Ten: The Other Portkey
"Well after we had a nice chat with you, Pansy realized that they were calling our portkey next. She grabbed my hand and we bolted for the station. Of course I don't 'bolt' but you understand what I mean," Draco drawled in his normal tone, "Anyway, Pansy thought it would be best if we went into the corner to take a portkey. She didn't want the other bloody wizards to be in our way. Annoying wizards they are – some who are probably mere muggle-borns. Scarhead's attention did help us get to a secluded corner for once they found that the boy-who-can-never-die was in their station they pounced on him. It was obnoxious and amusing at the same time. Pansy was happy that the mud-bloods had left us."

Ginny wondered why Malfoy had to repeat his distaste for muggle born wizards over and over again. It might have been because Hermione was part of their group. Now it seemed as if they could never get along, but as long as he was giving her information that she needed, she wouldn't nag him. It did bother her that this was after a war where an era should have started in which all wizards would get along with muggles. This form of hatred was supposed to stop, but Ginny guessed that it would take time. She tried to remember in her muggle studies class about wars that were started because of differences of race. That had disgusted her at first, but then she realized the same thing was happening among the purebloods and the wizards who were not as pure. She rolled her eyes once she realized that Malfoy had not given her any information that she could clue together. Maybe both of their portkeys did malfunction, and this all was just a big mess. Once Hermione would find out that the portkeys just malfunctioned she would be very stressed. Malfoy was a very affluent man and if he decided to press legal charges against her, Hermione would end up in a lot of trouble. Knowing Malfoy's hatred of Hermione, Ginny bet that Hermione had already thought of this and that is why she tried her best not to speak with Malfoy.

She heard some movement in the boy's tent and a moment later, both Harry and Ron stepped out. They both frowned at Ginny for speaking with Malfoy, but they said nothing. They each took something out of the basket of fruits, and then sat next to Ginny. Malfoy had said nothing after Harry and Ron had come out. He ignored their presence and chose to look at the scenery instead of anybody else. It took him just a few minutes to get bored looking at the ocean waves crashing over and over again at the shore. He finally gave up and continued to tell his experiences.

"So we gathered up in the corner and took the disgusting ugly old portkey to the island…" He looked up to see expressions of curiosity on what else could be disgusting in terms of Malfoy and for once he answered (although nobody really asked him), "it was a hideous brown boot."

Ron and Harry gasped while Ginny's eyebrows went to the top of her forehead. Malfoy looked at them suspiciously, questioning their actions of astonishment. He concluded shortly after that they must have been surprised that a Malfoy would use something old as a portkey. That sounded about right. They had known Malfoy throughout his school years at Hogwarts, and he was always dressed with the best dragon boots that could be found in England. Never would the thought occur to anyone that Malfoy would use an old boot as a portkey, if he could have created the portkey himself the oldest thing he would use would be the eighth pair of his favorite dragon boots.

"A boot, do you know what that could mean?" Harry asked all of them. He turned towards the others making sure his back was facing Malfoy, thus excluding the brute from their conversation.

"Couldn't it mean that we were sent here?" Ron asked.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence. Coincidences happen." Ginny replied shortly after.

"You realize it was just a boot. I furnish all my other things with extravagance. I had no choice. It was the only portkey not occupied by others. I like to portkey alone and not with strangers. If it were my own choice and not the stupid Ministry's I would have used a pair of my own dragon boots. I wouldn't even think of touching anybody elses used shoes," Malfoy said defending himself.

Malfoy had this characteristic that whatever he said would stop everybody from what they were doing and look at him. Usually what he said was absurd and outrageous. The three of them stopped discussing the coincidence and looked at Malfoy. Since he said nothing else after they turned back around and continued discussing this discovery.

"Would you like for me to finish my story. It is rather interesting, there you could find out how I got my cuts and scrapes. That might help you get off this island." Malfoy said now annoyed by the idea that some old stupid boot would actually help them get off the island.

Instead of replying again Harry asked how the portkey looked. The description was just the same one that depicted their portkey. When Hermione finally came out of the tent they all told her about Malfoy's portkey, and finally Malfoy was able to comprehend what was going on. He didn't feel embarrassed by the way he acted when he was confused, for after all he did tell them the truth of what he would rather have done. Malfoy did hear a rumor that Granger was one of the people who set up the Portkey Port and denouncing the Port would satisfy him in an incomprehensible way.

The idea that they were all set up didn't make any sense at all. Why would anyone want to trap a Malfoy and a Potter at the same time? They were both on the opposite sides of the political spectrum, the good vs. evil spectrum, or any other spectrum there was! It didn't make any sense to the four old Gryffindors. When no one spoke they all thought about any similarities between the five of them that would connect them all. Obviously, the four Gryffindors fought in the war on the 'right side,' but Malfoy didn't seem to even be in the war. This similarity must have been something outside of politics.

Malfoy was thinking along the same lines. He didn't understand who would want to trap them all. It couldn't be for money, for only he himself had the most amount of money that anybody would actually desire for. The only link between all five of them was their fame. However, that idea left out Parkinson. Draco knew he made it known throughout that they were going on a business trip together. Maybe that is why she was missing. Could someone have gotten rid of her because she was not important? This idea startled Draco and for no apparent reason he decided to stand up.

This action once again drew all the attention to Malfoy. They all looked at him strangely. Harry was about to say something but decided against it and waited for Malfoy to say something.

Malfoy was bewildered by this discovery all he could say at the moment was, "Pansy…"

"What is it about your fiancé?" Ron asked rudely.

This one statement by this one particular person could have been the only thing that would have brought Malfoy back to reality. He was consumed in his thoughts but he finally shared it with the others, "The only link between us is our fame. Pansy doesn't have anything that could tie her to fame and that could be her reason for her disappearance. If she disappeared then that must mean there is something out on this island that is after us for a reason. Maybe this monster doesn't like the idea that we are famous and that could be the reason…we are all going to die!"

The last words were almost shouted out with the most emphasis that could be imagined. Everybody looked at him bewildered by his outburst. They knew from this statement that Malfoy was going to be the first to go mad, if he hadn't already. He was being very delusional.

"Calm down Malfoy, you are jumping to conclusions here. We don't even know if Parkinson is missing yet, she could just be lost on the island. I don't know where you got this idea of a monster on the island, but just calm down. We aren't going to die…seriously Harry here killed Voldermort!" Hermione finally said. If Harry could defeat the most feared wizard of all time then all of them combined would be a terrifying match against whatever it was Draco feared.

Draco Malfoy once again tinged a pink color and the other two boys looked at him with an amused expression. After a few seconds he decided to brush off some dust off the dirty log and sit back down.

"Tell us what happened after you took the portkey," Ginny said quietly.

He knew everybody thought at this point that Malfoy was going crazy. Wasn't it logical? He was a Malfoy stuck with two Weasleys, a Potter, and a mudblood. How could he survive in an atmosphere filled with Gryffindor morals and practices? He wouldn't be able to do it. He was drilled from almost the day he was born with the idea that Weasleys were blood traitors, Potter deserved to die, and muggleborns were to be banished. This jigsaw piece didn't fit in the puzzle; he was an outsider and didn't belong in this place. That would be a pretty good reason for a man like himself to go mad.

Ginny seemed to be having the same thoughts and finally said, "Malfoy you aren't going mad. It's the side effects of the medicine. I never used the plants before so who knows how long the side effects will last. On top of that you are stressed that you're stuck on an island with your mortal enemies, and your only friend who you came with is lost. Relax Malfoy. It will be the best way for the side effects to wear off, if you stress out, it will just prolong your temporary mental illness." It wasn't really a mental illness, but she had just said that to add a factor of cruelty to her speech. For six years she had to deal with a Malfoy in their school torturing and denouncing her family name. This was probably the greatest moment for her to get back, and starting off with only minor demeaning sentences would be the best way she thought. However, at the same time she knew that it would be best for all of them to get along in order for them to fully cooperate. She would have to control her desires and focus her mind on the sole idea of how to get off this island with everybody.

He nodded his head unconsciously and said, "I think you are right. I think the Portkey dropped us from a large height. I fell and rolled onto a mass of jagged rocks. That's where the cuts and bruises came from. I thought I could heal it with my plant knowledge, but it seems I have forgotten about that and just managed to poison myself."

They had all remained quiet for a while. Ron, Hermione and Harry took some fruit from the basket, and ate it as their breakfast. The three of them knew what they had to do next, and even though they were very unwilling, they still had a thread of morality in them, even when dealing with Malfoy. Half an hour later one of them then decided it was time for them to get ready to look for Pansy Parkinson.