Summary: Hermione and Ron find themselves stuck in a Labyrinth. If they're going to get out, they'll have to learn to work together. But once they do, what will happen when they discover much more than meets the eye?

Rating: PG

Pairing: Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger

Disclaimer: I do not, did not and never will own Harry Potter.

The Labyrinth of Love

Chapter 3: Through the Door

Weeks passed, along with hours of tiresome classes, droning voices of their professors, and afternoons in the library too. They were all glad to hear about the upcoming Halloween feast. God knows they deserved a break from all the homework and extra-credit assignments that were given to them. They needed something to keep their minds off the pressure that the teachers were giving them as well.

Ron's head was about to explode. "That McGonagall has no conscience..." he said to Harry as they left their transfiguration class. Hermione was still inside asking McGonagall about who-knows-what. Ron rolled his eyes at the idea of Hermione asking, "Is this information vital—"or "Don't you think it's relevant?" Hermione had changed her hair, but not her attitude. If any, she was more a bookworm than she had ever been, worried about the N.E.W.T level classes the sixth years were taking. Ron just wanted to get away from that all, pull a 'Weasley', like Fred and George did. But he knew his mom would kill him if he did.

Hermione went out of Transfiguration looking pleased with herself. "Oh what's bugging you?" she asked Ron cheerily.

"You", Ron said airily, but recoiled at Hermione's glare, "Okay fine...nothing...just frustrated. You? You look happy today"

"Me?" Hermione, "It's about the essay that we passed last week...McGonagall gave me a 9 out of ten, remember? But I convinced her that the background of the spell was necessary so I got a 10"

"Oh", Ron said, wondering if Hermione even had a real life.

"Snap out of it Ron, it's a Friday", said Hermione impatiently

"Which reminds me," Harry said, staring at the floor then looking at the two, "Hagrid's written me if you want to go to his hut?"

They spent the rest of the afternoon there, having tea, talking about school. They were quite thankful for Hagrid. He was their only escape from the rest of the school. It was quite interesting, really, to hear about Hagrid's progress with Grawp.

They left after an hour and a half, and Hagrid waved from his hut. They waved back, and breathed at the setting sun.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Hermione asked them.

"Yeah...", Ron's voice trailed, surprised that Hermione had time to notice the beauty of the sunset.

--

"So...what time?"

"Seven o'clock", Hermione said quickly, "Honestly, Ron, you keep on forgetting. It's quite annoying you know"

"Whatever"

Hermione rolled her eyes. As prefects, they were supposed to patrol for about an hour into the Halloween feast. After that, they could eat, and another pair of prefects would take their place. They were assigned to the third floor, and they hurried out of the library to get ready for the feast.

"Hold on," Hermione said, stuffing a book into her already full bag. It didn't seem to fit.

"Oh let me take it", Ron said, taking the book.

"Thanks", she said in relief. Since when did Ron have concern for her?

Ron was just surprised as she was, but he held the thick blue book tightly. He checked his watch. They were late.

"Hermione!" he said loudly, "We're late!"

"I supposed we could go immediately...but our bags—"

"We could carry them...Honestly, they're not that heavy"

"Yours isn't"

"Then we'll switch", he offered in a cold voice.

"Are you sure?"

"3, 2, --"

"Okay...we'll switch bags", Hermione gave in, and she handed her bag to him, and he did the same to her.

Instantly, Ron regretted offering to switch bags. Hermione's bag was as heavy as a pile of bricks, but he tried not to show how heavy it was. He followed Hermione with a look of confidence to the third floor.

--

Ron and Hermione had been patrolling the third floor for about ten minutes, and already, Ron had started complaining.

"I bet that they're already eating..."

"Will you shut up?"

"What? I was just—"

"Oh never mind", Hermione said, and she turned back to her book. She had been reading while walking, but she never even came close to bumping into something.

The corridor seemed to go on for miles. It rounded into a dark corner. They passed empty classrooms and staring people in pictures.

"Ron, have you done your charms homework?" Hermione asked, trying to make conversation. The emptiness of everything started to get to her, and the silence was extremely deafening.

"No, and what do you care if I have?" Ron said. He had been staring at his shoes. They were old sneakers...from one of his brothers. For a reason, Ron couldn't remember who.

"Nothing. I think you should finish it already"

"I'll finish it when I want to"

"Fine", Hermione said. She gave up. She was never going to have a proper conversation with Ron without Harry with them. Heck, even with Harry they didn't get along. "If it wasn't for a troll..." a thought crossed her mind, and she grinned. Ron saw.

"What are you smiling for?" he asked.

"Nothing"

"You always say that—but it's never nothing—is it?...there's always something"

"I was just—just remembering the way we became friends"

"Oh", Ron said, surprised.

They turned into the dark corner. Lights flickered instantly, lit by torches on the walls. Hermione saw that it was a dead end. Except for a door.

"Hey, what's that?" Ron said, suddenly excited.

"It's a door, Ron"

"I know it's a door. I'm not thick," Ron said, annoyed again, "but where does it lead?"

"You wanna see?"

"Sure" Ron said.

They went closer to the door. It was a bright green door carved with different patterns of flowers, trees, greenery and other natural things. For a while, Hermione thought that the designs moved, but she concluded that it was just her imagination.

Ron held out his arm to reach for the doorknob. He was halfway into turning it to open, but the bright green suddenly became a dull, leafy, natural green, and the designs disappeared. Ron let go of the knob, and the bright green color of the door and its designs appeared again.

"Wicked", he whispered.

"Open it", Hermione suggested. She didn't sense any danger. In fact, she had this feeling that happiness awaited them inside that door. She wasn't about to pass up the chance for some brightness in her life. Nobody knew, but she craved life and adventure. She was just too deep into accomplishing her studies that she didn't want to risk it all for fun.

"You sure?" Ron said. He didn't feel any threat to opening the door, but he wanted to be sure Hermione didn't mind.

"Yes Ron, I'm sure"

"Okay then", he said, and he turned the doorknob all the way.

---

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A/N: I rather cruelly left you. I'm sorry. Thank you to all my reviewers. I love you all. :::CHOCOLATE BUNNIES FOR EVERYONE:::

Anon11: Thank you so much for your loyalty and efforts...I love your reviews

Carly: try again. I hope this time you'll get to read it.

AngelSerpent91: Thank you so much! I'm not sure how mushy this is going to be.

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Sasami Tombo: Thank you. The first two chapters were intended for introduction so they were supposed to be short.

King Harold: You shouldn't be ashamed! Be proud to be RWHG!

LMR: I mean it when I threaten...oh but I guess it's not working, so instead I shall give you a pixie stick

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I LOVE YOU ALL!

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