Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. No profit is being made. No copyright intended.
Pink Submarine
Summary : What do you do when your Prince Charming sails over to you wearing a Captain's outfit on a large, pink submarine?
For the Weather/Winter Challenge on Tomione forum
Tags used: weather, submarine, pink, Captain Tom
This is not a crack!fic!
Warning: not for easily disturbed.
Beta: Serpent In Red
Story cover : by Ibuzoo
xxx
Hermione stepped closer to the water, peeking down the pier into the dark grey waters that washed over the wooden balks beneath her.
The weather was wet and unpleasant, and Hermione looked up at the grey skies, hoping to see sunrays but had to look away in disappointment as there was no sun in the sky, only dark grey clouds that hung heavily, parting slowly in the gushing wind and revealing even more clouds.
If it is my dream, then I definitely did not choose the weather, Hermione thought frowning.
The tranquil, lazy surface started boiling and small waves were parting the path as if something big was approaching the shore from beneath the water.
A whale?
Hermione had to actually sit herself on the pier as a huge conning tower pierced through the water glade, and then the rest of a large, cylindrically edged, streamlined structure rose to the surface.
Hermione could only gape.
A huge submarine was now drifting slowly in the waves.
And it was bright pink in color.
Hermione closed her eyes with her palm before opening them again.
The submarine was still there and it was still ghastly pink.
Well, it was one really weird dream, Hermione thought while stifling a laugh.
xxx
The hatch on the conning tower opened with a loud bang, and Hermione saw a figure climb to the smooth surface of the submarine from the depths of the ship.
A tall—gorgeous!—young man was now standing on the sailing ship—was there additional crew or was he alone?—as it approached the pier, and Hermione quickly got up, straightening her clothes and combing through her hair with her fingers.
Hermione watched slightly wavy, but short dark hair dance in the gushing wind—the captain cap was swinging slowly in one hand—and then her eyes met his.
They were dark—but sooo mesmerizing—and had such a piercing look that Hermione could feel goosebumps all over her skin.
The young man jumped from the submarine to the pier where Hermione was standing, and she could now clearly see his tall form clad in bright white uniform with a pink belt and pink shoulder straps. His cap was now hanging on the conning tower. It had a pink stripe.
Hermione could only stare at the young man as he approached her and slightly bowed.
"The ship is at your service, my Lady." The stranger smiled and Hermione got a glimpse of pearly white teeth. His voice was silky and smooth and Hermione mentally drooled.
Watching the young man with interest—it was her dream!—Hermione smiled and made a curtsy.
If she was dreaming about pink submarines and handsome strangers, she'd at least enjoy it.
Who was he?
Hermione was sure she'd never seen him before—in real life—and therefore, he must be the product of her wild imagination.
What was his name?
"My Lord," Hermione decided to humor him—if she was his Lady, then he'd be her Lord—and the sudden laugh that escaped the beautifully shaped lips of the stranger was muted by the now wailing wind, but it still sent shivers down her spine.
Must be the weather, Hermione thought with pursed lips.
Why couldn't she dream of sun and warm breezes instead of brutal wind and ominous dark clouds that could explode with rain any minute?
"Would the beautiful Lady allow me the pleasure to escort her onto the ship?" The stranger's voice was soft and very charming. Just like he was.
"My parents told me not to sail with strangers, my Lord," Hermione answered with a slight smile on her face.
The young man brought his white-gloved hand to his chest—as if holding his heart—and with a sly smirk on his face, he tilted his head to the right.
"But Hermione, we are no strangers." His voice was low and sensual and Hermione blushed.
He knew her name—but it was logical, as it was her dream—and she didn't know his. Yet.
"I am the Captain," the dark-haired young man introduced himself in a lightly laughing voice.
"And what is your real name?" Hermione asked while taking his gloved hand and slowly approaching the pink submarine.
"And what is real, Hermione?" his seductive voice whispered close to her ear.
Well, it was a dream.
She needed to stop analyzing everything and just let her dream continue.
When your Prince Charming sailed to you on a pink submarine wearing a Captain's outfit and you knew it was a dream, what would you do?
"Why a submarine?" Hermione asked still smiling—the stranger was just too charming and even playful, and she was a young woman.
"Why, Hermione, you don't know?" the Captain said while helping Hermione climb on the slippery surface of the u-boat. "Because it's pink."
Hermione suppressed a stupid smile at his answer. She'd humor him.
"And why is it pink?"
The Captain winked at her before taking her arm again and leading her closer to the conning tower.
"Because it's a submarine."
Well, if she ever heard a more logical answer …
"And why are you wearing a white uniform with pink stripes?" Hermione asked in good humor.
What a dream!
The Captain suddenly twirled around and was now holding Hermione with two hands around her middle.
"If I tell you, will you dance with me?" he whispered from behind her and Hermione shivered in anticipation.
He was an eye candy. And he was all hers.
"Yes," Hermione whispered when he turned her around and she found herself looking into the stranger's perfect face.
She didn't want the dream to end. Not now!
"It's a secret, Hermione, so don't tell anyone." Beautiful lips leaned closer and Hermione swallowed hard.
"I won't," Hermione whispered a promise into the soft lips that were now touching hers.
"I've been a very naughty boy. "
A tongue licked her bottom lip before soft lips captured hers.
He cannot be that bad.
Hermione forgot about the approaching storm, didn't mind the color of the submarine, and allowed herself to enjoy the kiss while the Captain twirled her in a slow dance on the slippery and smooth surface of the ship.
xxx
Hermione opened her eyes and licked her lips that were still tingling from the kiss.
Why did she have to wake up? Hermione thought with almost a whine before she tried to move.
Trying to touch her lips with her fingertips, Hermione found out she couldn't bring her hand up without it hitting something hard above her.
What?
She needed her wand, as it was pitch-black around and not even a sliver of light reached her room.
Where was she?
It was becoming difficult to breathe, and Hermione tried to get up but found she couldn't when her head smashed into something hard above her.
Panic was starting to blossom and Hermione started struggling in the voluminous lace dress that she had on—she never dressed like that!—as she tried to locate her wand in the closed space.
The wand was nowhere to be found, and Hermione sobbed in horror as her hands touched the walls around her.
A scream erupted from her lips as Hermione Granger understood where she was.
She was trapped in a coffin.
xxx
Hermione was now standing on the submarine again.
With horrified eyes, she searched for her companion, who was standing with his back to her, looking at the now stormy sea.
"What is going on?!" Hermione screamed in terror at "The Captain", the gushing wind picking her words and spreading them through the grey fog surrounding them, not allowing to see anything but the ship and the Captain.
Hermione hoped he'd turn around, but she only heard his voice sing slowly in a laughing, cold tone.
"Pink submarine, pink submarine, don't take away my dream. Oh, my pink submarine, why are you so mean?"
And then he turned around.
Hermione screamed in horror at shining red eyes on the handsome face of "The Captain".
"Red is much better, isn't it, Hermione?"
It was Tom Riddle.
Voldemort.
Xxx
Hermione slowly opened her eyes to see darkness again.
There was not much air left and Hermione still couldn't locate her wand.
"Accio wand," Hermione said out loud, gasping for air.
"Accio wand, " Hermione repeated while fighting to keep her eyes opened.
"Accio my wand!" Hermione screamed when the blackness started to turn grey and her ears were filled with a laughing voice, singing slowly and mockingly.
"Pink submarine, pink submarine, let me steer your wheel …"
Xxx
"Hurry! Just fucking blow it up!" Ronald Weasley screamed at his best friend.
Harry's wand hand was shaking as he blew up the magically sealed locks on Hermione's tomb, and then he and Ron pushed the heavy coffin lid aside.
"HERMIONE!" Ron's insane voice filled the cemetery.
There, in the once beautifully decorated coffin, lay a figure in a once white lace dress, its eyes opened and staring unblinkingly into the skies where the first sunrays pushed through the heavy clouds.
"Hermione," Harry whispered through tears while taking in the now twisted form of Hermione, the torn inner material of the coffin and blood trails all over the white casket.
When Hermione's newly found wand had started vibrating today, and then when it flew up in the magically locked crystal box, Ron and Harry raced to the cemetery, understanding in horror that if the wand answered what could only be Hermione's call, then Hermione was alive.
And they had buried her.
She was buried without her wand as it was lost during the Final Battle and in a magically locked casket, so that no one would try to open it from the outside.
They never thought someone would be trying to open it from the inside.
And now Hermione was truly dead.
Ron was holding Hermione close to his body, sobbing into her brown, soft hair, refusing to let go.
What had they done?
Harry couldn't even move from the horror.
That day, during the Final Battle, just before Voldemort was destroyed, the Dark Lord had managed to cast a spell that had hit Hermione directly in the chest.
At least ten different Mediwizards had to pronounce Hermione dead for Harry and Ron to believe it and, with broken souls, to bury her on this peaceful cemetery near Fred, Dumbledore, Tonks, Lupin and Snape.
And she had been alive then.
Whatever spell Voldemort had cast didn't kill her.
They killed her.
And it was Harry who cast the locking charms with the Elder wand.
When Hermione woke up, there was nothing she could do.
"Harry." Ron's dead expression mirrored his own and Harry would have fallen to his knees had he not seen the sleeve of Hermione's dress being pulled up a bit by Ron's tight embrace and reveal her forearm.
What?
"Ron, move!" Harry quickly tried to push him away and lift the sleeve once again.
Blinking through the tears, Ron watched as Harry's shaking hands revealed Hermione's right arm where the word Mudblood used to be.
'Greetings, Harry' was carved now into Hermione's flesh using her own now broken fingernails and Harry screamed.
xxx
"Pink submarine, pink submarine, don't take away my dream. Oh, my pink submarine, why are you so mean?"
Hermione now sat on the pier, listening to the singling Voldemort as he slowly circled around her.
Her mind was numb and the gusting wind didn't bother her at all.
She was dead.
Fuck.
"Don't be so dramatic, Hermione," Tom—young Voldemort!—was now looking at her and Hermione lifted her gaze.
"Not everything is so bad," he drawled mockingly while smiling. His handsome face and the cruel red eyes did not match well.
"How is it not so bad if I am dead and here with you?!" Hermione screamed in the wind, looking at Tom's now frowning face.
"Well, if you put it that way …" Tom clicked his tongue before smiling again.
"How else can I put it?!" Hermione screamed again before wiping her wet eyes. "Fuck!"
"Language, Hermione," Tom admonished lightly.
"You are not dead," a twenty-year-old Voldemort said, squatting near her and watching the waves, his expression relaxed and even serene, as if he was enjoying being on the pier.
"I am not?" Hermione gaped at him.
She could feel it.
"Death is the next great adventure, as Albus used to say. I hate the old fool more than you can possibly imagine, but he may have been correct on this particular topic." Tom looked Hermione in the eyes as he suddenly stood up from his previous squatting position and rose to his full height.
"You are trapped in limbo, not able to move on over the horizon—" Voldemort paused and showed dramatically around with both hands before throwing his head back and laughing. "—but you have a pink submarine that will take you to your dream."
He sounded a bit hysterical and Hermione understood he wasn't lying.
No.
She must have said it out loud as Tom hissed suddenly.
"Yessss." It was English, but Hermione heard a few notes of the Parseltongue.
Hermione felt tugging and increased calling somewhere inside of her.
It cannot be true! Why?!
As Hermione started to sob, Tom laughed only harder before suddenly jumping onto the gleaming surface of the ship, waving his hands around, as if talking to a crowd.
He was insane.
"All aboard!"
Tom now had the captain cap on and was standing on the conning tower, mockingly waving to the waves and the howling wind.
Hermione wanted to sit on the pier forever, not wanting to go with Tom—Voldemort!—but the pink submarine was calling to her, not allowing her to stay behind.
And suddenly, Hermione understood.
The limbo wasn't the sea; it wasn't the winds or the dark grey clouds.
It was the pink submarine.
Lord Voldemort's biggest fears and most hated things shackled together in a form of a muggle brilliance that kept you prisoner deep under the heavy waters and bound your movements.
And magic did not help.
Though Hermione had this urge to follow the pink submarine, she was sure Voldemort felt it even more. The ship was pulling Hermione by her soul and she just had to follow its call.
With absolute clarity, Hermione understood that she was going to sail in a submarine with Tom Riddle—Voldemort!—as her only companion for eternity; allowed to feel the land under her feet only when one full circle was completed. Before starting all over again.
And again.
Forever.
And none of them could do anything about it.
They were both prisoners.
And apparently, spending time in the Limbo didn't do wonders to one's already unstable mental health. Was the Limbo driving him nuts?
"I am going to call you Tom," Hermione said with a touch of finality to her voice as she looked at him from the pier before taking his now outstretched hand and boarding the ship.
As Hermione stepped on the slippery surface, Tom barked an insane, laughing "Submerge!" and the ship started sinking.
Looking around for the last time, Hermione noticed the howling wind, the clashing waves and the dark clouds disappear and fluffy snowflakes started dancing in the air. The air was now calm and the waters serene, and the snow kept falling, quickly covering the now white surface.
A snowflake landed on Hermione's lips and melted quickly, turning to a cold water drop.
Licking her lips, Hermione closed her eyes and shut the lid of the conning tower before the waters filled the ship, but not before the mocking singing filled the air, flying in between the snowflakes.
"Pink submarine, pink submarine, take me to my dream. Pink submarine, let me steer your spinning wheel. Why oh why are you so mean, my pink submarine…"
xxx
Had Hermione not stepped on the pink submarine the first time, dancing with a gorgeous stranger on its smooth surface, and had she stayed on the pier, she would have crossed over to the horizon.
But what do you do, when your Prince Charming sails over to you wearing a Captain's outfit on a large, pink submarine?
You sail with him.
xxx
Not all submarines are pink and not every Prince Charming is evil, but even if you are ready to sail, remember what your parents told you.
Don't sail with strangers.
Pink is not always a color of happiness and a submarine is not always funny.
But if you step on it once, don't complain.
Just sail.
The end.
a/n Serpie hides in a corner holding a sign "I didn't mean to, it happened on itself!"...cough...surprise?
Bet you thought it would be a hilarious story because it has words pink and a submarine :)
I have this fear of being buried alive, so I thought I'd let Hermione suffer for it. And I still have to fight off the Dark Lord for doing this to him...but hey! It's canon, right? And JKR is the god so who am I to argue with her? If she said that Tom was forever stuck in Limbo, then all I could do was give him some company :P
Balance is everything! In Two Steps he's MoD! and here he is where he deserves to be.
It would be wonderful if you shared your thoughts. Thank you for reading! Winks