Parade of the Sun - Dramione

PART TWENTY-TWO.

August 14; 4:45pm

"You have got to be kidding me."

The cave was about fifteen meters up a wall of rock, barely slanted as it edged into the mountain. The only possible way to get up to it would be to climb, and not the climbing where she had to hunch over as she walked up steep and rocky slopes. This was actually having to grab little rocks and crevices, and aiming your foot with the best intentions, and climbing.

There were a few ledges that branched off from the wall, but there was only one close to the path they would have to take to reach the mouth of the cave. It looked climbable about five meters up, the wall slowly curving more the closer it got to the cave, and more rocks jutting out and dents to use. The first five meters or so were completely off limits - the biggest outcropping might fit two fingers, and the biggest dent would fit a toe. There was no way they could haul themselves up five meters of straight, almost even rock.

"It's impossible."

"Not entirely." He lifted his eyes to the branches above their heads, and she followed his gaze. She looked up at the thick branches, the vines, and back at the wall. "If we climb that tree--"

"And what, swing onto the ledge?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "We'll have to climb about five or six meters after that, but..."

"No way. No. Way. I am not a monkey. I am not Tarzan."

"Suit yourself." He rubbed his hands as he headed over to the trunk. 

"You're going to kill yourself. There--"

"It's climbable from the ledge." He pulled himself up a branch, looking up to the next one as he reached for it.

"Those are rocks and toe holders. If one of them gives out--"

"Do it or don't, Granger."

She sucked in a deep breath and held it, looking back at the wall. The five meters wouldn't be that hard, as long as nothing gave out under their weight, and they were left with a long fall to the bottom. They would still have to pull themselves up into the cave from the wall, which wasn't going to be easy.

She had to do it. She couldn't let him go in there by himself in case there was magic to deal with, or the plant or some clue to its location was in there. She didn't like this idea at all, though. Not without a wand, or a harness, or some soft, fluffy thing waiting to catch them at the bottom. She had handled a lot worse, though. A rock wall was like a...a bug bite. Yes, a bug bite. Annoying, but nothing major.

She shoved a heavy rock in her pocket before starting to climb, pushing her bag around to rest on her back in case it decided to swing out and surprise her balance. Malfoy was pulling on one of the vines on the branch above her, testing its strength before he decided to throw his whole weight onto it. She was glad he was going first - she would rather be the healer than the broken one.

He wrapped it around his arm, looking distinctly nervous now as he made sure he had a firm grip. The wall was a short swing from the edge of the branch, but he would have to be careful to let go when he was above the ledge. If he waited too long to be sure, he would smash into the wall. If he didn't wait long enough, he would fall almost ten meters from the ground.

She ignored that last thought, not wanting to picture the distance she was now standing from between safety and bone-breaking. She let out a surprised sound when the tree moved, clutching hard onto the trunk as Malfoy ran down the branch above her, swinging out. She watched his feet kicking out through the foliage, holding her breath, and closed her eyes on a wince when she heard him thud into the wall. He came swinging back, smacking into the trunk before he caught a grip on the branches.