In the Mud

by Chelsea the Muse

“Well, isn’t this just great! We’re lost!” Ron said again. He collapsed to the ground, leaning against a large, grey log. Hermione sat beside him, her eyes lowered in defeat.
“We’re just going to have to stay right here until someone finds us.” She said in a matter of fact voice. Ron stared at Hermione incredulously. She was beautiful, but insane.
“That’s what you said an hour ago!" he complained. Hermione blushed.
“Someone must’ve noticed that we’re gone by now, I’m sure of it. Any moment Hagrid will come to find us.” she said. Ron snorted and reached over to pull Hermione closer.
“And it’s all because you had to stop to look at unicorn hair. Now we’re lost in the Forbidden Forest. Alone.” he added with meaning. Hermione smiled at him invitingly and leaned back. He closed his eyes and leaned down to kiss her. His lips met thin air. He opened his eyes in surprise and looked around. Hermione had seemingly vanished into thin air.
“Hermione?” he called out, jumping to his feet. He heard a splashing from behind, and turned, almost falling down a steep embankment. Peering over, he saw Hermione standing chest-deep in murky water.
“Ron! Get down here and help me!” she shrieked as Ron nearly doubled over in laughter. He was still laughing as he worked his way down the bank, to where Hermione struggled in the gooey grey water.
“Ron! Please hurry! There’s something in this water…” she moaned, trying in vain to reach for her wand. Ron scanned the water around her, which was curiously still despite the amount of thrashing Hermione was doing. He couldn’t see anything, but he removed his wand from his robe anyway.
Without warning, Hermione slid under the water. She seemed to have vanished completely, the water closed seamlessly over her, like a mirror. Without a second thought, Ron took a deep breath and leapt off the embankment, and into the water.
The water was surprisingly clear and Ron had little difficulty seeing. He frantically looked around for Hermione. He saw what looked like a strand of bushy hair waving among the weeds at the bottom of the pond and so he dove down farther, begging his lungs not the burst.
Hermione lay tangled among the weeds. As Ron neared her, he saw a small kappa dart out from the weeds. The kappa lifted Hermione’s arm and sank his teeth into her soft flesh. Hermione didn’t move, and Ron realized she was unconscious. Ron reached her and hit the kappa as hard as he could, knocking the kappa away. He grabbed Hermione and swam with all his might to the surface.
He reached the surface and pushed through the muck. He held Hermione against his chest, listening for a breath. He put her down on the bank and suddenly he felt a cold hand wrap around his ankle. He was pulled back under the water before he could even respond. His wand remained on the bank beside Hermione.
The kappa was stronger then he’d imagined it could be, and Ron did his best to free himself from it’s vise-like grip. Ron struggled, bringing the kappa half-way out of the water. Suddenly, in a flash of Hermione-genius, he reached down and wrapped a weed around one of the kappa’s scaly legs. The monkey-like creature reached down to pull its leg free and Ron gave a yell of triumph as the water in the hollow of its head drained away and the kappa fell over.
He made his way back to the embankment as fast as he could. Hermione still lay on her back and when he put his ear to her mouth, he only heard shallow breathing. In a panic, he lifted her onto her side and pounded her back. Suddenly, he heard her coughing and she sat up, spitting water all over his robes.
“I hate swimming.” she said. Ron smiled and pulled her into his arms.
“You saved me. You must’ve remembered something from Care of Magical Creatures.” she said, as she nestled her soaking head against Ron’s equally wet chest.
“Actually, we learned kappas in Defense Against the Dark Arts…or don’t you listen?” Ron teased. Hermione smiled up at him and Ron lowered his head to hers….
“HAGRID! I found them!” a voice screeched from the top of the hill. Ron and Hermione scrambled to their feet to see both the Gryffindor and Slytherin class standing at the top, staring down at them. Draco looked especially smug, and Ron realized both he and Hermione looked a complete mess.
Harry grinned down at them, shaking his head and Ron felt his ears go pink. Hagrid’s bushy head appeared at the top of the hill and he was shouting down to them.
“Hold on! Let me see here, I’ve got this…no, wait. Yes, this’ll work!” Hagrid pulled a rope from his pocket, but Hermione shook her head.
“We’re fine, Hagrid.” she shouted. She took Ron’s hand and the two of them scrambled up the hill. The class stepped back, and Draco sniggered.
“You think it’s funny, do you Malfoy?” Ron hissed. Draco laughed even more.
“I was just wondering how I ever thought your robes looked clean…I mean, even now, they look the same as before…” Draco was cut off by Hagrid swinging a large hand and knocking him down the same embankment. The entire Gryffindor class howled in laughter as Draco dragged himself out of the mud, the unconscious kappa wrapped around his leg. He slowly pulled himself up the embankment and without a word or threat, stomped off towards the castle, the scaly kappa still wound around his shoelaces.
Hagrid continued to lead his class out of the Forest, and Harry, Ron and Hermione fell behind. Ron walked with his arm around Hermione and Harry sniggered beside them.
“You know, if you two really wanted to make out in the mud, I know this nice puddle right by Greenhouse three, it would be really perfect.”
“Shut up, Harry!” Ron and Hermione hissed at the same time.