Author's Note (s): Anegada is five hours ahead of GMT. British time, that
is. So, say it's 9PM for Ron (which it will be later) then it's 4PM for
Hermione. Anyway, grab your popcorn, this is a nice sized chapter! Please
be sure and reply, when you're done reading! We'd really appreciate it!
Dedicated to our betas RonaldWeasley, Lily, and Liberty! Thank you so much!
We are trying really hard with this. We hope you enjoy it at least a little. Thank you so much for your replies. It means everything to us. The more replies we get, the more we want to keep going.
Chatper 2 - "The Strike of Van Vleck"
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione Granger sat in her office, staring at the myriad of papers, books, and artifacts she had strewn across her desk. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples for a moment before cracking her eyes back open and continuing to gaze into nothingness. This was one of the rare moments that one might catch her distracted from her work, and the reason, quite plainly, was that her mind kept wandering to her engagement to Montgomery Van Vleck.
She had a nagging feeling that she had somehow betrayed someone. It was quite irrational, really. Hermione had not had contact with that someone in nearly half a decade. Still, she couldn't stop staring at him and feeling fretful with guilt. Okay, so she wasn't staring at him. She was staring at a picture of him with his family. She and Harry had also been squeezed into the bunch, as usual.
For Christmas, during her sixth year, Hermione's parents had given her a fancy muggle camera. She'd been staying at the Burrow for the holidays, so she had no choice but to test it out on present company. She'd quickly gathered Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys, huddled them together, and clicked the little red button to capture the moment. The camera had worked famously, and Hermione immediately framed the picture.
Some time after her seventh year, she had lost it. She'd been very put out about it, knowing she'd packed it among her things upon her move to Anegada. She'd been living in a small palm thatched hut equipped with only a makeshift bed, her trunk, and a small desk. Bathroom facilities, in which she shared with her mentor, who had died last year, and his research team, were a short distance away in a similar type of structure. Living was sparse back then, and it made no sense to her that she could not find something she had very well known she had packed before leaving. Then just last week, after years of searching and a move to a small cottage near the institute, she found it between the pages of an old school book.
It seemed a cruel reminder of what she had given up.
Why had she given it up? Her heart squeezed as she continued to study the image before her. She could tell Monte she had changed her mind and leave now.
Go back to Ron. Harry. Everyone.
She had wanted to say no when he proposed. Monte was her friend. Over the past few years, he had been sweet and helpful. He had taken a dream of hers, and her colleagues, and made it a reality. She was more than grateful for that, but marrying him was the furthest thing from her mind. Then Monte had slipped the precious ring on her finger, and the strangest feeling came over her.
She looked into his blue eyes and saw something sparkle there. It mesmerized her. She did feel something for him; she realized. And so a second later, she found herself saying yes.
Completely absorbed in her own thoughts, Hermione did not stir as Summer, her young assistant, walked in.
"Excuse me," the sandy-haired girl said, startling Hermione a bit. "Ms. Granger, the field team won't be back until night fall. I just wanted to remind you, and goodness, you look awfully sick. Are you all right?" she went on quickly, looking as if she wanted to step forward and offer Hermione comfort but was a bit afraid of the normally standoffish and serious witch.
Hermione arched an eyebrow at the girl. "Actually," she started, noting that she did feel rather odd, and it wasn't just her earlier feelings of remorse about Ron plaguing her. It was something else. "I feel... well... my stomach hurts a bit."
"Was it something you ate?"
"No, it's not that. It's not anything like that. Not illness or anything of the sort, I don't think. It's just odd."
"Oh," replied Summer. She blinked at Hermione. "Well, this is just an old local witches' tale, but maybe it's your new ring."
Hermione frowned. "My ring?"
Summer nodded. "It's said that a newly engaged woman, who may be feeling a little, well, overwhelmed by her new circumstances may begin to feel a little sick to her stomach. And well, if she removes her ring then the discomfort temporarily dissipates."
Hermione smiled at Summer. Normally, she wouldn't have listened, but the young woman looked so hopeful. Hermione was a role model for Summer. She looked up to her, so Hermione popped her ring off. "Are you sure you just don't want to try it on?" Hermione teased the girl who blushed. "Go ahead. I don't mind."
Summer frowned. She had not expected her secret to be revealed. The old witches' tale had been true, but she was not quite sure she believed it. She was quite sure, however, that she wanted to hold the most spectacular diamond ring she had ever seen in her hand, if only for a moment. It would probably be the last time Summer ever came near something so fine. Not that she cared about such things normally. After all, she was more interested in things like historical research. She gasped when Hermione dropped it into her hand. She didn't feel right about putting it on, so she simply held it up to light that was streaming into the room from the windows. It was stunning.
Odd, thought Hermione, wiggling her fingers, she did feel much better. She smiled again and thanked Summer after the young woman handed back her ring. Sighing, she placed the diamond in the top drawer of her desk as Summer left.
Back to work, she thought. In other words, back to thinking about Ron.
~*~*~*~*~
Tucked away in a dark chamber on the tenth floor of the Ministry of Magic, Ron yawned, and awoke from a very long slumber.
Twelve hours ago, Ron had consumed a potion Snape had called Periculum Evigilo or the Danger Alert Serum. It was supposed to locate a person in peril who was either the victim of Dark Magic or very close to it through visualization. In order for it to work, however, Ron had to first be asleep for a given amount of time.
That git Snape, Ron had thought, had been a complete pain in the arse about the entire thing. Not only had he arrived an hour late, he had not explained exactly what it was he and Tonks were supposed to do after waking up. Instead he sneered at them and said in that oily voice of his, "Sleep now. Ask questions later." Moody and Shacklebolt had not uttered a word after the venture down to the tenth level to the very strange room. Ron was afraid to ask what normally took place within its walls. It looked a bit like an infirmary, but St. Mungo's was so near, there didn't seem to be a need for such a room in the Ministry. However, there were secrets the Ministry kept. Many secrets, just like the one Ron and Tonks were involved in right now.
Ron blinked steadily and raised himself up on his elbows to look across the room. Tonks, he realized, was already awake and waiting for him.
"Feel all right there, Ron?"
"Actually, I feel like crap."
"Mmm. Can't say I feel much better," replied Tonks, running her hand through her short bright blue hair.
A few minutes later, Snape, Moody, and Shacklebolt entered the room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind them. Moody was carrying a pacifier, and Shacklebolt was carrying a small pink blanket, which he handed to Ron. Moody threw the pacifier to Tonks, who looked at it quizzically.
Ron was confused as well. Why on earth were they holding these baby things?
Snape cleared his throat, calling their attention to him. "In order," he began, "for this particular alert serum to work, the taker, after a period of twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep, must hold one of th-"
The door opened, and Perdita, Ron's partner, and Harry came barging in.
Perdita, a twenty-six-year-old coffee-toned young woman with staring hazel eyes, was average in height, but certainly made up for it in spirit. Her shoulder length wavy dark hair was tied up on either side of her head in two pigtails, contrasting the serious expression she wore on her face, while Harry stood tall behind her. Moody had rushed to the door and tried to hold them back, but it wasn't doing much good.
"We know what's going on, here!" exclaimed Perdita triumphantly to Mad-eye, whose magical eye jumped from the two young Aurors to the rest of the room and back. Perdita pushed forward. "Give it up, Moody. We know everything." The old Auror sighed and stepped aside. Damn American was as stubborn as Hermione when she wanted to be.
"You were supposed to lock the door, Kingsley," Moody growled.
"I was supposed to lock it?" the tall man returned with a snort.
Once again, Snape cleared his throat, "As I was saying," he glared at Harry and Perdita, then Moody and Shacklebolt, before returning his attention to Ron and Tonks. "In order for this potion to work, one of the missing child's possessions must be in contact with you. That is why Ms. Tonks is holding the pacifier, and Mr. Weasley has the blanket. Ah yes, and as a reminder this serum will remain in your body for a period of 24 hours, but it will only work if you have hold of such an object, so it should not be a problem. Now," he cleared his throat, "close your eyes and concentrate. Now, Mr. Weasley. We don't have time to waste."
~*~*~*~*~
The Van Vleck Institute for the Recovery of Lost Magic had a magnificent library, a gallery to display recovered artifacts, a large research laboratory, and several comfortable offices, the smallest of which belonged Hermione, the institute's chief historian and lead researcher.
"I don't know why you chose this office, darling. It's so cramped and unappealing."
Hermione started at the sound of the smooth deep voice. "Monte, what are you doing here?"
Montgomery Van Vleck stood at an inch over six feet and had a pale sickly complexion, which Hermione had always thought a bit odd since he'd been living on tropical island for the past four years. She had grown quite tan herself but attributed that to her long hours spent under the hot beating sun doing research. Monte's life on the island was a charmed one. He used Anegada as his escape and acted as if he were on a permanent vacation. That was something Hermione could never allow herself to do. She needed to keep busy. Her work, especially these days, was her life. And research had always been her sanity. Monte, with his long dark brown hair pulled into its customary low ponytail, smirked a little. "Is that anyway to treat your fiancé?" he asked, pinning Hermione with his shocking blue eyes.
"No, but it's only a bit after 4 o'clock. I still have a lot of work to do," she said. "And I like this office. It's practical," Hermione muttered, turning back to her work and attempting to look busy.
Monte sighed. He treaded over to her desk and moved some of her papers aside so that he could perch himself on the corner. "You always have a lot of work to do, darling." He leaned down and picked up Hermione's hand in order to bring it to his lips for a kiss. "I-where's your ring?" he asked, moving back and wrinkling his brow. He was clearly upset for his pale skin began to redden.
"I took it off a little while ago because I, um, didn't want it to be ruined while I was testing the magical effects of one of the Unknowns."
Monte rose to his feet, clenching his fists. "Why would you take it off like that? Is that what you think of me?"
Hermione felt bad, but she did not think it was that much to get upset over. "Of course not, but, really, Monte, I don't appreciate your tone."
"You don't appreciate my tone?" he snapped. "Well, I don't appreciate my fiancée, the woman who is supposed to love me-." He saw Hermione look away, and he grabbed her wrist. "Where is it, Hermione? Please, put it back on," he pleaded pathetically, keeping a firm hold on her wrist.
"Monte, stop, you're hurting me." Hermione stood up and tried to move away from him, but he came to his feet as well and pulled her closer.
"Hermione, I love you. I want to know how much you love me."
"I, I do, but... Please, let go!"
"The ring, Hermione!" He pulled her arm against his chest then laced his fingers with hers. Hermione struggled against him, both shocked and scared by his behavior.
"Montgomery Van Vleck, take your hands off of me this instant!"
"Not until you put on the ring."
~*~*~*~*~
Ron frowned. Snape was the last person to make statements about time running out after he had held up the entire production for an hour. Tonks' eyes had already been shut, and she obviously already seeing something. She was whispering it to Shacklebolt as he took down the notes. Ron, still wanting to do his part, finally closed his eyes, as well. He clutched the soft pink blanket between his fingers and tried to concentrate.
"That's it, Weasley," he heard Snape saying. "Just relax." He would relax as soon as the git shut it.
After a moment, the darkness behind Ron's eyelids transformed into a misty gray cloud that began to swirl. Through its fog, he began to focus on something in the distance. It began to get clearer and clearer. He saw a beaten old cottage with the number 13 scratched onto the door. His head twinged, almost as if he was being tugged to turn away from the door. He soon saw a shed hidden behind some trees. He began whispering this information off to whomever was listening, as his mind pulled him closer to the shed. "The shed's got three marks along the door, and...." He trailed off as his vision faltered. "Wait, I, can't see anything any more." He started to open his eyes when Snape stopped him.
"No, don't open your eyes. Keep concentrating. Hold the blanket tighter. What do you see?"
"I told you I don't see anything! I.... Wait, I do see something." His mind cleared once again, and he was surrounded by tall trees and a stone building that seemed very out of place in the remote looking atmosphere that surrounded it. "I... I see an island. A building and...." His mind pulled him forward through the building and into a room. It was hazy, but he could see the outline of a woman standing near what looked like a desk. "I see someone. No, there are two people. A woman and a man. The man is slipping something on her finger." The picture became a little clearer and Ron focused on the woman's hand. "It looks like a ring.... Damn it!" The gray smoke returned, and he could no longer see them. As he was about to open his eyes, the fog cleared and he saw a blurry version of the shed he'd seen earlier. He couldn't see any people or anything else. "I don't know. Shite!"
Ron thrust his eyes open and ground the base of his palms into his lap in frustration.
"Weasley! I told you to keep your eyes shut."
Ron dropped his head into his hands. "Your bloody serum didn't work, Snape."
"Is that right, Mr. Weasley?" his former Potions Master sneered.
"That's right," Ron spit out, looking him venomously in the eye.
"Then why is it that Ms. Tonks here has delivered us with abundantly clear information?"
Ron stared at Tonks, who was looking a little worn out and a bit bashful. She was probably just feeling sorry for him because he'd screwed up. Tonks was not the type to blush.
Moody interrupted gruffly, "What Weasley saw in the beginning correlates with what Tonks saw at the start so we know that much is accurate. What we don't know is who to believe about what came after."
"Ms. Tonks' vision, I believe, did not falter. Am I right?" Snape asked. Tonks nodded. "Then we believe her by all means," Snape smiled.
Ron wanted to hit him but was thankfully interrupted by Shacklebolt's authoritative voice. "All right then. We go on what Tonks said," he decided firmly. "We don't have time to waste. Harry, Perdita, get the team together. We've got a long night ahead of us."
~*~*~*~*~
After about forty-five minutes of intense course plotting, Ron, Harry, Perdita, Moody, Shacklebolt, and Tonks, along with two other Aurors landed in their desired location. It was nearly eleven o'clock and everything was still.
"There it is," gasped Tonks, peeking through the thick trees and pointing to an old cottage.
"That's it," Ron confirmed, pushing ahead. He was more than upset with himself for failing to come through completely with the serum, but he knew he could make it up in the field.
"Wait, Weasley," said Shacklebolt. "You know what we need to do."
Ron ground his teeth together. "Right. Perdita, Harry and Sam can come with me around the north side?"
"That'll be fine," Moody agreed. "The remainder of us will take the south. Be on your guard. And remember to keep that child safe," he finished, his magical eye spinning madly in every direction.
As soon as Tonks led Moody's group in one direction, Ron pointed the opposite way and said, "Let's go." Harry, Sam, and Perdita followed the tall red head faithfully, wands raised and eyes open.
"I think we should try and get the baby out without being seen," Harry whispered from behind Ron. "But I think that might be damn near impossible." Harry had been quite upset over the child's disappearance and had thrown himself completely into the case. He had stayed up into the wee hours, trying to figure out ways to locate her, and volunteered to go and check out every lead the department had received on her whereabouts. If Harry had found out sooner, he would have insisted on taking Ron's spot in the dungeon with Snape and the serum. He knew they were trying to spare him. They knew about his nightmares and thought that perhaps he might not be the best candidate. But none of them understood. That little girl, that little baby, was just like him. She was famous before her second birthday. Orphaned. And surrounded by Dark Magic. She had no real family left, just like Harry (the Dursleys did not count). He had to make sure she was okay. He had to get to her.
"There's the shed," Ron whispered urgently. "Perdita and I will go through the front. Harry, you and Sam can take the rear."
"No!" Harry shouted, cringing, hoping he hadn't just destroyed the entire operation with his outburst.
"What is it?" asked Harry's partner, Sam.
Harry looked directly at Ron to give his answer, however. "I want to be the one who goes in."
"Harry..." Ron warned. He wanted to save the kid too, but Ron also knew what this meant to Harry. He'd been there right beside him these past few weeks. For Harry, finding the girl was personal. "Bloody hell, fine. Harry, you and Perdita go. Sam and I can take the rear."
Just then they heard a crash coming from inside of the cabin. "Crucio!" an unfamiliar male voice boomed. The other team was already inside of the main building. It was up to them to head around to the shed and save that baby. The four young Aurors exchanged looks with each other, then set off to complete their mission.
The urge to save Baby Bess overwhelmed any sense either Ron or Harry had to infiltrate the cabin behind the other team.
Ron saw Harry and Perdita charm the door open as he and Sam ran around the side of the shed. "Do you hear anything, Sam?" The short stocky blond man edged along the side of the small wooden structure slowly. "Not a peep," he answered after a minute. Just then two dark figures emerged from the black of the night. They were dressed exactly like Voldemort's Death Eaters. A cold wave of disgust bowled through Ron, as he steadied his wand and prepared to fight the bastards to the death.
"We've been expecting you," the taller of the two said in what was quite plainly a male voice.
"Have you? Well, I'm delighted to hear it," spat Ron, pointing his want sharply at the hooded man. "Why don't you show your face, you coward?"
The man lifted his arm and Ron noticed a bright red snake tattooed on his arm.
"Stupefy!" the shorter one cried, sending the blast toward Sam.
"Protego!" Sam immediately blocked the spell, and then shot off one of his own.
The wizard nearest Ron sent a blast of red his way, but Ron was too quick for him and forced the Stunning Spell back toward him. The cloaked man fell to the ground. "I've got one," Ron shouted, as he pushed the man onto his stomach with his foot. He quickly put a binding curse on his wrists and turned him back over. Satisfied, Ron looked up and noticed that Sam was crouched on the ground gasping for air. Their other attacker had gotten away. "Sam, are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Sam coughed a little, then took in a solid breath, "but she's gone."
"She?"
"Yeah."
"Did you get a good look at her face?"
Sam shook his head. "Who's that?" he asked, finally climbing to his feet, pretending as if he felt no pain at all, which was hardly the case.
"I don't know. I was going to look as soon as we got the other one, but..."
Ron walked over and removed the man's hood. "Rockwood."
"Oh God, Ron. Rookwood, Avery, and Nott are the only ones of the original Death Eaters left at large," he said, stating what everyone in the Department knew like they knew Chocolate Frogs hopped.
"Ron! Ron!" It was Perdita calling from the front of the shed. "You and Sam okay?"
"We're over here. We're fine."
"They've all fled, but no one's hurt," Perdita spoke in a loud rush, approaching them. "Harry's got hold of the baby though, and he's not letting go. It's amazing but she's fallen asleep in his arms. There were silencing charms on the shed so you couldn't hear her cry and-." She stopped cold when she saw the bound figure lying on the ground. "Ron, that's Rookwood. The two of you captured him," she gasped.
"It was Ron," said Sam. "Not me. I'll go and get Moody. So we can lock up the wanker."
"Ron, you're amazing!" Perdita exclaimed. "And you went and did it all without your partner." She shook her head in awe as a smirk crept onto her lips.
"How's Harry?" Ron asked quickly, not wanting to hear Perdita make a fuss.
"He and Tonks are taking the baby to your parent's house, actually."
Ron frowned. "My parents?"
"Harry thinks it's the safest place to take her right now so she can be taken care of properly."
"What about St. Mungo's?"
"They are afraid of a fuss," Perdita explained. "They are going to see if they can get someone to come to the house. She looks fine, though."
"Mum'll love having a baby around again. I suppose that's not such a bad idea."
Perdita nodded. "Harry did mutter something about the Weasley's always have (having) room for one more."
Ron snorted a chuckle. "Well, if you're asking my mum, we do." He sighed and shut his eyes for a moment. He hadn't realized how drained he felt, even after spending all of that time asleep today.
"Ron, you okay?"
Ron nodded and continued to rest his eyes. "Just keep an eye on our friend over there." He pointed absently to where he knew the fallen man rested.
"Will do," he heard Perdita say, as a sudden swirl of gray began to twist beneath his eyes. His heart lurched. He was having another vision. But how? He resisted the urge to open his eyes and continued to let himself see.
He had returned to the place with the tall trees. However, the entire scene was much clearer now. Everything was green and lush, exotic to his eyes. He saw the building again. This time, however, his mind did not pull him inside. Instead, he was taken around the back of it and down a narrow dirt road through the thick of the trees. Suddenly, he was in the front of a wide pink villa, with palms hanging down over it like several shielding umbrellas. He then found himself pulled into the back of the house and into a room with one wall made of shimmering glass. There was a long dining table at its center, decorated with beautiful pink and purple flowers. He saw the same man he'd seen in his earlier vision. He had his arm around someone with spectacularly thick brown hair and was leading her into a smaller room with a sofa in it. Ron was pulled inside behind them. The woman tried to step away from the man, but he pulled her close. The man then cupped the woman's chin in his and devoured her mouth with a kiss. Ron had no idea why he was seeing this. What did any of this have to do with Snape's potion or Baby Bess? She was safe and.. The woman, he could see her face clearly now. His stomach dropped when he finally realized what was happening and whom he was seeing. He watched paralyzed as she pushed the man away from her. Without warning, the man turned his hand over and slapped her so hard across the face she stumbled back. "Hermione!"
"Ron, what's the matter?"
Ron snapped his eyes open, and he was breathing heavily. "Hermione. Hermione." He clutched his stomach and began to spit up. "No."
Perdita crouched down beside him. "What's wrong?" she asked, not knowing what to do as she watched him begin coughing and struggle for breath. After a minute, he seemed to recover, and she felt it was safe to approach him.
"Ron?" she started, but was interrupted by Sam, who was rushing toward them waving his right hand.
Sam stopped to stand before the much taller man. "Ron, Harry and Tonks have left in a car with the baby," he said, referring to one of the Aurors' Ministry approved flying cars a back up team had arrived in minutes earlier, knowing that the baby would need a way to get back to safety if she was found unharmed. "Ron, are you ill?"
"I, I have to go." He moved around Sam and Perdita, noticing Moody,
Shacklebolt and a few others were already surrounding Rookwood and had taken him in hand.
"Where are you going?" Perdita pressed, grabbing hold of his hand. He ripped it away from her.
"I don't have time for this. I have to go now."
"I'll hunt you down, Weasley, so help me."
"You're a pain in the arse, Gereald. You know that, don't you?" Perdita raised her eyebrows and folded her arms beneath her chest. "Sam, tell Moody I was tired and went home," said Ron.
Sam nodded and went to join the others, while Perdita remained centered still looking at Ron expectantly. "Out with it."
"I had a vision. I don't know how."
"About Bess. She's fine, isn't she?" Perdita asked sounding a bit anxious.
"No, it wasn't about Bess. It was more of what I saw earlier; only it was different. I saw..." Ron gulped. "I saw my, my friend, Hermione. She was in trouble."
"Hermione Granger? Ron, are you sure? I read about her in the Prophet this morning. Wow, was that this morning? It seems a life time ago."
"Perdita! I don't have time for this. I've got to go!"
"Ron, didn't Snape say you had to be holding or touching a possession belonging to the object of your vision? You can't have seen Hermione then, if you don't have-"
"The ring." Ron pulled a chain from beneath his charcoal gray shirt. At the bottom, hung a thin golden ring. "I gave it to her for her birthday."
Perdita turned a bit green. What were the chances of this happening? Had Ron's friend been in danger all of this time and was he only now finding out about it because of the effects of the serum? Perdita was sure these were just some of the thoughts running through her partner's mind, and she knew he was not going to sit back and ignore them. He would try and find her. Alone. She could not let him do that. "I'm coming with you," she said resolutely.
"No, you're not."
"She's halfway across the world, Ron. I'm not going to let you go off and get yourself killed. Harry would have my head for it."
"Fine. But we do everything my way."
Perdita shook her head. "Why are redheads so stubborn?"
"Parking Lot A," was all Ron said, as he left with a pop.
"Right." Perdita was right behind him. They landed in an old junk yard, not too far away from the street with the shabby offices, an overflowing dumpster and the old red telephone box that lead to the magical confines of the Ministry.
Ron began making his way through the heaps of tossed out Muggle items, bicycle handles, tires, broken televisions. There were also plenty of old battered cars, some turned over, others were stripped completely of their parts. Ron followed the short but windy path that led to the center of the yard with Perdita close behind. Finally, he came upon a row of old junkers that included an even older version of his father's Anglia. He made his way over to that particular model. It was a favorite of his, for sentimental reasons. So, he climbed into the driver's seat. The seats were old and the springs were sticking up, and the most interesting thing about this car was it was just like the other cars in it's row. It was empty beneath the hood.
"Ron, why don't we take the Cortina?" asked Perdita, climbing in the other side.
"Do you have to be so difficult, Perdita?"
"Fine," she groused, watching Ron remove a piece of black duct tape from above his head and turn the small silver knob that was hidden there.
"Valeo," he said. The car rumbled a bit then transformed into a sleek, dark, and most importantly, working version of itself. The interior morphed into comfortable mahogany leather and the springs that had been sticking up disappeared. Ron hit the invisibility switch, then uttered, "Emergo." The car lifted into the air and Ron gave the car its location and final spell. "Anegada Reef, British Virgin Islands. Properus." The automobile thrust forward at bolt speed, and soon they were flying through the night sky.
After a short while, Ron and Perdita settled into silence that was neither comfortable nor tense. Ron clutched the steering wheel, helping to keep the car on course, for it could easily falter if the wrong thrust of wind hit it just so. He was trying his best to keep a level head, but he was scared. What if he was too late? He also had to keep himself from slipping back into another vision, knowing it would be best to wait until he reached the island to attempt such a thing. It would upset him and could possibly put both he and Perdita in danger if he allowed himself to go under while driving. Perdita shifted in her seat and glanced sideways at him then turned her head back to the window. She repeated this motion several times until Ron finally broke.
"What?"
"Hermione must be near Dark Magic," Perdita said frankly. "It's the only way you could have seen that vision."
Ron released a shaky puff of air, as they began to fly over the ocean. "I know."
"Don't you think we should have told someone about this?"
Ron was quiet for a moment. "Maybe."
"Ron, we have no idea what we are walking into."
"You wanted to come," he said simply.
Perdita sighed. "That I did," she agreed, clearing her throat after a moment.
Ron raised his eyebrows. "Was there something else?"
"The ring," said Perdita, letting her curiosity get the better of her. "Why do you still have it if you gave it to her as a gift?"
Ron chortled. "She chucked it at me the day she left."
"But I thought you were just friends."
"We were. It was a friendship ring. That's all."
"Hmm. Did she know that?"
"I told her so."
"Did you mean it?" she pressed, not believing at all the ring was meant simply for friendship.
"Of course, I did! Hermione was my best friend. Both she and Harry were."
Perdita shook her head. She knew Ron. She'd seen him with women from time to time, and he barely regarded them as anything more than a passing fancy. She suspected the reason behind it had something to do with the mysterious Hermione Granger. Harry had mentioned her more often than Ron. Both had tense expressions on their faces when ever her name came up, but Ron's had always been different. It was more intense and slightly more pained.
She glanced at him again, noticing, not for the first time, how handsome he was. She was thankful her attraction to him was quite shallow and superficial. Being emotionally wrapped up in a stubborn fiery soul like Ron Weasley would be a witch's nightmare... or perhaps, in the case of another witch, a dream come true. She saw Ron's jaw clench and unclench and then his throat work over.
"We'll find her, Ron. I promise we will."
Ron nodded, trying to calm his viciously beating heart. "I hope so," he said. "I hope so."
~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Please don't flame us. We're trying.
Dedicated to our betas RonaldWeasley, Lily, and Liberty! Thank you so much!
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Chatper 2 - "The Strike of Van Vleck"
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione Granger sat in her office, staring at the myriad of papers, books, and artifacts she had strewn across her desk. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples for a moment before cracking her eyes back open and continuing to gaze into nothingness. This was one of the rare moments that one might catch her distracted from her work, and the reason, quite plainly, was that her mind kept wandering to her engagement to Montgomery Van Vleck.
She had a nagging feeling that she had somehow betrayed someone. It was quite irrational, really. Hermione had not had contact with that someone in nearly half a decade. Still, she couldn't stop staring at him and feeling fretful with guilt. Okay, so she wasn't staring at him. She was staring at a picture of him with his family. She and Harry had also been squeezed into the bunch, as usual.
For Christmas, during her sixth year, Hermione's parents had given her a fancy muggle camera. She'd been staying at the Burrow for the holidays, so she had no choice but to test it out on present company. She'd quickly gathered Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys, huddled them together, and clicked the little red button to capture the moment. The camera had worked famously, and Hermione immediately framed the picture.
Some time after her seventh year, she had lost it. She'd been very put out about it, knowing she'd packed it among her things upon her move to Anegada. She'd been living in a small palm thatched hut equipped with only a makeshift bed, her trunk, and a small desk. Bathroom facilities, in which she shared with her mentor, who had died last year, and his research team, were a short distance away in a similar type of structure. Living was sparse back then, and it made no sense to her that she could not find something she had very well known she had packed before leaving. Then just last week, after years of searching and a move to a small cottage near the institute, she found it between the pages of an old school book.
It seemed a cruel reminder of what she had given up.
Why had she given it up? Her heart squeezed as she continued to study the image before her. She could tell Monte she had changed her mind and leave now.
Go back to Ron. Harry. Everyone.
She had wanted to say no when he proposed. Monte was her friend. Over the past few years, he had been sweet and helpful. He had taken a dream of hers, and her colleagues, and made it a reality. She was more than grateful for that, but marrying him was the furthest thing from her mind. Then Monte had slipped the precious ring on her finger, and the strangest feeling came over her.
She looked into his blue eyes and saw something sparkle there. It mesmerized her. She did feel something for him; she realized. And so a second later, she found herself saying yes.
Completely absorbed in her own thoughts, Hermione did not stir as Summer, her young assistant, walked in.
"Excuse me," the sandy-haired girl said, startling Hermione a bit. "Ms. Granger, the field team won't be back until night fall. I just wanted to remind you, and goodness, you look awfully sick. Are you all right?" she went on quickly, looking as if she wanted to step forward and offer Hermione comfort but was a bit afraid of the normally standoffish and serious witch.
Hermione arched an eyebrow at the girl. "Actually," she started, noting that she did feel rather odd, and it wasn't just her earlier feelings of remorse about Ron plaguing her. It was something else. "I feel... well... my stomach hurts a bit."
"Was it something you ate?"
"No, it's not that. It's not anything like that. Not illness or anything of the sort, I don't think. It's just odd."
"Oh," replied Summer. She blinked at Hermione. "Well, this is just an old local witches' tale, but maybe it's your new ring."
Hermione frowned. "My ring?"
Summer nodded. "It's said that a newly engaged woman, who may be feeling a little, well, overwhelmed by her new circumstances may begin to feel a little sick to her stomach. And well, if she removes her ring then the discomfort temporarily dissipates."
Hermione smiled at Summer. Normally, she wouldn't have listened, but the young woman looked so hopeful. Hermione was a role model for Summer. She looked up to her, so Hermione popped her ring off. "Are you sure you just don't want to try it on?" Hermione teased the girl who blushed. "Go ahead. I don't mind."
Summer frowned. She had not expected her secret to be revealed. The old witches' tale had been true, but she was not quite sure she believed it. She was quite sure, however, that she wanted to hold the most spectacular diamond ring she had ever seen in her hand, if only for a moment. It would probably be the last time Summer ever came near something so fine. Not that she cared about such things normally. After all, she was more interested in things like historical research. She gasped when Hermione dropped it into her hand. She didn't feel right about putting it on, so she simply held it up to light that was streaming into the room from the windows. It was stunning.
Odd, thought Hermione, wiggling her fingers, she did feel much better. She smiled again and thanked Summer after the young woman handed back her ring. Sighing, she placed the diamond in the top drawer of her desk as Summer left.
Back to work, she thought. In other words, back to thinking about Ron.
~*~*~*~*~
Tucked away in a dark chamber on the tenth floor of the Ministry of Magic, Ron yawned, and awoke from a very long slumber.
Twelve hours ago, Ron had consumed a potion Snape had called Periculum Evigilo or the Danger Alert Serum. It was supposed to locate a person in peril who was either the victim of Dark Magic or very close to it through visualization. In order for it to work, however, Ron had to first be asleep for a given amount of time.
That git Snape, Ron had thought, had been a complete pain in the arse about the entire thing. Not only had he arrived an hour late, he had not explained exactly what it was he and Tonks were supposed to do after waking up. Instead he sneered at them and said in that oily voice of his, "Sleep now. Ask questions later." Moody and Shacklebolt had not uttered a word after the venture down to the tenth level to the very strange room. Ron was afraid to ask what normally took place within its walls. It looked a bit like an infirmary, but St. Mungo's was so near, there didn't seem to be a need for such a room in the Ministry. However, there were secrets the Ministry kept. Many secrets, just like the one Ron and Tonks were involved in right now.
Ron blinked steadily and raised himself up on his elbows to look across the room. Tonks, he realized, was already awake and waiting for him.
"Feel all right there, Ron?"
"Actually, I feel like crap."
"Mmm. Can't say I feel much better," replied Tonks, running her hand through her short bright blue hair.
A few minutes later, Snape, Moody, and Shacklebolt entered the room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind them. Moody was carrying a pacifier, and Shacklebolt was carrying a small pink blanket, which he handed to Ron. Moody threw the pacifier to Tonks, who looked at it quizzically.
Ron was confused as well. Why on earth were they holding these baby things?
Snape cleared his throat, calling their attention to him. "In order," he began, "for this particular alert serum to work, the taker, after a period of twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep, must hold one of th-"
The door opened, and Perdita, Ron's partner, and Harry came barging in.
Perdita, a twenty-six-year-old coffee-toned young woman with staring hazel eyes, was average in height, but certainly made up for it in spirit. Her shoulder length wavy dark hair was tied up on either side of her head in two pigtails, contrasting the serious expression she wore on her face, while Harry stood tall behind her. Moody had rushed to the door and tried to hold them back, but it wasn't doing much good.
"We know what's going on, here!" exclaimed Perdita triumphantly to Mad-eye, whose magical eye jumped from the two young Aurors to the rest of the room and back. Perdita pushed forward. "Give it up, Moody. We know everything." The old Auror sighed and stepped aside. Damn American was as stubborn as Hermione when she wanted to be.
"You were supposed to lock the door, Kingsley," Moody growled.
"I was supposed to lock it?" the tall man returned with a snort.
Once again, Snape cleared his throat, "As I was saying," he glared at Harry and Perdita, then Moody and Shacklebolt, before returning his attention to Ron and Tonks. "In order for this potion to work, one of the missing child's possessions must be in contact with you. That is why Ms. Tonks is holding the pacifier, and Mr. Weasley has the blanket. Ah yes, and as a reminder this serum will remain in your body for a period of 24 hours, but it will only work if you have hold of such an object, so it should not be a problem. Now," he cleared his throat, "close your eyes and concentrate. Now, Mr. Weasley. We don't have time to waste."
~*~*~*~*~
The Van Vleck Institute for the Recovery of Lost Magic had a magnificent library, a gallery to display recovered artifacts, a large research laboratory, and several comfortable offices, the smallest of which belonged Hermione, the institute's chief historian and lead researcher.
"I don't know why you chose this office, darling. It's so cramped and unappealing."
Hermione started at the sound of the smooth deep voice. "Monte, what are you doing here?"
Montgomery Van Vleck stood at an inch over six feet and had a pale sickly complexion, which Hermione had always thought a bit odd since he'd been living on tropical island for the past four years. She had grown quite tan herself but attributed that to her long hours spent under the hot beating sun doing research. Monte's life on the island was a charmed one. He used Anegada as his escape and acted as if he were on a permanent vacation. That was something Hermione could never allow herself to do. She needed to keep busy. Her work, especially these days, was her life. And research had always been her sanity. Monte, with his long dark brown hair pulled into its customary low ponytail, smirked a little. "Is that anyway to treat your fiancé?" he asked, pinning Hermione with his shocking blue eyes.
"No, but it's only a bit after 4 o'clock. I still have a lot of work to do," she said. "And I like this office. It's practical," Hermione muttered, turning back to her work and attempting to look busy.
Monte sighed. He treaded over to her desk and moved some of her papers aside so that he could perch himself on the corner. "You always have a lot of work to do, darling." He leaned down and picked up Hermione's hand in order to bring it to his lips for a kiss. "I-where's your ring?" he asked, moving back and wrinkling his brow. He was clearly upset for his pale skin began to redden.
"I took it off a little while ago because I, um, didn't want it to be ruined while I was testing the magical effects of one of the Unknowns."
Monte rose to his feet, clenching his fists. "Why would you take it off like that? Is that what you think of me?"
Hermione felt bad, but she did not think it was that much to get upset over. "Of course not, but, really, Monte, I don't appreciate your tone."
"You don't appreciate my tone?" he snapped. "Well, I don't appreciate my fiancée, the woman who is supposed to love me-." He saw Hermione look away, and he grabbed her wrist. "Where is it, Hermione? Please, put it back on," he pleaded pathetically, keeping a firm hold on her wrist.
"Monte, stop, you're hurting me." Hermione stood up and tried to move away from him, but he came to his feet as well and pulled her closer.
"Hermione, I love you. I want to know how much you love me."
"I, I do, but... Please, let go!"
"The ring, Hermione!" He pulled her arm against his chest then laced his fingers with hers. Hermione struggled against him, both shocked and scared by his behavior.
"Montgomery Van Vleck, take your hands off of me this instant!"
"Not until you put on the ring."
~*~*~*~*~
Ron frowned. Snape was the last person to make statements about time running out after he had held up the entire production for an hour. Tonks' eyes had already been shut, and she obviously already seeing something. She was whispering it to Shacklebolt as he took down the notes. Ron, still wanting to do his part, finally closed his eyes, as well. He clutched the soft pink blanket between his fingers and tried to concentrate.
"That's it, Weasley," he heard Snape saying. "Just relax." He would relax as soon as the git shut it.
After a moment, the darkness behind Ron's eyelids transformed into a misty gray cloud that began to swirl. Through its fog, he began to focus on something in the distance. It began to get clearer and clearer. He saw a beaten old cottage with the number 13 scratched onto the door. His head twinged, almost as if he was being tugged to turn away from the door. He soon saw a shed hidden behind some trees. He began whispering this information off to whomever was listening, as his mind pulled him closer to the shed. "The shed's got three marks along the door, and...." He trailed off as his vision faltered. "Wait, I, can't see anything any more." He started to open his eyes when Snape stopped him.
"No, don't open your eyes. Keep concentrating. Hold the blanket tighter. What do you see?"
"I told you I don't see anything! I.... Wait, I do see something." His mind cleared once again, and he was surrounded by tall trees and a stone building that seemed very out of place in the remote looking atmosphere that surrounded it. "I... I see an island. A building and...." His mind pulled him forward through the building and into a room. It was hazy, but he could see the outline of a woman standing near what looked like a desk. "I see someone. No, there are two people. A woman and a man. The man is slipping something on her finger." The picture became a little clearer and Ron focused on the woman's hand. "It looks like a ring.... Damn it!" The gray smoke returned, and he could no longer see them. As he was about to open his eyes, the fog cleared and he saw a blurry version of the shed he'd seen earlier. He couldn't see any people or anything else. "I don't know. Shite!"
Ron thrust his eyes open and ground the base of his palms into his lap in frustration.
"Weasley! I told you to keep your eyes shut."
Ron dropped his head into his hands. "Your bloody serum didn't work, Snape."
"Is that right, Mr. Weasley?" his former Potions Master sneered.
"That's right," Ron spit out, looking him venomously in the eye.
"Then why is it that Ms. Tonks here has delivered us with abundantly clear information?"
Ron stared at Tonks, who was looking a little worn out and a bit bashful. She was probably just feeling sorry for him because he'd screwed up. Tonks was not the type to blush.
Moody interrupted gruffly, "What Weasley saw in the beginning correlates with what Tonks saw at the start so we know that much is accurate. What we don't know is who to believe about what came after."
"Ms. Tonks' vision, I believe, did not falter. Am I right?" Snape asked. Tonks nodded. "Then we believe her by all means," Snape smiled.
Ron wanted to hit him but was thankfully interrupted by Shacklebolt's authoritative voice. "All right then. We go on what Tonks said," he decided firmly. "We don't have time to waste. Harry, Perdita, get the team together. We've got a long night ahead of us."
~*~*~*~*~
After about forty-five minutes of intense course plotting, Ron, Harry, Perdita, Moody, Shacklebolt, and Tonks, along with two other Aurors landed in their desired location. It was nearly eleven o'clock and everything was still.
"There it is," gasped Tonks, peeking through the thick trees and pointing to an old cottage.
"That's it," Ron confirmed, pushing ahead. He was more than upset with himself for failing to come through completely with the serum, but he knew he could make it up in the field.
"Wait, Weasley," said Shacklebolt. "You know what we need to do."
Ron ground his teeth together. "Right. Perdita, Harry and Sam can come with me around the north side?"
"That'll be fine," Moody agreed. "The remainder of us will take the south. Be on your guard. And remember to keep that child safe," he finished, his magical eye spinning madly in every direction.
As soon as Tonks led Moody's group in one direction, Ron pointed the opposite way and said, "Let's go." Harry, Sam, and Perdita followed the tall red head faithfully, wands raised and eyes open.
"I think we should try and get the baby out without being seen," Harry whispered from behind Ron. "But I think that might be damn near impossible." Harry had been quite upset over the child's disappearance and had thrown himself completely into the case. He had stayed up into the wee hours, trying to figure out ways to locate her, and volunteered to go and check out every lead the department had received on her whereabouts. If Harry had found out sooner, he would have insisted on taking Ron's spot in the dungeon with Snape and the serum. He knew they were trying to spare him. They knew about his nightmares and thought that perhaps he might not be the best candidate. But none of them understood. That little girl, that little baby, was just like him. She was famous before her second birthday. Orphaned. And surrounded by Dark Magic. She had no real family left, just like Harry (the Dursleys did not count). He had to make sure she was okay. He had to get to her.
"There's the shed," Ron whispered urgently. "Perdita and I will go through the front. Harry, you and Sam can take the rear."
"No!" Harry shouted, cringing, hoping he hadn't just destroyed the entire operation with his outburst.
"What is it?" asked Harry's partner, Sam.
Harry looked directly at Ron to give his answer, however. "I want to be the one who goes in."
"Harry..." Ron warned. He wanted to save the kid too, but Ron also knew what this meant to Harry. He'd been there right beside him these past few weeks. For Harry, finding the girl was personal. "Bloody hell, fine. Harry, you and Perdita go. Sam and I can take the rear."
Just then they heard a crash coming from inside of the cabin. "Crucio!" an unfamiliar male voice boomed. The other team was already inside of the main building. It was up to them to head around to the shed and save that baby. The four young Aurors exchanged looks with each other, then set off to complete their mission.
The urge to save Baby Bess overwhelmed any sense either Ron or Harry had to infiltrate the cabin behind the other team.
Ron saw Harry and Perdita charm the door open as he and Sam ran around the side of the shed. "Do you hear anything, Sam?" The short stocky blond man edged along the side of the small wooden structure slowly. "Not a peep," he answered after a minute. Just then two dark figures emerged from the black of the night. They were dressed exactly like Voldemort's Death Eaters. A cold wave of disgust bowled through Ron, as he steadied his wand and prepared to fight the bastards to the death.
"We've been expecting you," the taller of the two said in what was quite plainly a male voice.
"Have you? Well, I'm delighted to hear it," spat Ron, pointing his want sharply at the hooded man. "Why don't you show your face, you coward?"
The man lifted his arm and Ron noticed a bright red snake tattooed on his arm.
"Stupefy!" the shorter one cried, sending the blast toward Sam.
"Protego!" Sam immediately blocked the spell, and then shot off one of his own.
The wizard nearest Ron sent a blast of red his way, but Ron was too quick for him and forced the Stunning Spell back toward him. The cloaked man fell to the ground. "I've got one," Ron shouted, as he pushed the man onto his stomach with his foot. He quickly put a binding curse on his wrists and turned him back over. Satisfied, Ron looked up and noticed that Sam was crouched on the ground gasping for air. Their other attacker had gotten away. "Sam, are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Sam coughed a little, then took in a solid breath, "but she's gone."
"She?"
"Yeah."
"Did you get a good look at her face?"
Sam shook his head. "Who's that?" he asked, finally climbing to his feet, pretending as if he felt no pain at all, which was hardly the case.
"I don't know. I was going to look as soon as we got the other one, but..."
Ron walked over and removed the man's hood. "Rockwood."
"Oh God, Ron. Rookwood, Avery, and Nott are the only ones of the original Death Eaters left at large," he said, stating what everyone in the Department knew like they knew Chocolate Frogs hopped.
"Ron! Ron!" It was Perdita calling from the front of the shed. "You and Sam okay?"
"We're over here. We're fine."
"They've all fled, but no one's hurt," Perdita spoke in a loud rush, approaching them. "Harry's got hold of the baby though, and he's not letting go. It's amazing but she's fallen asleep in his arms. There were silencing charms on the shed so you couldn't hear her cry and-." She stopped cold when she saw the bound figure lying on the ground. "Ron, that's Rookwood. The two of you captured him," she gasped.
"It was Ron," said Sam. "Not me. I'll go and get Moody. So we can lock up the wanker."
"Ron, you're amazing!" Perdita exclaimed. "And you went and did it all without your partner." She shook her head in awe as a smirk crept onto her lips.
"How's Harry?" Ron asked quickly, not wanting to hear Perdita make a fuss.
"He and Tonks are taking the baby to your parent's house, actually."
Ron frowned. "My parents?"
"Harry thinks it's the safest place to take her right now so she can be taken care of properly."
"What about St. Mungo's?"
"They are afraid of a fuss," Perdita explained. "They are going to see if they can get someone to come to the house. She looks fine, though."
"Mum'll love having a baby around again. I suppose that's not such a bad idea."
Perdita nodded. "Harry did mutter something about the Weasley's always have (having) room for one more."
Ron snorted a chuckle. "Well, if you're asking my mum, we do." He sighed and shut his eyes for a moment. He hadn't realized how drained he felt, even after spending all of that time asleep today.
"Ron, you okay?"
Ron nodded and continued to rest his eyes. "Just keep an eye on our friend over there." He pointed absently to where he knew the fallen man rested.
"Will do," he heard Perdita say, as a sudden swirl of gray began to twist beneath his eyes. His heart lurched. He was having another vision. But how? He resisted the urge to open his eyes and continued to let himself see.
He had returned to the place with the tall trees. However, the entire scene was much clearer now. Everything was green and lush, exotic to his eyes. He saw the building again. This time, however, his mind did not pull him inside. Instead, he was taken around the back of it and down a narrow dirt road through the thick of the trees. Suddenly, he was in the front of a wide pink villa, with palms hanging down over it like several shielding umbrellas. He then found himself pulled into the back of the house and into a room with one wall made of shimmering glass. There was a long dining table at its center, decorated with beautiful pink and purple flowers. He saw the same man he'd seen in his earlier vision. He had his arm around someone with spectacularly thick brown hair and was leading her into a smaller room with a sofa in it. Ron was pulled inside behind them. The woman tried to step away from the man, but he pulled her close. The man then cupped the woman's chin in his and devoured her mouth with a kiss. Ron had no idea why he was seeing this. What did any of this have to do with Snape's potion or Baby Bess? She was safe and.. The woman, he could see her face clearly now. His stomach dropped when he finally realized what was happening and whom he was seeing. He watched paralyzed as she pushed the man away from her. Without warning, the man turned his hand over and slapped her so hard across the face she stumbled back. "Hermione!"
"Ron, what's the matter?"
Ron snapped his eyes open, and he was breathing heavily. "Hermione. Hermione." He clutched his stomach and began to spit up. "No."
Perdita crouched down beside him. "What's wrong?" she asked, not knowing what to do as she watched him begin coughing and struggle for breath. After a minute, he seemed to recover, and she felt it was safe to approach him.
"Ron?" she started, but was interrupted by Sam, who was rushing toward them waving his right hand.
Sam stopped to stand before the much taller man. "Ron, Harry and Tonks have left in a car with the baby," he said, referring to one of the Aurors' Ministry approved flying cars a back up team had arrived in minutes earlier, knowing that the baby would need a way to get back to safety if she was found unharmed. "Ron, are you ill?"
"I, I have to go." He moved around Sam and Perdita, noticing Moody,
Shacklebolt and a few others were already surrounding Rookwood and had taken him in hand.
"Where are you going?" Perdita pressed, grabbing hold of his hand. He ripped it away from her.
"I don't have time for this. I have to go now."
"I'll hunt you down, Weasley, so help me."
"You're a pain in the arse, Gereald. You know that, don't you?" Perdita raised her eyebrows and folded her arms beneath her chest. "Sam, tell Moody I was tired and went home," said Ron.
Sam nodded and went to join the others, while Perdita remained centered still looking at Ron expectantly. "Out with it."
"I had a vision. I don't know how."
"About Bess. She's fine, isn't she?" Perdita asked sounding a bit anxious.
"No, it wasn't about Bess. It was more of what I saw earlier; only it was different. I saw..." Ron gulped. "I saw my, my friend, Hermione. She was in trouble."
"Hermione Granger? Ron, are you sure? I read about her in the Prophet this morning. Wow, was that this morning? It seems a life time ago."
"Perdita! I don't have time for this. I've got to go!"
"Ron, didn't Snape say you had to be holding or touching a possession belonging to the object of your vision? You can't have seen Hermione then, if you don't have-"
"The ring." Ron pulled a chain from beneath his charcoal gray shirt. At the bottom, hung a thin golden ring. "I gave it to her for her birthday."
Perdita turned a bit green. What were the chances of this happening? Had Ron's friend been in danger all of this time and was he only now finding out about it because of the effects of the serum? Perdita was sure these were just some of the thoughts running through her partner's mind, and she knew he was not going to sit back and ignore them. He would try and find her. Alone. She could not let him do that. "I'm coming with you," she said resolutely.
"No, you're not."
"She's halfway across the world, Ron. I'm not going to let you go off and get yourself killed. Harry would have my head for it."
"Fine. But we do everything my way."
Perdita shook her head. "Why are redheads so stubborn?"
"Parking Lot A," was all Ron said, as he left with a pop.
"Right." Perdita was right behind him. They landed in an old junk yard, not too far away from the street with the shabby offices, an overflowing dumpster and the old red telephone box that lead to the magical confines of the Ministry.
Ron began making his way through the heaps of tossed out Muggle items, bicycle handles, tires, broken televisions. There were also plenty of old battered cars, some turned over, others were stripped completely of their parts. Ron followed the short but windy path that led to the center of the yard with Perdita close behind. Finally, he came upon a row of old junkers that included an even older version of his father's Anglia. He made his way over to that particular model. It was a favorite of his, for sentimental reasons. So, he climbed into the driver's seat. The seats were old and the springs were sticking up, and the most interesting thing about this car was it was just like the other cars in it's row. It was empty beneath the hood.
"Ron, why don't we take the Cortina?" asked Perdita, climbing in the other side.
"Do you have to be so difficult, Perdita?"
"Fine," she groused, watching Ron remove a piece of black duct tape from above his head and turn the small silver knob that was hidden there.
"Valeo," he said. The car rumbled a bit then transformed into a sleek, dark, and most importantly, working version of itself. The interior morphed into comfortable mahogany leather and the springs that had been sticking up disappeared. Ron hit the invisibility switch, then uttered, "Emergo." The car lifted into the air and Ron gave the car its location and final spell. "Anegada Reef, British Virgin Islands. Properus." The automobile thrust forward at bolt speed, and soon they were flying through the night sky.
After a short while, Ron and Perdita settled into silence that was neither comfortable nor tense. Ron clutched the steering wheel, helping to keep the car on course, for it could easily falter if the wrong thrust of wind hit it just so. He was trying his best to keep a level head, but he was scared. What if he was too late? He also had to keep himself from slipping back into another vision, knowing it would be best to wait until he reached the island to attempt such a thing. It would upset him and could possibly put both he and Perdita in danger if he allowed himself to go under while driving. Perdita shifted in her seat and glanced sideways at him then turned her head back to the window. She repeated this motion several times until Ron finally broke.
"What?"
"Hermione must be near Dark Magic," Perdita said frankly. "It's the only way you could have seen that vision."
Ron released a shaky puff of air, as they began to fly over the ocean. "I know."
"Don't you think we should have told someone about this?"
Ron was quiet for a moment. "Maybe."
"Ron, we have no idea what we are walking into."
"You wanted to come," he said simply.
Perdita sighed. "That I did," she agreed, clearing her throat after a moment.
Ron raised his eyebrows. "Was there something else?"
"The ring," said Perdita, letting her curiosity get the better of her. "Why do you still have it if you gave it to her as a gift?"
Ron chortled. "She chucked it at me the day she left."
"But I thought you were just friends."
"We were. It was a friendship ring. That's all."
"Hmm. Did she know that?"
"I told her so."
"Did you mean it?" she pressed, not believing at all the ring was meant simply for friendship.
"Of course, I did! Hermione was my best friend. Both she and Harry were."
Perdita shook her head. She knew Ron. She'd seen him with women from time to time, and he barely regarded them as anything more than a passing fancy. She suspected the reason behind it had something to do with the mysterious Hermione Granger. Harry had mentioned her more often than Ron. Both had tense expressions on their faces when ever her name came up, but Ron's had always been different. It was more intense and slightly more pained.
She glanced at him again, noticing, not for the first time, how handsome he was. She was thankful her attraction to him was quite shallow and superficial. Being emotionally wrapped up in a stubborn fiery soul like Ron Weasley would be a witch's nightmare... or perhaps, in the case of another witch, a dream come true. She saw Ron's jaw clench and unclench and then his throat work over.
"We'll find her, Ron. I promise we will."
Ron nodded, trying to calm his viciously beating heart. "I hope so," he said. "I hope so."
~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Please don't flame us. We're trying.