A/N: Thank you to my beta Justine 34 for her dedication and encouragement. I thought this idea could be a fun plot and I would definitely love to hear what you think, so please review!
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine.
The sun sat high in the sky as morning turned to afternoon, but despite its rays, the air was chilled and crisp. It seemed winter had carried on straight through spring, dashing any hope for a warm April. Hermione Granger, standing upon an open hillside, drew her wool cardigan tighter around her as a gust of wind whipped past her, nearly blowing up the hem of her cotton dress.
While the weather conditions were not ideal, if she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the warmth of the sun awaiting her at her destination. Yes, it would be a healthy 27 degrees Celsius when they arrived in Orlando, Florida. For now, however, she would just wait, as it was a good ten minutes before the Portkey would appear to whisk them and the other surrounding families away to their vacation destination. Until then, she would have to settle for her imagination, which painted images of palm trees and cloudless skies.
Unfortunately, the illusion was dissipated by the sounds of a pained grunt and the fearful apology of a young boy. Turning her head, she caught sight of a disgruntled Severus Snape leaning over to rub his knee while a boy, who looked to be no more than seven years old, backed away with a bright red Quaffle tucked under his arm.
"S-s-sorry sir," squeaked the pink-cheeked child, his auburn hair swept to one side of his head by the strong wind gusts assaulting the hillside. His look of fear was met by Severus' angry sneer. This seemed warning enough for the boy, who ran back towards his family as quickly as his little legs could go. Grunting again, Severus straightened and limped over to where Hermione stood, glaring the entire way.
"Could you please explain to me again why we are here?" he asked icily. His glare sat comfortably on his face, muscle memory taking over as his shoulder-length black hair moved in one great form to shadow his eyes. Some might say he wasn't much to look at, but Hermione met his glare with a soft affection.
"Well, you said you didn't want to take any Muggle means," she replied, cupping his cheek with her right hand in a calming gesture. He snorted, but the icy nature of his glare melted slightly as he met her eyes.
"You know what I'm asking…" he drawled. Hermione could only sigh in response. Frankly, it was nothing short of a miracle that she had managed to get him out there. Severus was a quiet man who, on his perfect holiday, would spend his days sitting in his worn, leather armchair, a tumbler of whisky in one hand and a good book in the other. Normally, this would be more than enough for Hermione as well. She was never much for parties or clubs, nor for great thrills or extreme physical exertion. For these reasons, and many more, she and Severus had gotten along quite companionably since they began seeing each other five years ago.
Hermione, however, had a secret. Despite her usual desire for simplicity, there was one destination which had become something of an obsession at a young age. Year after year, she would beg her parents to skip their usual cultural excursions for something a bit more fantastic. Then, each year, while her schoolmates were meeting costumed characters, eating meals with princesses, and watching firework spectaculars, she would find herself in some of Europe's most historical and culturally relevant sites. And despite finding the sites intellectually stimulating, in the back of her mind she wished that just once they would go somewhere a little less serious.
Finally, at the age of twenty-five, Hermione's dream had come true. As a Christmas present, her parents presented her with accommodations for two at the Walt Disney World Resort. And, that was why she now found herself with the task of explaining the magic of Disney to her 45-year-old beau.
"C'mon Severus," she cajoled, tucking her arm under his. "I know you grew up Muggle. Didn't you ever wish, just once, that you could visit Disney World?"
"Not once," he replied sharply. "I had no desire to see any fake magic." Rolling her eyes, Hermione resorted to the tactic that had them standing there today. "Well, the tickets and room reservations were non-refundable, and my parents went to quite some trouble to arrange this for us." In lieu of a response, a look of resignation settled on Severus' features and he pulled her into his embrace as the wind whipped at their backs. Hermione sighed into his chest. Fairytales and childhood wishes were not in Severus' vocabulary, but for some reason his desire to please her parents was strong enough to compete with even his most stubborn protests.
To be honest, this parent-pleasing desire puzzled Hermione to no end. It wasn't as if he ever planned to marry her. After five years of waiting, this was one thing of which she could be quite certain. No matter, she was fine with this. Of course, there was always that small nagging image in the back of her mind, much like her dreams of Disney, of a small garden wedding, Severus by her side in his best dress robes. Was it so wrong to want to not only meet Prince Charming (well, a variation), but to marry and live happily ever after as well? Hermione was a sensible woman, but she was still bound to her own flights of fancy.
As Hermione's thoughts shifted from palm trees to weddings, Severus could not ignore his rising irritation. There was no question in his mind that he loved Hermione. He had only been in love twice. The first had evolved into a cumbersome guilt which tied him to a life he would rather forget. Hermione was his second chance. Ever since their first accidental meeting in a bookstore two years after the war, she inspired only a never ending feeling of lightness. He would not let himself get carried away, however. He knew all too well how quickly things might go sour, and thus fought every impulse that could possibly ruin the good thing they had going. He had even gone to great efforts to charm her parents. It seemed his reward was this awful trip. He just couldn't understand how the cultured, mature, intelligent woman he had fallen in love with could be so preoccupied with the most childish, commercial, and plainly ridiculous place on Earth. But, this was what Hermione wanted, so he would try and understand this inferior brand of magic.
Severus felt Hermione adjust in his arms and he looked down to see what might have caught her eye. She wore a look of concentration, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as she watched the children pass the offending Quaffle around the field. If the idea of spending a week surrounded by scolding mothers and naughty children didn't burst his bubble, the wistful look that played across Hermione's face left him rather deflated. This was perhaps the only want Severus could not give. Though he pretended to be, he was not ignorant of Hermione's desire to get married and start a family, and despite his demonstrative aversion to children of all ages, he could not fault her for such wishes.
Severus was rather reserved about his childhood, despite Hermione's continuous prodding for information, but he knew quite a bit of hers. It was one of summers abroad, comforts at home, secret jokes, and affectionate nicknames. His, in contrast, consisted of silent meals, secondhand clothes, and rather pinched looks of irritation. Thus, he felt poorly equipped to show any sort of affection or care to any child, even his own. After all, it had taken him all of five years to learn how to properly share his affection for Hermione, and sometimes, he felt he was still learning. No, a family would be a mistake.
Both Hermione and Severus were startled from their reverie by the sound a soft thud. Swiveling their heads, they were met with the sight of a gangly, blond young man scrambling up from the ground, an enormous, dingy, multi-colored piece of cloth beside him. Hastily dusting his navy conductor-like uniform and straightening his matching hat, the young man addressed the crowd in a hoarse voice, as if the breath had been knocked out of him.
"G'morning, folks! I will be assisting you with your Portkey launch to Orlando, Florida today. The Portkey will be leaving in approximately five minutes, so please gather your things quickly and take a hold of the blanket." With that, he hurried to unravel the crumpled, ratty fabric beside him into a wide circle, nearly five meters in diameter. As the families approached the circle, Hermione and Severus found themselves placed next to the conductor.
"Morning, madam, sir," said the young man cordially before meeting the eyes of Severus. "Pr-pr-professor Snape?"
Severus replied with a predatory smirk. Hermione only huffed and elbowed Severus, hoping the blow might inspire him to back down.
"Why, Mr. Peters, I see you've found a position worthy of your…skills."
"Er…yes, sir," Peters replied, a blush creeping up his neck and onto his cheeks, and his eyes looking decidedly elsewhere.
"Severus!" Hermione hissed tersely. Severus could only give a slight shrug, as if to say 'I'm only having fun'.
"Why is it that a conductor is required?" asked a curious Hermione.
"Well, with all the families launching to this destination, especially during the holidays, it keeps things in order. I'd be lying if I said there weren't a few mix-ups in the past." Peters said this last bit in an undertone, studiously avoiding Severus' gaze.
A sharp chime from Peters' watch ended any further conversation. Checking it with a quick glance, he blew the whistle which hung around his neck on a matching navy cord.
"All right, folks, this Portkey will be leaving in less than one minute, so please hurry and take hold." In response, the remaining stragglers squished in around the circular cloth, leaving no space between the passengers. Sensing his annoyance, Hermione gave Severus' hand a quick squeeze, to which he responded with a quick kiss before the conductor began his countdown.
"This is it folks! Five…Four…Three…Two..." His final shout was muffled as the passengers felt their center of gravity pulled from beneath them.
Severus landed casually on his feet once the group had reached their destination. Hermione, on the other hand, staggered on wobbling legs behind him, and only steadied when Severus pulled her up by her waist. Taking comfort in his embrace, she let out a groan, muttering, "I'll never get used to this magical travel." Around them, many of the adult travelers were helping their children to their feet, some of whom were on the verge of tears, while others were cheering at the adventure.
"All right, folks, let's make our way to the bus pick-up," directed Peters, who seemed to have made it through the trip unscathed.
"Bus pick-up?" asked Severus as he finally took stock of his surroundings. They had landed in a closed off corner of what looked to be an active airport tarmac. The buzzing in his ears, which he took to be after effects of the Portkey trip, turned out to be the roaring engines of commercial airplanes taking off and landing just beyond their site.
"It seems we'll have to take Muggle modes of transport to the resort. You know, just to reduce suspicions," Hermione replied. Severus raised an eyebrow and gestured to their fellow visitors. Following his gesture, Hermione choked back a laugh.
Although the children were indistinguishable from their Muggle counterparts, in their colorful sun dresses, football jerseys, and athletic trainers, their parents, for lack of a better description, looked straight out of the circus. In the process of shedding their wizard's robes, the men revealed themselves to be wearing all varieties of poorly fitting pants, including some in an embarrassingly close-fitting spandex as well as those which displayed a nearly indecent portion of their pale, British legs. It was unfortunate, since many also wore quite common Muggle button-down shirts. The women were dressed more appropriately, in sun dresses and modest skirts. Though the fabric patterns were garish, they were well within normal Muggle dress.
Both Hermione and Severus had left their robes at home, opting to travel in their ordinary Muggle clothing. Hermione wore a simple cotton dress with a floral pattern, while Severus wore a pair of black slacks with a black button-down shirt. Hermione hoped he wouldn't pass out from heat exhaustion before they reached their hotel room. Secretly, she had packed him more appropriate clothing for the trip, but she was almost certain that the use of the Imperius Curse would be necessary for him to even consider them.
The large group filed into a line behind a gray door, which led into the airport's baggage terminal. Peters addressed the crowd with a final set of instructions.
"Now, I'm going to let you in by family to make you more inconspicuous. You'll turn left and follow the signs to the Disney's Magical Express counter. Remember, act Muggle!"
The last bit of the statement elicited an indelicate snort from Severus, but Hermione was practically bouncing in anticipation. This was it, the moment she had been dreaming of since she was a little girl. She could only hope that the nearly two decades of anticipation would not result in disappointment.
Hermione was still on a high as she boarded the bus which would take them to their hotel. Beside her, she heard one bus driver whisper to the other, "crazy British tourists," as they spotted one of her fellow wizards, who was incognito. Once again, she found herself stifling back giggles as Severus rolled his eyes. The wizard had blended his desire to look Muggle with his desire to look American, sporting rather short jogging shorts, a t-shirt, and accessorizing with a pair of cowboy boots and a matching hat.
'Honestly,' Severus thought as he watched the man strut towards the bus, 'he would be less obvious in robes.'
Taking his seat, Severus evaluated the situation, deciding that Hermione owed him quite a debt. All around him were rambunctious children and oblivious parents. He would start making his list of demands now.
As the bus left the airport, a film began to play on several overhead monitors. Life-size Disney characters danced onto the screen as a narrator gave hotel check–in instructions and shared some of Walt Disney World's "best kept secrets." In preparation for their arrival, Hermione pulled out a folder containing their itinerary information.
"Hmm, it looks like we will be staying at Disney's Wilderness Lodge," she said as she scanned their reservation.
"Sounds…accommodating," Severus replied, clearly thinking otherwise.
"Yes, well, I had told my parents that you preferred a rather rustic décor."
"Why did you say that?" an offended Severus asked.
"Well, I hadn't anticipated that they would use the information for this! Anyway, it sounds lovely. It's modeled after an inn in the southwest of America. Oh, and it sits right on a lake as well as on the edge of a wooded area. There's a geyser as well- are you listening?" Hermione turned her head to see that Severus had closed his eyes and begun to snore softly. Hermione simply shook her head and continued reading. It seemed men at any age were bored quite easily.
It was another fifteen minutes before Severus and Hermione stepped off the bus in front of the Wilderness Lodge. Assured that their things would be taken inside, they entered the lobby. While Severus strode in without so much as a nod to the greeter at the door, Hermione found herself glued to the floor of the entrance, merely staring around with a slackened jaw.
"Severus, look!" she said, somewhat breathlessly, as she marveled at the lobby. The ceiling was vaulted several stories, held up by what appeared to be pillars of enormous logs. Large canvas chandeliers hung from the ceiling, framed by wrought iron figures of bison, horses and deer. Comfy-looking leather couches and recliners sat atop detailed rugs and wood flooring, and a totem pole stood in front of the long wooden check-in desk, seating several employees. Dim lighting and a roaring fireplace in the corner of the lobby gave the enormous room a cozy feeling, while soft music reminiscent of the old West made for a relaxed atmosphere.
Although he didn't respond verbally to Hermione's command, Severus too was quite impressed with the theming, though he did his best to hide it. Perhaps he did appreciate a rustic setting.
After collecting their room keys and bright yellow "First Visit" buttons, which Severus refused to wear on sight, the couple made their way up to their room on the third floor. Their room was large, colored in natural tones. A king-sized bed sat at its center with a Native American inspired bedspread and a wooden frame detailed with intricate carvings. The room also contained two night stands, a small desk, a bureau, and a cabinet which opened to reveal a flat-screen TV.
Hermione took a deep breath as she walked in. A slight smell of pine permeated the air.
"Oh, Severus, can you smell the pine? Isn't it lovely?"
"Hmm," he responded, inspecting the room.
Walking to the other side, Hermione threw open the long curtains and uncovered a balcony, which could be accessed through a sliding glass door. Stepping out into the fresh air, she marveled at the view. To her right was a thicket of tall trees, a trail running beside it, and to her left was the large pool area, complete with splashing children and sun bathing adults, which opened into the lake on which the resort sat.
Leaning into the railing of the balcony, Hermione smiled and closed her eyes as the sun warmed her face. She heard a few steps beside her before arms came around her waist. Tilting back onto his chest, she tipped her head up slightly, smiling softly at Severus. Turning in his arms, she fixed him with a meaningful look.
"Severus, I know this isn't your cup of tea, but thank you for doing this." Severus bent down to give her a lingering kiss. When they parted, Hermione turned once more to look out at the view.
"It's the castle!" she exclaimed, noting tiny silver towers with blue turrets in the distance.
"Fascinating," drawled Severus, busying himself with kissing her neck. Trying to ignore his attentions, Hermione focused on the distant castle. It wouldn't be easy, but Hermione was determined to have Severus more than tolerating Walt Disney World. However, for the time being, she couldn't quite focus on that. So instead, she turned around once again and met his lips. This and other activities kept them occupied for the remainder of that evening.