Hermione didn't like it. She knew it was business class, she knew it was all lovely luxury, but her stomach was still a tight knot of fear.
Whilst the plane was taking off she had counted very slowly with her eyes closed, which had worked for a while, before she ran out of steam at around three hundred and fifty. She found herself sitting, sipping champagne, reading an article titled 'Thirty Things To Do Before You're Thirty' in Witch Weekly, which was bewitched to look like a copy of Cosmopolitan. She was trying very hard to look like a relaxed top Marketing Executive, but every tiny sound made her start; every judder made her catch her breath.
With an outward veneer of calm, she reached for the laminated safety instructions and ran her eyes over them. Safety exits. Brace position. If life jackets were required, the elderly and children would be assisted first.
Why was she even looking at it? How would it help her by gazing at pictures of little stick people jumping into the ocean whilst their plane exploded behind them? She stuffed the safety instructions quickly back into their pocket and took a gulp of champagne.
"Excuse me, madam." An air hostess with red curls appeared by her side. "Are you travelling on business?"
"Yes," Hermione said, smoothing down her hair with a prickle of pride. "Yes I am."
The air hostess handed Hermione a leaflet entitled 'Executive Facilities', on which there was a photo of businesspeople talking animatedly in front of a board with a wavy graph on it.
"This is some information about our new Business Class lounge at Gatwick. We provide conference call facilities and meeting rooms, should you require them. Would you be interested?"
Okay, she was a top businesswoman. She was a top high-flying Business Executive.
"Quite possibly," Hermione lied, looking nonchalantly at the leaflet. "Yes, I may well use one of these rooms to... brief my team. I have a large team and obviously they need a lot of briefing. On business matters." She cleared her throat. "Mostly... logistical."
"Would you like me to book you a room now?" asked the air hostess helpfully.
"Er, no thanks," Hermione said after a pause. "My team is currently at home. I gave them the day off."
"Right." The air hostess looked a little puzzled.
"But another time, maybe," Hermione cut in quickly. "And while you're here - I was wondering, is that sound normal?"
"What sound?" The air hostess cocked her head.
"That sound. That kind of… whining, coming from the wing?"
"I can't hear anything." She looked at Hermione sympathetically. "Are you a nervous flyer?"
"No!" Hermione said at once, giving a little laugh. "No, I'm not nervous, I was just wondering. Just out of interest."
"I'll see if I can find out for you," she said kindly. "Here you are, sir. Some information about the executive facilities at Gatwick."
Draco Malfoy took his leaflet wordlessly and put it down without even looking at it. How rude, Hermione thought haughtily. The air hostess moved on, staggering a little as the plane bumped.
Why was the plane bumping?
A sudden rush of fear hit Hermione without warning. It was madness, sitting in a big metal box, with no way of escape, thousands and thousands of feet above the ground...
She couldn't do it on her own. She had an overpowering need to talk to someone; someone reassuring; someone safe.
Ron.
Instinctively, Hermione fished out her mobile, but immediately an air hostess swooped down on her.
"I'm afraid you can't use that on board the plane," she said with a bright smile. "Could you please ensure that it is switched off?"
"Oh, er, sorry."
Of course she couldn't use her mobile. They'd only said it about fifty-five billion times. Anyway, never mind, it didn't matter. She was fine. She put her phone away in her bag, and tried to concentrate on something entirely unrelated.
Maybe she should start counting again.
Three hundred and forty-nine. Three hundred and fifty. Three hundred and -
Her head jerked up. What was that bump? Did they just get hit?
Don't panic, it was just a bump. Everything is fine. We probably just flew into a pigeon or something. Where was I? Three hundred and fifty-one. Three hundred and fifty-two. Three hundred and fifty -
And that was it.
That was the moment.
Everything seemed to fragment.
Hermione heard the screams like a wave over her head, almost before she realised what was happening. They were falling. Oh, Merlin, they were falling.
They were plummeting downwards; the plane was dropping through the air like a stone. A man in front of her had just shot up through the air and banged his head on the ceiling. He was bleeding. Hermione was gasping, clutching onto her seat, trying not to do the same thing, but she could feel herself being wrenched upwards, like gravity was suddenly switched the other way. There was no time to think. Her mind couldn't function properly. Bags were flying around, drinks were spilling, one of the Cabin Crew had fallen over; she was clutching at a seat.
It was slowing down. It... it was better.
Hermione glanced at Malfoy and was surprised to see that he was grasping his seat as tightly as she was.
It was almost back to normal now.
"Ladies and gentlemen," came a voice over the intercom and everyone's head jerked up, "this is your Captain speaking."
Hermione's heart was juddering in her chest. She couldn't listen. She couldn't think.
"We are currently hitting some clear-air turbulence and things may be unsteady for a while. I have switched on the seatbelt signs and would ask that you all return to your seats as quickly as -"
There was another huge lurch and his voice was drowned by screams and cries all around the plane.
It was like a bad dream. A bad rollercoaster dream.
The cabin crew strapped themselves into their seats, one of them mopping blood off her face. A minute ago they were happily doling out honey-roasted peanuts.
It was what happened to other people on other planes. People on safety videos and thriller movies. Not Hermione.
"Please keep calm," the captain was saying. "As soon as we have more information..."
Keep calm? Hermione couldn't breathe, let alone keep calm. What were they going to do? Were they supposed to just sit there while the plane bucked like an out-of-control horse?
She could hear someone behind her reciting 'Hail Mary, full of grace' and a fresh, choking panic swept through her. People were praying. It was real.
They were all going to die.
We're all going to die.
"I'm sorry?" Malfoy looked at Hermione, his face tense and even paler than usual.
Did she just say that aloud?
"We're going to die." Hermione stared into his eyes. Malfoy could be the last person she ever saw alive. She took in the shallow lines etched around his grey eyes; his defined jaw which was shaded with stubble.
The plane suddenly dropped down again and she gave an involuntary shriek.
"I don't think we're going to die," Draco said. But he was gripping his seat-arms, too. "They said it was just turbulence."
"Of course they did!" Hermione could hear the hysteria in her voice. "They wouldn't exactly say, "Okay everyone, that's it, you're all going to die,' would they?" The plane gave another terrifying swoop and she found herself clutching Malfoy's hand in panic. "We're not going to make it. I know we're not. This is it. I'm twenty-four years old, for God's sake. I'm not ready. I haven't achieved anything. Okay, yes, I fought the war and helped in the downfall of Voldemort but practically every witch and wizard did. I've never had children..." Her eyes fell randomly on the 'Thirty Things To Do Before You're Thirty' article. "I haven't ever climbed a mountain. I haven't got a tattoo, I don't even know if I've got a G-spot."
"I'm sorry?" Malfoy blurted, sounding taken aback, but Hermione barely heard him.
"My career is a complete joke. I'm not a top businesswoman at all." She gestured half-tearfully to her suit. "I haven't got a team! I'm just a crappy assistant and I've just had my first ever big meeting and it was a complete disaster. Half the time I haven't got a clue what people are talking about at work, I'm never going to get promoted, I owe Harry two hundred galleons and I've never really been in love."
She drew herself up short with a jolt. "I'm sorry," she said, exhaling sharply. "You don't want to hear all of this. Especially not from me."
"It's... fine," Malfoy said quietly.
Merlin, she was completely losing it.
Anyway, what she had just said wasn't true, because she was in love with Ron. It must have been the altitude or something, confusing her mind.
Flustered, she pushed the hair off her face and tried to get a hold of herself.
The plane was lurching again. They were plummeting.
"I've never done anything to make my parents proud of me." The words came spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them. "They're Muggles, well, you know that, and I Obliviated them during the war for their own safety, but I couldn't bear to give them back the memory of me sending them off to Australia, so I never told them."
"I'm sure they'd be proud of you if they knew," Malfoy said unexpectedly.
"I don't know. Maybe. When they knew what I was getting into, in fifth year, I thought they'd be pleased I was doing something, but it didn't work out like that..."
She couldn't stop talking. She just couldn't stop.
Every time the plane bumped or jolted, another torrent of words poured randomly out of her mouth, like water gushing over a waterfall.
It was either talk or scream.
"...Auror training and I honestly thought it would change my life..."
"...size Small, but I was planning to go on a diet..."
"...I applied for every single job in the world. I was so desperate, I even applied to..."
"...awful girl, Marietta. This new desk came the other day, and she just took it, even though I've got this really grotty little desk..."
"...sometimes I water her stupid plant with alcohol, just to serve her right..."
"...sweet girl Katie, who works in Personnel. We have this secret code where she comes in and says, "Can I go through some numbers with you, Hermione?" and it really means "Shall we nip out to Broomstix?" You know, the coffee shop..."
"...awful presents and I have to pretend I like them..."
"...coffee at work is the most disgusting stuff you've ever drank, absolute poison..."
"...put Defence Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T. at Outstanding, when I really only got Exceeds Expectations. I know it was dishonest. I know I shouldn't have done it, but I so wanted to get the job..."
What was happening to her? Normally there was a filter which stopped her from blurting out everything that she was thinking which kept her in check.
The filter had stopped working. Everything was piling out in a big random stream and she couldn't stop it.
"...wear thongs because they don't show through clothes, but they're so uncomfortable..."
"...size Extra Small and I didn't know what to do, so I just said, "Wow, those are absolutely fantastic!"..."
"...roasted peppers, my favourite food..."
"...I gave him all his goldfish food; I honestly don't know what happened..."
"...just have to hear Celina Warbeck's song 'Only Wizard For Me' and I start crying..."
"...really wish I had bigger breasts. I mean, not completely enormous and stupid, but you know, bigger. Just to know what it's like..."
"...perfect date would start off with champagne just appearing at the table by magic..."
"...I just cracked, I secretly bought this huge tub of ice cream and scoffed the lot and I never told Ginny..."
She was unaware of anything around her. The world had narrowed down to her and Malfoy, who was practically a stranger, and her mouth, spewing out her innermost thoughts and secrets. She barely knew what she was saying any more. All she knew was that it felt good.
"...his parents were downstairs and I remember thinking, if this is what the world gets so excited about, then the world is mad..."
"...lie on my side, because that way my cleavage looks bigger..."
"...works at the Ministry. I remember thinking he was such an idiot and I was friends for him for ages so it was weird at first..."
"...always have a glass of sweet sherry before going out..."
"...he's wonderful. He's completely wonderful. I'm so lucky. Everyone is always telling me how great he is. He's sweet, he's good, he's successful and everyone calls us the perfect couple..."
"...I'd never tell anyone this in a million years. But sometimes I think he's almost too good for me..."
Now she was on the subject of Ron, she was saying things she'd never said to anyone; things she had never even realised were in her head.
"...gave him this lovely leather watch for Christmas, but he wears this weird Quidditch one because it tells him the scores of a match in Poland or something stupid..."
"...took me to all these Weird Sisters concerts and I pretended to enjoy them to be polite, so now he thinks I love the Weird Sisters..."
"...just looks at me as though I'm speaking some foreign language..."
"...determined to find my G-spot, so we spent the whole weekend doing it in different positions and by the end I was so tired, all I wanted was a pizza and wine..."
"...he kept saying, what was it like, what was it like? So in the end I just made some stuff up; I said it was amazing and it felt as though my whole body was opening up like a flower and he said, "What sort of flower?", so I said a Begonia..."
"...can't expect the initial passion to last, but how do you tell if the passion's faded in a good, long-term-commitment way or in a crap, we-don't-fancy-each-other-anymore way..."
"...knight in shining armour is not a realistic option, but there's a part of me that wants a huge, amazing romance. I want passion. I want to be swept off my feet. I want an earthquake, or a... I don't know, a huge whirlwind... something exciting. Sometimes I feel as if there's this whole new, thrilling life waiting for me out there and if I can just -"
"Excuse me, miss?"
"What?" Hermione looked up dazedly. "What is it?" The air hostess with the French plait was smiling down at her.
"We've landed."
Hermione stared at her. "We've landed?"
That didn't make sense. How could they have landed? She looked around and sure enough, the plane was still. They were on the ground.
She felt like Dorothy. A second ago she was swirling around in Oz, clicking her heels together and suddenly she had woken up all flat and quiet and normal again.
"We aren't bumping anymore," she said stupidly.
"We stopped quite a while ago," Malfoy pointed out.
"We're... not going to die."
"I hope not."
Hermione looked at him as though for the first time - and it hit her. She'd been blabbering non-stop for an hour to Draco Malfoy. She didn't even remember most of what she had been saying.
She needed to get off the plane.
"I'm sorry," she said awkwardly. "You should have stopped me."
"That would have been difficult," Malfoy said with his trademark smirk on his lips, although it wasn't cold and sneering like it had been at Hogwarts. It seemed warmer and - dare she say it? - friendlier. "You were on a bit of a roll."
"I'm so embarrassed!" Hermione tried to smile, but she couldn't look him in the eye. She had told him about her knickers. She had told him about her G-spot.
"Don't worry about it, Granger. We were all tense. That was a stressful flight." He picked up his briefcase, got up from his seat and then looked back at Hermione. "Are you okay to Apparate home?"
"I don't Apparate, Floo or Portkey anywhere now, not since the war. But yes, I'll be fine."
Malfoy turned to walk off of the plane, but hesitated and turned back. "It was good to see you again, Granger." He walked off without waiting for a response.
"You too, Malfoy," Hermione called after him, but she didn't think he heard.
Slowly, Hermione gathered her things together and made her way off the plane. She felt sweaty, her hair was all over the place and her head was starting to throb.
The airport seemed so bright and still and calm after the intense atmosphere of the plane. The ground seemed so firm. She sat quietly on a plastic chair for a while, trying to get herself together but, as she stood up at last, she still felt dazed. She walked along in a slight trance, hardly able to believe she was alive. She honestly never thought she'd make it back on the ground.
"Hermione!" she heard someone call as she came out of Arrivals. She didn't look up. There was more than one Hermione in the world.
"Hermione, over here!"
She raised her head in disbelief. Was that...?
No, it couldn't be.
It was Ron.
He looked heart-breakingly cute. His skin was extra freckly, his jumper made him look cuddly and he was running towards her. That made no sense. What was he doing there? As they reached each other, Ron grabbed her and pulled her tight to his chest.
"Thank Merlin," he said breathily. "Are you okay?"
"Ron, what - what are you doing here?"
"I managed to use the phone - with Harry's help, of course - to ask the aeroplane company what time you'd be landing and they told me the plane hit terrible turbulence. I had to come here." He gazed down at Hermione. "Hermione, I watched your aeroplane land, they sent one of them Muggle Healer cars straight out to it. Then you didn't appear. I thought..." He swallowed hard. "I don't exactly know what I thought."
"I'm fine. I was just... trying to get myself together. Oh, God, Ron, it was terrifying." Hermione's voice was suddenly shaky, which was ridiculous, because she was perfectly safe. "At one point I honestly thought I was going to die."
"When you didn't come through the barrier..." Ron broke off and stared at Hermione silently for a few seconds. "I think I realised how deeply I felt about you."
"Really?" Hermione faltered. Her heart was thumping and she thought she might fall over at any moment.
"Hermione, I think we should..."
Get married? Her heart jumped in fear. He was going to ask her to marry him, right there in the airport. What would she say? She wasn't ready to get married, but if she declined he would stalk off in a sulk. Maybe she could say, "Gosh, Ron, I need a little time to -"
"...move in together, in our own place," he finished.
She was such a deluded moron. Obviously he wasn't going to ask her to marry him.
"What do you think?" Ron stroked her hair gently.
"Erm..." Hermione rubbed her dry face, playing for time, unable to think straight. Move in with Ron. It made sense. Was there a reason why not? She felt confused. Something was tugging at her brain, trying to send her a message...
Into her head slid some of the things she said on the plane. Something about never having been in love. Something about Ron not really understanding her.
But then... it was just drivel, wasn't it? She thought she was about to die, for goodness sake! She wasn't exactly at her most lucid.
"Ron, what about your big meeting?" Hermione asked, suddenly recalling.
"I rescheduled it."
"You rescheduled?" She stared at him. "For me?"
She felt really wobbly all of a sudden. Her legs were barely holding herself up. She didn't know if it was the aftermath of the plane journey or love.
He was tall and he was funny and he had rescheduled a big meeting with the French Aurors in order to come and rescue her.
It was love, it had to be.
"I would love to move in with you, Ron," Hermione whispered and, to her astonishment, she burst into tears.
A/N: I received a review from 'Bob' saying that this is a copy of 'can you keep a secret' by sophie kinsella - yes it is! it says it is the hp version of it in the description. please read the description before you review with things like this. making muggle books into hp books is a hobby of mine - this is just one of the many i've done. i thought i'd upload this one because it worked quite well as a fanfiction. i have never claimed to be the original author. sophie kinsella owns all copyright etc. i have changed names/tense and added in some magical context. anyway, hope you enjoyed!