Our World Winter
By Hermione Starise
Disclaimer- Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, not me!
AN- I'm so sorry this has taken so long, I know I haven't posted since September which is just disgraceful and there's no excusing it! Thanks so much to people who have reviewed, for both this and Precious Stones, especially in my long absence! It's the reviews which inspired me to start again!
Lol so much has happened since I last posted… I've swapped sixth form colleges and found AS levels to be much harder than I expected! Still I've always been looking for time to get this written and now that I've finally found it I hope I haven't lost the people who faithfully reviewed Precious Stones… pleads desperately
Anyway I'm writing this on a very, very cold day that just seems to keep getting colder with lots of pretty snow on the ground and I'm blabbing I know… I'll just get on with it…
Chapter 2
The heat sunk in from the moment Ron apparated into the deep, all consuming jungle. Not wanting waste his reserves he didn't bother to cast a cooling spell over himself and instead trusted in the intense heat endurance training he'd gone through learning to be an Auror. He didn't wait either, to hear the loud popping noise that would be Harry following him.
Instead he was straight on the trail of the dark wizard that he and Harry had been tracking for days- moving as swiftly and as silently as he could through the jungle, always following the dim glow of the trailing spell that they had placed on Horn. Usually when a Field Auror set a trailing spell on a dangerous dark wizard it wasn't long before he or she was caught- however Niamh Horn was proving to be more devious than most.
Wading through the thick green foliage Ron felt a niggling in the back of his mind that refused to go away- something wasn't right.
Unconsciously he registered Harry moving noiselessly behind him. He realised vaguely that the light was very poor- the sun that filtered through the leafy canopy was dappled and misleading. Strange shadows seemed to rise up in-between the foliage casting illusions up ahead, often Ron found himself picking out a path with his eyes only to find that it was blocked by some overgrown root or fallen tree that he had been fooled into not seeing. This caused him to loose his string of blue light from time to time and frustrated him to the point that he wasn't concentrating properly.
The noises of the jungle annoyed him, the birds calling, the insects humming- even the gentle beating of the afternoon soon seemed to be an audible and distracting sound. Ron angrily swotted away some sort of biting bug.
His eyes moved from side to side rapidly, scanning the trail as he had been taught, as he knew Harry's would be behind him. In his mind a virtual map was being built by another clever spell developed by the Field Auror Division. It wasn't long before Ron caught flashes of a black cloak amongst the rich foliage.
"You can't keep running forever Horn," Ron called out, but it seemed that his voice was absorbed and lost in the trees and the bright plant life. He blinked and almost stumbled.
Abruptly the trail ended.
Ron stopped dead in his tracks and Harry bumped into his back. He stared at the place where the trail ended- and groaned. The tracking spell had failed.
"Well get going," Harry said behind him impatiently, "What are the new apparition co-ordinates?"
Resignedly Ron stepped aside to let Harry see for himself.
"Oh." Harry said.
"Oh indeed." Ron said dryly suddenly feeling exhausted. For months now Niamh Horn had evaded them. Ron just couldn't understand how she was doing it. There was no place on Earth Niamh could have apparated to without leaving trace co-ordinates!
It was the fifth time they had come up against such a block. Ron felt the sickeningly familiar lurch in his stomach and cursed himself for failing again. He stood peering into the green gloom of the jungle as if it could offer him some explanations.
"I don't get it." Harry said, glowering.
Run turned to face his friend and partner, "Maybe we've finally met our match?"
Harry snorted, raising an eyebrow, "You think?"
"Nah not really… she's just gonna take a little more work than most." Ron grinned; appear more certain than he was. Something about Niamh Horn didn't quite fit. Nobody should be able to dodge a tracking spell.
"Yeah." Harry said, and from the clouded look on his face Ron could tell he was thinking the same thing.
They stood there in the jungle catching their breath, in that instance Ron was able to appreciate the peace of the place where before it's absorbing silence had been his enemy. He sighed, he'd been so many places but rarely got the chance to appreciate him- they were always on the move! He shook his head as a dangerous feeling that had been with him a lot in recent months creep in. Still he couldn't help wondering how the negotiations for merging the leagues were going…
"I say we do a Hermione and head straight for the library when we get back." Harry said.
Ron's eyebrows furrowed with the name Hermione and waves of homesickness and discontent flooded over him again.
"Yeah" He muttered.
Ron let Harry do the "Checking Spells" and watched as his friend studied the spot where the trail had run out.
"That's odd." Harry said quietly.
"What is?"
"Ssh!" Harry put a finger up to his lips and looked around furtively.
Confused Ron stepped forward examine the trials end and see what Harry had. That was impossible, according the Checking Spells, Horn hadn't apparated.
"But that… he didn't…" Ron hissed but a warning look from Harry stopped him going any further.
Ron turned to look through the dark jungle and raised his wand cautiously; beside him Harry was doing the same.
"We know you're there Horn." Harry said- his voice clear and firm- broke the tense moments of silence.
Despite the blanketing quiet of the trees his message rang out clear but was answered only by bird calls and the scratching of animals.
"It could be a mistake…" Ron started but was interrupted in a low unmistakable snigger.
He spun round, it had come from behind!
"It's almost funny to see you try." A low mocking and distinctively female voice told them, closely followed by a loud bang and flash of light.
Harry swore loudly and Ron began to feel slightly nauseated at himself. How could they have been so stupid?
"That's a new one," Harry said, "First time she's cut the trial off herself… she usually apparates away from it."
"Where's she learning this?" Ron said furiously.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Harry said grimly, "Come on, we better get back and tell Cathy."
Breathing heavily, trying to control his bubbling anger Ron watched as his friend apparated and after a long, last look into the jungle followed.
"Not good I take it?" Kathy asked when they entered her office a few minutes later.
Ron allowed Harry to explain what had happened, sinking into one the chairs in front of Kathy's desk and closing his eyes. He could really do with a long bath…
"But that's not possible," Kathy said when Harry finished telling her about Horn cutting the trail off himself, "I've had cases were they were able to apparate away from them but cutting it off…"
Ron opened his eyes, scowling, "She's like no-one we've ever come up against before. She's running us ragged just trying to keep up with him!"
"Yeah," Harry added, "I don't understand how he's not tiring- I mean I'm pretty exhausted and I've had the training for this kind of thing!"
Kathy put down the pen she'd been holding and grimaced, "I don't know. Maybe it could be one of our trainees gone bad… but we haven't had one do that for quiet a while now and you said you thought she was young."
"We could check I suppose." Harry said.
"It's all I can suggest," Kathy said apologetically, "That and wait for the sensors to pick up on him again."
"You're looking very smart today," Harry observed, changing the subject.
"Yes, very nice indeed," Ron said teasing, with an inkling as to why Kathy's light summer robes were a particularly well chosen shade of green to match her mischievous hazel eyes.
Kathy grinned back, "I've just got back from the FA Garden Party… it was hard work I can tell you!"
But Ron wasn't interested in the Garden Party, "How is she?"
"Fine, she sends her love," Repeating the "safe" words she'd used on Hermione before.
Ron who didn't know this looked wistful, "And My Sister?" He asked, feeling Harry sit up straight beside him.
"The same, she's doing an article covering it: it should be in the evening paper. And Percy looked magnificent, he really suits being Minister."
Ron nodded absentmindedly, looking forward to the evening paper more than usual.
"So what do you reckon for our chances then?" Harry asked.
"Good," Kathy said, then frowned, "At least I think Percy's support certainly raises the issue's profiles and will probably get some floaters on our side but there's still the conservatives to worry about- Earnest Hughes isn't too enthusiastic about the whole thing."
"No, well he wouldn't be would he?" Harry said dryly.
"I don't think he speaks for the entire FA thought," Ron added thoughtfully, "That young lad we talked too when they gave us a hand arresting Lance Brown was all for it."
Kathy nodded, taking this in, "Yeah, I think we really need to get in amongst the FA and find out where their general standing is. Remus has set Hermione that task for the Ministry Ball on Friday."
"She'll be in her element with all these politics." Harry said.
"Maybe." Kathy said looking thoughtful.
They left it at that, knowing Kathy they wouldn't get any more out of her about their friends and family, she was after all, a stickler for the rules.
"You two need baths." She said wryly, "Go and rest you both look exhausted and send those clothes down to the House Elves… they're going to get sick of mending your things!"
Harry chuckled and got up to leave, Ron following him.
"She misses you." Kathy said softly just as Ron was passing through the door.
He turned and Kathy smiled sympathetically.
"I miss her." The words came out slightly choked and sounding strange, as words do when you think them a lot but don't actually voice them very often.
"I know."
In the quiet of his own room Ron, looking in the mirror assessed the damage of his days work. The t-shirt which had once been white was muddy and had several tears in it from his helter-skelter run through the jungle. A scratch on his right arm had been bleeding but wasn't too serious, no reason to go to the medi-witch.
Lifting his hand to wipe a smear of mud from his cheek he was interrupted by a vague, fleeting memory of a bright seventeen year old Hermione laughingly wiping a similar smear of mud from his cheek after a Quidditch Match.
He closed his eyes for a moment and just for a second he could see her as she was then, small, pale from worrying about Voldemort but nevertheless with those bright brown eyes and easy smile.
That had been the first time he'd kissed her.
He grinned remembering… it was a memory half hidden beneath darker ones of Voldemort and images of Hermione weak and pale faced from Malfoy's degenerating disease.
He was heartened by the emergence of happier memories and was wondering what exactly the future might bring when the Daily Prophet owl swept into his room with a screech and demanded payment.
Harry who had heard the owl was soon knocking anxious to know what the evening paper would have to say on the Garden Party.
They sat on Ron's bed with the paper spread out between them.
Large on the front page was a picture of Remus, Cathy and the FA chief, Earnest Hughes surrounding Percy, all smiling forcefully as if wanting to give the impression of having a wonderful time. Ron was slightly disappointed that Hermione wasn't on the picture.
The headline read, "Debate Over Auror Profession Heightens."
Ron felt oddly detached reading his sister's lively, professional but not all together un-biased reporting and recognized instantly something Kathy had failed to tell them.
"It's stalemate" He whispered to Harry.
Harry nodded, still pouring over the page.
For some reason a deeply anxious feeling settled in the pit of Ron's stomach and idle wonderings about his future faded as he realised he had a lot longer to wait.
"Would Harry Potter and Ron Weasley please report to the Sensor Spells centre?"
Ron winced at the voice that filled his room magically amplified, a bath, clean clothes and good long rest would have to wait. It looked like they were back on the trail of Niamh Horn.
The next morning, back at Hogwarts, Professor Neville Longbottom was relieved to receive an owl half way through third paper. Recognizing Hermione's neat script he dismissed his fourth years uncharacteristically early.
He read it quickly, stepping out into what was a pleasant but blustery summer's day and leaving the greenhouses behind absentmindedly.
"Dear Neville," it read, "I've seen the specialist and she agrees with me on what might be bothering Luna. Can you bring her in for this afternoon? I'll make sure I'm free from about 1 o'clock. You might need moral support! Hermione"
The young Herbolagy Professor sighed feeling relieved; at least now something was being done.
Reaching the school he headed for his office where he scribbled a reply to Hermione and set off to find Professor McGonagall and make sure she didn't mind letting him have the afternoon off.
Somehow he didn't think so.
AN- OK, so what do you think? Please review and tell me… it's hard getting back into the swing of things after so long!
There's the mud stain for you Nicole… apologies if it doesn't live up to expectations… I kind of ended up fluffing it up! I promise now that the mud stain will make reappearance!
Anyway thanks, if you've got this far for reading, please review!
It shouldn't be too long before I get round to writing another chapter… hopefully!