43. …Draco awakens to the need for Action
Meanwhile, Hermione had cast a spell so that she and Reginald would be dry, if still cold,
and now sat staring anxiously at the muddy water. Just when the tension almost
overwhelmed her and she was about ready to dive in herself, Draco's head broke the
surface of the water. He was once again naked and was carrying his wand in his mouth
but Hermione was too worried about Ron to think about that right now. "Where's Ron?"
she cried before Draco had swum halfway over to their little island. She helped him out
of the water and felt like smacking him when he didn't answer right away.
Draco just squatted in the mud, looking weary and miserable. He looked over at his
uncle and his mouth worked a few times before he managed to say anything. When he
did, Hermione wanted to punch him for not saying anything that made any sense. "The
kraken's got him." The color drained from Reginald's face and Hermione looked
desperately from one to the other, waiting for them to explain.
"What do you mean, the kraken's got him? What does that mean?" Hermione practically
screamed when the silence had stretched past bearing.
"The kraken. That lives in the swamp. It took him." Draco was so pale he was nearly
colorless and his mouth was clamped in a tight line.
"What are you talking about? Kraken don't live in swamps. They live in oceans, where
the water is really deep."
"Tell that to the kraken." The tone of Reginald's voice suggested that the situation was
hopeless and Hermione's violent tendencies quickly turned murderous. She wanted to
strangle the man.
"So does that mean he's dead?!" The thought was so horrible that she had to sit down
and put her head between her knees to keep from fainting.
Draco stirred and appeared to be awakening to the need for action. "No, the kraken
won't kill him. Not yet anyway." Hermione allowed herself a little bit of hope. "But if I
can't get him out of the kraken's lair he's gone for sure."
"You make it sound like you have to do it alone. I'm coming to help. You can't expect
me to stay here and hope it all works out." Hermione was angry at the thought that Draco
would exclude from a rescue mission. Just because she was a girl. She'd been through
more with Harry than he ever had.
"No, you can't come. You would only be a hindrance."
Hermione opened her mouth to object when Reginald cut her off. "Draco's right. Under
the water you'd be no help to him."
"I can do whatever he can," Hermione shot back hotly.
"You can turn into a water dragon, and breathe and see under water?" Hermione wanted
to kill Draco for the sarcasm dripping from his voice but, if that was the case, then they
were clearly right and she was wrong.
"Oh," she said.
"But you're right about one thing." Draco got up and started rummaging around in the
bole of an old log. "You can't stay here. My father will still be looking for me. At the
same time, you won't be able to get off the grounds without my help." He stood up,
holding a black bundle. "My friend will lead you to a cave where you can hide while I'm
gone."
"You want us to hide in a cave in a swamp while you're out fighting for Ron's life?!"
Normally Hermione had a very mild temper, but not today.
"I know you don't like it but you're gonna have to trust me on this one. Besides, I doubt
Reginald could get far without a rest and there's some old stores in the cave so you won't
be hungry. It'll be night soon and you really shouldn't be out in this swamp at night
anyway. Here." Draco handed Hermione the clothing bundle. "Take that with you so
Ron and I have something to change into when we get back."
Hermione didn't like it, but she was starting to see the sense in Draco's plan. Then
another thought occurred to her. "But what if you don't come back?"
"Oh, I'll come back. Just pray I bring Ron back with me." Hermione frowned at his
cocky grin, almost a match for the haughty look she had always hated about him. "Just
follow the dragon." Draco pointed behind her and, before she could say anything, dove
back into the water, disappearing from sight.
"Well, I guess there's nothing else to do but follow the dragon," Reginald said calmly.
Hermione scowled at Reginald, not in the least appreciative of his light attitude. But
then, she guessed she couldn't much blame him. He didn't know Ron and he had just
gotten out of a cell he had lived in for twenty-five years. That would probably lighten
any man's attitude.
Looking down at the water, she was surprised to see that there really was a dragon
waiting there, all green and black and glittery. As soon as it saw they were ready to
follow it turned and began swimming slowly off through the marsh. Wearily, the two
followed, Reginald often leaning on Hermione as they tripped and stumbled through the
chilly mud. Night began to fall.
With a loud shriek, Blaise crashed out of the closet that Draco had locked her in. She
wasn't sure what had happened but she had woken up (in a very uncomfortable position)
in total darkness in what turned out to be a closet. While still groggy and disoriented she
heard Lucius cursing on the other side of the door, and then the sound of the front door
slamming. Then silence. She had pounded endlessly on the door, screaming to get out,
but no one had come to rescue her. Well, now she was out. And Lucius Malfoy was
going to pay.
Ron awoke into cold, wet darkness. He sat up and nearly fainted, his head pounding
furiously for a few moments before subsiding. He couldn't see anything but the air was
so perfectly still that he figured he must be in some sort of cave. Crawling about on
hands and knees he quickly ascertained that he had been left on some sort of large flat
stone surrounded entirely by water at an indeterminate depth. Ron began to shiver.
He was just drawing breath to call for help when he heard a stirring in the darkness. He
froze and was silent, his whole body straining after that sound. It came again, along with
a rippling like water just barely disturbed. Something was in the water and it sounded
like it was coming nearer.
Ron found that he was holding his breath and let it out as quietly as possible. Another
sound came out of the darkness, this time a soft scraping along stone. Something touched
his bare foot and Ron flinched away, horribly aware that he was trapped on this little
island of rock. Again something brushed along his foot and Ron forced himself to stay
still. The touch felt blind, and maybe if he didn't move it wouldn't notice him. More
tendrils came out of the darkness and brushed along his skin, snaking along arms and legs
and over his shoulders while he crouched on the rock, now petrified with fear.
Gradually the tactile exploration ceased and whatever it had been drew away. Ron heard
nothing but tiny plops as the tendrils reentered the water. He had the sense that the
creature or creatures left then as the silence of the cave bore down on him. Feeling
horribly alone, he curled up on his rock, tucking his knees up to his chest and trying very
hard not to cry.
Meanwhile, Hermione had cast a spell so that she and Reginald would be dry, if still cold,
and now sat staring anxiously at the muddy water. Just when the tension almost
overwhelmed her and she was about ready to dive in herself, Draco's head broke the
surface of the water. He was once again naked and was carrying his wand in his mouth
but Hermione was too worried about Ron to think about that right now. "Where's Ron?"
she cried before Draco had swum halfway over to their little island. She helped him out
of the water and felt like smacking him when he didn't answer right away.
Draco just squatted in the mud, looking weary and miserable. He looked over at his
uncle and his mouth worked a few times before he managed to say anything. When he
did, Hermione wanted to punch him for not saying anything that made any sense. "The
kraken's got him." The color drained from Reginald's face and Hermione looked
desperately from one to the other, waiting for them to explain.
"What do you mean, the kraken's got him? What does that mean?" Hermione practically
screamed when the silence had stretched past bearing.
"The kraken. That lives in the swamp. It took him." Draco was so pale he was nearly
colorless and his mouth was clamped in a tight line.
"What are you talking about? Kraken don't live in swamps. They live in oceans, where
the water is really deep."
"Tell that to the kraken." The tone of Reginald's voice suggested that the situation was
hopeless and Hermione's violent tendencies quickly turned murderous. She wanted to
strangle the man.
"So does that mean he's dead?!" The thought was so horrible that she had to sit down
and put her head between her knees to keep from fainting.
Draco stirred and appeared to be awakening to the need for action. "No, the kraken
won't kill him. Not yet anyway." Hermione allowed herself a little bit of hope. "But if I
can't get him out of the kraken's lair he's gone for sure."
"You make it sound like you have to do it alone. I'm coming to help. You can't expect
me to stay here and hope it all works out." Hermione was angry at the thought that Draco
would exclude from a rescue mission. Just because she was a girl. She'd been through
more with Harry than he ever had.
"No, you can't come. You would only be a hindrance."
Hermione opened her mouth to object when Reginald cut her off. "Draco's right. Under
the water you'd be no help to him."
"I can do whatever he can," Hermione shot back hotly.
"You can turn into a water dragon, and breathe and see under water?" Hermione wanted
to kill Draco for the sarcasm dripping from his voice but, if that was the case, then they
were clearly right and she was wrong.
"Oh," she said.
"But you're right about one thing." Draco got up and started rummaging around in the
bole of an old log. "You can't stay here. My father will still be looking for me. At the
same time, you won't be able to get off the grounds without my help." He stood up,
holding a black bundle. "My friend will lead you to a cave where you can hide while I'm
gone."
"You want us to hide in a cave in a swamp while you're out fighting for Ron's life?!"
Normally Hermione had a very mild temper, but not today.
"I know you don't like it but you're gonna have to trust me on this one. Besides, I doubt
Reginald could get far without a rest and there's some old stores in the cave so you won't
be hungry. It'll be night soon and you really shouldn't be out in this swamp at night
anyway. Here." Draco handed Hermione the clothing bundle. "Take that with you so
Ron and I have something to change into when we get back."
Hermione didn't like it, but she was starting to see the sense in Draco's plan. Then
another thought occurred to her. "But what if you don't come back?"
"Oh, I'll come back. Just pray I bring Ron back with me." Hermione frowned at his
cocky grin, almost a match for the haughty look she had always hated about him. "Just
follow the dragon." Draco pointed behind her and, before she could say anything, dove
back into the water, disappearing from sight.
"Well, I guess there's nothing else to do but follow the dragon," Reginald said calmly.
Hermione scowled at Reginald, not in the least appreciative of his light attitude. But
then, she guessed she couldn't much blame him. He didn't know Ron and he had just
gotten out of a cell he had lived in for twenty-five years. That would probably lighten
any man's attitude.
Looking down at the water, she was surprised to see that there really was a dragon
waiting there, all green and black and glittery. As soon as it saw they were ready to
follow it turned and began swimming slowly off through the marsh. Wearily, the two
followed, Reginald often leaning on Hermione as they tripped and stumbled through the
chilly mud. Night began to fall.
With a loud shriek, Blaise crashed out of the closet that Draco had locked her in. She
wasn't sure what had happened but she had woken up (in a very uncomfortable position)
in total darkness in what turned out to be a closet. While still groggy and disoriented she
heard Lucius cursing on the other side of the door, and then the sound of the front door
slamming. Then silence. She had pounded endlessly on the door, screaming to get out,
but no one had come to rescue her. Well, now she was out. And Lucius Malfoy was
going to pay.
Ron awoke into cold, wet darkness. He sat up and nearly fainted, his head pounding
furiously for a few moments before subsiding. He couldn't see anything but the air was
so perfectly still that he figured he must be in some sort of cave. Crawling about on
hands and knees he quickly ascertained that he had been left on some sort of large flat
stone surrounded entirely by water at an indeterminate depth. Ron began to shiver.
He was just drawing breath to call for help when he heard a stirring in the darkness. He
froze and was silent, his whole body straining after that sound. It came again, along with
a rippling like water just barely disturbed. Something was in the water and it sounded
like it was coming nearer.
Ron found that he was holding his breath and let it out as quietly as possible. Another
sound came out of the darkness, this time a soft scraping along stone. Something touched
his bare foot and Ron flinched away, horribly aware that he was trapped on this little
island of rock. Again something brushed along his foot and Ron forced himself to stay
still. The touch felt blind, and maybe if he didn't move it wouldn't notice him. More
tendrils came out of the darkness and brushed along his skin, snaking along arms and legs
and over his shoulders while he crouched on the rock, now petrified with fear.
Gradually the tactile exploration ceased and whatever it had been drew away. Ron heard
nothing but tiny plops as the tendrils reentered the water. He had the sense that the
creature or creatures left then as the silence of the cave bore down on him. Feeling
horribly alone, he curled up on his rock, tucking his knees up to his chest and trying very
hard not to cry.