Draco sat on the couch with Hermione in his arms. He had come to not mind the Gryffindor Common Room. McGonagall had allowed him to use the Gryffindor Common Room with the rest of them, at least until the students came back. The blonde sat while Hermione read Bellatrix's Diary. Ginny was reading something entirely different and Potter and Weasel were nowhere to be seen, how he liked it.

He still felt like shit. He still felt nothing but pain every time he did just about anything. Because everything reminded him of her. His mother. She left him, and Merlin knows why. Hermione went ridged in his hold and he sat up, "what's wrong?" he asked her, feeling her discomfort.

"Hold on." She muttered, her eyes bolting back and forth reading the page, clearly, it was important. Ginny sat up, turning to the pair in concern. Draco watched as Hermione's eyes filled with tears that slipped over her cheeks.

"Hermione?" Ginny questioned quietly.

Her eyes came up from the page, tears rolling down her cheeks, one after the next. The brunette looked at Draco, his eyes searching for what's upset her. "I'm so sorry." She whispered to Draco, who was confused, to say the least.

"What? Why, Hermione?" Draco grasped. But she just shook her head and continued crying, before handing him the book. Draco gulped down the pooling nervousness and read where she pointed to.

Draco stopped reading then and there, handing the journal to Ginny who was anxiously waiting to see why her friend was crying. Hermione threw herself onto him, her crying subsiding, "I'm so sorry Draco."

Ginny perked up, "that must be why she took her life." She spoke quietly, carefully.

"How, she might not have even known." Draco snapped.

"She could have found out." Hermione offered, "you told her about our hunt for the Horcruxes, maybe she figured it out somehow."

Draco sighed, burying his head in his hands as Hermione rubbed his back silently.

"Well, that means two out of three." Ginny sighed.

-*-

"One more week and we can get rid of that ring," Hermione said to Harry after filling him in on the new information.

"Finally some good news." He added as he flipped another page in the diary, "I was starting to give up hope." Harry looked up at her, a seriousness going over him, "how's he doing?"

"Better I think. Funeral agencies keep contacting him, it makes him mad. But I think he's doing better," She said honestly. Hermione wondered if one can ever get over something like that. Dying to protect everyone else, to destroy a Horcrux, it's honorable. But no matter why the death it still hurts. She decided, one probably does not get over it.

"It's hard, it really is, but I'm glad to hear he's doing a bit better. It'll take a while before he's normal but, all in good time." Harry smiled, looking back down the diary to continue skimming.

"Yeah, all in good time," She smiled, looking at her friend. Hermione knew he had lost more than most. She also knew he was willing to die to protect the ones he loved. He also was a Horcrux. She thought maybe, at a later date, Draco and he could have a talk.

"I was- Hermione...?"

"Yes?"

"Look."

Hermione didn't bother reading any more. This was the best news all day. Two of the Three Horcruxes were already gone. She looked to Harry, her eyes filled with emotion, "not 'so smart' now, huh?" She smiled. Harry leaned over to hug her.

"One more week and this ends." He reminded her.

"One more week and we can take her down." Hermione nodded.

-*-

"Draco, you can't just not have a funeral for her." Hermione scolded as they laid on the couch.

"I'm not-not having a funeral for her. I'm just waiting until this whole thing is over." Draco sighed, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Who knows how long it could take," Hermione frowned.

"Not long, a week and a half tops. Then we can put her to rest and we can go back to just... being us." Draco kissed the top of her head.

"Isn't us doing things like this?"

"Not after next week."

Hermione just shook her head before kissing his cheek.

Harry burst through the door, Ron behind him, "They're here."

"What?" Ginny exclaimed, jumping out of her seat.

"Bellatrix, the death eaters, there here." Harry panted, "they're going to try to stop us before we can destroy the last Horcrux."

"It's not ready, the potion still has five days to go Harry!" Hermione stood, her wand in hand.

"Well, we need to try harder. We need to destroy that thing. Now."