Chapter Eleven: The Island's Secrets
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And What shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?
The Tiger-William Blake
"A tiger?" Harry asked disbelieving.
"I think so…but it was larger than a normal tiger," Hermione said. She had her clothes lying on a flat rock to dry after she cleaned them the best she could. Harry had lent her his shirt to use in the meantime. They sat together with Neville as Hermione told her story.
"It is possible Harry. I mean, we really don't know what's on this island," Neville said.
Harry shook his head. "I'm not doubting Hermione, it's just that…"
"I know," Hermione finished his thought. "What else do we need right now. It makes sense. This island is large enough for its own ecosystem and laws of the land, why should it not have a top predator? The pigs would've overrun the island if the population wasn't controlled somehow."
"How did it get here?" Harry asked.
Hermione shrugged. "How did we get here?" She tested her clothes and found that they were dry. "Time to turn around again guys," she said and the boys complied.
"Do you think the smell of the pig roasting would attract it?" Neville asked worriedly.
"We're well protected on the rocks. We'd at least see it coming," Harry said confidently, inside however, he wasn't so sure. A dark look crossed his face. "We've got to warn the others."
"The others?" Hermione asked.
"Some of the students stayed on the beach with Terry," Neville explained.
Hermione bit her lip and frowned. The camp was now divided.
"Everyone was given a chance to decide. It's only fair that you get that choice too," Harry said to Hermione.
She wrinkled her brow in thought. Both camps had their pros and cons but she already knew where she was going to stay.
"I'll take some meat over to them tonight and warn them. No offense Harry but Terry will most likely listen to me." Harry's heart sank at her words, she was going back to the beach. "I'll take Ron and Neville with me, and a spear. If we go now, we can make it back before nightfall."
Harry grew a smile at her words. She was staying with him after all. He turned around to say something to her but a sharp word from her snapped his head facing forward again. Neville looked at Harry and saw a boyish grin on his face.
~*~
Hermione emerged from the jungle with Neville and Ron at her side. She surveyed the camp before her. It was the same but larger and a sadness filled her at that thought. The Slytherins stayed to one side of the camp, the Hufflepuffs crowded together and the Ravenclaws flocked with Terry. He was sitting on the beach, trying to mend a few of the fishhooks when he looked up and saw her.
"Hermione!" he said aloud, jumping to his feet and running toward her.
"We caught a pig," she said, smiling timidly up at him. "We wanted to share with you, so…"
Terry looked at the meat as if it was poisoned.
"No…we don't need Harry's sympathy," he said coldly and Hermione looked at him disbelievingly.
"Terry, this is for everyone," she said firmly.
"Is that meat?" a Hufflepuff asked and the camp gathered around her. She passed the meat to Neville and Ron for disbursement amongst the students leaving her and Terry alone.
"Why did you divide the camp?" she asked.
"Harry wanted to move everyone to the rocks," Terry explained.
Hermione shrugged. "So?"
"I thought the beach was best. We can see a boat from here and it's out of that blasted jungle. Who knows what else is in there," he shuddered.
"A tiger," Hermione answered. "An overlarge tiger."
"Are you serious?" Terry asked, eyes wide.
"Yes…which should give you more reason to think about moving," Hermione said.
"No, it gives me more reason to stay on the beach and not the jungle. Cats don't like water."
"You need to start thinking about others," she said firmly. "You need to find better shelter. You shouldn't have divided us, we need to work together."
"Then you tell Harry and the others to come back here," Terry said stubbornly.
Hermione shook her head at him. "This isn't school, Terry. You can't just take house points away. This group is now looking up to you to make decisions that will affect their survival. You need to put away petty jealousy before someone else gets hurt."
"You're right. I need to be a leader and stand firm in my decisions. I can't second guess myself. I said to stay on the beach so we'll stay on the beach. The question now is are you going to join me?"
"No," Hermione shook her head.
Terry's jaw clenched. "You're going to choose him?"
"I'm not choosing anyone, Terry. I want to survive to get off this island and I think living in a better shelter is the best choice. If he happens to be there too, so be it. But it's not about taking sides."
"It's always about taking sides," Terry hissed angrily and walked away.
Hermione glared at him. "Come on guys. Let's go!" she called out to Ron and Neville. "We're marking a trail to our camp," Hermione said aloud to the group. "You're welcome to join us at any time."
Pansy stood up. "We don't need your charity and we don't care that you're marking a trail. No one will follow it into the death trap you all are choosing to live in. Terry's the leader, he's Head Boy and you're disgracing your title by not choosing to back him up!"
Hermione bit back a response and just shook her head as she turned to walk back to camp.
~*~
Harry woke up in the middle of the night. A light sheen of sweat covering his body and he shivered, touching the scar on his forehead. He was in the dream this time. This was the first time it had happened since the ship had sunk.
It was strange. It was like looking through a fish bowl. He was walking into a room and as soon as he recognized the people in the room as Death Eaters, he forced himself to wake up, realizing inside whose head he was.
It unnerved him. And he glanced warily around him. His classmates were all asleep in the cave. His eyes fell on Draco, who was asleep by himself. The only Slytherin who sided with him. In his dream he saw his father and Harry wondered briefly if he should tell him that his father was out of Azkaban now.
No, he shouldn't. It would raise too many questions.
He glanced over his housemates and saw Ron asleep next to Luna, one arm draped lazily over her. Ginny slept nearby and Hermione…
Hermione wasn't there.
A quick glance over the other students told him she wasn't in the cave. Before panic could take a hold of him, he thought he should check outside the cave by the fire.
Stepping carefully over his classmates, he ventured outside. There she was, sitting by the fire staring into it. She looked up at him when she heard the soft shuffle of his feet.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked her, sitting next to her.
She sighed heavily and drew her knees to her chest.
"I don't like this, Harry," she said quietly. "I don't like that we're divided now."
"Yeah, I know," he sighed heavily. He looked at her as she looked off in the direction of the beach. Was she regretting her decision to stay here? Did she want to go back to Terry? She looked so beautiful by the fire that it pained him to think that way. He wanted to hold her, to comfort and kiss her and tell her everything was going to be okay.
"I have a bad feeling about his," she said softly.
Harry reached out to wrap an arm around her when a noise came from the jungle. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood on end and he had the distinct feeling he was being watched.
Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the soft sound. She peered into the jungle. Its darkness hiding whatever secrets lay within it. A chill went over her and she rubbed her arms briskly.
"We should go back in," Hermione whispered. She was afraid that the tiger was out there watching them. She turned and walked back into the cave.
Terry watched the two of them, hidden in the leaves of the jungle. He had been watching his Hermione by the fire. So beautiful. He wanted to step out and talk to her but then that idiot friend of hers joined her. He wasn't sure that she even wanted Harry's company. Terry boiled with anger when he saw Potter try and make a move on his girlfriend and he quickly put a stop to it by making a small sound. It had done the trick.
"Harry," Hermione called out to him.
Harry stood and looked out into the jungle. The feeling still there but what was he going to do. Go in there and see what was watching him? He thought of Hermione's tiger and stepped backward.
"Yeah, alright," he said and followed Hermione into the cave.
Terry narrowed his eyes. Hermione had two suitors and even though Potter somehow falsely lured her to his camp, he would find a way to bring Hermione back. He would find some way to turn her against Potter.
~*~
Hermione held out the dried fruit to Harry. She shook them and the seeds inside made the sound of a rattle.
"So you see," she was saying to him, "an alarm."
Harry smiled. "Brilliant."
"There are loads of them out here in the jungle. Enough to make a decent fence," Hermione continued.
"We can cut down some of the thinner stalks and make some fence posts out of them," Ron added. "Maybe we can use the vines, too?"
"Good idea," Harry nodded. "Hermione, take Luna and Parvati and gather more of these rattle things. I'll get who I can and start working on this fence."
Ginny stood on the shore of a beautiful small lagoon. Tall cliffs surrounded this little piece of paradise. She heard someone come out of the jungle behind her.
"Wow," Draco said quietly as he stepped forward. He looked around him, the lush cliffs, the crystal blue water, the song of birds in the air. It was truly breathtaking.
"Following me, Draco?" Ginny asked with a hint of amusement in her voice. She wasn't at all annoyed. In fact, she was a bit pleased that he had joined her. He was wearing his shorts, torn and a bit dirty. His hands on his hips and the shirt he wore was unbuttoned, his toned chest exposed. She bit her lower lip slightly when her eyes traveled down his chest to the slight trail of hair just below his navel that led to below his waistline. She turned away.
"You should know better than to go wandering off by yourself," he said still taking in the scenery unaware that Ginny was checking him out.
"I knew you would follow," she shrugged and Draco raised an eyebrow.
Feeling bold she began to unbutton her shirt. Draco watched as she stripped down to a bikini that she had been wearing underneath. The red bikini. That damned red bikini that he now knew would be his undoing.
"Coming?" she asked as she waded into the pool.
He stood on the shore, unmoving. What was he doing here? He was a Malfoy, she was a Weasley. He was raised to look down upon them, to not think anything of them, to look upon them with disdain. They were poor excuses for pure bloods, they were mudblood lovers and she was President of the Scarhead Fanclub.
He looked at her in the water, red hair floating around her, creamy skin and the blurry red image of her body in the water.
"Damn it," he muttered to himself as he took off his shirt and shorts. Stepping into that water with her would condemn him. And yet, he felt himself unable to stop what he was doing.
Ginny smiled triumphantly as she watched him dive into the water. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked him when he surfaced next to her.
You have no idea, Draco thought as he watched her go under again.
Together they explored the lagoon, its white sand and clear water. Colorful fish, some strange looking swam with them. It was calm and peaceful and for a moment the two of them seemed to forget about their dire situation. It felt like they were still on a vacation. They would surface and talk about what they had seen then go under again to explore. Draco watched Ginny as she swam, her moves graceful, her hair flowing behind her mimicking her every move. Ginny watched Draco move effortlessly in the water, not at all being the jerk he usually was and even laughing and smiling once in awhile. They grew bolder each moment they spent in the water, acknowledging the attraction between them. Starting out with gentle pats on the arm to get one another's attention to an interesting fish and moving on to "accidental" brushes against one another.
Ginny and Draco swam toward the interesting light coming from the base of one of the cliffs. They realized as they reached it that it was a tunnel, peering into it they shared an uneasy glance. Draco followed Ginny to the surface.
"I think we could make it to the end and back in one breath," he said.
"We'll count thirty seconds in and if there is no air pocket we turn back," Ginny agreed.
Her eyes lit up with fierce boldness that sent Draco's already hot blood south. She was unafraid and mischievous. He wanted to kiss her so badly but she had already taken her breath and went back under, giving him a reassuring smile before she did.
As she swam into the narrow undersea tunnel, she fought the panic that began to seep in. She wasn't claustrophobic but the tunnel felt like it was collapsing around her and the water threatened to drown her. She kicked harder and swam faster to the royal blue light at the end of the tunnel that came closer and closer.
Draco watched Ginny with worry as she swam ahead of him. The tunnel seemed longer than they had thought. He hadn't been counting the seconds but he was going to grab Ginny and yank her back if they didn't reach the end any time soon. But they did and Draco watched Ginny disappear in front of him as she swam out of the mouth of the tunnel. He had barely come out of it himself when he heard Ginny scream.
Ginny heard Draco burst from the water next to her and felt him put an arm around her, pulling her behind him. She stared straight ahead and Draco swore when he saw the human skeleton in front of him. They looked around the open cavern that was lit by a small opening above them. They stared wide eyed and jaws dropped.
"Oh my God," Ginny whispered.
~*~
Hermione watched from the corner of her eye as Harry worked diligently beside her on the fence. They were sharing a knife to cut small ropes of vine to tie the seed rattles on the larger vines of the fence. She picked up the knife and made a cut and set it back down between them then Harry would pick it up. She had waited until he was comfortable in that routine.
She picked up the knife and cut a piece of vine then set the knife a little closer to her. Harry, not watching reached down for the knife, stretching a bit and taking it. Hermione pursed her lips together. She reached for the knife after Harry and set it down even more closer to her. Again, Harry reached down not looking and searched for the knife with his hands and blindly finding it. She picked up the knife after Harry and this time set it back down well out of his reach. She watched as Harry reached down for it not looking and moved his hands searching for it. She bit her lower lip in anticipation not daring to breathe, her eyes staring at the knife. Come on. Come on. The knife shuddered slightly then slid across to Harry's waiting hands. He was unaware of what he had done and kept on working as if nothing had happened.
Hermione's heart beat in her chest. Ron was right! Harry could do wandless magic! Though why he wouldn't say anything to her or Ron about it was a bit odd. But then again, when she really thought about it, it was pretty typical of Harry.
Harry hated to stick out from the crowd. He shunned the attention that was dumped on him. He hadn't told them about the lessons he had been taking with Professor Lupin with the Patronus charm. And he never really told them about what went on with the Occlumency lessons. Harry was a powerful wizard, there was no doubt about that but Harry couldn't embrace that. He only wanted to be like everyone else. To belong, that was all that he wanted. So it only made sense that he would keep something like this a secret.
But for how long?
Hermione bit her lip in worry. How long would it be until everyone else on this island figured it out? And what would happen when it did?
"Ouch!" she hissed.
She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she wasn't paying attention to what she was doing and caught her hand in one of the sharp thorns of the vines on the fence. Harry was at her side in an instant.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
The wound was so small yet it bled worse than it felt.
"I-I'm fine. I just…wasn't careful," she managed to stammer out.
Harry took her hand gently in his. "There's a creek not too far from here. You can wash up there," he said softly.
Hermione's breath hitched slightly. He was standing so close to her and she wasn't moving away from him. She looked up at him, wanting desperately to lose herself in those lovely green eyes of his. Wanting desperately to kiss those lips again and feel his arms around her. She wanted to feel all of him around her, to breathe him in, to take him inside her again.
But she wouldn't.
She wouldn't ruin their now precarious friendship that was a result of her behavior last time. No, she wouldn't do that to him.
Harry looked into her eyes and saw the familiar darkening that signaled the more than friends feeling they held. Harry was sure his own eyes mirrored those thoughts. He was silently urging the fire that burned behind them, wanting Hermione to give in. Pleading for her to drop her defenses and let him consume her. He had seen her look at him like that on the night she had given herself to him. The night he had foolishly let her walk out the door. The night that felt had dealt them this awful hand.
He saw the fire behind her eyes begin to recede as she blinked and looked at him. Gazing on him again as a friend. She extricated her hand from his and looked at it, examining the minor injury.
"Yeah, I probably should. I can't believe it's bleeding so much!" she said impassively.
The moment was gone and Harry had to reluctantly return to reality.
"It doesn't hurt, does it?" he asked.
Hermione shook her head. "No, it--." She stopped suddenly and looked up at Harry. He stood still as a statue. He heard it too.
It was only a slight sound, a small exhaled breath. The two of them looked at each other wide eyed and hearts pounding as they slowly turned to face the fence.
It was watching them with amber colored eyes, looking from him to Hermione and back. Its massive head reached the height of Hermione's shoulder. She was wrong. This wasn't the overlarge tiger that Hermione had described to him. It was a fucking horse-sized one. It was so close to them that Harry could have reached out and easily touched it. Not that he was going to test that theory out.
The tiger looked at the two of them with what Harry could swear was an amused look on its face. It bent its head down and sniffed the fence then looked up at Hermione quizzically. It sat down and cocked its head to the side then it reached out with one of its massive paws touching the fence. Its ears twitched when it heard the rattles but it didn't run away or hiss, it just sat there. Its paw pressed down on one of the posts of the fence and Harry and Hermione jumped back as the fence was easily knocked down. The tiger still sat there unflinching, looking pityingly at the ruined fence. Finally, it sighed and lazily got back on all fours and calmly walked away.
Hermione let out the breath she had been holding. Harry turned to look at her, bewilderment all over his face.
"An overlarge tiger?" he said lightly accusing to her.
"Well, it is bigger than normal," Hermione defended.
Harry shook his head and walked over to the ruined fence.
~*~
Draco hoisted himself onto a rocky ledge then reached down to help Ginny out of the water. He had never seen this much gold and jewels in his life. Even his parents' vault at Gringott's looked skimpy compared to this.
"I don't believe it," Ginny whispered.
Gold coins were heaped in small mounds in front of them, jewels and other precious metals mixed in. Wooden chests floated among them and the lone skeleton sat there in front of it all. A ghostly guard. Or maybe not, Draco could see the sword that pierced its chest. He fingered the hilt delicately. Ginny bent down and picked up some of the gold and letting it fall back to the ground through her fingers. Draco stepped forward and opened up a chest. It was filled with gold and silver goblets encrusted with jewels. Ginny opened another and found it filled with what once must have been fine clothing. The white lace material of a dress had now turned yellow. She brushed it aside then gasped with delight when she saw the robe underneath. She pulled it out and carefully unfurled it. It was wrinkled badly but the color still held. A red robe made of silk and with funny little symbols on it that she recognized from somewhere in the orient. Draco scrambled up a mound and retrieved a small gold dagger, diamonds in its hilt. He opened up a smaller wooden box and found it full of women's jewelry.
"Hey Ginny, check this out," he called out and looked over his shoulder.
His breath caught in his throat and his blood rushed to his loins. She stood there wearing a red silk robe. It was untied and revealed the red bikini she was wearing underneath it. She walked over to him and knelt next to him.
"What is it?" she asked then gasped when she saw the jewelry. She reached out and picked up a pearl necklace that had a large sapphire gem dangling from it. She moved to put it on her but Draco stopped her.
"This one's better," he said quietly holding another necklace.
Ginny stared at it. A fine silver chain suspended a jeweled flower. Its petals were diamonds and the center was an emerald. She looked up at Draco, her breath hitching at the intense look in his eyes.
"Put it on me," she whispered.
Draco swallowed as Ginny swiveled on her knees, her back to him and her hands gathering her hair out of his way. He clasped the necklace on her, the flower coming to rest between her breasts. Ginny picked it up and examined it. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh when she felt his lips on her neck. She leaned back against him and bit her lip as she felt him slowly undo the knot at the back of her neck that held up her top. She turned to boldly face him, reaching behind to undo the rest of the top. He reached forward and she could see his hand trembling as he took of the top exposing her breasts to him.
He was afraid. He had long since abandoned the part of him that screamed that she was worthless. She was beautiful and he was terrified that she would put an end to this with one word…Stop. Because he would stop, for her, he would stop. He had been holding back for so long, denying his blossoming feelings for her. But now, he wanted to give in, to be at her mercy and lose himself in her.
Her mouth was hot and ready and he was delirious with pleasure when she kissed him fiercely. He matched her passion and knew that her lips would be bruised but he was crazy with desire and it only heightened when she pulled him down on her. She felt wonderful underneath him as they feverishly explored one anothers bodies. She gasped sharply as he took her maidenhood and for the first time he was truly sorry that he had hurt her in any way.
Ginny wasn't ready for the pain when he broke through her but he stilled himself and whispered apologies in her ear as he kissed her softly. He was gentle with her and she lost herself in the feeling of his arms around her, the smell of their passion and the intense grey of his eyes. The burning sensation of her stretching to his every thrust began to be coupled with a pleasurable tension that continually coiled until she gripped his shoulders and gasped out his name.
Satiated they lay in each others arms until the light began to dim overhead. It was time for them to go back. A sadness filled Ginny as she made her way back through the tunnel. They had taken nothing back with them. Draco had silently thought to himself that he already found the treasure that he wanted. They swam to the shores of the lagoon and stepped out of the waves. The jungle loomed before them. Draco felt as if he were waking from a dream, the water dripped from his body as if he had been cleansed of it. He looked at Ginny.
"We tell no one about the place?" he asked.
Ginny shook her head in agreement. It was sacred to them now. "No one."
She made her way back to camp first, Draco would follow shortly. He could no longer deny his attraction to Ginny. But he was well aware of what Ron would think of it and possibly Harry. He watched her disappear into the jungle and wondered if he was, in fact, damning himself.
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