CHAPTER 7

24 December 1998 – The Enchanted Forest

They had followed the leprechaun through the forest, somewhat hesitantly but like Hermione had said, they really had no choice.

Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle had led them through possible the most impossible path in the entire forest. They had tripped and ripped through their cloaks more times than they cared to count. Though unsurprisingly, the leprechaun seemed unfazed by the challenging path.

He was a chatty fellow, Draco noted with annoyance. What he spoke about Draco could never be sure. It sounded all the same and foreign all at once. It was obvious that Hermione was tired of the leprechaun and as they approached the end of the second day with him, she too was beginning to doubt her decision, but she said nothing.

The forest had merged as one now and everything looked the same to Draco. So much so that Draco had been convinced they were just going in circles. Hermione had been hesitant to believe that but now as they approached nothing on their second night, she was inclined to believe him.

"Mr. Hornswaggle," she called, "How much further?"

"Oh its' just beyond those trees there dear." He informed her.

"He said that about the last bunch of trees," Draco muttered.

Hermione merely groaned in response, but picked up her pace and joined the leprechaun.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"This is me forest. I know where everything is." He told her sternly. Hermione flushed. "We'll get there when we're meant too and not a moment too sooner."

"What the hell does that mean?" Draco asked from behind her.

"Patience Mr. Malfoy!" Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle called as he kept on walking.

They kept walking deeper into the forest. So focused on their footsteps, the pair failed to notice the growing mist moving towards them or that Hornswaggle seemed to be moving further and further away.

"You smell that?" Draco asked looking up and noticing with some alarm the growing fog.

"What is that?" Hermione asked as she too noticed it. They looked around in amazement as the fog tumbled towards them, wrapping itself around the trees and gliding over the floor.

"I…"Draco started but stopped quickly, "Where's the leprechaun?" he asked hastily.

Looking around, Hermione noticed with an awful twist in her stomach that, Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle was indeed missing.

"Dammit!" she swore as they moved forward through the thickening fog. "He was just here!"

"Well he's not here now." Draco said grabbing her elbow as she tripped over a concealed root. "I told you trusting the leprechaun was a bad idea!"

"I never said I trusted him Draco!" she told him. "Only that it would be easier if he helped us."

"Oh he's doing a splendid job of helping us." Draco said sarcastically.

"Come on this way," Hermione said pulling him through the fog and between trees.

They walked and walked until the fog followed them no more, and still they saw no signs of the leprechaun.

Draco walked slightly ahead of Hermione scouting for the leprechaun and any other dangers that might be lurking. Soon enough the earth eased up on them as their path became a little easier to trek. But their relief was short lived as Draco was brought to a shuddering halt upon seeing the obstacle that lay before him.

Hermione came to stand beside him, and as she saw what he saw all the colour drained from her face.

"It's … it's a rope bridge." She muttered disbelievingly.

"Well there yeh are!" A voice called from behind them, causing them to jump slightly. "What have I said about wandering in me forest alone?" Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle scolded.

"You left us!" Hermione retorted. "We had no choice!"

"Are yeh sure yeh didn't wander off?" he asked looking at them closely. "Blondie here seemed very interested in doing this alone."

Hermione had to suppress her laughter at the fact that the leprechaun was calling Draco Malfoy of all people names. But before Draco could respond he was talking again.

"Oh I see yeh found it then!" he said looking across the rope bridge.

"Found what?" Hermione asked.

"Why the Cave of Tears off course!" Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle said.

"Where?" Hermioned asked though part of her knew the dreaded answer. Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle merely gave her a look that told her she shouldn't be asking such questions.

Draco grasped her shoulders gently and turned her around so she was looking across the rope bridge once more. True enough on the other side, she could make out the entrance to what could only be a cave.

"And there's no other way to it?" she asked looking over her shoulder.

"Yeh choose this path when yeh wandered off on yeh own!" Hornswaggle told her shaking his shillelagh at her.

"We didn't wander off! You left us!" she argued.

"I would do no such thing!" the leprechaun defended.

"Granger don't go picking fights with a leprechaun." Draco cut in. "Come on, it's a short distance across."

"No! No its not!" Hermione said stubbornly.

"Okay fine, it's not that short," Draco conceded. "But you didn't come all this way to be beaten by a bridge now did you Granger?" he asked.

Hermione scowled at him. "No." she answered. "I know what you're doing and it's not going to work."

"I have no idea what you mean." He said before turning back to the bridge. "Let's get this over with then." Draco said before stepping forward onto the wooden plank.

"Draco no!" Hermione yelled pulling his arm back. "You have no idea how strong that bridge is!"

"We need what's in that cave. Now either you're coming or you're staying." He told her before turning back and taking a careful step onto the bridge.

Hermione held her breath as she watched him move along the shaky bridge. He had taken a few more careful steps before Hermione joined him, being extra careful not to look over the sides, but focused rather on Draco's blonde hair. She took big calming breathes as she walked further along the bridge. Just when she got the hang of it, the bridge shook very unexpectedly. Hermione cried out in fear and shock. Her hands tightened on the ropes on either side of her.

She closed her eyes as the bridge kept swinging. Vaguely she could hear Draco swearing and when she opened her eyes for a peak, she saw Mr. Morrigan Hornswaggle, dancing along the rope with effortless ease. He walked the top of the rope bridge as if it was a tight rope, and he was the brilliant artist walking ever so skilfully across it.

Hermione mistakenly looked over the edge and saw the drop from the bridge. Quickly she shut her eyes once more, not interested in seeing if the leprechaun fell to its death… or hers for that matter.

"Granger come on you need to keep moving!" Draco urged.

"No," she said stubbornly. "I can't."

"Yes you can." He insisted. But when she didn't move he tried a different method. "Look the longer you stay still the longer you're going to be stuck on this bloody bridge. Come on Granger!"

The bridge swung once more and Hermione felt her stomach drop. "I can't!" she cried. "I… I can't!"

"Hermione," Draco said hoping that by using her first name it would jar her senses back. "Hermione you can!"

"No Draco!" she cried, "I told you… I don't like heights… I can't…"

It was then that Draco realised when Hermione said she couldn't, she literally meant it. Because the rickety bridge was swinging back and forth, because it was a long drop down and because Hermione was afraid of heights. So when she said she couldn't, she meant she literally couldn't move from the fear of falling over the side.

"Okay…" he said trying to calm her. "Here," he said taking her hands in his. She seemed very reluctant to let go of the rope. He moved ever so slightly on the bridge so that Hermione now stood in front of him. His hands held tightly onto hers and he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Draco! I can't!" she objected.

"Yes you can! I'm right here. Look it's very easy, just put one foot in front of the other Hermione," he instructed. "It's that simple. Okay when you're ready." He told her.

Hermione nodded and allowed herself some time to calm down. As her breathing slowed and she opened her eyes again, she noticed how close Draco was holding her and how tight he held her. She left her fear dissipate the more she allowed him to hold her. It was only when she looked to her side and saw the very long fall that she felt her fear rising again.

"No no don't look down," Draco said softly turning her cheek away from the terrifying view.

"Okay," she said softly. "Let's go."

"Alright," he said and then began to move his arms from around her.

"What are you doing?" she sked holding onto his arms tighter. "You can't let go…not now…"

Draco looked down at her and saw the fright clear as day etched into her face. He didn't have the heart to pull away, even if he could, he wouldn't. He was starting to realise there was a lot, that no matter what it was that Hermione Granger asked of him, he wouldn't be able to tell her no.

"I won't," he promised her. "Together then."

She nodded and hesitantly they took their first step across the rickety bridge. One foot in front of the other, Hermione kept repeating to herself. She dared not look over the bridge again; instead, she focused on Draco behind her, and the entrance to the cave ahead of her. At last the final steps brought her to the end of the bridge. Draco guided her off the bridge but they didn't separate immediately.

"Thank you," she said barely above a whisper.

"You're welcome," Draco whispered back, his mouth hovering over her ear.

"You…uh you can let go now," Hermione told him.

"Do you want me too?" he dared to ask instead.

"Would it be so terrible if I said no?" Hermione asked turning her face slightly to look at him.

Draco looked at her in surprise but before he said anything he held her a little closer to him. "It might be," he told her truthfully because he had to talk himself out of this. He could not... under any circumstances be falling in love with Hermione Granger.

Hermione sighed and leaned her head against Draco's chest. The sun had long since set and now only the moon offered some light.

"Well don't yeh look cosy!" a voice interrupted from behind Draco.

"Bloody leprechaun," Draco swore as Hermione removed herself from his arms.

"Come on we have a task to complete," she said looking at him. "After you Mr. Hornswaggle," she said looking at the leprechaun.

Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before following Hermione and the leprechaun into the cave.

The Cave of Tears, Draco read the sign at the entrance. Merlin this didn't sound good at all, he thought before falling into the darkness of the cave.