Hello citizens of fanfiction! Sorry I haven't updated in the longest time, but I've had writer's block! I think I'm over it now though! Here is the fifth chappy! Thanks to all of my reviewers. I promise to do a personal reply to each and every one of you in the next chappy! Also, I can't forget Lizzy101, thanks for always beta-reading for me!
flyingthoroughbred
Hermione and Ron sprinted into the center of Hogsmeade and stopped, panting.
"We need—to get—Madame Bell's before—Death Eaters—come too," Hermione panted, as she struggled to not plop down onto the snow-covered ground.
"Okay," Ron said, just as out of breath as Hermione. They continued to catch their breaths in silence. Ron broke the silence abruptly, "Let me just make sure the package is all right and then we can head on our way."
"Right," Hermione answered. Ron brought the package out of his coat pocket, where he had stored it during the fight. Hermione let out a gasp. Where there had once been nice, neat brown paper was torn to shreds and you could now clearly see what the package was. A little gold and crystal ball about the size of a locket and on a chain lay in Ron's hand. Inside, there was a substance not quite a solid, but not quite a liquid either; it was a mixture of the two.
"I don't believe it," Hermione whispered, "That is Petradot, Ron!"
"What?" Ron exclaimed, almost dropping the small object.
"Yes, it's actually the root of the plant. Hmmmm…I wonder why it's in a plasma state?" Hermione thought out loud, her curiosity kicking into high gear.
"Hermione, we don't have time for your curiosity right now. We need to get this package to Madame Bell before those Death Eaters come too," Ron said hurriedly, using her own words to get her to go.
"Yes, you're right," Hermione replied reluctantly, "But I want to go to the apothecary before we head back."
"Fine, let's just get this done and over with so that we can drink some nice, warm, Butterbeers," and with that he dragged her down Three Broomsticks Street to look for Madame Bell's home. (A/N no they still hadn't let go of each other's hands.)
"This looks like the place," Hermione told Ron as she climbed up the cement stairs to the lighted oak front door.
"Yep," Ron answered, "There's the number eighty-four right where Dumbledore had said it would be."
Hermione reached up to knock on the door but found that she couldn't. Her right hand was still holding tightly onto Ron's and vice-versa. "Uh, Ron," she said.
"Yeah?"
"If you want to deliver the package you have to let go of my hand so I can knock on the door."
"What? Oh, right," He said, blushing and letting go of her hand.
She smiled as she reached up and knocked on the door the required three times. Soon, they could here the slow footsteps of someone coming to the door. The door opened, and a old, weathered lady opened the door. She was dressed in her night things and was clearly angry to be woken up this late.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"Is Madame Bell home?" Hermione asked timidly.
"You're looking at her, darling. Now what is it that you want?"
"We have a package for you from Professor Dumbledore."
"Yeah. Sorry about the packaging. It came off when, umm, when I fell," Ron told her as he handed over the package.
"Oh my!" Madame Bell exclaimed when she saw it, "You two better come in and quickly!"
Hermione and Ron stepped into a front foyer decorated in Victorian style, while Madame Bell closed the door behind them and latched it then put a sealing charm on it.
"Hang up your cloaks on that rack and come into the living room. Young man, you can start a fire in the fireplace to warm you two up and I'll start some tea. It looks like the two of you have a lot to tell me," she called over her shoulder as she disappeared into another room that they assumed must be the kitchen.
Hermione and Ron did as they were told, and soon a roaring fire was burning and they were sitting in front of it side-by-side warming themselves, and coincidentally, each other.
'I wonder why he didn't take his hand away before?' Hermione thought, 'I didn't take mine away because it felt so warm in his, as a matter of fact, it was the only warm part in my entire body! I shouldn't be thinking this! He's my best friend! I would never think about him like this if it weren't for saving each other's lives, and now this romantic spot near the fire!'
'But you are!' a voice in the back of her head told her, 'And the reason you didn't take your hand away before was that it felt so right for your hand to be in his. You're starting to like him, just admit it!'
'No! You're wrong! I am NOT starting to like my best friend!' she yelled back, 'And that is the end of this discussion!'
'For now,' the little voice added
Little did Hermione know that Ron was having the same sort of discussion with his mind- about her.
Madame Bell came into the living room carrying a large tray with three teacups, a pot of tea, and a plate full of sandwiches. "I figured you were hungry after your long walk here, so I made you some sandwiches.
"Thanks!" Ron said turning around, grabbing a sandwich and starting to shove it into his mouth.
Madame Bell laughed. "Well, it looks as though someone has a large appetite!"
"Oh, believe me, it's worse at the school," Hermione told her as she too turned around and took a sandwich off of the plate and took a bite out of it, "I apologize for his table manners. They're atrocious!"
"Hey!" Ron managed to mumble, considering he had a mouthful of corned-beef and bread.
"That's quite alright, my son was the exact same way when he was that age. You couldn't keep food in front of him for more than a minute!" Madame Bell said, "When you two are done eating you can tell me how this trinket came to be out of its packaging, and why you look like a herd of hippogriffs ran you over."
They finished eating and Madame Bell poured all three of them a cup of tea. They then told their story from beginning to end, including their visit to Hagrid's.
"Well, you were correct, young lady, this is Petradot root and it can bring people back from the dead," Madame Bell told Hermione when they had finished their story, "Do you have any idea WHY the Order may want something to do with the Dark Arts?"
"Because," Hermione answered, "Petradot died out years ago because of urban sprawl. It used to grow in only one place in the entire world: downtown London. Everything is paved over now, so there must be only a few Petradot plants left in existence."
"Correct again. To be exact, there are only three plants left in the entire world and the Order now has possession of all of the parts of all three of them. You did not answer my question, however, WHAT does the Order want with these plants?"
"That's easy," Ron piped in, "Voldemort could bring any one of his loyal servants, who were killed by our people, back to life."
"Ah. Now you have hit the nail on the head, young man. Unfortunately, it is time for you to go. Instead of having you journey back on foot with those Death Eaters out there, you can use my fireplace and Floo to Hogwarts. I believe that Professor Dumbledore's fireplace is connected to the Floo Network, so you can use that one. Now, go grab your cloaks."
Hermione and Ron grabbed their cloaks. Hermione was just about to step into the fire when an old, withered hand grabbed her upper arm.
"I want you to take this," Madame Bell said, handing over the pendant full of Petradot, "I have a feeling that you are going to need it more than the Order soon."
"Ummmm, Okay," Hermione said, clasping her hand around the pendant, stepping into the fire and flooing after Ron to Dumbledore's office.
"I assume you were successful in your mission then," Dumbledore asked as Hermione stepped out of the large fireplace.
"Yes, sir," her and Ron said in unison.
"Then I suggest that you go to bed and sleep in tomorrow morning."
With that, they trudged out of Dumbledore's office.
"Just a minute, Miss Granger," Dumbledore called after her retreating back, "May I have a word with you?"
Hermione signaled for Ron to go ahead without her and she headed back into Dumbledore's office, closing the door behind her.
"Yes, Headmaster?" she queried.
"Why do you have the pendant?"
"Yes, I was about to leave when Madame Bell stopped me and gave it to me. She said that she had a feeling I would be needing it sooner than the Order and that I should have it."
"Hmm, interesting, very interesting."
"Why, sir?"
"Never mind, just go to bed and make sure to keep that pendant with you at all times."
"Yes, sir," Hermione answered as she left the office and went to her dorms.
'Odd, I wonder why she gave it to me and why Dumbledore wants me to keep it with me at all times. I am definitely going to have to look into this.' Hermione thought on her way back.
So what did you think? Please tell me by pushing that blurpleish button, down there!
flyingthoroughbred