Rose Orb Exposure

Chapter 4

"Come on Malfoy you're slowing us down."

Draco rolled his eyes and tried to speed up but he still wasn't used to having a giant bag on his back and his ankle still twinged as if he was walking on it funny. "Potter why do you insist on keeping up this pace…the Orb doesn't have legs. And hell we don't even know where it is so why are we rushing?"

"Deadline. Water." Harry huffed. "And we still aren't going to make it." Draco jumped sharply internally as Harry's arm came around his waist and pulled him forward, propelling him in front of Harry. "Now walk faster!"

"Geez! I'm not cattle to be herded you know. Malfoys do not hurry! Least of all, be seen to exert ourselves hurrying!" Draco jerked forward again as Harry's hand pushed into the small of his back. "I'm not appreciating all the touchy-feely Potter."

Harry snorted. "Tough. You aren't moving fast enough for me. I still want to try to get to the turning point in four days."

"But today is the fourth day…and we aren't that close."

"Exactly why you should be walking faster." Draco snarled and turned just as Harry jabbed again getting fingers to the stomach.

"Potter!"

Harry frowned at the hand pushing against Draco's stomach before shaking his head and looking up at his face. "You're not walking."

"Brilliant deduction! Get your hand off my stomach!" Draco sneered.

"Abs. Not stomach." Harry moved his hand quickly though. "Turn around and walk!"

"Potter! I don't know what happened between yesterday and today but you've got that bug up your arse again and I don't feel like twisting my ankle again for us to have a calming heart to heart so I'll tell you now…!" Draco started ranting poking Harry back in his unyieldingly firm chest.

"Hello." A hesitant female voice sounded.

Draco blinked at Harry who was looking back at him wide eyed before looking up the trail.

"Behind you." Came another voice that sounded amused.

Harry and Draco's heads both turned to look back down the trail watching a man and woman approaching also with hiking packs on their backs and Draco dropped the offending finger that had been jabbing Harry.

"Sorry to interrupt…" the woman gave them a quirking smile. Harry cleared his throat and a flush started to crawl up his tanned skin. Draco huffed and crossed his arms putting on a face of indifference. "Do you know how much further to the summit?"

"A day." Draco snipped out.

"Tonight if you walk fast." Harry glared at Draco. Draco arched an eyebrow looking back at Harry mockingly.

"Well I'm sorry but for me, it's a day."

Harry snorted. "You're like an SUV. All guzzle and no going."

Draco frowned when the woman coughed and the man snickered softly. "Are you insulting me Potter?"

Harry snorted again and turned to the couple. "For us it will be a day because Malfoy here is slow. For you, you can make it tonight."

The man nodded a small smile on his face. "Thank you."

"Err, my name is Marie and this is my husband Roger," the woman cleared her throat and went red. "It's not my place to ask but are you two here about the…" she cleared her throat again. "You know, rumours."

Draco's face turned inquisitive. "Rumours?"

The man looked surprised. "You don't know? The rumours that say people go a bit…funny up here." Marie elbowed him lightly.

"They don't go…mad." She gave her husband a look. "Umm, it's just claimed that some people got…"

"Frisky?" Roger snickered again. Marie elbowed him again with a laugh.

"Okay it's rumoured people go frisky up here." She turned red again.

"Oh is that why you're up here? To ge…" Draco started before coughing as Harry elbowed him and not too softly. "Potter!"

"Forgive my…friend," Harry glared at him. "He has an exceptionally big mouth. But it's useful for other things…"

Draco's mouth dropped open in shock as Harry gave the couple a bright grin and they chuckled back at him.

"Potter! How dare you…?"

"By the way, my name is Harry. This is…Draco. And no, we're not here about the rumours. We're just having fun together. Pals, you know." Harry threw his arm around Draco's shoulder and pulled him closer.

"Potter…if you don't get…" Draco hissed out.

"Draco's been a bit huffy since he twisted his ankle yesterday. He's not a hiking guy, more a spoiled socialite. He even looks girly." Harry's arm moved and his hand smacked Draco upside the head.

"POTTER!" Draco started brushing his hair back furiously.

"See? Down to the primping." Harry ruffled Draco's hair before jumping away from him dodging a fist.

"I swear Potter if I get my hands on you…"

"So if you two hear anyone screaming or ranting or shouts of Potter…it's only him. Ignore him, he'll shut up faster." Harry leaned in conspiratorially towards the couple.

Draco glared at the three of them and the couple laughed nervously but Harry just smirked.

"We heard that everyone passing through is camping out on the summit for a few days. Just to see if anyone goes around the bend…" Roger said. "That's where we're going."

"Well…we don't want to hold you back. Feel free to go on…" Draco waved them forward speaking coldly.

Harry gave him a reproachful look. "Sorry about Draco but really you should go on…with him slowing me down we might get there a day after you or something…"

The couple smiled at Harry. "Thank you. Well, we'll see you at the top then." They both nodded to Draco before moving around them on the trail and going forward.

"Potter! You've got some fricking nerve embarrassing me like that! What was that comment about my mouth supposed…"

"It was supposed to imply you're a great cocksucker…but with the horrible way you were acting and with your total lack of TACT!" Harry lowered his voice. "We couldn't even pretend to be together to get some goddamned information!"

Draco blinked. "Oh…" He blinked again. "I have tact."

Harry snorted before mimicking Draco's drawl. "Oh, is that why you're going up there? To get frisky?"

Draco smirked slowly. "What? That's an open question. They pretty much asked us if that was what WE were going up there for."

"And you couldn't pretend for a few minutes it was?" Harry muttered under his breath.

"Well I didn't know that's what you wanted me to do. I'm not psychic Potter. Hell, we don't even get along." Draco gestured between the two of them. "We don't like each other even a bit civilly so how were we supposed to pretend to be together."

Harry shook his head before whirling and stomping off. "Whatever Malfoy."

Draco frowned after him and trudged off to follow.


Operation R.O.E. Report, 2004/05/22

We finally saw some muggles today and they clued us in on why we haven't been seeing more.

They said all the hikers are staying at the turning point for a few days to see who goes 'funny' as they put it. The two we saw today were a couple though and I could infer mostly couples are up there from what they said. They pretty much asked if me and Potter were going up there because of the rumours…as in to get shagged-up. And then Potter has the nerve to make this comment…! Totally…out of nowhere embarrassing me in front of these muggles! I SWEAR I will quit if you ever put me on a mission with him again! AND I KNOW YOU'LL BE READING THIS LATER POTTER!

So…we'll be reaching the summit tomorrow. And I'm down to my last bottle of water while Potter's refilling his at the stream. I'm going to dehydrate on the way down…shrivel up…my skin will get splotchy…I wonder if any hikers up at the summit have Avian? Hmm, should have asked that couple today.

We didn't really get anymore information from them. If Potter says it's my fault it's not! And I have tact! I just didn't know he expected me to pretend like we were a couple! I'm a bloody Malfoy…how dare he suggest I don't have tact!

And what's an SUV? He said something about me…being all guzzle and no going…?

Malfoy