"Incendio," Nia heard a shout and the wolf-like creature burst into flame mid jump. Breathing a sigh of relief she looked up, and into the startled eyes of Parkinson.
"Uh, thanks?" She offered, unsure why Parkinson would help her. She would have thought Pansy would have rather let her get mauled to death.
"Where are we?" Parkinson asked her voice cold, and Nia rolled her eyes. This, was the Parkinson she knew.
"How should I know?" Nia snapped annoyed.
"You've been awake longer than me, obviously. Did you not bother to see where we are?" Parkinson asked sarcastically and Nia sighed.
"We're in a place with hills." She said equally sarcastically.
"I would have never guessed." Parkinson drawled and looked pointedly at the rolling hills beneath the one they were standing on.
"Wouldn't surprise me," Nia muttered under her breath. Truthfully she had no idea where she was, or how she had gotten there which scared her. She glanced at Parkinson who was looking down at the valley's below, her brows furrowing in concentration.
She was rather pretty, Nia admitted reluctantly. Parkinson had long black hair, milk white skin, purple eyes, and a oval shaped face with long black eyelashes. Still, pretty didn't excuse being evil.
Pansy was concerned, but she wasn't going to show it. The last thing she remembered was being sucked into the earth. what had the dark lord called her for? Why wasn't he there when she got there? Did he mean for her to be in this place? Why was Jones brought with her then? Was he going to show up with instruction? Did he bring her here to kill her?
She bit back a scream of utter frustration. She hated not knowing anything and it was taking every bit of composure she had to pretend she was okay. It was times like these when she really wished she had been to young to join the death eaters. Two years ago she would have never contemplated, someone she worked for trying to kill her.
She was sure she was still in favor with the dark lord. Her parents still served him faithfully, and he had showed no signs of blaming her for Draco's failure.
"We should go." Pansy stated and looked over at Jones. She didn't want to be separated from Jones until either the dark lord showed up, or they found out where they were.
"Why would I go with you?" Jones asked looking genuinely perplexed.
"Because it would be better to remain together until we find out where we are." Pansy said slowly as if speaking to a child. Pansy saw the dark look Jones gave her, but didn't care much. Hopefully, they would find out where they were and she would be rid of the half blood's presence.
"Do you see the smoke rising from over there?" Parkinson asked, and Nia walked over to look where she was pointing. She could faintly make out the traces of smoke.
Nia nodded, and started to walk down the hill.
"Where are you going?" Parkinson shouted after her.
"Smoke equals people Parkinson." Pansy looked at the retreating figure and frowned annoyed.
"It could just be a fire." She called down. She really didn't want to leave. what if the dark lord had sent her here, and by leaving he felt she had disobeyed him.
"We shall see, won't we?" Nia called back not breaking stride. Pansy bit her lip, and thought about her options. On one hand she could stay there by herself, and not displeasure the dark lord who would torture her if he did send her here. On the other hand, there might be a pack of those strange wolf-like creatures who would certainly maul her to death if they caught her by herself.
Decision made, she jogged down the hill to catch up. Pansy hadn't liked wolves since Professor Lupin. Why they made a werewolf a professor she would never know. If Dumbledore wanted his students endangered he might as well have given the job to the dark lord.
Nia hadn't realized just how oh of shape she really was, until now. Breathing heavily, she swiped her hair soaked with sweat out of her face. She was sure she looked horrible by now. Her shirt was clinging to her, and she would kill for a drink of water. She winced as a newly formed blister burst. They had been walking for hours, and by now the smoke was so thick in the air that Nia knew they had to be close.
Glancing back, she looked at Pansy who seemed strangely unaffected by the long journey, other than slightly heavy breathing.
"We need to stop for a minute." Nia wheezed more than stated.
Pansy nodded and sat down on a huge boulder on the edge of the cliff.
"I wish we had water." Jones huffed and Pansy looked at her in disgust. Had she forgotten she was a witch? Judging by her sweaty appearance she had. That was the problem with muggleborns and half bloods who grew up in the muggle world. They forgot basic things that pureblood's never would.
"Ever heard of aguamenti and a cooling charm?" Pansy asked sarcastically, and watched as Jones eyes widened in comprehension.
"Why didn't you mention it before?" Jones asked angrily, causing Pansy to sneer.
"It's not my job to remind you that your a witch. If you were a purebloods you wouldn't have forgotten." Pansy said disdainfully.
Nia immediately cast a cooling charm and relief flooded through her. She turned to glare more fully at Parkinson. Would it have killed her to have said something before then? Parkinson may have saved her from the mutilated wolf, but she was obviously still a Slytherin. Nia had a sneaking suspicion that Parkinson, had only helped her for self preservation, something Slytherins were renowned for. She wasn't sure if that should comfort her or alarm her. What did Parkinson need her for? Whatever it was Nia was sure she wouldn't like it.
At times like this, I really wish I kept veritaserum on me. Nia thought somewhat ruefully.
She stood up, and stretched, wincing when a blister protested. She walked until she was standing on the very top of the hill, and looked over to her right. She could make out the where the smoke was coming from better now, and she noticed that at the bottom of the hill the land was flat. Nia had never been so happy in her life to see flat land. The hills had really worked her over, and it seemed like she was going up and down every twenty minutes. Flat land was a blessing, she hadn't allowed herself to hope for.
"Time to go." She told Parkinson somewhat reluctantly.
An hour later she sorely regretted the choice to go on. Honestly, she could have laid down on the rocky cliff for the rest of her life, her muscles had stopped aching long ago, deciding that it would be a better idea to stiffen up, and the rest only made the stinging of her blisters worse. She really should have spent time in the library looking up healing charms. At this point she was waddling rather than walking, and more than relieved that no one was here to see it. Except...
She looked beside her to where Parkinson was walking, and was delighted to see that Parkinson, was in no better shape than she was. Nia was about to look away when Parkinson suddenly tripped, and screamed. Why was she screaming?
Nia walked forward to get a better look, and felt her jaw drop in something akin to horror and disgust. She barely registered Parkinson scrambling to get up, and the sounds of vomiting.
"What is that?" Nia asked aloud, as she looked closer at the monster? It certainly looked like a monster, albeit a dead one, and it smelled so bad.
Only when did monsters where armor? Since when did anyone where armor anymore?
Pansy recovered her famed composure, and tried to ignore the fact that her body had just been pressed against the disgusting creature, even if it was only for a second. She swallowed the urge to vomit again, and went to stand beside Jones.
"Where are we?" Pansy asked the question that had been on her mind for a while now. Jones sighed and dropped to the ground a good ten feet away from the creature.
"I don't know." Jones finally said looking as worried as Pansy felt.
"What place has hills for miles, and no towns cities or lights? We should have come across a house, or a person by now Jones!" Pansy said her voice rising with every word.
"I know that Parkinson," Jones yelled in frustration, "We have seen no signs that even hints at civilization other than that fire!"
"You know Jones this is all your fault, if you hadn't been in that forest," Pansy sneered but Jones cut her off.
"Oh, no this is your fault if it's anyone's Parkinson. And why were you in the forest, and don't tell me you were hoping to get a glimpse of the unicorns." Jones said her lips twisting into a scowl.
"I don't have to tell a half blood," she spat the words like a curse,"anything."
"You know what, we're not accomplishing anything by sitting here arguing." Nia said standing up and continuing to walk in the direction of the smoke. Truthfully, she wanted to curse Parkinson, but didn't think it would be a good idea right now. The last thing she wanted was to get in a duel, in the middle of nowhere with crazy wolves, and smelly monsters running around.
She heard Parkinson walking behind her, but didn't wait for her to catch up. She dearly hoped that they would find someone who could tell them where they were soon. She didn't know if she could handle much more of Parkinson.