Parade of the Sun - Dramione

PART SIXTEEN.

July 4; 11:41am

The small orchard was dusted with at least three shades of every color in the flowers that grew wild, spreading up to the two hills that flanked it. Hermione had paused to appreciate the beauty of the moment until she spotted at least five apple trees and her sight narrowed to that bright red. She swept a critical look over the various flowers, but she knew by now that it would never be so simple to find the Floralis.

Malfoy pulled an apple off first, sending her an uncomfortable look at the way she was staring at him. "Have you ever heard the story about Adam and Eve?" she asked.

"Yes."

"You have?".

"Yes." But he was still raising the apple to his mouth, so she didn't think he'd caught what she meant.

"Then maybe we shouldn't eat them."

He paused at that. "What?"

"You don't know the story, do you." It wasn't a question - she knew he didn't.

"No, and I don't want to hear it either, Granger."

She shook her head. "It's just a little strange that we run into apple trees out of nowhere, Malfoy."

"It's a forest. A lot of things grow out of nowhere."

"I don't know, I have a bad feeling. Why aren't there any animals around here? We haven't run into any food beyond caper berries or fish for days. Shouldn't there be rabbits, and squirrels-- No, Malfoy, Adam and Eve is a biblical story about--"

"Yes, about God and--"

"So, I'm guessing something bad happened to these two people when they ate an apple?"

"Well--"

"And you somehow think that whatever wizard created the magic around the Islands would--"

"They could-- Malfoy, I really don't think--" He bit into it with a crack, an eyebrow raised over the fruit, and Hermione held her breath.

He chewed it, his tongue darting out to lick the juice from his lips, and she figured she was too observant a person for noticing they were wet before that. She tried to stop the growl from her stomach by pressing her palm into it, watching him swallow with a wave of his bitten apple.

"I don't think--."

"Why-- What?"

His lips hovered over the apple before he pulled it back, looking down at himself. Hermione's eyes followed, raking down his stained blue shirt, black trousers, and ending at the tip of his boots. Malfoy lifted his left foot, moving it back a little before promptly falling on his bum. He hissed through his teeth, pulling his legs back to set his feet on the ground, when he grunted loudly, grabbing his calf.

"What? Are you joking right now? What?"

"Shut up."

"Malfoy--"

"Something is wrong with my legs." He threw the apple away from him, trying several times to get to his feet, his face turning red and chords rising in his neck.

"What is? What does--"

"Shut up, your voice--"

"You have to tell me what's wrong so I can try to fix it!" she yelled, running to retrieve his thrown apple. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it feels lovely. Like a--"

"A crushing pain, a burning pain...?" As she ran back to him she checked it, and the apple looked completely normal, smelling the same, and it must have tasted the same as well or he would have spit it out.