Harry threw himself down on the floor in a blind panic. "Oh dear God!" he whispered. He started to crawl across the pale green tiles of the floor. It was cold and sticky, with mystery stains dotted all over it. He cringed at the thought of what unknown substances he was running his hands over. But what other choice did he have? He was the one who lost it and he had to find it. The consequences waiting for him if he failed, he refused to even entertain those thoughts at the moment.
Harry looked up from his place on the floor when the heavy wooden door of the kitchen opened with a creak. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was Victoria standing in the doorway.
"Harry, what in the name of God, are you doing? Why are you on the floor? Better question; have you lost what is left of your mind?!"
Harry scowled at his friend's barrage of questions. Really, now was not the time for talking.
"I dropped the blasted diamond Victoria! Do you honestly think that I'm crawling about on this disgusting floor for fun?"
Victoria's beautiful face contorted into a mask of horror. At any other time, he would have taken a moment to savour the unexpected reaction. His friend rarely let what she was feeling show on her face, beyond her expressions of choice that is, her favourite being a smug grin.
She dropped to the floor beside him as gracefully as her bulky red gown would allow. Victoria squashed the thick velvet out of her way.
"Tell me Harry, just how did you manage to loose the diamond?"
Harry winced at her hushed tone. "Sweet as honey, yet deadly as a killer bee," he mused. A sharp nudge from Victoria's elbow soon knocked him from his thoughts.
"Ouch!"
"Stop thinking and keep looking would you! You're the genius who managed; not only, to loose a diamond worth a fortune, you've also assisted in ruination of my gown."
Harry wisely did not reply. As they searched the dimly lit floor, he hoped no one else decided to make a trip to the kitchen. Hopefully the guests would be too merry from the wine to bother. He had only come for more wine glasses since the servers were such clumsy oafs and look at what happened.
Victoria gave a groan. "How did you manage to drop it Harry?
"I was taking some glasses off the shelf, it slipped from my fingers and skittered somewhere across the floor."
His friend stopped her search for a moment. "Did it not occur to you to put such an obscene jewel in your pocket?"
"I, ah, didn't want to loose it."
"That worked out very well for you," Victoria drawled sarcastically. "Honestly, Ron is going to have your guts for garters." She resumed her search without another word.
They were silent for a few moments before Harry asked, "Where is Ron now, the cellar?"
"He's in the room below at the moment," Victoria replied shortly. "He's been there half an hour. I heard him go in there and I can hear him moving around in there now. He is on the hunt for a bottle of wine I think. Perhaps you will have chance to escape before he eviscerates you. He's somewhat slower when good wine is involved."
Harry grimaced, but as he did, a faint glimmer caught his eye.
"God has mercy! It's beneath the cabinet."
"You hope," Victoria murmured. "It could be a spoon."
"Reach under there, my hand will never fit."
She glared at him. "You are forever in my debt dear friend," Victoria said as she lay on her stomach to reach the little object. "Voila!" she crowed, as her fingers wrapped around it. She grinned and got to her knees.
The kitchen door opened yet again and Victoria pushed the ring into Harry's hand. "Why are you two on the floor?"
They turned their heads at the sound of Ron' voice and then glanced at each other quickly. Victoria held out a hand to him. Ron swiftly pulled her upright. "Harry lost a cufflink; however, I found it in the end." Victoria replied.
"That was rather careless of you Harry." Ron let out a laugh. "You didn't loose my engagement ring too, did you? The diamond was frightfully expensive. "
Harry shook his head frantically. "No, of course not, I can assure you! That ring is safely in my pocket, exactly where it belongs."