letter, the end is near" she handed him the letter which he held onto tightly "I will call for you in a few days when i do so it will be time to destroy the locket, if you wish to be here to see it then by all means"
Her elf nodded quickly "I need to, i need to see"
"Of course" Lyra patted his hand "Take the letter to my father and then i will call upon you when we are to destroy it" he elf hesitated to leave but he did so and with that it was merely a waiting game.
~~~
It was two days, they had waited two days when Harry arrived with a surprise "Lyra? Hermione?"
Hermione had been napping while Lyra practiced her healing spells, Lyra snapped the book close remembering who it was that finds Harry, Hermione stood from the cot she had been sleeping on and the pair left the tent.
"Is everything alright?" Hermione frowned at Harry who shifted under both of their gazes.
"Everything is fine, actually you know, it's more then fine" Harry nodded looking over his shoulder and both girls followed his gaze to see a tired looking Ronald Weasley.
Lyra huffed with a small smile when he grinned at them but Hermione just stared "Hey!" Ron grinned as he greeted the two girls.
Lyra opened her mouth to greet her ginger friend but Hermione stormed forward ripping his bag from his shoulder "You!" she shoved him and he stumbled back a step or two "Complete..." Hermione reached down and threw a handful of frost bitten leaves at him "Arse Ronald Weasley!" Lyra watched as Hermione grabbed the fallen bag and started hitting him with it "You show up here after weeks and you say 'Hey'?"
Ron just stared at her like she'd gone mad and Hermione spun on to Harry "Where's my wand Harry? Where's my wand?" he rushed forward and Harry stumbled backwards closer to Lyra who was pressing her fingers against her lips to hold back a laugh.
"I don't know" Harry shook his head.
"Harry Potter you give me my wand!" Hermione yelled as Harry moved behind Lyra using her as a barricade.
"I don't have it!" Harry covered the wand that was tucked in his back pocket.
"How come he's got your wand?" Ron questioned moving closer, Harry's wand had snapped in the chaos of getting from Godricks Hollow, it had been in the apparition and since he'd been using either of the girls when he took watch, mainly Hermione's seeing as Lyra's wand pushed against his will.
Hermione spun back towards Ron with a glare "Never mind why he's got my wand!" she paused "What is that?" Lyra looked down and saw him holding onto the sword of Gryffindor "How is it you just happen to have the sword of Gryffindor?"
"It's a long story" Harry spoke from behind Lyra, he shifted closer to her and she felt how cold he was so she leant backwards resting her back against his chest.
"Don't think this changes anything" Hermione shook her head to Ron who gaped at her "Lyra" She called out and Lyra moved from Harry to quickly follow Hermione who clearly needed comfort.
"Oh, of course not!" Ron called out stopping the two for walking and Harry pulled Lyra back seeing as she never made it far, his hands coming to rest on her waist "I only bloody found the sword of Gryffindor, why would that change anything? Look, i wanted to come back as soon as i left i just didn't know how to find you"
"How did you find us?" Harry frowned.
"With this" Ron pulled the deluminator from his pocket and Lyra frowned at the thing "It doesn't just turn off lights, i don't know how it works but Christmas morning i was sleeping in this little pub keeping away from some snatchers and i heard it"
"It?" Harry asked allowing the heat that seeped from Lyra to warm him.
"A voice. Your voice Hermione--coming out of it" Ron looked to Hermione who crossed her arms.
"And what exactly did i say, may i ask?"
Ron smiled "My name. Just my name, like a whisper...So i took it, clicked it and this tiny ball of light appeared and i knew. And sure enough, it floated towards me the ball of light, went right to my chest, straight through me" he reached up touching where his heart laid "Right here and i knew it was going to take me where i needed to go so i disapparated and came to this hillside. It was dark, i had no idea where i was, i just hoped that one of you would show yourself and you did"
The two boys went inside to dry off and warm up while Hermione sat close to Lyra as they whispered between themselves "Light?"
Lyra shook her head "I don't know Mi, i've never heard of anything like it, it sounds like a port key almost but not quite, there's no way of him knowing we'd be here and even then how would...I just don't know" she sighed "But i don't think he's lying"
"Reducio!" Harry yelled and they both snapped round.
"What's going on in there?" Hermione snapped.
"Nothing!" the two boys called back making Lyra snicker.
"That means definitely something" the pair stood and walked inside of the tent.
"We need to talk" Hermione studied the two of them and Ron nodded.
"Yeah alright"
Lyra snickered as Hermione passed him as she sat on the steps "It's time, we've given them two days, tomorrow will be three, we need to start destroying them"
"Hermione's right" Ron nodded moving to stand beside her as if Lyra and Harry were the opposite team and he was backing her up, Harry had filled him in with everything so he was caught up "We need to start destroying them, let's vote on it. Those in favor?" he raised his hand and while both Harry and Hermione stared at him in confusion Lyra grinned and shot her arm into the air.
"I'm with Romeo here, i like this democracy thing, do i need to call out aye?" Hermione giggled shaking her head before she too raised her hand followed by Harry, Lyra turned towards Ron "Good choice Ronald" he looked chuffed with himself as he nodded watching as Lyra ruffled through her bag "Kreacher?"
Her elf popped into the tent already stressing his shirt "It's time?"
"It is" she nodded pulling the locket from her bag "Now the dark magic is going to take it's toll so i suggest we destroy this one and then in the morning we destroy the cup, do you guys agree?" All three of her friends nodded while Kreacher looked ill, they all walked outside of the tent and she laid it down on a log "Who want's the honors?"
"I'll do it" Ron walked forward "I was the one who left, it's only right"
"No one blames you Ron" Lyra frowned but he patted her shoulder.
"I need to do this" he took the sword.
"I'll speak to it, in order to open it" Harry walked forward, it had been made obvious to them that the original locket would only open to parseltongue "When it does, don't hesitate"
"Why?"
Lyra shifted "We don't know what it is exactly but it will put up a fight, the more of the soul it contains the more of a fight it puts up, this was his third" Ron nodded and Harry sighed gently.
"One, two...Three" Ron raised the sword above his head ready to bring it down on the locket "Open!"
The locket opened and they were all thrown backwards and a dark shadow erupted from it, Kreacher moved to place himself in front of Lyra her hand held in his tightly as he prepared himself to leave with her.
"I have seen your heart and it is mine, i have seen your dreams Ronald Weasley and i have seen your fears" spiders started to crawl from the locket towards him making Ron shuffle backwards "Least loved by your mother, who craved a daughter, least loved by the girl who prefer your friend"
"Ron! Kill it!" Harry yelled.
They all watched in horror as Harry and Hermione's forms left the locket holding hands, they looked shiny almost too perfect, a shadowy effect on both of them "We were better without you" Ghostly Harry spat out "Happier without you!"
"Who could look at you compared to Harry Potter?" Ghostly Hermione smirked "What are you compared with the chosen one?"
"Ron! It's not true!" the real Hermione shouted above the wind as she tried to get through to Ron "It's not true"
"It's lying Ron!" Harry yelled.
But ghostly Harry chuckled harshly "Your mother confessed she would have preferred me as a son"
"What woman would take you?" Ghostly Hermione glared with a sharp smirk on her face "You are nothing. Nothing. Nothing compared to him" all of a sudden both of the shadowy figures were naked and wrapped around each other.
"Oh god" Lyra grimaced and she too had to look away, it was...Horrific, like watching Ron's boggart manipulate him in the most realistic fashion. The sounds of an aggressive make out made her feel uncomfortable, she heard teeth clashing, nails scraping against skin as they clawed to be closer to one another as their lips smacked loudly. She knew it was fake, merely Ron's fears amplified but watching her best friend and Harry make out was not on her bingo card for the year and some ugly monster wanted to rear it's head in her.
Lyra heard a screamed and then it all fell silent, the wind was gone, the sounds of two people making out was thankfully gone, there had been a sharp ringing that she hadn't even noticed until it stopped and now it was almost too silent as they all panted not daring to say a word.
Kreacher crept forward lifting the destroyed locket up from the log and he started to sob "It is done, finally, it is done" he cried cradling the locket to his chest, he felt like he could breath more clearly in years but that was until he caught sight of Lyra still curled up on herself in the snow and then it all became clear. He had lost one Master the closing of the final order making that clear but here he had a huge chance of losing another to the very same cause and once more his chest felt heavy.
Arms encapsulated Lyra as she cried softly "It was fake, it was all fake" Harry whispered into her ear as if reminding the pair of them while he rocked her in his arms "It wasn't real" her arms came up to wrap around his neck after she buried her face there hiding from the world.
"Just think" Ron panted as he sat on his knees "Only three to go"
~~~
Later that very evening she saw Kreacher sat at the table inside the tent still holding onto the locket, she hadn't told him to leave yet and he seemed more then happy to stay "Are you alright Kreacher?"
He peered up at her with sad eyes "It is done, finally after all these years, Kreacher had tried everything"
"I know" she nodded "He would have been so proud of you Kreacher, i know he would have" she reached into her bag "I still have this, i don't know if you want have wanted it but if you do it's yours" she held out the replica her uncle had made of the locket and Kreacher released a breath and took the offered locket.
"You are much like him you know? He would have been proud of you, you are going to finish what he started, it feels only right" Kreacher whispered as his eyes locked with hers "But Kreacher can not allow it to end the same"
"Oh Kreacher" she sighed taking his old hand within her own "I know this is scary, and while i wish i could promise you i can not, war is a scary thing and people get hurt on both sides but no matter what happens i want to thank you, truly. You have been my oldest friend, i wouldn't be where i am today if it were not for you, regardless of what happens to me just know that i love you Kreacher, you're my family"
Kreacher cleared his throat, what he was about to say wasn't proper at all, he knew that but he patted her hands with his own "I love you too, Lyra Black is Kreacher's family"
Kreacher stayed another night before they were getting ready to leave and she asked him to go back to her father, she needed to make sure they were all safe and the only way to do that was to have Kreacher with her father while she protected the Trio.
It was all reaching the end, everyone felt it on both sides, it was just knowing which side would take the glory.