The Lost Painting: Part One
`Hurry up!' James said without looking back as he strolled towards the large doors.
`Come on' Harry said brightly shooting Hermione a quizzical glance as he followed quickly in James' path.
`I don't see what the rush is' her mum said grumbling as she jogged quickly up the many steps in order to keep up with them.
`Because this…' James said and Hermione could see the grin forming on his face `this…is fantastic!'
`It's not like its going anywhere' her mum grumbled once again `most of the things in here are thousands of years old anyway'
`That's kind of the point of a museum, mum' Hermione said chuckling to herself.
This definitely wasn't her usual visit home. From the moment they had come back James had sprung through the door and practically frog marched the three of them to the British Museum whilst refusing to answer any of their questions directly. Harry, by the huge grin on his face, was finding this eccentric change in James to be most delightful, while her mother was disbelieving on how she was being asked to spend her Saturday.
Hermione watched as James threw down a small, thin, bundle of notes into the suggested donation box and stormed of through the large ceilined room, paintings adorning the walls from their very first step. Hermione seemed to shake slightly inside as she saw her mother and James stumbling through the past, that was hers and Harry's place.
`I just love these little shops!' Harry said making the lot of them stop by the gift shop `millions of years of human history and every single place that is of any real benefit to humanity has a gift shop!'
`Its true' Hermione said nodding at James confused look `hospitals, museums, the raised Titanic'
`They raise the Titanic?' her mother asked confused.
`Not the Titanic that sunk…although they do raise that…' Hermione said shaking her head as she watched Harry walk into the shop and straight up to the counter `the one that crash landed'
`I can't believe they'd make more Titanics' her mother said rolling her eyes `their just going to tempt fate that way'
Hermione thought her mother actually had a good point as she watched Harry come strolling out with a little brown bag, the emblem of the British Museum painted on the side.
`Pencils…for drawing and…sketching thing…' Harry said grinning.
`When are you ever going to need pencils?' Hermione teased.
`Don't know' Harry said shrugging before he started to wander off `I'm going to check around, I'll catch you guys up'
Hermione watched him walk of down one of the exhibitions, his eyes not looking at the paintings but at the people examining them. People watching was one of Harry's favourite past times, and in a place like this she could really see why.
There were people on dates, the girls naturally looking rather bored. The staff were buzzing about, eagerly dealing with questions and problems, while the real art fans examined everything closer. Even the children were fascinating in a museum, a curious blend of childish boredom and a love of the unknown past.
`You've never seen anything like this' James said grinning as he broke her from her thoughts and they started to wander towards their destination again.
`I don't know about that' Hermione said keeping step with him `I've seen some pretty amazing things…like this one time we went to this little island in the 33rd century, the island doesn't exist yet but its beautiful and attracts all the surfers thanks to its reef'
`I didn't know you and Harry were into surfing too' James said shaking his head.
`We're not' Hermione said dismissively `but there was this thing with the moon and an invert of the Earths heat streams, I don't really understand that part completely… but the ocean had frozen! And I'm talking like an ice cube frozen…anyway there was these sixty foot waves, frozen so solidly that they looked like they had been made from glass!'
`I have to admit that is amazing' James said grudgingly but Hermione was still smiling as she remembered the perfectly still red sky above the still crashing waves which looked like crystal.
`But…' James said stopping and facing a wall, his arms spread out to indicate a wall in front of him `tell me if travelling through time has this!'
Hermione stopped and felt her mouth practically fall to the floor as she saw the impossible. And amazingly clear painting was hung on the wall, probably from the renaissance, with just the one image of a saddened woman sitting on. But the impossible part of this was the fact that the woman was her.
`Nice legs' Harry said grinning as he appeared next to her. She was now so use to Harry appearing from nowhere she didn't even really notice it.
`Oi!' her mum said shooting Harry a quick glance `that's my daughter you're talking about!'
`Your daughter the painting!' James said, his eyes still transfixed on the painting.
`I always wanted to be a muse!' Hermione said as she finally regained composure and walked up close to the painting, resting her hand on the glass that protected it.
`How amazing is this!' James said blinking wildly as he watched the painting closely.
`Pretty amazing' Harry said as he walked up and joined Hermione next to her painting `I'm guessing 1584…in Florence by an unknown artist of the goddess Isis, awaiting for the return of her husband from another world'
`How did you get all that by just looking at it?' her mother asked impressed.
`There' Hermione said and pointed at the plaque that Harry had just read of the wall.
`Everything he does is just some sort of a trick, ain't it?' her mother said shaking her head before she looked closer at the painting and added `but he is right, you do have nice legs, love'
`Thanks' Hermione said feeling herself blush slightly.
`You really should try wearing more skirts and dresses' she added.
`There not really built for running away' Hermione joked.
`Maybe you and Harry shouldn't get yourself in so much trouble you have to run away from it' her mother added with a little stern smile.
`When is this going to happen?' Hermione said ignoring her mother and spinning around to look at Harry.
`1584' Harry said.
`No, I mean for us?' Hermione asked rolling her eyes, talking about time always had difficulties.
`Um…' Harry said as he looked upwards in thought `no way to know'
`It has to be happening soon' James interrupted `you don't look any older than you do now'
Hermione looked at the painting and smiled, she looked exactly the same in it as she did now. The more she looked at it the more she was amazed, every single little blemish or curve she had was represented in the painting perfectly. It was like she was actually looking at a mirror.
`This thing is…' Hermione said slowly `fantastic!'
`Sure is' James said brightly, sounding happy at hearing Hermione's seal of approval `when I first saw it I thought it was a photo!'
`It looks exactly like you' Harry said, his voice was a little lower and thoughtful, a voice Hermione knew when Harry meant that he found something a little suspicious.
`Whoever did this really knew you' her mother said `you had an affair with any hunky Italians recently?'
`Not in the renaissance' Hermione shrugged making Harry laugh.
`So when are we going there?' she asked turning away from it and looking forward to being painted so beautifully and literally becoming a work of art.
`You cant go yet!' her mother retorted `you had only just arrived when James led us here!'
`I don't think we should rush it' Harry said shaking his head as he ignored her mother `the fact that we are seeing it now means that no matter what, we will end up in 1584 and getting it done…'
`What if you don't go?' James said looking interestedly at Harry `rebel against time?'
`Then seeing as Hermione saw Hermione in a painting that never existed, it would create a paradox' Harry said brightly.
`And…' James asked, even her mother seemed to be listening intently.
`A Paradox is bad' Hermione sighed.
`How bad?' James asked, incredibly interested in the question.
`Then the world would end' Harry said simply and rather happily.
`Just because of a painting?' her mother asked.
`Times pretty malleable but can't be bent that much' Harry said as he took a pencil out of his pocket and started to bend the pencil slightly `but if you bend it too much…'
The pencil shattered, and Harry let it drop to the floor. James seemed to be a little taken aback and her mother took a step closer to Hermione as if protective of her. Hermione was, however, rather use to the possibility of the world being ended, it was a by effect of travelling with Harry.
`So why don't we go and get this done?' Hermione asked.
`I hate changing my plans in fear of a paradox' Harry said shaking his head.
`How often do you wear those earrings, love?' her mother asked suddenly making Hermione spin and look at her.
`What?' Hermione asked but all her mother did was give her a piercing insulted look `this isn't the time to discuss my Christmas presents'
`Why?' Harry asked.
`Because in the painting she's wearing them' her mother said.
They all fell silent and turned to examine it. Hermione took of an earring and held it up against the painting, realizing instantly that it was an exact match.
`I didn't even notice that' James said shaking his head disbelievingly.
`I guess that means we're leaving now' Harry said sighing as he started to walk away from the painting and back towards the entrance.
`Why the sudden rush?' her mother said as Hermione started to follow after Harry.
`Because I never wear these earrings…I only wore them this once because they were a present from you' Hermione said as she pulled her mother into a quick hug before leaning up and plating a kiss on James' cheek. Stopping just before walking after Harry she added with a small smile `please buy nicer earrings next time, mum'
And turning on her heel she ran quickly after Harry, glad that she was wearing jeans.
*
`Hurry up Hermione!' Harry called from the main room.
Hermione wiggled slightly into her clothes and looked across and into the mirror. She smiled and saw herself smile back, dressed in a nice long dress and sandals. It seemed to fit her well, showing her petite shoulders and, she had to admit, her rather good legs. Perhaps all the running for her life seemed to be paying off for her.
She went to the door and opened it, seeing Harry instantly dressed in a black retro suit, with gold hemming around the edges.
`You look…' Hermione teased `good'
`So do your legs' Harry said with a grin.
Harry suddenly ran up to the pensieve and removed his wand extracting a small wisp of sliver smoke and throwing it into the pensieve.
`You ready?' he asked smiling at her.
`Just a few moments' she said quickly as she wandered over to her seat and got ready for the rumbling and shaking of time travel, nodding as she sat down comfortable in her chair.
The whole room began to shake back and forth, and a few seconds later it had stopped, with Harry standing above her holding out a hand. Taking hi hand she pulled herself up and was mildly impressed at how much better she was at the whole travelling through time part. This time she felt perfectly normal and not dizzy or sick at all.
`Lets get a move on' Hermione said letting go of his hand and wandering over towards the door.
`We wouldn't want to disappoint your public after all' Harry teased as Hermione opened the door and stepped through.
The sun instantly hit their faces as people ran about beside them, Florence was as beautiful as she had imagined it would be. And now she was due to become art. This trip seemed to be going a lot better than she could hope for.
*
Part one of the adventure done…this is a five parter, and I rather like this one! Finale comes after this!
Hope you enjoyed it…
Jms Granger…
-->