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 12: Paris
Harry Potter was getting worried, and that's putting it lightly. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. He wouldn't talk to anyone about what happened. A semester has passed since his friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, have been declared missing.
"The way I see it, it's either they've left on their own, been kidnapped or are trapped in a Labyrinth", Tonks had said to him three days after they had gone.
Harry had spent most of the time in the Library, looking up information on Labyrinths while the Ministry searched everywhere for them. The Dark Lord hadn't made any attacks so far, but they were expecting attacks soon, therefore delaying the search.
From what he read, wizards and witches that got trapped in a Labyrinth would commonly turn up again in a few months, but Harry couldn't wait for that.
"They could be having the greatest adventure," Harry thought, trying to be positive as he wrote down the last few lines of the charms homework. What 16 year old boy wouldn't fear for his friends?
"Dudley, of course", Harry answered in his head, "and that ferret Draco Malfoy—oh wait…Draco would be nothing without Crabbe and Goyle…"
Those thoughts made him forget about his friends for a while, but then he just sulked after remembering something else he had read.
Of course, in some rare cases, witches and wizards would never turn up at all. Like in the case of Miss Katarina Sanchez…
Then he remembered Sirius.
This was something else he hadn't gotten over. He had dreams about Sirius sometimes, leaving him sweaty and cold when he suddenly shot up from his bed in the night.
After all, Sirius wouldn't have died if he hadn't gone after Harry…
Harry spent the night staring out the window. Maybe Hedwig would come tapping on it with some letter from Sirius saying that he had been alive all this time and had been spending his summer hiding out in Japan…and that the Pandas were his good friends and he had been living on sushi and sugarcane juice.
These would sometimes make Harry laugh, these small fantasies, but they were temporary and they did no good.
000
Harry walked the corridors and receive looks. Some of them were sympathetic and some were just glares and looks of humor, most of these from the Slytherins. Colin Creevy would come up to him sometimes and ask if he wanted to play Wizard's chess.
"No thank you, Colin," he would say, because he used to play Wizard's chess with Ron, and besides, he wasn't all that good in Wizard's chess anyway.
000
Today, he spent his lunch at the Library. Everyone else was in Hogsmeade, and he saw no point in being there without his friends. Draco Malfoy would just laugh at how Harry was all alone. Dean and Seamus had talked to him in the morning, asking for his company.
"Harry, aren't you going to Hogsmeade?"
"No"
"Why not? You can go to the pub with us, and we could go to Zonko's"
"Well I'm not really up for it. Actually, I have some homework to finish"
Homework. He had done it all, trying not to think about Ron and Hermione; even the 3 foot essay that was due in two weeks had been finished.
Didn't everyone realize that he didn't want to do things with anybody else, because they were the things he used to do with his best friends?
"Harry?" a voice said.
Harry looked up from his seat and saw Professor Dumbledore.
"Professor? What happened?"
"We have some news about your friends"
000
Harry was lead into Dumbledore's office and he sat down across the old professor, breathing nervously. What had happened to his friends?
"We have confirmed, with much difficulty, that Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are trapped in a Labyrinth—"
Harry felt relief and angst. He slumped back in his chair.
"Harry, I know what you're thinking and it is not possible to go after them. They must figure it out on their own. Now, when they do turn up, they will have to take extra classes, maybe even till the summer to make up for their studies. I understand that their absence is very difficult for you, but let me assure you that they are intelligent enough to get through the obstacles they face. We weren't able to obtain enough information to confirm the stage of the Labyrinth where they are now, but we are quite certain that they are nearly out, since they have been missing for quite some time. Please do not worry about them, Mr. Potter, your grades are lower than ever, and I know that you are capable of bringing them up"
Harry exhaled. "Thank you, professor", he said uncertainly, and then he stood up to leave, Dumbledore watching him as he closed the door behind him.
000
When they reached Paris, it was empty. No one was one the streets that were usually busy, not even inside the boutiques or shops, not even cars passed by. A flyer advertising homemade bread flew onto the silent street and was swept away again by a light breeze. Hermione Granger had gotten off a busy airplane, from a long flight, filled with people. They, being in the first row, had stepped out first. When they descended the aircraft, they found themselves suddenly standing on a street called 'rue de Rivoli'.
Hermione was vaguely familiar with this street. She had been here before, but she didn't remember why. She was a little happy at the thought of not passing through immigration.
"Where is everyone?" Ron wondered aloud. It seemed weird that there was nobody around because when they had been to Australia and Mexico, they had seen many residents. Some of them had been friendly, some were not, but whether or not their attitude was pleasant, it was unusual to be the only people on the particular part of the earth.
"I don't know, Ron. I don't even know what we're supposed to be doing", said Hermione, extremely irritated. She hated not being knowledgeable. She was supposed to be the on with all the answers. Even though she knew that wasn't true, she sometimes wished it were. It would be so much easier, even if it were some stupid stereotype her schoolmates labeled her.
She smoothened her hair backwards as if she was tying it in a ponytail then she let it go. It didn't help much. It was a little cold when they got there, but her body felt like it was so warm, because she was sweating from the confusion
"Right", Ron said, and he looked away. Hermione was so confused…and she was so beautiful. "What am I saying?" Ron thought, "Blimey, I'm getting confused too. I'm not supposed to like Hermione…"
"Ron," Hermione whispered, "look…"
Ron looked in the direction where Hermione looked. Someone was approaching them. It was a little boy. He couldn't be any older than seven, he held a flag. It was the French flag, blue white and red, and it had some scrawny handwriting on it, although Hermione couldn't make it out yet.
He was wearing a red shirt that had white stripes and long navy blue shorts. He had white tights, a black bandana around his neck and a black beret. He had light freckles. His cheeks were red, probably because he was tired. However, this little boy did not look tired at all. He was smiling, and even though he had extremely pale skin—except for his cheeks—he looked friendly and harmless.
The boy marched to them in a childlike manner. Hermione could make out some words on the flag, written in black ink, from a quill most possibly. Ninety, Street, Lisa.
"Pour vous", the boy said. Hermione knew that 'pour' meant 'for' but she didn't really know what 'vous' meant, but she guessed that it meant 'you'.
The boy smiled at Hermione and handed Ron the flag.
"Merci beaucoup", said Hermione to the small boy, using 97 percent of her knowledge of the French language, and she smiled sweetly. It was a little forced, but to Ron, it didn't look as though it was. He admired her for a second and stopped himself before he could say something stupid, although he really didn't want to.
The boy disappeared when Hermione read the flag and Ron suddenly blinked. He seemed to drift away with the wind, his being floating away.
"It's in English, thank goodness", Hermione breathed as she read it.
At ninety-nine on the street you're on
Save Mona Lisa before it's gone
A horrible plot is being made
Quickly, before it's too late
At 2 o'clock it will begin
Stop this theft from happening
"The Louvre!" Hermione whispered hoarsely.
"The what?" Ron asked, completely oblivious to Hermione horrified expression.
Hermione repeated what she said and explained to Ron that the Louvre is one of the earliest European museums and that it housed a painting called the Mona Lisa, created by one of the best artists in the history of time.
Ron stopped her, telling her that she was beginning to sound like Professor Binns. Hermione got a little irked, but reminded herself that she did sound a little like their only ghost professor. So she let that little remark slip as Ron turned his attention to the flag.
"Okay, Hermione, what time is it?" Ron said, reading the fifth line of the poem.
Hermione checked her watch and made the adjustments. "It's about one thirty," she said, "have you anything planned?" she asked, but she knew the answer.
"Of course not", Ron said, "have you?"
"No idea at all. Ron, if we can't do this, we might not be able to get back to Hogwarts. Think of all the lessons I've missed! All the quizzes…"
"Hermione, please, please clam down…" Ron started, and he suddenly got better at it, following both his heart and instinct, "Please, if you cry now, then the more we don't get out. Let's just focus on this bloody situation and concentrate"
"Ron, don't you see," Hermione said, losing her collect manner, tears streaming down her face, "There is no way out. We don't have anything to stop anyone from taking that painting. We have no one to report this to, no one. We're the only ones in this stupid, stupid place and there's no way out"
Ron stared at the flag, wishing it would all just go away. Wanting it to go away and disappear, as if it's being there meant that their troubles would disappear as well and just as he had started to think that even if it weren't there, their troubles would still be, it disappeared. Then a wide grin spread across his freckled face.
"Hermione, okay then, if you had any resource at all to stop this theft, what would it be?"
"My—wand, of course. But how does that help? We don't have our wands. We can't even use magic"
"Yes we can…", Ron said, his grin broader than ever. He finally figured out something on his own, without Hermione. Even though it was just an accident that he did, he felt quite proud of his clumsy, awkward self.
"Look," Ron said, "the flag was here just a second ago and I made it disappear!"
"What?" now Hermione's confusion was greater than ever. She wiped her tear-stained face and said, "How?"
"I wanted it to go away…I wished it would go away, I wished it would disappear then it did!"
"Are you sure? Ron, you could be jumping to conclusions!"
"Give it a try, concentrate with all your might that the flag would come back…"
Hermione concentrated. She looked at the spot where the flag used to be and wished for it to come back. When nothing happened, she lost hope again. She sighed and looked at Ron.
"Try again, Hermione", Ron coaxed.
"I feel really stupid doing this, Ron, let's just not. We only have fifteen minutes left—"
"—Hermione, please…just listen to me, okay?"
Hermione was getting fed up. She didn't want to hear what Ron was saying. She didn't want to be in that stupid Labyrinth, she didn't want to be lost and stuck here, especially with Ron, especially with his red hair, and freckles and stupid grin…
"Ron, it's useless, okay? The flag just probably disappeared on its own or something like that"
"Hermione, I know I made it disappear. If you would just listen to me!"
"Why should I? Ron, I tried it already, okay? And it didn't work. What more proof do you want that this theory of yours doesn't work at all?"
"Hermione, I always listen to what you have to say, even if it bores the pants off of me. I've always trusted your ideas, why can't you trust mine?"
Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but she realized that Ron was completely right. It was turning into an extremely one-sided friendship, and neither of them wanted that, especially not Hermione.
Ron felt that there wasn't any hope at all to change Hermione. Sure she was smart, but she was also stubborn. But he knew that he made the flag disappear and he was intent on making Hermione see that.
"J-just try it, Hermione, please? If not for your sake, then for mine. Just trust me, okay?"
Hermione inhaled. Then exhaled then decided to give in and give it another try.
She gritted her teeth and wished with all her might that the flag would appear again, and with the little hope she had, she hoped that this would work.
And it did.
The French flag appeared out of thin air and plopped onto the ground. Hermione was certain that it was the same flag. She grinned at Ron's victorious expression, picked up the flag and took his hand, and pulled him to the Louvre, which was really near.
They walked briskly while Hermione explained her plan. Then, they entered the museum passing through the seventy-one foot pyramid, the architectural wonder on the entrance of the great museum. They ran quickly through the galleries, and like the streets and shops in the outside, no one was there. It was empty, but they both knew that in ten minutes time, there was going to be someone else in the building, besides themselves.
Département des Peintures, it said, and they entered it, more nervous than ever. Hermione motioned for Ron to hide behind a pillar, the best hiding place they could find, the nearest one to the famous painting. Hermione Granger, if she were on a tour, would have stopped to admire every work of art that they passed by, but unfortunately, she had no time to. Ron, on the other hand, didn't really care about the works that a bunch of old dead guys made.
Hermione had her back against the pillar, breathing heavily, a nervous wreck, just like before taking an exam she knew that she would ace. She knew that she could do it, she knew that she'd accomplish it like she did any task. But what if she was wrong?
A few minutes before two, they heard something. It made them look behind them, searching for the source. The sound became clearer and constant, footsteps. Then Hermione edged her way around the pillar to the painting and wished with all her might that the thief would be thrown back, stupefied or stunned.
"Ron, help…" Hermione breathed, "Stupefy him…"
"Hermione, jinx him…I'll hex…", said Ron.
"Ron, whoever he is," Hermione whispered, "it's likely he's more powerful than me or you. I think we have to concentrate on the same thing"
"Well, 'stupefy' won't last long, will it?"
"Do you have any more bright ideas, then?"
The footsteps were getting closer, Hermione snuck a peek to see and she saw dark, black boots, stamping heavily on the floor. The boots belonged to someone wearing a black mask and robe, and she was filled with fear. She didn't know who was behind that masked, but he—or she—was a threat, and that was all that mattered.
"Full body bind?" Ron suggested, although it wasn't his favorite spell.
"Brilliant, Ron!"
She concentrated on what she wanted it to result to, the full body bind, and repeated Petrificus Totalus inside her head, and said it under her breath as well. She wanted this thief's body to become fully rigid for the longest time, for the time they needed to escape from Paris.
Petrificus Totalus, Petrificus Totalus…
Ron just wanted to end it, and he focused on those boots, on that mask, on the robes, on everything about the mysterious thief. Sure, the full body bind wasn't much but he had hoped that the spell—the first one to pop inside his head—would prove effective. He sort of wanted to impress Hermione as well…
He took his thoughts from Hermione to Hermione's hair, from her lips to her honey eyes, from her whole being to the thief and he recited the spell under his breath.
Petrificus Totalus, Petrificus Totalus…
Then they heard a thump, a huge sound that echoed through the building. They had done it. Ron was about to see who the thief was, but then he found himself in a tight hug from no one but Hermione Granger.
000
Thanks to: Morning Rose, silktophat, scubagirl, One Wing Black Winged Angel, I AM EOWYN, KyoLuvsTohru, Funky-Princess, Shadow Faerie of Twilight, Hermionegarner, Gi Xian, chazberry, Grint'sBestGal, goblin monkey, jesus no moses, dancerrdw, deep blue quill, hpchick13, coco-pop, golden flower, blue rose of the forgotten, celi
Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long. I got writers block. Also, sorry if my description of Paris wasn't very satisfying. I'd never been there so it was difficult. Anyway, I'm hoping to get the new chapter up in a few weeks.
Good for those who got the GOOD BURGER reference. Here's a virtual cookie.
Also, please review because I don't get motivated if I don't have any reviews. Click that review button! REVIEW! Thanks!
The romance is heating up. If you want to read on, you'll review.
See you in my next chapter!