We are nearing the end, but it's not this chapter yet. Forgive me the few errors, as you know there's no beta helping on this story. Reviews always welcome!

Chapter 8: Chasing Tigers

The intensive physical tasks and their primary living conditions were starting to take a toll on all of them. The food was filling, but after five days of basic stews and simple breakfasts, which they were responsible for their own warm drinks, the hunger after a nice roast with Yorkshire pudding and gravy also nagged on their spirits.

On top, the mood of the brain team was also affected by the lack of sleep. Instead of keeping it light, the bickering influenced everyone else's spirit.

"I'm in 'a get out of my way, or I'll kill you mood', git."

"Go to hell, witch."

"I can't. Satan has issued a restraint order against me."

"I'm getting a headache from listening to both of you!" Blaise banged on the table, cutlery and glasses rattled, "Can't you two stop bitching?"

"She's the one who got up on the wrong side of the bed."

"Earth has its boundaries, but the Malfoy stupidity is endless. My bed has only one side, genius."

"Witch, did you called me stupid?"

"If the shoe fits…"

Harry intervened, "Hermione, drink a new cuppa. It's enough if you ask me…"

Gnarluk arrived at the perfect time, Draco left the breakfast room as first.

Hermione was held back by Ron and Harry, "What happened?"

"Nothing, he was just annoying me."

"Has he hurt you?" Ron ran through this morning's events, finding nothing alarming.

"No, can't you two just leave me alone?" Gritting through her teeth, she set a pace to catch up with the goblin, ending next to the object of her bad mood. Which left the wizard wondering what the hell did he do wrong at all…

-oOo-

The first test of the day was at the centre of the atrium. A long thin ladder dangled with the wind, "Hint on the top."

"Who's up to an early morning climb?"

Pansy pushed Theo aside, "I will before I commit double murder." The first steps were easy, but soon the ladder started to sway. "Hey! Can somebody ground the fucking stairs before it throws me into the tiger den?"

"Pans, don't exaggerate, tigers prefer meaty witches." Harry grabbed on to the rope, the foot on the slowest step to keep the ladder tight. It made it easier for Pansy to climb all the way up, although it still swayed. Ron lent a hand, it this case a foot.

"Hey, Weasley, don't oggle the goodies from underneath," Blaise remarked with a smirk, "Don't do like I do…"

Harry chuckled at the expense of a blushing wizard, who felt caught in action. "Harry, you're supposed to be at my side!"

"I am." He wiggled his eyebrows, "But, you've got to admit, Blaise has a point."

"I'm just helping you, Harry. Bloody hell, a wizard can't do a thing without being accused of ulterior motives." Ron pouted like a toddler.

-oOo-

"What the fuck did I do to you?"

"Can't you just leave me alone, git?" Draco cornered her away from the others, but she lacked the courage to face him, despite yesterdays talk with Pansy. Instead, she redrew into the actions of a fourteen-year-old, pushing him away and pouting the entire time.

Even if her behaviour caused Harry and the others a whiplash, clueless as they were about the reason behind these mood swings. Harry was half-and-half keeping an eye on them and couldn't imagine the motive at all.

Draco shouted back, pointing the finger at her, "Primary school called, Granger, they want their drama back. Fuck, I could have sworn I was dealing with an adult."

"Remember when I asked you for your opinion? Yeah, me neither."

"You can be such a bitch!"

"Behind every bitch, there's a man who made her that way!"

Harry and Ron kept exchanging looks, barely paying attention if the rope was tight enough for the Slytherin witch to return. Pansy returned to the floor with the tube in her hand, but it went entirely unnoticed. All eyes were focussed on the two arguing like children, one's comeback stronger than the previous.

"What the hell is wrong with Hermione?"

"I have no idea, Ron. I mean Malfoy hasn't done anything wrong in our presence."

Neville was on the verge of coming between, as Pansy shoved him lightly to the side, handing the wizard the tube along the way, "Read it, I have a job to do."

Draco was at the end of his rope, "Will you calm the fuck down?"

"Telling me to calm down works about as well as baptising a cat!"

"Will you two shut the fuck up?" Pansy set herself smack in the middle. "I'm full of this shite. We can't work like this, you both are messing with everyone's system. Quit this childish behaviour before I fucking throw both of you into the sea to calm the fuck down!"

"He started!"

"What the hell? You're the toddler!"

"You're a moron!"

Before Pansy even moved a finger, Harry held Hermione's arm by the elbow and pulled her behind him taking her far away from the group, Ron in the tail.

"Harry, release me!"

"In a minute Hermione, you and I are going to have a chat." Ron's and me somewhere in the background. They walked until not one soul was in sight, "Explain to me, without getting angry why you're so moody this morning?"

"This is not a conversation I want to have with you."

"For my part, you imagine Ginny's head over mine while you talk to me. I don't care, you and I have been through enough to have boundaries. Start talking, Hermione."

"Harry, no." Knowing only too well that her attitude bordered to that of a teenager in the middle of a drama crisis, she still turned her back on him and Ron. She was spun quickly back to her original position.

"Hermione, did Draco do something against your will?"

"No."

"Did something happen between you both then?" Harry was one and all business, but Ron was getting uneasy. This kind of discussion really not his cup of tea. Hermione's silence was all the answer Harry needed.

"If it wasn't against your will, why are you reacting this way?"

"Hermione… really?" The ferret might be friendlier than before, but specific issues were still a one step too far for Ron.

"I'm not asking for your approval Ronald. In case you've missed, there's a Lavender gallivanting around, remember?" She fumed, being grilled by her best friend irked her to no end. But she caved, "I slept badly last night. Besides, Pansy gave me the talk yesterday night already."

"Give me more, Hermione. Your behaviour is quite off-character for you." He forced her to face him, hands on her upper arms. "If it wasn't against your will, I don't see why you're so angry with him."

"Pansy assured me he's different. But what if he isn't?"

"They'll never find his body," Ron stated, resolutely.

"You are rational enough to approach this with common sense. The question I ask you is, what do you want?" Harry agreed with Ron silently, but he needed to bring clarity to her spirit, "I'll tell you what I've seen until now. I see a man who has been a good partner the entire time. Not once has he spoken with his usual disdain to you; several times he was more worried about you than Ron or I. Not that we don't have confidence in your abilities, we know you can hold your own, Hermione. "

She nodded, annoyed.

"No, Hermione, don't give me that look. Remember when you hurt your shoulder? Tracey came to ask for assistance, and Draco was the first to suggest a few ideas before I had the time to." His hand under her chin brought her gaze to his, "I can't tell you if you're making a good choice or if you should run now while you still can." The dark clouds were clearing up, he thought, "None of us can. But pestering him this way isn't going to make it better either."

"Are you going to sell me the idea of a leap of faith as well?"

"I'm telling you to stop the banter, it's not funny anymore. Approach this with calm, go with the flow and see how far it gets. I'm telling you exactly what I've said to Ron, last night." A grunt behind him confirmed his statement, "You've got to admit the snakes are quite a gang to have around. Theo is a nice bloke to talk to, Blaise's never boring, Pansy without her bitchy act is endurable, and Draco is surprisingly pleasant to have around. I can see myself grabbing a beer with the man."

"Hey, what about me?"

"Ron, don't be jealous," Harry rolled his eyes, "Is Cruella de Vil gone now?" His mouth curved into a smile, "Has my Hermione return or do I really need to throw you into the sea?"

She nodded, scrunching her face, "Was I that bad?"

"You have no idea, Hermione. I was honestly happy you didn't have your wand, or his balls were roasted." He caressed her hair, like old times, "If you don't give it a try, you'll always wonder if he could be the one."

Ron feigned nausea, "Oh, Merlin."

"Ronald, zip it will you? I have two words for you: Pansy Parkinson."

Hermione chuckled, "Poor Harry."

"Yes, indeed. Poor Harry... poor me!" With his arm around her shoulders, he walked them back to the group, sending a message silently to Pansy that things were back to a certain normal.

Theo got the clue and demanded the next challenge before the rage would return.

-oOo-

They ran behind Uruk up all to the opposite side of the staircase on the second floor till a specific door. The instructions were, like old-fashion, nailed to the wall.

Neville read, "Braille code. Find the code for safe by translating the braille language in the note." The hand pointed out to a list of numbers and their corresponding braille code, plus showed five minutes. "Time limit too?"

A grunting confirmation followed, and the goblin stood next to the sand clock, waiting for the go sign.

"Who goes?"

"Me and blondie, it seems easy enough to miss empty brain's capabilities." Blaise pushed Lavender before him, and the door was locked with a big bang. The girl was completely lost, she hadn't understood a word of what Neville said.

Inside Blaise found three blinded boxes, and soon enough he suspected those to be filled with nasty residents, "I'll go first." Manning up, he dropped his hand into the opening and refrained from screaming like a girl. His guess was salamanders, three if he wasn't mistaken.

One of the lizards decided to make close acquaintance with his arm, urging the man to search quickly for the note. Which stuck under the belly of one of those little buggers. Blaise pulled his arm, the disgust was written on his face. "Four dots, like a short T that fell on his right."

Draco shouted in confirmation, "Is it like one dots in the middle and three stacked on the right?"

"Yes! Lavender, take the next box." I'm not dealing with this shit by himself, he thought. He heard murmuring from the other side of the door, it must have been a zero he found.

His female companion whined, "Can't you ask it a little nicer?"

"Woman, there's a time limit, move!"

"Alright, alright… so much sand…" her hand rummaged in the bottom, "Oh, it's ticklish… haha… little paper...where are you… Blaise it tickles, and it's like crawling up my skin… Blaise, it feels like it has feet… I'm…"

She was pulling her arm away, but he forced her to keep it there, "Don't you dare, find the damn note."

"But it's crawling up my skin, this isn't sand anymore, it feels like bugs… or ants… it's ANTS, BLAISE! I'M AFRAID OF ANTS!"

"The note, woman!"

She pulled her arm so violently away that a few of the cockroaches escaped the confinements, "BLAISE!" She jumped on his back, snaking her legs around his waist. It was the haunted room all over again.

"Witch, they are more afraid of your shrill voice! Look at them fleeting!" He dropped her unceremoniously on the floor, snatching the paper off her fist, "Draco are you there?"

"Yeah, shout it out, mate."

"It's like an L but upside down…"

Theo asked, "Is the corner of the L pointing at the right?"

"Yes!"

"We've got it, it's a four!"

He looked to the last box, and at Lavender.

"I'll give you a blowjob if you do that last box!" The girl was glued to the corner of the room, pale white.

"As if I want your mouth near my nether parts. No, thank you, I have standards." There was no room for much negotiating and gathering all the courage he still possessed, he inserted his hand and withdrew it with a yell. "Fuck. Draco, mate there are snakes in there!"

Draco spoke to the seams of the door, "I know buddy, but we need you. Your witch is useless, and no code is no hint…"

Hermione came to the door, "Are the snakes large and fat-bodied or skinny?"

"Shit, Granger, I don't know…there's more than one… the box is small, I guess skinny… slimy too…"

"They can't afford a poisonous snake in those boxes, knowing its going to be mad for the intrusion."

"Granger here is right, I guess it's from those harmless sorts, like a corn snake or so…"

"Little swot, you have experience with snakes already, want to trade?"

"Blaise, are you a man or a sissy? If I did it, so can you!"

Draco remarked, "Technically speaking I rose the damn reptile, you read the written words, remember?"

"Thank you for being specific." A little squeeze from Harry refrained her from losing her wits again. The seize-fire was brittle anyway.

"Mate, grab your balls and seek the last number." The blond wizard talked his friend some courage.

"You owe me a firewhiskey after this."

"A nice tumbler of old Ogdens, I promise."

Blaise exhaled heavily and drew the last glance at a shaking witch - she shook in fear, picturing an escaping snake inside their room. The hand descended with less determination than wished. He heard a hiss from a reptile, obviously annoyed from being pushed aside, followed by a second irritated noise. After the fifth nudge, he felt the corner of the paper and snatched it in one move.

He ran towards the door, opened with a bang and shoved the note into the first pair of hands he encountered while searching for fresh air.

Theo helped to search, "It's five dots… it's the seven."

Neville inserted the code into the locker and grabbed the hint, "It says, accomplished duelist."

"What said Pansy's hint, again?" Draco wondered.

All of a sudden everyone remembered the earlier challenge, the important detail was forgotten thanks to Hermione's bickering.

Neville found the tube in his pocket, "Skilled cook."

"A skilled cook, and an accomplished duelist, are we speaking about the same person?"

"You're describing our Harry, Hermione. He can cook and knows how to duel. Ask Malfoy."

"No thank you, the last time he unleashed a snake." She turned around, almost knocking said wizard with her ponytail. "It's not Harry, because what's the link between him and the quill of acceptance or the book of admittance?"

"He was chosen to attend Hogwarts that way?" Neville added his two knuts.

"Harry, do you know a De Mimsy-Porpington?" With her hands at her waist, it was lecturing Hermione once more.

"Not sober at least." The group chuckled, "I'm not the murderer who killed himself, and I can't, in a million years, remember which thief I might have murdered during the war."

Blaise wondered, "Really really? How big is the body count then?"

"One too many, I suppose. But I didn't keep track."

"We were not playing widi games during the war, right Harry?" Ron added. He enjoyed playing a few of those war games on Harry's telly. The lack of understanding gave the ginger-head pleasure, he knew something the purebloods didn't. For once.

"Widi what exactly?" Six blank stares faced Harry, Lavender wasn't even paying attention.

"Video games, games you play on the telly. Ron is quite fond of killing a villain or two…" Harry raked through his hair, it would be quite a trouble trying to explain the concept of a video console so far away from home. "I'll show you someday."

"Do you really kill people through that telly of yours?" Theo gulped.

"And you fought for the light!" Even Pansy was disgust.

Hermione laughed, "No, it's all pretend. Mister Ron here likes to shoot his gun at will, I prefer to play adventures and collecting money with Super Mario."

"I never pegged you for a money thirsty witch," Draco retorted.

Hermione couldn't help it, "I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you…"

"Hermione, don't start again." Neville implored, "We want peace."

Uruk barked, "Lunch!"

Harry held Hermione's wrist in his hand while following the group to the dining room, "Can't you just stop? Things were relatively great again, you were cooperating."

"It's stronger than me." Everyone grunted, it was quiche again. "Oh bloody hell…"

"Who do I need to fuck to get a decent meal? We've got a ham quiche for lunch the first day, then a veggie quiche, a spinach and cream cheese quiche, yesterday was a fish quiche, which flavour is it today?" Pansy snapped.

Ron tasted, "Leek and something else…"

"Bacon." Hermione recognised one of the meat pieces. She took her plate and cutlery, "I'm eating this outside, I need some me-time."

A few showed relief, knowing it was going to be a meal without bantering. Draco refrained from comment, but his face spoke volumes.

"Potter," Pansy waited long enough until Hermione was far away, "What the hell is going on?"

"Lack of sleep."

"I also had a short night, and I'm not behaving like a bitch this morning."

"Good for us, imagine the group dealing with two bitches instead." Blaise rolled his eyes.

"Zabini, my love. If you know what's good for your health, I advise you to zip it." Pansy was not in the mood. "I thought I got through to her. Today is like our talk yesterday never happened."

"Listen, I'm not excusing her behaviour, but I think a short night, exhaustion and whatever her brain is ruminating about, is messing with her common sense. Honestly, it's giving me whiplash."

Blaise swallowed before commenting, "At least our meal is peaceful."

-oOo-

Hermione agreed with Pansy. One more quiche as she was ready to commit murder.

The sea breeze appeased her spirit. She knew she acted irrational, though she hated to hear it coming from someone else's mouth. Why she was expecting him to hurt her this much, was a mystery to her.

All their history aside, Draco gave her nowadays no reason to feel threatened. As Harry mentioned, he had protected her, telling others to save her strength for more significant challenges.

Blaise made Lavender touch the cockroaches. Draco lifted the snakes, not once asking her to do the job. It was a different man than she used to know, no snides, no more the M-word, no disdain.

Speaking of the devil, the wizard sat next to her, plate in hand, "Do you think we can have an adult conversation?"

"Malfoy."

"You were the one who made clear that it was a one-time thing. You've established that we have no chance at a possible future. Not me, you. That's why I don't get it why you're so angry," He stabbed his food around, sharing internally the overall opinion that the quiches were coming out of his ears, "You're behaving like one of those witches I have ditched after a fumble in a cupboard. Almost clawing my eyes out. What did I do?"

"I think I biting off more than I can chew."

"Explain."

"I'm expecting a sneer at every corner. Waiting for the moment when you'll snap and hurt me, just like old times."

"That boy learned some tough lessons, Hermione." He was chewing saw by the taste. On impulse the contents on the plate dove in the water, with a flick of his wrist. "Fuck this shit."

The gesture made her smile and copy the moves, "I hate quiches too..."

"Granger, I can't undo many of the things I regret. I can only move forward and ask for forgiveness, we've spoken about this before. However, moving forward will be nearly impossible if you expect me to fall into old habits." He pulled her chin towards him, "Can I promise I won't push your buttons? No. Can I vouch that I will not hurt you? No, but know it will not be intentional. I don't have it in me to cause you deliberately pain. I only ask for a real chance."

"Why?" It came out whispering, eyes downcast.

Draco forced her to stare at him, "Because not even Pansy got this deep under my skin, and I've shagged her more than once. Because I think this is only our beginning, not the end. I want to know what this could lead us to. Is it a temporary blip in our lives, until the scratch has been satisfied? Or is there more for us in store, the origin of something worth fighting for?"

"What will your parents say?"

"We deal with that hurdle when it's time." The thumb was rubbing in hypnotic circles. Unaware, she leaned into his hand, closing her eyes before they gave too much away. In return, his forehead touched hers, shutting his own eyelids, "Can you give me the benefit of the doubt? Please?" A fleeting touch of lips, hesitant. A second, longer than the first, questioning. The third was answered by departing lips, conceding entrance. Uncertain.

Either way, he took whatever she gave. Savouring her taste on his tongue, hand cradling her cheek, consuming her little moans. It was a fragile truce. One which gave him hope.

They broke apart with a last short peck, "Do I have the swot back or is it still bitchy Granger in there?"

"You to wonder, me to know." A corner of her mouth rose, cheekily.

Draco took her plate, rose to his feet and offered her a hand, pulling her up swiftly, "Call me a moron once more, and I'll feed you to the sharks myself."

"Is that a challenge?"

The threatening look had something of mocking "You should know better than to defy me."

"Wait, let me show you my face of fear," She wished she could make one of those shiny stars appear on her teeth, like a true Colgate commercial.

Scrutinising her, he swatted her bum, "Let's join the group before they think you murdered me."

"It feels nice to know you consider me your superior." The little chin jerk was the cherry on the pie, hopping away in a true Luna display. Missing totally the heated look he gave her, promising nothing suitable for children's eyes if Pansy read it right from where she was hiding.

She had been eavesdropping, failing at understanding their conversation. However, the body language and the tone of voice indicated nothing which alarmed her. If nothing, it was as if the two had been able to find consensus. When they kissed, she honestly felt an intruder during that intimate moment.

One more day to help cement the start of something beautiful. She would demand the role of godmother of their firstborn, in return. Hell, to the one screwing this up. She would skin the wizard alive, with bare hands.

-oOo-

Everyone felt relief, but no one said a word. Afraid to unleash the return of evil-Hermione. Instead, they all acted as if nothing happened, like it was previously agreed. Blaise kept a close eye on the blond Barbie, in case Lavender would have a smart epiphany.

Following the barked orders of Uruk, they headed to the opposite side of the fort, using an exit they didn't know yet. "Wall climb, hint on top."

Theo jumped on the occasion, "I always wanted to do this at Hogwarts!"

The others allowed him his little pleasure.

Neville was roped in as the grounding partner, the one who would keep the rope tight while the other climbed with the help of the stone grips. It wasn't strange to anyone that these two wizards had become an oiled machine. Neville tugged at the rope in time, Theo displayed quite an agility that made Ron slightly jealous.

"Each their own talents, Ronald." Hermione read him like an open book. "Relax."

He shrugged, hoping for a decent task for him and Tracey. The witch didn't take her eyes of Neville, the flexing biceps demanded her whole attention by the look of it.

"Trace, you're too obvious sister."

"He's so cute and good looking..."

"Oh boy, someone is obviously in love." The Slytherin reacted as if she was bitten by an insect, but Pansy smirked, "You could have done worse, don't worry."

A shared gasp rose, Theo lost almost the grip, three quarters up the wall. Neville tensed to keep his rope taut, jaw clenched. The Slytherin bangled in the air, one hand holding for dear, feet seeking purchase. The first attempt missed, the second alas also a failure, the girls pressing the fingers against their lips in horror. The men looked for a hidden path to help the mate in need. But the third try caught a grip.

The grunts from above to pull his body into safety could be heard downstairs. Theo closed his eyes for two seconds, sweat dripping down his face. It had been a close call, even if Neville had been able to block his fall. Grabbing his courage, he stretched the arm to the next grip and resumed his earlier pace. He guessed four or five more before reaching the top.

Neville barely dared to breathe decently, his body ready to deal with a new close call.

Blaise approached him slowly, "Is there any way I can help?" By the looks, it was not possible, but he admired the endurance of the Gryffindor, recognising a man you could build upon.

"No, this is a one-man game, unfortunately. Thank you, mate." Neville barely looked to the tanned wizard. He exhaled loudly when Theo reached the top. The dark-haired Slytherin swayed with the tube over the edge, relieved smile around his lips.

"I must have aged ten years in ten seconds," Hermione spoke aloud, "Holy shit." Anxious to find out about the new hint, they ran to the atrium and waited for the arrival of their friend. The wizard man-hugged his partner, patting heavily on his back, "Thank you, mate!"

"Well, we're a team right?" Neville still felt embarrassed at open appraisal.

Theo read the hint, "Notable for intelligence."

"Hermione Granger!" Blaise shouted.

The witch smiled wide.

-oOo-

The group didn't get much breathing room, chasing the grunting Uruk towards the opposite side, arriving shortly after at the well-known pontoon. The goblin pointed out to a platform floating at a distance, "Two pull rope. Hint at the end."

Pansy saluted behind Draco's back, "Yes, chief!"

The blond look at his Gryffindor partner, "Up to it?"

Tracey intervened, "Do you mind if it's Ron and me, Draco?"

Hermione shook her head before the wizard could answer, "Be my guest, we'll take the next one."

Using the small boat at their left side, Ron rowed to the platform and helped Tracey onto it like a true gentleman. In return, he used her offered arm as a balance to find grounding on the moving platform.

Pansy nodded appreciatively from where she stood. Hermione leaned closer and spoke softly, "Give him some time, he can be a nice bloke from time to time."

The Slytherin sighed, "There is work to be done."

"Since when have you walked away from a challenge?" The witches traded looks.

"Since when do you know me so well?" Pansy gave her a sneer covered with good mood. She had already decided to accept this witch as her friend. Their beliefs might have been the opposite before the war, but the woman in front of her was cut from the same wood. Fiercely loyal to those she loved. Something Pansy appreciated tremendously, and if this fortress had taught her anything these past few days, it was that she liked the spirit of the brunette.

Once more the wish burnt heavily in her heart, that her best friend could build a future with this curly-haired. He wouldn't find a suitable wife elsewhere.

"Bah," Hermione shrugged, "I have my moments."

"You'll have less work on your wizard."

"Smart arse."

"Wrong darling. It's a sexy arse." Pansy winked. The entire time she kept a look at the wizard on the platform, pulling hard on the long and heavily weighted ropes. Neville's strained muscles had been more pronounced, Ron's were also visible but underneath a fluffy layer. She had work to do indeed, his manners and the amount of food he devoured. Am I seriously considering the rat as a partner? Her mind didn't answer. Her heart did, and she surrendered. It was hopeless anyway.

-oOo-

Tracey tried to pull and aid Ron as much as she could, but her assistance barely made a dent. Those ropes weighed a ton, the water made them extra slippery, it was a miracle that Ron could hold stand.

In the distance, the tube sparkled in the water. Following a hunch, she dove after it, ignoring the yell from her partner, about how irrational her move was. It was deeper than first thought, in the back of her head she was grateful that Ron didn't release his grip on the rope.

Tracey came up for new air, dove deeper and grasped the tube with outstretched arms, appearing once more above water, smiling triumphantly. Ron reached out a hand and pulled her effortlessly on the platform, hugging the witch tight, "You're crazy!"

"Well, it was a moment's thought." She wove her trophy to the pontoon, watching the applause on the other side. For once, she didn't feel like the grey mouse people tended to ignore. It was great to be deservedly the centre of attention.

-oOo-

Ron read aloud, "Notorious parseltongue."

"Voldemort!" The purebloods shied away from the name, as soon as Neville suggested it.

"Potter!" Blaise added.

Hermione remarked, "Slytherin."

Pansy interjected, "Can you stop with the false accusations. None of us speaks snake tongue."

"Before you start summoning your inner bitch, I wasn't talking about you. I mean Salazar Slytherin, your House's founding father, remember?" Hermione showed her palms, to appease the temperament.

"My inner bitch doesn't play nice." The playful disdain was perfectly delivered.

Their train of thoughts was disturbed rudely by Uruk, "Stop talking. Come!"

Hermione wrung her hands as if she was strangling the goblin. Pansy broke in a peal of laughter, "I'll help you."

-oOo-

They didn't need to run far, as the last test was at the atrium. A metal buggy waited for them, at the entrance of the tiger section. Uruk pushed over the sheet with instructions into Lavenders hands. She squeaked, "Ah! I get to read one of these!"

Draco rolled his eyes, eager to snatch it and stop wasting time. He bet they had to drive that thing inside the massive tiger cage, and find whatever it was to have the hint. The gaze he stole from Hermione confirmed her assessment.

"Contestants have to p...e...d...a...l, what is that, pedal?" Reading wasn't Lavender's forte either, was the general consensus.

Hermione's patience was running out, "Read further, don't waste your brain cells on this." The blond Gryffindor rolled her eyes dramatically. Hermione mumbled, "If you keep rolling enough, you might find your brain…somewhere." Pansy hid her snort behind her hand, Blaise laughed abashedly.

The mentioned witch remained oblivious as the centre of the mockings, "Alright, so you pedal around the treasure room and collect the two keys needed to open the small box. Oh, I get it! Hermione, you must retrieve the keys to open the box, there I see it!" It was like a toddler pointing out to a chest of gold. "I hope your fingers don't get bitten off!"

Harry answered before the brunette could launch a new vicious comeback, "She has experience with Crookshanks, don't worry. Malfoy, you're the pilot."

"Another smart remark, Potter?" Harry gave a half shrug. Draco admired the buggy, it was a two-seater behind each other, the front passenger obviously the pilot with a steering wheel. The pedals - a word he learned from blondie, not that he would admit it - looked an unknown mechanism, "Potter, do you recognise this from your Muggle world?"

"Yes, you pedal with your feet." Harry demonstrated with his hands, "The wheel is to steer, but I guess that's obvious."

"I got that bit myself." Draco looked at Hermione, "Up for a stroll between those unfriendly looking cats?"

"I prefer them over the snakes." Draco took place in the front, Hermione using his shoulders as support to lift her leg over the bar. Her legs snugged around his thighs, as she sat down, and she could feel his elbows digging in her flesh when he let his arms rest on the sides. One would dare to say it was slightly distracting. "I'm ready, Draco."

Draco decided to wheel himself a path between his friends, to get the hang of the buggy before daring to enter the cage. The shrieks and swears that followed a few run over toes were his satisfying bonus.

"Draco, stop," She whispered, leaning close to him was easy, "They need their toes one more day."

The hairs on his neck stood upright, her voice so close to his ear, shot arrows straight to his groin. He cleared his throat, "Right."

"Don't do it with the tigers either, please. One of those paws and our buggy topples." She was utterly unaware of her actions, speaking again in his ear while holding him by the shoulders.

"Got it." He was, however, repeating inside his head focus, focus, focus. Blowing out his cheeks, he headed to the entrance, waited for Uruk to open the hatch and pedalled into the area, feeling four pairs of feline eyes on him.

Between the hissing cobra's and growling overgrown cats, he didn't know what to choose. By the way Hermione was squeezing his shoulder, neither did she.

"Where's the fucking key?" His words were barely cold, or the sun fell on a golden shiny item on the floor. Next to an orange furry paw. "Aren't we lucky, Granger?"

"Search for the second, he might move away in between."

Blaise shouted from his safe place, "Offer the cat a nice pale arm to chew on! He might accept."

Lavender responded, "They eat meat!"

Draco gritted, "It's a pity I can't feed her…"

"I suspect not even they would want her."

"Meat is meat. If they start with her head..." Hermione sniggered in his neck after his quick reply. A new shiver down his spine. Draco toured around, in search of the second key. It took two circles around the area to find it.

He closed in, and Hermione stretched her arm between the metal bars. To withdraw it within the same second as a growling tiger jumped on the rock next to the buggy, "Ah, fuck! Run!" She hit his shoulder to make him drive away.

"Better not, wait until he's calmed down." His heart was his throat, and they waited for a few counts, "Try again, Hermione."

Slower than slow-motion, she stretched out the arm, not withdrawing her gaze from the big tiger. Two fingers sauntered towards the golden key, reached it and pulled it gently to her, the scrapping over the rocky ground hearable. Seconds felt like hours, but in the end, she grasped it in her fist, and held her arm close to her chest, "I've got it."

At a lazy pace, Draco wheeled them away from the offended animal who now licked his paw with long strokes. He exhaled deeply just like Hermione once out of the danger zone, "Salazar's saggy left nut. That was close."

"Wow, your curse is quite graphical."

"Sorry, not sorry." He headed back to the location of the first key, still dangerously close to the paw, but the animal didn't move. Nor did he open an eye.

"Draco, can you come closer?"

"Wait a sec." He did a new turn, inching the closest he could.

From outside the cage, you could hear a pin drop. Faces between the thick bars, following every move with held breaths.

Hermione pursed her lips and repeated her earlier moves, excruciatingly slow, it was almost one move per second. She brought her whole upper body against the iron frame of the buggy. Her fingers brushed the metal.

Pressing herself almost through the bars, she retried and pulled the key to her loudly. The big cat opened an eye lazily and forced Hermione to freeze all movements. Draco held his breath too, afraid of drawing the attention to them. By the looks, it wasn't exciting enough, and the tiger closed his eye again.

This time, Hermione's fingers closed around the key, and she pulled back. To scream her lungs out, watching a paw almost graze its claws on her hand. It was one of her closest calls, "Take me out of here."

Draco didn't need to be told twice and drove the buggy at an insane pace, launching inadvertent an ambush of chasing tigers. Gnarluk was weaponed with an electrified trident, and Uruk waited for the right moment to open the hatch and let Draco through, closing it with a bang a second later.

The wizard let his head fall on the wheel while Hermione still held the key close to her chest, pale as a ghost. None of them made a movement to exit the buggy.

"Can I ride the buggy next time?" Lavender applauded, beaming of excitement. "That was so cool."

Draco seethed, "Can I kill her?"

"Take a number, line forms after me," Hermione gaze went from frightened to murderous in zero point seconds.

Harry gestured after the keys, and had to pry them off her fingers, "Hermione, the hint might burn." The resistance died.

The locker was open in no time, the tube free.

"Give it to me, Harry." Hermione extended her hand and closed her fingers around the tube. She uncorked it, read it once, showed it to Draco who smiled widely.

The suspicion solidified into a certainty.

She knew what they were searching for.