Survival of the Fittest

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to the wonderfully talented JK Rowling.

Each wolf pack has a social order called dominance hierarchy. Every member of the pack has a certain rank in the hierarchy. The high-ranking members, called dominant wolves, dominate the low-ranking members of the pack, known as subordinate wolves.

Chapter One: Bon Voyage

“Aw, man, Harry, this is going to be great!” Ron said enthusiastically when they reached the port. “This is just what we need to get our summer started.”

“What? More school?” Harry answered wryly, shrugging his pack over his shoulder.

“A little bit of sun, some sand,” Ron continued, dismissing his friend's comments. “Girls in bikinis, girls in bikinis, girls in bikinis.”

The two of them stood on the boardwalk, trucks packed up, packs overstuffed with items that represented the comforts of home, in front of a private ocean liner, The Darwin. The floating summer school for the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the chance for fifth years and above to get extra schooling over the summer. They would cross the Atlantic to Massachusetts where they would visit an American colony of wizards and witches in Salem; they would follow the coastline after that, sailing to the Caribbean to study magic there; next to New Orleans and compare the rituals to what they had learned previously; through the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan, where they would learn about the ancient magic and rituals of the pre-Hispanic civilizations of central America; down through the Panama Canal and to Japan, where they would arrive in Tokyo, the end of their voyage. Just in time to start a new term on September the 1^st.

Harry was admiring the ship when Ron nudged him in the side. Looking over at his friend, Ron motioned to his left. Harry scanned the crowd, his jaw clenching when they landed on a familiar head of brown bushy hair.

“Figures they'd show up together,” Ron said bitterly. “Probably haven't left each other's sides since school got out.”

Hermione and Terry Boot, newly named Head Boy and Girl and currently dating, arrived at the port with their parents. Dressed casually in jeans and a pale blue t-shirt, she glanced over in Ron and Harry's direction. Her gaze fell on Harry and he returned her look with an icy glare before returning his attention to the ship. Hermione looked away and began to fuss with her bags.

Her newfound relationship with Terry was a breaking point with the trio. Ron, who had been harboring feeling for his friend and still did, lashed out at Hermione. Filled with spite and petty jealousy that she had chosen another for her affections. Harry was caught in the middle but he had troubles of his own, for he too, had more than friendly feelings toward Hermione but kept his distance out of respect for the trio's friendship. He and Ron found common territory in that they absolutely did not like Terry, and Terry, well it was clear that he did not like Harry. Harry redirected his feelings for Hermione toward a blossoming relationship with Parvati Patil.

Unfortunately, one time he was caught past curfew with Parvati in a very compromising situation by Hermione Granger. The stunned and bewildered Hermione had no idea what to do, she had been blindsided so she did the first thing that came to her mind and took fifty points away from Gryffindor. The extremely heated argument that ensued between Hermione and Harry put all the ones she had with Ron to shame. Accusations and insults were flung at each other, voices rose and tempers reared their ugly heads, ending with an extremely pissed off Harry and a sobbing Hermione that Terry had to comfort. It was stupid, it was petty, but both of them were too stubborn and proud to admit they were wrong. Not a word had been spoken between the two since.

“Whew! I made it,” a winded Ginny Weasley joined the boys.

“Bloody hell, Gin! Did you leave anything behind?” Ron joked.

Ginny tried unsuccessfully to pile her bags and luggage in an orderly fashion. “Very funny Ron,” she grunted as she picked up a large and heavy bag.

“How much crap can one person need?” Harry jokingly teased.

Ginny gave up on the bag and rested her hands on it. “Cute, Harry. Now will you give me a hand? Not everyone can do magic outside of school, yet.”

Harry grinned and drew out his wand. With a flick of his wrist, Ginny's luggage was shrunk to a reasonable size.

“Are you sure you packed everything you need?” Molly Weasley said as she joined the group with her husband.

“Yes, mum.”

“Yes, Mrs. Weasley.”

“I'm not just talking about chocolate frogs, CD players, broomsticks or video games,” Molly said, listing off the “necessities” that her children and Harry bought in London. “You have actual books, parchments and quills?”

“Yes, mum.”

“Yes, Mrs. Weasley.”

“You had best get a move on,” Arthur said to the teens who began to gather their things. “Have fun you three.”

“Be careful!” Molly called out to them. “And don't forget to write!”

“We'll try to, if Ginny's luggage doesn't sink the ship!” Ron called back.

“Or drown us as we try to board,” Harry added.

“Oh shut up you two,” Ginny frowned.

As they boarded the ship, they walked into a large parlor. To their left was a large room filled with tables that the three of them decided must be similar to the Great Hall. On their right was a large staircase. Going up would lead you to the deck of the ship, down would lead you to the dormitories and classrooms below. An officer stood to guide the students to their respective dwellings.

“Girls to the bow, boys to the stern,” he directed the crowd.

“Huh?” Ron asked looking over his shoulder at Harry.

“I don't know,” Harry shrugged, “just go to your right.”

Down the stairs they went, separating from Ginny to follow the other guys down a long corridor. It was a sort of mad dash to get the best rooms.

“Hey guys! Down here!” Dean Thomas waved to Harry and Ron. “We saved you a room,” he told them when they reached him. “Each room has a couple of bunks in it.”

Harry and Ron walked into the room. It was a decent size, two bunks stood on opposite sides of the room, two nightstands, two desks and a large closet filled the space. The pillows and blankets on the beds looked soft and inviting. A clatter from behind them drew Harry and Ron's attention to the door.

“Hey guys,” Neville said slightly winded. He looked a little run over, frantic to not miss the boat, his bags swung haphazardly around him, a small aquarium tucked under his arm. “Mind if I bunk with you.”

“Not a prob, Nev,” Ron said cheerfully. “But I'm calling top bunk.”

“Ooh, can I have the other, Harry?” he asked.

“Knock yourself out,” Harry smiled as he dumped his pack on the bed underneath Ron's.

“This is going to be great, guys! All the places we're going to see! The new things we'll learn!” Neville's enthusiasm was contagious and his two roommates couldn't help but smile as they began to unpack their things.

“Have a little bit of coffee before you got here?” Seamus said aloud as he walked through the door. “Sorry mate,” he said to Ron as he tossed him the sports page of the Daily Prophet.

“Is that the new Gameboy Advance?” Dean edged his way into the room.

“Yeah,” Harry said, taking it out of the packaging.

“Fuck,” Ron cursed to the side as he read about the outcome of the latest Cannons game.

“I brought mine, too. Maybe we'll link up,” Dean said.

“Hey, we should get going guys,” Neville chirped. “We've got to be on deck to wave goodbye.” Neville led the way out of the room.

The four of them smiled and filed out, Dean tackling Neville in the corridor. After much rough housing the five of them eventually made it to the stairwell. Harry, who was leading the group, was blocked at the top of the stairs.

Terry Boot straightened himself up, his chest puffing out as he sized himself up to Harry, meeting his eyes. “I would appreciate it, if you would all set an example to the underclassmen on proper behavior during this trip.”

“Did you hear something?” Harry said coldly as he moved past Terry, knocking him roughly on the shoulder.

“Nothing,” answered Ron. “What about you, Nev?”

“Must've been the wind,” Neville replied as they filed past.

They all laughed as they continued up the stairs to the warm air and sunshine of the outdoors.

“Talk about uptight,” Seamus said of the Head Boy.

“The guy's gotta seriously think about switching from those tighty whiteys,” Dean added.

“Hey! I wear tighty whiteys!” Neville protested.

“Jesus, Neville,” Dean swore. “I don't need to know that shit about you.”

Harry and the others laughed as they approached the rail.

A/N: No this isn't the Titanic. No they won't hit an iceberg.

-->

The pride structure of a group of females living in close proximity to a small group of dominant males leads to aggression within the group and competition for male dominance. The reign of these males can often be as short lived as a few years—and it ends when they lose to the challenge of a younger stronger male.

Chapter Two: The Good Life

“I could get used to this,” Ginny sighed as she relaxed in the sun.

“Mmm,” Luna murmured in consent.

“Flip,” Hermione said and all three girls turned from their backs to their stomachs.

They were sunning themselves on the deck of the ship on lounge chairs by the pool. Luna's long blond hair was knotted in a bun and she wore a royal blue two piece. Ginny rested next to her, same style bikini but in red. A row had ensued between herself and her brother Ron when she first wore it. She won out of course but it didn't stop her brother from giving the Evil Eye to any fellow who so much as looked in his sister's general direction. Hermione lay next to Ginny, wearing a black two piece, her hair in a lazy ponytail. Fellow students were taking advantage of the warm weather and decided to venture on deck, busying themselves with the various outdoor activities.

“Ron would kill me if he heard this,” Ginny began. “But that is one damn fine piece of male specimen.”

The girls watched as Draco Malfoy lifted himself out of the pool, brushing his blond hair out of his face, droplets of water glistened of his toned chest and abs, catching the light.

“Probably,” Hermione sighed. “Even though we hate him, we have to agree with your statement.”

“Good girls love the bad guys,” Luna chirped in.

“Amen,” Ginny and Hermione agreed.

“Still it's a shame to waste that on Pansy Parkinson,” Ginny said.

Harry, Ron and Dean came up on deck, catching Hermione's attention. Her eyes couldn't help but fall on Harry. His black swim trunks matched his unruly hair, her eyes wandered over his maturing face to the toned torso from years of playing Quidditch. Her eyes continued down his abs and she unconsciously bit her lower lip. Harry's head turned in her direction and she quickly busied herself by grabbing a book and feigning interest in it. A shadow loomed over her and she looked up.

“Hey sweetie!” Terry plopped on the lounge chair next to her. “I was wondering what time you'll be done with your rounds tonight?”

“Uh…about nine. Why?”

“Great! I was hoping we could catch some alone time together.”

“Really?” Hermione perked up.

“We really need to get cracking on those books. We'll be in Jamaica soon.”

“Oh, of course,” Hermione tried her best to hide the disappointment in her voice.

“Okay, meet up in my room?” he asked.

“Sure,” Hermione smiled. She leaned in to give him a kiss but he quickly backed away.

“We have to set a good example,” he wagged a finger in his face, gave her a warm smile then got up and walked away.

“Please tell me you do more than study in your alone time,” Ginny pleaded.

Hermione looked scandalized. “Of course!” she said. “We've kissed,” she defended. Ginny pursed her lips together as if she was holding back from saying something more.

“Oh, leave Hermione alone,” Luna rescued her. “She's our pillar of propriety. A rock of dignity against the raging waters of hormones and impure thoughts.”

Hermione went back to the book but not before catching another glimpse of Harry, who was playing a pickup game of water polo.

Yeah, she was a rock alright.

~*~

Thump, thump, thump.

“Oh for crying out loud! I can't hear myself think!” Ron sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “TONE IT DOWN A BIT!” he bellowed as he banged the wall. “Fucking animals,” he muttered.

Dean, Harry and Neville all laughed to themselves. Dean was temporarily homeless for the night, staying with Harry and company while Seamus and Lavender studied human sexuality in the room next door. He was currently playing against Harry's Gameboy and doing a fine job of kicking some ass. Ron increased the volume in his headphones from the borrowed CD player of Harry's, as he thumbed through a Quidditch magazine. Neville sat at a desk, carefully sketching out a plant he had picked up in Salem.

“There are so many exotic plants in Jamaica,” Neville was saying. “I just don't know which one I'll bring on board with me.”

“I have an idea of a plant you can bring,” Dean said cryptically sharing a look with Harry who grinned.

“Ah, damn it,” Harry said as Dean raised a hand in triumph. “I'm out,” he announced.

“I've got next!” Neville jumped from his seat and taking the Gameboy from Harry.

“I'm going to the kitchens,” Harry said getting up from the floor. “Anybody want anything?”

“Bring us back a few butterbeers,” Ron said.

Hermione sat next to Terry, quill feather in her mouth silently watching him write an essay away. She leaned toward him and blew softly in his ear. He turned to face her, questioningly when she leaned in, kissing him.

“Whoa,” he said when she broke the kiss. “What was that for?”

“I think,” Hermione said as she pushed the books and parchments away, “that we have earned a study break.” She climbed onto his lab straddling him.

“S-study break?” he stammered. She nodded and began to kiss him some more. Her hand bravely reached down to the hem of his shirt, her fingers grazing his skin. Terry immediately broke the kiss off.

“Hermione what are you doing? You know we're not ready for that,” he said.

“Well, maybe I am ready,” Hermione cooed.

He gave her a patronizing look “Hermione,” he said, “let's just finish this up. We have plenty of time for that some other time.”

He maneuvered Hermione off his lap and continued to scribble away on his parchment. Hermione just sat there, stunned.

“You know what,” she said, gathering her things. “I think I'm done for tonight.”

“Are you sure?” Terry asked, concerned.

“Yes,” she said as she lifted her book bag.

“Well do you want me to walk you to your room?”

“No, don't bother,” she said in a huff and left the room.

She stormed down the hallway, angrily muttering to herself. Humiliated, angry, rejected, she couldn't decide what she was feeling the most. She stormed into the room she shared with Ginny and Luna.

“Study time go okay?” Luna asked bravely.

“Sodding git!” Hermione mumbled angrily as she tossed her book bag on a desk. Ginny and Luna shared a look, Ginny mouthing a silent “Okaay”.

“Alright,” Ginny said authoritatively standing on her bed. “Conference time.”

~*~

Arms full of butterbeer bottles, Harry approached the door to the kitchen when he heard voices on the other side. He paused a moment then as the door knob began to turn he quickly hid himself behind an island. Someone stepped into the room.

“Okay, all clear,” the familiar voice of Ginny Weasley whispered and two more people entered the room.

“Okay, Hermione, tell us what happened,” he heard Luna say.

“All I wanted the git to do was just cop a feel, react or do something…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Ginny interrupted her. “Start at the beginning.”

“Okay,” Hermione took a deep breath. “So we're studying, right? And I say we deserve a little study break, so I climb onto his lap and we start to kiss.” The sound of opening the butterbeer bottles interrupts her. She doesn't speak for a moment and Harry assumes she's taking a drink.

“So I decide to take it a bit further,” she continues, “and I put my hands under his shirt and…he stops me.”

“He what?” Ginny and Luna both say.

“He stops the whole thing, saying we need to continue studying,” she pauses for another drink. “I mean what kind of teenaged guy would not seize that opportunity?”

Harry had to agree with Hermione's logic. If he had Hermione in his lap, no studying would get done. He grins with the thought that maybe Terry's gay.

“Maybe he's gay,” Ginny voices his thoughts.

“No,” Hermione sighs, “he's just so…so…proper.” Harry raised his eyebrows.

“I'd never thought I'd hear that from you in a million years,” Luna says reverently.

Hermione took another drink. “I mean at the rate we're going, I'll be lucky to lose my virginity on our wedding night, let alone have an orgasm.”

Harry nearly dropped the bottles he was carrying and Ginny spits out her drink.

“You've never had an orgasm?” she asks, wiping her mouth.

“Not even a…self induced one?” Luna asks timidly.

“No…of course not,” Hermione sulks, “But it's not like I haven't thought about it.”

For a moment, Harry doesn't know what to do, he's like a rabbit frozen in the presence of a nearby predator. He can't leave, they would catch him and he wouldn't make it out of the kitchen alive after being witness to this conversation.

“Tell her about the tub,” Ginny says.

“You know your tub that you have in your lovely prefect's bath on this ship?” Luna begins. “Take a bath there, one of these days. Turn the water on, get in while it's running, scoot towards where the water is falling, straddle it, relax and enjoy the ride.”

Blood rushes south as Harry closes his eyes at the mental image of Hermione doing this.

“As for your little problem with Mr. Manners,” Ginny says, “it can be solved. Every guy has his breaking point. You just have to get him to his. So…here's what you do.”

“It's about time you got back,” Ron says as Harry walks into the room a considerable amount of time later.

“Couldn't help it,” Harry answered as he tossed the butterbeers to his friends. “Got delayed by a few girls.”

The guys sit upright at this bit of information asking for details.

“Sorry guys,” Harry says as he plops onto his bed. “A gentleman never tells.”

“Well, I hope it was worth it,” Ron sulked.

“Trust me, it was,” Harry answered.

~*~

Every man knew his breaking point and Harry knew he was nearing his. Hermione knew it too but couldn't embrace it. For two years, the two of them knew they had feelings for each other that were deeper than friendship but it wasn't love. It was attraction. It was the moment you realized that the blood rushing south was due to the curve of your best friends breasts beneath her shirt. The heat that would go blazing through you when your best friend only had to look at you with his penetrating emerald gaze. It was the crazy addiction to the adrenaline rush and the fear that one wrong move and your world will come crashing down.

So, you played it safe. You stayed loyal friends. Hid your feelings. Channeled them through a relationship with the Head Boy, channeled it through the attractive housemate. Then one night, you can't take it anymore and you yell at your best friend. You scream and say horrible things to the object of your intense desire. You toe the line. But suddenly you both stop and realize that this is passion. This raging argument is just the surface of the intense feelings that you hold for each other.

So you push each other away, build a dam between you two. Anything to hold back the flood of desire and passion that threatens to overwhelm the two of you. But the dam is weak and day by day it's cracking. You have opened a Pandora's Box.

You buy the bathing suit with him in mind. You go up to the deck to watch her lie in the sun. You instigate actions with your boyfriend the things you wish he would do with you. You can close your eyes and imagine her instead of your hand. The tiny jewel pierced through your navel is an emerald, the exact shade of his eyes. Those CD's you bought? Every one of those damned songs reminds you in some way of her.

You hate each other for being each other's weakness, each other's Achilles heel. And yet you wish for that one moment, the one moment when you can give in to the madness. Just let the dam break and be lost in its strong current.

~*~

Everyone crowded on the deck as they sailed into Negril, Jamaica. The clear blue sky mirrored the ocean below. The white sand beaches were dotted with tourists and travelers enjoying their vacations. Couples cooed and sighed at the dramatic cliffs filled with palms and lush forests. Harry, Ron and Neville combed the beaches, checking out the scantily cad beauties. Dean and Seamus immediately spotted the guy selling ganja. The group buzzed with excitement waiting for the plank to lower and they could be free to ravage the island.

Ron swatted at his neck in annoyance hoping to chase away anything that might dine on him. The group was hot, sweaty and tired.

“And so you see, many of de ingreedients we use for de potions are heer,” their guest professor told them. “Heer are de lists of de plants and feesh you are to find. Tonight at midnight, we will perform de ritual.”

“You will split up into groups of two. Take plenty of notes on the ritual tonight, I want a roll of parchment on it,” the chaperone professor instructed.

“Have you seen this list?” Ron whispered to Harry. “I wasn't paying attention to when he pointed this stuff out.”

Harry's attention was yanked away from a hot and sweaty Hermione standing in the crowd wearing shorts and her bikini top. “I hope I pair up with Neville,” he said.

“Ron Weasley you're with Granger,” the professor said, calling down the list. “Malfoy you're with Potter…”

Harry's jaw clenched and he looked over at Malfoy who looked equally thrilled to have him as a partner.

Hermione didn't say anything for the first half hour that they were in the jungle. Conversation between her and Ron stuck mainly to business until she finally worked up the nerve to say something.

“So…did you do anything interesting during our two weeks off?” she asked bravely.

Ron looked up from the list. “It was fine,” he said curtly.

Hermione sighed. “Ron, this is stupid. We used to be best friends, we should at least be capable of a conversation.”

“I think we've said all we've needed to say,” he answered.

“Well I don't. I miss us, I miss our friendship, I miss you both so much. I can't stand that you won't talk to me.”

“It really hurt Hermione,” Ron rounded on her. “It really hurt that you chose him.”

“I didn't choose him over you! No one can replace you guys!” she cried.

“That's not what I meant, Hermione.”

“You don't feel for me the way you think you do,” she said quietly. “But believe me, for awhile I thought you did.”

“Don't tell me how I feel about someone,” Ron said angrily.

“Maybe you did feel something at one point too but somewhere along the way it changed,” she argued. “You treat me exactly the way you treat your sister.”

“I do not!”

“Yes you do. And…I can prove it,” she lifted her head in defiance.

“Oh yeah?” Ron challenged, “Prove it.”

Hermione hesitated a moment then stomped over to Ron. Wrapping her arms around him she planted her lips firmly on his. Ron was so stunned that he dropped the bag that held all the plants they were collecting. She finally broke away from him, smiled triumphantly then picked up the bag and headed toward the beach. Ron just stood there, stunned. She just kissed him. He kept replaying it over and over in his head. She just kissed him. And she was right. It wasn't quite as disgusting as kissing his sister but it felt like…like…kissing a friend. It was platonic.

“Damn it,” he swore and trotted after Hermione. “Fucking Know-It-All.”

After more than a few cheap shots at each other and a couple of fights, Draco and Harry managed to make it out of the jungle and to the sea. Harry stared out the ocean and its clear water. The sound of the larger waves breaking in the distance was rhythmic and soothing. He wanted nothing more than to relax on the beach. But first things first, gathering the ingredients quickly yielded two big benefits. Having the rest of the afternoon off and quickly leaving the presence of Draco Malfoy.

“Do you think you can manage this or should I ask the professor for some floaties for you?” Harry quipped as he put on his mask and snorkel.

“Fuck off, Potter,” Draco shot back as he got ready.

Picking up their spears they dived into the ocean seriously entertaining the thought of drowning one another. Swimming and searching for the fish that would put an end to this miserable task began to wear on them both.

“You know where we need to go,” Draco said as they both treaded water. He nodded over to the breaking waves.

“Are you fucking nuts?” Harry scolded. “Let's just go further down the shore.”

“Why do we need to go searching meters and meters of reefs when there's a big one just a few meters that way?”

“The Professor said that we are to stick to these reefs!” Harry said, sounding a bit like Hermione.

“The Professor said that we are to stick to these reefs!” mimicked Draco. “You sound pathetic, Scarhead.” He put on his mask. “Where's that fucking Gryffindor bravery?” he called over his shoulder as he swam toward the larger reefs.

“Fucking asshole,” Harry muttered and put his snorkel back on as he continued to search the smaller reefs.

Draco could see the colorful coral ahead of him, the reef teeming with sea life. He chuckled to himself at Potter's cowardice and stopped to tread water as he readied his bag and spear.

Immediately he sensed something was wrong. Although he stopped to tread water, he was being pulled forward to the large waves. He swore silently to himself and began to swim back away from them. But for some reason it wasn't working, he still felt like he was being pulled. It was no big deal he told himself, he was a strong swimmer and could swim his way out of this. Potter's snorkel was getting smaller and smaller, the waves were getting larger and more choppy. Panic began to set in as his arms and legs began to burn with exhaustion. He suddenly couldn't get enough air. As soon as he would raise his head above water to gasp for breath, a large wave would put him back under.

Harry speared the bright blue fish then held it above his head as he broke to the surface ready to yell at Draco. His triumph was cut short though when he saw Draco way too far out to sea, floundering amongst the larger waves and getting closer to the big ones that were breaking.

He swore and dropped his spear and bag and swam after him. The tide and the current swiftly brought him to him and he grabbed on to his arm just as he went under. Harry heaved him back to the surface and Draco gasped for air.

“Hold on!” Harry yelled. “We've got to swim!”

The waves were powerful and wouldn't let them go easily. Harry shouted encouragement as they kicked and swam to break free. Harry looked up as a large wave crested. Draco looked at him and they shared a wide eyed look of panic before taking a deep breath and going under.

The wave broke violently above them, the force of it pushing them down and dragging them. The wave dragged Harry over the reef, scraping his left side. Draco was thrown mercilessly against the reefs and a blinding pain shot through his right arm. The wave released them and Harry grabbed Draco and swam to the surface.

“My arm!” Draco gasped and painfully lifted it out of the water. It was bent at an awkward angle. He had broken it.

“Just kick then,” Harry gasped then wrapped an arm around Draco and swam for the shore.

“Harry! Harry!” Dean and Seamus were on the shore. They dropped their spears and jumped in the water.

Hermione and Ron stopped in their tracks when they heard the yells. Giving each other a look of concern they took off at a run for the beach. What she saw when she came to the clearing made her inside turn to ice with fear.

“Oh my God!” Ron yelled as they ran. “What happened?”

The clear water was tainted with a faint red line that she could trace to the shore. Dean and Seamus dragged the limp bodies of Harry and Draco to the beach. Their blood staining the white sands. Ron, who had a weak stomach at the sight of blood, stopped and collapsed a few feet away from Harry. He was white with shock and he sat there staring at his friend. Terry and Ginny ran out onto the beach, also attracted by the boys' yells.

“Was it a shark?” Hermione asked, thinking the worst.

“No, they're just scraped up quite a bit,” Dean said.

Hermione knelt next to Harry and reached out to examine the cuts on his side. There was a bad one on his shoulder. She was about to touch it when Harry flinched and moved away from her. She immediately brought her hand back, pursing her lips in anger, her eyes shining with reproach. Harry's gaze gave nothing away.

“Draco's arm is broken,” Ginny said aloud. She was kneeling next to Draco. Draco opened his eyes.

“That's a brilliant observation, weaslette,” he spat.

“Just shut up and lie down, ferret,” she shot back.

“Somebody explain to me what the hell happened!” Terry shouted.

“Terry, I think we need to get a mediwitch first,” Hermione said.

“No one goes anywhere until I get some answers!” he boomed.

Hermione stood up angrily. “Well, I'm not going to stand here and watch them bleed to death!”

Terry shut his eyes, controlling his temper. “Hermione,” he said calmly, “I'm Head Boy here, and—“

“Oh sod off!” Hermione shouted and headed off in search of the Professor. Seamus followed her but not before knocking Terry out of his way.

“Now, like I said before,” Terry said defiantly, “explain to me what happened.”

Harry and Draco didn't say a word. They were not about to get themselves into a much deserved detention.

“Were you guys fighting again?” Terry circled them. “Can't even do one assignment together without resulting in someone going to the hospital bay?” He kneeled next to Draco. “Tell me, Draco. Did Harry break your arm?” Draco only smirked at him. Terry stood up. “Since I can't take any house points away, your land privileges are revoked. You are to stay on the boat until we leave Jamaica. I will talk to the professor about giving you both a zero for this assignment.” He turned to walk away and Harry lifted his arm and flipped him the bird.

“What's the matter, Boot?” Draco called out to him. “Knickers in a twist because your girlfriend would rather be fucking someone else?”

Terry ignored him and kept walking.

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A/N: Borrowed a bit from Anne Rice. How can you not mention her characters when talking about New Orleans?

Chapter Three: Break Ups & Bargains

“Hermione! Hermione, would you please stop?” Terry pleaded.

Hermione stopped her brisk pace just outside her cabin door. “I have nothing to say to you,” she said. “We are through!”

“Hermione, I'm sorry!”

“I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. You acted like a complete ass! You didn't even ask them what had happened before you jumped to silly conclusions!”

“You know them! You know how they are!” Terry objected. “Pandering to them will not make them respect me. I'm Head Boy!”

“Just listen to yourself!” Hermione threw her hands up in frustration. “Yes, you're Head Boy, I'm Head Girl, but respect doesn't come with the title, Terry. You have to earn it. One of our responsibilities is to be fair and just, of which you were neither today.”

“I'll apologize to them, if that's what you want.”

“I don't care what you do.”

“We're not really through, are we? I mean, we're great together, Hermione,” Terry's tone was softer now.

“Terry,” Hermione sighed. “You're just not the same anymore. I don't know, maybe I've changed.”

“Hermione,” Terry said softly.

“I'm sorry,” she answered, then walked into her cabin, closing the door behind her.

~*~

Draco Malfoy slowly opened his eyes and saw Ginny Weasley fussing with his blankets.

“What time is it?” he asked, groggily.

“It's about nine in the morning,” she answered. “The mediwitch says you can be released today. Your arm good as new.” Draco looked down at his arm still wrapped in a sling. “She wants you to still wear it, she doesn't want you using that arm for a couple of days.” Ginny said as she sat on the bed.

Draco winced a little as he attempted to sit up. His body felt like it had been trampled over by a herd of hippogriffs. He reached for the glass of water on the table next to him. A small vase of hideous looking flowers was placed there along with some goodies left by Crabbe and Goyle. He could tell because they were half eaten.

“Pansy stopped by earlier. She gave you those flowers,” Ginny said. Draco didn't reply. “It was really nice of your girlfriend--.”

“Why are you here, Weaselette?” Draco cut her off.

“Harry was released earlier today. A bunch of us came by to see how he was doing. I stayed behind because I wanted to see how you were doing. You were pretty messed up yesterday.”

Draco scoffed. “Didn't Potter tell everyone the story of how he saved the day? How he swam out to the breakers just in time to keep me from drowning? He just loves being the hero, doesn't he?” he said bitterly.

“Actually, he didn't say a thing. This is the first I've heard of it. Is it true?” she asked.

Draco clenched his jaw and looked away. News of his rescue by Potter of all people would spread like wildfire.

“I'm not going to say a thing,” Ginny said as if reading his thoughts. “If Harry didn't tell anyone about it, he has his reasons.”

Draco still didn't say anything. Ginny got up from the bed.

“I'm glad you're okay, Draco” she said sincerely. “Every school needs an asshole.” She placed a chocolate frog on his bedside then left the room.

~*~

News of Hermione and Terry's breakup traveled quickly on the ship. Harry met it with indifference. He could see it coming a mile away. He had just finished taking a shower and walked into his room when a knock came at the door.

“Oh!” Hermione exclaimed, turning red at the state of Harry's undress; a white towel wrapped around his waist, another resting around his neck. Droplets of water still clung to his body and he smelled of fresh soap.

Harry, very well aware of the effect he was having on her, opened the door a little wider and invited her in.

“No…no thank you,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I just came by to see how you were doing. I heard you were released this morning.”

“A little stiff but alright,” Harry said, subtly dropping the innuendo. Hermione caught it and shifted uncomfortably.

“Alright, then. I'll just…go…and make my rounds,” she said, backing away. “Oh, yes, I almost forgot,” she said excitedly. “Your land privileges for Jamaica are reinstated.”

“Are they?” Harry raised an eyebrow.

“I am Head Girl after all,” Hermione said, grinning, dropping her own innuendo. “He had no right to do that without asking what had happened.” It was an opening she was hoping Harry would take to explain what did happen on the beach yesterday. Harry knew it but he didn't follow through. “Well, then. That's all,” Hermione smiled and turned to walk away.

“Hey Hermione!” Harry called out to her and left his room to trot after her. “I heard about you and Terry.”

“Oh…that,” Hermione looked down and examined the back of her hands.

“You alright?” he asked.

“I will be,” she said.

“Did you want to come in and talk about it?” Harry motioned back to the room.

Hermione paused. “I don't think that would be a good idea, Harry. Not now but thank you, anyway.”

She turned and walked back down the hall, looking over her shoulder at him before she climbed up the stairs.

~*~

Red.

He hated that damned color.

Red: a shade of a Gryffindor house color, his most hated house. Red: the color of the Weasley's hair, the people he most despised. Red: the color of Weaselette's damned bikini.

Red.

He hated that damned color.

He tore his eyes from watching the youngest Weasley sunbathe to his approaching girlfriend. She plopped down next to him and began to rummage through her bag. Draco's eyes returned to Ginny, who had the faintest grin on her face as if she knew he was watching her.

“This place is crawling with fucking muggles,” Pansy grumbled as she found the cigs she was looking for.

“Hmpf,” was Draco's reply. Ginny pulled the bikini away from her skin as if to check her tan line, revealing a bit of her pelvis to Draco. He swallowed audibly.

“Look at those Gryffindor's,” Pansy sneered. “Blending in with those damned muggles.”

Potter, Ron Weasley, and Longbottom were playing volleyball with some muggles they had befriended on the beach. Ginny and Luna cheered when they had scored a point and Draco rolled his eyes.

“Can't believe they let Potter off,” Pansy said as she handed a cig to Draco. “Especially since he broke your arm.”

Draco didn't bother to correct her. It ate at him that Potter came to his rescue. It really hurt his pride and ego. His gaze went back to Ginny. She was on her stomach now, handing a bottle of lotion to that whacked out witch Loony Lovegood, who proceeded to massage some onto Ginny's back. Draco took a long drag from his cigarette.

“Here comes Goody-Goody-Granger,” Pansy nodded in her direction. “Did you hear that she dumped Terry?”

“Really?” Draco was genuinely surprised at this news. “For Potter?”

“No…I don't think so. I think they still hate each other. See how he ignores her?”

Draco rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's naivety. Potter probably fooled the rest of the student body but he wasn't fooling him. He wasn't ignoring Granger, he was desperately trying not to gawk at her. Draco suddenly sat up a little straighter, an idea popping into his head.

“I heard she was responsible for lifting your punishment,” Pansy sighed. “Yours and Potter's. Though for him, who knows why, he was the one who attacked you.” She took a drag of her cigarette. “Probably to get back at Terry. Speaking of which, you're not going to let Potter get away with what he did, are you?”

“No…of course not,” he said slowly as Granger joined Loony and Weaselette.

“Have you got something in mind then?” Pansy asked, curious.

Draco watched as Potter snuck in a look at Granger. “Yeah,” he said softly, “Yeah I think I might.”

~*~

Hermione sighed tiredly as she wrapped her bathrobe around her snugly. She didn't have to do rounds tonight and she was looking forward to a hot shower and lying down to read a book. She rinsed away the soap, letting the spray of the shower lightly massage her head. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes, relaxing.

An image popped into her mind. The image of Harry the other day, opening his door clad only in a towel. She sighed as she imagined her hands running lightly over his chest, coming to rest down at the knot of the towel as she tilted her head up to his lips and…

No!

She opened her eyes. She was not going to go there. She quickly rinsed off then shut off the water. She quickly wrapped her hair in a towel then reached for her bathrobe when her gaze rested on the lone tub in the bathroom.

The tub.

She bit her lower lip. Well, no one is here, she rationalized to herself. She shook her head, shaking the thoughts out of her head. She tied her bathrobe around her and gathered her things. Passing the tub to leave the bathroom she paused again.

“Oh, sod it!” she whispered to herself and dropped her things onto a bench and quickly undid her robe.

Harry knocked on the cabin door and Ginny answered.

“Hey, Harry what's up?” she asked.

“Just came by to drop this off,” he said, handing Luna a CD.

“Thanks Harry!” she chirped from her top bunk.

“So, you guys ready for the Big Easy?” Harry asked.

“The city is full of witches and vampires,” Luna cooed.

“A few of us are sneaking away after lessons. Luna is determined to find a haunted house or…something,” Ginny said.

“It's true! It's in the Garden District or something. First Street, I think,” Luna said dreamily. “A family of witches used to live there.”

“A little too much fiction if you ask me,” Ginny sighed. “So…are you in?”

“Definitely,” Harry grinned. “Catch you guys later,” he said, taking their leave.

“Night, Harry.”

“Bye!”

He closed the door behind him and walked down the corridor. A door opened ahead and Hermione stepped out of the Prefect's Bath.

“Hello, Hermione,” he said.

Hermione let out and exclamation of surprise and dropped her bath items.

“Harry!” she was flushed and a bit giggly. “Hi!”

Harry picked up her bath items from the floor and handed them back to her.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Yes! Yes, I'm fine,” she smiled sweetly at him, a rosy glow about her.

A wry smile grew on Harry's face as he put two and two together.

“Have a nice bath?” he asked casually.

“Mm-hmm, very nice,” Hermione smiled then walked away to her cabin.

~*~

Draco Malfoy knocked softly on Terry's door. Unlike Hermione, Terry opted to have the room to himself. He was Head Boy after all.

“Come in,” a voice called out and Draco opened the door.

“Oh, good God,” he said aloud.

The room had that stale smell as if he hadn't opened a window in quite some time. You couldn't see the floor because of all the clothes that were piled there. Butterbeer bottles littered the floor as well. The only neat and organized thing in the room was his desk with all the school books and that was only because they hadn't been touched in awhile.

Terry lay face down on his bed, clothes wrinkled, hair that hadn't been combed or washed in days, a shadow on his face from not shaving.

“What the hell happened in here?” Draco asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“What do you want, Draco?” Terry asked, his voice muffled by the pillows on his bed.

“I take it you're taking the break up a bit badly?” Draco teased.

“Go away,” Terry said, not lifting his head.

“For crying out loud it's only Granger, of all people!” Draco cleared off the chair so he could sit down.

“She was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Terry said solemnly.

“That truly is the most pathetic thing I've ever heard,” Draco said sincerely.

“Why are you here, Draco? Do you truly enjoy kicking people while they're down?”

“Yes, now that you mention it, I truly enjoy doing that. But that's not why I'm here,” Draco said dismissively. “I'm here to help you get Granger back.”

Terry turned over in his bed to look at him. “You…are going to help me?” Draco nodded. “Why?”

“I have my reasons.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Truly, you shouldn't. But your method so far,” Draco gestured around the room, “clearly isn't working.”

Terry looked appraisingly at him. “What's in it for you?”

“I'll let you know when I need the favor returned.”

Terry turned back to his pillows. “No deal,” he said.

“Fine,” Draco sighed as he got to his feet. “But when you catch Potter groping your ex all over this ship, don't say I didn't try and help you.”

“Wait!” Terry called out as Draco opened the door.

~*~

The first thing the students learned about New Orleans, was just how damn hot and muggy it was. It was the kind of heat where you would take a shower, step outside and feel so hot and sticky that you wondered why you even bothered in the first place.

But the city itself was nothing like they had seen anywhere. Ruelle Rivière, New Orleans' answer to Diagon Alley, had their jaws dropped. And its history was enough to keep Hermione salivating for months. Witches and wizards of all types resided here; Upper class, refined ladies who could pass for muggles dined at a small café, eccentric elderly witches with odd hats and robes bustled about, dark skinned exotic Creoles perused the shop windows. And the stores! Odd little bookstores stood next to quaint cafes, their aromas filling the street with the exotic smells synonymous with Cajun cooking. Poor Ron couldn't decide where to dine first. Voodoo was very prominent here, vendors sold live chickens and roosters, snakes hissed in cages, powders and potions of all colors and creatures that would make Hagrid envious.

Separating themselves from their classmates at the end of the lesson, Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione and Ginny all followed Luna out onto Canal St.

“Come on, there's the streetcar,” Luna pointed out and the group boarded the olive green trolley.

The group oohed and ahhed, pointing in various directions to landmarks and statues. Getting off at their stop, their jaws dropped at the magnificent homes that were trademark of the Garden District.

“Do you know which house it is?” Hermione asked.

“No, let's just walk to First Street then keep on walking until we find it,” Luna answered.

“How will we know?” Ginny asked.

“Just look for the ghost,” Ron said chidingly.

“Betcha it's broken down and boarded up,” Neville said.

“The sound of wailing filling the air,” Harry added.

“Don't forget the graveyard,” Ron chimed in, “it has to have a graveyard in the front.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and tutted impatiently at them. The lively spirit followed the group as they walked. Passing Prytania, Harry suddenly slowed his pace.

“Hey guys…do you smell something?” he asked.

The group paused, sniffing the air.

“This is the `Garden' District,” Hermione said. “It's probably some exotic plant or something.”

The group continued walking and the smell got distinctly stronger. Muggle tourists passed by not noticing the smell.

“I think I smell it too, Harry,” Neville said.

“Me too,” Ginny agreed. Nearing Magazine street the group stopped and a hush fell over them.

The house was a beautiful well kept one pale lavender with green shutters. The smell seemed to be coming from the house. The air was quiet and still.

“This is it,” Luna whispered reverently.

“Do you guys hear that?” Ginny whispered.

The tinny music from a Victrola could be heard from inside the house.

“Does someone live here?” Harry asked.

“No, nobody lives here,” Luna answered. “The family that lived here was supposedly haunted by a ghost. I guess they still own the home but no one lives here.”

Just as she said that, the front door opened and the translucent figure of a man stepped out. He was an older gentleman, tanned with white hair and piercing blue eyes. The group heard a giggling sound above them. High in the oak tree a young woman smiled and waved at them. A rocking chair appeared on the front porch with an older woman rocking silently in it, watching them. The sound of shattering glass made them all jump as they heard a scream as someone fell to their death. Another group of muggles passed by, laughing amongst themselves.

“Can they not see this? Or hear it?” Ginny said quietly in a shaking voice.

A shot rang out from somewhere in the house followed by more screams. Hermione jumped back into Harry.

“I want to leave,” she whispered, frightened.

“Come on in, Chéries,” the man gestured with open arms toward the house. “You may leave your escorts. I have some lemonade in the back.”

Harry moved Hermione protectively behind him. Looking up he saw a man in the window looking down at them. He had brown hair, pale skin and dark eyes.

“Come on guys,” Harry said to the group. “Let's get going.”

The journey back to Ruelle Rivière was a quiet and somber one.

-->

A/N: Kudos to those who got the `Witching Hour' reference in the last chapter. Thanks for all the great reviews!

Chapter Four: The Ferret Strikes Back

Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind—Anonymous

The music pulsated through their bodies, its drum beat coursing through them. The alcohol warmed them, burning their throats as it went down. If they got caught, they would surely be sent home for the rest of the summer. Poor muggles, fooled by the fake ID's that they conjured up. But it was their last day in New Orleans and they were going to take full advantage of it.

Dean, Harry and Ginny all tested each others alcohol tolerance, while Luna teased Ron, gyrating her hips to the music. Neville charmed a group of muggle college girls who inundated him with drinks, harpies that wrapped beads around his neck.

They were being watched. Draco Malfoy stood hidden in the shadows. His grey eyes watched them before nodding to others to set into motion the events of tonight. He left the club unseen.

~*~

A ray of sunlight fell across Ron Weasley face stirring him from his sleep. He groaned. His head hurt and his tongue felt as dry as sandpaper. He opened his eyes and glanced around the room. It wasn't his. He wouldn't dare put a West Ham poster on his wall. This was Dean and Seamus' room. Loud snoring brought his attention to the other side of the room. Neville was snoring loudly, beads wrapped around his neck. Ron moved off the bed and over to Neville to unwrap the beads from his neck so he wouldn't strangle himself in his sleep.

He placed the beads on the desk nearby then stretched his arms over his head, yawning. Seamus and Dean slept soundly on the top bunks. Wondering where Harry was he headed to their room.

Beads hung from the doorknob, the guys' universal signal that anything hanging on the door meant the room was “occupied”. Ron knocked softly on the door.

“Harry?” he said quietly. He couldn't hear any movement in the room so he quietly turned the knob and opened the door. “Harry? Are you alright mate?”

“WHAT THE FUCK?!!”

Ron's exclamation woke Neville, Dean and Seamus. Harry was yanked from his slumber and bolted upright. He quickly figured out he wasn't alone when his bedmate screamed.

“Oh my God!” Harry and Ginny said in unison.

Ginny scrambled to cover herself with the quilt, Harry took the bed sheet.

“This isn't what it looks like,” Harry explained lamely. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't really explain it at all. He remembered the club and drinking but everything was fuzzy after that.

“Ron calm down!” Ginny said calmly.

“I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!” Ron lunged for Harry but was held back by Neville and Dean who had come to see what the commotion was about.

“Would you quiet down? The whole floor can hear you!” Harry said sharply as he fumbled under the sheets to get dressed.

“SHE'S MY SISTER!!”

“Ron! Be quiet!” Ginny hissed. She was panicking inside. She couldn't remember a thing about last night. She didn't dare meet Harry's eyes and Harry wasn't in any hurry to meet hers.

“What's going on here?”

Harry's stomach dropped at the sound of Terry's voice.

“Get him out of here,” Terry ordered and Neville and Dean dragged Ron to the other room.

Harry quickly put up a sheet to cover Ginny as she quickly dressed.

“This isn't what it looks like,” Harry said. “This is a private matter, we don't need you butting in.”

Terry remained calm, his face giving away nothing. “Ginny are you okay?” he asked in a soft voice. Ginny nodded. “Why don't you go ahead to the girl's floor? You were never here.”

Ginny gave a worried look to Harry, who nodded, before she left the room. Terry looked back at Harry.

“Is there anything else?” Harry asked, irritated.

“And I thought today was going to be bad day,” Terry said smiling before he turned and left the room.

He went next door and knocked on the door. Seamus let him in and Terry saw that Ron was still furious.

“Can you give us a moment?” Terry asked the others. The guys took their leave. Ron stood by the window, his jaw clenched tightly.

“I'm not taking any house points away, that would attract too much attention to this…situation. I'm assuming you don't want anyone finding out about this. I'll do it to protect your sister,” Terry began. Ron said nothing.

“Normally, you would have to fill out paperwork if you requested to switch cabins but in lieu of these events I'll overlook it. You can move out today and move in here if you would like.” Terry turned and left the room.

~*~

Ginny sat on the bathroom floor, crying. She couldn't figure out what had happened. She couldn't get the mental image of her brother's face out of her mind. The rage, the anger, the disappointment. She felt sick about it. Harry was like a brother to her. But at the same time, she was confused. She was a virgin and if she did anything like…that…with Harry, she would know about it. Right?

She didn't want to go back to her room. She couldn't. Hermione would hear about this and even though Hermione wasn't with Harry, it was clear that there were some lingering feelings there. She'd be just as angry as Ron. Their friendship ruined.

Back in his room, Harry was thinking the same thing. Did he do something with Ginny? He couldn't remember for the life of him. Was he that drunk? His friendship with Ron was damaged beyond repair and Hermione? Harry groaned. Hermione would murder him, he would lose her forever.

~*~

Hermione was already up but she was still surprised by the knock at the door. Curious to see who their visitor was so early in the morning she tiptoed to the door so as not to wake Luna.

“Terry, what are you doing here?” she whispered.

“Sorry to bother you but can I talk to you for a moment?” he asked, then seeing her hesitant look he quickly added, “Its school business.”

She quietly closed the door behind her and followed Terry to a quiet corner in the hall.

“What it is?” she asked quietly.

“I wanted you to know that Ron is switching rooms,” he began.

“What? Why?” Hermione asked.

“That's his business to tell you but I just wanted to let you know that I let him do it without any paperwork. Given the situation, it was the least I could do,” Terry explained.

“Well…what…,” Hermione was so confused.

Terry held up his hand to stop her flow of questions. “It's not my place to say anything. I just wanted to let you know so that you're…aware of what was going on.”

“Okay,” she sighed. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“Sorry to wake you up so early,” Terry said.

“No, it's fine. I was already up,” she said.

“Slavery and Witchcraft report?” Terry asked.

Hermione let out a small laugh. “Yeah,” she smiled.

There was an awkward silence between them before Terry spoke up again, wishing her a good day before leaving her. Hermione sighed then walked back to her room. It was only when she got there and took a good look around she realized that Ginny wasn't there.

Draco Malfoy was waiting for Terry in his room when he got back.

“So?” he asked calmly.

“You were right,” Terry said. “Weasley had a fit.”

“Told you he would,” Draco shrugged.

“So, how do you know this is going to work? If they just got together and talked about this, this whole thing could fall to pieces.”

“Trust me. I know them better than you do,” Draco smirked. “This will work.”

~*~

“Wanna talk?” Hermione asked Ron.

He had gone up on deck to be alone with his thoughts. He would rather spend time looking out at the ocean ahead than in the room next to…next to…him. Hermione had been looking for him all afternoon.

Ron looked at her. “Didn't Ginny tell you?” he asked before turning back and leaning against the railing.

Hermione stood next to him gazing out to sea.

“I haven't seen her all day,” Hermione said softly. “Did you have a fight with Harry?”

“I found them in bed together this morning,” his voice was surprisingly calm.

“Who?” she asked.

Ron paused a moment. “Harry and Ginny.”

Hermione's world went into a tailspin. Harry and Ginny. She leaned against the railing for support.

“Are you sure it was—“

“Yes,” Ron answered cutting her off.

Hermione's knuckles were turning white from the grip she had.

“I can't believe he'd take advantage of her like that,” Ron muttered.

“You know Harry wouldn't do that. Ginny's her own person, she knew what she was doing,” Hermione's voice wavered slightly.

Ron peered closely at her. “Hey, are you alright?”

“No Ron, I'm not,” Hermione said distantly as she left him on deck.

Images passed through her mind as she walked back to her room. She saw an image of Harry, fresh from the shower, naked only with a towel wrapped around his waist. She saw Ginny running her hands over him and his hands running over her. Jealousy bubbled within her. Hermione only had an image in her mind, and idea of what it would be like to have Harry touch her intimately, what he would look like as he moved above her when they made love, how he would be when they climaxed together. All of that was ruined. She would never know what it would be like but Ginny would. And even if the stars were aligned just so Hermione would know what it would be like. She wouldn't want it. He was tainted. By sleeping with one of her good friends he was tainted. She hated Harry. She hated Ginny. She hated them both! They deserved to be together.

Hermione flung open the door to find Ginny and Luna talking to each other. They both rose from their seats when Hermione entered the room.

“Hermione, let me explain,” Ginny said hastily. But Hermione didn't want to hear it.

“Shut up, Ginny. Just SHUT UP!!” Hermione screamed.

Ginny was too shocked to speak.

“Hermione what are you doing?” Luna asked as Hermione drew out her wand and began packing her belongings with a flick of her wrist.

“If you think I'm going to spend a MINUTE in the presence of that…PERSON, you have another thing coming!” Hermione said breathlessly as she gathered her belongings. Ginny began to cry.

“Hermione…I'm sorry. I don't—“

“SHUT UP!! I said I didn't want to hear it!” Hermione collapsed against the doorway, her arms full of her things. “You knew,” Hermione said hoarsely, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You knew I loved him…and you…” She couldn't finish, she just shook her head and left the room.

Since she had opted to room with Ginny and Luna, the Head Girl cabin was empty, until now. Plopping her things on the floor, Hermione collapsed onto the bed in a heap of exhaustion and tears. A knock came at her door and she groaned.

“Go away,” she mumbled.

The door opened and Terry walked in holding butterbeer and a pint of ice cream. Hermione sat up and looked at him.

“I got a couple of prefects to do our rounds tonight,” he said softly as he closed the door behind him. “I thought you might need this,” he placed the bottles and the carton on her desk. Hermione wiped her eyes with her hands. “Oh and this!” he said, bringing out a box of tissue from his cloak.

“Why are you here?” she asked. It wasn't mean, it was a simple question.

Terry pulled a chair up to face her. “We're still friends aren't we?” he smiled kindly.

Hermione gave a small smile and took a tissue from him.

“Terry?” she asked. “Am I pretty? Aren't I the type of person that guys want to be with?”

“Oh, Hermione. You are pretty. You are a force to reckon with. Beauty and brains?” Terry smiled. “That doesn't come by very often and I was a git to lose you in the first place.”

Hermione gave a weak smile. “I meant aren't I attractive enough to make guys…you know…want to do…stuff with me?”

Terry licked his lips in apprehension before leaning forward and capturing Hermione's lips in a kiss. Hermione accepted it, opening her mouth to let him deepen it. Soon, Terry broke the kiss and looked at her.

“Hermione, you make me want to do lots of stuff with you,” he whispered before pressing his lips to hers. Slowly he lowered her back onto the bed.

Harry was in a panic. He couldn't find anyone on this damn ship that he needed to speak to. Over half the day had gone by and he had yet to find Ron, Ginny or Hermione. How big couldn't this stupid ship be? He was sure by now that word had spread to Hermione about what happened this morning and he wanted his chance to explain things to her. Hell, he needed to talk to Ginny to figure out what in the hell did happen. He knocked on the door to the girls' cabin and Luna answered.

“Ginny! Ginny are you alright?” Harry looked over Luna's shoulder at Ginny who was sobbing on her bed.

“Oh, Harry!” Ginny wrapped her arms around him. “What happened to us?”

“I don't know but I'm going to find out. But first, where is Hermione?” he asked and Ginny broke out into more sobs.

“She hates me! She absolutely hates me!”

“Shh, no she doesn't hate you,” Harry tried to soothe looking at Luna for help.

“She moved out today,” Luna said sadly, “she wouldn't listen to her. She moved into the Head Girl cabin.”

Harry extricated himself from Ginny. “Ginny I'll be right back. But I need to try and talk to Hermione, okay?”

Hermione and Terry lay on her bed, their shoes and sandals off as they relaxed together. Hermione couldn't go further than kissing him and he was happy just to be holding her in his arms again.

“We really should try and finish the ice cream,” Hermione muttered.

“I'm sure it's all melted by now,” Terry mumbled in her hair.

Hermione sat up and reached for the ice cream. Terry reluctantly sat up as well.

“We'll just cast a freezing charm on it, I'm sure it'll be fine,” Hermione said as she pried the lid off.

But the container was slippery with condensation and melted chocolate ice cream splashed onto their shirts. They both laughed.

“I'll take care of this,” Terry said, taking the container from Hermione and getting off the bed.

“We are a mess,” Hermione said, looking at her ruined shirt.

“It's a good color on you,” Terry smiled as he cast a freezing charm on the ice cream. “I have a t-shirt on underneath,” he said and began to unbutton his shirt.

Hermione looked down at her t-shirt then back at Terry.

“I'll turn around,” he said.

When he did Hermione took off her shirt and found a clean one in a suitcase. A knock came at the door just then.

“Hermione,” Harry spoke through the door. “I need to speak with you.”

“I don't want to talk to him right now,” Hermione whispered to Terry as she began to button her shirt.

“I'll get rid of him,” Terry offered.

“Hermione,” Harry called out. “Please open the door.”

She did but Harry was shocked to see who was behind it.

“Now's not a good time Harry,” Terry said politely.

Harry looked at Terry, clad in jeans and an undershirt, his bare feet. He looked over his shoulder and saw Hermione sitting on a bed buttoning up her shirt. His eyes narrowed at Terry.

“I see,” Harry said curtly and Terry closed the door in his face.

He stood there outside her door, breathing deeply in and out of his nostrils. Anger, hurt and jealousy coursed through him. He had half a mind to kick down the door, toss Terry out and show Hermione what he'd been wanting to do with her for a very long time.

But it wouldn't do any good.

He went back to Ginny and Luna's room. He needed to sort things out with Ginny and find out what in the hell happened.

~*~

Draco had to only sit back and watch the scene before him to revel in his glory. They were a day out of the coast of Costa Rica and nothing surrounded them but the blue ocean. They were on the last leg of the trip, summer almost over and September loomed ahead. But for now, they were taking advantage of the beautiful weather by sitting up on deck.

He watched the trio of friends laughing. No not Hermione, Ron and Harry. Draco's handiwork had demolished that to Hermione, Ron and Terry. Luna didn't completely abandon Ginny but she started dating Ron and therefore spent more time with him. Seamus, Dean and Neville did not want to get involved in the situation so they separated themselves from Ron and Harry, albeit they had to share a room with Ron. Harry had to listen every night to the laughter coming from the next room. Ginny got scathing looks from Ron and Hermione so she chose to stay away from Harry. Draco had made him a pariah.

It was great.

It filled Draco with such delight that he was making Potter's life a living hell. He basked in the glory he got for getting Hermione and Terry together. Reveled in the envious looks that Potter threw at the couple. Draco weaved his fingers together and cradled them behind his head. Yup, life couldn't get any better than this.

He failed to see the storm clouds up ahead that the ship seemed to be sailing directly into.

-->

A/N: WARNING!! I'm going to have to rate this chapter NC-17 so I don't say I didn't warn you.

“No mercy, no power but its own controls it. Panting and snorting like a mad battle steed that has lost its rider, the masterless ocean overruns the globe.”—Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Chapter Five: The Storm

Ron was surprise when his cabin door flung open and Ginny burst in.

“Ginny, what are you doing?” he asked when she locked the door behind her.

“You are going to listen to every word I have to say,” she said threateningly.

“If you're going to try and defend him for what he did to you,” Ron growled.

“Shut up Ron and listen!” Ginny said exasperatedly. “Look, Harry and I have been trying to figure out what happened to us.”

“Oh, I can tell you exactly what happened,” Ron said sarcastically.

“Ron! Please listen!” Ginny pleaded.

“I went to the mediwitch to have myself checked out.”

“I don't want to hear this,” Ron put his hands over his ears.

Ginny stomped over and removed his hands. “I'm still a virgin.”

“La, la, la, la. I'm not listening!” Ron sing songed.

“Ron! I said I'm still a virgin!” she said more forcefully.

Ron just stared at her. “They can check for that?”

Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head. “This is very important, Ron. What can you remember from that night?”

“Gin, we were all pretty drunk that night,” Ron said lightly.

“Were we?” Ginny asked, “Isn't it funny that every one of us can't remember how we got back to the ship? If we were so pissed, how did we do it?” Ron had a blank look on his face. “Furthermore,” she continued, “Luna didn't drink as much as we did and she can't remember what happened that night either.”

Ron opened his mouth to say something but something clicked in his head. Ginny was right, Luna didn't have as much to drink as everyone else.

“Well…how do you explain you and Harry?” he asked.

“I don't know,” she sighed. “But Harry wouldn't do that. You have to believe that.”

“I want to believe it Ginny, I do. But the cold hard facts are that you and he were in bed together…naked!” Ron sighed and got off the bed. “He's my best friend Ginny, nearly a brother.” He sighed and rested his head against the cool wall, staring out of the small circular window.

“You have to believe us, Ron,” Ginny said quietly. Ron didn't say anything back. Ginny sighed and left the room.

~*~

Herbie sat back in a chair, feet propped on the desk. He had gotten this job through a friend and he desperately needed it. He had a shitload of back rent due as well as a car that was a breadth away from being repossessed. Just a few more weeks and he would be off this stinking boat loaded with rich kids from some private school he'd never heard of. He took the late shift because of the shift differential but he had been drinking earlier with the cooks in the staff poker tourney. The alcohol was beginning to get to him, making his thoughts muddled and his eyelids like cement. He began to slowly nod off only to be jerked awake when his head drooped to low. He shook his head and put on some headphones hoping that the music would keep him awake. He cranked the volume and sat back. Slowly, his eyelids began to close. The loud volume drowns out the beeping alarm on the control board telling whoever is in charge that the pressure is too high. Herbie slowly nodded off asleep.

~*~

Ron sat across from Terry, staring off into space, the parchment in front of him long forgotten. His inkwell slid across the table as the ship listed slightly starboard.

“This storm is unbelievable isn't it?” Terry said looking up at Ron. “Ron? You alright?”

Ron, jerked out of this thoughts, looked back at Terry.

“I asked if you were alright,” Terry repeated.

Ron rolled his quill between his thumb and index finger. “How are things going with you and Hermione?” he asked suddenly.

Terry looked a little puzzled. “They're fine. Why?”

Ron leaned forward in his seat. “I mean, she was pretty ticked off at you when you first broke up. Now that you're suddenly back together, I just wondered if you worked everything out.”

Terry went back to his report. “Like you said, we're back together.”

“Well…how'd you do it?” Ron persisted.

Terry stopped his writing and looked up at Ron. “What's with all the questions?”

Harry quietly snuck down the corridor, listening closely for anyone who would show up. With a simple unlocking charm he unlocked the cabin door and snuck in the room.

“Figures,” Harry said, looking at the messy room. Draco Malfoy's stuff was everywhere. They had no house elves on the ship so each student was responsible for their own messes. Apparently, Draco had never had to clean in his entire life. Harry threw out an arm to steady himself as the ship listed. Thunder rumbled overhead. He tucked his wand in his back pocket and began to dig through the desk looking for something…anything. Not in any hurry to check Draco's bed, Harry used his wand to lift the sheets and pillow. The only thing he found there was his wand. Feeling a bit vengeful, Harry took the wand and stuffed it into his back pocket with his own. Next, Harry checked under the bed, pulling out a small wooden box. Opening it, Harry found it stuff with all sorts of smoking paraphernalia. Sorting through the various pipes, papers and cartons of cigarettes, he found matchbooks at the bottom. One of them immediately caught his eye.

“Son of a bitch,” Harry muttered as he lifted it out of the box. He ran his thumb over the design on the front. It had the name of the club in New Orleans stamped on it. Shoving the box under the bed, Harry quietly left the room.

“Dare I ask why you were in Malfoy's room?” a familiar voice asked.

Ron's expression gave nothing away. “I'm just curious, that's all. I mean, Hermione is like a sister to me. I just want to make sure she's not making the same mistake again or that she could get hurt.”

“I would never hurt, Hermione,” Terry said, sounding a bit hurt. “I love her! I'm crazy about her.”

Ron shrugged and looked around the library. Thunder rumbled overhead. “I'm just watching out for her.”

Terry went back to his report. “I understand. I mean…look how you were when you found out that Harry took advantage of your little sister's drunkenness.”

Ron's head snapped back to Terry, his eyes narrowed.

“Answer me, Harry,” Hermione demanded.

Harry slipped the matchbook in his pocket. “None of your business, so why don't you run along and rat on me to your little boyfriend.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes. “You are so pathetic.”

“Not as pathetic as someone who would take that poor excuse of a Head Boy back.”

Hermione pointed a finger in Harry's face. “Don't go there with me, Harry.” She turned on her heel and stomped away. Harry stomped after her.

“I will go there with you, Hermione. Getting back together with him just because he gave you what you wanted, he must really be outstanding in bed for you to still be sticking around.” Harry turned and walked up the stairs to his floor.

Hermione's jaw dropped. “How dare you say such things! You of all people have no right to judge me!” She ran after him.

“Just like you judged Ginny and me?” he asked angrily.

“If the shoe fits,” Hermione held her head high. “This isn't the first time you've indulged yourself and woken up next to a girl.”

Harry couldn't say anything back to that. She was right. “And Ginny?” he asked.

“I can't explain that but all I can say is that she knew that I…” Hermione stopped before she could say more.

Harry stopped walking down the corridor and turned to Hermione. “Knew what?” he asked.

“Harry, how would you feel if you found Ron and me together like that?” she asked.

“It wouldn't happen,” Harry said angrily, turning around again.

“Why not?” she asked.

“For one thing he wouldn't betray Luna like that.” Harry turned around and pointed a finger in Hermione's face.

“And what about me?” she asked.

“Well, after what you said in the kitchens last month, I knew you were desperate to be rid of your virginity,” he said nastily. “Hey, I mean you're already banging Head Boy Dickless!”

Hermione slapped him across the cheek then stormed down the corridor. Harry swore and kicked the wall before storming into his cabin.

“How did you know?” Ron asked quietly.

Terry looked up at him. “How did I know what?”

“That Ginny was drunk. Nobody told you,” Ron said suspiciously.

Terry who had been scribbling on his parchment paused slightly then continued writing. Ron picked up on that immediately. Thunder boomed overhead.

“I just assumed. I mean how else could Harry get her into bed?” he looked up at him jokingly. Ron gave a mocking laugh.

“It was pretty early in the morning when all that happened, wasn't it?” Ron asked.

“Yeah, I know. What a way to wake up, huh?”

“And yet, there you were, seconds after I yelled, already dressed.”

Terry put down his quill and looked at Ron. “What exactly are you getting at Ron?”

“I just find it convenient that you were there at the right time, all dressed up.” Terry didn't reply so Ron continued. “Luna also told me that you that you went to see Hermione. Now if anyone gets up early around here, it's her, but she was still in her pajamas.”

“I'm an early riser,” Terry said coldly.

“Now that I think about it, you were pretty calm about the situation, almost as if you were expecting it.” Ron sat back in his chair thoughtfully.

“It's Harry. I would expect something like that from him,” Terry replied.

“Yes, well. You also expected Harry and Malfoy to fight and look how you flew off the handle when you found them on the beach. But that morning, you walked in cool and collected,” Ron stared at Terry.

“I really hope you aren't accusing me of anything,” Terry said coolly.

“Hang on a minute. Let me put this all together. Nobody said a word about Ginny being drunk but you knew about that. You walked into that room not at all surprised about what you saw. You so graciously let me switch rooms and Neville too so Harry is left all alone. You prance on down to tell Hermione how good of a Head Boy you were, play honorable by not revealing what happened. You let someone else to the dirty work so that you can swoop in and comfort her. Did I get everything?”

Terry shook his head in disgust. “That is not true.”

“Isn't it though? Let me throw another one at you. You don't like, Harry. Really, really don't like him. And now I know why,” Ron said.

“Oh, pray tell,” Terry said mockingly.

“Because you want to be him,” Ron pointed a finger accusingly at Terry.

“What?” Terry scoffed.

“You keep trying to make me your friend, you're dating his other best friend.”

“This is ridiculous,” Terry laughed.

“Oh yeah? Well I've got bad news for you…pal,” Ron rose from his chair and leaned forward placing his knuckles on the table. “I might have been pissed at Harry but he's still my best friend. And no one…fucks with my best friends.” Ron lunged across the table, tackling Terry to the ground.

Harry was sitting on the bed, sulking, when the door swung open and Hermione stormed through.

“Why, Harry?” she cried, hitting him on the shoulder. “Why her? Why her and not me?” Her fists hit him on his shoulders and his chest. Harry got off the bed and grasped her shoulders, holding her at arms length. The ship listed sharply and Harry and Hermione collided into the wall behind her.

“I didn't sleep with her!” he hissed in her ear. Being this close to her began to stir arousal within him.

Hermione knocked his hands away and shoved him away from her. “Why should I believe you? Huh? Why should I believe you when you've indulged yourself with other girls? Everyone but me!”

“You're exaggerating Hermione!”

“Am I? Look at me, Harry! Look at me and tell me you're attracted to me. Look at me and tell me you'd do things to me that you've done with other girls.” Tears were streaming down her face, her nose was a bit runny and her hair was a little wild. Yes, he wanted her but he was fighting it. He turned away from her.

“Hermione, stop it,” he said angrily.

“Why? Why don't you think of me that way?” she shouted.

“You're my friend!” he shouted back.

Hermione sobbed out a laugh. “You're friend?! That's all you see me as?” She hastily began to unbutton her top and Harry quickly looked away. “Do you know your friend has these?” she said, opening the top to reveal the simple pink bra she wore. “Am I so repulsive that you can't even look at me?”

Reluctantly Harry let his gaze wander over her creamy skin, her flat belly and the soft curves of her breasts. He tore his eyes from her, gripping the back of a chair as desire and lust clouded his mind.

“Hermione,” he said warningly.

“Guess what else your friend has,” Hermione snarled, kicking off the sandals she wore. Harry heard her unzip her zipper.

“Hermione, cut it out!” he snapped at her.

“Why, Harry?” she said, her voice was falsely cheery. “I can strut around in my knickers because you won't do a thing.” She pulled off her jeans, letting them pool around her ankles then taking them off. “I'm safe. I know you won't try to touch me or do anything. Why? Because you're my friend and that's all you'll ever think of me.” She tossed her jeans at Harry, hitting him. Harry turned and glared at her. She was pushing the boundary. He took in her shapely legs, following them up to the small triangle patch of pink fabric that was her underwear.

“Hermione, stop it,” he growled at her. His hardness began to strain against his jeans.

“Why should I Harry?” her voice was sultry and teasing. Harry gripped the back of the chair harder as if he were clinging to the last of his resolve.

“Don't push me, Hermione,” Harry warned his eyes flashing dangerously at her with desire.

Hermione licked her lips and began to walk slowly toward him, bringing her hands to the clasp on the front of her bra. With a soft click, she drew her hands apart taking the bra and her shirt with her, shrugging them over her shoulders. Her breasts were exposed to him, small mounds of flesh with rose colored centers, nipples erect. With a soft groan, Harry's resolve broke.

He wrapped his arms around her, his lips claiming hers in a feverish kiss. He lifted her and she wrapped his legs around his waist as he propped her against the wall. He pressed himself against her as she shrugged off her shirt and bra, bringing her hands back to run through his hair. One of Harry's hands held firmly to her thigh while the other sought out her breast, cupping and kneading it. Hermione let out a soft whimper that sent more blood to his loins. His hand returned to her thigh as he laid kisses on her neck, prying more pleasant sounds from Hermione.

She brought her hands to his shirt, yanking it up and over his head, taking his glasses with it. He groaned when her fingers lightly brushed over his nipples, down his abs and falling to the button on his jeans. Her mouth was hot and wet, Harry couldn't get enough. She unzipped his jeans, her hands seeking out his hardness and rubbing against it then working his jeans over his hips. Harry moaned into her mouth, helping her with his jeans, taking his boxers with them as they pooled to the floor. Stepping out of them, he pressed his body against hers, reveling in the feeling of her breasts pressed against his chest. Driving himself mad with desire as his hardness pressed against her underwear already wet. Hermione moaned as he did this and he sought out her neck again.

Harry slowly sank them down to the floor, Hermione straddling him when the reached it. One of his hands wrapped around her waist, holding her, while the other sought out her breasts. Hermione raised herself slightly and Harry lavished attention on her breasts with his mouth, moaning together as he sought out her nipples. Both his arms wrapped around her waist, pushing on her back slightly, pressing her breasts against him. He brought his right hand forward again to caress her breast then slowly fall down her torso. Slipping his hand past the elastic of her panties, he groaned when he found her wetness. Hermione gasped with delight as he slipped a finger inside, his palm rubbing gently against her. Her breathing became erratic and she writhed in his lap, kissing him and holding him. She became hotter and wetter as she suddenly gasped out in pleasure, his name on her lips put him over the edge.

He flipped her so she was under him, practically ripping her knickers off her as he settled himself between her waiting thighs. His breath hitched as he entered her hotness. She was so tight and he pressed further in, his mind muddled with lust. With a cry from her lips she suddenly gave way and he was fully sheathed within her. She clung to him as he moved within her going slow at first but his primal urges made him move faster. Soon he felt himself tighten before he exploded into her, reaching nirvana gasping her name.

He rested on her, spent and breathing heavy, her arms still around him. The fog of lust that clouded his mind began to lift and the repercussions of what they had just done began to settle in.

Oh my God, you just slept with your best friend.

She's a virgin. She's a virgin…was…was a virgin. Thanks to you.

Slowly Harry lifted himself off Hermione. The look in her eyes mirrored his own feelings of fear and confusion. Gently he moved out of her and she winced a little. A small gush of his pleasure and her maidenhood went with him. He grabbed a towel and wiped it up so she wouldn't see the blood. They scrambled away from each other and dressed in silence.

Hermione trembled slightly as she dressed, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She couldn't look at him, she was too ashamed of herself. Silently she left his room. She leaned against the door behind her, hand covering her mouth. Small, deep breaths filled her lungs and she started forward. She just wanted to go to her room so she could think clearly. She ran up the stairs into the main lobby when she heard shouting and scuffling from the library. She ran into the room to see Terry and Ron beating the crap out of each other.

“What is going on?” she shouted.

BOOM!!

A loud explosion sent her flying in the air.

Harry threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He sat there a moment trying to process the events that had just happened. Finally he threw on a pair of shoes and left his room to find Hermione. He had reached his door when he heard a loud BOOM! He went sprawling to the ground. He popped back up and ran into the hall. Other students popped their heads out to see what the commotion was. The corridor was filled with smoke to his left, the loud beeping of the smoke alarm sounded and the sprinklers overhead went off.

“Everyone up on deck!” Harry shouted to his schoolmates. Hermione, he thought. He had to find Hermione. He ducked back into his room and snatched up his wand, tossing Draco's aside then ran into the hallway.

The students scrambled down the hall, slipping on the wet and slippery floor. Harry watched the water as he flowed down the hall to the left. Vaguely he registered that they were listing a bit.

“Are we leaning?” Neville ran up to him, voicing his thought.

“Come on, let's get out of here!” he said and the two fought their way up the stairs.

The main lobby was in chaos, students, teachers and crewmen ran everywhere. Screams could be heard. A few of the students were lying on the ground, crying, blood on their faces and hands.

“What the hell happened here?” Dean ran up to them.

“Hermione,” Harry demanded. “Have you seen Hermione?”

The ship listed even more and everyone lost their balance and began sliding to the other side of the room. Smoke and small fires were everywhere.

“…explosion! Just tore the ship in half!!” he heard a crewman shout as a group of them scrambled away.

“Come on, Harry!” Dean yelled. “We've got to get on deck!”

“What about Hermione?” Harry yelled back.

“Maybe she's already there!” Neville said.

There was a loud groaning sound and a loud crack that filled the air. Suddenly water began to spill into the room. The students screamed and scrambled up the stairs, trampling each other. The scene wasn't much better up top. The storm still raged tossing the ship in its large waves, drenching everyone in rain. Harry stared in horror when he saw the damage to the ship. Whatever that loud explosion was split the ship in half, Harry saw the other half of the ship meters away and slowing sinking like this one. People scrambled to get the lifeboats ready, some were already in the water, freed by the explosion.

Harry clung to a post trying to get his balance as the ship tilted into the ocean. Some of the panic was because he couldn't see much, the moon was covered by storm clouds and the only light came from the large fires within the ship.

“Harry!! Harry! This way!” he saw Neville waving him over to a lifeboat but as he let go another explosion rocked the boat sending Harry flying in the air.

He couldn't see a thing, couldn't tell if he was swimming up, down or sideways. His head finally broke the surface and he gasped for air, treading water. He must have hit something because his head hurt. The pain on the side of his head was unbearable. Nothing but darkness surrounded him. The water churned violently and sent him under again. Harry resurfaced. His fellow classmates' screams filled the air and he could see faint outlines of people from the debris that floated in the water aflame.

“I can't see anyone!” he heard them shout.

“I can't swim!”

“Somebody help me!”

Another wave pushed him under and Harry fought his way up to the top. A hand came out of nowhere and he grabbed it. He was being hauled onto a life boat. Harry coughed and spluttered, his breathing heavy. He turned over and darkness overcame him.

-->

Chapter Six: The Lifeboat

I awoke to the reality of Richard Parker. There was a tiger in the lifeboat. I could hardly believe it, yet I knew I had to. And I had to safe myself.—The Life of Pi, Yann Martel

The soft yet steady sound of waves lapping woke Harry from his slumber. The pain in his head was now a dull ache. For a moment, Harry thought the events that occurred was a bad dream. The ship was fine, everyone was okay. He would walk up on the deck and see Hermione's smiling face.

But when he opened his eyes all he saw was blue. Blue of the sky with wisps of puffy clouds left over from the storm. He was cramped and his whole body ached. He had passed out in such cramped quarters. The blaring whiteness of the boat around him hurt his eyes a little so he sat up.

For the first time in his life, even after living with the Dursley's, even after the morning he lost his Godfather, Harry wished he had never woken up. Reality hit him like a sledgehammer. There was nothing around him. Nothing but blue ocean reaching as far to the horizons all around him. The ocean seemed infinitesimal and he just a small speck in it. Where were all the other lifeboats? Someone had to survive.

“Hello?” Harry shouted to the nothingness.

“There's no one out there,” came a small voice from the other side of the boat.

Harry was shocked. He had registered that he was on a lifeboat but his mind had somehow forgotten the possibility that he was not alone on it. A sort of calm came over him. The panic going away slightly with the thought that he wasn't alone out here.

Harry walked to the other side of the lifeboat, stepping over another sleeping survivor. He peered under the tarp that covered the bow and saw a figure on the floor, huddled in a fetal position. The sharp smell of vomit hit him. His eyes adjusted to the dark contrast of the white boat.

“Malfoy?” he called out, recognizing the blond head of hair. Of all his rotten luck.

“Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me,” Draco said, thinking the same thought.

“Were you the one who pulled me out of the water?” he asked.

“No…I think it was him,” Draco motioned to their sleeping occupant. “He's been asleep as long as you have.”

Harry walked over to the man. He recognized him as one of the professors. Harry nudged him to awaken but the man did not stir. Looking closely Harry now saw that the man's neck was twisted at a weird angle.

He walked back to the covered tarp and sat down under it's shade, still a ways away from Draco.

“He's not sleeping. He's dead,” he said plainly.

Draco sat up and stared in the direction where the man lay. A blank look on his face.

“No matter,” he said. “We'll be rescued soon.”

Harry hoped that he was right.

The day passed in silence. As the sun set Harry moved back to the stern of the boat, laying down on a bench, he gazed out at the golden waters ahead of him, the water glittering under the broken sunlight. Thoughts of rescue filled Harry's head. A boat would come. Hermione and Ron would be on it, waving and cheering as they were brought on board. He missed his friends terribly. The fight they had was stupid and childish. When they were all rescued they would make amends and they would be the trio again. Laughing, having adventures and making their last year at Hogwarts memorable. He thought of Hermione's smile as he looked up at the stars. He hoped she was okay. His mind refused the thought that she might not have made it off the ship.

~*~

“Wait until my mother hears about this,” Draco mumbled.

This was the chatter that filled the next morning. Draco muttered to himself and Harry listened as they tried to unlock the silver boxes that they found on the ship.

“Are you sure you don't have your wand?” Draco asked again.

Harry sighed. “For the millionth time, no…I don't.”

“I couldn't find mine,” Draco sulked and Harry averted his eyes.

Frustrated, Harry dropped the box and reached for an oar. Yanking it free of its binds, he hit the blunt edge on the lock hard. It easily gave way, giving access to its goodies inside. Draco took another oar and together they managed to open all six of the boxes.

Laying its contents out, they took inventory. Water, food rations, rope, blankets, matches, flares, buckets, fishing kits, first aid kits and other little odds and ends. Harry and Draco greedily drank some of the water, the horrible thirst they had was quenched. Draco hungrily dove into the food rations while Harry quietly ate only a few bites.

“We should ration these,” he said thoughtfully.

“Why?” Draco asked.

“We don't know how long we're going to be out here,” Harry replied.

Draco looked at him as if he'd grown two heads. “We're going to be rescued soon,” he said.

“We don't know that for sure,” Harry said impatiently.

Draco narrowed his eyes at him. “Fine!” he shouted. He divided the food rations in half. “You do what you want with yours, I'll do what I want with mine. You can go ahead and starve yourself until someone comes along.”

The afternoon sun beat relentlessly down on them. Harry sought the shade under the tarp with Draco again, trying to block out his incessant whining.

“Figures that this was made for muggles,” Draco muttered angrily. “No emergency wands or potions or portkeys. I mean who did they think would be on this ship?”

Harry did have to admit that he had a point. An emergency portkey would do wonders right now.

“Do they really expect us to survive like muggles until we're rescued?” Draco continued.

“It's not as bad as you think,” Harry said.

“Oh forgive me. I forgot I was talking to a muggle lover,” Draco sneered.

“Things could be a lot worse, Draco. A lot worse.”

At sunset, Harry moved to the stern again, resting on the bench. The sun set on the horizon along with his hopes of other survivors.

~*~

“We have to get rid of him,” Harry said plainly as he ate a bit of his food rations.

“I agree,” Draco said. Draco's thoughts of immediate rescue had been lost overnight. He was eating his left over rations carefully.

The boat's third occupant was still on the ship. He was beginning to smell. Harry and Draco both got up, Harry taking his legs, Draco his arms.

“God, he's heavy,” Draco complained as they lifted him.

Together they managed to dump him in the ocean with a large splash. Harry watched as the body floated for a minute then slowly began to sink. Harry wanted to trade places with him. The ocean had taken his best friends, his Hermione was somewhere in there and he wanted to be with her.

“I know you had something to do with it,” Harry said suddenly.

“Huh?” Draco asked.

“The morning after we left New Orleans,” Harry turned and faced him. “I know you had something to do with it.”

Draco let out a short breath of laughter. “Fuck off, Potter,” he said and turned away.

Harry growled and tackled him to the ground.

“You set us up!” he shouted as he punched him. “I know you did!”

“Don't blame me because you ruined things with the mudblood!” Draco shouted, punching Harry back.

“Hermione!” Harry shouted out. “Her name is Hermione.” Tears clouded his eyes and he chocked back a sob as he rolled away from Draco. “Her name was Hermione,” Harry whispered, letting the tears come, not caring if Draco saw them.

Draco sat up and wiped some blood off his lip with the back of his hand. “We're never going to see them again, are we?” he said softly.

Harry wiped away his tears and sat up. Draco reached over the side of the boat and began to wash the blood away. Harry did the same. A short while later, there was a sharp thump on the side of the boat. Sharks had come to see where the blood had come from, hoping for the possibility of a meal.

Lying under the stars that night Harry heard the soft sniffles of his shipmate. Thoughts of suicide and throwing himself to the sharks filled his mind. But the sun rose the next morning, and the thought went away. Little by little each day Harry slowly let go of the thoughts of ending his life and accepting the new twist that fate had thrown him.

~*~

“I'd give my left nut for a chocolate frog,” Draco said aloud as he chewed on a piece of dried fish. Harry laughed and checked on the other fish. They couldn't cook the fish they had caught so they had to settle on drying them in the hot sun.

“Rain's coming,” Harry said as he looked off into the horizon.

“I'll set out the bottles again,” Draco sighed.

They used the empty water bottles to catch the water from the rainfalls.

“Shouldn't be here until nightfall,” Harry sighed.

Small squalls weren't pleasant on such a small boat. The choppy waves rocked the boat and Draco gave way to his seasickness, muttering and cursing the entire time. Harry could only threaten Draco to hold his stomach. They had to share the shelter and as soon as the smell of vomit hit his nostrils along with the rocking motion, Harry had a hard time himself not heaving anything up.

“You said her name again in your sleep,” Draco said.

Harry sighed. “I don't want to talk about her.”

“Well, I'd just like to voice that I don't appreciate my shipmate's wet dreams,” Draco teased.

“Knock it off, Draco,” Harry scowled.

“Oh, come on, you have to admit that right now, you're regretting that you never got to hit that.”

“I am not talking about this with you,” Harry moved away from him.

“Hell, I'm regretting it,” Draco muttered and Harry gave him a dirty look. “Just put a silencing charm on her so you can't hear her spouting out the technicalities of what you are doing and she'd be great!”

Harry let out a little laugh.

“I'm serious,” Draco said.

“What about you and Pansy, huh?” Harry asked.

“What about us?” Draco asked.

“Aren't you regretting you didn't have one last shag with her?”

“Who says I didn't? She's not that great to be honest with you,” Draco sighed. “But pussy is pussy so…” he shrugged.

The storm wasn't bad at all that night. It was only rain. The air was chilly so Harry wrapped the blanket around himself. Thoughts of his last night with Hermione filled his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

~*~

Draco woke up early the next morning. The bottom of the boat was wet with water from the rainfall. He would have to bail some of the water out. The water bottles were mostly filled and Draco topped them off with the water that had pooled on top of the tarp that shaded them. He was capping the last one when something on the horizon caught his eyes.

“Harry! Harry wake up!” Draco shook him.

“What? What is it?” Harry scrambled to his feet.

“Look! Look at this!” Draco dragged him from the shelter.

Harry looked in the direction Draco was pointing. For days on end, the horizon had been an endless flat line of ocean. Today, however, that line was broken.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I don't know. It's small though,” Harry said.

They opened up one of the boxes and searched for a flare.

“Hurry, we don't want to lose it,” Draco said.

Harry brought out a flare gun, scrambled out of the shelter and aimed for the sky. But before he could pull the trigger, Draco yanked his arm down.

“What if it isn't what we think it is?” he asked.

“What if it's a ship?” Harry countered.

“What if the people on that ship aren't friendly?” Draco said. “Don't you think a rescue ship would be bigger?”

Harry licked his lips in anticipation. Maybe Draco was right.

“Alright,” Harry brought the flare down. “But we keep it in sight, whatever it is.”

They both turned to look at the horizon again. The object seemed a bit closer.

“Doesn't it look a little closer?” Draco asked.

Suddenly there was a bright flash as something soared into the sky then exploded in fireworks. Harry immediately shot his flare in the sky.

It did the exact same thing.

“It's another lifeboat!” Draco screamed.

-->

Chapter Seven: The Sea of Red

You're gonna need a bigger boat—Chief Brody, Jaws (1975)

Harry and Draco grabbed the oars off the side and began to row. But the boat was large and they moved at a snail's pace. The other boat moved faster. As they neared, Harry could see that the other boat was actually two boats that were tied together.

Closer and closer they rowed until they could hear the excited chatter and shouts from the two boats. Draco and Harry stopped rowing and jumped to their feet, waving their arms above their heads.

“It's Harry! It's Harry! He's alive!!” A familiar red head shouted. “Give me the rope! Give me the rope.”

Ron grabbed the rope from another student and dove into the water. Harry and Draco lifted him out.

“You're alive!” Ron hugged his friend.

“The rope Ron!! The rope!” Neville appeared out of the crowd.

“Oh yeah,” Ron said, unwrapping the rope from his hand. “Help me with this.”

They tied the rope to a hook on the bow as the occupants of the other two boats pulled the boats together, tying them. Harry and Draco were ambushed, reunited with their surviving classmates. Neville was alive, so were Ginny, Luna, Seamus and Dean. Pansy hugged Draco, so did Crabbe and Goyle.

“Is there no one else?” Parvati asked Harry timidly. Harry scanned the other boats, Padma was nowhere to be seen.

“I'm sorry,” Harry said and Parvati burst into tears.

“Come on, sweetie,” Lavender led her away.

Draco nudged him in the side and nodded to the boat on the far side. She was standing there, staring at him, not really believing he was there. A lump formed in his throat when he saw Hermione.

She was alive!

She walked toward him on shaky legs, getting only to the second boat before she turned around and crawled back into the shelter of the first boat.

“I'll go talk to her,” Ginny sighed.

Harry watched as Ginny reached the first boat the same time Terry (great…he's alive) did. He watched as the two of them exchange heated words before they both went under the tarp.

“She's really had it rough, Harry,” Ron sighed. “She blamed herself for your death. She keeps saying that she never should have left you. She used to have dreams every night that you were alive somewhere but she said the past few days she hadn't had them. I think she was giving up hope and now here you are. Give her some time. She's just had a bit of a shock.”

“It's really good to see you, Ron,” Harry said earnestly.

“You too, mate,” Ron smiled and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Listen, about you and Ginny,” Harry opened his mouth to protest but Ron held a hand up. “I'm sorry I was such a git. Ginny talked to me that morning of the accident and…well, I believe you, Harry.”

“Thank you, Ron,” Harry said quietly, happy to have his friend back alive and well.

“Now,” Ron said cheerfully, lightening up the mood. “Is that fish I see?”

“Yeah, didn't you guys open the survival kits?” Harry asked.

“Our boats were a little beaten up. One didn't have any kits on it, the other, well…we only had two,” Ron shrugged.

Harry was surprised at how long they had survived with only two kits. But then again, they had Hermione on board.

“Did you guys use your wands?” he asked.

Ron shifted uncomfortably. “Well, you see…none of us exactly…have our wands.”

“What?!” Draco exclaimed after hearing this bit of the conversation. “Are you telling me that no one here has any of their bleeding wands?”

“You don't have yours, either?” Ron asked. Harry shook his head.

“Un-fucking-believable!” Draco shouted then stomped back under the tarp followed by the other Slytherins.

Harry waved him off. “He'll be fine.”

~*~

Harry and Ron sat down with Neville, Seamus and Dean, sharing the dried fish and showing them how to cast the fishing lines. Chit chat mostly consisted on stories about how they got on the lifeboat.

“So when I woke up, Draco and I found that he had broken his neck. He probably did it during the night, pulling one of us into the boats. The bottom was slippery and he probably lost his balance,” Harry trailed off. “Anyway, we had to dump him in the ocean.”

“I can't believe you can't remember much,” Dean said to Ron.

“Yeah, it's weird. I remember I was in the library, the next thing I knew I woke up in the lifeboat. Hermione said that she found me in the library fighting with Terry just before the explosion happened. The two of them managed to get me on a lifeboat, along with some other students.” Ron let out a heavy sigh. “I wish I knew what we were fighting about.”

“Probably about what a git he is,” Seamus muttered and they all laughed. It was good to be with his friends again.

That night, Harry rested underneath the stars, thanking them for his friends' lives. He heard the sound of others stirring in the other boats. The moon was out, shining light down on them. He could hear the snores of Crabbe and Goyle under the tarp, and the familiar snores of Ron and Neville who slept on the benches next to him.

A familiar silhouette made its way to his boat and Harry sat up, making room on his bench for her. Hermione sat down next to him, not saying anything for a moment before lunging at him and embracing him.

“You're alive,” she whispered hoarsely. “You really are alive! This isn't a dream is it?” she asked.

Harry shook his head. “If it is, than we're sharing the same dream. I'm so happy you're okay, Hermione.” He hugged her close to him, burying his face in her hair. She was alive! He silently thanked whatever great being of fate that enabled this reunion.

She eventually left his side and made her way back to the boat on the far side, looking back at him one more time before she ducked under the tarp to sleep with the other girls. Harry settled himself back on his bench.

“Psst!” he heard Draco whisper at him.

“What?” he asked. Draco made the motion of putting tape over his mouth. “Sod off, Draco,” Harry muttered turning his back on him.

~*~

They had been at sea for nearly forty days. Neville had been keeping track. Thoughts of rescue had left everyone's mind by now. Thoughts of survival and somehow making it to land now filled their minds.

Harry and Ron sat on the tarp, inspecting the nets to check for any damage or weak lines. Ron looked up at Harry as he carefully reknotted one of the strings.

“Where are your glasses?” he asked.

“Lost them,” Harry muttered. He had been wondering about that. Ever since the accident, he hadn't needed them. His vision was perfect. Ron could tell by his body language that he didn't want to talk about it, so he dropped it. But he was still curious as to how he could tie such precise little knots.

Draco was teaching Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Ginny and Terry how to fish. He grudgingly volunteered to do this task but everyone had to eat. There were suddenly a lot more mouths to feed. Terry was only partly paying attention, he kept glancing up at Hermione on the far boat.

“So you carefully take this morsel and you put it on the hook. Be careful not to damage them, we only have so many,” Draco said roughly. “No, Crabbe, take that out of your mouth. That's the bait, it goes on the hook. Put it on the hook, yes…just like that.”

Ginny carefully lowered her line into the water and sat back patiently. They would check the lines when the sun was halfway in the sky.

“This is so gross,” Pansy muttered as she picked up a piece of fish morsel to put on the hook. “I don't see why we have to do this.”

“You want to eat, don't you?” he snapped.

“We're rich, Draco,” Pansy balked. “This is house elf work.”

“Well, precious,” Draco sneered. “We seem to be fresh out of elves.”

“Look at you!” Pansy said accusingly. “Fishing around for meals, spending your days mulling over dried fish. If everyone could see what you've become.”

Ginny spoke up. “He's doing what he can to survive. Not everyone can send their two goons out to steal all the food bars.” Pansy's mouth dropped in shock. “Yes, we all know what you've been doing.”

“Stay out of this, Weaselette!” Draco snapped at her.

“Don't talk that way to her!” Ron made his way over to her.

“Now, now. Let's all settle down,” Terry said.

“Ron stay out of this,” Ginny pleaded.

“You've been stealing the food bars?” Draco asked Pansy.

“Why are you defending him, Gin?” Ron shouted.

“Yes, mind your own business, Weaselette!” Pansy shouted to Ginny.

“Hey, don't talk that way to her! At least she's trying to earn her keep!” Draco shouted back.

“Earn her keep?” Pansy looked at him as if he'd slapped her.

“Don't defend my sister!” Ron shouted. “I don't know how you survived or why but nobody likes you or want you on their boat.”

“HEY!” Harry had been checking on their nets and couldn't concentrate with the all the ruckus. “CUT IT OUT!! ALL OF YOU!” The group fell silent. “For one thing, all this noise is going to scare the fish away. Every single person on these boats is going to learn to fish. You earn your keep for your right to eat. If you don't want to put in the work for it then the rest of us would be happy to toss you overboard. And don't think we won't do it, that'll be one less mouth to feed.” He went back to checking the nets.

Pansy dropped back down on the bench, tears fell down her face.

“Yes… I think that we should set up a schedule. Days when everyone should fish and…” Terry stopped his speech. No one was listening, they were going back to what they had been doing before.

~*~

Hermione woke up at dawn. She carefully stepped around Ginny, Lavender, Luna and Parvati to make her way out of the tarp. She stretched and watched the sun rise slowly in the East. She climbed on top of the tarp and sat cross legged ready to lose herself in thought.

She felt his eyes on her but she didn't dare turn around to look at Harry. She was so happy when he was found alive on another lifeboat. For days, guilt ate at her. She had left him on the boat, if only she had stayed with him in the room they could've gotten on a lifeboat together. She died when the sun rose to reveal that Harry was not in her lifeboat, nor in the other one that they found the day after.

She felt so hollow inside. She would get up every morning just like this to be alone and stare out at the ocean cursing it for taking the boy she loved. She did love him. And she was tortured every night by dreams that Harry was somewhere out there alive and lost just like she was. And every morning she would wake up to the reality that he wasn't there.

This had been the cause of many an argument with Terry. Something was up with him. The night of the explosion she had walked in on him and Ron fighting with each other. Ron had no recollection of what the fight was about and Terry brushed it off as guys being guys. Terry had tried to reach out to Hermione intimately but she shied away from him. Harry was gone and a part of her went with him.

“He's dead, Hermione! Just face it!” He would yell at her. She would scream back denials until she was nearly hysterical with grief and Ron and Ginny had to comfort her. She made amends with Ginny. Apologize profusely for being an idiot for believing that the two of them had slept together.

She had never spoken of that night with Harry. Not even to Ron. It was a secret she would take to the grave. Part of it was because every time she thought about it, she would put mental blocks on it. She was ashamed of how she behaved, throwing herself at her best friend, pushing him past his boundaries because she seduced him. That's what she did. She seduced and tempted her best friend into sleeping with her. Played on his teenage hormones and uncontrolled lust. She felt mortified and ashamed.

Harry approached Hermione early one morning as she sat by herself on the tarp.

“You know…we never talked about…it,” he whispered to her.

Hermione's face had flushed with embarrassment. “I feel so ashamed of myself. I never should have done that.” Harry was surprised and hurt. She was ashamed for sleeping with him?

“Yeah well we all make mistakes,” he tried to sound casual and light. Hurt flashed through Hermione. Harry thought it was a mistake to sleep with her? She felt a little awkward about it but never thought it was a mistake.

“Are we still friends?” she asked, controlling the shake in her voice. Harry turned and smiled at her. She died a little inside.

“The best of,” he replied. He didn't want to go back to square one with her but if being her friend was what it took to be by her side….

The accident brought the trio back together, moving past their petty fights to remember what was important that brought them together in the first place. They fell easily into their routines with regards to Ron, but the relationship between Harry and Hermione was altered.

They could both feel it. There was a void between them, a sort of space. Ron hadn't picked up on it yet but he could tell that there was a shift between the two of them. The comfortable silences between the two of them were now strained. Some days they were a bit snippy with each other. He would catch Harry staring at Hermione when she wasn't looking and vice versa. Something had happened between the two of them and both of them were tight lipped about it.

By mid-morning everyone was up. Hermione and Ginny sat by a group of sixth years who were checking the lines for the morning catch. Harry, Ron and Neville were casting their lines out from Harry and Draco's boat.

“I can't believe he can stand her,” Ginny tutted, glaring at Pansy.

“I should tell Ron that his baby sister is crushing on the Ferret,” Hermione teased.

“I'm not crushing on him!” Ginny protested.

There was a loud thump and the boat jerked. Hermione steadied herself.

“What was that?” she asked.

Luna came out from under the tarp. “Did you guys feel--?”

“YOU IDIOTS!!” Draco bellowed.

Harry looked up at Draco to see what he was on about. Draco made his way over to Hermione's boat. Slowly, he stood up.

“YOU FUCKING MORONS!!” Draco shouted at the group of sixth years.

“What did we do?” one of them asked.

“You don't gut the fish and toss it overboard!! You dump it in the bucket….”

Draco continued to rant and rave but Harry tuned him out. When something horrible is about to happen, you see it unfold in front of your eyes in slow motion. His mouth went dry and he found himself unable to shout or move. He was paralyzed with fear. Even if he did give warning, it would've made no difference. He didn't see the giant dorsal fin until it was nearly on the boat.

Screams of terror filled the air as the shark's head lifted out of the water, jaws wide open displaying its deadly bite and rammed into the side of the boat. Nearly everyone that was on that boat spilled into the water. The ruined lifeboat rammed into the one next to it when the shark rammed it then it rammed into Harry and Draco's boat with a sickening Crack! Terrified screams and shouts filled the air as everyone that was in the water scrambled into the other lifeboats.

“Cut the rope!” Harry shouted, snapping into action. “Cut the rope!”

The shark attacked again this time getting its head stuck in the boat. It thrashed violently, ramming the lifeboats into each other. Harry and Ron pulled Draco onto the boat, he was holding Ginny in his arms.

“Is she hurt?” Ron shouted above the panic.

Ginny was white as a ghost. “No she's in shock, I think,” Harry said.

Hermione.

Hermione was on that boat. “Hermione!” he shouted but it was too confusing. People were splashing in the water trying to get into the other lifeboats.

Hermione saw the dorsal fin at the last second, enough time to let out a terrifying scream before the impact. It knocked her to the floor of the boat and she could hear the splashes of those that fell in the water. She scrambled to stand but found that her foot was caught in some netting. The shark struck again and she was knocked into the water.

“AAAHHH!!” A bloodcurdling scream filled the air. Almost everyone saw it coming, its mouth wide open as it approached a swimming sixth year. The boy let out a scream and the sea turned red. “SOMEBODY HELP ME!!” He was yanked under. The students on the boat wailed in terror.

“Hermione!!” Harry shouted.

“She's still in the water, Harry!” Luna screamed, tears running down her face.

“HARRY!” Hermione screamed. She was clinging to the side of the demolished lifeboat next to some netting. The boat was slowly sinking and taking Hermione down with it. “I'm stuck!”

Harry didn't even think twice, he grabbed a knife from a survival kit and just jumped into the water.

“Harry! Harry, what are you doing?”

“Get out of the water!”

Hermione was treading water, her head going under once in awhile. “Harry…I'm stuck…”

“It's okay, Hermione,” he said. “I've got you.” He dove under the water, following Hermione's leg to the netting. It was a tangled mess. He cut through some of the netting, careful not to nick Hermione. His lungs screamed for air and he came back up.

“Oh God…” Hermione breathed, fighting to stay above the surface of the water. Tears fell down her face. “I don't want to die…I don't want to die.”

“Hermione,” Harry gasped for breath. “You are not going to die.” He took another big lungful and went under cutting some more netting away. Hermione tapped him violently on the shoulder and he looked up. Her head was under, she could no longer reach the surface. Together they scrambled to free her, Harry swearing violently to himself. She will not drown. She will not drown. He came back up for air then went back down. He had to free her. He had to.

Hermione grabbed Harry's hands and pulled them away from the netting. Harry looked at her. She pointed for him to go to the surface. Harry shook his head and went back to work on the netting. Again Hermione grabbed his hands and pushed him away from her. Harry shrugged her off and continued to cut away. He felt Hermione's hands slacken on his shoulders and he looked up.

Her eyes were closed. A trail of tiny bubbles floated between her lips. NO!! Harry dropped the knife and shook Hermione but her eyes did not open. He burst to the surface and screamed.

“NO!!! GIVE ME A FUCKING CHANCE!!”

“HARRY!” he heard his classmates scream but he wanted to ignore them.

“Shark! Harry! It's back! It's back!”

Harry turned and saw the dorsal fin approaching. Anger and rage filled him. He went under again. He reached for Hermione, cradling her in his arms. He could see the shark approaching. It had taken Hermione's life but he'd be damned if that shark was going to lay one single tooth on her body.

The shark approached, his jaws opening for the kill. Harry put all his anger and hate for the shark inside him and closed his eyes.

There was a loud boom.

“Did you hear that?”

“What was that?”

The students on the lifeboats heard a muffled sonic boom then the boats rocked as if hit by a large wave.

Underwater Harry slowly opened his eyes. The shark floated in a spiral down, down, down. Not dead, only stunned. He couldn't believe it. What in the hell just happened? Did he do that?

He didn't want to think anymore. Whatever happened bought him some time and he used it to free Hermione. He swam to the surface, one arm around Hermione's lifeless body.

“Hermione,” Ron moaned as he and Draco pulled her out of the water.

Dean and Neville pulled Harry out. Terry immediately began to do mouth to mouth.

“What are you doing?” Draco asked.

“CPR,” Terry said between breaths. “It's a technique muggles use to resuscitate someone.”

“Resusi-what?” Draco asked.

Terry didn't answer. He placed his palms over her chest and began to press down quick and hard. “One, two, three, four…” He bent down to breathe into her mouth. “One, two, three, four…” He repeated this several times.

It was so quiet. Students huddled together in fear. Some covered their ears not wanting to listen to another classmate's life being taken away.

“Breathe, Hermione, breathe,” Ron whispered. Ginny buried her face in Draco's chest, not wanting to watch.

Please, Hermione. Please breathe. Harry whispered this over and over. Dark thoughts began to fill his head. He pictured himself having to release Hermione's body back into the ocean, watching her slip under the waves.

Suddenly her eyes flew open and she began to gag.

“Hermione!” Harry shouted.

“Roll her over! Roll her over!” Terry ordered and they rolled her onto her side.

She gagged and vomited water. Coughing and sputtering she gasped for breath. It was the sweetest sound Harry had ever heard. Hermione was dazed, trying to get her bearings.

“Thank you! Oh, thank you,” Terry whispered, gathering Hermione in his arms.

~*~

That night, Hermione carefully got up so she wouldn't wake Terry who slept by her side. She was told that he had saved her life by performing CPR on her after Harry had taken her out of the water. He had stayed by her side the rest of the day and slept by her, terrified that in the middle of the night she would stop breathing.

She wrapped herself around a blanket and climbed atop the tarp. Harry was there looking up at the stars. His gaze fell on her. She sat next to him and he wrapped his arms around her. Hermione breathed him in deeply, resting her head against his chest. Tears began to fall from her eyes. Harry cradled her head and looked down at her as she gazed back up at him. He so desperately wanted to kiss her lips, to let her know how much he loved her. But instead he brought her closer to him, kissing her on the top of her head.

They stayed there the rest of the night under the stars, not speaking. Thinking about how precarious their situation was, how fragile life is, how to close the void that developed between them and when this whole nightmare was going to end.

-->

Chapter Eight: Land!!

When you develop an infatuation for someone, you always find a reason to believe that this is exactly the person for you. It doesn't have to be a good reason—The Beach.

Harry woke up early with the grey light of dawn. Hermione slept soundly by his side. He slipped quietly away from her out from under the blanket they shared. He sat up and drew his knees to his chest.

He was scared.

He didn't know what was happening to him. It was strange, since the accident he hadn't needed his glasses. His vision was perfect. And then yesterday, the incident with the shark… He remembered closing his eyes and the feeling of energy surge through him. Yes, he did that. He knew he did. But he was frightened by it. And he didn't want to tell anyone about it.

“How is she feeling?” a quiet voice asked.

Harry looked over at Terry. He climbed atop the tarp, careful not to wake Hermione.

“She's alright I guess. Still a bit frightened and I doubt she'll never go into the water again,” Harry sighed.

“I doubt anyone wants to,” Terry replied as he sat next to Harry.

They sat there not speaking for awhile until Terry spoke up.

“Do you love her?” he asked Harry. Harry closed his eyes and sighed. “I love her, too,” Terry sighed. “I would do anything for her. Does that sound crazy?”

“No…no, it doesn't,” Harry answered.

“I never thanked you for saving her life,” Terry said.

“You're the one who brought her back,” Harry said.

“Yes…but you're the one who went in after her,” Terry shifted his weight and leaned back. “It hurt you know. She called out for you to save her.”

“Old habits die hard.”

“Is that what it was?” Terry asked softly then he gave a quiet laugh. “You know, I have to wonder if it's always going to be like that. Is she always going to call out for you? I'm waiting for the day she'll call for me.”

“I don't ever want her in a position where she'll have to call either one of us.”

“But it's more than that. You didn't even hesitate jumping in the water for her. It should've been me to do that. But I froze.”

“We were all scared, Terry.”

“But you're always the brave one. Always the hero.”

Harry angrily turned to him. “I never asked for it,” he hissed sharply. “I never asked for any of it.”

“Oh my God, you guys! Wake up! Wake up!” Ginny's shouts from the other boat woke everyone up.

“What's going on?” Ron asked.

“What happened?”

“Where's it coming from?”

Draco made his way over to the other boat. The bottom of it was covered in water.

“Shit,” he muttered. “Somebody hand me a bucket!”

Ron made his way over with two of them. Immediately they began to bail the water out.

“The boat is leaking,” Ginny groaned.

“We are, too,” Neville muttered.

Hermione, Harry and Terry scrambled off the tarp. The bottom of the boat also was wet. Their situation was dangerous. Stranded in the middle of the ocean in two leaky lifeboats. Terror and panic hit the castaways.

“What are we going to do?”

“We're going to die!”

“No one is going to die.”

“I don't want to go in the water.”

“Would everyone just be quiet and let me think?” Terry shouted.

Squak!!

Everyone immediately became silent. It was a familiar sound but they hadn't heard it in so long that it was hard to place where it came from. Terry slowly turned around.

There resting on top of the tarp at the bow of the ship was a bird!!

“LAND!!” Hermione screamed out, pointing in the distance.

There they were, ahead of them, peaks of some small mountains. They were so far away but it was the most beautiful sight they had ever seen.

“Undo the ropes that are tying the boats together!” Harry said and some of the students scrambled to the task. “Everyone grab an oar.”

“We'll never make it!” a sixth year, Andrea cried out.

“We've got to try,” Draco said determinedly. He split everyone into two groups so that each boat would have strong rowers. They took turns amongst each other, when one group tired out they would rotate while the other rested.

The sun had fully risen over the horizon, nearly halfway and they were still a ways away from the island.

Draco turned to look at Harry on the other boat. “This one's going to go down before we reach the island. We're leaking pretty bad here.”

Harry turned to look at the island, gauging the distance. “Right,” he sighed.

“Harry, this boat won't be able to hold everyone,” Hermione said in a low voice.

“We've got to try, Hermione. With more people rowing, maybe we'll be able to get closer faster before this boat goes under due to the weight.”

Draco and Ron tossed the silver survival kits into the boat Harry was on.

“Neville, Seamus, Dean, Ron, Luna and Hannah,” Harry called out. “I want you guys to tie these kits to yourselves. I have a feeling we're going to have to swim to the island and I want these kits with us.” Groans and moans came from some of the students.

“I don't want to go back in the water, Harry,” Ginny trembled. “Please don't make me.” Draco frowned at her, a little worried.

“It'll be alright, Gin,” Ron soothed.

“I'll swim with you,” Harry volunteered. “Now, who can't swim or isn't that strong of a swimmer?” Several hands went up in the air. “I want the strongest swimmers to pair up with one of them. Everyone will make it onto the island.” Harry sat back down on the bench. “Hermione, you're going with Terry,” he said quietly next to her.

“Harry, I can swim just fine,” Hermione protested.

“You're going with Terry and that's final,” he said a bit harsher than he intended. “I'm sorry,” he said softly and sighed. “I'm not taking any chances, Hermione. Especially not with you.”

The lifeboat lowered considerable more in the water as the others piled onboard. The other lifeboat sank. The students rowed, the boat was heavier but it was moving faster. You could now hear the breakers off the island. The water began to get choppier as waves rolled beneath them.

“We're not going to make it past the breakers,” Terry said.

It was true. The waves would crush the lifeboat.

“Alright everyone!” Draco called out. “This is going to be rough. We're going to ride the next wave. When it breaks, everyone bails and swims for the shore. It's going to be a tough swim…about thirty meters. Try not to break anything.”

Pansy trembled next to him, her eyes wide with fear. Draco looked back at Harry and nodded, Harry nodded back. He flickered his gaze to Ginny then back straight ahead. She would be fine, she was swimming with Potter.

Harry's heart beat loudly in his chest. This was it. A final run to land. He put an encouraging arm around Ginny. Ron looked back at him then at Hermione. Harry and Hermione looked at each other. It will be okay. She gave him a small smile but Harry could see she was terrified of being in the water again. He glanced at Terry. She had better make it to the beach. Terry nodded as if reading his thoughts.

They caught a wave and they were carried away. Ginny gripped the side of the boat as the wave crested. The boat rose in the air then slowly began to tip down like the beginning of a roller coaster ride. Then down the wave it went.

“JUMP!!” Harry called out as the wave broke above them.

The wave crashed onto the lifeboat, crushing it. You could hear the sound of breaking wood. Harry and Ginny surfaced along with their fellow students and began to swim with everything they had for the shore.

“Harry…I'm too tired…,” Ginny gasped when they were halfway there. “I'm not going to make it.”

“Hold on to me,” Harry breathed. “And don't let go.”

His arms burned with fatigue and he was sooo tired. He could hear the sounds of the waves breaking behind him and the splashes of his fellow students as they swam for shore.

Finally, he felt the wonderful feel of sand beneath his feet. Staggering on the beach, the students gasped for breath holding the stitches in their sides. Harry dropped to the sand and lay there limp, too tired to move.

“We made it,” Ginny whispered next to him. “We made it.”

~*~

“HELLO! IS ANYONE OUT THERE?” Draco called out.

They all gathered together on the beach looking out at the lush jungle in front of them.

“Where are we?” Neville said.

“I don't know,” Hermione answered. “There are hundreds of uncharted islands in the Pacific. We could be on one of them for all we know.”

“Well, there's only one way to find out,” Harry said. He pointed to the small mountain in the distance. “Tomorrow, I'm going to hike that.”

“I'm going with you,” Ron, Neville and Draco said aloud. Ron looked sharply at Draco.

“We should be able to tell what this place looks like from up there,” Harry said.

“In the meantime, we should make camp,” Draco suggested.

The tents were rudimentary. They had managed to take both the tarps from the boats and stuff them in a survival kit. They used those and some of the blankets to make their shelters.

Dean worked furiously on trying to make a fire, rubbing two sticks together with some dry grass. He showed Harry, Draco and Neville how to do it.

“Ah dammit!” Draco cursed and threw his sticks down. His hands were beginning to cramp and he was losing his grip. “I would give anything for my wand.”

“We all would,” Dean muttered.

Harry sighed and put down his sticks. He looked off into the horizon. The sun would be setting soon. Harry picked up his sticks and turned his back to the others. A crazy idea came into his head.

He rubbed the two sticks together lazily just to go through the motions. Fire. I want a fire. Just a small flame. He closed his eyes and concentrated picture a flame in his mind. The whiff of smoke came to nostrils and he opened his eyes. The grass was a little charred. Harry closed his eyes and really concentrated.

FIRE!

“Aaah!!” Harry sprang away from the two sticks that burst into flame.

“Quick! Put on some more wood!” Dean, Neville and Draco tossed their sticks into the fire. They sprinted to the edge of the jungle and grabbed anything they could set aflame. The fire roared heartily into a mini bonfire.

“Alright, way to go, Harry!” Dean clapped him on the back.

Harry didn't say anything, he just stared at the fire.

That night Draco lay awake. He rested on his stomach as Pansy slept next to him. They had a tent to themselves while the other Slytherins slept in a tent next to them. They were furthest from the group, separating themselves from the others. The Ravenclaws had their own tents as did the other houses. The exception was Luna who stayed with Hermione and Ginny in their tent. Draco's eyes were watching Ginny's tent.

He didn't know why he was worrying about the youngest Weasley or why he was even staring at her in the first place.

Pansy lay next to him awake, he only thought she was asleep. She followed his line of sight to the tent where Granger, Weaselette and Looney were. Why was he watching them? A wave of jealousy came over her and she began to caress Draco.

Draco looked down at her. “I thought you were sleeping,” he whispered.

“No, I'm awake,” she whispered back.

He saw the familiar look of want in her eyes. He wasn't going to deny her, it had been awhile. She sighed softly as he entered her, reveling in his familiarity, smiling smugly at the fact he was making love to her. They were quiet and she only let out a small gasp when their reached their climax. Draco rolled off her and she snuggled next to him. An unfamiliar feeling of guilt washed over him. As he climaxed he imagined that he was fucking another person, imagined himself tangling his hands in her red hair, imagined that it was her that sighed. He was in despair.

Oh God…what was she doing to him?

-->

Chapter Nine: The Island

A mind not to be chang'd by place or time.
The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.

--Paradise Lost, John Milton

The morning was cool and Hermione rubbed her arms to get the chill out. It would be sweltering by noon. She walked over to Harry who was readying a small pack for the hike today.

“Please be careful,” she said to him. Harry stood up slowly.

“I will,” he replied.

“I mean it Harry. There are no mediwitches or hospitals to help you if you really hurt yourself.”

Harry put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her directly. “I promise that I will be careful.”

He left a short while later along with Ron, Neville and Draco. Pansy scowled as the group left, the other Slytherins muttered amongst themselves. Hermione, Ginny and Luna readied packs for themselves. While the guys were going to hike the small mountain on the island, they were going to explore the jungles that surrounded them.

Harry paused at the edge of the jungle. A large grassy plain stood before him followed by more jungle at the foot of the mountain. The jungle they had passed through was dense with foliage. So far the only other signs of life were the birds that they heard chirping in the canopies above. That was good news. Anything large and furry with sharp teeth was very unwelcome and when you were alone with your thoughts, your mind can come up with frightening possibilities on what could be on this island.

“Well,” Draco paused as the others joined Harry, “the grass seems to be flat enough. We could easily see if anything large is approaching us.”

“We could also be easily seen by anything large,” Ron said. “I say we stick to the edge of the jungle.”

Harry stared out. If they crossed the plains it would be a lot faster. The edge of the jungle however, would be safer.

“Knives out everyone,” Harry said, “we'll cross the plains.” Ron scowled at him and Draco.

Hermione and the girls paused before a beautiful sight. A waterfall, only ten meters high, poured into a large lake like pool that had a small creek flow away from it to the right.

“Do you think there's anything in it?” Ginny asked.

“I don't know,” Hermione said quietly. The water was nearly clear, they could've probably seen straight to the bottom if the surface hadn't been so choppy from the falls.

Hermione approached the edge of it and bravely took a handful of water to her lips.

“It's freshwater!” she exclaimed. “We can fill up on water here!”

“And bathe in it,” Luna said dreamily. “I would give anything for a nice bath.”

Ginny dropped to the ground and began to take off her shoes to undress. The other two followed suit.

“Ah!!”

“Oh my God!”

“Oh that's cold!”

The three of them had jumped in, the cool water making contact with their hot and sweaty skin was a shock, but it was a welcome relief.

“This is great!” Ginny said as she treaded water with the other three. “We can bathe here, wash our clothes…”

“Does anyone know how to make soap?” Luna asked.

“I don't care,” Hermione smiled. “This is better than what we've had.”

“Let's go behind the waterfall,” Ginny said.

They swam toward the waterfall, diving under and coming up on the other side of it. It was a big letdown. There was only a smooth outcrop of the cliff, wet and slippery with the spray of the water. The girls hoisted themselves out of the water and sat on it.

“Well, I guess I can cross off skinny dipping on some exotic island off my Things-To-Do-Before-I-Die list,” Ginny said wryly and the other two laughed.

The mountain was a lot tougher to climb than Harry thought it would be. The four of them rested on some smooth rocks to catch their breaths. The sun was past halfway in the sky and they would probably have to sleep overnight on the mountain. Ron was starving and the dried fish was wearing thin on him. He looked over and saw a shrub that had ripe red berries growing on it. His mouth watered and he reached out and picked a few.

“No!” Neville shouted and knocked the berries out of Ron's hand.

“What did you do that for?” Ron shouted.

“There are plenty of those plants around here with these berries still on them,” Neville explained. “We've passed them several times since this morning.”

“So?” Ron said angrily.

“So, the birds around here aren't eating them and for good reason. They're probably poisonous,” Neville said warningly.

“It's a good guideline,” Draco spoke up. “We only eat what the animals eat.”

“Oh who asked you, Ferret?” Ron said nastily, taking his frustration out on him.

“Shut up, Weasel. You're probably so used to eating anything you could find because you're so poor,” Draco sneered.

“Cut it out, you two,” Harry said sharply. “Draco that was uncalled for,” he scolded and Draco glared at him while Ron smiled smugly. “And Ron, he was only trying to help. It's a good guideline and we should stick to it.” The smug smile was wiped off his face and replaced with a frown.

After filling the water bottles in the waterfall, the three of them headed back to the beach to tell the others. It was only a ten minute walk through the jungle to get to the pool and Luna and Ginny led the way while Hermione stayed behind to watch the beach. She was sitting alone by the fire when she heard someone approach her.

“Hey there,” Terry said softly as he plopped down next to her.

“Hi,” she replied. “Why didn't you go with the others?”

“I didn't think it was safe to leave you alone.”

“I can take care of myself,” she said defiantly.

“Alright, then I did it for my own piece of mind,” Terry said and Hermione sighed. It was a fight she wasn't going to win. “How are you doing?” he asked.

“Well…our ship sank, we were crowded on a lifeboat for days on end until a shark attacked us, nearly ate me but I drowned instead. I was resuscitated in time for both lifeboats to sink leaving us stranded on this island. I'm doing just peachy,” she said sarcastically.

Terry reached out and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her close to him. “We'll be okay, Hermione,” he said gently. “At least we're out of the water.” Hermione looked at the jungle spread out in front of them. She couldn't help the ominous feeling that surrounded her.

~*~

The island was larger than they thought it would be. Dense jungle covered it with patches here and there of grassy plain. There was a small waterfall near the beach where they were staying at and a small tidal lagoon to the west where the sun was setting. Unfortunately there were no other signs of inhabitants on this island and their hopes sunk with the setting sun.

“Well, we have no choice but to set up camp here for the night. We'll head back in the morning,” Harry sighed.

They began to collect some logs to burn with some dry grass. Harry said he would work on the fire while the others readied their beds using palm fronds as mats and their packs as pillows.

Ron didn't join the others as they prepared camp. He wanted to talk to Harry and ask why his best friend was suddenly Draco Malfoy of all people. It had hurt Ron when he took Draco's side over his. He had been doing that on the boats as well.

He silently approached Harry who was hunched over the logs. Harry had his eyes closed and holding two twigs in front of him. Ron opened his mouth to say something when the most amazing thing happened. The twigs were set aflame. Harry didn't rub them together or anything that Dean had showed him. Ron stepped away silently and hastily prepared a bed.

He didn't say a word that night. Didn't even participate in the mindless chatter that was usually associated around a campfire. He was deep in thought over what he had just seen. He stayed up most of the night as well when the others had drifted off to sleep. Harry stirred restlessly on his mat. Ron sighed, he would talk to Hermione the first chance he got.

~*~

“I'm telling you, it's the truth!” he whispered to her. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

Hermione and Ron sat by themselves away from the group. Hermione got the idea to strip the palm fronds and weave them together to make a sturdier more comfortable mat. She had been working on one when Ron approached her shortly after the group returned.

“Are you sure?” Hermione whispered back. “I mean…are you sure you didn't just get there as the flame started?”

“I'm telling you. He wasn't rubbing the sticks together. He had his eyes closed like he was concentrating and then poof! Up in flames they went.”

Hermione chewed on her lower lip. “I don't know, Ron,” she said slowly. “Harry would tell us if he could do something like that. We're his best friends.”

“Are we?” Ron asked, looking at her. “I'm not even sure about that, anymore.”

Hermione looked sadly at Ron. She knew he was talking about Harry's amicableness with Draco Malfoy. “Ron…” she began but he stood up hastily.

“I've gotta go,” he said and walked away.

Hermione sighed and watched him go. Her gaze drifted over to Harry who was sitting with Neville as Ginny tried to show them how to weave. It's not that she didn't believe Ron, it was just that Harry would tell them if anything strange was happening to him.

Wouldn't he?

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

The storm didn't reach them until that afternoon, drenching the island in warm heavy rain that sent everyone scurrying under the tarps.

“We're going to need better shelter,” Harry muttered as they huddled together.

“There were some rocky outcrops near the lagoon,” Neville said.

“Maybe there are caves there,” Dean piped up.

“Maybe…we'll head out there tomorrow,” Harry said.

“Hey!” Ron whispered fiercely. “What is that? Do you guys hear that?”

At first, all you could hear was the constant tapping of the rain falling. But suddenly, there was a rustling coming from the jungle. The students fell silent, scared to breathe. The rustling increased followed by a sound of grunting. Hermione's heart beat loudly in her chest. She cast a terrified glance over at Harry who was intently watching for whatever would come out of the forest. More rustling and grunting then suddenly dark figures ran out from the jungle onto the beach grunting and snorting. Lavender screamed and ran out of the tent, Seamus went after her but the other students darted out of the tent and scattered. Some went into the jungle, some ran down the beach.

Wild pigs invaded the camp, curious to their new inhabitants. There tusks were sharp and dangerous and they reacted to the panic that they had caused. They charged some students trampling the tents and the supplies as they did so.

Ron pushed Luna up a tree, safe out of reach from the crazy pigs.

“Go! Go! Go!” he screamed to her as they made their ascent.

Luna climbed the best she could, frightened out of her wits, arms and legs trembling and slipping on the already wet wood.

Harry ran down the beach chasing Hermione, his vision impaired by the hard falling rain. Other students ran with him.

“Stop!” he shouted out at Hermione. “Hermione stop!”

The girl ahead of him stopped and turned around and Harry stopped dead. The girl wasn't Hermione, it was some sixth year. He had lost Hermione.

Draco had followed Pansy and the other Slytherins down the opposite side of the beach only to come to a dead end at some rocky cliffs that loomed above them.

“What do we do, Draco?” Pansy cried. “Oh, what do we do?”

Draco looked up at the cliffs. “We climb,” he said and the others obeyed.

A scream pierced the air, high and terrifying. Draco recognized it at Ginny's.

“Where are you going?” Pansy yelled at Draco as he began to climb back down. He jumped to the ground and began to run in her direction.

“Draco!” Pansy screamed behind him.

Draco followed her screams back to camp where he saw Ginny hanging desperately from a tree. She must have climbed it but slipped on a slippery branch, her hands clinging to the branch above her while a pig snapped and snarled below her. Draco picked up a knife from a destroyed survival kit and threw it at the pig. It made its mark and the pig dropped to the ground. Draco stood below Ginny.

“It's okay!” he yelled to her. “I've got you!”

Ginny let go of the branch and she fell easily into Draco's arms. Draco put her down gently then reached down to yank the knife from the pig.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and running into the jungle with her.

Hermione sprinted through the forest not caring if twigs scraped at her skin. She could hear the grunts behind her. The two pigs chased her through the jungle. A stitch formed in her side and she didn't know how much longer she could run. There was a large tree ahead of her and she sprinted for it, trying to put some distance between herself and the animals behind her.

She reached the large trunk and tried to find some footing to boost herself up to the closest branch. But it was too wet and her foot kept slipping. The pigs crashed through the jungle coming closer.

“Please, oh please,” she whispered desperately as she reached and reached.

Hermione turned as the pigs crashed through the foliage and were nearly upon her when suddenly something large came at them from the side. The pigs screamed in terror Hermione's eyes grew large, she was too terrified to even scream. Her fight or flight response kicked in and she ran blind with panic further into the forest. The pigs' wails of fright were silenced followed by wet ripping sounds.

She ran and ran until the ground suddenly gave way beneath her and she slid down a muddy slope. She landed with a thud at the bottom. She scurried under some large bushes, screening herself and listened. There was nothing, no sound but the rain. She dared to breathe again and closed her eyes in exhaustion.

-->

Chapter Ten: Dissention

The two boys faced each other. There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of longing and baffled common-sense.—Lord of the Flies, William Golding

Deep in the jungle, Draco and Ginny climbed up a tree, its plentiful branches made the climb easy and they settled into the canopy. The rain still fell heavily but the leafy branches above provided enough shelter for them.

“Are you alright?” Draco asked her.

Ginny nodded. “Yes, I…I'm fine,” she shivered. “Thank you,” she said and Draco nodded.

Draco settled back into the branches and rested. He didn't know if running into the jungle was a stupid move or not. He lost direction quickly, everything looked the same. The sky was overcast and he couldn't see the sun to at least give a general direction. He looked back at Ginny, her white blouse plastered to her with the pink undershirt underneath. Her nipples stood out from the cold.

Draco quickly looked away. It was hardly time for him to be thinking such thoughts. Besides, when they reunited with everyone, he was going to have to explain things to Pansy.

When the pigs invaded the camp, he left Pansy's side to help Ginny out. He didn't really think about what he was doing, he only acted. He was going to have to pay for his actions soon.

“Well, it's not the most comfortable place to stay,” Draco said, gesturing to the trees, “but at least we're out of the rain.”

“That's okay, I don't feel like being on the ground right now anyway,” Ginny said quietly.

She began to sniffle. Draco didn't know what to do. Normally, whenever Pansy cried he just sent her away. He couldn't do that with Ginny. He reached out and patted her awkwardly.

“Uh…it's okay…everything will be fine,” he said.

Ginny threw her arms around him. “Will it? We never seem to get a break. Ships sinking, sharks, wild pigs and oh…who knows what is on this stupid island!”

“Hey…at least we have each other,” it was so incredibly cheesy that he couldn't believe that it actually came out of his mouth.

Ginny looked up at him thinking the same thing.

“Well…what I meant was…uh…at least we aren't alone. There are other students here, too…yeah.” He had to shut his mouth before he started spouting poetry or some other mindless dribble.

Ginny moved away from him but settled in a little closer. “I hope they're okay,” she sighed.

“Who?”

“Ron, Harry and Hermione.”

“I'm sure your brother's fine. And wherever Granger is, Potter is there with her,” Draco rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I suppose,” Ginny said sadly thinking of their situation again.

Draco misinterpreted it. “I'm sorry. I forgot I was talking to the President of the Potter Fan Club,” he said bitterly, jealousy bubbling within him. Scarhead was an ass.

Ginny looked at him. “Are you jealous?” she gave a hint of amusement.

“Of Scarhead?” Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I don't think so. Although, you are wasting your time. He has eyes only for Granger. Who knows why?”

“I thought you and Harry were getting along,” Ginny said.

Draco looked at her as if she had grown two heads. “I'm no fool, Ginny. There's a difference between working together to put the odds of survival in our favor and trading chocolate frog cards with each other. If anyone is going to keep us alive around here, it's Potter. But we're not mates. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him and I'm sure he feels the same way. I can put aside what he did to my father but I won't forget it.”

“And what about what your father did to him? He's a Death Eater! He had a hand in killing the only caring family Harry had,” Ginny said fiercely.

“Oh, I'm sure Potter played the martyr to the fullest. He loves the attention,” Draco sneered.

“You just don't get it do you?” Ginny said pityingly. “He never asked for any of this, he never wanted any of this!”

“I wouldn't be so sure about that,” Draco said haughtily.

“His parents were murdered, his entire magical family hunted down and killed by Voldemort,” Ginny said slowly for emphasis. “He was left at his aunt's doorstep only to be abused while growing up. He had no idea who or what he was and when he did, Voldemort has made numerous attempts on his life. Can't you understand what that is like?”

“I don't understand how all of you can be so freakin' blind! War is coming and many of you side with Dumbledore who is pinning all his hopes on some bloody teenager! Do you really think Potter can do that?” Draco said. “Are you all stupid?”

“Goodness and kindness and…love are NOT stupid,” Ginny said firmly.

“And that is what makes mudbloods and mudblood lovers weak,” Draco retorted.

“Weakness has nothing to do with bloodlines, Draco. Look at us now! Muggleborns and pure bloods stranded together for days on end. Our fates have been the same. You and I weren't spared any tragedy just because of our blood. Strip away the money and labels and you'll see we are all the same,” Ginny said defiantly.

Her eyes were fierce with passion, her face flushed. She looked so desirable that Draco couldn't help what he did next. His lips crashed down on hers catching her off guard and with her defenses down. She quickly gave in to its heat and passion. Draco was instantly addicted to her and he needed more. Begging entrance with his tongue she complied and he was rewarded with the sweet taste of her mouth. Ginny was drowning, the passion a drug that muddled her thoughts as he gently cradled her head. But a sliver of reality broke through and she opened her eyes.

She shoved Draco away from her and slapped him across the face.

“Asshole!” she said harshly then moved to sit farther away from him. Her cheeks were red and flushed, her lips plump and wet from their kiss.

Draco sat back and settled into the branches a smirk on his face. His cheek stung where her hand had made contact. Her taste was still in his mouth.

~*~

“Hermione!” Harry shouted out.

He had back tracked to the beach camp but no one was left save a few pigs who feasted on the dried fish. He stayed well away from them. He trekked into the jungle, the only place left that she could've gone. He was hoping that she was with someone and not by herself.

“Hermione!”

The sound of rain splattering against plant leaves was his only reply. He couldn't see very far in front of him, the rain blurred the distance in front of him. Maybe he had gone too deep in the jungle, the canopies blocked most of the dwindling light. He had passed fellow students who stayed up in trees but Hermione wasn't with any of them.

The sun was beginning to set and soon he would be plunged into total darkness. Was Hermione out there all alone? He looked around him. No one was near. Harry brought his right hand in front of him and closed his eyes to concentrate.

A bright ball of light appeared, its beam mimicking the light of a flashlight or the Lumos spell.

“Hermione!” he called out as he plunged into the darkness of the jungle.

~*~

The morning sun cast warmth on the few of the students who returned to the camp. They muttered amongst themselves at the damage done by the wild pigs. The tents were all destroyed, one of the tarps was ripped to shreds by a pig who was tangled in it, one of the blankets had the foul stench of animal urine on it. The dried fish were all gone and one of the fishing lines was stomped into the sand, some of the hooks were bent or broken.

Dean picked up one of the hooks that was damaged. “Nice,” he muttered sarcastically. “Bloody fantastic.” He threw the hook back down on the sand.

Draco and Ginny emerged from the jungle, following the voices back to camp.

“Ginny!” Ron said aloud.

“Ron!” Ginny shouted and ran to her brother. He met her halfway and he hugged her hard swinging her around. Her ex boyfriend Dean came over and said a few words and gave her a hug. A brief pang of jealousy flashed over Draco's face.

It was a look that Pansy did not miss.

“Draco!” Pansy called out and ran to him throwing her arms around him.

He returned it half-heartedly. “Is everyone alright?” he asked as the other Slytherins joined them.

Students trickled into the camp as the day went on. Draco was sitting with his fellow Slytherins, checking their things, when Harry walked onto the beach. Terry jogged up to him.

“Is she with you?” he asked Harry.

“No, I was hoping she was with you,” Harry replied.

“You mean to tell me you left her alone somewhere on this island?” Terry yelled.

Harry's jaw clenched. “I didn't leave her. I've been searching for her all night. What have you been doing?” Harry stood in front of him.

“I've been doing the same,” Terry shot back, anger in his eyes.

“Look, we all got scattered across this forsaken island,” Dean said, trying to keep the peace.

“You're her boyfriend, Terry,” Harry snarled. “What did you do? Run like a coward when the pigs showed up, leaving her behind to fend for herself?”

“Oh, so you can admit that we're dating when it conveniences you? Well, where were you? You normally follow her like a lost puppy begging for attention,” Terry shot back.

The two of them made a move for each other but Ron and Draco intervened. Ron holding Harry back while Draco took care of Terry.

“Hey, hey guys. Cool it,” Ron said.

“You're not going to find Granger by standing there fighting with each other,” Draco said. “Our situation is bad enough as it is.”

Harry and Terry both relented. Neville angrily tossed aside a blanket.

“Look at this,” he muttered angrily gesturing around their ruined camp. “Now what are we going to do?”

“We move to the outcrops,” Harry stated.

“In there?” Terry asked, gesturing to the jungle.

“There have got to be caves there. We need to find better shelter,” Harry persisted.

“Those outcrops are surrounded by the jungle, who knows what is in there? Besides, we don't know if something already has made its home there, like the pigs.”

“Or worse,” Pansy piped up.

“Do you want to spend your days in the rain when we could have a stronger shelter to keep us dry? Storms a lot worse than the one last night are going to land on this island,” Draco said.

“The camp stays on the beach,” Terry said firmly. “Better to see any rescue ships.”

“Those pigs will be back. Are we going to have to rebuild camp every single time?” Ron asked.

Terry sighed impatiently. “Fine,” he said angrily. He stormed over to the edge of the jungle and retrieved a small branch. He walked back to the beach and drew a line between himself and Harry.

“Don't do this Terry,” Harry warned.

Terry ignored him and tossed the branch aside. “Those who want to go to the rocks go with Harry. Those who want to stay on the beach stay with me.”

The students looked at each other uncertainly. No one dared speak, the only sound was the distant roar of the waves breaking offshore and the lapping waves as they reached the beach. Harry and Terry stared angrily at each other across the line.

Ron walked over and stood next to Harry. He was followed by Luna, Ginny, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati. Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle stood next to Terry followed by the other Slytherins. Most of Hufflepuff and the rest of Ravenclaw also stood next to Terry looking back pityingly at their housemates who stood with Harry. Draco was the only one left. Pansy looked at him and gestured for him to join her. Draco looked between her and Harry. He sighed and picked up the branch that Terry discarded.

“If I'm going back in that jungle, I'm taking something pointy and sharp with me,” he said and joined Harry's group.

“So,” Terry said coldly. “That's how it's going to be.”

“You divided the group. Not me,” Harry replied.

~*~

They split whatever equipment that was salvageable between the two groups including blankets. Harry's patience was dwindling slowly. The more time it took to get everyone packed and ready was time took away from going into the jungle to find Hermione. If they didn't find her on the way to the rocks he was going to venture out again by himself.

Pansy approached Ginny and Luna who were at the waterfall filling the water bottles. Ginny looked up but said nothing to acknowledge her presence and Luna only looked up in time to see Pansy shove Ginny in the water.

“What do you think you are doing?” Luna asked angrily.

The cold water stung Ginny as she fell in it. She swam to the surface and treaded water looking up at Luna and Pansy arguing angrily with each other.

“What did you do that for?” Ginny shouted up at her.

Pansy reached out and grabbed Ginny by her hair. “Don't you even think about taking him away from me, you little slut,” she hissed at her.

Ginny had been reaching up to free herself from her grasp but instead she reached further and grabbed Pansy's upper arm and pulled her into the water with her. Pansy tried to catch her breath but it felt like the cold water was squeezing her lungs.

“You bitch!” Ginny snarled and shoved Pansy back under the water.

“No! Ginny! Pansy! Stop it!” Luna shouted.

Back on the beach, Harry, Ron and Draco heard her shouts and dropped what they were doing to run after her. They arrived at the waterfall to see Luna wading into the water as Ginny and Pansy were splashing around. At first, Harry thought they were just goofing off but at a closer look, Harry could see scratches on Ginny and a bloody lip on Pansy. Ron and Draco walked into the water.

“Hey! Hey cut it out you two!” Draco shouted.

Ron pulled Ginny off of Pansy and Draco dragged Pansy to the shore. Pansy threw Draco a dirty look and stormed back to the beach, he followed.

“What the hell is going on here?” Ron asked his sister when they reached the shore.

“Nothing, Ron,” Ginny said angrily and headed toward the camp.

Harry helped Luna out of the water as Ron went after his sister.

“Don't tell me it's nothing! You were fighting about him weren't you?” Ron persisted.

“It was nothing, Ron. Just drop it,” Ginny said angrily.

“Are you forgetting what he did to your father?” Pansy said to Draco.

“This has nothing to do with that,” Draco shot back to her.

“This has everything to do with it! You sided with him!” She shrieked.

“You like him, don't you?” Ron asked his sister.

Ginny stopped and turned to look at him. “I do not!”

“Ginny,” Ron looked pleadingly at her, “he's in Slytherin!”

“Have you forgotten your loyalties?” Pansy said quietly.

“My loyalty right now is to myself. I would like to live long enough for the possibility of getting of this blasted piece of rock!” Draco responded.

“And what about your loyalty to me?” she asked.

“What about it? You chose to stay on the beach,” he replied.

“Does it really matter right now who belongs to what house? You didn't talk to Dean the entire time we dated and he was your roommate!” Ginny accused.

“So you do like him!” Ron pointed at her. Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes.

“I never said that!”

“His father nearly killed us in the Department of Mysteries, have you forgotten that?” Ron said quietly and walked away from her. Ginny plopped down on the ground and began to cry.

“Stay with me on the beach,” Pansy pleaded, pulling him toward her and running a hand through his hair.

“Come with me to the rocks,” Draco countered.

“And side with Potter?” Pansy laughed.

Draco stepped away from her. “This isn't about sides.”

“It's always about sides,” Pansy said. “And what would our Master say if he knew what side you chose?”

Draco's jaw clenched. “Shut up,” he said softly.

Pansy shook her head at him in disgust. “You would've been better than your father. The Master said so himself.” She grabbed his arm turning the underside of his forearm up. “The Mark may not show but you know with whom your true loyalties lie. Don't forget what you pledged yourself to be.”

Draco yanked his arm out of her grasp and walked away from her.

~*~

The sun was high in the sky when Harry's group left the beach. He led the way while the others listened intently for any sounds that would indicate the pigs were nearby. Harry had a knife but Ron, Draco and Neville had spears. The rain had stopped sometime last night but the afternoon sun made the jungle hot and sweltering. The dried fish was eaten by the pigs so they had not eaten since yesterday afternoon. Their stomachs growled with hunger.

Harry recalled the last thing Terry said to him before he left.

“When you find Hermione, bring her back to the beach,” Terry said.

“I'll leave that decision for her to make,” he replied.

Harry heard the grunt and stopped suddenly. They guys had their spears up. The pig stood alone staring at the group, surprised that they were there. Harry and the others stepped forward, they had caught the pig off guard and it was alone. It wasn't one of the big ones, this one was a bit smaller and it's tusks not as long.

The pig grunted and took off for the grassy clearing. Ron and Neville looked at Harry.

“I guess we scared it off,” Harry said.

Draco threw down his pack. “He's not getting away. Boys, our meal is running away.” He leveled his spear and took off after the pig. Neville and Ron looked at Harry who looked equally bewildered. Delirious with the possibility of a meal with actual meat instead of fish, Ron took off after him. Harry and Neville followed as the group stayed behind and cheered.

The mood of the group lifted considerably when the guys returned with the pig. Carrying it on a pole, they all daydreamed about what the meal would be like.

“We've got to roast it on a fire. Turning it over and over so the juices coat it,” Dean said dreamily. Ron stared longingly at the dead pig.

“We found some fruit we can put with it,” Parvati chimed in.

Harry slowed down and a hush fell over the group when they arrived to the rocks. It was a rocky cliff that towered above them with boulders at the bottom. Vines covered the face and just above the boulders the gaping mouth of a cave stood.

“This is it,” Ginny said reverently as she stood next to Harry.

“Yeah,” Harry said quietly. “This is it.”

They heard the sound of heavy breathing to the left of them. They turned to face whatever it was, knives out and spears poised. The sound of rustling leaves and the snapping of twigs filled the air. Suddenly, something muddy flew out at them from the jungle, knocking Harry to the ground.

“Hermione!” he said when she lifted herself off him.

-->

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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Chapter Twelve: Adversary

“It's Lord of the Flies time.”—Sawyer, Lost

Hermione walked toward the beach camp when the sun was high in the afternoon sky.

“Halt! Who goes there?” she recognized the rough voice of Crabbe, a spear pointed into her face.

“Would you be careful!” she scolded. “It's me, Hermione.”

Crabbe narrowed his eyes and lifted his spear, motioning for her to continue on. She rolled her eyes and continued on to the beach. She began to hear the sounds of her classmates chattering away and Hermione could see that they were constructing their own fence.

“Terry,” she called out in greeting as she approached him.

He was talking to a couple of Ravenclaw boys, giving them last minute instructions before taking their leave.

“Hello, Hermione,” he said cheerfully.

“What is all this?” Hermione laughed, holding a hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun.

“Isn't it great?” he asked, placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her forward. “We've been at it for a couple of weeks now.”

Using the trees at the edge of the beach, Terry and the others had constructed what could best be described as tree houses.

“We're going to build bridges next, to connect them,” Terry explained.

“Wow!” Hermione said, impressed.

“Come on. I'll give you a tour.”

Terry went on to explain the rough details. They had found a way to keep themselves safe from the pigs that raided nearly every night by moving their campsites in the trees. Narrow, well placed trunks could be lashed together to make a decent but uncomfortable floor. They were also building a fence around the place, similar to the one they had by the rocks.

“You know, Crabbe nearly stabbed me as I walked in,” she said dryly.

“He gets over-zealous about his guarding post. Always forgetting who's okay to let in,” Terry explained.

Hermione looked at him. “What do you mean, who to let in? Everyone can come and go as they please, right?”

Terry frowned slightly and shifted uncomfortably. “Oh, of course. I just meant that he has to remember to watch out for pigs and tigers and who else knows what's out there.”

Hermione gave him a scrutinizing look. “I just want to make sure that that fence is there for purposes of protection. NOT to keep people away.”

“Of course, Hermione,” Terry said soothingly. He put his arm around her. “I'm glad you came,” he said quietly.

Hermione sighed and stepped away from him. “Terry…there's something…I need to be honest here…,” she shook her head in frustration. “We need to talk.”

Terry froze. That phrase coming from Hermione was usually followed by unpleasant news.

“Okay,” he said. “But first we eat. Dinner will be coming up soon. We can talk after that.”

Hermione chewed her lip in thought and looked back at the path to the camp by the rocks. She had told Ginny where she was going and that she might be awhile. There was a possibility that she would not return to the camp until the next morning. But she had to talk to Terry. It was important.

~*~

Draco sat by the fire watching Ginny across the way. Once in awhile they would look up and catch each others eyes. They hadn't gone back to the lagoon since the first time but the days had gone by with stolen kiss and hidden touches. She smiled slightly at him but it was quickly hidden as Harry approached her.

“Hey, have you seen Hermione?” he asked her and Draco looked up in interest.

Ginny shared a look with Luna who was next to her. “She's at the beach,” Ginny said passively.

Draco watched Harry's expression darken and rolled his eyes. Potter could sometimes be too predictable.

“At the beach?” he asked. “This late? Did she take someone with her?”

“No…she went by herself. She said she needed to talk to Terry,” Ginny said.

“Damn it. She knows better than to go walking through the jungle at night,” Harry grumbled.

Ginny chose her words very carefully. “She wasn't planning on returning…tonight.”

Harry tilted his head to the side, taking in her meaning. Draco smirked.

“I see,” Harry said curtly and walked away.

Ginny sighed heavily and much to Draco's dismay, followed Harry.

“Harry, stop,” she called after him. Harry reluctantly stopped and turned around.

“Yes?” he asked.

“It's not like that, Harry. She only went over to talk with him,” Ginny explained.

“Talk?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“This late in the day? And planning to stay the night with him?”

Ginny shrugged. “Maybe it was a last minute thing? She told me just before she left.”

Harry shook his head. “I'm not naïve, Ginny. He is her boyfriend.” Harry turned and walked away and Ginny sighed heavily.

That night, Draco didn't sleep well. He stared up at the ceiling of the cave and listened to the soft snores of his fellow campers. A familiar feeling began seeping into him again. Jealousy of the Boy Who Lived. Why? He rolled on his stomach and looked over at Ginny who was sleeping soundly. He wondered if she still harbored some feelings for Potter. And with Granger seeming to take herself out of the picture, would Potter act on Ginny's feelings? He didn't like this thought. He never before had to compete for a girl's attention, it was always just so easy for him. But once again, he found himself a rival in Potter. He laughed to himself, some things really do never change no matter where you are.

A small commotion on the other side of the room caught his attention. Harry was moving restlessly in his sleep and muttering.

Ron was sleeping comfortably until Harry's stirrings and mutterings woke him.

“He's here…..He's alive,” Harry was muttering in his sleep.

“Harry?” he asked but Harry still was asleep.

“No…no,” he murmured. “Where are you? He's alive! He's alive!!!”

Harry sat up and screamed, clutching his forehead. Everyone shot up from their sleep, confused and scared at the commotion Harry was making. Ron pinned a wrestling Harry to the ground.

“Help me!” he shouted.

Neville, Dean and Seamus assisted Ron in controlling Harry. Ginny sat up, hands covering her mouth in horror.

“It can't be happening!” she said. “Not here!”

“Where's Hermione?” Ron shouted out. “Sorry, mate,” he said to Harry then slapped him hard on the face to wake him up.

It had done the trick and Harry opened his eyes, his breathing was hard and fast. Sweat covered his forehead and his scar ached dully. One look at Ron and he knew what happened.

Ginny scooted forward and laid a gentle hand on his forehead. “It's okay now, Harry. You're okay.”

Harry lay there at the brink of hyperventilation. No, everything was NOT okay. He struggled to get up and Ron helped him. With his help, Harry made his way past his classmates to sit outside by the fire. Ron stayed with him.

“Everything's okay, everyone,” Neville said aloud. “Harry's just had a nightmare. We all have them, but he's fine. Everything's okay.”

His classmates murmured and settled back down. Draco's heart was pounding in his chest. He heard Harry before they woke him up and that wasn't Harry's voice that was coming out of his mouth. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. The voice of Lord Voldemort.

Outside of the cave, Harry shivered despite the warmth of the fire. Ron looked at his friend worriedly.

“You alright, mate?” he asked, knowing it was dumb question.

“No,” Harry muttered softly.

“Haven't had one of those in awhile, have you?” he asked and Harry looked up at him darkly. A moment of silence came over them until Harry decided to break it.

“I think I know what may have started them,” he said quietly.

“You've had more than one?” Ron asked, raising his eyebrows.

Harry nodded and continued on. “I think it started when the shark…went after Hermione and…”

“I know,” Ron cut him off. “I saw you when we hiked the mountain. You didn't even have to use a wand.”

Harry looked at Ron surprised and a bit apologetic. “You knew?” Ron nodded. “Does anyone else know?”

“Hermione,” he said softly. He heard Harry softly sigh. “We haven't told anyone. You're still our best mate.”

Harry looked off into the jungle toward the beach. “Yeah, I know,” he said softly.

Ron looked at his friend. “Since we're being so honest with each other…are you going to tell me what's going on between you and Hermione?”

Harry picked up a random pebble and began to play with it. “Nothing's going on between us,” he said plainly. It was the truth. Nothing was going on between the two of them.

Ron scrutinized his friend. “I guess that's the problem?” he asked. Harry didn't answer. Ron sighed and leaned back on his elbows. “For being so brilliant in school, she isn't so smart when it comes to life sometimes. But she'll come to her senses, don't worry mate.”

Harry didn't bother telling him that he had blown it big time when he let her walk out of his room. Ron was still talking and he forced himself to listen.

“I mean, I really don't see what she sees in him,” he was saying. “There's just something about him…I can't quite put my finger on it.”

“Can't remember still?” Harry asked. Ron had no memory of the blast that sunk their boat. But he had said that just before the explosion, Hermione had found him and Terry in the library beating the crap out of each other.

“It's so frustrating! It's out there, just beyond my reach but it's there,” Ron said.

They stayed up and talked some more until Ron fell asleep outside with him. Harry had no intention of going back to sleep and he wasn't tired. He kept watch over the cave all night.

~*~

Hermione and Terry sat on the beach next to a fire. The conversation was difficult.

“Terry…I don't think we should see each other anymore. I mean, yes, we will see each other but…I don't think we should be…dating each other.” It came out lame and pathetic but it was the best she could do right now.

Terry took in a deep breath. “Why?” he asked.

“Well for one thing, this really isn't the ideal setting to harbor any sort of those feelings,” she said. It was a blatant lie. She was very capable of harboring lustful feelings, just not for her boyfriend. “But most important…I don't feel that way for you, anymore.” That was hard to get out. It was difficult hurting someone you cared about.

Terry let out a small laugh. “You'd think a tropical island would be perfect for romance. But I guess if the feelings aren't there…”

“I'm sorry, Terry,” she said softly. They sat in silence.

“I want you to tell me the truth, Hermione. No lies!” he said fiercely. “You can at least give me that.”

“Of course,” Hermione said.

“Is it because of him?” he asked.

“Who?” she asked, knowing full well who he was talking about.

Terry scoffed. “Don't mock me, Hermione.”

“No,” she answered. It was the truth. This had nothing to do with Harry, this was between her and Terry. But she doubted he would believe her anyway.

Terry looked out at the sea thinking back on a conversation he had with Harry.

“Do you love her?” he asked Harry. Harry closed his eyes and sighed. “I love her, too,” Terry sighed. “I would do anything for her. Does that sound crazy?”

“No…no, it doesn't,” Harry answered.

“Did…did you ever fool around with him while we were dating?” he asked and Hermione looked at him. “Be honest.”

Hermione looked back at the sea, it seemed like it happened so long ago.

“Yes,” she answered quietly and she heard Terry exhale sharply. “But he made it very clear afterward that he wanted only to be friends.”

Terry wondered how clear he had made that to Hermione considering he told him that he loved her. Terry was afraid to ask the next question but he did it anyway.

“Did you sleep with him?” he asked softly.

Hermione closed her eyes. “Yes,” she whispered.

It was more than he could bear and he stood up. “Damn you, Hermione,” he said then marched back to his tree.

Hermione stayed behind, covering her mouth with her hands and letting the tears fall. It had hurt her more than Terry could possibly know to admit to what she and Harry had done. Kept between the two of them, she could almost pretend it didn't happen. That it had been a weird dream that she and Harry had shared. But now admitting it to someone on the outside made it a reality.

She didn't want to stay on the beach anymore but it was dark and the path back to the rocks was obscured. But she headed that way anyway, tears blurring her vision, sadness muddling her thoughts. What if she ran into the pigs on the way back? She didn't care. And the tiger? Maybe his killing would be swift. She doubted she would feel a thing she was so numb with pain.

She could hear the distant sounds of the waterfall and headed in that direction. She came upon its mouth and looking down she could see the moon sparkling off the top of the choppy waters. She slumped down on one of the rocks and sobbed. What she really needed was a good cry.

She cried for her and Harry and what they had lost. She didn't have time to cry for it before with all that had happened but maybe after this she would be able to move on. A sound behind her caught her attention and she turned.

It stared at her, its eyes glowing. She stood and faced it.

“If you're going to kill me,” she said. “Do it now.”

The tiger bared its teeth and let out a low growl. Hermione met its eyes. “Do it!” she demanded, crazy with adrenaline.

The tiger lunged forward and Hermione realized at the last second that maybe this was a horrible idea after all. He swatted at her carelessly and she was thrown to the ground, surprised at the sheer power of it. He was playing with her like a cat with a mouse. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed the nearest thing to her, a long branch. She held it out in front of her. The tiger hissed and growled at her and swatted. Its paw tearing the branch from her hands. Hermione swallowed and looked at the dangerous cat. She felt a warm wetness on her head, she must have hit it and cut it. It paced in front of her and she walked calmly in front of it. The cat stared at her then ran at a full sprint at her. She was going to die, she knew it. But at the last second and idea came to her and she ran into the river. The tiger leapt at her, claws out and jaws wide and Hermione ducked. The tiger realized his mistake and snarled in disapproval. She had stood at the head of the waterfall and it tumbled over the edge. But it barely missed her, its hind paws hit her shoulder, its claw scratching and the force of it knocked Hermione over the edge with him.

Down, down they went until they splashed into the cool pool below. Her lungs compacted and she scrambled to the surface for air. The water was cold and choppy and her shoulder ached but she managed to swim to the slippery rocks on the side. She hauled her body out of the water, grateful to be alive. She lay on her back exhausted but fear gripped her and she turned to see the fate of the tiger.

It had surfaced and was splashing in the middle of the pool. Hermione realized that the tiger had no idea where to get out. It swam to a side and tried its grip on the rocks but its claws scraped helplessly on their stony surfaces and it slid back into the water. Hermione met its eyes and recognized the look in its eyes. The panic of death. The same look she had when the shark had come at her. She could watch it die. She could. It would be one less predator on this island.

But she couldn't.

She looked around her and luckily found a dead tree trunk lying nearby. She ran to it but it was too heavy to lift. But she could roll it. She got down on the ground and pushed on it, ignoring the pain in her shoulder, ignoring the splinters she would have in her hands. But the trunk miraculously gave and slowly she rolled it to the edge of the pool.

The tiger was still alive and swam to Hermione.

“You've got to be quick,” she called out to it, breathless.

She could roll the log to the edge of the pool, teetering it like a see saw. She could give the tiger a chance. She wasn't sure how deep the pool was, but the trunk had to be long enough to give the tiger something to grip on, if only for a split second, to jump out of the water.

With a grunt of exhaustion, she gave one final push on the log. It began to tilt and with one final shove it slid into the water. It was all the tiger needed. Hermione stumbled and tripped on the stone landing on her stomach but not before she saw the massive shape spring out of the water and over her.

She rolled onto her back. Her stomach sick with excitement but she was too tired to move. If the tiger came after her, she had no energy to run. But she heard it, it was nearby and she could hear its panting. The soft pads were nearly silent as he made his way to her. Hermione braced herself for the bite but instead she felt him nuzzle her hand. Tears sprang to her eyes when she heard a loud rumble and realized that it was him, purring. He lay his massive body down next to hers and Hermione buried her hands in his thick fur. She closed her eyes in exhaustion.

~*~

The sky was purple with dawn when she made her way back to the rocks.

“Hermione!” Ron called out when she emerged from the jungle.

Harry stood up as well. His expression had been blank and detached. She looked terrible, her eyes were puffy, her hair looked a mess and was that blood on her? Ron jumped down to greet her and Harry followed.

“What happened to you?” he asked, looking at her head where dried blood had matted some of her hair and was crusted to her face.

“Oh Ron!” Hermione sobbed, wrapping her arms around him.

Bewildered, he looked back at Harry. Normally, this was his job. Hermione hissed when Ron's arms went around her and he quickly stepped away from her, holding her at arms length. He turned Hermione around and saw her shirt ripped and stained dark with blood. Harry's face etched with concern when he met Ron's gaze.

“Hermione?” Ron asked, hastily unbuttoning her shirt. He turned her around and pulled the shirt down her shoulder revealing the tiger's shallow claw marks. Harry's eyes widened.

Harry briskly walked up to her. “Hermione,” he whispered softly. He held a hand up to trace the cut but his fingers stopped a breadth away from her skin. He slowly drew his hand back. He didn't dare touch her bare skin again.

By this time, Ginny and Luna had awoken and had made their way out of the cave.

“Hermione!” they shouted.

At seeing her friends, Hermione burst out into tears.

“Oh, Hermione! What happened?” Ginny asked fretfully. Hermione collapsed in their arms, sobbing as they took her away.

“We'll take care of her,” Luna said to the two young men.

Harry sat silently with Ron and Dean, chewing slowly on a piece of fruit, deep in thought. Hermione was damn lucky to get out of whatever scrape she had gotten into with the tiger. That tiger was dangerous and something needed to be done before it started to pick them off one by one. He wondered if he could pull something similar to the Avada Kedavra out of his sleeve. But, no, he was afraid to do magic right now. Every time he did it, he felt as if he was strengthening the channel between him and Voldemort and he didn't want it to get any stronger than it was.

The arrival of Ginny and Luna yanked him out of his thoughts.

“How is she?” he asked. Ginny and Luna shared a brief glance at each other.

“She's fine. She's asleep right now,” Ginny answered.

Harry's jaw tightened. He recognized the way Ginny and Luna had looked at each other. It was the way people had looked at him at Hogwarts whenever a news article was printed out about him. They way people would look at him when they knew something about him that he didn't know himself yet. Dumbledore looked at him like that a lot.

A sharp nudge from Ron ripped Harry's attention away from the secretive girls and to the jungle. Terry was storming toward their camp, anger flashing in his eyes. Harry's gaze flickered over to Ginny and Luna who were deliberately not looking at him as if they had already seen this coming. Harry rose to his feet.

“Terry,” Harry said politely, “is everything—“

CRACK!!

Harry had not been expecting him to storm over and punch him in the face. It was a hard punch to his jaw that sent him sprawling to the ground. Harry immediately knew what happened. Terry loomed over him, his face red and he could see just a hint of tears in his eyes. Ron and Dean made a move for Terry but Harry held up a hand, motioning for them to stay back.

“She told me!” Terry's voice was hoarse with anger and anguish. “She told me everything!” Harry slowly got to his feet. “Do you deny it?”

Harry rubbed his jaw that would surely bruise. “If you're looking for an apology, you're not going to get it.”

Terry moved in close to Harry, his eyes glaring with hate. “She was mine,” he said so quietly that no one else heard.

Harry's eyes blazed with anger and he matched his hateful gaze. “Was she?” he hissed back.

Terry's jaw clenched in anger and he turned wordlessly and stormed back to the beach. Harry felt everyone's eyes on him, wondering what in the hell that was about. Harry didn't feel like explaining anything so he left without saying anything into the jungle.

-->

Chapter Thirteen: Predator and Prey

The female lion is at risk when a new male takes over and establishes dominance in the pride. He will try to kill her cubs while the female will do what she can to keep them alive. This often pits the female against the male during this change.

Terry and Pansy sat hidden in the jungle by the lagoon watching Draco and Ginny disappear underneath the water. Terry felt bad for Pansy, he didn't like Draco and he didn't condone his behavior. Pansy watched them, her lips pressed tightly together, restraining from the tirade of obscenities that she wanted to scream at her boyfriend…no ex-boyfriend.

“Come on,” Terry whispered. “I think it's safe to follow.”

He led Pansy and another Slytherin into the water, swimming out to where Ginny and Draco had disappeared. Ducking underwater, they found the mouth of the cave and swam through following Terry's lead.

Silently he made his way to the surface, barely making a noise as he lifted his head out of the water. He saw piles of gold and jewels in front of him, a literal treasure trove. He also spied the youngest Weasley and Draco in a very compromising position, lucky for him they were too busy with each other to notice him.

Pansy surfaced next to him and he covered her mouth with his hand, a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence before she could shriek out their presence. The other Slytherin stared wide-eyed at the treasure. Silently, they ducked back under water and swam out of the cave.

“That no good dirty little…” Pansy ranted and raved when they surfaced in the lagoon. “I will KILL him. I swear I will make him pay. Wait until I get a hold of him…”

“No,” Terry said quietly. “No, we don't say a thing about what we saw here.”

Pansy stared at him indignantly. “You expect me to just…keep my mouth shut?!”

“Yes, I do,” he said harshly, rounding on her. She stared back at him open mouthed. “We have a nice piece of information on our hands here. Those two would love to keep what they are doing a secret from certain parties. And Draco has secrets of his own to keep,” he finished softly.

Pansy looked away guiltily. Only a select few knew about Draco's pledge to become a Death Eater. It certainly would be nice to hold that over his head, threaten to tell Potter of his little secret. Terry had a far off look on his face. Draco had masterminded the plot to break up Hermione and Harry by planting a naked Ginny in Harry's bed. What lengths would he go to keep that little piece of information from Miss Weasley's ears? Yes, Terry and Pansy definitely had Malfoy by the balls.

~*~

The afternoon sun pounded down mercilessly on the island and they were now beginning to feel the muggy heat. The distant rumble of storm clouds threatened to approach the island from offshore. Hermione made her way through the jungle following the racket that was being made. She found Harry, sweaty and shirtless, hacking away at some of the trees. She bit her lower lip as she watched his lithe muscles move underneath his tanned skin.

“Yes?” he asked, breaking through her lustful thoughts.

Hermione shook herself and gained her composure quickly. “Are you alright? Ron told me what happened this morning.”

“He punches like a girl,” he answered nonchalantly. He was lying, the punch had hurt.

Hermione let out a little laugh. “He piqued everyone's curiosity.”

Harry threw down a palm frond. “Did you tell everyone, too?” he said bitterly.

Hermione was taken aback and her guard was put up. “No,” she answered coolly, “I didn't.” Harry seemed to ignore her and continued hacking away. “You know, I don't understand why you are so mad. He had a right to know.”

“Did he?” Harry asked shortly.

“Harry…we slept together,” she said patronizingly.

Harry threw down another frond. “Yeah? Well, if I can recall, I gave you ample time to change your mind.” He was sorry he had said this the minute the words left his lips. Hermione looked at him as if she had been slapped.

“I'm sorry,” Hermione said bitingly. “I forgot that it was such a painful memory for you.” Harry didn't say anything to this, he was too angry at her and at himself. She shook her head in disgust. “You are such a jerk.”

“Why are you acting like a victim of circumstance in all of this? You were the one who came to me,” Harry said quietly.

“I'm very well aware of that fact, Harry,” Hermione replied as she turned to head back to the rocks.

Harry shook his head angrily when she left him. He was washing his hands of her. He was tired of being on the receiving end of any fallout between her and Terry. Harry knew that Hermione's true feelings for him had manifested themselves that night and now she was blatantly denying them. He was sick of her hiding behind Terry and he was tired of watching her battle with those demons unyielding. She was acting like a silly little child who couldn't make up her mind whether she wanted a pony or a puppy for her birthday. He was through with her. This morning had been the last straw.

~*~

Harry held the bloody piece of raw meat up as Dean tied a string around it. Draco, Seamus, Ron and Neville all stood around him.

“So I'll set this out tonight. If we're lucky, the tiger will fall for it and we'll be rid of it as soon as possible,” Harry announced.

“What are you doing?” Hermione asked, storming over to the group of boys.

“We're setting our trap,” Harry answered defiantly. Hermione met his leveled gaze.

“I forbid it,” she said quietly.

Harry narrowed his eyes at her. “The tiger is dangerous, Hermione. It attacked you, it could attack any one of us.”

“Leave it alone, Harry,” she demanded.

“No,” he retorted and walked away from her. She followed him.

“You are just going to provoke it and make it angry,” she said.

He rounded on her. “I don't know how much clearer I can make it to you, Hermione. There. Is. A. Tiger out there. A very big one that can reduce all of us to a pile of blood and guts and I for one, do not intend to be on the menu.”

“He won't bother us if we don't bother him,” Hermione replied.

“And how do you know this?” he asked.

“I…I just know, okay?” she said abashedly.

“I'm not ready to put lives at stake because of your gut feeling,” he said.

“Just like fifth year?” she called after him. It was a low blow and she knew it but all she could think of doing right now was hurt him in some way for insulting her.

Harry looked back and her, eyes narrowed then he shook his head and made his way into the jungle. Ron approached Hermione.

“That was a real bitchy thing to do, Hermione,” he said to her then made his way after Harry.

Hermione hung her head and sighed. She hadn't meant to lash out at him like that but ever since the morning after she broke up with Terry, she and Harry had been sniping at each other and it was beginning to wear on her.

Frustrated, Harry set to work on setting the trap. He knew Hermione hadn't meant that comment but the fighting between the two of them over the past few days was beginning to try his temperament with her. But he guiltily admitted that he purposely started some fights just to get her riled up. Then he would see the anger flash behind her eyes, a dangerous glint that glossed over the underlying sexual tension that fueled that animosity. They would glare at each other mentally undressing one another; make snide remarks that had the undertones of whispered lust; sometimes he didn't know whether he wanted to throttle her or kiss her senseless or perhaps both.

That night, Hermione snuck out of the cave and into the jungle, the moonlight illuminating her way. She approached the trap and sprung it, jumping out of the way of the sudden action.

“What do you think you're doing?” a voice whispered in the dark.

Hermione spun around and was face to face with Draco. “What does it look like I'm doing?”

“Tsk, tsk. Potter's going to be very angry when I tell him what you've done,” he said, smirking.

Hermione met his challenge. “Go ahead,” she said plainly as she unhooked the meat and tossed it aside.

“No, I won't. Well, the verbal lashing would be fun to witness but it's really growing tiresome. Do the rest of us a favor and just shag the poor guy?”

“Like you're shagging Ginny?” she asked. Draco's face stilled the smirk wiped off his face.

“Hold your tongue, mudblood,” he whispered fiercely.

Hermione smiled indulgently. “Relax, Malfoy, I'm not stupid enough to tell Ron or Harry, although I do hate keeping things from them. You're lucky that my loyalties lie with Ginny in these matters.”

“Why are you protecting the tiger?” he asked.

“Why do you sleep outside the cave?” she countered.

“Quid pro quo?” he asked. She eyed him cautiously.

“I saved the tiger's life. Since then, he hasn't tried to attack.”

“The scratches on your back are from its claws.”

“Battle wounds,” she answered. “Now, why are you not sleeping with the rest of us?”

“The other night, Potter had a nightmare and he…Well, let's just say he wasn't himself,” he answered grimly.

“How so?” she asked.

“You can probably figure it out,” he said dryly. “That's all I've got to say on that subject.” He turned and headed back to camp but stopped and turned back to her. “Coming?” he asked.

She followed him. “That necklace that Ginny has,” she said and Draco stopped walking. “Where did she get it?”

“I gave it to her,” he answered.

“And where did you get it?” He shrugged and continued on his way.

They made their way back to the camp but Draco stopped her just at the fence. “I'm surprised you haven't asked me,” he said.

“Asked you what?” she asked.

“Why I'm not telling Potter?”

“I assume it's because you want to be a jerk about it and taunt me with this for as long as you can,” she sighed.

Draco smiled. “Well yeah there's that. But, I'm doing myself a favor by getting Potter of out my hair.”

Hermione crossed her arms. “Ginny doesn't like him in that way.”

“All the same, it buys me insurance. I know for a fact that Potter is full awake in that cave and is watching this little interaction with much interest.”

Hermione fought the urge to look in that direction. She shrugged.

“So, what does this have to do with me?”

He smiled coyly at her and took her hand in his. “Don't play dumb, Granger. Don't you know the way to a man's heart is through his ego?” He kissed the back of her hand then walked away from her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and made her way into the cave. She could feel Harry's penetrating gaze burn through her. She settled into her sleeping mat and caught Ginny's eye. She had a playful, knowing look on her face. Hermione frowned at her and turned on her side to face away from her.

~*~

Harry was in a pissy mood the next day. He stormed over to Hermione who was gathering some fruits. They were alone.

“You did it, didn't you?” he snarled.

Hermione sighed lazily. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“The trap,” he said briskly. “You sprung the trap. Do you know how long it takes to set it up?”

“Maybe your trap sucks,” she said calmly.

“Whatever,” Harry muttered angrily and walked away. Hermione smiled smugly to herself.

That night, Harry watched as she made her way out of the cave again. He waited a few moments then followed her back to the trap.

But she wasn't there and the trap was still set. Deciding it wouldn't be a good idea to hang around, he made his way back to the camp. Hermione was still not there, and much to Harry's chagrin, neither was Draco. Hmm, nor Ginny. Horrid thoughts of a possible three-way popped into his mind.

“Lucky bastard,” he muttered then brushed the unlikely thought aside.

She was on her way to spring the trap again but Draco caught up with her. Taking her arm, he gestured silence with his fingers to his lips and led her into the jungle. The moon was full and provided good light as they made their way to a beautiful lagoon. Hermione stopped and gasped at the wonderful sight.

“It's beautiful isn't it?” a voice whispered behind her.

Hermione turned to find Ginny standing behind her. Draco stood next to her with an arm wrapped around her middle. Ginny stepped forward and took her hand, leading her into the lagoon.

“Come on, we trust you,” she smiled.

They swam into the lagoon, then through a tunnel that half-frightened Hermione out of her wits, but when she surfaced it was well worth it. The moonlight glinted off the gold through a narrow light from above. There were piles of it and dotted amongst it were jewels and wooden trunks. Hermione ran her fingers over a beautiful gold crucifix embedded with emeralds. She thought of Harry's eyes.

They made their way back in silence, Hermione agreeing to keep their secret. She made a detour for the trap and sprung it, tossing the meat aside. She smiled inwardly at Harry's persistence, if only he were so passionate about catching other things. Like her willing heart.

Harry feigned sleep as he watched Ginny and Hermione enter the cave. They looked wet and their faces held the looks that Lavender and Parvati frequently wore after coming back from a session with Professor Trelawny. A sort of smug, self satisfied look.

Harry didn't say anything to Hermione when he came back from the jungle. The trap had once again been sprung. He glared at Hermione who looked back at him, her eyes dancing with merriment that sent his stomach in pleasing knots. If it weren't for such a dangerous predator, he would've gladly set and reset the traps just so he and Hermione could play this game. But it was a very dangerous predator and this time he would be ready.

~*~

Hermione parted ways with Ginny and Draco in the jungle. They were now using her as a cover for their clandestine meetings at night. As planned, Hermione would spring the trap, then head out to the waterfall until they met her again and they would all walk back together.

Hermione lazily reached for the meat but the most unexpected thing happened. She heard the twang of a trap being sprung then she was hoisted up in the air in a net.

“Harry!” she shouted out angrily.

From the jungle he emerged, laughing at her as she dangled in the net above.

“Harry put me down! This isn't funny!” she said.

“Actually, it is kind of funny,” he replied. “You see, you gave me the idea, really. Each time you sprung the trap, you tossed the meat aside but it was still untouched by the morning. The tiger wasn't falling for it so I decided to use a better bait.”

Hermione was furious with him. “Harry this is ridiculous! It isn't going to work.”

Harry lifted the spear he was holding toward Hermione. “I'm betting that it does.”

Hermione opened her mouth to say something when a sound came from the jungle that made her heart stop. A low growl. Harry heard it too and had his spear poised, ready to strike.

“Harry, no! Put that away!” she cried out.

Harry tuned her out, his thoughts concentrated on the jungle ahead of him. Silently from the shadows it stepped out, its eyes glowed fiercely. Harry looked at it and swallowed nervously. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

“Blake! No, don't hurt him!” Hermione called out to the tiger. The tiger didn't move, he only looked up at Hermione in the net then back down at Harry, a soft growl escaped its throat.

Harry slowly brought the spear up. “Stay away from us,” he said.

The tiger looked at the spear with narrowed eyes. His ears flattened against its head and it let out a snarl. Harry jumped back.

“Stop it! Stop it both of you! Harry drop the spear!” Hermione called down.

“Are you crazy? I'm not going to drop the spear!” Harry shouted back. It was the only thing between him and the Almighty. He raised the spear higher.

The tiger snarled and lashed out with a massive paw. He heard Hermione scream and felt the spear ripped from his hands. The sheer power of it was like swiping a twig from his hands. The tiger roared and Harry nearly crapped his pants. He was way in over his head. He didn't want to do it but he had to do something to protect himself and Hermione. He closed his eyes and sent a stinging hex to the tiger. The tiger leaped away from him and snarled.

Draco and Ginny were at the lagoon when they heard the commotion. They looked at each other then ran into the jungle toward Hermione's screams. Ron sat bolt upright in the cave along with his fellow cavemates. Hermione's scream pierced the night and they could hear the roar of the tiger. Thinking the worst, Ron ran out of the cave with Neville, Dean and Seamus, all of them taking spears.

“Let me down, Harry! He won't hurt you if I tell him so, just stop hurting him!” Hermione screamed down.

But Harry wouldn't listen, he and the tiger circled around one another. The tiger wary of getting another hex. Draco and Ginny got there the same time that Ron and the other's did.

“Ron!” Harry called out. “Throw the spear!”

“No, Ron!” Hermione shouted out from a net dangling from a tree. “Don't do it! Let me down, Harry!”

“Harry! Let her down!” Ginny called out.

“Throw it Ron!” Draco yelled.

Ron threw the spear but his aim was poor and it missed the tiger. The tiger whirled angrily on the boys. Neville, Seamus and Dean threw theirs but their nerves at being face to face with the tiger made their aim just as good as Ron's.

“Ginny! No!” Draco called out as Ginny darted forward past the tiger and climbed the tree. She had taken the knife that Draco always carried on him.

“Hold on, Hermione!” she said to her.

“Ginny, don't free Hermione!” Harry warned.

The tiger hissed and snarled at the boys that were trying to surround him. Ginny reached the netting and began to cut away.

Draco saw Harry look up at Ginny and raise his hand but Draco tackled him to the ground before he could stop Ginny. The tiger used this distraction to come at the two of them but before he could swipe at Harry, he sent a force toward the tiger, knocking him backward.

“Hurry Ginny!” Hermione called out.

Ginny worked furiously to set Hermione free. With an audible snap, the net gave and Hermione dropped to the ground. The tiger ran forward, toward her to see if she was okay. Harry, misinterpreting this, sent a powerful force toward the tiger. It was sent sprawling to the ground, knocked unconscious.

Hermione scrambled to her feet. “Harry no!”

Harry moved forward and sent another hex but Hermione jumped in front of the tiger.

“Hermione!” Harry yelled in dismay as the hex hit her instead.

“Hermione, what are you doing?” Ron called out. “Get out of the way!”

Hermione grabbed her midsection and hissed at Harry. “Stop it. I won't let you do this!”

“Get out of the way, Hermione!” Harry ordered.

“No!” she said defiantly.

“Hermione…MOVE!” Harry shouted.

“NO! If you're going to hurt him, you'll have to get past me,” she challenged. The others watched with baited breath as Hermione and Harry faced off. Harry, breathing hard, stared at Hermione while she matched his gaze.

Harry reached out with his hand and Hermione felt something grip her inside before she was lightly tossed to the side by Harry's wandless magic. Hermione stumbled on her landing but picked up a rock and threw it at Harry who raised his hands toward the tiger. The rock landed in Harry's side.

“Ow!” he shouted in pain and turned to face Hermione.

“Hermione!” Ron called out in protest.

“Hermione no!” Hermione really didn't know what she was doing. She just ran at Harry and tackled him to the ground.

Harry was so shocked at her actions he didn't know what to do at first. They hit the ground hard and Hermione was momentarily stunned. Harry took that opportunity to flip Hermione under him. She struggled against him, trying to hit him or punch him she was in such a fury but Harry easily dodged her. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the ground.

“Hermione stop it!” he growled.

“Don't hurt him!” she spat back.

She moved to swipe at him but he still held her wrists and slammed her back to the ground as she tried to get up. Breathing hard, she looked into his eyes and her heart nearly burst out of her chest with fear. He was looking at her so…predatorily. His eyes were dark and intense. It was so primal and it caused a flare of desire that flooded through her and pooled between her legs. Harry was no longer staring at her eyes but now at her lips that she licked leaving behind a faintest trace of moisture that he so desperately wanted to claim.

“Ginny!”

It was Draco's whisper that broke the spell and Harry moved off of Hermione. She scrambled away from him and to the tiger. Ginny was already there, kneeling down and cradling its head in her lap. The tiger had come to and was purring contentedly. Hermione knelt next to it and the tiger raised its head to lick her. Harry stood there dumbfounded along with the other guys. They couldn't believe it, the tiger purred like a housecat while Ginny and Hermione pet it. Draco, Harry, Ron and the others stepped forward but the tiger let out a growl of warning.

“I think it would be best if you guys stayed away for now,” Hermione said. “You know, first impressions and all.”

The guys gladly stayed their distance.

“What is it with Hermione and overlarge cats?” Ron said aloud and Harry let out a small laugh.

He shared a small look with Hermione, who quickly looked away. He was grinning inside. He had won this battle and it was an important one. He saw how Hermione reacted to his lust. She would be helpless in his hands and she knew it. That's what had frightened her. He could've had her right then and there on the ground if they were alone. She wouldn't fight him, she wouldn't fight what was between them. She couldn't, she reacted so strongly to him.

“Come on, guys, let's get going,” Ginny said wearily as she got to her feet. Hermione followed and so did the tiger.

“Hey, what were you two doing out here?” Ron asked Draco and Ginny as they walked back to camp with the tiger.

“They were with me,” Hermione said and Harry looked at her. She was lying and he knew it but didn't say anything.

She felt his gaze burning into her but she didn't trust herself to look at Harry. She wouldn't dare provoke him like that again. Her cheeks flushed with the thought and Harry smiled triumphantly.

~*~

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A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. I know many of you have asked about the Lost King. I will be working on that sequel as soon as I finish this story. I'm too lazy to work on two stories at once. Hope you guys like this chapter, especially those waiting for an H/Hr scene. *wink, wink*

Chapter Fourteen: Temptation

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith
And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name

(Sympathy for the Devil—Rolling Stones)

Professor Severus Snape burst through the door of Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster had been sitting behind his desk, his sad eyes pouring over the parchments in front of him. The morale of the wizarding world was at its lowest. With their hero dead, what could they do against Lord Voldemort? The Order was still strong but it was getting harder and harder to recruit to their cause. It seemed as if people were ready and willing to roll over like dogs when Voldemort came calling.

“He's alive,” Snape announced.

Dumbledore peered at him curiously. “What are you talking about?”

“The boy,” Snape said plainly. “He's alive.”

“Are you sure? How can you tell?” he asked. He didn't want to get his hopes up.

“For weeks the Dark Lord has been complaining about his head, his sleep troubled. Then suddenly, in the middle of a meeting, he exclaims `He's Alive!' It's his new obsession. “He sits for long periods of time in deep concentration, hoping for something to come to him. He has surrounded himself with maps and has asked me to find the route the ship was taking this summer.”

When Severus Snape finished, Dumbledore rested his elbows on his desk, his chin rested on his fingers. He said nothing for a while.

“Give him what he wants, Severus,” Dumbledore spoke. “Give him what he needs. I, myself, have some maps I can use. You will report to me his progress and notify me immediately if he leaves. I want to know where he will be going. With any luck, we can find Harry first.”

“As you wish, Headmaster,” Snape said as gave a small bow and left the Headmaster's office.

When he was alone, Dumbledore let the news Severus had brought him sink in. Small tears of joy leaked from the corners of his eyes. He wiped them and immediately got up to gather all the maps he could find.

~*~

Harry sat up gasping for air and clutching at his scar. It was throbbing nastily now. Voldemort was in his dream, probing his mind for any clue as to where he might be. Harry didn't think he gave anything away but he couldn't be sure, who knew what lay in the recesses of his mind. It was too close a call, he had to stop doing magic or else Voldemort would be free to trounce around his head. This thought gave him a shudder and Harry quietly left the cave.

Blake, Hermione's tiger, blinked at him, looking bothered that Harry had disturbed him from his slumber. Seeing that Harry wasn't doing anything interesting he went back to sleep. The tiger still made Harry nervous. It had been a few days since they had brought the tiger to the camp and it seemed like it had no intention of leaving. Harry had been afraid to approach Hermione for fear that the tiger might take his head off. He could swear the tiger glared at him whenever he came near her.

He walked through the jungle until he came to the waterfall. He knelt on the sandy beach of the pool and splashed some water on his face. It was cool and soothing.

“I think it happens when you use magic,” came a soft voice from behind him.

Harry turned to see Hermione come out of the jungle. She smiled kindly and sat down next to him.

“I figured that one out,” Harry grumbled. Hermione smiled sympathetically.

“You are going to stop, aren't you?” she asked. It was so typical of her.

“I have no choice,” Harry sighed.

They fell into a comfortable silence. Hermione dipped a cautious toe into the pool.

“So…Draco and Ginny?” Harry asked.

“What do you mean?” Hermione asked, not looking at him.

“Don't play dumb,” Harry replied.

“I'm not. I don't know what you're talking about,” she shrugged. Harry gave her a wry smile.

“I'm going to tell Ron,” he said.

“You'll do no such thing,” she said defiantly.

“I'm not going to hide from him something like this.”

“Something like what? I have neither confirmed nor denied anything you have said.”

They fell silent again. Something had been bothering Harry for awhile and he needed to get it off his chest.

“Hermione…The other night, I saw you and Draco…I wasn't spying or anything,” he blundered.

Hermione smiled and laughed. “It wasn't what you thought, Harry. He knew you were watching and was trying to rile you up. Draco knew I was setting off the trap and he caught me.”

“Oh,” Harry said quietly. “You two didn't…”

“No Harry.”

“And you don't…like him…or whatever.”

“No Harry.”

She was amused at him for this, he could be so transparent sometimes. As the leader of the camp, he had a right to know. She stood up and dusted off her jeans.

“Follow me,” she said and walked into the jungle.

Harry was mesmerized as he followed her. It felt like he was walking in slow motion. Hermione walked ahead of him, the starlight above glowing down upon them, highlighting her curls. She would glance back from time to time, making sure he was still behind her and giving him a smile. At one point, she reached for his hand and didn't let go. Harry would always remember how she looked just then.

“And here we are,” she said reverently and stepped to the side as they emerged from the jungle, letting Harry take a full view.

“Wow,” he whispered when he saw the lagoon.

“I know,” Hermione breathed. It was a beautiful night.

Hermione undid her shirt and pants, stripping down to her tank and panties. Harry couldn't breathe.

“Follow me,” she said and waded into the lagoon.

Harry stripped and followed suit. The water was warm and welcoming as they dove underwater. He followed her as she led him to the cliffs on the far side. She surfaced and took a deep breath then went back under. Harry did the same and followed her into a dark tunnel. She seemed unafraid so Harry bit back his own fear. After awhile he saw Hermione disappear for the surface on the other side of the tunnel.

Gold. Piles of gold is what greeted him when he surfaced.

“Hermione, what is this place?” he asked in awe.

“We don't know. We think it used to be a dumping point for pirates long ago,” Hermione explained as Harry helped her out of the water.

“We?” he asked.

“Draco and Ginny,” she answered honestly.

Harry took in all the treasure. It was unbelievable. He grinned and smiled at Hermione but she had a frown on her face.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Something's wrong here,” she shook her head. She stumbled over the gold, carelessly digging through it.

“What are you looking for?” he asked.

“Weapons,” she answered. “There used to be a bunch of daggers and swords here.”

Harry helped Hermione by rummaging through it. He had a hard time concentrating, he was distracted by a jewel here, a crown there. He still couldn't believe all this.

“Maybe Draco and Ginny did something with them?” he asked.

Hermione fingered her lip in thought. “Maybe. It has to be. Nobody else knows about this place.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Hermione nodded. “Pretty sure.”

“We'll ask them when we head back. We should get going anyway.”

They dressed in silence, Hermione's thoughts were still worried. As they began to walk away, Harry stopped her.

“Thank you for trusting me with this,” he said sincerely.

Hermione smiled up at him. “You had to know.”

They stood facing each other, sharing the moment.

“I broke up with Terry,” she said quietly. “For sure, this time.” She felt it important for Harry to know this. He didn't say anything. Hermione summoned up the courage to lay it all on the line.

“I had the biggest crush on you, you know. But you only looked at me as a friend. It hurt. It hurt that you could look at other girls the way I wished you could look at me. It hurt that you would do things with other girls that I wished you would do with me.” Harry looked sadly at Hermione but didn't interrupt her.

“Terry looked at me different, he saw me the way I wanted you to see me. I used him to try and forget about you Harry but it didn't work. Then, that night when I caught you with Parvati…” Her voice broke and tears of shame filled her eyes and she looked up tearfully at him. His heart knew the sorrow she knew. “I wanted to be her. I wanted to be the one you…you made love to.” Harry closed his eyes and exhaled. “I'm so sorry about what I did to you on the ship. I wanted you so badly in that way that I didn't think—“

“I was jealous,” Harry cut her off.

Hermione looked up at him, startled. “What?” she asked.

Harry looked down at her. “Crazy jealous of Terry. He was the one who got to hold you and kiss you. Oh, we were so stupid. We shouldn't have fought it, Hermione.”

He reached for her and gathered her in his arms, holding her close to him. Hermione breathed him in, clinging to him as if he were life itself.

“I never should've left the room,” she whispered.

“I never should've let you leave.” He broke away from her but still held her in his arms. “I went after you.”

The faintest trace of a smile showed on her face. “You did?” Her hand reached up to caress his cheek.

“Yeah…but then the ship exploded,” Harry let out a small laugh. Hermione joined him. It couldn't be helped it was such a folly of fate.

Her fingers lightly traced his jaw, trembling slightly. Harry's eyes darkened as he bent his head towards hers.

“I'm not going to fight it anymore, Hermione,” he whispered. His lips were a breadth away from hers and as she spoke her lips raked lightly over his.

“It's always been you, Harry. Always,” she whispered back.

Her hand left Harry's jaw to bury itself in his unruly raven hair as his lips pressed lightly against hers. Her lips parted granting Harry access to the place he'd wanted to be for so long. He crushed her to him, afraid that she would break away and change her mind but her arms wrapped around him, her mouth taking him in.

Desire coursed through her with his kiss. His hands left behind a trail of fire as they slid up her sides, his thumbs brushing the outline of her breasts before coming to rest between her shoulder blades. She breathed him in, welcoming his taste as his mouth explored hers. She fiercely explored his, putting as much passion and want as she could into it.

The need for oxygen broke them apart long enough for Harry to move his hands to either side of her neck, cradling her head before kissing her sweet lips again. Hermione ran her hands up his arms, clinging to his shoulders for dear life as his kisses robbed her of coherent thought.

Well kissed with bruised lips, Hermione took Harry's hand as he led her back to camp. Blake was gone to find an early morning meal and no one else was up. Harry sat in front of the fire and leaned back against a flat rock. Hermione settled herself between his legs, her back against his front as he gathered her in his arms. Together they watched the stars slowly fade as the sky turned purple with the coming dawn.

~*~

“They're gone.”

“What?” Draco and Ginny said in unison as they took in Harry's words.

“The swords, the daggers. All the weapons…gone,” Hermione reiterated.

The four of them swam back to the treasure cave later that day. Draco tore open the trunks and rummaged through them violently.

“They can't all be gone,” Ginny said anxiously.

“Fuck!” Draco angrily tossed the lid of a trunk into the water. Hermione watched it slowly sink.

“Look, we know they didn't just get up and leave by themselves,” Harry said calmly. “We aren't the only people on this island. They've got to have them. That's the only explanation.”

“But they had no idea this was here,” Ginny protested.

“We aren't one hundred percent sure, are we?” Hermione replied. Harry put a supportive hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

“Look, we'll just go over there and ask them,” Harry said.

It was a task easier said than done.

“Who goes there?” Crabbe leaped out at them, spear shoved in their faces. Neville let out an exclamation of surprise and jumped back.

“Are you kidding me?” Harry said impatiently as he brushed the spear aside. Draco eyed the fence surrounding the beach camp with caution.

Harry and the others stepped forward but three others joined Crabbe.

“You're not allowed in,” one of the Ravenclaws said snottily.

“What do you mean we're not allowed in?” Ron protested. “Anyone can come and go about this island as we please.”

“Longbottom and Finnegan are allowed,” Crabbe sneered, “but not you three.” He gestured at Harry, Ron and Draco.

“Fine,” Harry said, “we'll send Neville in.” Neville looked sharply at Harry as he said this. He didn't want to go in there alone.

“Come on in, Longbottom,” Crabbe said icily.

Neville swallowed audibly and stepped forward with Seamus.

“It's okay Neville,” Harry reassured. “We'll wait right here.”

“Just to let you know, whoever goes in can never come back out,” the Ravenclaw called after him.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Ron whispered to Harry. Harry eyed the fence with suspicion. Hermione was right, something was not right about this.

Hermione paced anxiously, something was wrong. They were taking too long. She fought the urge to follow the guys to the camp and take Blake with her. Sensing her worry, Blake nudged her with his head. She obliged him with a scratch behind his ears. He suddenly jerked his head to the side, his tail flicking with annoyance.

“Oh my God!” Luna cried out.

“What happened?” Ginny cried out as she and Hermione ran toward the guys as they returned.

Harry and Ron had Neville between them and Seamus was leaning on Draco for support. Both boys looked as if they had been beaten.

“Did they do this?” Hermione demanded.

Blood ran down Seamus' leg from a deep gash. Neville looked like he got the brunt of it. His face was bloodied and bruised. Ron and Harry set him down gently. Blake sniffed the air and licked his lips.

“No Blake,” Hermione said firmly and the tiger sulked.

“Well…they've got them,” Harry sighed angrily. “And they're using them,” he nodded over to Seamus. Lavender was wrapping a cloth tightly around the wound.

Hermione looked to the direction of the beach camp. “What is going on here?” she whispered softly. Harry stood up and walked over to her.

“I don't want you going over there,” he said quietly. “Promise me you won't.”

“Someone has got to talk to him, Harry,” she replied.

“It's not going to be you,” he said.

Hermione nodded. “I promise.”

“Thank you,” Harry said, relieved.

Hermione didn't sleep well that night. She tossed and turned restlessly before giving up and getting up. She walked carefully over to Harry. He slept apart from the others, or maybe they kept their distance from Harry. His nightmares had been a little too intense for some. He, too, was awake. He made room for her and she settled down next to him. Harry spooned her, wrapping an arm around her and burying his face in her hair.

“Couldn't sleep?” he whispered.

“We're trapped on this island with a madman,” she whispered back.

“I'll take our chances back out at sea.” His voice was tired and weary.

Hermione was soothed by the circling motion his hand was making on her stomach. It felt so good to be in his arms at last. His back was to the others so Hermione was hidden from view. This emboldened Harry to make his next move. Hermione heard the change in his breathing before she felt his hand slowly snake its way up her shirt to lightly caress her breasts. Harry heard her gasp softly as his fingers brushed over her budding nipples. He cupped one breast in his hand, gently kneading it while he kissed her ear, her cheek and her shoulder. Hermione pressed herself against him, feeling the evidence of his want for her against her back. He needed her desperately, he wanted to ravage her right then and there. But, unfortunately, they were not alone in the cave. He wanted to suggest that they leave it and head out in the jungle but he would seriously embarrass himself and anyone else who happened to be awake. Hermione was melting under his touch. She wouldn't be able to deny Harry the time he decided to claim her again. She was his already and very willing.

~*~

Hermione watched as Harry left with Dean to go and get food. The sun was well above the horizon. Ginny and Luna were tending to the wounded Neville and Seamus. Anger boiled through Hermione when she looked at him and it took every fiber in her being to keep her promise to Harry and not go over to the beach.

She caught Ron's eye and he nodded toward the jungle. Hermione nodded and took one last look around and saw that everyone's attentions were elsewhere. She followed Ron as they headed in.

“Alright, what is it that you wanted to talk to us about?” Ron asked Draco when they caught up with him.

“Staying on this island is getting more dangerous day by day and I may have found our way off of it to get home,” he said as he looked between the two of them.

Home.

It was such a foreign place now. The place that they remembered in dreams. Did the place still exist? Hermione and Ron looked wistful.

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Ron asked.

Draco licked his lips. “I need you guys to be honest and up front with me.” He paused a moment before continuing. “Potter is a two-way radio to the Dark Lord, isn't he?”

Ron stepped forward menacingly but Hermione held him back. “That's none of your business he snarled.”

“I'll take that as a yes,” Draco nodded.

“It happens when he uses wandless magic,” Hermione said. There was no need to hide it now. Draco saw what happened when he tried to catch the tiger.

It was a bitter pill for Draco to swallow to admit that Potter was a more powerful wizard than everyone else on this island. But he was his ticket home so he would do it.

“What does this have to do with getting us home?” Ron asked.

“I say we encourage him to do it. He would be like a homing beacon to attract the Dark Lord. And if I'm correct, wherever the Dark Lord goes Dumbledore will follow,” Draco explained.

“And that will lead us home,” Ron said wistfully. He was silent deep in thought for awhile. “Right, so what do we need to do?”

“Hold on a minute here,” Hermione interjected. “No, this is a bad idea.”

“But Hermione,” Ron protested. “It makes sense.”

“Harry is NOT a homing beacon, he is a human being. When Voldemort is in his head, it isn't a harmless dream. It hurts Harry, Voldemort practically mind rapes him. How would you like that?” Hermione said angrily.

“Granger, there's no other way to do this,” Draco persisted.

“You of all people Ron are forgetting one major thing. Harry's mind is like a door for Voldemort. When he's in there, Harry has to fight for control of his own mind,” Hermione explained. Draco fell silent and thought back to when he heard Lord Voldemort's voice come from Harry's mouth. “If we encourage Harry to do this, he might not be able to fight him off. Then we'll be trapped on this island with two madmen, one of them being a powerful wizard. And we all know we would stand no chance against Harry with Voldemort behind the wheel.”

Draco cursed under his breath and Ron sighed dejectedly. They both knew she was right, it was just too big a risk to take.

Hermione stepped toward Draco. “It was a good idea in theory,” she said quietly, soothing his bruised ego. “We'll come up with something else. We'll find a way home.”

They took their leave of Draco and he continued on his way with his chores. When they were well out of sight, he heard a rustling behind him.

“Well, well,” Terry said with a smile on his face.

Draco spun around to face him. “How long have you been standing there?” he demanded.

“Long enough,” Terry answered.

Draco picked up his knife and held it up threateningly. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slice this across your throat.”

“What do you think I am? There's nothing I can do with that information,” Terry sighed lazily.

“Why did you beat up Longbottom and Finnegan?” Draco asked angrily.

Terry shrugged. “Rules of the camp. A little sympathetic to your Gryffindors, I guess fucking a Weasley would do that to you.”

Draco tackled him to the ground in a heartbeat but Terry fended him off nicely, shoving him off of himself.

“Don't take your aggression out on me,” Terry snarled. “Pansy saw you.”

Draco hung his head and sighed. He honestly didn't want Pansy getting hurt, he wasn't really thinking about what he was doing but he couldn't help it. Every fiber in his being told him he wanted to be with Ginny.

“What do you want?” Draco asked.

“You're going to help me win Hermione back,” Terry replied.

Draco scoffed. “Is that what all this is about? Merlin, Terry, you have got to let her go.”

“Just like you let Pansy go so easily? Sorry Draco, I can't just toss aside a girl I care about. Not like you.”

“I didn't toss Pansy aside!” Draco defended himself.

“Sure you didn't,” Terry smirked.

“I'm not going to help you do this. There are bigger issues on this island. For example, the psychopath you've become.”

“I'm not a psychopath. As with every civilization there must be rules or else there would be chaos. We are all trying to survive here. And you are going to help me.”

Draco laughed and turned away. “I don't think so.”

Terry stopped him and stood in front of him. “Oh, I think you will. You will cooperate nicely.” Draco shook his head at him and glared as he brushed past him. “How do you think Ginny would feel if word got out about New Orleans?” Draco stopped in his tracks and whirled around.

“You asshole,” Draco muttered.

“I'm not the asshole. I'm not the one who masterminded the whole thing,” Terry replied. “Remember Draco, Pansy is also under my thumb right now, I can send her to the rocks. I'm sure she'd love to get her hands around your neck. Or, an accident can happen and she could slip underwater in the ocean. People drown all the time.”

“You're insane,” Draco snarled.

“Most genius' are,” Terry sighed. “But I'm not insane. You made your little bed Draco. Your comeuppance is a long time coming.”

An insane thought passed through Draco's mind. He could kill him. There was no one around, no one to witness this. As if reading his thoughts, Terry spoke up again.

“I told Pansy everything. If anything were to happen to me, you'd have to take care of her too.”

“She won't turn against Potter,” Draco said of Hermione.

“Then turn Potter against her,” Terry said impatiently. “However it turns out, I want Hermione back in my camp. Then your little secret is safe, Ginny would never know and Pansy would be safe. Everyone wins. The only one who would be miserable would be Potter and you don't really care for his happiness anyway.”

With that, Terry left Draco to his thoughts.

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Chapter Fifteen: The Fall of Draco

The road to hell is paved with good intentions--Proverb

Terry made his way back to the beach deep in thought. The students were busy either fishing or finishing work on the bridges. Their little tree village was coming along nicely, the weapons he and Pansy brought back had made things much easier.

“Well…did you talk to him?” Pansy asked as she approached him.

He nodded. “He'll do it. I'm sure.”

“Good,” Pansy said nastily. “I want to hurt him as much as he hurt me.”

“Hell hath no fury,” Terry muttered. “Listen, there's something else. I overheard a conversation between Hermione, Ron and him. It turns out that Potter can do wandless magic.” Pansy said nothing as she let this information sink in.

“We can use him,” she said.

“No, we can't,” Terry sighed. “Because every time he does, he summons…You-Know-Who.”

Pansy gaped at him. “What?!”

“Shh!” Terry whispered harshly. He took Pansy aside where they couldn't be overheard. “There's more. Draco, Hermione and Ron are planning to use Harry to try and summon You-Know-Who here with the hopes that Dumbledore might make it in time.”

“And if he doesn't?” Pansy asked. Terry shrugged.

Pansy gazed out at the ocean. She was afraid of You-Know-Who. Never summoned herself to be a Death Eater, she went along with her fellow Slytherins in worshipping him. If he came to this island would he spare them? He would spare Draco, one of his own Death Eaters but she was no longer under his protection.

“We have to stop them,” she said determinedly.

“I agree,” Terry said.

“Well what should we do?” she asked.

“I have no idea.”

~*~

Draco and Ginny lay together, satiated from their love making only moments ago. Ginny could tell there was something distracting him, something bothering him. He snuggled her to him and breathed her in.

“You know that I love you?” he whispered.

Ginny was speechless. This was the first time he had said that he loved her. She turned to her back to look up at him, brushing a strand of blond hair that fell forward and tucking it behind his ear.

“Draco…what's the matter?” she asked.

He looked into her eyes. “Just promise me that you know that I love you, no matter what happens.”

Ginny began to be frightened. She could see it in his face. It was pale and tired, dark circles of worry lined his eyes. She caressed his cheek.

“Draco, what's going to happen?” she asked.

“Just promise me!” he said harshly.

She jumped a little at his words then nodded. “Yes, okay. I promise.” She brought him to her and kissed his lips some more.

Since Hermione was now sleeping with Harry, Ginny didn't get a chance to talk to her until the next morning as they gathered fruit.

“Something is wrong with Draco,” she said.

Hermione looked up at her. “What do you mean?”

“I don't know. He's not sleeping well and he's not looking that great either.”

Hermione paused a moment to think. Ginny was right. Lately Draco was looking a bit peaked.

“He isn't getting sick is he?” she asked.

“No…it's more than that,” Ginny sighed.

“Well, did you talk to him?”

“He wouldn't tell me,” Ginny said as she placed a fruit in Hermione's basket. “But he did make me promise that I would know that he loved me no matter what happens.”

Hermione looked at Ginny. “He said he loves you?”

Ginny blushed and grinned. “Yeah, he does.”

The two girls giggled then went back to their task. After a while, Hermione turned to Ginny.

“You have to tell Ron,” she said.

Ginny sighed. “I know.”

“No, I mean you have to tell him soon. Harry's picking up on it and has said that he would tell Ron as soon as he confirmed it.”

“Who is he? The Virginity Police?” Ginny sulked.

“He just cares about you. He thinks of you as his honorary sister and is only looking out for you,” Hermione shrugged.

“Whatever,” Ginny rolled her eyes then grinned slyly at Hermione. “Bet he doesn't treat you as an honorary sister.”

No, he certainly does not. Hermione only grinned wryly.

“So…tell me,” Ginny persisted. “Has he relieved our dear Hermione of her virginal burden?”

Hermione threw a fruit into the basket and tutted sharply. Ginny laughed.

“I swear Hermione, you have a will of iron. Any other girl would've caved by now. Whew! You go girl.”

Hermione just turned away and blushed.

Luna and Blake joined the girls and together they meandered through the forests. The sky darkened above them with dark rain clouds and they could smell it in the air. Thunder rolling in the distance made Blake growl nervously. The girls laughter and chatter stopped when the came to a tall fence.

Green with tree stalks and pointed at the top it was twice as tall as them.

“What? Who?” Luna was speechless.

Hermione grimaced. “I guess we've reached the perimeter of the beach camp.”

Blake sniffed the fence and put out a tentative paw to touch it. A feeling of unease washed over Hermione. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled with the distinct feeling that they were being watched. And they probably were.

A loud crack of thunder made them all jump and Blake roared again. The smell of rain was heavier and heavier.

“Come on guys,” Hermione said. “Let's get going.”

They made their way towards the camp, hoping to beat the rainfall. As they passed the grassy plain, Hermione saw a lone figure standing in the middle.

“Hey guys,” she said to the others. “Go on. I'll catch up.” Blake escorted the two ladies back to camp.

The rain was lightly falling, warm moisture on her skin as she approached him.

“Don't you know it's unwise to stand out in the open during a thunderstorm?” she asked.

A broad smile grew on Harry's face when he saw her. He reached out for her and put an arm around her shoulder.

“I'm headed back soon. I was just watching the pigs,” he pointed in front of him. “See? They're headed off for shelter, too. I guess they don't like the lightning either.”

A group of pigs ran on stubby little legs towards the jungle and wherever they called home.

“Come on,” Hermione nudged him. “Let's get going.”

Harry stepped behind and brought an arm around her, brushing blatantly across her breasts to rest on her stomach.

“I have a better idea,” he whispered into her ear as he kissed her neck.

Hermione's cheeks flushed and she turned to face him only to be rewarded with a deep kiss. Harry's hands wandered down her sides to her round and firm bottom, pressing her hips into his. Hermione broke the kiss.

“Not here,” she whispered.

“Yes…here,” he replied, ravishing her neck. He was hungry for her.

They both jumped when a loud peal of thunder rang through the sky and the rain began to fall harder. Harry groaned at the timing. Hermione laughed and took off at a run for the jungle with Harry following shortly behind.

He caught up with her under the canopy of a large tree, sweeping her up and swinging her around.

“Harry!” Hermione squealed. “Put me down!”

“Alright,” Harry sighed and released Hermione.

She slowly slid down his front until her feet touched the ground. She looked into his dark green eyes.

“No,” she breathed, “pick me back up.”

He lifted her in his arms and she wrapped her legs around him as she rewarded him with a passionate kiss. Her tongue exploring his mouth as she clung to her. She felt him sink to the ground to rest on his knees, his hardness pressed against the apex of her jeans.

“Now, Hermione,” Harry breathed.

Hermione nodded. “Yes.” It was said so quiet for only him to hear.

Harry tugged at her shirt, sliding it off her shoulders with her help. Next came her tank then bra which revealed her pert breasts. Harry's lips captured one of her nipples eliciting a moan from Hermione. His hand caressed the other. Hermione clawed at his shirt, bringing it up and over his head so she could run her fingers lightly over his chest. Boldly, Hermione went for the button of his shorts, unzipping him and plunged a hand past his waistband to wrap around his hardness. A sharp breath passed through Harry's lips.

“Oh, God, Hermione,” he said with shaky breath.

His hands fumbled on her jeans, it was difficult to tug them off since they were wet and he was so eager. But off they came and his shortly followed. He lay her down on the soft ground, the only sound was their ragged breathing and the soft patter as the rain hit the leaves around them.

“Hermione,” he gasped. “I have to…”

She reached up and placed a hand on the back of his neck, the other on a shoulder. “Yes, Harry. Please…”

He had waited so long for this and tried his best to savor the wet warmth that slowly surrounded him as he entered her. She sighed contentedly as he filled her, completing her. Thunder rumbled above. Hermione arched her back, meeting his thrusts that sent waves of warmth through her. Harry sought her mouth, plundering and exploring its warmth. He hooked one of her thighs over his hip as he thrust deeper into her, he couldn't be close enough to her. He lost himself within her, her smell, her sighs and the small moans that escaped her lips.

“Harry,” Hermione whispered. “Harry…please.”

She writhed under him, her hands tightening on his arm and shoulder. She felt as if she were cresting on a giant wave, waiting for its pleasurable release. And it did. It crashed over her and she cried out in pleasure. Harry silenced her with a kiss as he felt her tighten around him. He tore his mouth away from her as he groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, meeting his own release.

The rain was still falling heavy but they were both warm and comfortable. Hermione let out a contended sigh, Harry still lay within her sex that pleasurably ached. He was whispering words of love in her ear that she reciprocated. He smiled and grinned contentedly as she ran her hands over his back lazily. He mimicked the motions himself, his hands wandering up her thigh, to her hip and up her side. They were happy and content under the tree that sheltered them somewhat from the storm above.

Terry's heart was breaking. He had seen Harry and Hermione, had seen Harry take what was rightfully his, what he had waited so long to have. Draco had failed him. Now it was time to put into action plans of his own and he disappeared back into the jungle, away from them as three others stepped forward.

Harry and Hermione were dressed and ready to head back to the rocks when a voice came out of the jungle.

“Well, well. I guess I was too late to see the show,” a seventh year Ravenclaw sneered. He was holding a dagger in one hand.

Harry protectively put Hermione behind him. “What do you want?” he asked.

“You're coming with me,” the Ravenclaw said.

“I don't think so,” Harry replied.

The Ravenclaw smiled and raised his dagger and two more students stepped from the jungle behind Hermione, grabbed her as one held a dagger to her throat the other the sword in front of him.

“Harry, NO!” Hermione yelled as Harry made a move for her.

The Ravenclaw laughed. “We aren't going to hurt her Harry, we just need you under control. And don't even think about using magic. Oh yes, we know all about that. We don't want you sending You-Know-Who directly to this island now do we?”

“What do you want?” Harry asked, seething with anger.

“You are both coming with us. Play nice and there won't even be a scratch on the Head Girls neck,” the Ravenclaw replied.

Draco's slumber was interrupted by a slight sound. He had been sleeping in the cave because of the rain. He opened his eyes and saw feet in front of him but before he could raise his head, he felt a weight press down on his back and his hands were tied behind him. He struggled and was rewarded with a sharp punch to his kidneys. He let out a groan and looked around him. The story was the same with his cavemates. He heard a few screams and his head snapped around when he heard Ginny struggling.

“What the fuck do you want?” Draco asked angrily.

He was yanked to his feet and came face to face with Terry.

“Payback's a bitch, isn't it?” he sneered.

They were led out into the jungle towards the beach held captive by their fellow schoolmates. The rain had stopped and the moon peeked out from behind the clouds. The fence of the beach camp loomed before them and as they walked through they saw two of their fellow cavemates.

“Harry! Hermione!” Ron called out.

They were tied to a post, their hands bound behind them as they sat on the sand. There were several more posts and the prisoners were tied together in small groups. Draco was tied with Ginny, Ron with Harry and Hermione.

“Are you guys alright?” he asked the two of them.

“We're just peachy,” Harry grumbled.

“I can't believe this is happening,” Hermione cried.

Harry felt with his hands and held hers, trying to comfort her.

“Harry, use your magic and set us free,” Ron whispered.

“No!” Hermione whispered harshly.

“I can't Ron,” Harry explained. “I won't do it. I don't know if I'd be able to fight him off this time.”

“It's too risky,” Hermione added.

“And this isn't?” Ron asked angrily.

“We're all alive, Ron,” Harry said patiently. “If he comes through, we're all dead and you know it.”

“But…” Ron protested.

“No, Ron,” Hermione whispered harshly.

“Harry…” he tried to appeal to his friend.

“No, Ron,” he answered and Ron muttered obscenities under his breath.

There was a commotion in the jungle then the roar of a tiger. Terry and a few others ran out of the camp.

“Blake!” Hermione groaned.

Terry came back in, smiling triumphantly. “I believe we now have everyone present.”

A few of their captors dragged in a large net filled with orange fur and angry growls. A large spear stuck out of it.

“What did you do?” Hermione yelled along with Ginny and Luna and several other cavemates.

“You can thank Potter,” Terry shrugged. “I got the idea from him.”

Blake lay on his side, caught in the netting, a spear stuck out from his side. He roared in pain and anger and their captors jumped back.

“Why are you doing this?” Hermione said to Terry as he walked over to them.

“For the safety of the camp,” Terry replied. “You are all help captive for conspiring to bring You-Know-Who to the island,” he spoke aloud.

Several of their classmates gasped. Harry guessed that even some people in Terry's camp had no idea why they were bringing them here captive.

“Harry can do wandless magic,” Terry explained, pausing to let this sink in. Harry glowered at him, feeling the eyes of his fellow students fall on him. “But he doesn't like to do it because when he does, You-Know-Who takes over his mind.” A horrified cry came from his classmates. Neville looked at him, startled, Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other nervously.

“And these three,” Terry said as he pointed to Ron, Hermione and Draco, “are guilty of conspiring to use Harry to bring You-Know-Who to the island!” Protests rose from the crowd and Hermione could feel Harry tense.

“We thought maybe it would bring Dumbledore!” Ron tried to explain.

“Shut up, Ron!” Hermione hissed. “We didn't do it, Harry. We all agreed that it wasn't a good idea.”

“You guys have been plotting behind my back?” Harry was seething with anger.

“We decided it wasn't worth the risk,” Draco said calmly.

Harry was furious. His friends, going behind his back, plotting to use him as a way to possibly bring Dumbledore here. Did they not know what Voldemort did to his mind? Couldn't have been polite to at least bring him into the planning? It was his mind after all.

“Listen to you,” Pansy sneered at Draco. “I bet you were the one who thought of the plan, am I right?” Draco didn't answer her. “Well, did he?” she asked Hermione and Ron. Their silence said yes. “It figures, he would be the only one who would benefit from that plan.”

“Shut up, Pansy!” Draco shouted angrily.

“Lord Voldemort would come to this island and the only one who would be leaving it alive would be you, Draco,” she ranted.

“Pansy, I'm warning you…SHUT UP!!” he roared. “Don't listen to her!”

“He's a Death Eater!!”

A hush fell over everyone as they looked at Draco. The accusation sinking in. One of Voldemort's cronies right here on the island with him.

“But…he doesn't have the mark,” Ginny said weakly.

“Yes,” Terry swallowed. “How can we trust you?”

“Let Harry touch him,” Pansy answered.

Terry gave a nod and Harry and Draco were separated from the others and brought forward. They both struggled, Harry tried his best not to touch Draco but he was outnumbered.

“Nothing's happening,” Crabbe said.

“He has to use magic,” Pansy explained.

“NO!” Ron and Hermione cried out.

Terry looked down at Harry. “I've been wanting to do this for a long time.” He knelt down and wrapped his hands around Harry's throat.

“Terry! Stop it!” Hermione cried out. Her cavemates joined in.

Terry squeezed his throat and bent down to whisper in his ear. “After you're dead, I'm going to have Hermione, and I don't care if I have to force her.”

Anger surged through Harry and a jolt of electricity went through him. Terry cried out in pain and backed away from Harry. Draco let out a painful shout as the Dark Mark glowed painfully on his arm. Everyone backed away from him. Harry writhed on the ground. Where are you? I am so close! Harry fought him off, retching the pain in his head was so great. He could hear Hermione screaming. He couldn't black out, he wouldn't pass out. He felt himself being lifted and he was retied to the post with Hermione and Ron.

“Harry!” Hermione moaned. “Terry, you idiot! Do you see why he can't do magic?”

Everyone was looking at Harry. Voldemort's voice had come from his mouth. Harry felt embarrassed and ashamed.

Draco was on the ground and looked up at Ginny, dying at the expression on her face. She was horrified.

“Ginny,” he called out to her.

“Stay away from my sister!” Ron roared.

“Tie him up,” Terry said softly.

Ginny tensed up, straining against her binds. “No,” she said, “keep him away from me.”

Pansy smiled down at Draco. “Hey, Ron, did you know that a Death Eater was fucking your baby sister?” she said softly.

“WHAT?!” Ron shouted.

“Pansy,” Harry breathed, “Pansy, shut up.”

“I wouldn't be so quick to defend Malfoy,” Terry said to Harry. “He's got lots of little secrets.”

Draco groaned, wishing he could bury himself in the sand. He was laying face down in it, his hands bound. Maybe he could smother himself.

“Draco came to me one night on the ship,” Terry explained. “He said he had a way for me to win Hermione back. I listened and followed along. He, Crabbe and Goyle followed Harry and his friends to the club in New Orleans. They drugged your drinks and took you back to the ship. Draco was the one who stripped Ginny down and put her in bed with Potter.”

Ron shouted obscenities at Draco as tears fell down Ginny's face.

“I'm sorry, Ginny,” Draco said, his voice breaking. Tears stung his eyes. “I'm so sorry.” She wouldn't even look at him.

Harry hung his head, it was as he had suspected. Terry continued on. “But I didn't think it would work. I figured you guys were so close that you'd never believe this but Draco said that it only would take suspicion to tear you guys apart. And it did. I only had to be there for the fall out.”

Hermione was disgusted. “You vile…wretched…”

“Don't cast judgment on me, you were the one railed against Harry and Ginny,” Terry shrugged.

“I knew,” Ron whispered, staring off into nothing. “I remember…I found out what you were up to!”

“That's right, Ron,” Terry answered. “That's what we were fighting about when Hermione walked in, right before the explosion.”

“You bastard,” Hermione whispered, hate in her eyes.

“Hey, I honestly didn't think it would work.”

Harry began to chuckle. “Yeah, well I have news for you. It didn't work.”

“What are you talking about? You and Hermione were through,” Terry said angrily.

“While you were fighting with my best friend in the library,” Harry explained, “I was in my room having sex with Hermione.”

“You slept with Hermione?” Ron asked, bewildered.

Terry's jaw clenched in anger. He looked over at Hermione who had a wry smile on her face.

“I told you we fooled around, Terry,” she said.

“Do you remember that conversation we had on the lifeboat, Terry?” Harry asked. “We both love her but she only loves one of us.”

“I love him, Terry,” she said to her ex-boyfriend. “I always have.”

“And if you think you're stupid little plan to air everyone's dirty laundry is going to make me hate her, you are sorely mistaken. Nothing you can do will make me stop loving her.” Hermione felt a swell of pride for Harry. “This has gone on long enough, Terry. Look at us! We used to go to school together! Do you remember that?” Harry spoke to everyone. “We were going to have our N.E.W.T.S. this year and Quidditch games!” The students looked at one another, shifting uncomfortably. “The beginning of term feast, the trips to Hogsmeade, the…you guys, look at us! We used to go to school together and now we're tied up like prisoners. Why? What happened to us? We were supposed to stick together. We've survived this long against all odds, we can survive longer if we just work together. I mean, what were you going to do with us? Kill us off?”

They looked at each other. What were they going to do? It all seemed so surreal, they got caught up in some kind of game. One of the Ravenclaws stepped forward and cut the binds on Neville and Dean, others stepped forward to release the others. Pansy knelt down and cut Draco's binds. One by one the binds were cut and the beach camp helped the rocks camp to their feet.

Then it happened.

It was like in slow motion. Draco saw Terry approach Harry, a dagger behind his back. Draco called out Harry's name but he was kneeling down with Hermione in front of Blake. Draco ran towards Harry, pushing others out of his way. Terry was behind Harry and raised the dagger above his head.

“NO!”

Harry turned when he heard Draco shout and saw him tackle Terry to the ground. Terry struggled against Draco who was trying to pry his fingers away from the dagger. They rolled in the wet sand, a wave rolled up and washed over them. Terry pinned Draco under him.

“Somebody help him!” he heard Ginny yell.

Harry, Ron, Crabbe and Goyle ran toward them but stopped when Terry jumped up and staggered back.

Silence fell over the group as Terry turned to face them. Hermione gasped and put a hand to her mouth. Terry's hands were covered in blood. Harry looked up and saw Draco's body in the moonlight. A dagger stuck out of his chest.

“Somebody help me!!” Harry screamed as he ran towards Draco.

Draco's hands shook as he reached out to Harry, a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. Harry looked back at everyone who stood frozen in terror on the beach.

“Help me!!” Harry pleaded. “Please!”

Ginny slowly stepped forward, followed by Hermione then Ron. They ran and knelt next to Draco. Ginny held his hand which was cold and shaky.

“It's okay,” she whispered to him.

“Don't pull it out, Harry,” Hermione said, stopping Harry from removing the dagger. “He'll bleed to death.”

Harry looked at Hermione and Ron. The wound was fatal, it was inevitable that he was going to die. The dagger in his chest just prolonged it.

“No,” Hermione said firmly.

Harry looked down at Draco who looked back at him and nodded. Harry pulled the dagger out of him and Draco screamed.

~*~

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A/N: Okay, okay!! Put down the spears and daggers and whatever weapons you had. I had originally written two endings to this story. One of them was a dream sequence and the other is this one. I knew that this one was better but I like to mess around with my readers once in awhile. But I apologize profusely to anyone that I may have offended.

Okay, here's the real ending. I personally think it was really predictable and most of you guys guessed it, that's kind of why I was hesitant to post this version. But I hope you like it and I'm replacing the dream ending with this one. I apologize again.

Chapter Sixteen: Found

With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind

Where is My Mind—The Pixies

Blood poured out of the wound and Hermione clamped her hands down on it. Draco bit back a moan.

“I can save him,” Harry said quietly.

Hermione and Ron looked up at him.

“No,” Draco gasped out.

“Do it, Harry,” Ginny demanded.

“Harry, he's a Death Eater,” Ron reminded him.

“Harry, it's too risky. What about Voldemort?” Hermione's eyes were wide.

“I don't care,” Harry said. He didn't like Draco but he didn't deserve to die like this.

“Granger's…right,” Draco gasped.

“No, Draco,” Ginny sobbed. “Please…Harry, please?”

Harry knocked Hermione out of the way and put his hands on the wound.

“No don't do it!” Hermione yelled at him.

Ron tried to push Harry away but Ginny blocked him. Pansy stepped forward and held Hermione back as Harry closed his eyes in concentration. He blocked out the protests from Ron and Hermione, blocked out Ginny's crying, blocked out Draco's moans.

His scar tingled and his hands felt warm. Heal him, heal him. Stop the blood. Stop the blood. He concentrated harder and his scar let out a painful throb. He cried out but didn't take his hands off of Draco. I see you in my mind. Where are you? No, no…I have to heal him. WHERE ARE YOU? You are so close to me! Harry squeezed his eyes shut, the pain was so intense. But he had to fight to concentrate, he had to try and save Draco. The heat in his hands were even hotter, he could feel Draco's heartbeats. So close, so close. Open your mind to me. Harry's concentration began to waver, he was losing this battle, he had to wrench his mind free but he found that he couldn't close it. Draco's heart beat stronger beneath his hands. Stop it! Stop it! Let me go! No, I'm so close to you! Hermione! Ron! Help me! Hermione!!! HERMIONE!!

Harry flung himself away from Draco, his body drenched with sweat. Hermione broke free from Pansy and ran to Harry. Ron joined her. He was pale and shaking.

“Harry!” Hermione called out to him.

“Run! RUN!!” Harry gasped.

“What?” Hermione asked.

Draco still lay on the ground, the bleeding not completely stopped but the wound no longer fatal. Ginny cradled his head in her lap, he was so weak.

“He knows where we are!” Harry shouted but it was too late.

CRACK!! CRACK!! CRACK!!

The castaways screamed as cloaked figures apparated into the darkness. Blake hissed and his hair stood on end, the spear preventing any movement.

Lord Voldemort surveyed the scene in front of him. The tree huts, the bonfire, the tiger and the vagabond teens. He looked down at Harry, weak in the mudblood's arms and said nothing for the longest time. He looked down at Draco and the wound in his chest. A Death Eater stepped forward and knelt down. Harry guessed it was Lucius Malfoy.

“And so here we are,” Voldemort spoke quietly. “You don't even have a wand, it doesn't seem fair.”

Hermione shielded Harry with her body. Harry was too weak to try and push her away though he desperately wanted to.

“And once again, I have to go through a mudblood to get to you,” Voldemort said softly.

Ron bravely stepped in front of Hermione and Harry. Voldemort frowned and lifted his wand.

“I wouldn't do that, Tom, if I were you,” came a familiar voice.

Relief filled Harry's insides. He could almost cry. Dumbledore stepped from the shadows followed by Lupin, Tonks and other members of the Order. The students let out a cry and gasped disbelievingly. Darkness so desperately wanted to claim him and Harry felt himself giving in.

He heard the screams and felt Hermione grip him tight to her. He saw the flashes of spells being cast. He heard Ginny scream as Draco was ripped from her arms then disappeared into thin air.

Then all was black.

********************************

Home.

The word was just as foreign as the place. Walking through the doors of the Great Hall felt surreal. The flashes of the camera, the applause, the people, it was all too much to take in. But most of the group finished up the year, took their N.E.W.T.S. and graduated. But Hogwarts was never the same.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville all stayed at Grimmauld Place on graduation day. It was too much for them to handle. They had been there nearly two weeks.

Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle reigned supreme in Slytherin as expected. Crabbe and Goyle were to join the Last Battle but as Death Eaters. Pansy didn't become a Death Eater but she would become a spy in the Ministry.

Parvati grieved for her twin. There were no other survivors save them. She and Lavender were going to open a Divination Supply shop this summer. Seamus received a job offer from Gringott's and would begin training in a month. Dean was headed off to a muggle university. Harry guessed that he had had enough of the wizarding world for awhile.

Blake survived and with much pleading from Hermione, Dumbledore agreed to take him home to Hogwarts. Hagrid's eyes lit up with delight at the cat and he treated him as a regular house cat. One that could tear your head off but Harry thought the pet suited him perfectly.

Luna would begin to work at the Quibbler this summer along with Ginny. Ron was planning on proposing to her sometime soon. He had bought her a beautiful ring since the Weasley family had fallen mysteriously into fortune. He only needed to work up the nerve. Harry had to constantly pat Ron on the back as he dry heaved into a paper bag.

Harry snapped out of his thoughts as the meeting of the Order came to an end. Members began to file themselves out of the kitchen. Snape lingered behind, pretending to busy himself with some papers as everyone left, including Dumbledore.

“Anything?” Harry asked quietly. Snape frowned and handed Harry a piece of paper. Harry took it and read it. He sighed wearily and set the paper aflame with the tip of his wand. Fawkes had graciously donated another feather to have his wand remade.

Harry couldn't sleep that night. Hermione's warm and naked body slept soundly next to his. Their lovemaking was great that night but it still didn't ease his mind. Careful not to disturb her, Harry slipped out of bed and threw on a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. Hermione was going to start her studies in magical law enforcement around the same time he and Neville were going to start their auror training. He kissed her softly on her shoulder and slipped out of the room.

The drawing room was empty and dark. Harry lit the room in soft lighting and stood at the desk. A globe rested on the desk and Harry touched it, turning it so that North America was looking up at him. His thumb brushed over a name of a city. Dark wizarding activities had been reported there. A small uprising of supporters for Voldemort…led by a young Death Eater.

“Any word?” a small voice spoke up.

Harry looked up at Ginny as she walked into the room. Harry gave the globe a light spin.

“No,” he said quietly, “no sign of him.”

It hurt him to see Ginny's face fall every time he said this. There had been no hide nor hair of Draco since Voldemort had taken him off the island. But Snape knew where he was and so did Harry. For some reason, Harry thought that Draco would not want him to tell her what had happened to him. He probably wanted her to remember him the way he was on the island and not the full-fledged Death Eater he was now.

Ginny sighed and sat down on a chair. “She went to see him today,” she said.

“Yeah, I know,” Harry answered.

Terry had been sent to Azkaban for the attempt on Harry's life and on Draco's. He couldn't be kissed because he didn't kill him but he would get out in twenty-five years. Not that it mattered. According to Hermione, Azkaban and its Dementors had already taken his mind. She said he just sat there staring out at nothing as she sat across from him, drool once in awhile dribbled down his chin. She was fighting to get him out of Azkaban and into St. Mungo's.

“Do you…do you think it'll get any better?” Ginny asked Harry.

Harry sighed. “I honestly don't know.” It was an honest answer. Their future was in the hands of fate. The island had changed most people, some for the good some for the worse. This war would probably do the same but Harry had one constant.

Hermione.

Their love would weather this storm and whatever else their future brought them.

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