This isn't really what I would call a regular update is it? For that I have to apologise. I also have to apologise for the extreme crappiness of this chapter. I had like and hour to do it in so it's a little rushed and much shorter than I would have liked. I'll make up for it the next chapter which will be posted on Monday if anyone cares. Once again I want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter, I'm glad you all liked it! You all make me so happy!
No flames please!
Disclaimer: Don't own.
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Chapter 9
"Sure lets go for a walk, then after that we can walk for a bit, then lets walk some more...Gee I really hope we can do some more walking today" Harry darkly muttered as he and Draco scrambled up various steep slopes as small stones and pieces of rocks came loose and fell around them. He growled to himself as he slipped almost falling over and hitched his pants up, which had become looser over the time they had been lost for.
*The easiest way to lose weight, Aunt Petunia should do this for Dudley. * He thought sarcastically. With a considerable amount of effort he managed to pull himself up the last stretch of hill and then collapsed in an exhausted heap, panting, strength gone for the time being.
"Break time." Harry gasped out.
"I totally agree" Draco wearily answered sinking down next to him, trying to catch his breath. Draco sighed. He felt so tired and hungry, he just wanted to go back to Hogwarts stuff his face and then sleep the rest of term away...that and take something to cure his ever-present headache, what he wouldn't give to see Madame Pomfry again. He glanced up at the sun, the bright blue sky complete with white fluffy clouds drifting across it; a flock of birds every now and again would fly overhead.
*A frigging clone of yesterday* He thought savagely. *Tell me Mike, what do we have for our fine contestants today? Well Johnny, we have another afternoon. It's not much of a prize, but I guess it's the best a bunch of shit-headed assholes such as ourselves can do. * Draco flopped backwards and closed his eyes for a few moments. Well at least it felt like a few moments anyway but when he opened them again he found that the sun had passed over the hilltop they had ended up falling asleep on. It must now of been late afternoon. Draco cursed and sat up but as he did he was struck with a horrible sensation. His head swam, his stomach lurched, he felt hot all over and was positive he was going to faint any second. However as quickly as it came it passed. A squadron of bugs flew across his vision as his eyesight managed to right itself. He swallowed and cringed as his throat ached, he really wished they had some water handy. He turned to his right and saw that Harry was still fast asleep, curled up in a little ball and snoring lightly. He looked a little too pale though Draco noted, a quick feel of his forehead confirmed Draco's suspicions that Harry was getting sick as well.
"Come on Potter wake up." Draco said shaking Harry slightly. Harry groaned and slowly moved into a sitting position.
"Did we fall asleep?" He asked rubbing at his eyes and adjusting his glasses.
"Yeah, come on I don't think we should stay out in the open like this." Draco said slowly managing to get himself to his feet, Harry reluctantly following suit.
"I suppose your right, any ideas where we should go now?"
"Not a clue." Draco muttered as the pair turned to take in their surroundings.
A brief look around showed them that they didn't have much of a choice. It was either go back the way they had came, back to the forest, or go forward through a large stretch of boggy marshes. Harry could see that at the end of the marshes there were some more ridges that looked relatively dry yet he really didn't fancy the idea of wading through a slimy mucky bog, and for all they knew it could be infested with who knows what. No there had to be an easier, and safer, direction that they could take.
"I think maybe we should just go around the marshes head east or something." Harry suggested. Draco shrugged.
"I don't care whatever." He answered, he really couldn't care anymore either, he was starting to feel that they would most likely die whatever direction they chose.
Harry glanced once more towards the swamp. Something was screaming at him to go through it that that would really be the best course of action, yet the tired sick part of him was demanding an easier route and in the end it won.
"We'll go around it." Harry stated firmly and the worn out pair slowly headed along the hill tops towards yet more forest.
So far the pair had made numerous poor mistakes in the time they had been here yet this turned out to be the worst by far. The path they had taken ultimately lead back into a deeper part of the forest yet had they just crossed the swamps and climbed that ridge they would of found themselves at a road that if followed for a couple of kilometres would have lead them straight into a county town...
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It was starting to get dark and quite hard to see where it was they were going. They had eventually left the hilltops both agreeing that they didn't want to stay out in the open and ventured back into the forest in search of somewhere relatively safe.
"Potter I can't see a thing!" Draco complained squinting trying to locate the dark haired Gryffindor that was supposed to be in front of him.
"I'm not that far ahead of you." Harry said "Try and stick close the last thing we need is to get separated." Draco hurried his pace as much as he could until he was practically hugging Harry. If any of the Slytherin's could see him now...He sighed he would be the laughing stock of his house. Draco had to rely on a Gryffindor! And The Boy Who Lived no less!
"Potter when can we stop?" Draco asked as they stumbled over soft earth.
"When we- hang on a minute does something feel strange to you?" Harry said sticking his arm out in front of Draco stopping him from going any further.
"What do you mean?"
"The ground." Harry said. "Its really soft and sort of springy...feels freshly dug up or, or like the air pockets you sometimes get in the ground, its weird." Harry pressed his foot into the ground and felt it spring up slightly again. Definitely weird. What could it be? Then the earth groaned and shifted, not much but enough to feel. The part they were standing on began to sink in slowly and Harry suddenly felt his insides twist. Freshly dug up? Or just freshly covered?
"Malfoy we have to move this isn't safe its-" but Harry was cut off as the earth completely gave way underneath them plunging them both into the dark mouth of an underground cave.
Their screams leaving the last lingering traces that they had ever been there before that too faded into the darkness...
