Chapter 24 – Hide and Seek
Aurora landed at the front lawn infront of small but nice looking house in the middle of the deserted street. She heard faint pop at ther right side and smiled at Ron who apparated only few seconds after her.
„Have you ever met her parents?" Aurora asked and proceeded to walk to the front door. The lawn was nietly cut and the house was decorated with various flowers which were fully blooming. All in all it was nice and quiet place.
„I've met them once in Diagonal Alley but Hermione never brought us to her home." Ron said and she noticed that he was probably nervous. Hands deep in the pockets of his jacket and eyes fully focused on the door in front of them.
„Don't worry I will advise them of the abduction gently." Aurora smiled and pushed the doorbell. They waited and she just started to think that maybe Hermione's parents were at work when the door opened and brown haired woman smiled at them.
„Hello. What can I do for you?" she asked pleasantly and just noticed Ron. „Ah Ron it's good to see you." Her eyes looked from Aurora to Ron again and then searched the street.
„Mrs. Granger can we come in?" Aurora interupted her obvious search for her daughter and forced her voice to sound officialy and little bit strict.
All of them entered the house. It was light place with lots of decorations and furniture. That kind of place which looks homey and cozy and invites you to stay. Aurora had to push back smile which was creeping to her face. She wasn't used to be in houses like this anymore. Years of secret investigations made her accustomed to dark, damp and treatening places. Too many times in the presence of maimed bodies of victims from dark curses or some poor souls caughed in cross fire.
People in England had no idea how bad Central Europe can be. With many cults still practising ancient forms of magic and following occulting sciences and traditions. The one thing for which English Ministry of Magic had her thumbs up was the series of laws strictly banishing all those primitive charms and enchantments into oblivion. But then again some of them might even help them in the search. Ah well the world can never be easy on you.
They were lead into the small living-room and seated into creamy leather couch.
„Mrs. Granger is your husband home? We might want to talk everything over with both of you." Aurora said slowly gathering herself from gloomy thoughts.
„I will call him." The woman answered them and with worried look written all over her face disappeared into the house only to return few minutes later with her husband. The middle aged man with brown hair and almond shaped hazel eyes. Judging from the picutes of Hermione she had seen so far she was sure that she inherited those eyes from his father.
„Is something wrong with Hermione?" Mr. Granger asked and he and his wife both sat down into smaller couch oposing them.
„Let me introduce myself first." Aurora said in her calm, slow manner. „I am Aurora Gunn and I was appointed to investigate abduction of your daughter by unknown suspect." She saw with the corner of her eyes Ron hanging down his head.
„Abduction…wait a second what happened?" Mr. Granger asked loudly while his wife only managed to produce silent cry of fear.
„We have some leads as to where she might been. It seems that somone from the magical comunity is behind it. She was seen unharmed together with uknown young man in Southern England."
„Does it have to do anything with that war or what was happening last year?" Mrs. Granger asked after a while her face riddled with fear.
„I don't think so but I can't say anything for sure yet. We have come here because we need your daughter's scrapbook I am told she kept. With that we might be able to trace her location and bring her home."
Mr. and Mrs. Granger exchanged worried looks. „We have packed all her things into boxes. She said at the beginning of summer holidays that she would stop by for them later when she settles down in her new house." Mrs. Granger said finaly. „Come with me."
She led them through the house to the first floor and they entered small room with large windows on one wall and large but empty bookshelves on the other.
„The books are in these." Mrs. Granger pointed with one shaking finger at dozen or so large boxes neatly layed against the one remaining wall.
„Thank you." Aurora said perhaps a little bit impatiently but managed to chase the woman out of the room.
„You might have been a little bit genlier with them." Ron said angrily and proceeded to open the nearest box.
„Don't bother." She told him and pointed her wand on the pile. „Accio Hermione Granger's scrapbook." She said softly and in the instant large book in red covers landed in her stretched hand. „Every minute we waist might distant us from your friend. So the politness is not in place here." She said sternly and professionaly while shrinking the book and hiding it in her pocket.
Minutes later they found both Grangers still sitting in the living-room talking quickly.
„Have you found it?" Mr. Granger asked.
„Yes. Thank you for your help. I will keep you updated with the investigation." Aurora said politely and headed to the door with Ron at her heels.
„You will find her won't you?" Mrs. Granger asked her voice cracking as she fought back tears.
„Yes madam. I've never had any unclosed case."
„Thank you." Mr. Granger said gratefully and opened the door for them.
The afternoon sun shone brightly on them when they walked briskly across the front lawn and to the street.
„You've really managed to close all your cases?" Ron asked suprised.
„Yes." She replied bluntly and pulled out her wand.
„That's wonderful." He said in cheerful voice and pulled out his own wand.
„I haven't said that all the cases ended up with happy ending." She added bitterly and apparated herself back to the Grimmaud's place. Leaving Ron dumbstrucked in the middle of the street.
(~O~)
„So any progress in that book of yours?" Hermione asked and smiled at the only other person sitting by the table.
„My sister is working on it." Vaneria answered somewhat tiredly and pushed her lunch over the plate.
„I was just wondering what will happen after you translate it?"
„Mr. Griffith will probably head over to his final goal." Vaneria shrugged and rose up from the table.
„Guess that means you won't be free for the rest of the day." Hermione said half disappointed. She hoped that the black haired witch might take her out. Any company was better than being alone in this large house.
„Neville will be stopping by soon." Vaneria replied in bored tone and left the room.
It was the same day after day. Breakfast, lunch afternoon boredom, tests with Mr. Griffith and then evening boredom before going to sleep. She couldn't leave the house and she was pretty sure that by now she would be able to draw the exact plan of the entire building even in her sleep. All the rooms and furniture and corridors. She knew everything after all she walked through the house at least milion times.
„Hey Hermione." The cheerful voice interpted her thoughts and she grinned on her friend.
„Hey Neville." She smiled and jumped out from the table. „Do you have time today?" she added with hope in her voice.
„Yes. Actually I was looking for you. Thought you might want to do something together." He smiled at her.
„I'd loved to. It's just…" she left it hanging.
„It's just what?" he asked his tone changing from cheerful to more serious.
„Well I know the house completely over. Can't we go perhaps to the garden?" she asked in her sweetest voice.
„You know well that Mr. Griffith forbid you to go out." Neville poined out matter of factly and leaned against whe wall.
„Well he is not here now. Please Nev only for a little while. I won't do anything dangerous. Not while I know it would bring you to responsibility." She beamed at him and stepped closer.
He shifted nervously trying to avoid the eye contact. He knew that in the second his eyes would meet hers he will loose the entire argument.
„Please Neville." She pleaded and took one step closer.
And at that time he lost it. The large hazel eyes caughed his green ones and he knew that he could no longer deny her any wish.
„Fine but only to the garden." he said with sheepish smile and turned around to lead the way.
You are aware that she is only using you right?
No woman can like you. Not this week, this useless.
Shut up! He mentaly screamed at the annoying voice in his head trying hard not to show any uneasy emotiones on his face.
So you'd prefer rather jumping as she whistles than listening to me?
Just one drop. Haven't you admited it earlier in the library. That you want more power?
Useless. Weak. Coward. The voice teased him all the way down the halls to the front door.
She will never love anyone as weak as you.
ALRIGHT. he screamed in his head and opened the door.
„Dont't go far." He said half smiling to Hermione his hand already in his pocket gripping tightly the small vial.
He watched her hair brighten with afternoon sun. The golden sun illuminating her in golden light. She spreaded her hands and with grinn as if still little girl she rushed to the garden. That sight made him smile.
But he haven't forget. The cold surface of the vial in his palm reminded him of the duties he had and of the power he will gain. He won't be considered weak anymore. He will show them all.
And with this last angry thought he pulled the vial out and without any further hesitation drank small amount of silvery liquid.
The sensation was always strong. He only barely remained standing feeling his whole body crushing down under the raw magical power rushing through his veins.
„Neville are you alright?" he heard her voice from distance. All the words filtering to him as if he was under water. The vision became blurry and his hands started to shake violently.
„NEVILLE!" she shouted again and that disstress in her voice was enough to bring him to his senses.
„Yes I am fine." He said after a while and managed to smile at her. „Was feeling a little dizzy haven't ate anything since…well I don't even know for how long."
She grabbed his arm the warmth of her fingers spreading through his whole hand.
„Then we might aswell get something for you." And without another word he felt himself squeezed through the time and space and with faint pop reapearing in the back alley of some unknown town.
„Where the hell are we?" he asked puzzled and looked at her hand which was still holding his.
„I have no idea. But I asume that we will find out soon enough and also find someplace where you might be able to eat something decent." She grinned at him and let go of his hand.
„If Mr. Griffith finds out he will kill us." Neville said but his long burried Griffindor sense for adventure made him excited about prospect of spending afternoon out with Hermione.
„Well then we have to make sure he does not find out." She winked and started to march out of the street into much more crowded wide avenue.
(~O~)
„So how does it work?" Harry asked and looked over to Ron and Ginny. They were all gathered in the living room over small table containing the world map and watched Aurora as she placed white crystal on the Hermione's scrapbook and pointed her wand on it.
„Well I will cast an old revelation spell on the crystal which will fuse itself with the book and then when we place it over the map it will probably show us the place where Ms. Granger is." She said quickly and closed her eyes.
The athmoshere in the room couldn't be more dense. They all watched with hold breaths as her lips wordlessly spoke some kind of incantation and then the crystal shone with bright light and the color changed from white to light blue.
„Did it work?" Ron asked.
„We will find out soon enough." Aurora answered his question and grabbed silver chain which was bound to the crystal and hovered it over the map. The minutes dragged by and nothing happened and when all of them started to think it was all in vain the crystal moved and pointed at some spot in the map.
„Where does it point?" she asked and looked at the map which was upside down from her position.
„Edinburgh." Harry read the sign of the city on the map. He watched Aurora taking her wand and tap it lightly on the sheet. The small dot which represented the city grew larger and larger until the whole map contained detailed plan of the whole city.
„Neat." Ginny grinned and was awarded with wink.
„Yeah my own invetion." Aurora said proudly and hovered the crystal over the map again. Another moment of silence passed by as the crystal hanged over the plan and after what seemed like eternity it pinned itself into one small street.
„Elliot Gardens." Ron read the street name.
„Grab your wands we are leaving." Aurora said resolutely and limped to the hallway.
They all exited the house to warm summer evening and with four pops left the Grimmaud's place behind.
Harry reappeared in the small lane and watched Aurora already holding the crystal in her hand.
„Any leads?" he asked hopefully.
„She was here for certain but the blue light is fading. We came too late." She stated calmly and watched three disappointed faces. „Well we still got the crystal tuned on her. So we will scan the map over and over again till we find her." She said encouragingly.
„What if she is at some place under the Fidelius Charm." Harry remembered how Dumbledore explained to him what it meant and how such guarded building became untracealbe.
„Then we have a problem." She said frowning and looked back at now again white crystal.
A/N: Hello everyone. Thank you sooo much for reviews and alerts. You are such a great readers love you all. And since you are so wonderful I managed to actualy set the story guidelines for myslef so that I wont just pull the chapters out of nothing (heh yeah I am sorry for doing it like that so far but it is after all my first work.) so from now on I have better grasp of what will happen in the future.