Into the Labyrinth - Dramione/Blinny

Ch. 14

After pulling the kettle off the stove, Hermione had gone to her room, completely uncaring of the fact that she was still wearing the large ballgown as she fell onto her bed and stared at the wall. It was still raining outside, a random lightning strike brightening up the room every few minutes.

Ginny had taken to the couch, grabbing one of the pillows and holding it tightly against her as she stared up at the ceiling, holding back tears. She didn't move until she heard Hermione's shower turn on, and when she stretched her muscles protested from not moving in so long. After looking at the clock above the stove she realized that it was just after midnight, and she wondered just how long she had been sitting there.

Pulling herself up, Ginny made her way to her own room and paused when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was surprised that she was still wearing the beautiful dark blue gown; though at the same time she wasn't sure Blaise would have accepted it back after she had run away during the ball.

Her shoulders dropped at the memory and she turned away, searching through her drawers for a set of clothes to change into after showering.

Hermione had emerged from the bathroom and cross the apartment towards the living room, pausing at the patio doors that had previously blown open. She was half expecting them to open again, and when they didn't her heart sank as she turned away and immediately went to the couch.

She eventually turned the TV on for some noise, something to try and distract her from her thoughts, but as she stared out of the window into the pouring rain her heart wrenched again and she bit her lip to hold back tears.

Ginny appeared in the doorway with the same crestfallen expression that Hermione had as she joined the other girl on the couch, both of them silent for the rest of the night.

The following two days seemed to blur together for both girls as they barely spoke, each still struggling to come to terms with what happened. Neither of them spoke about the labyrinth or the two kings, and they definitely didn't speak about noticing the other glancing towards the patio doors every so often.

It wasn't until the third day when Ginny was pacing back and forth in the middle of the living room that they had finally acknowledged what happened.

"There has to be a way back," Ginny said, putting a hand on her hip and running the other hand through her hair as she thought.

"Yes, but how?" Hermione answered quickly, staring up at the ceiling from her spot on the couch; she was lying on her back with her legs up over the back of the couch, completely ignoring the cup of tea she had on the coffee table. "And even if we do get back, would they even want us still?"

Ginny chewed on her bottom lip, her heart sinking slightly. She hadn't even considered that....

"We could always make another deal with completing the labyrinth," Ginny said then, pausing her pacing.

Hermione looked over at her, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "That's if the labyrinth is the same; remember it kept changing when we were in the stone maze?"

"Yeah," Ginny smiled as well. "At least now we know what to expect though."

"True..." Hermione's smile faded and she looked back up towards the ceiling, letting out a heavy sigh. "I shouldn't have ran away from him at the ball..."

Ginny sighed as well, going to sit on the couch next to Hermione. "Neither of us knew they were going to suggest that. And it was very sudden; I mean, asking us to become their queens in less than thirteen hours? Did they really expect us to say yes instantly?"

Hermione didn't answer immediately, blinking as her chest tightened. In truth she'd give almost anything to be back dancing around the beautiful ballroom with Draco, and in that moment she wasn't sure she would react the same way as before.