Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter including Harry Potter

A/N: Here's another. Enjoy!

The Voice of Reason

Chapter Eight: The Cave

Romana's Point of View

Harry grabbed my wrist, but I didn't understand why. He had rushed a far distance to see me and had left Hermione and Ron. I was trying to take a nap underneath the tree. He didn't say anything and started to pull me into the woods. It took me several moments to reach with his pace. The sky had darkened from a thick, black smoke. "What's going on?" I hoped that he didn't notice that I was out of breath.

"You didn't see it?" he questioned.

I grabbed his arm and pulled on him. "No, slow down," I said.

I felt better once I realized that he was out of breath as well. "A dragon," he said. "A large black one."

He sat down on a rock as I watched his eyes flow over me. I searched my pockets carefully and pulled out a photograph. I hadn't had a chance to show Christine, but it would help in the situation. "Did it look like this?" I asked, and watched the dragon roar and burn the two-dimensional school.

Harry's shoulders raised and lowered. "They all look the same to me," he said. "Do you think it'd really stalk you guys to burn this school?"

"If it has reason," I guessed and sat down on the ground beside him.

I heard a voice in the distance. "I know what's in there and I realize I don't have my wand, sadly I have to count on you two. Do either of you have your wands?"

"Sounds like Snape," Harry said. "He doesn't have his wand?"

I couldn't make out the other voices, but Snape's frustrated voice echoed through the woods. "It does," I said.

"That really boosts my confidence in you two," his voice grew more distance.

"Come on," he pulled on my arm once more. "We'll follow them. It's a lot better than being alone in here.

"Makes sense," I said, looking into the darkening woods. "You have your want, right? Because you probably know more about this place than I do."

"Of course," Harry said and then shushed me.

Snape could be heard ranting. We were getting closer. "So a dragon attacks the school, the woman who despises me is unconscious in my arms, I'm disarmed and I'm stuck with two students who probably couldn't attack anything to save their lives. Which may actually come up,"

"Professor Scythe?" I questioned quietly to know one in particular. I looked around, trying to figure out where they were. "She despises him!"

"As well as a bunch of other women," Harry said.

Snape was heard once more. "Oh fantastic. I'm stuck with lovebirds. I mine as well be stuck with Harry Potter and his wonderful friends. It's not like I'm going to have any dignity left after this." Sarcasm dripped from his somewhat harsh words.

"I heard that!" Harry shouted.

There was no response. "I can see why I a lot of people don't like him," I said. "Why does he hate you?"

Harry shrugged for the second time. "Let's just try to catch up with them," he sighed softly.

After a while of walking I heard, "Hate," echo through the trees.

"I think we're getting farther away," Harry grabbed my arm to lead me through the woods.

I stumbled over twigs, rocks and maybe a few creatures. It was hard to see anything. I was concentrating too hard to even talk to Harry. After what seemed to be hours, we approached a small cave. "There's an opening," I whispered and pointed to it.

Harry drew out his wand and stepped into the cave. I followed quickly behind him and used him as a human shield. I heard our steps against the cold rock. "Harry? Romana? You're okay?"

I looked up from behind's Harry back to see Christine, Draco, Professor Snape and an unconscious Scythe. "Of course," Harry smiled. "What happened to Professor Scythe? Is she alright?"

Snape sighed lightly as I watched his hand brush against her forehead lightly. "I think so. She just is lacking an arm. Her skin is going back to her normal colour," he said.

Was she naked? "The bleeding has lessoned too," Draco said, giving Harry a somewhat evil look.

Maybe it was jealousy, I couldn't tell. Draco slid his wand back into his robes, but seemed to be rather interested in hiding Christine behind his back. I hadn't noticed Christine hiding her wand, but she obviously had done it. She didn't seem interested in hiding behind Draco's back. "Pookie!" she called me by my nickname. "CHOCOBO RACING!" she jumped onto Draco's back, catching him by surprise.

I followed by jumping on Harry, wishing E.J. or Gabe was around. "Mush!" I shouted at Harry.

Harry rushed around with Draco by his side. They seemed to push one another, as I started to realize that it might not have been a very good idea. Christine seemed to enjoy it though. I tried my best to ignore the competition between Draco and Harry and enjoy the speed. I noticed Snape raise his eyes from Scythe to roll his eyes at us. Harry quickly caught the lead as Draco and Christine fell to the ground. They were in a rather awkward position, and it grew worse when Draco tried to get off of her. Their lips almost touched as Draco apologized. Christine blushed a fierce red and slid out from underneath him. Harry gently lifted me from his back. "Cheaters!" Christine joked.

"You're just sad because we won!" I joked back.

"Well, Chocobo racing is dangerous," Christine said.

"True," Harry replied.

"Well," Draco started, finally getting up from the ground. A small smirk grew on his face as he watched Christine carefully. "We were just too tall together, there was some sort of wind resistance."

I laughed along with Christine. Draco's wit was better than I had imagined. Harry joined in with a chuckle, but didn't seem to go into the hysterics that Christine and I had. Draco beamed proudly. We all seemed so happy, with our unnecessary laughter filled the gloomy cave. Even Snape had stifled a slight smile. A weak cough broke our joy. I watched Snape's dark eyes watch Scythe move in his arms. A deep, red blood dripped from her lower lip. She coughed again, but Snape was quick and covered her mouth. She was obviously still spitting up blood. He wrapped her up more carefully his robes as she sat up, dazed. Her hand moved across his chest for a moment, before her eyes had opened. It was sweet, the way she touched him softly, like she was still in a dream. Her eyes opened and glanced at Snape. She looked deeply into his eyes as we all watched her calm reaction in awe. Her hand moved to his chin as she leaned close to his lips. Hunger filled his eyes as he wrapped both of his arms around her. Her pleasant expression quickly faded and she tightened her hold on his chin. "Why am I naked?" she questioned, with a low growl.

Blood splattered on his face from her tongue. He flinched and, reluctantly, let go of her. "I saved you," he stated, but he did not beam with the pride that I thought he would. He said it as if he was ashamed of it.

"Was no one else around? God forbid you do something on your own," she muttered, wrapping herself up tightly in the robe.

His eyes never looked down or took advantage of her nudeness, but I doubted that she was considerate enough to notice. He sighed lightly. "Well, if you're curious you are lacking an arm," he said. "Will you get your memory back?"

She noticed the shirt that was around the gash where her arm used to be. "Eventually," she moved her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, from the obvious pain. "Do I need to get it back?"

Snape shrugged. "If you like," he said. "Eva..." he seemed to have searched for something important to say.

"Yes?" she questioned.

"We'll get your arm fixed when we get back to the school," he walked out, obviously keeping a watch.

"Jackass," she muttered and moved into a corner.

She seemed to be having a conversation with herself, but more just mouthing it. She mocked him quietly. Harry and I exchanged looks as we sat down beside Draco and Christine. "So then, what happened?" I asked.

"Draco saved me," Christine smiled shyly at the boy next to her.

The boy next to her was Harry, not Draco. Maybe she was bragging? "What happened?" Harry seemed deeply interested in the conversation that I had just attempted to start.

Draco took over, and looked at me. At least he realized that I was curious. His cold eyes didn't seem so cold. I saw bravery and loyalty as he started to tell the tale of the dragon. He also spoke of what Snape had done to protect Scythe. I knew already about what she could be, if her emotions went out of control. She obviously wanted to protect the girl that she was close to. I glanced over at the professor who had grown interested in our conversation. "D-Mr. Malfoy, did you... and he...?" she stuttered quietly.

His eyes turned into a sarcastic roll. "No, I'm making it up to get Romana to like me," he said.

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm. I asked a simple question and I request a simple answer," Professor Scythe asked.

It was rather difficult to be threatened by a teacher with no arm and wearing practically nothing. I held in a snicker, Draco however did not. "You barely asked a question at all. If you hadn't been so quick to yell at him than you would have heard the story from him," he said.

She stepped back for a moment, offended. "I think I'll go talk to him," her eyes lowered to the ground.

She left, quickly, and we could go back to talking. "How long do you think we'll be in here?" Harry asked.

Christine and Draco shrugged simultaneously. It easy to tell the little things they had in common. "Until it leaves," I said, with a slight smile. "I'm sure more people will find out where we are."

As if on cue, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson walked into the cave. Draco smiled, but he did not get a response from two of his friends. Pansy, however, returned his friendly smile.