Into the Labyrinth - Dramione/Blinny

Ch. 11

As the girls continued to walk along the pathway, they found that the swampy trees slowly gave way to a more beautiful forest filled with bright green bushes and leaves. The trees were also exceptionally larger around here; it made Hermione wonder just how long they had been in the labyrinth, but at the same time she didn't dwell too much on it.

"It's very beautiful here," Ginny said quietly, marveling as well at the trees.

Hermione nodded, looking upwards towards the sky; between the tree leaves she could see patches of blue, and she found herself smiling.

She noticed that she and Ginny had somewhat slowed their walking, the two of them continuing to look around as they passed by each tree. Ginny had reached her hand out slightly to gently brush her fingertips along the leaves of the bushes, smiling to herself.

"I'm almost expecting another set of creatures to jump out at us," Hermione admitted then with a small laugh, looking around.

Ginny laughed as well, shaking her head. "I wouldn't be surprised if one did; given how unpredictable this place is."

"I wonder if, since that last group of creatures favored fire..." Hermione started, smiling. "...The others would be more inclined to the other elements."

"It would only make sense," Ginny shrugged. "But then again, things rarely make sense here."

Hermione didn't respond immediately, taking in a deep breath and sighing it out. "It's starting to grow on me though."

Looking at her friend, Ginny sighed as well before looking down at the ground. "I don't really want to agree but...yeah, it kind of is."

The girls continued walking as silence fell over both of them, their pace noticeably slower now to both of them as they enjoyed the peacefulness of their surroundings.

Blaise and Draco both stood around the large crystal ball quietly, watching as the girls walked through the woods. They had heard what the girls had said but neither of them had commented yet. Draco had noticed that Hermione had a slight smile on her face as she looked around, and he found himself smiling because of this.

"Certainly an interesting turn of events," Blaise said quietly, bringing Draco out of his thoughts.

Draco looked up to see the other king watching him, and Draco nodded. "Unexpected, to say the least."

Blaise nodded as well, glancing down at Ginny. The girls had paused on the trail, looking around for something. His brow furrowed as he leaned in to get a better look.

"What do you think they're looking for?" He asked, glancing up to Draco who had a similarly confused expression.

"I'm not sure," Draco answered, running a hand through his hair.

They both fell silent as they listened in, Draco waving a hand to amplify the sound coming from the crystal.

"How long do you think it's been?" Ginny asked as she inspected a nearby bush.

"I have absolutely no idea," Hermione sighed, pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail and tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "The last time I saw a clock was the sundial after we had crawled up out of the tunnels. I didn't even think to look at the time though."

They heard Ginny let out a sigh as well as she paused, rubbing her scalp slightly as she thought about something. A loud growl was suddenly heard and Hermione giggled before asking, "Is that my stomach or yours, Gin?"