Searching- a Dramione fanfic

Chapter 8- A Day In the Woods... Not Quite As Lovely As It Sounds

A Day In the Woods... Not Quite As Lovely As It Sounds

I stumbled to the ground because my legs couldn't hold me up. I was too focused on the splitting pain in my head to tell my legs to lock into place. My skin felt torn and raw, but I knew it wasn't splinched yet. I closed my eyes and brought my hands to my head, trying to make the ache stop.

The ground felt like dirt and moss. I could smell mud and wet leaves. Birds were chirping far above me and there was the occasional rustle of leaves near by.

What was happening? The pain in my head made it hard to focus and the little sounds made me dizzy. I tried to open my eyes but I was afraid if I did my head would crack open.

I fumbled around for my wand. Hand, pocket, ground. It wasn't there. I felt naked and defenseless, like a wounded animal lying on the ground, waiting to die. I heard heavy footsteps around me, like twenty men in heavy boots were marching in circles.

I brought up my hands to rub my eyes to caress them open. My skin shafted and burned against my shirt. When my eyelids gave in I blinked and looked around, trying to recognize something.

I was in the middle of a deep wood somewhere. Trees as tall as skyscrapers surrounded me and red and purple leaves covered the ground in a carpet. Two men in black wizard robes looked down at me. One was thin as bones and pale as the moon. He looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. His hair was thin and long past his shoulders and his eyes were yellow and bloodshot. The other was gruff looking. He was heavier built. He had a mop of black greasy hair that covered his eyes and was plastered to his neck with sweat.

I shot to my feet ignoring the pain in my head and skin. I stood as tall as I could and tried not to look scared or intimidated even though I was. My legs were wide and my muscles were taught. I was ready to fight if I needed to, even though I didn't have my wand.

"What do you want?" I spat at them.

They looked at me broadly like they would rather be anywhere else. The bigger one leaned back against a tree and picked at his fingers. "We want to know where the Malfoy boy is." He said without looking at me.

"Draco?" I whispered. "What do you want with him?" My eyes skipped back and forth between the two in case one decided to do something funny.

"We saw you in London with him." The thin one spoke up. His voice was like his body, thin and sickly. "Just tell us where he is and we'll leave you alone."

I grit my teeth. "What do you want with him?" I repeated slowly.

Behind his hair I could see the big one roll his eyes. "He took something from us. We just want to return the favor. That's all." He said, almost cooing.

What the heck did Malfoy do to these two? What did he take? I shifted my weight.

"I don't know where he is." I lied.

I didn't know why I lied for Malfoy, but I didn't know what else to do.

The bigger wizard was clearly angry now. He stepped away from the tree he was leaned against and reached into his pocket. He took out a wand, my wand, and started twirling it between his fingers.

"Okay." He said, clearly trying to keep calm. "I'm going to ask you again, because I didn't hear you the first time. Where. Is. Malfoy."

I stared at him hard and debated for a second if I should just tell him the truth, but I couldn't do that to Draco.

I lifted my chin and threw out my chest and said slowly and coldly, "I don't know where he is."

He lifted my wand and pointed it at me. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for it.