Author's Note: Here's a new chapter for you guys! Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise, doesn't belong to me.
Chapter 5 Part 3:
Malfoy was running through the resort, looking for Hermione. She seemed to have a knack for disappearing just when he had to talk to her. Ever since she had arrived at the resort, it was as if she was stuck to that fellow Jack with super glue. Either she was just too good a stalker or maybe he voluntarily spent time with her. Nah, she was probably stalking him. Which sane human being would voluntarily want to spent time with Granger of all people? Not that she looked particularly unattractive in that little swimsuit of her, definitely had good legs…..but it wasn't like he was thinking about those legs? What a ridiculous idea, him thinking about Grangers legs, no way. Well anyways, the way she had him running like a race horse these few minutes maybe that's why his thoughts were muddled up. Yes, that was a perfectly plausible explanation.
He found Hermione at the beach taking a walk with ….any guesses? Mr Jack-I'm- so-in-love-with-Granger (didn't have to guess much did you?) "Serena, could I have a minute?" he yelled out.
She literally jumped apart from Jack. "I'm coming", she said over her shoulder. Jack playfully held her hand and whispered something into her ear at which she turned a bright red, making Malfoy wince in disgust. That guy really needed to open his eyes and look around a bit, it was bloody know-it-all Granger! Somebody please save that poor fellow thought Malfoy as he watched Hermione almost skip up to him in glee.
"What is it?" she asked briskly.
"A girl named Rita Graves is missing and we're going on a little search party", Draco declared before walking towards the forest.
"Wait, what about the other people, have they already gone to look for her?" she asked.
"Those foolish muggles wouldn't know where to look for her. Do you know why we weren't asked to report at this resort in the first place?" he asked and smirked at her blank expression.
"Just a few miles away from this resort I've found a stream which stems directly from the Amazon. You wouldn't believe how well guarded that thing was, completely enclosed by the forest. It's a good thing I had a pretty good guide", he said dispassionately. When he saw her surprized expression, he couldn't help the grin on his face. "What! Draco Malfoy knows something which the Brightest Witch of Our Age doesn't?" he exclaimed in mock surprise, "I should get some sort of an award for this."
"Now blow up your ego, you might not fit through the trees", she replied smartly. "And who is this guide of yours anyways?"
"It was this girl, Rita, who is missing; she was the one who took me to see that river the other day. I think that this creature found out about it and killed her simply out of spite."
"How did you get her to take you there in the first place?" Hermione asked, a bit curious.
"Nothing much, just told her that my Grandma wanted me to offer her ashes to the Amazon", he stated in a matter of fact voice.
"And even though you are clearly British she didn't find it odd because….."
"Most women can't think straight after I'm through with them", he smirked, as if waiting for the forest to break into applause at his prowess.
"Ok that's too much information", Hermione said jamming her fingers into her ears. Moments later she went and seized him by the collar. "If this has anything to do with my bed or its vicinity, I swear I am going to make you wash that bed with your bare hands."
"Never knew you were such a fan of McGonagall, what with all the cleaning up without magic", he said as he coolly shrugged her off. "If it's any comfort, we went to her tent", he winked. "Though I have to agree that your bed did look particularly tempting…"
"Shut up Malfoy."
An eerie silence prevailed over this part of the forest. Not a single bird in the trees, no twittering insects, the only sound was the crunching of the leaves and weeds the trampled on. As they walked deeper into the forest, the trees started growing closer together making the path much narrower than before. The thick foliage above their heads grew denser, almost blocking out the sunlight. The ground was so overrun with undergrowth that it was difficult to walk without having to blast out the plants.
"Draco, did that girl really brave this bloody forest just to please you?" Hermione asked with a bit of disbelief in her voice.
"No, she took me to a rocky outcrop where this stream was just a trickle or water. I traced its way back, we are going higher upstream. That way, it'll be easier to search thorough the entire length of the river", he replied.
"How do you know that the creature brought her here? I mean he could have gone to that other river, where we were supposed to report to in the first place", she asked out of curiosity.
"Don't you get what he's trying to do? Most people are going to search that river because everybody knows about it. Whereas, I doubt that more than a handful of people know about this little stream. Even the last time that girl had gone missing, the wizards didn't bother with this stream, and this time I doubt that it's going to be any different."
"You know what, I've been thinking something. The last time it killed, it was at night. Its damn easy to just slip off and re-join a group of panicked people when its dark. But now it's daytime and think that he would want to be a part of the search party, so that he will have an alibi or even if just to enjoy how miserably they will fail to find her", she said quietly. "He's made a mistake by trying to do away with her while it's still light. This might be our only chance to catch him."
"I hope you're right Granger, this Brazilian sun is just awful for my complexion", he said jokingly, but suddenly an odd sound made him stop in his tracks.
Before she could call out Draco for being insensitive, even her ears caught the sound of the gentle lapping of the waves. "The river is close by",
Gradually, after some more walking the river finally came into view. It spread out before them like a snake lounging in the sun. Its murky waters hid the secrets beneath its treacherous depths. The very sight of the river gave Hermione a sense of foreboding. The trees on either sides of the river spread their canopy over the river, shrouding it in darkness. There was not a sound to be heard, not even a bird or an insect. It seemed like every creature had abandoned this place in fear.
Without further ado they began scrutinizing the water for a sign. After walking a few yards, they finally found it. The water bubbles popping out on the surface said it all, someone was drowning.
End Note: This chapter was fun to write. By the way, what is up with Hermione and this Jack guy, huh? Well, actually I know what's going on but if you guys wanna know too, you gotta wait for the next chapter!
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