Lucius jerked a nod, and he stepped back to allow Voldemort to enter. With a wave of his wand, Voldemort slid open the stone wall, like a boulder moving to the side. He slithered inside, disappearing in the darkness, and Lucius drew a ragged breath.

The mountains of Romania warped, the memory ending. The Pensieve pushed them up and out.

When her feet were firmly planted on the study floor, Hermione braced herself on her knees, sucking in air.

Lucius Malfoy had carefully saved the location of Voldemort's Horcrux.

Her ears were ringing when she finally looked up at Draco. His mouth was open, his eyes staring vacantly at the titles on his father's shelves. She blinked down into the Pensieve, seeing the mountains rise up to the surface of the swirling memories.

She was now one of four people in the world who knew the location of Voldemort's final Horcrux. And now she had to decide what to do with it.

She collapsed into Lucius's leather chair and closed her eyes, trying to think. When she finally opened them, her gaze lifted to Draco. His fingers were toying with a thread on his sleeve, his eyes still far away.

There was so much she'd already asked of him. Charlotte, returning her memories, disobeying his father. Even if he agreed to get another message to the Order about the Horcrux in Romania, she didn't know how they'd destroy it. They might not even be able to get past the wards.

Hermione looked down at the mahogany desk, breathing deeply as resolve washed over her. It needed to be her. Getting this to the Order and hoping they would be successful from afar was a risk she couldn't take. Horcruxes were hers. Hers, Harry's, and Ron's. Dumbledore had entrusted it to them.

Ginny and Charlotte didn't know what she did. With this new Horcrux in Romania… there was only her. And Draco.

Her eyes traveled up to him. Just days ago, she'd promised him she would stay until they could all get out. But there hadn't been a Horcrux then. Her logic was screaming at her to down the tattoo antidote, take his wand, march out the Manor gates, and head straight for the mountains in Romania. To roll back the stone and kill the Horcrux, just like he'd killed Harry. But her heart was begging her not to disappear. All three Malfoys would be tortured and killed. Her breath choked her, and she forced her thoughts aside.

Narrowing her gaze at the desk, she wondered why Lucius Malfoy would hold onto these memories. The only reason she could think of was that he needed them… for insurance. Just like her. If the True Order captured him or his family, what better insurance was there than the location of Voldemort's final Horcrux.

Draco abruptly turned on his heel, striding to the Pensieve. A muscle in his cheek twitched as he began collecting the threads and dropping them back in the vial. Putting things away, like they hadn't been touched — hadn't cracked her world open.