The Cave - 1

Harry's nostrils flared at the mention of Snape's name, but he sank back against the headboard once again.

"I suppose it's something we'll never know," he said, causing Ginny's heart to ache. She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Blimey, I'm starving," Ron groaned, breaking the tension. "We missed lunch while we were stuck out there,"

Hermione smiled. "I'll run downstairs and bring up some of the sandwiches," she said, causing Ron to smile in a self-satisfied way.

"Thanks, love," Ron said softly. Hermione beamed and quickly left the room.

Ginny settled back with her head against the wall and listened as Harry's breathing became deep and even. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest and knew he was already sleeping. His dark lashes showed starkly against the paleness of his face. Ginny always enjoyed watching him sleep because he looked so young and carefree. All the tension and worry that had lined his face so frequently over the past few months would disappear, and he was just Harry again.

She remembered overhearing her mother talking to a friend when Ginny was a child. Her dad had made a trip out to Azkaban for the Ministry, and he'd been really shaken when he'd returned. Her mother had told her friend that Azkaban was a horrible place, and her dad was a sensitive bloke. She said the atmosphere always affected softhearted people worse.

Softhearted certainly fit Harry. He had more compassion than anyone she'd ever known. No wonder he'd had a difficult time of it.

By the time Hermione returned with some food, Harry was snoring lightly against Ginny's shoulder. She found his weight oddly comforting. Ron, too, had nearly dozed, but started again when Hermione arrived with the food. Even that didn't bring the color back to his face, and he poked and moved it around more than ate it. Ginny and Hermione kept casting worried glances at one another. It must have been really bad for Ron to be put off food. After they'd finished their dinner, Ron eventually dozed off again. She and Hermione tucked the boys in before returning to their own room for the night.

*~*~*

It took several days for Harry and Ron to feel like themselves again, and they spent most of that recovery time sleeping. By week's end, however, Harry once more felt that restless drive to move forward. He had another Horcrux in his hands – he was certain this locket was the correct one – and now all he needed to do was destroy it.

Exactly how to destroy it was another matter. He'd taken the locket into the basement of Grimmauld Place to see if he could open it. Unlike the fake Horcrux that easily opened, the golden trinket with Slytherin's elaborate insignia remained tightly sealed. Ron reckoned that perhaps Regulus had been able to destroy the Horcrux trapped inside, but Harry wasn't convinced. He could feel the power and evil emanating from it, and knew the piece of Voldemort's soul still remained.

He wondered if he'd felt something from the real locket when they'd found it at Grimmauld Place the first time. Of course, he wouldn't have known what the feeling meant then, and he supposed he'd been dealing with such a mess of raging feelings at the time, anyway, one more might not have made much of an impact.

Knowing this didn't tell him what he needed to do to destroy it, however. He'd done the diary and the cup on sheer instinct; he'd been panicked each time. This time, however, sitting in a warm room with the cool object clasped in his hand and not a danger in sight, his task wasn't as clear.