Day Twenty-Seven, evening
I'm still puzzling over Malfoy's statement about "the end" when we get back to camp. I know it's something I'm familiar with, but I can't figure out the source.
The other six players are all in the general area of our shelter, tackling various chores. I catch Pete's glance toward me and veer sharply away from him in another direction. I find Kiki splitting some coconuts under the trees and sit down next to her.
"Change of plan."
She pauses briefly in her assault on the coconut in front of her. "I'm all ears."
"Perhaps it's in our best interest to keep Pete on." She pauses again and opens her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. "Look, I'm in this with you. But if one of us leaves the game for whatever reason, just think about which player we'd be able to beat in the final. Nobody likes Pete. Whichever one of us made it to the last two would have it made."
Kiki continues with her coconuts in silence, pondering. After a couple of minutes, she takes a deep breath. "Yeah, I can see what you mean. I just don't like the idea of Pete having any chance at all to win the game."
"Well, he'd just be security. But you know I want to go to the finals with you."
Kiki looks at me with a gentle smile. "You know that's not true. Because then you'd not be sure of winning." I open my mouth but then shut it again, because she's absolutely right. "Look, duckie. No matter where we met, we would have become friends. And I believe that no matter what the outcome of this game, we'll remain friends on the outside. So let's go ahead and be honest with each other. Against you, the finals would be questionable. And much as we like each other, we both still want to win this game. One of us is going to have to fall along the way. But if I can't be the one to win, I honestly hope that it's you."
"Wow." Everything she's said is right, and I'm amazed that in this game of deception, she's come right out to say it. "You're right. Of course you're right. But I want to stay in this together as long as possible."
"What about Draco?"
I hesitate for a moment. "Um... what about him?"
"I'd have to be blind as a bat or as thick as Pete to miss it, duck. I can see that he's very into you, and I think you feel the same way. And I know you two have had some time alone together. How does he fit into your game?"
I feel a slight blush creep across my cheeks at the mention of a game between me and Malfoy. If only she knew. "All right, you've been honest with me, I'll be honest with you." I take a moment to arrange my thoughts. "I think I'm going to go into an alliance with him. And I think I'd like the three of us to be the final three. To hell with Pete -- any chance he could have of winning is still a chance. I say let's go to the final three, and whoever wins that last endurance challenge can make their decision from there. Because next to me or you, Draco is my next choice to win."
I realize as I tell Kiki all of this that I actually believe what I'm saying.
She looks at me thoughtfully. "But then, who would win? It's not guaranteed."
I look straight into her eyes. "If I have to lose, I'd rather lose to someone who I like. I'd rather take my chances with you or Draco than even risk the thought of Pete winning this game."
Kiki puts away her machete and coconuts, nods slowly and holds her hand out to me for a handshake. "You have a deal, Hermione."
We shake on it, briefly hug, then rejoin with the rest of the team to get ready for the challenge.
* * * * * * * * * *
Marcus is waiting for us as usual, and as we file in to the challenge area, he begins his spiel.
"Today will be a purely physical challenge. Two of you will face off against each other. You will stand on either end of this log," he indicates a log resting across a pool of water, "and duel."
He holds up what looks like a big stick with huge pads on either end, and I'm reminded of the television show "American Gladiators."
"The player to fall into the water first is out. We'll draw random names for opponents. The eight of you will be knocked down to four, then in the next round four will become two, then those final two will battle for immunity at tonight's Tribal Council. If you're ready, we'll draw names."
In the first round, I'm paired up against Ellen. We put on helmets and make our way to the log over the pool. Marcus shouts at us to start, and I swing wildly at Ellen, who doesn't seem to have the best sense of balance on the log to begin with. She's barely able to move her padded stick before I knock her over into the water. Marcus announces that I will move on to the next round as Carla and Malfoy are donning their helmets. Their round is just as quick as mine, with Malfoy quickly knocking Carla into the water. Kiki and Sheryl bat at each other and flail for almost a minute before Kiki finally falls into the water. Then Pete and Chet spend what feels like hours feinting and dodging each other, until with a snarl, Pete finally pushes Chet into the water.
We're allowed a few moments of rest before the next names are drawn. Of course, since there are two women and two men in this round, the hated Fates make sure that both contests are mixed-sex. First up is a very quick round between Pete and Sheryl, ending with Sheryl practically flying into the water from a blow to the midsection. As she surfaces and sputters, the arrogant look on Pete's face makes him incredibly ugly. He struts over to Marcus and hands off his helmet. So now, it's time for me to battle Malfoy.
We strap on our helmets, gather up our padded sticks and walk side-by-side to the battle area. We take our places at either end of the log and wait for Marcus to let us start. Malfoy makes eye contact with me.
"Game on? No help?" He grins at me, his eyes twinkling. No help, meaning no magic.
"You're on."
Marcus tells us to begin. Malfoy's taking his time, waiting for the perfect hit, while I take small jabs at him, trying to throw him off balance. But even without magic, he's amazingly graceful. He dodges my moves, and as I try to hit him on the left side of his torso, he quickly brings his weapon around and hits me on my unprotected side. The hit is gentle enough not to hurt me, but strong enough to push me off the log into the water. By the time I've surfaced and made it to the shore, he's come around off the log and is holding his hand out to gallantly help me up. I grab hold, and he pulls me up out of the water. We're close for a moment, and I whisper to him, "kick his ass."
Now it's just Malfoy against Pete.
After another brief rest period, they put on their helmets and take their places. We losing players are seated on a grassy area in the shade, close enough to see Malfoy's lips move but just far enough away that I can't hear whatever Malfoy quietly says to Pete. However, I can clearly see the snarl on Pete's face in response. As soon as Marcus tells them to start, Pete is wildly swinging at Malfoy, who manages to duck a couple of the blows but is quickly knocked aside by Pete's fury.
Marcus calls out Pete's name as the winner, and walks over to him with the immunity necklace. I hop up and run over to the pool, offering Malfoy a helping hand out of the water. He grabs it without hesitation, and I help to pull him up onto the shore.
"Intersting fighting technique. What did you say to him that made him so upset?"
"Doesn't matter." I sigh in exasperation, and Malfoy looks down at me with a gleam in his eye. "Worried about me?" I roll my eyes and rejoin the rest of the group as they make their way back toward camp.
* * * * * * * * * *
We only have a couple of hours to eat a quick dinner and gather our thoughts before it's time to leave for Tribal Council. Kiki and I catch a quick moment alone and ponder our choices; the old Miti Matai is up 5 to 3, so even though we can't vote out Pete, we could get rid of one of our former tribemates if one of them is too big a threat. We decide that nobody on our former team is terribly dangerous to our game, and we'll continue to whittle away at the Fetia Rai players by getting rid of Carla. It's easy to rationalize our decision, because Carla has been looking very tired lately. Nearly a month surviving on a tropical island has taken its toll on her 50-year-old body.
As we put on our warmer evening clothes and sit around tying shoelaces and packing bags, Pete finds me.
"So that's the way you're going, is it?"
I look at him blankly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, no. Of course you don't." He sneers at me. "Too bad you and your boyfriend can't get rid of me tonight. I guess I'll be around for at least a few more days."
"Hey, Pete." Malfoy's voice sounds deeper than usual, as he steps up to us. Pete jumps visibly at the intrusion. "Is there a problem here? Or do you just not remember what I told you?"
Pete glares at Malfoy. "No problem. Just wishing Hermione luck for tonight's Tribal Council. You never know who's going to be going home." He stalks off into the growing darkness.
"All right, now I absolutely MUST know what you said to him on the log."
"If you're a good girl, I'll tell you later. Right now, I need to check on our alliance."
"Kiki and I have decided on Carla. She's telling Ellen, and I'm to tell you."
"Sounds fine." He turns, starting toward the trees. I grab his arm and stop him.
"Won't you tell me now?"
"Later. Be a good girl."
I lean in close to him and whisper in his ear. "What if I'm a bad girl?"
Malfoy pulls back and grins at me. "Ah, if only you'd known me before this game." He drops a wink at me and moves in very close, pulling me to him with his arm around my waist. His voice drops to a husky whisper. "You'd know that I'm the kind of guy who finds bad to be irresistable."
"I hate to interrupt you lovebirds," comes Kiki's voice from beside us, "but it's time to go."
The voting is unsurprising tonight. I know that Kiki, Ellen, Draco and I all voted for Carla. Chet fell in with the rest of us in voting for Carla. Carla and Sheryl both voted for Chet, and one vote in large block letters declared DRACO. Not too challenging to figure out. Carla's torch is snuffed, Marcus gives his closing speech, and we're free to go back to camp.
Pete storms his way through the underbrush. The others file behind him, while Malfoy and I follow in the rear of the pack.
"Tell me what you said to him."
"Not right now, thanks."
"You know, I could make you tell me if I wanted to."
"Could, but won't. That would be cheating. And I do believe you're the type of person who values honesty and integrity above everything else, even in a game like this."
Damn it, he has me there. Gryffindor traits, through and through.
We make it back to camp in the dark. Pete has already gone to the farthest corner of the shelter and is curled up there. The others all climb in and find spots to sleep. Malfoy and I enter last, and find there's only enough space at the other end from Pete. Malfoy grabs my pillow and settles in, resting his head on it.
I can see his silver eyes gleaming in the moonlight. I kneel down and reach around his head to get my pillow, and feel his arms around my waist. He pulls me down next to him, so that my body is curled up against him and my head is resting on his chest. I struggle for a moment, but then just give in to being cradled against his warm body, with one arm wrapped around my waist and the other gently stroking my hair. I'm just about asleep when I feel him crane his head forward slightly so he can whisper in my ear.
"I told him to stay the hell away from my girl."
I'm still puzzling over Malfoy's statement about "the end" when we get back to camp. I know it's something I'm familiar with, but I can't figure out the source.
The other six players are all in the general area of our shelter, tackling various chores. I catch Pete's glance toward me and veer sharply away from him in another direction. I find Kiki splitting some coconuts under the trees and sit down next to her.
"Change of plan."
She pauses briefly in her assault on the coconut in front of her. "I'm all ears."
"Perhaps it's in our best interest to keep Pete on." She pauses again and opens her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. "Look, I'm in this with you. But if one of us leaves the game for whatever reason, just think about which player we'd be able to beat in the final. Nobody likes Pete. Whichever one of us made it to the last two would have it made."
Kiki continues with her coconuts in silence, pondering. After a couple of minutes, she takes a deep breath. "Yeah, I can see what you mean. I just don't like the idea of Pete having any chance at all to win the game."
"Well, he'd just be security. But you know I want to go to the finals with you."
Kiki looks at me with a gentle smile. "You know that's not true. Because then you'd not be sure of winning." I open my mouth but then shut it again, because she's absolutely right. "Look, duckie. No matter where we met, we would have become friends. And I believe that no matter what the outcome of this game, we'll remain friends on the outside. So let's go ahead and be honest with each other. Against you, the finals would be questionable. And much as we like each other, we both still want to win this game. One of us is going to have to fall along the way. But if I can't be the one to win, I honestly hope that it's you."
"Wow." Everything she's said is right, and I'm amazed that in this game of deception, she's come right out to say it. "You're right. Of course you're right. But I want to stay in this together as long as possible."
"What about Draco?"
I hesitate for a moment. "Um... what about him?"
"I'd have to be blind as a bat or as thick as Pete to miss it, duck. I can see that he's very into you, and I think you feel the same way. And I know you two have had some time alone together. How does he fit into your game?"
I feel a slight blush creep across my cheeks at the mention of a game between me and Malfoy. If only she knew. "All right, you've been honest with me, I'll be honest with you." I take a moment to arrange my thoughts. "I think I'm going to go into an alliance with him. And I think I'd like the three of us to be the final three. To hell with Pete -- any chance he could have of winning is still a chance. I say let's go to the final three, and whoever wins that last endurance challenge can make their decision from there. Because next to me or you, Draco is my next choice to win."
I realize as I tell Kiki all of this that I actually believe what I'm saying.
She looks at me thoughtfully. "But then, who would win? It's not guaranteed."
I look straight into her eyes. "If I have to lose, I'd rather lose to someone who I like. I'd rather take my chances with you or Draco than even risk the thought of Pete winning this game."
Kiki puts away her machete and coconuts, nods slowly and holds her hand out to me for a handshake. "You have a deal, Hermione."
We shake on it, briefly hug, then rejoin with the rest of the team to get ready for the challenge.
* * * * * * * * * *
Marcus is waiting for us as usual, and as we file in to the challenge area, he begins his spiel.
"Today will be a purely physical challenge. Two of you will face off against each other. You will stand on either end of this log," he indicates a log resting across a pool of water, "and duel."
He holds up what looks like a big stick with huge pads on either end, and I'm reminded of the television show "American Gladiators."
"The player to fall into the water first is out. We'll draw random names for opponents. The eight of you will be knocked down to four, then in the next round four will become two, then those final two will battle for immunity at tonight's Tribal Council. If you're ready, we'll draw names."
In the first round, I'm paired up against Ellen. We put on helmets and make our way to the log over the pool. Marcus shouts at us to start, and I swing wildly at Ellen, who doesn't seem to have the best sense of balance on the log to begin with. She's barely able to move her padded stick before I knock her over into the water. Marcus announces that I will move on to the next round as Carla and Malfoy are donning their helmets. Their round is just as quick as mine, with Malfoy quickly knocking Carla into the water. Kiki and Sheryl bat at each other and flail for almost a minute before Kiki finally falls into the water. Then Pete and Chet spend what feels like hours feinting and dodging each other, until with a snarl, Pete finally pushes Chet into the water.
We're allowed a few moments of rest before the next names are drawn. Of course, since there are two women and two men in this round, the hated Fates make sure that both contests are mixed-sex. First up is a very quick round between Pete and Sheryl, ending with Sheryl practically flying into the water from a blow to the midsection. As she surfaces and sputters, the arrogant look on Pete's face makes him incredibly ugly. He struts over to Marcus and hands off his helmet. So now, it's time for me to battle Malfoy.
We strap on our helmets, gather up our padded sticks and walk side-by-side to the battle area. We take our places at either end of the log and wait for Marcus to let us start. Malfoy makes eye contact with me.
"Game on? No help?" He grins at me, his eyes twinkling. No help, meaning no magic.
"You're on."
Marcus tells us to begin. Malfoy's taking his time, waiting for the perfect hit, while I take small jabs at him, trying to throw him off balance. But even without magic, he's amazingly graceful. He dodges my moves, and as I try to hit him on the left side of his torso, he quickly brings his weapon around and hits me on my unprotected side. The hit is gentle enough not to hurt me, but strong enough to push me off the log into the water. By the time I've surfaced and made it to the shore, he's come around off the log and is holding his hand out to gallantly help me up. I grab hold, and he pulls me up out of the water. We're close for a moment, and I whisper to him, "kick his ass."
Now it's just Malfoy against Pete.
After another brief rest period, they put on their helmets and take their places. We losing players are seated on a grassy area in the shade, close enough to see Malfoy's lips move but just far enough away that I can't hear whatever Malfoy quietly says to Pete. However, I can clearly see the snarl on Pete's face in response. As soon as Marcus tells them to start, Pete is wildly swinging at Malfoy, who manages to duck a couple of the blows but is quickly knocked aside by Pete's fury.
Marcus calls out Pete's name as the winner, and walks over to him with the immunity necklace. I hop up and run over to the pool, offering Malfoy a helping hand out of the water. He grabs it without hesitation, and I help to pull him up onto the shore.
"Intersting fighting technique. What did you say to him that made him so upset?"
"Doesn't matter." I sigh in exasperation, and Malfoy looks down at me with a gleam in his eye. "Worried about me?" I roll my eyes and rejoin the rest of the group as they make their way back toward camp.
* * * * * * * * * *
We only have a couple of hours to eat a quick dinner and gather our thoughts before it's time to leave for Tribal Council. Kiki and I catch a quick moment alone and ponder our choices; the old Miti Matai is up 5 to 3, so even though we can't vote out Pete, we could get rid of one of our former tribemates if one of them is too big a threat. We decide that nobody on our former team is terribly dangerous to our game, and we'll continue to whittle away at the Fetia Rai players by getting rid of Carla. It's easy to rationalize our decision, because Carla has been looking very tired lately. Nearly a month surviving on a tropical island has taken its toll on her 50-year-old body.
As we put on our warmer evening clothes and sit around tying shoelaces and packing bags, Pete finds me.
"So that's the way you're going, is it?"
I look at him blankly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, no. Of course you don't." He sneers at me. "Too bad you and your boyfriend can't get rid of me tonight. I guess I'll be around for at least a few more days."
"Hey, Pete." Malfoy's voice sounds deeper than usual, as he steps up to us. Pete jumps visibly at the intrusion. "Is there a problem here? Or do you just not remember what I told you?"
Pete glares at Malfoy. "No problem. Just wishing Hermione luck for tonight's Tribal Council. You never know who's going to be going home." He stalks off into the growing darkness.
"All right, now I absolutely MUST know what you said to him on the log."
"If you're a good girl, I'll tell you later. Right now, I need to check on our alliance."
"Kiki and I have decided on Carla. She's telling Ellen, and I'm to tell you."
"Sounds fine." He turns, starting toward the trees. I grab his arm and stop him.
"Won't you tell me now?"
"Later. Be a good girl."
I lean in close to him and whisper in his ear. "What if I'm a bad girl?"
Malfoy pulls back and grins at me. "Ah, if only you'd known me before this game." He drops a wink at me and moves in very close, pulling me to him with his arm around my waist. His voice drops to a husky whisper. "You'd know that I'm the kind of guy who finds bad to be irresistable."
"I hate to interrupt you lovebirds," comes Kiki's voice from beside us, "but it's time to go."
The voting is unsurprising tonight. I know that Kiki, Ellen, Draco and I all voted for Carla. Chet fell in with the rest of us in voting for Carla. Carla and Sheryl both voted for Chet, and one vote in large block letters declared DRACO. Not too challenging to figure out. Carla's torch is snuffed, Marcus gives his closing speech, and we're free to go back to camp.
Pete storms his way through the underbrush. The others file behind him, while Malfoy and I follow in the rear of the pack.
"Tell me what you said to him."
"Not right now, thanks."
"You know, I could make you tell me if I wanted to."
"Could, but won't. That would be cheating. And I do believe you're the type of person who values honesty and integrity above everything else, even in a game like this."
Damn it, he has me there. Gryffindor traits, through and through.
We make it back to camp in the dark. Pete has already gone to the farthest corner of the shelter and is curled up there. The others all climb in and find spots to sleep. Malfoy and I enter last, and find there's only enough space at the other end from Pete. Malfoy grabs my pillow and settles in, resting his head on it.
I can see his silver eyes gleaming in the moonlight. I kneel down and reach around his head to get my pillow, and feel his arms around my waist. He pulls me down next to him, so that my body is curled up against him and my head is resting on his chest. I struggle for a moment, but then just give in to being cradled against his warm body, with one arm wrapped around my waist and the other gently stroking my hair. I'm just about asleep when I feel him crane his head forward slightly so he can whisper in my ear.
"I told him to stay the hell away from my girl."