Chapter 8: A Rocky Start
The trek was quiet. When they reached the riverbank at the foot of the mountain, Draco scurried close to Harry. Unsure of their surroundings, his formal rival sought him for protection. The gesture stirred a strong sense of purpose within Harry – one not driven by anger for once in years.
Several hours after midday with his mind occupied as he reviewed possible outcomes and tactics Lestrange might use, Harry failed to notice the silence; or Draco struggling to keep up. The sound of a heavy object crashing into the snow broke Harry from his thoughts and he slew around to find Draco on one knee, picking himself up with heavy limbs.
Harry ran to him. Draco dusted his knee before giving Harry a confused frown, and said, "I don't know what happened. My knee just gave in."
"You're tired," Harry answered with a sheepish grimace, feeling a little guilty. He tended to forget civilians other than athletes tended to have much less stamina. "Let's take a break."
Searching about them, he spotted a fallen log near the riverbank. With a gentle hold on Draco's arm, he guided him towards it where they sat. The river was frozen; a wide stretch of undisturbed ice. Across it, the snow-covered spruce trees and naked larch branches swayed in the breeze under a graying sky. Harry would have appreciated the beauty of the white landscape had he not been freezing his balls off and starving.
Harry looked his charge over. Beneath the fur-lined white hood, Draco's nose and cheeks were bright red, his lips blue, and his gray eyes glazed with thirst, hunger, and exhaustion. The effect of the spring water had clearly worn off by now. Yet, they could not stay put. It would mean their deaths.
"We need to find food. Or we might not make it through the night. We haven't found a single piece of dry wood." Harry smacked his numbed lips.
"Must be all buried in the snow," Draco mumbled, teeth chattering. He burrowed his face further into his coat. "Damn this wind."
"It's a breeze."
"Feels like a bloody gale. Where the hell did the sun go?"
Harry hesitated a moment as he watched Draco shiver, but only for a moment. He wrapped an arm around the other man and drew him close. Much to his surprise, instead of resisting, Draco leaned in pliantly. Harry felt his heart skip a beat – the first thing that made him feel alive in a long time.
Nevertheless, he refused to distract himself by delving too deep into it. His focus was on getting them to safety. Being in a life or death situation could often confuse the brain into thinking the body was sexually excited. The nervous system functioned similarly in both types of cases.
He gave Draco several more minutes before he helped him up, and when they continued their trek, Harry retained his arm around Draco's shoulders to help keep him upright. He could feel the man's legs step heavily. At first, Harry thought that any minute Draco would snap at him that he wasn't an invalid. But he never did.
The forest grew thicker as they went on. The tree trunks they passed were massive, the spruces towered above them like skyscrapers. After a few hours, however, Harry had not found anything to shield them from the wind or predators.
"We should dig two holes in the snow to lie in. It will keep us warm enough to survive the night." Harry looked up. Now the sky was so thickly blanketed by gray clouds it was hard to tell where the sun was but it was surly close to evening.
Draco groaned weakly. Suddenly, the ground trembled and the spruce branches high above them were so rattled that the snow on them came crashing down around them. Harry pushed Draco against one of the tree trunks and covered him with his own body as he drew the gun from his hip. He scanned the line of trees.
The shaking ground had rhythm. A beat. And with it came a loud, fearsome growl, followed by the deep bellow of a large beast. From behind a group of birch trees, about a dozen meters away, immerged a mountain troll riding a massive, gray-skinned graphorn with its beady eyes and tentacled mouth moving restlessly in agitation. The troll gripped the enormous, bull-like beast by the horns to steer it and it bellowed angrily in answer, as it stomped on the ground before galloping away.
Harry and Draco looked at each other in horror and Harry moved them further behind the trunk from the troll's viewpoint. He waited until the earth-shaking footsteps faded away, before he said, "We've no choice but to go on." He stepped back when Draco grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait! Potter...this is going to sound insane, but..." Draco hesitated, biting his lip and looking deeply unsure of himself. Harry did not like that one bit.
"Spit it out already or get a move on!"
Draco looked up sharply, and with a shaky sigh, said, "We need a wand if we're to survive, right?"
Harry looked at him exptantly to which Draco rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Troll whiskers can be used as wand cores. Inferior quality but can't be worse than kneazle's hair."
Goggling, Harry cried, "Are you mad!?"
Draco shook his head in wonderment himself.
"No, it's too risky. We're unarmed, weak and tired, and it's nearing nightfall. We don't stand a chance."
"Then what? Freeze to death or get murdered by Lestrange. Death is everywhere if you hadn't noticed, Potter!"
Harry stepped up close to Draco, noting that they were the same height but Draco suddenly shrunk making Harry feel taller. With a firm, deep tone, he reasoned, "And how do you propose we get that whisker without getting battered to death?"
"You're the Auror. Come up with a plan."
Harry laughed dryly at the gall of the man, but Draco stared back with serious determination. Harry sighed and looked away. After a few minutes of deliberating the risks, he gave in. "Fine. We'll follow their tracks and sneak into their lair after nightfall. We'll wait for them to fall asleep. But, if there is anything about the situation I deem too dangerous, we're aborting the mission. And you better do as I say, word for word."
Draco nodded.
"I mean it, Draco."
The other man shot him a wry look. "I'm not going to disobey you when I don't even know what I'm doing. I have no intention of getting killed."
So accustomed to working with impetuous Griffyndors in most of his past adventures, he gawked at Draco and said, "I find your Slytherin pragmatism rather refreshing in this situation. Even though I still think you're bonkers."
Draco smirked at him, and even under the shade of the hood with his lips nearly frozen he looked so much like the old Malfoy then, that Harry had to look away.
"Come on then. Stay behind me and don't make a sound."
As Harry tracked the graphorn's shin-deep footprints on the snow, Draco followed him step by step as quietly as a mouse. Harry kept vigilant for any signs of life, gun in hand. The footprints led them across a small clearing surrounded by bald birches and towards a high hill covered in snow-laden rocks. The tracks finally disappeared into a large cavern entrance on the bottom of house-sized rock crowning the hilltop.
Harry took a peek down the entrance. The rocky slope had been flattened by the beasts that dwelled within. The cave chamber inside was empty of life, with patches of dead moss scattering the ground and frozen stalactites gleaming silver from the light of the gray dusk that beamed in from several openings.
"Okay, now we wait 'till dark," Harry told Draco. "Hopefully they'll be asleep by the time we get to them."
When he received no response, he looked over at his charge and found him staring at the cavern mouth with fear-ridden eyes. Draco had never been the brave sort. It had come as a surprise that he had even suggested the dangerous excursion.
"Draco, we can turn back now if you want."
At that, Draco pulled a look of determination, lips pursed tightly. "I'm fine. Let's do this."
"Are you sure?"
Draco seemed to hesitate before he answered, "I'd rather get clubbed to death by a troll than be captured by Lestrange. We need a wand."
"There might be other magical creatures around," reasoned Harry.
"Maybe, maybe not. This is supposed to be Muggle territory. These two must have escaped the magical border somehow."
Harry nodded. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Just stay close to me."
Draco gave a small little huff of a chuckle. "If you hadn't noticed, Potter, I've been sticking to you like glue since this wretched morning."
They waited behind a boulder near the entrance until dark. The hill was sparse with brush and brightly illuminated by a full moon. A couple of hours after the moon rose, Harry grabbed Draco by the hand and pulled him gently to the mouth of the cavern.
"Ready?"
With a sigh, Draco nodded.
"Give me your lighter."
Draco dug into his pocket and promptly handed it to Harry.
"Watch where you step. Keep as silent as possible." He knew it'd vex Malfoy but he repeated, "Stay close." Civilians didn't tend to know that repeating actions out loud, even obvious ones, kept one alive in these situations. Logic and reason were the first to go when fear and panic rose, so drilling what needed to be done by repeating it over and over helped them more than they realized.
Harry clambered down the rocky slope first. The moonlight was bright enough for him to see until he got to flat ground. Draco followed soon after. Harry lit the lighter and studied his surroundings.
Further down there was a pitch-black passage which they took, each step a careful one. Draco only stepped where Harry did. The passage descended slightly and grew wider the further they went. They trod slowly and with great care not to stir the ground. The slightest sound could echo through the tunnel.
The tunnel split into two ways eventually and Harry noticed one inclined upward. It was too narrow for a troll to fit. He took that route.
"I doubt the troll went this way," Draco whispered.
"It's fine. Trust me."
Eventually, the sloping ground became so steep that Harry had to let go of Draco's hand so they could crawl up on their hands and feet. At the top, the tunnel widened considerably and became more level. Several meters in, they reached a sort of balcony that overlooked an enormous cavern chamber. Soft firelight bounced off the giant stalagmites bordering the ledge. The ceiling was so high above is was obscured in darkness. They could here guttural snores and grunts come from below.
Snapping the lighter shut, Harry motioned Draco to stay where he was, behind the walls of the tunnel, and handed him the gun. When Draco frowned at him questioningly, Harry gave him a look that said, "Just do as I say."
If anything happened to him, Draco would stand a better chance with the weapon.
Despite the disagreement in his eyes, Draco nodded and mouthed, "Be careful."
It was delightfully reassuring how Draco followed his instructions perfectly. Considering their history he thought it would have been harder, but Harry was starting to understand that his former rival was the sort that needed rules and structure to function properly. His polar opposite.
Harry lay prone and crawled across the ground. He reached the ledge and peered over it. About thirty feet below him, the troll slept near a large fire coming from thick boughs it probably snapped from the trees. The graphorn was tethered by a thick, iron chain that had been wrapped around a boulder twice its size. Both seemed fast asleep.
Now for the tricky part, Harry thought.
The ledge he was on ramped down into the chamber floor. Better than clambering down and causing noise. He walked slowly down the narrow slope which curved around the wall of the cave chamber. When he reached the bottom, he looked up to see the top of Draco's hooded head peeking through a pair of stalagmites. Harry motioned him to lower himself and he did so.
He sighed and prayed he did not die. After everything, it would be a sorry way to go. He could not afford to die even if he wanted to. Someone depended on him to protect him. And he refused to let Lestrange outlive them both.
Treading carefully, he approached the troll, which lay on its side. Its club had been dropped beside it at arm's reach. Heart racing, he drew close to its face. A long, white whisker jutted from its nose and fluttered in the troll's rank breath. Slowly, he took out his pocket knife and cut it with his pocket knife. He hoped it would be enough because he dared not bring the knife any closer to the troll's face.
He dared not even breath as he turned away, putting the whisker in his coat pocket. But just as he stepped away, he felt something like bones crushed beneath his foot. When he looked down he saw the carcass of a half-eaten rabbit. He gritted his teeth and cursed his stupidity.
Behind him a deep growl made him turn his head to look over his shoulder. The graphorn was awake, its tentacled mouth curled and tensed into its own version of a snarl. "Fuck," he whispered.
Beside him the troll stirred. Harry threw caution to the wind and ran for his life towards the slope. He heard Draco cry for him and the pounding footsteps of the troll, followed by a rattling of chains. Seconds later he didn't need to turn around to know from the sound of it that there was a massive four-legged beast charging at him.
He didn't think he was going to make it, but just then a thundering clap echoed throughout the chamber, nearly deafening his ears. On the ledge above, Draco's dim figure stood holding the gun. The cavern reverberated beneath the echoes and the next second, an icicle crashed down next to Harry. The stalactites above rumbled dangerously, stirring up the dust, and he could hear several of them start cracking.
"Harry, run!"
He did. It was difficult while looking up at the dark abyss dropping giant projectiles he needed to dodge. The creatures behind him were still on the chase. One of the stalactites smashed in front of him, nearly killing him. Instead, he tripped, the dust hitting his face hard. He cried out as he rolled to the ground.
He rubbed his eyes clear of dirt only to see the graphorn pounce. Harry thought that was surely the end of him. His fortune had not dwindled over the years, however, as just as the beast brought its paw up to crush him with it, a large stalactite shot straight down into the creature, spearing it from the back. It fell to its side with a pained groan, its head momentarily suspended before it dropped limply on the ground.
The troll, however, had been right behind it, wielding its club and snarling and bellowing stupidly, making the unstable cavern echo even more. Harry scrambled to his feet and ran. Much to his dismay, Draco had not escaped yet, as Harry thought he would, but waited for Harry at the mouth of the tunnel.
"Go!" Harry cried to him.
But Draco didn't move. He seemed petrified, even as he raised his arms to aim the gun again. Harry felt the air rush behind him as the troll raised the club to strike him and he prayed Draco was a good shot. Just then, a strange look passed over Draco's features as if he saw something other than the troll, causing him to hesitate.
The troll smashed into the cavern wall as if an invisible force had hit it. Harry didn't linger to find out what it was. He grabbed Draco by the arm and rushed him down the tunnel. The troll had gotten its bearing and continued the chase, its footsteps thundering behind them.
At the incline, Harry pulled Draco to him and slid down, rolling to a stop at the bottom in a tangle of limbs. Draco coughed up dust under him. With a groan, Harry pushed up off Draco and checked him over.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
An explosion of rocks and dirt came from the narrow tunnel, prompting Harry to clamber hurriedly to his feet and pull Draco up. When they looked at the tunnel opening they saw what had caused it. Trolls were notoriously stupid, and this one had tried to slide down after them, resulting in it getting stuck. They could see its legs pressed together some ways up the tunnel, flailing futilely.
They were not out of danger yet, however. As the troll screamed and raged, its echoes reverberated through the tunnels. The ceiling above rumbled, the ice and rocks cracked.
"We need to go," Harry cried and pulled Draco after him. They were nearly at the entry chamber when the ground beneath them opened up and they fell through. Their cries intermingled as they were swallowed into pitch-black darkness and crashed unto a wet, soggy surface that bent downward. As they slid further down the muddy slope, Harry grappled blindly to find a hold of Draco, fearing they would get separated.
Soon enough he reached flat ground and rolled harshly to a stop. He heard Draco somewhere nearby thump heavily to a stop and cry out. With a groan, Harry pushed up to his elbows, checking to see if anything was broken. When he determined he was fine, he got up and dug for the lighter, raising it above his head.
To his right, the slope from which they had slid down was wet, water trickling down in some places. To his left, there was a pool of black water. He could see nothing else.
"Draco?"
"Yeah," his charge answered, moaning.
Harry hurried towards his side. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Bruised shoulder, I think, but nothing out of place."
Harry sighed in relief and helped the other man to his feet, before taking stock of his surroundings. They were on a narrow, enclosed rock that declined into what seemed like a small lake. Harry could not see anything beyond the small firelight. He groaned in dismay.
"That doesn't sound good," whispered Draco fearfully.
That made Harry's heart ache, realizing how much trust Draco put in him. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint him; crazy as that would have seemed a few days ago. But the truth of the matter was, Harry did not know what to do. They were trapped.
"Can't we swim across?" Draco asked hopefully.
"It's pitch black. We'll just drown. We don't know how far it goes or how deep it is, or even if there is anything other than a dead-end across. We'd die of hypothermia before we leave here. Damn it!" Harry rubbed his hand across his face. He looked over at Draco, who was pulling the hood over his head dejectedly; his white coat now caked in mud.
Draco went over to the wall at the end of the ledge and sat against it. "I don't suppose you could try to levitate us wandlessly?"
Harry tried. But the spell required more power and accuracy than he had on his own. He walked over to Draco who was muttering to himself and sat beside him. He peered at Draco's hooded face in the dim firelight.
The man shrugged. "I had to try. I apparated us without a wand before, I figured a small warming charm would be easy enough. I guess I was wrong." Draco shook his head. " Too bad I didn't apparate us to the village. Of course, a bloody cave in the middle of nowhere was my refuge." After a pause, he added, "To be fair, the Muggles in the village don't make it easy to acclimate. They're terribly suspicious and judgmental."
Harry huddled closer to the violently shivering man and wrapped his arm around him. Draco did the same, tucking his nose into Harry's neck. It wasn't as cold as it would have been outside, but it was still freezing.
He had to get his head together, think of a way out. But as the hours rolled by, nothing came to mind. The adrenaline of earlier left their bodies, leaving them feeling heavy and fatigued.
It must have been well into the night when Harry realized Draco had stopped shivering. He shook the other man gently. "Draco, are you okay?"
Draco nodded languidly. "I'm good. It's not that cold anymore," he muttered sleepily.
Fear crept into Harry's heart at the words and he shook Draco more brusquely. "Don't go to sleep! It'll be the death of you...Draco!"
Draco only laughed weakly. "It's ironic, isn't it, Harry? You saved us from fiendfyre all those years ago...only to end up freezing to death with me in this place...where no one will ever find us." As if that were the greatest joke he'd ever heard, Draco let out a peal of breathy laughter.
"We're not going to die," Harry said firmly, tightening his hold on Draco. The other man went limp, the sound of his soft snoring filled the eery quietude. No matter how much Harry shook him, he would not wake up.
"Damn it," whispered Harry, his own eyes beginning to droop against his will. He took out the small flask of healing water and took a sip, before placing the tip of the bottle against Draco's cold lips and gently tilting his head to get him to a soft moan, Draco's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Harry with a slightly consternated frown.
Upon realizing what Harry had done, he muttered, "Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
The water had slightly regulated their body temperature and rejuvenated them. But the effect wouldn't last long and they would run out of it soon. It was a small flask, there wasn't much left. Harry feared he might just be dragging out their deaths.
"There was something else back there," Draco said suddenly, frowning down as he laid his head on Harry's shoulder. "It was too fast for me to see, but I know I saw something small slam into the troll before it could kill you. Whatever it was saved your life."
"Well let's hope that it'll come to our rescue now."
"And if it doesn't?"
After a long pause, Harry answered, "I'm joking. We can't wait for help that may never come. I'll have to dive in and feel around, see if there's a way out. It's our only shot."
Draco nodded against his chest.
After a moment of contemplative silence, Harry said, "Promise me something?"
"What?"
"If...when we go back home, the next time you choose to piss off, pick a warmer location."
Draco laughed. "I was thinking about Miami Beach, actually."
"That sounds like a great place to be right about now."
"Lounging on the beach with a Corona, watching hot, half-naked Latino men stroll by?"
"Exact...men?" Harry's heart hammered in his chest at the accidental revelation.
Draco stiffened in his arms, and replied cautiously, "Yes. Men." After Harry didn't answer, he asked, "Do you want me to get off you?"
Harry realized how his question and following silence might have been interpreted. He tightened his arms around Draco and said, "No."