Chapter Ten
"So, which way do you think we should go, Granger?" Lucius inquired as the two flew southward over the vast expanse of foothills and mountains of France, Switzerland and Italy, the wind blowing in their hair, content in the knowledge that their Disillusionment would keep the non-magical folk from spotting them there.
"Let's head south east a bit, I think," she suggested. "I often find that the best place to hide something from someone is often right under their noses."
"So you think the best place to hide something from the Romans would have been somewhere in Rome itself?" Lucius asked with a chuckle. "That makes perfect sense to me."
Hermione grinned over at him, and pointed out, "I've done it to you more than once."
"Did you, really?" he inquired, brow raised.
"Oh, yes, back during the war," she said smugly. "The Order managed to keep a good many secrets from you Death Eaters with just such a strategy."
"I'll have to keep that in mind, for future reference," he said lightly.
"Damn, I just gave up one of my best secrets," Hermione said, pretending to hit herself on the forehead as if she hadn't given the matter any thought. "I'd better not try to hide anything from you ever again."
"No, you had better not, my dear," he agreed. "Because if you did, I'd be sure to find it."
Hermione laughed outright then. "I'd better get to work as soon as we get back to the Ministry, I think. You might just find a few things I already hid."
"Oh, ho, that sounds like a challenge!" Lucius answered with bravado, but then something off to the side caught his eye. "Wait, what was that? Circle round, my dear, over there. Do you see it? On the face of that cliff. That large oval with the scratched out area that might have once been a line through it?"
The two turned back and examined a rather tall side of one of the mountains as they passed, then passed by it again. Hermione said, "Did you see any sort of cave entrances on it, Lucius? It looks like solid rock."
"I don't know, my dear, but I do think it's worth a closer look," he said. "Let's go and collect our things and set up camp here. We can look around for possible ways in or any other clues. This looks like a pretty secluded spot, no trails in or anything."
"It's surrounded completely by dense forest," she agreed. "I doubt anybody is going to disturb us here."
"Hmm, that sounds promising," he commented with a suggestive smile.
"Stop it, you naughty boy," she said as his broom passed hers, swatting his backside again.
"That's three, Granger," he said. "I'm beginning to think you're trying to make that list take up more than one scroll."
"Well, you did say you were loaded," she reminded him. "I'm sure you can afford the vellum."
Lucius laughed heartily as they headed back toward camp. "That I can, my dear. That I can."