CHAPTER ONE
Summary: Harry, 25, needs to temporarily get away from the stress of daily life as Hogwart's resident celebrity and DADA professor, especially now that his childhood enemy is the Potions Professor. Harry gets a not-so-relaxing vacation when Malfoy's curiosity causes them both to be stuck inside a mysterious world of mysterious magic, swashbuckling pirates, and hostile island natives. Warnings: Violence, mature language, and scenes of a sexual nature later on.
A/N: All of my other stories have been on temporary hiatus. I've been sick a lot recently and a lot of things have been going on in my life, which is also why I've been unable to beta very much. That said, this story has been wriggling through my mind, and I will be focusing on writing. I cannot accept any new beta projects for now, but if you message me about it, I will consider it and/or tell you when I'll be able to help you out. :)
"Are you sure this will work?"
"Harry, for the hundredth time, yes!" Hermione Granger laughed, amused at her friend's obvious apprehension. They had been sat here on the floor of Harry Potter's sleeping quarters for several hours each evening over the weekend, plotting a particular charm that would allow Harry a temporary getaway from his stressful days as professor and resident celebrity at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Today found the both of them sitting cross-legged on the floor, a crystal globe between them.
Hermione gingerly placed the heavy book she was holding down onto the floor and looked back up into Harry Potter's concerned emerald eyes. "Trust me," she said softly, placing her hand atop her friend's knee. "Alright?"
Harry seemed to relax a little bit and he smiled at her, quickly nodding his head reassuringly. "I do trust you. Sorry, I'm just. . . ."
"I know." Hermione nodded, not needing him to mention the anxiety that had set in after the war. They'd all had some issues adjusting. Even now, when it had been around seven years since. She let these troubling thoughts about the past flutter away to focus on the present moment. She leaned back and began flipping through the pages of her book. "Like I've said, this is a fairly complicated charm, but it's nothing I can't handle. I've done it loads of times with some of my own books."
Looking at her with sudden interest, Harry asked "What sort of books?"
Curiously, the girl suddenly blushed a deep shade of pink. "W-well, you know. Just any old book that I want to get a better understanding of," she said quickly, waving her free hand as if to say it was of no interest to anyone. "Anyway, it's the same principle for this."
"Oh… alright. Perfect," Harry smiled, clueless to the girl's dodgy answer.
"Are you sure this is how you want it to look, then?" Hermione motioned to the globe for Harry to inspect once more.
Harry leaned forward to peek into the domed glass. He knew Hermione had transfigured it from a standard snow globe purchased at a muggle gift shop into this version, which was much more suitable for relaxation. In place of the usual winter scene, it held a sandy beach with a little cottage nestled cozily within a thick group of trees behind the shore.
"It looks great, Hermione!" Harry assessed, grinning.
"Alright then," she said, a light blush staining her face again. "We'd better do a practice test to make sure it works." Hermione slid the globe forward across the wooden floor and the motion disrupted the contents just enough to slosh gently against the sides. Harry watched it, starting to feel a bit nervous. "To enter, all you have to do is shake the globe and then put it back down. It will transport you to the beach in exactly ten seconds, allowing you plenty of time to put the globe on a secure surface so it doesn't fall. That's very important. If the globe breaks, you would be pushed out abruptly. You could get seriously injured."
"Okay," Harry nodded obligingly, having been told this information already. "Once I'm in, how do I get back out again?"
"There's a similar snow globe located inside the cottage. If you shake that one, it will transport you back here."
'Brilliant," Harry smiled again. "Thanks again for this – really. I know you didn't have to."
Hermione gave him a solemn smile. "I admit that I didn't think this was the best idea at first, but I can't blame you for wanting to get away from everything once in a while, Harry – especially with a Defense Against the Dark Arts class to teach."
It was true; his publicity had gotten several times worse after the rebuilding of Hogwarts. Harry couldn't seem to go anywhere outside the school without being bombarded by an army of reporters and fans trying to get an autograph. Even inside the walls of the castle, Harry was laden with frequent attention from his students. Some just wanted to talk to him while others wanted to snap a picture of him while he wasn't looking. The most annoying sort of attention came in the form of his female admirers. He'd received three love letters just in these past few weeks from underage girls. The other day, a redheaded seventh year "accidentally" bumped into him in the corridor, and he distinctly felt her small hand touch his bum. He'd gone completely red while the girl choked out an apology and ran the other way, giggling uncontrollably. As if that hadn't been embarrassing enough with his best friend, Ron, laughing at him, he'd turned around to see none other than Draco Malfoy standing in front of him with a scowl on his face. The blonde had somehow snaked his way into the position of Potions Professor and Head of Slytherin House.
"Still having trouble with the fan club?" He had drawled in that particular way that got Harry's blood boiling. He hummed. "No, you didn't seem to be complaining. Maybe you're a bit of a pervert, eh?"
"Ignore him, Harry. He's just being an idiot," Ron said, puffing out his chest to show off his new Auror's badge as he turned to leave, pulling Harry along with him.
"Harry?" Hermione said, bringing him back to the present.
"Sorry, what?"
She sighed. "You've got a class starting in an hour, so go ahead and give it a go. I'll wait right here."
"You aren't coming in, too?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow.
"It's only meant for one person," Hermione said exasperatedly, as if she'd said it a hundred times. "Magic like this can be unpredictable. It shouldn't cause too much harm, but you'll need to keep it in a safe place – just in case."
Bracing for the unknown, Harry picked up the glass globe with both hands. As he shook it back and forth, the sand whizzed around the interior in circles, shrouding the cottage and trees from view. He began counting mentally, setting it back down onto the floor and closing his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt a pull behind his navel as if he was being transported by port key.
After a few seconds of nearly-maddening sensations and the sound of whistling wind, his knees hit a soft surface with a jolt. Harry opened his eyes to see innumerable particles of sand settling down from the air, revealing a life size version of the scene inside the globe.
Rising to his feet, Harry looked around. Sounds, smells, and sights hit his senses all at once, making his head swirl. Everything was oddly peaceful as the waves crashed against the shore in a steady rhythm and seagulls squawked from somewhere in the distance. The sea went on and on until the water met with clear blue skies, and Harry wondered idly how far this fake sea could go.
Harry turned away from the ocean and saw the cottage. It was situated far enough from the shore that the tide wouldn't reach it. He walked forward, his shoes sinking into the sand with every step. The trees rustled quietly in the breeze – the same breeze that Harry could feel on his face and in his hair, sweeping it off his forehead gently.
He reached the blue door of the cottage and turned the door knob, gently pushing to allow it to creak open. Instinctively expecting dust, Harry was surprised to notice it was completely spotless inside. As he walked through the tiny foyer, he noticed that the cottage had all wooden floors, and the paneled walls were all a matching soft grey color.
The home itself was minimally furnished, but still managed to look incredibly cozy. In the living room, the brick fireplace was surrounded by two plush-looking chairs and a small matching couch. Just across from this area was the kitchen and dining area. The kitchen was equipped with a stove-top oven, a magically-operated refrigerator, and fully stocked cabinets. Just between these two rooms (and directly in front of the foyer) was a spiral staircase that led up to the bedroom. He knew from the pictures Hermione used that the wash room would be outside in another, smaller room detached from the house. Walking over to the nearest window, Harry flung open the velvety blue curtains to reveal a perfect view of the inviting beach. Harry smiled. This would be perfect.
Harry's last class of the day on Wednesday consisted of putting his 4th year students' knowledge of dueling to the test. It was still pretty early in the year, so Harry didn't expect much exceptional wand-work yet. He had transfigured a few long tables into a suitable stage for the day, upon which stood two of his students – Jasper Fletchley and Penny Cromwell. Harry was sitting in the corner, his quill feather flicking about rapidly as he scribbled grades and notations of the match onto a piece of parchment.
To his annoyance, Professor Malfoy had decided to sit in on the class to watch. He would make noises every so often, like the quiet scoff when Jasper threw up his shielding charm far too late to avoid Penny's confundus charm and then the pitying groan when Penny mispronounced expelliarmus so badly that even her wand seemed to sputter harmlessly, as if laughing at her.
"Would you mind keeping your judgments of my students to yourself, Professor Malfoy?" Harry spoke in his most polite voice. He was close enough to the blonde that he could keep his voice low so as not to be overheard by too many students.
"It's likely not the students' fault they've got you as a teacher," Malfoy bit back lightly, chuckling to himself. "I'm actually a little sorry for them."
Harry couldn't help the glare he sent towards the other man. "I guess you think you could do a better job of it then?"
"Of course," came Malfoy's predictable reply.
"Let's test your knowledge, then. Duel me," Harry said evenly.
The class grew silent and many heads swiveled to look at the two professors, ignoring the stage where Jasper had just been hit with petrificus totalus.
Harry watched as the blond opened and closed his mouth twice. He smirked, "scared, Malfoy?"
The irony of the question wasn't lost on Draco, who scowled. "You wish, Potter."
The two professors stood up slowly, pinning eachother with a challenging gaze. Without looking, Harry cast a quick finite towards Jasper, who then followed Penny off the stage just as Harry and Draco took their places. Wands at the ready, Harry politely made his bow. Draco simply lowered his head. The two of them spun around and walked methodically away from eachother. As if on an inaudible cue, the both of them spun around again.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry bellowed immediately.
"Protego!" Draco preemptively called out, smirking when the spell was flung back towards Harry and sputtered against the wall behind him. "Honestly. Do you know any other spells?"
Harry scowled. "Confundis! Tarantallegra! Furnunculus!"
Draco's eyes widened and he quickly cast protego, deflecting the spells just before they hit him. In a moment of silence as Harry caught his breath, Draco shot a hurried "Conjuntivitis!"
The curse hit Harry square in the face, and Draco almost grinned with glee. Harry's bright, emerald green eyes began to close as the skin swelled and his eyelids fused shut. Harry's face turned stony.
Draco sprung into action. "Rictusempra!"
"Protego" Harry said just in time, causing the harmless spell to hit the ceiling and fizzle out. Harry rolled his shoulders and faced Draco, raising his wand. He pushed forward little by little with each spell he cast as Draco took steps backwards to keep the distance between them. Finally, Harry cast another spell that caused ropes to fly out of the tip of wand towards Draco's legs. Before he could react, the ropes had wound their way around his ankles and all the way up to his thighs, tightening until Draco could no longer keep his balance. He wobbled and fell backwards onto his behind with a thud.
"Petrificus-" the blond tried to croak out, but Harry's expelliarmus was too quick and Draco's wand flung out of his grip and into the DADA Professor's waiting hand.
Harry's grin was cat-like as he stalked closer to the floored man with his eyes still glued shut. Draco tried to shuffle backwards, but with a surprising and sudden movement, Harry had front-flipped his way down the stage to the other man. Draco flinched, but Harry landed exactly over him, both feet planted firmly on either side of his hips. He then crouched down low enough to press the tip of his wand into the blond's pale neck and murmur "Looks like I win."
"I heard about what you did to Malfoy," Neville said conversationally to Harry over dinner. Neville had shown superb knowledge in Herbology during the last few years and ended up scoring the Herbology Professor position with ease once Professor Sprout had announced her retirement. "Good job, that."
Harry looked over at his friend, surprised. "You heard about that already?"
"Yer," Neville said around a mouthful of bread. "I'm sure the whole school knows by now. People are saying it was the most exciting class all year. Even overheard a few people saying it was the hottest thing they've ever seen."
Harry choked on his water, enticing Neville to clap him on the back with a grin. Harry sputtered "H-hottest?"
"Yer," Neville said again, grinning broadly. "Let's see. What were their words? 'Two of the most attractive young professors in Hogwarts (aside from myself, of course) having such an intense moment as if no one else was in the room.'
'Moment?" Harry mouthed to himself in horror.
"I didn't hear any more, though, after one of them mentioned how you tied him up, threw him to the floor, and straddled his lap-"
A loud clattering interrupted Neville's story and the two brunettes looked up to see the potions professor himself leaping up from the professor's table and walking swiftly towards the exit, looking ready to sprint out of the room.
Harry, now beet red, covered his face with his hands and groaned. "This is just what I need. More rumors about my love life."
"Don't worry, Harry," Neville nudged him with his elbow. "I don't mind if you're gay. Or if you're secretly in love with Malfoy."
Harry lowered his hands and glared at Neville.
"What?"
A few days later
Draco approached Potter's living quarters and heaved a deep sigh as he raised his hand to knock on the door.
No answer.
"Potter?" He tried knocking again. To his surprise, the door creaked open from the weight of his fist this time. Candlelight flickered across the walls from somewhere inside, but there was no sign of Potter. "You weren't at the meeting yesterday," he called out again. "Irresponsible of you. So, McGonagall sent me up here to give these to you." He said, waving a few rolls of parchment in the air as if Harry could see them. After a few moments of silence, Draco sighed. "Alright, I'll just leave them on the table then." He strode forwards and laid them on the common room table, next to a curious-looking glass ball containing a scene of a serene beach. Draco's eyes snapped to it in interest.
Unable to squash his curiosity, Draco picked up the curious object. As he did so, the ball tilted, causing the grains of sand to swirl around rapidly. He twirled it again, shaking so that the rest of the sand was disrupted. He watched the sand whiz rapidly against the inside of the glass with a frown. What a strange… thing. Must be Muggle, he decided, just before he disappeared.
The globe hit the carpeted floor with a loud crack.