20 Connection

Hermione

The sound of the raised voices projected into the room, although the sound was faint they were also familiar. "Harry... Ron?" Hermione said with surprise. She ran halfway across the infirmary to peer out of the window. Momentarily her problems with Percy thrown to the back of her mind as she saw the two most familiar faces besides her own parents arguing with a small group of Roman patrol solders.

Running quickly out the door she nearly fell into the gaping holes Hazel created during the earlier battle. But she managed to steer narrowly away from her death when Percy reached out to take her hand. He had been following her closely as she flew out without her realizing it. Briefly, she glanced up into his sea green eyes and froze. As if it was just the two of them the world slipped away.

All at once she remembered their passion that night. Percy's lips kissing trails from her neck to navel, his fingers running through her hair. Most of all she recalled their passionate kiss in front of her flat's door. 'Am I really leaving him behind?' She questioned. Still looking into his eyes she wanted nothing else but just to truely give in... But she knew she couldn't, she might never be able to. She felt her cheeks burn as she broke their stare and literally ran away from him.

Harry and Ron were in a row with four demigods wearing Roman armor. Harry had already stunned five guards holding him back from advancing forward and Ron three, but the demigods just kept coming. It was a losing battle and she knew if she didn't stop their fight soon her friends would be put down... hard.

Seeing Hermione running towards them, Harry's eyes lite with delight. Shooting out a few 'Stupify' spells to stun two other Romans, Harry ran the rest of the way to her. Once clear of danger he enveloped her into a tight hug only pulling away slightly to whisper fiercely "Mione, hurry let's get out of hear before more of them come!" His anxiousness evident in his voice.

She pulled away stepping back from his embrace. "Harry you have to stop, these people aren't our enemy." She replied speaking just as anxiously.

His confused eyes clear through his round spectacles."But... you were kidnapped?" His voice was laced with confusion. She thought back to how Thalia's knocked her out and her last conversation with Harry. 'He did say the Ministry had someone keeping an eye on me..."

"Yes, but they had their reason" She supplied not agreeing with how they brought her here.

-Harry-

When they arrived at the location written on the paper they were at first a little confused. "How exactly did Hermione get from New York to California." Ron asked me his eyes wide with bewilderment. Harry shook his head not replying to his friend's question, but it was really odd. Harry didn't know much about American geography but he understood California and New York were at opposite ends of the nation.

Confirming the address written on the paper he read aloud. "Its entrance is a service tunnel near the main Caldecott Tunnel in the Oakland Hills, near San Francisco." Harry frowned remembering Selina's warning. "Maybe we should call for back up, I get the feeling their might be more going on here than we think." But Ron shook his head. "Harry this is Mione, I can't think about just leaving her in this place any longer." His eyes pleading and a little red. Ron continued with a half smile on his lips. "Do you remember when we all were just First years at Hogwarts? She overhead us saying 'That's why she has no friends' and she stormed off and locked herself in the girls bathroom..." Ron's wistful look into his eyes brought me back into the memory. "Then the mountain troll..." Harry supplied. "...Yes, that was the first time we worked together as a group. We were always together after that... Until..." His face filled with shame at the memory. "Until I messed it up!" his voice now filled with emotion and his eyes reddened further on the edge of tears. "We have to do this Harry... but I can't do it without you... You are a better Auror than me. Please." he begged me.

Harry nodded as well, he had failed his friend too and he didn't really want to wait either. Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak from his ruck sack. They both stared down at it a determination in both their eyes.

It was a tight fit under the cloak, two grown men under something ment for one... well there were bound to be problems. Thankfully the cloak was large and covered almost all of them besides a small part of their shoes.

The tunnel was dim but they made quick progress to the end where the seen to people who looked to be on patrol. Harry has seen a lot of weird things in his life. These people seemed odder than when wizards attempt to dress as muggles. In Roman combat wear these two paced around an entrance to door that a bright light shown through. Deciding this was where they needed to be Harry brought out his wand and stunned the two guards at the door.

Quickly running through the door they were completely stunned at the sight on the other side. The buildings were made of white marble with red-tiled roofs and also included townhouses and shops, a forum studded with statues and columns, and models of the Circus Maximus and the colliseums. Some of the marble buildings have domes and columned porticoes, like national monuments. Others look like palaces, with golden doors and large gardens. To the right in the distance there was a open plaza that resembles an open-air market with freestanding columns, fountains, and statues. "This place makes most cities look bad!" Ron said clearly in awe. Harry nodded in confirmation but made another observation. "And it looks to have been in a battle recently! look over there smoke is coming out and it looks like there is a massive hole in the ground."

They quickly made their way towards that area but we're spotted by a group of passing patrol solders.

Quickly taking off the invisibility cloak they began their battle. These guys were trained he confirmed quickly after a few times sending out shield spells. Ron was yelling out words I didn't quite catch, and I kept stunning the guards I could but I knew it was a losing battle. Suddenly I spotted her...

Editor's note:

Ok guys this is a bonus chapter! it's a little bit filler but it connects the dots a small amount.

hope you enjoy!