the_debt_of_time

nearest chair. Then she grabbed a blanket and hastily draped it over him. "Are you all right?
Where have you been? You were supposed to have been keeping watch."
"It's okay; everything's fine. More than fine, I'm great. There's someone here."
"What do you mean? Who?" Hermione looked up and watched as Ron walked into
the tent, standing there holding a sword and dripping onto the threadbare carpet.
"You!" she growled, throwing her wand onto a nearby chair. She fisted her hands
tightly and ran at him, punching every inch of him she could reach. "You are a complete
arse, Ronald Weasley!"
"I know, I know, I'm sorry!" he shouted, trying to protect himself from her punches.
"Oh, you're sorry, are you?!"
"Yes," Ron said calmly. "I... I was a right git. You were right; it was that bloody
locket. I'm sorry for what I said." He looked up and caught sight of Sirius sitting on the
edge of the large bed in the corner. "I'm sorry," he said to Sirius, who had narrowed his
gaze.
After a long moment, the man nodded.
"Apology not accepted!" Hermione yelled and reached for her wand.
"Hermione," Harry said, drawing her attention and sighing. "He just saved my life."
"What?" Sirius stood up. "Why did he need to? Were the wards breached?"
"No, I... I saw something."
"What did you see?" Sirius inquired, stepping forward and taking possession of
Hermione's wand before she ended up cursing Ron with something permanent.
"A Patronus," Harry explained. "A doe."
Sirius's face paled. "What did you say?"
"A doe," Harry repeated. "It led me to a small frozen pond. I lit Hermione's wand
and looked down and saw it." Harry gestured to the sword in Ron's hand and grinned.
"We've got it. We can destroy more Horcruxes now."
"More?" Hermione asked, her temper finally calming.
Ron beamed at her apparent cool-down. He held up the locket, broken and black.
She snatched it from him and turned it over for a careful examination. "And you're
sure it's gone?"
"Pretty damn." Harry chuckled, nervously running his fingers through his newly
dried hair. "It fought back when I opened it. Ron stabbed it with the sword."