the guardian | h.potter

5.8

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— It was the next morning.

The night prior, as always, Finley only napped through portions of the night. Her body had adapted to the sleepless nights over the few months.

She just couldn't sleep.

I mean, sure, she slept. But not long nor ever peacefully.

Finley sat on the bed with a book in her hand. She was reading a book about two star-crossed lovers– a classic.

Harry lay on the bed, head on the pillow with his arms crossed. His golden snitch hovered above his face. He glared darkly at the object that just won't give him the answer.

Finley could hear Harry's breaths of disapproval over her mental reading.

She looked over at him, quirking an eyebrow. "You should really stop thinking too hard over that thing."

"And risk not revealing an important clue?" He sassed back to her sarcastically, the snitch swaying as Harry turns his head to her.

"Well, just think smarter then. What happened the first time you caught your very first snitch? And I mean your very first." She started, clipping her page and putting her book to focus on him.

"I..." Harry's eyes dawned with realization. Harry slowly raised his hand, catching the snitch in his grasp. He lowered it to his lips, letting the snitch warm with the touch.

Harry pulled back the golden snitch, staring hard at it now. His eyes widened. "Fin! It- It says something. I open at the close. That's... We have to go tell Hermione!"

Harry pulled Finley up off of the bed, dragging her with him outside. "Hermione? Hermione! You were right." Harry stuttered as he sat across from her. Finley sat down beside him.

Their feet dangled into one of the cracks, close to giving Finley a heart attack.

"Snitches have flesh memories. But I didn't catch the first snitch with my hand. I almost swallowed it." Finley grimaced at Harry's words.

Hermione was handed the snitch. She peered down at the words engraved in the gold. "I open at the close."

"Yeah. What do you think that means?" Harry questioned, leaning forward as the wind picked up around them. It was chilly.

"I don't know... I found something as well." Hermione reached to her left, pulling out a book.

Finley scooted to a side of Hermione's, Harry taking the other side.

Finley leant forward, her hands cupping her mouth as she tried to warm up her limbs. She liked it better inside the tent.

"At first, I thought it was an eye, but now I don't think it is." Hermione showed the two the page in the book, a symbol written in pen. "It isn't a rune. And it isn't anywhere in spellman's syllabary. Somebody inked it in. It isn't part of the book. Somebody drew it."

"Luna's dad was wearing that symbol at Bill and Fleur's wedding," Harry pointed out.

"Why would someone draw it in a children's book?" Hermione inquired to no one in particular.

"Wasn't that the book Dumbledore gave you? And the snitch, also a gift from Dumbledore. He left those things for us on purpose. Each gift from his will is a clue to finding these Horcruxes." Finley explained her thoughts, piecing it together.

"You're right, Fin. You'll have to check those wands Dumbledore gave you. Look, guys, I've been thinking." Harry started. Finley stiffened at the mention of her parents' wands. No one but her knew whose the wands belonged to. "I want to go to Godric's Hollow," Harry declared.

Finley turned her gaze to him in disbelief.

"You know, it's where I was born. It's where my parents died." Harry threw his hands out as if it all made sense.

Finley shook her head, huffing quietly.

"That's exactly where he'll expect you to go, because it means something to you," Hermione sighed, standing up with her book in hand.

"Uh, yeah, but it means something to him, too, Hermione!" Harry defended, standing up with desperation. "You-Know-Who almost died there. I mean, isn't that exactly the type of place he'd be likely to hide a Horcrux?"

Harry held a hand down to help Finley stand up.

"That's- It's dangerous, Harry." Hermione rebuttals, looking at him with a conflicted expression.

Harry stood in anticipation.

"When do we ever not do anything dangerous?" Finley sarcastically remarked.

Hermione rolled her eyes playfully. "But, even I have to admit, recently, I've been thinking we'll have to go there." She walked forward, leaving the couple behind.

Harry thrusted his hands down beside him in victory. Finley grinned in amusement.

"I think it's possible something else is hidden there."

Harry and Finley walked forward, back towards the tent. "What?" The boy questioned.

"The sword," Finley concluded knowingly. She held out her hand for his. He stepped into it, intertwining their fingers.

"If Dumbledore wanted you to find it but didn't want it falling into the Ministry's hands, where better to hide it than the birthplace of the Founder of Gryffindor?" Hermione spoke to the two. She stopped, halting everyone else's movements.

"H-Hermione..." Harry drawled wearily.

Hermione raised her hand, brushing her fingers through the tips of his hair. "Don't ever let me give you a haircut again. It'd scare Finley off."

"Isn't possible," Finley remarked, hugging Harry's arm close to her side.

Hermione nodded confidently before making her way inside the tent.

Finley turned to Harry just as snow began to sprinkle down on them. She smiled, raising her hand to catch a snowflake in the palm of her hand.

Harry watched her expression turn alight. He loved to see her smile.

"I love you."

She turned her gaze to him, watching him with a perplexed expression.

"What?" He inquired from her.

She lowered her hands to her side. She continued to watch him with no sounds from her.

He only grew more confused.

"What is it?" He repeated.

She leant forward on her tiptoes, planting a swift kiss on his lips. "I love you, too."

With that, she disappeared into the lit tent.

And left him out there; even in this frigid weather, his heart warmed. It warmed for her. It warmed because of her.

And he couldn't love her more for it.

+++
- J.S.