Hot Air Balloon
Hermione and Damon were sprawled out on the side of the grassy hill filled with daisies, dandelions, and daffodils spread out around them as their feet danced in the sand together. The sun shone brightly on the two of them, showing the light stands of blond entangled in her hair, and reflected the bluest depths of the ocean in his eyes. He regarded her lovingly with eyes as big as saucers. She stretched out upon the blanket, smiling wide. Damon loved to see her so happy. In fact, he hadn't been this happy in over a century. She rolled into him, and they soaked in the warmth of the sun. A breeze ran through their hair as if nature herself was trying to cool them off. The waves rushed in chasing after the seagulls, who flew away squawking out protests as the rolling water crashed against the shore. Damon pulled her closer to him, and he traced the outline of her lips with his finger. Hermione gazed up at him, breathless. She rolled on top of him, and she kissed his nose swiftly before he could do anything. He turned her over, and he snuggled her violently making Hermione giggle like crazy.
A shadow formed over top of them, and it blocked out the sun. Making the air around them suddenly very cold. Hermione peeked out from under Damon's arms, and their heads turned up almost in sync. A tall tan girl with straight brown hair held a tray of lemonades for the two of them. Damon propped himself up on his elbows, and he took his glass with a nod at the girl. Hermione sat up, allowing her floral sundress fall around her knees, and the server handed her glass to her personally. "I'm Elena. If you need anything let me know." She smiled, bright white teeth glimmering in the sun. Hermione and Damon both sipped at their drinks as Elena walked away. The coolness of the lemonades iced over their throats, and made it slide down that much easier. They drank until the straw began to suck up nothing but air. Damon and Hermione put down their cups, and they fell back onto the red and white checkered blanket. Hermione rested her head on Damon's chest, and he played with her hair.
She smiled up at him, and he kissed her on the nose. "I love you." He whispered. She bit her lip, and she booped him on the nose. He laughed, a deep hearty laugh that he hadn't heard himself use anywhere else but with her. It came so easily to him when she was around. Hermione grabbed his hand, and she climbed up to her feet. "Come on." She enticed him, with a wiggle of her finger. He followed her, paying no attention to the blanket they had left behind. Running down the beach after her had been exhilarating for him. He felt no need to catch her, only to follow her where ever she planned on taking him. It was more fun that way. She burst into her parent's beach house, and he followed closely behind her. He wiped his feet on the welcome mat before going into the kitchen. Inside layed out through her mother's kitchen chairs sat a race track that Hermione was now building on to. Damon sat down next to her, and he helped with the architecture.
Damon leaned back against the cupboards. He was having fun, but he was getting. so. bored. Hermione must have felt the same way. She looked at him expectantly, apparently she had run out of ideas for them to do. THUMP. THUMP. CREAK. Their heads snapped up in the direction of her parents basement door. Hermione grabbed onto Damon, and together they stood to check out the strange noise. Damon took Hermione down the hallway, and into her bedroom. They need proper protection for an investigation like this. Damon pulled out a light saber from Hermione's toy chest that she had had when she was very young. Hermione delicately placed a tiara on her head, and she picked up a plastic sword. He signaled to her with his eyes. Now was the proper time to strike. BANG. BOOM. CRASH. Hermione's eyes grew wide and she tightened her grip on her sword. They crept through the house barely making a sound. Damon's free hand touched the doorknob lightly, and Hermione put a finger to her lips telling him to be quiet.
He nodded to her, he kept his face as serious as he possibly could. He pulled the door open as silent as a ghost. The shadows from the basement crept up the stairs, and Damon lunged at them. "NOT MY PRINCESS, YOU FIEND!" He cried, and Hermione could barely contain her laughter as she fought along side him forcing the darkness back down the stairs. They nearly fell down the stairs a few times themselves. Shouting battle cries, and whooshes of the light saber were the only noises heard in the basement. Little shimmers of light crept in through the basement window, and they were finally able to see the intruder. "Meow!" Hissed a very angry orange colored cat with a squashed in nose. "Sorry, Crookshanks." Damon apologized, and he turned to Hermione in the half light. "No dragons, demons, or otherwise supernatural creatures down here m'lady." Hermione smirked at him, and she clutched to his arm. She stood on her tip toes, and into his ear she whispered. "Unless you count us."
He scoffed, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "We're hardly supernatural, we're deities. I'm the eternal stud, and you are the princess of gryffindor. I don't believe that falls in the category of supernatural." Hermione shot him a pointed stare, as the corners of her lips twitched upwards. Logic would not win in this case, even Hemione knew that. In the dim light of the basement Damon spotted a door directly behind Hermione, and he walked towards it slowly. "What's that?" He asked, curious. Hermione shrugged. Her parents had all kinds of hobbies while she was away at Hogwarts. "My parent's workshop, I think." Damon twisted the door knob open, and he pushed it forward. He felt the wall for a light switch, but he found none. He checked his black jeans for his matches. He didn't smoke, but he always found them useful in situations such as this. He lit a match, and Hermione clasped a hand to her mouth. It was her father's old hot air balloon. "What?" Damon exclaimed as he ran his hand along the basket. He looked at her devilishly, and he pulled her close to him. "Let's go." Damon suggested. Hermione kissed him on the cheek, and she nodded. That sounded like a brilliant idea.
With the help of her father, and a little bit of magic Damon and Hermione were finally able to get the hot air balloon into the bed of a truck her father owned. Damon hopped into the front seat, and Hermione rode shot gun. They drove to the only flat spot they could think of, the meadow just beyond London nearest the burrow. "A man will meet you there to get it set up, and show you how to use it." Dr. Granger informed them before they left.
The hot air balloon was even more beautiful than Hermione could have ever pictured. Shades of maroon crossed over their faces as they stared up in amazement. Hermione and Ronald discussed how to use it, and Damon climbed in the basket. Hermione climbed in after him, and she turned up the heat. Damon threw the sand bags over the edge, and they slowly began to rise up, and up, and up. "This might not have been such a good idea." Hermione admitted as soon as they were a good 200 feet off of the ground. "Probably not." Damon chuckled, and he held onto her waist. The view was amazing. London could be seen from where they were floating, and luckily enough for them the wind was blowing in the right direction.
They crossed over meadows, and streams until they reached a small forest. Hermione leaned forward and she was able to touch the very tip of the tree tops as Damon held her. They floated for what seemed like hours. Sometimes staying in one place for a long time, and sometimes just drifting by. Damon wasn't feeling very well, and Hermione looked like a light shade of green. There were no places they could land yet. They both longed for the earth below. They turned the balloon back around, and they sat in the basket together. Just enjoying each other's presence. Even in a hot air balloon they seemed not able to escape the boredom. Hermione held her breath, and Damon yawned. Together curled up in the basket, they felt their eyelids begin to droop. They had an exciting yet boring day. Just being with one another was fine enough for them. The sky was getting dark, and Hermione stood up to peek over the edge. They had finally made it back to the meadow. Hermione released the hot air, and the basket began to descend back to the ground.
The basket hit with a jolting force, and Hermione looked a darker shade of green. Damon hopped out of the basket, and he nearly kissed the grass on the ground. Hermione nearly stumbled out of the basket. "I have never appreciated the ground as much as I do now." He spoke, as he layed back on the grass. Hermione crawled next to him, trying to settle her tummy. Though the hot air balloon had not been the only thing making her stomach do summer salts. Hermione chuckled at him, and she kissed him full on the lips. "I love you." She smiled. Those words had made the day of excitement come to a perfect close.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from Harry Potter, The Vampire Diaries or Owl City.
Song: Owl City, Hot Air Balloon