Hermione Granger had had enough. The war had been over for a year and all anyone would ask her nowadays is, "Is it true that you dated Harry Potter?" "Did Ronald Weasley, War Hero truly cheat on you?" "Do you really have a love child with Draco Malfoy?" 'Ugh, how moronic and boring. For Merlin's sake, she was a member of the golden trio, she had helped defeat Voldemort, you would think they had something better to ask about.' So here's she was, packing her bags for a long holiday. She hadn't decided on a destination yet, the only thing on her mind being to get as far away from 'here' as possible. Somewhere geographically and culturally far away, but relaxing... Maybe Italy... Or Australia... No, people would know where to look for her there... Maybe America... No, The Caribbean. Perfect.

Ronald had left many messages apologising for his lack of decorum in bringing a random girl back to their flat, but in truth, she wasn't upset or hurt, she was slightly relieved if anything... Although beyond pissed that he did that in her bed. Their relationship had been plateauing for months, and she was bored, she felt a bit guilty, but she really didn't want a relationship with him, but breaking up with him would basically be her breaking up with the Weasley's.

He bag packed, she rang Draco to inform him of her resignation from the Department of Mysteries effective immediately. When he asked her why she told him everything and promised that he could find her if he needed but that she didn't want to be followed, then she was hanging up and leaving her apartment. She magically locked and warded the entire area so that no one would be able to find or enter it without her express permission and a special code. She then walked to an alley nearby and apparated to the Forest of Dean. There she activated the special portkey she had been working on and disappeared without a trace. There were only two people that would ever be able to find her, and even they had to have a proper reason, and they were Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

Harry was her brother in all but blood, and even then, the binding spell they had performed to make them brother and sister in magic had erased that fact. He would be able to find her if he followed their bond, but she had sent him explicit instructions that she was not to be looked for unless it was a dire emergency; eg, her parents or friends were deathly ill or another dark lord had arisen. Draco was different, they had been friends since their eighth year at Hogwarts where they had been Head Boy and Girl and shared a common room. This living and working in close quarters to each other had paved the way for a strong friendship between the two. When they had both been offered jobs at the department of mysteries mid way through the year, they had jumped at the chance. Their combined skills had solved many a mystery and broken many a curse, while at the same time, inventing more mind blowing things than could be counted. The three of them were great friends.

Ronald had never been happy with their friendship with Draco and voiced his opinion often and loudly, inciting everyone in the vicinity to turn and glare at him more often than not. This had been one of the many reasons for the plateauing of their relationship, she quite simply did not appreciate his rude behaviour. When Draco and Hermione had graduated top of their class and immediately been engulfed with their work he had complained, when they had won awards for their work within their first 6 months officially working for the DoM he had complained, he had even complained when Draco got engaged to Luna Lovegood. But it was when Harry and Ginny announced their engagement that he started going out and not coming home.

Hermione knew what he was doing, she knew where he was going and who he was meeting up with. And she threw herself even more into her work. Her brothers in all but blood and their fiancées supported her and tried to get her to do something, but she was obsessed with her newest idea. A portkey that could only be followed by those the operator wished. It was mostly a project that she wished to complete just to show that she could. She could only imagine what might happen if it got out into the world, and for that reason she kept her newest invention entirely to herself. Today was her first test.

She had come home to find Ronald in their bed with a strange woman, and had immediately ordered them to leave her house and not return. While she didn't really care that Ron was cheating on her as she didn't even want to be with him anymore, she was beyond pissed that he would have the gall to bring a strange woman to their bed. So along with the wards she placed around the apartment she added a curse specifically aimed at Ronald Weasley, if he attempted to enter, something horrid would happen to his genitals... She hadn't tested this new curse out on anyone before, so she wasn't 100% sure of the outcome, only that it would be painful.

She had told Harry and Draco about it so they could warn Ronald, and had informed them that no one would be able to enter anyway, but Ronald would be punished for attempting as he did not deserve to enter after what he had done.

She disappeared in a flash of light.

She reappeared in what ought to have been Port Royal, but nothing looked right... Shouldn't there be high risers and hotels? Spas and swimming pools? She thought to herself. Instead there were wooden shacks on the beach and large boats in the harbour. "What the bloody hell just happened?" Hermione whispered to herself in a rare moment of lost composure. She whirled around, everything had changed in a matter of seconds, as was normal for a portkey, but the tug in her navel had been absent, and she was pretty sure that this was not where or... When... She should have appeared.

She turned towards the sea and gaped, for there sat a ship, not just any ship, a thing of beauty. It looked like the Black Pearl out of Pirates of the Caribbean, and there, standing at the helm was none other than a Captain Jack Sparrow look-alike. Before she could register anything beyond the bolt of lightning that shot through her, a drunken man staggered into her and attempted to grope her. The reaction was instantaneous. Twirl out of his reach, crouch and kick his legs out from underneath him. While her wand was on her at all times, now was not the time to get it out of her handbag.

'At least my reflexes aren't impaired from my sudden hallucination.' She turned back to the ship and saw that the man was staring at her.

"Well, fuck."

Her mind swirled at the possibilities, most likely that she had hit her head or accidentally ingested drugs.

'I need a drink.' She turned and walked towards what looked like a pub, not noticing the man walking off the ship following her at a safe distance

Head pounding from his outrageous consumption of alcohol the night before, Captain Jack Sparrow woozily opened his eyes and yawned. He got out of bed and staggered towards the door. Grabbing his sword and slamming the door open, he flinched when the sunlight hit his face.

He climbed the ladder to the helm of his ship than surveyed his surroundings. His eyes were immediately drawn to a woman in the crowd. Something about her seemed odd, her clothes, definitely, but more than that... She turned quickly, saw his ship and looked shocked, interesting... Her eyes found his and he felt an electric current run through him. His sudden excitement turned to anger as a drunken man stumbled into her and attempted to get a feel, then amazement as she twisted out of his reach, crouched into a fighting stance and kicked his legs out from underneath him. She looked back at him then turned and made her way to the pub. Jack shook himself and started to follow the intriguing girl in the tiny tight fitting dark blue shorts, black singlet and black heeled sandals.

The pub was crowded at this time of day. Very crowded. But that turned out to be a good thing when Hermione realised that she didn't have any money. She purposefully bumped into the nearest drunk and grabbed the change out of his pocket as she apologised profusely, after a couple more time 'accidental' bumps she had enough money to buy twice the amount of alcohol she had intended to get and then some. It wasn't Firewhisky, nor normal whisky, seems rum would have to do.

She was very much on her way to completely buggered when he sat next to her. Hermione could feel his eyes appraising her and started to get a little bit uncomfortable. After downing a few more shots she turned and faced him.

"What are you looking at?" She demanded.

"A beautiful lady" He replied without faltering.

"Trying your lucky with a drunk lady, eh? Smooth." She said sarcastically.

He shrugged. 'Maybe he's used to insults'... She thought. "How would you like to see a ship?" He asked. Not the best line in the book, but to a girl who believed she was hallucinating and was drunk as a skunk, it very near worked.

"A big ship?" She asked.

"A very big ship." He smirked. "I am to set sail at dusk."

"Why not." she said.

"Follow me." With that, he got out of his seat, grabbed her hand and led her out of the bar.

They had not been walking long before her curiosity got the best of her, "What's your name?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, and you?" She blanched, 'No, surely not.'

"Hermione. You lied about the ship didn't you?"

"Never, m'lady. How could you accuse me of such a thing?"

"Aren't you a pirate? I thought all pirates lied." 'I seem to be very blunt when drunk.'

"Would my being a pirate affect you in any way that would be harmful to your exemplary impression of me?" 'Yep, definitely a pirate.'

"Only if you attempt to force me to do anything against my will." 'I'll gut you like a fish afore you lay your hands on me.'

"I notice your use to the word attempt, is that being to imply my efforts be unsuccessful?" He looked sideways at her

"Of course any efforts would be unsuccessful. No one has ever been able to force me against my will." Well except for the police, jail hadn't been very pleasant, even if it only was for a couple of hours.

"Well it's a good thing that I won't be attempting to force you to do anything against your will." His airy tone belayed his unease at the vague answer.

"Good." Matter settled.

"I will only encourage you to act upon your desires." A smirk crossed his lips. That sly bastard.

"Shall we get to this boat of yours already. I'm beginning to feel the hangover." The loss of sharp wit and sudden feelings of dizziness that promise a terrible morning. Though for it to hit so early...

"You assume that I meant for you to join me." Pssh like you didn't.

"Of course you meant for me to join you. You wouldn't have asked otherwise." The Captain froze before shrugging and agreeing.

"Good to know my first mate has a brain about her even while drunk." Hmm, maybe he meant for more that just a shagbuddy.

"First mate eh? What do I get for helping you? It's obvious you haven't a crew, elsewise you wouldn't have asked me to be first mate." 'Ow my head, thinking too much is painful.'

"A cunning lass ain't you. They say it be bad luck to bring a woman aboard, but you are no ordinary woman are you lass. Tell me, where do you get your information. Surely you are of neither nobility nor rabble, so tell me."

"First sleep. And painkillers, I need painkillers and water. Show me to your boat oh Captain."

"Here she be lass, the Black Pearl." He looked in reverence at the ship.

"Cool, where's my cabin?" He looked at me in astonishment.

"Follow me milady." As soon as her head hit the pillow, Hermione was out cold, leaving the Captain staring at her in bewilderment.