Rose Orb Exposure

Chapter 3

Draco pulled up short suddenly as Harry cut in front of him on their hike.

"What?" Harry leaned forward with a sniff and Draco leaned back eyes widening. "Potter!"

"You snuck a cleansing charm didn't you?"

Draco bit the inside of his lip as he stared down Harry. "No I didn't."

Harry glowered triumphantly. "Yes you did! Or you'd be all indignant I suggested it!"

"Now you're asking for me to be bitchy? Okay. How dare you suggest I snuck a cleansing charm!"

"Lame…" Harry shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't be able to do it."

Draco shrugged lightly. "Sorry but I need my most basic creature comforts. The ability to smell myself and not cringe." Draco smiled widely. "You on the other hand…"

"Don't mind taking a dip in the commoner's spring." Harry smirked. "I'm quite clean thanks."

Draco gaped. "You read my report!" he accused.

"Had to. Ours had to match up didn't they? You can read mine if you like." Harry cocked his head and turned walking away. "Though yours sounds more like a diary than mine. I just wrote the date, made a note, signed and that's it."

"Made a note?" Draco hurried next to him.

"Yea, you know. 'No sign of Orb'. 'Still no sign but waiting for symptoms.' Makes note taking much quicker. Instead of rambling on about how you dislike your travel partner." Harry gave him a bright fake smile before speeding up.

"Ugh. I still can't believe your great plan is to wait for us to start jumping each other." Draco frowned.

"Unless you can think of something better Malfoy, yes, that's pretty much it."

Draco tried a slow trot after him. "You know…if I did a cleansing charm no problem we could probably sneak an Accio or two?"

"Think before you suggest speak. Besides the fact that we don't know if this thing is buried or under a rock or somewhere where it could be damaged…don't you think a muggle would notice a floating crystal ball?" Harry snipped. "And they'd certainly notice it coming towards us!"

"Well actually now you mention that I haven't noticed any muggles around here with us."

"Malfoy, we can't do it. Shut up." Draco slowed and dropped behind Harry, hurt. Sure they bickered but they never meant it. "What's your goddamn problem today?"

Harry sighed heavily and kept walking.

"Fine Potter! Be a bitch. Gods, I can't believe I actually came on this assignment with you. I should have just taken the off-time." Draco glared after Harry as he steadily gained ground away from him. Worthless prat. Draco frowned turning his gaze to the ground before his feet. He just wanted to finish this and get back home. His home wasn't a bad place anymore now that his father was gone. Things were still strained with his mother yes but they were amiable. All the more reason he should get back home…so they could be like a family again, completely. Potter could enjoy his piece of wilderness alone.

Draco wandered along the path, without looking to keep up and kept thinking kicking out petulantly at stones. It was a wonder he didn't fall flat on his face or broke his back. He just sprained his ankle that's all.

Draco crumpled to the ground with a cry of shock more than pain. The pain started when he was on the ground inelegantly on his ass. Draco stretched out his leg with a pained gasp. Bugger, and he'd thought he was in shape.

"Draco!" Hmm, he almost sounded…wait, Draco! He looked up with a frown as Harry stumbled back towards him and dropped his pack nearby before kneeling at his side. "Malfoy how the hell do you manage to be such a drama queen all the time?"

"Pure skill!" Draco spat acidly. "You sound almost worried! You might want to work on that."

Harry frowned back at him before pulling up his slacks' leg. "It's just sprained." Harry pushed his hand gently into Draco's boot and wrapped his fingers around Draco's ankle firmly.

"Hey...be careful!" Draco winced.

"Stop whining you big baby." Harry muttered softly. He whispered a healing spell then a cooling charm. "Now, that wasn't so bad."

Draco sighed before leaning back on his heavy pack. "So do we just get back up and keep hiking?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You can have a break." He reached moved behind Draco and opened his pack taking out a water bottle. "And not…"

"Too much, yes, yes." Draco grabbed the bottle, unscrewed it quickly and tilted back his head swallowing down the water gratefully. He drank steadily for a few minutes before stopping closing the bottle back. He sighed deeply before looking back at Harry who had pulled his pack closer to Draco and was drinking slowly from one of his water bottles. "Thanks."

Harry seemed to choke momentarily on his mouthful of water before turning an incredulous look on him.

"What?" Draco looked down at his leg and started exercising it slowly.

"Why…you sounded grateful! I'm in shock." Harry arched an eyebrow before smirking. Draco flicked him off.

"Whatever Potter. What do we do now?"

Harry flopped down against his pack looking at Draco. "Not a clue. We have to stay and let your leg rest…" Harry hurried on at the coming protests. "And I was in a pissy mood for a hiking partner anyway. So I guess we talk."

"Okay. What crawled up your ass this morning?" Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry. "I mean you couldn't honestly be that mad because I snuck one goddamned cleansing charm?"

Harry snorted. "No…but I'd rather not talk about it."

Draco rolled his eyes and sneered. "Typical. Okay let's talk about the other eluded question of yours. What about hiking is so much better than your life?" Draco put up his hand. "I mean I can understand having to face Voldemort wasn't that great…and well, knowing people died indirectly because of you…for you…can't be great. But being eaten alive by mosquitoes isn't that appealing…" Draco frowned as mentioned insect suddenly appeared, waving it off with his hand.

Harry's gaze pierced into him uncomfortably for a few minutes before he started to speak. "When you say it like that…it sounds so much better. But I've experienced it Draco. I had to face off against a madman bent on killing people he didn't think worthy, more times than I care to remember. At the tender age of fifteen I'd barely even had a nice teenaged experience before I was making an adult decision to kill or be killed because some prophecy predicted before I was born was believed to be hinged on me. Not counting the fact that without the wizarding world even knowing about this prophecy they had already put all their hopes and dreams on me to be their Boy-Who-Lived-To-Defeat-Voldemort. And then those people you mentioned. All the ones that died for me or because of me in some way…knowing you have all these people risking themselves for you because they believe in you so. Knowing after it's all said and done…not one of them might be alive…" Harry stopped to take a breath. "And even with all that and the details in between I'm sure I missed…you still don't know about me having to live with my relatives before Hogwarts…"


Operation R.O.E. Report, 2004/05/21

Potter's been reading my reports…I bet he's outside waiting to huff down my neck. He's been giving me looks all afternoon. He'll probably snitch on me when we get back so…I 'fess up! I SNUCK A CLEANSING CHARM! Excuse me for not wanting to knock the muggles out when we hike past them!

Though I haven't actually seen any muggles on the hike…well, around us, yet. I think it strange that we haven't run into any yet. I mean...the up path is the same as the down unless they go off-trail for some reason. That reminds me, have to ask Potter how much further to the 'summit'. Oh and about that…

We'll be coming back late. I can tell you that now. We missed the whole of today hiking 'cause Potter was being a jerk and made me sprain my ankle…okay well no…he'll probably come in and change my notes later. Okay, he was being slightly jerky, but I went off pouting, kicked at some grit and fell on my ass twisting my ankle. Happy?

He fixed it up with a nifty wandless charm or two so we'll be back on the hunt tomorrow. We couldn't really do much today because by then I'd 'guzzled' too much water to walk fast and Potter and I started talking anyway…talking. Me and Potter. The world is ending…

Oh and like Potter probably says in his report…'No sign of the super-sized snitch.'

Malfoy


A/N : Hope you enjoy!