A/N Oh my... rereading I realize that this isn't as good as I had hoped. It is rather slow (lots of talking and little action) huh? Oh well... I shall continue to write so long as people continue to read. I think this next chapter should go a little faster.
Disclaimer- you guys know this bit. I own nothing you read, how pathetic I am...
The group filed into the forest, huddled very closely together. Their new discoveries of where they were didn't exactly bring comfort. Carefully stepping over a twig, Rosie began to sing to cheer up. Her voice echoed mysteriously in the dark overgrown gloom. Hermione's soon joined hers, singing the most ridiculous song either could have ever thought of. "On top of spaghetti, all covered in cheese, I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed. It rolled off the table..."
"Why, of all the songs, you had to pick that one I shall never know." Draco complained.
"You don't like my voice Draco?" Hermione said with a frown.
"I don't like that song." he replied, shuddering. "It's annoying..."
"Well sooorry." Rosie said quite rudely.
"We probably shouldn't be singing anyways... it only lets them know we're here." Hermione suddenly whispered looking around cautiously.
"They already know we're here if that guy in the window was doing his job." Billy spoke up confidently.
Hermione glanced back at him apprehensively then mouthed, "They aren't the ones I mean."
"Oh don't say that... it's creepy. Why did you have to go and say a thing like that?" Rosie whined. "I'm scared enough as it is."
Billy snuck up behind her making her scream. With a laugh he said, "Well, she's right about that. She's way to easy to scare."
"Please muggles, stop. Do you want to kill us all?" Draco hissed angrily. He looked left and right before continuing to walk down the path, barely noticeable through the underbrush.
The rest followed him quietly. They walked for several minutes until Rosie heard a twig snap behind her. She wheeled around looking for the source with wild eyes. When she saw nothing, she turned back with a frown... something was wrong.
Another twig snap echoed out, closer this time. Rosie closed her eyes pretending to ignore it as she walked along. 'It's not there... no one's there... stop being paranoid.' she thought. As she stumbled her eyes shot open again... that was a bad idea. No more walking in the woods with her eyes closed. Something touched her shoulder, just as Billy had.
"Billy cut it out ok? Draco says no more games." She said with a sigh.
"Cut what out?" Billy asked from where he walked in front of her.
She looked at him with fear then turned around and felt a scream escape her mouth. Standing in a small circle of light that manage to escape through the trees was a hideous monster. It was the size of a small troll, but it had it's share of dangers to make up for what it lacked in giant height. It had huge tusks as well as a row of very sharp fangs. In it's sharp claws it carried a club decorated with numerous spikes and disgusting stains.
"Oh bloody he-" was all Draco could get out before the beast threw him against a tree with one sweep of it's hand.
"What is that thing?" Rosie demanded, backing away and tripping over a rock. She fell back, staring up at it as it began to walk towards her.
"It's one of Voldemort's created beasts. One of his favorite hobbies is experimental breeding... I read it in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts." Hermione explained running up behind the beast. She pointed her wand at a nearby rock. "Accio!"
The rock flew to her outstretched hand and expertly she threw it at the beast, catching it just below the eye. It turned towards her in anger. Chris threw another rock, catching it in the back of the head.
"Oy! If you go after girls like that your just as bad as your master Shrimp!" He yelled, throwing another rock that missed it's shoulder by inches.
The thing probably didn't register the first insult but shrimp definitely hit home. It charged at Chris letting out an angry war cry. Chris jumped out of the way just in time as the heavy club hit the tree he had been leaning against.
Rosie, sitting on the ground looked around quickly. She spotted Billy hiding behind a tree. "Billy, you coward! Get out here and help!"
Numbly, Billy seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts and he lunged towards the creature. He rapped his arms around it's neck trying to choke it. It threw him aside like nothing. He landed next to Rosie who whispered, "That's not what I meant."
Draco, gasping slightly, cast a spell of jet red sparks into the creatures eyes as it went after Chris yet again. It howled, stumbling around in pain. Hermione just barely got out of it's way before turning towards it,a look of determination in her eyes. "Expelliarmus!"
The club flew out of it's hand. She pointed at it saying, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The club flew into the air, smacking it's owner in the jaw. It's head shot back and hit a tree, knocking it unconscious. As it fell forward, Rosie let out a shriek, trying to move away. Billy pulled her out of the path of the falling monstrosity just in time.
"You are useful after all." Rosie said gratefully.
Draco stepped over to the thing, still clutching his chest. He found a name tag around it's thick neck. "It's called a Vehemoth."
"Just like him to use a perfectly normal word for monster and add his little piece of ownership to it." Hermione said, referring to the swith from behemoth to vehemoth. She looked at Draco sadly. "Are you ok?"."
"I'm fine really. Nothing more than a bruise." He groaned. He turned to Rosie. "What about you? Are you alright?"
"I think I might have sprang my ankle." She said wincing a little. "I'll be alright."
Draco nodded to her as Billy helped her stand up. She winced, applying pressure on her ankle but gave everyone the thumbs up that she could carry on. They began to walk through again... more slowly this time looking around for signs of more dangers. Rosie spoke what everyone was thinking, "I don't like this place."
"I don't think any of us do... Billy don't touch that." Hermione said looking back as Billy reached for some strange fungus growing on the side of a tree. He gave her a dissappointed look, like a spoiled kid who was just told no.
"It's getting dark... soon we won't be able to see..." Draco whispered.
"Whoa... we are not going to stay in these woods overnight." Rosie said picking Maggie up and holding her tight.
"Well we can't walk aroung blind as bats, can we?" Draco argued.
"Draco's right... again. We should probably set up a camp and take shifts sleeping." Chris said, offering his thoughts for the first time in a while. The boys set up a makeshift camp while Hermione conjured a fire that wouldn't burn down the trees around them.
Rosie offered to help but as she still couldn't walk well was left to sit on a tree stump and pet Maggie. Softly she sang the worst song ever, about a moose in a bayou and then broke into the only line she really knew "Chained to a stump!"
Hermione started laughing as Draco began freaking out thinking some evil thing was playing with their heads. Billy just looked at her strangely. Chris offered his opinion. "That is the worst song I have ever heard."
"Oh come on the groups not that bad!" Billy argued. Chris just looked at him so he continued his arguement. "It's a song by a group called Pork Tornadoes..."
"The name says all..." Draco interrupted. "A group of men with nothing better to do... and no talent for that matter."
They were silent for a while after that, all agreeing with Draco on that one. Rosie sighed, moving to the ground so she could lean against the trunk. She closed her eyes and started thinking out loud, "This really sucks! What I wouldn't give to be somewhere else... maybe stranded in a different forrest somewhere with a smoothie and Heath Ledger... with Alex safe and sound at home babysitting my cat... or even at the tennis open with Carlos Moya..."
"Excuse me?" Billy said standing next to her looking offended.
"You're excused." Rosie offered off-handidly, still thinking about Heath and Carlos with her eyes shut.
"Who is this Carlos Moya guy? I want to have a chat with him..." Billy demanded.
"Good luck with that." Rosie said, opening her eyes for the first time.
"What do you mean?"
"Carlos Moya is a pro tennis guy. He's famous. If you ever got a hold of him you better let me know so I can tell Alex's friend Travis... he's wanted to chat with him for some time now too." Rosie explained. Billy looked quite embarassed at this and shut up.
"Who's Travis?" Chris asked.
"Oh don't worry about that Chris. Alex isn't going to date Travis... he's an online friend and she's not into long distance relationships. Sure he's asked but she turned him down. You've got nothing to fear." Rosie reassured him with a smile.
"After you finish setting up dates... can we please just arrange something so we can go to sleep?" Draco said angrilly. "Honestly, is that all you American Muggles do?"
"Draco..." Hermione said in a warning voice. Then she turned to the others. "Alright so who's got first watch?"
"Maggie and I will handle it. It's the least we can do after watching all of you do the real work." Rosie replied immediately.
"Sounds good to me." Draco said, laying down on the ground near the fire. "I call second..."
"Third." Billy said sternly.
"I'll take fourth and Chris can take last if he wants." Hermione explained. Chris nodded and he too curled up by the fire. Hermione was soon to follow and Billy. When everyone was asleep, Rosie just sat on her stump, looking out into the darkness. If anything suspicious happened, she would yell as planned and after an hour and a half she was to wake up Draco for his watch. A small noise caught her by suprise.
Relax... it's only me." Billy whispered, sitting beside her.
"What are you doing? Go back to sleep."
"Maybe in a few minutes." he answered, looking at Hermione and Draco curled up in each others arms. "They look so happy together..."
"Yeah...they are like the perfect couple. Arguing but always sticking together. Draco would do anything for her... he'd never hurt her. I guess the books were wrong..." Rosie said dreamily.
"Maybe they were right and this is a new thing... tham getting together you know?"
"Maybe..."
Draco was lying awake, listening to Rosie and Billy. He looked at Hermione, sleeping in his arms and shuddered, remembering the necklace in his pocket. Gently, he swept a brown curl off of her forehead. She stirred a little, breathing his name out softly. "Draco..."
"I'm here." He assured her.
"Good. Don't ever leave me Draco..." She frowned slightly in her dream. "Don't leave..."
"I never will."
"I love you..." she mouthed then with a small snore she fell deeper into sleep.
Draco's heart caught in his throat as he choked on the words. For some reason, he couldn't say them back. Not now, as he was thinking of that horrid necklace Pansy had gave him. He felt thankful that there was no need to say them, that Hermione was just dreaming and had no idea what she was saying. At the same time, he regretted not being able to tell her that the very same words had been on his mind for so long.
Gently, he disentangled himself from her arms and walked over to Rosie, now sitting alone looking out into the wilderness. She looked up when he drew close enough and whispered, "What is wrong with you guys and sleeping? Your shift isn't for another 45 minutes Draco."
"No that's ok, I can't sleep. I'll take over from here."
"Are you sure?" Rosie said sounding uncertain.
"I'm positive Rosie now get some sleep." He answered.
"I'll try but I don't know if I can fall asleep."She told him doubtfully, hiding a yawn. A minute after she curled up next to Billy, soft noises could be heard telling Draco she was alseep.
He considered this as good a time as any and took the necklace from his pocket. He inspected it in the firelight. It sparkled with a sort of manacing and deadly power. He shuddered then pulled his arm back, preparing to launch it into the woods.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Draco." A voice advised right behind him. It was Pansy, leaning up against a tree, very close to where Hermione slept. She looked down at her with a sneer. "The Dark Lord wouldn't like that very much at all. He would be convinced that you betrayed us and then... well I should hate to think of what he would do to you."
Draco watched her intently as she drew a slashing motion across her throat with her pointer finger. His fingers shook from both anger and fear. He lost his grip and the necklace dropped to the ground with a thump, landing in the dirt, still glittering in the firelight. Maggie pounced at it but withdrew with a growl as Pansy hissed at her like a serpent. Draco looked alarmed.
"I didn't think you were a parsletongue." He said casually smirking at the once proud girl now glaring at him nervously.
"I didn't want people to know that. They'd think I'm some kind of freak like Potty-"
Draco's eyes flashed at the sudden insult of Mione's best friend. He hated the kid himself but still, what gave Pansy the write to do his job of insulting him? In a very serious voice Draco demanded, "What are doing here Pansy?"
"I'm here to make sure you're not getting cold feet and backing out on us." Her eyes fell to the necklace still on the ground near Draco's feet. "Looks like I got here just in time. You were about to throw you life away with that necklace and we don't want that now do we Draco?"
"Did Voldemort send you?"
"I'm come on my own accord. Voldemort doesn't really care about you as he is still convinced you're a traitor. He doesn't need to see you give her that necklace... he could finish her off on his own. That is, after he finished you. I don't want to see that happen Drackey-" Draco flinched at the nickname. She ignored him and continued. "You're too sweet to lose just because some mudblood has you bewitched. So I came to remind you. Don't you dare throw that necklace away."
"What's the necklace going to do to her?" Draco demanded not able to resist.
Pansy's small beady eyes flashed dangerously. "What do you care? It's a suprise but it's going to be so... magnificent."
She was now standing directly in front of him. She smiled up at him, as if imagining the horrible affects of the cursed necklace now. Much to Draco's disgust she reached up and caught his chin in her hand. It was cold... as cold and slimy as her crooked heart. Soflty, she rubbed his cheek with her thumb, her smile growing more and more evil. She kisseed him harshly on the lips, a short painful experience for Draco. She backed away, "Until we meet again Draco..."
Draco blinked, he was standing alone near the stump. The others slept on, nothing had disturbed them. Draco began to wonder if he had dreamed the whole thing but no... Maggie was still growling at the place where Pansy had once stood. Draco looked downward and there... right by his left foot, was the necklace. He bent down and picked it up. Then with a sigh, he put it in his pocket.
A short distance away, Alex woke from her dream with a start. Someone was standing over her. The uttered something and a glow surrounded her. A burden seemed to be lifted. At first she thought this was a good thing. Then she realized they had broken the connection she had with Hermione. This couldn't be good.
Sure enough, the wizard turned to the one next to him and said, "It is done sir."
"Very good Zambini." Came Luscius' voice from behind the hood. "The less pain Hermione feels, the sooner that blasted cat will lead them here. Impatience is usually not my weakness but I feel I cannot wait for the ceremony to begin. Now that the bond is broken, do with her what you will..."
Alex gulped. This was definitely not good.
A/N what do you think? read and review please!!! Oh and if there are spelling errors I apologize... the program I'm using to type this doesn't have spell check (or I lost it... which is a very me thing to do -)