Yay! I actually made my deadline this time and this chapter is longer and better (hopefully) than chapter 9 was too. I don't have anything really interesting to say about this chapter except that there is some possibly major out of character moments but then again they are lost, starving and terrified I think that warrants some out of characterness don't you think? Anyway thanks to those who reviewed chapter 9 I was flattered and encouraged by the sweet comments and I hope you all like this chapter too!

Disclaimer: Does anyone honestly think I own them?

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Chapter 10

Harry groaned as he was pulled from the comfort of unconsciousness. His senses were becoming aware and It. Felt. Awful. There was a pain so great it even ached to think about it. Moaning he attempted to push himself onto hands and knees, and fell flat onto his face for his efforts. Harry gritted his teeth; eyes clenched tightly shut trying to hold his frustrations in, and tried again. This time he succeeded but only just. His arms were shaking and felt ready to collapse under him at any minute so he pushed himself backwards so he was sitting and took the opportunity to inspect his injuries. His side was pretty scraped up, his robes torn and completely useless to him now. Through some form of miracle his glasses were still on and mostly intact though his right lens was cracked and he couldn't see very well through it. The worst of it however seem to lie in his shoulder in which a jagged piece of rock had lodged itself firmly in his shoulder. He tried pulling it out but couldn't get a good enough grip on it to do anything productive. He sighed miserably and tried to get a good look at his surroundings. Key word being tried. If it was hard to see before it was damn near impossible now. The moon could only just be seen through the hole in which they had fallen and its light provided only the bare minimum of visibility around the cave. It was at this point Harry remembered that he wasn't alone. Where was Draco?

"Malfoy!" No response. Harry started to panic.

"Malfoy are you alright? Can you hear me at all? Please answer me!"

"P...Potter" A faint voice answered his cries somewhere to his left. Harry squinted searching desperately for any sign of the Slytherin, and about five or so metres away from him the thought he saw the faint outline of Draco. He started crawling towards him.

"Malfoy are you Ok?"

"I...I don't know...I think so." Came the unsteady reply. Harry managed to crawl to his side. Draco was lying very still and his breathing sounded quite laboured to him, he hoped Draco wasn't badly hurt.

"Can you get up?" Harry asked.

"Help me, I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Harry blinked trying to overcome his surprise that Draco was actually asking him for help. He must really feel like shit. Harry first helped Draco into a sitting position and then draping Draco's arm about his shoulders helped him stand though a bit unsteadily.

"You right?" Harry asked again. Draco nodded.

"You?"

"Yeah I think so, for now at least anyway." Harry said. Draco nodded again and swept his eyes around the cave coming to rest on the hole above them.

"There's no way we can get back up there is there?" Draco asked.

"Doesn't look that way."

"Great now what are we going to do?"

"Well since we can't go up, we may as well see where this cave leads, what do you think?"

"I suppose so." Draco said.

Together they inched their way down the dark tunnel keeping their hands on the wall for guidance. They made progress slowly and in silence for about an hour before they could both hear the distinct sound of running water.

"Must be an underground lake or something." Harry murmured as they rounded a bend and then came to a halt. The ground had given way to a large lake that stretched wall to wall and lead back outside as they could see where the roof of the tunnel ended and the night sky started up again.

"I think we are going to have to swim." Harry said to Draco.

"Swim?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Yes swim. There's no other way out of here, take off your robes they will only weigh you down." Harry instructed as he discarded his tattered school robes, and was left standing only in his school jumper and pants. Draco stared out at the murky water doubtfully chewing at his bottom lip. Something suddenly made a very large splash in the lake causing waves of ripples to spread out around the water. Draco nervously backed up.

"Potter there's something in the water." Draco whispered.

"I know, I saw it too." Harry answered.

"We can't go in there."

"We have to."

"We can't!" Draco yelled panic flaring in his eyes. "It could be dangerous!"

"Are you actually scared Malfoy?" Harry asked mockingly.

"Yes I bloody well am!" Draco wailed "Alright are you satisfied now, I admit it I'm scared, we all can't be thick-headed Gryffindors like you!"

Harry looked at Draco and instantly felt sorry. Draco really did look scared the tears building in his silver eyes were proof of that.

"Malfoy...look I'm sorry...please don't cry." Harry said.

"I am not crying!"

"Alright fine your not." Harry said holding up his hands in a sign of surrender "That's not the point though, we have to do this Malfoy you know we have to, we can't just stay here."

Draco sighed heavily and glanced back at the now still water again. It was almost a 100-metre swim.

"I don't think I can." Draco said quietly.

"Look Malfoy I admit I'm scared too, but we have to do this, we've gotten through everything else so far we can do this too. Trust me please." Harry said pleading with Draco. Draco locked eyes with Harry and stared at him for a few minutes.

"The last time you talked about trust I was pushed off a cliff." Draco said bitterly. Harry snorted with laughter.

"This is going to be nothing like that ok? I won't abandon you in the middle of this lake; I don't hate you that much."

Draco slowly nodded before unclasping his school robes and allowed them to slide off gathering around his feet.

"All right then, let's do it." He said. Harry took a hold of his hand and held it firm.

"We'll go in together, this way you know I won't just leave you." Harry said chuckling. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Right."

Taking a deep breath they both stepped into the water and gasped as its freezing temperature wrapped itself around their legs. Harry clenched his teeth and yanked Draco forward plunging them both up to their shoulders in the lake so they were only just touching the ground. Draco gasped as the coldness seeped into his body and seemed to constrict his lungs making it difficult to breathe. Harry looked to be in a similar state but looked determinedly at Draco.

"We have to keep moving or our muscles could seize up." Harry said. Draco glanced at him looking slightly irritated.

"I know that." He snapped. Harry smirked at him.

"Well what are you waiting for?" He said letting go of Draco "lets go." And with that he kicked off and struck out for the far bank, Draco followed close behind.

They managed to get almost halfway without incident and Draco was just beginning to calm down when he felt it. Something rough and scaly slid past his leg.

"Potter." He gasped out. Harry stopped swimming and treading water turned to face him.

"What?"

"Something just brushed past my leg." Harry's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?"

"Course I'm bloody sure I felt it!"

"All right calm down." Harry tried.

"Calm down?! It could be anything!"

"I'm sure it's nothing dangerou..." Harry trailed off as he got a very good look at what it was behind Draco.

"What, what is it?" Draco asked. Harry pointed behind him.

"It's behind me isn't it?" A nod. "It's also huge and looks very dangerous too doesn't it?"

Harry nodded again going very pale. Draco slowly turned. A few feet behind them was some sort of serpent that looked to be a cross between a snake and a crocodile. It was all scales, teeth and had slitted poisoness yellow eyes. All in all very terrifying.

"Draco swim." Harry commanded "Swim now, don't stop!" He yelled. Draco spurred into action launched himself after Harry. They swam as fast as humanly possible, fear lending them the adrenaline they needed to cross the lake. Draco felt like screaming and crying when he felt the water shift behind him signalling that the creature was following them.

*Oh please, please let me get out of here* He chanted.

Harry reached the shore first and scrambled halfway up the bank before turning and stretching out his hands for Draco. Draco came to the shore a second later, the serpent right behind him, and started pulling himself out of the water reaching for Harry's hands desperately. But panic caused him to slip and fall over just short of Harry.

Harry cried out as the creature suddenly reared up, much like a cobra bared its razor teeth and struck out at Draco as he was sliding back down the bank. It was lightning fast but so were Harry's seeker instincts. Ignoring the throbbing pain in this right shoulder Harry lunged forward, grabbed Draco's hands and wrenched him just out of the way so that only the mud ended up suffering from the serpents deadly bite.

They stumbled up the bank and managed to run about 100 feet before Harry collapsed exhausted. Draco still standing threw his hands up in frustration.

"What the fuck?! What is wrong with this place?" He screamed "Why is everything so hell bent on killing us?!? I've had enough of this! What's next?"

The bushes to the left suddenly started to rustle then a wolf like creature with eerily familiar blood red eyes leapt out stood growling and snarling at them.

Draco stared at it a moment in utter bewilderment then narrowed his eyes incredulously.

"Oh come on!" He yelled as it started to advance on them.