Ok so it seems I'm getting good response with this story... I was sooo scared this idea would just completely flunk out, the prologue has been written for like a month! I just posted it I know probably I just get nervous about what people will think. Now if you're reading my other story For The Love of the Night, no worries neither story shall take precedence over the other, when I write it is usually spur of the moment ideas or depending on mood. Which is why I have tons of stuff saved just waiting for my confidence to boost enough to post it.

Raging Seas

Disclaimer: Nope still don't own anything.

Chapter 1: A Pirate's Life?

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The room was fairly kept, a grand desk at one end, a couch to the side, a table with chairs for dining, then a grand captain's bunk touched it off for the perfection exquisite beauty oft he mahogany wood that adorned the room. Running a hand down a carved railing of the bed, his eyes lingered upon the form that was lying there peacefully as if he hadn't pulled her from the seas. Trying to retain her dignity he had stripped her to her under garment of a shift, then wrapped her in towels before lying her upon the feathery mattress of the utmost comfort of his own bed. This one girl, out of all the females on the planet, this was the one he had saved, had found floating out at sea. It was as if Merlin rued him for the twisted way of life he was living, every one of his House skills were being put to a definite use in almost every transaction in his life at the moment.

A groan caused him to look at her once again, his mind having drawn away at the thought of the latest mission he had been asked to accomplish, a bloody hail mary this one was. Trying to get plans to one side, while delivering supplies for another. It was all too difficult not to get caught by those he was betraying, he'd get killed for sure without any thought. Slowly he made his way to the bed side to watch those honeyed eyes open to him once again, this time a bit more cross, as he expected from her at any rate. "Oh, bloody hell." His eyebrows rose at her use of such choice language, "Did Merlin curse me to spare me the gentle death of the sea to be placed in horrid hands of you as a savior? What now, I expect you'll be tossing me back into the sea any minute now?" Draco only rolled his eyes at her, choosing to ignore such harsh words, "It's been six bleeding months, no word to anyone back at school, nothing, should have expected that from an arrogant, evil arse such as yourself."

Thoroughly tired of hearing her tirade, he bent shoved his mouth against hers to give him some silence and shock her enough he might get a word in, "I would hope you wouldn't find yourself to be more partial to the sea than myself. You know better than to think I would rescue your little arse from the depths just to throw you back in, especially seeing how you're in my bed. Six months, without word from you or anyone else either mind you, and for good cause. You're on my ship, you should respect me as the captain such as I am. Now what were you doing in the middle of our lovely sea, on a merchant ship headed for Merlin knows where? Do Potter and Weasley know where you are? I will not be blamed for any of this as I know they shall try to blame me for. I made provisions didn't I, before I left? It's a breaking of vow that you should be here now, could compromise everything that I have been working towards all this time I've been gone."

"You're a bloody pirate, Draco!" she cried taking to stand on the bed now.

Strong arms swept around her waist, lifting her to the ground before she tumbled there from the rocking of the ship she wasn't accustomed to, "It's more than that and you should know it. Also, if you'd pay attention, you, my dear, are a blooming Princess!"

Blaise chose that moment to make an entrance, then suddenly changed his mind when he saw them glaring eye to eye looking as if they were about to kill the other, but it was too late once he'd turned Draco had already sensed him. "Blaise, make the Princess at home and hang me a hammock in your quarters since it would seem I may not be welcome here as long as the Lady is aboard." He'd turned and marched over to his desk plundering through all that cluttered it, "Oh, barmy! Hermione, could you just put some damned clothes on I can't concentrate with you standing there as you are." The girl looked down to see she was nigh barely covered and hurried over to his wardrobe pulling out a shirt of his that would cover her down to the knees, a nasty look pointed at him all the way.

"There, are you happy? You frustrate me Malfoy!" She tossed up her hands before letting a small smile befall her visage at the sight of another old friend, "Blaise, dearest, how is it you still stay with his royal pain in the arse?" Moving now to plant light kisses on both his cheeks, he smiled his best for the little lady, Draco's glare remained in tact for his first mate. "Now to answer you a bit. Ron and Harry most certainly don't know where I am, not that I would think they'd care if they did. For your provisions, they still stand untouched by any hand." The way she moved back to his desk, he could only call a flounce, and it annoyed the hell out of him.

Blaise felt more at ease realizing what was going on, "Draco, we need a cover for her, with both the crew and anyone at ports or connections we make. It seems she's here to stay until we can figure out what we shall do with her." Draco agreed, of course, but knew what the other man had on his mind, scowling at the thought of it, "Claim her to be your wife, it is as easy a that... and not far from the truth." He mumbled the last under his breath so that neither in the room would turn on him, they were a mighty scarey force when teamed together against someone.

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It was decided then, she sighed as she looked out the grand window sitting in its seat, out of all the ships to save her it would have to be the Dragon. It's captain had intrigued her most of her life, the man was as grating to her nerves and personality as nails on a chalkboard. Gently she lifted a pale, thin hand to her head, this tossing was causing her head to be dizzy, she hated that most. Never had she been used to any type of travel, except by horse or carriage. Even a row boat had never been interest of hers like many others of her social stature. Another bout of dizziness forced her to brace her head with her hand to stop to spinning of the room. Looking up when the door creaked she caught sight of one of her most favorite aristocrats, and the most handsome pirates that did not fit the role as he should. "Blaise..." her smile was forced.

"My Lady Hermione... I brought you some food, his stubbornness may be an arse most of the time but he's off giving a lecture to the crew. Want to join me on eavesdropping?" The light in his eyes reminded her when they were all much younger, snooping in on Court meetings and affairs. It took her a bit longer to make it across the floor with the grace she was bred in with, but took his hand eagerly all the same.

His strong arm braced her as she swayed, but they paused on the stairs to where he bent a bit but both of them peeked out no more than their eyes over the lip of the stairwell to see Draco standing before his men on deck. "You all saw the young lady I pulled from the depths of the sea, well she happens to be connected to me in a way other than a savior to a damsel in distress." She barely held her tongue and Blaise snorted trying to hold in his laughter, "Her name is Hermione, Hermione Malfoy, she is my wife." It was curious he didn't change his name, but then again she'd always heard Captain Malfoy of the Dragon. It was only through rumors and tales of the pirating ship that she'd kept track of him, and could deign to hope the rogue was alive long enough for her to get her shot at him. "My Captain's Cabin is now her bedroom and going near it is a fast way to meet the plank, actually we'll go all the way across the Channel and say if she comes to any offense from one of you and I'll personally take you on that walk. If you couldn't see she is of the aristocracy, treat her accordingly." He turned steely grey eyes upon them and his shoulders loosened a bit, "Merlin, she's my world, if it comes to catastrophe even a bit it's going to be someone's head and not my own."

Hermione could barely hold her breath long enough to get back down the stairs before she started laughing, Blaise followed her closely to keep her on her feet as her laughter bubbled forth. "Did you hear what he said? I'm his world? Blaise, how did he call that one up? Reading romantic novels, is he?" Tears misted in her eyes and she gripped her sides harder, then pressed against the wall to get back on her feet, "It has been far too long, sir. I shall admit, my heart has missed you both greatly." Anyone she knew could see the shadows in her eyes, those were not there for the man standing across from her.

Dark tanned skin, eyes to match the ocean in beauty, and dark waving locks of chocolate, this was the dark alluring handsome creature that only represented an older brother to her, unfortunate that at her birth his family couldn't claim her hand. "What has captured your thoughts, your highness?"

A soft sigh slipped through her lips, "Only things that could have never been..."

His hand reached out to brush her cheek gently with a smile only she could understand, then it snapped back to his side as footsteps were heard on the stairs. "Oh, bloody hell, you two were eavesdropping the whole time, weren't you? Well, Princess, what knew ribs do you have to rail at me?" His gunmetal grey eyes pulled at something in her and he quickly turned them when he caught the remnants of shadows in her own. "I promise you, they shall not lay even their eyes upon you that should offend. I swear to you my protection outright." Those were oaths he owed her for more than just as Captain of this ship. "Hermione, will you speak already? Or you lamed mouth, Blaise, have you no words for the jokes you so commonly use against me?"

"Your world, huh? Well if that were true, you must have forgotten for some time, left it to fend for far too long without you in a sea of catastrophic events your presence alone could have prevented. Yet, his almighty had not considered that, had he?" She turned on her heel then pulling his shirt tighter about her body then and flung out an arm to ward off Blaise, "Be gone from me both of you, I have my meal in the cabin, no longer do either of your presences please me, I shall go. If anything, Draco, your absence allowed me to find my place among my people if not my peers." As she made her way back to her new chamber, she heard something hit the wood of the wall, a bit of splintering of the wood, then curses as he'd hurt himself letting out his anger at her words. Good, she'd meant to get that low blow in, only Circe knew how long he'd been delivering them to her without even being there to do it.

A few stomps coming up short as she slammed the door and then he bellow, "What are you blooming speaking of?"

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Turning away from the closed door he groaned, the woman was insufferable. The wind whipped around above them creating a low whistle through the hall in which they stood, his first mate wouldn't meet his eyes. "Do you know what's gotten in to her mind?" He surely didn't, it wasn't like he could read her mind, though at this specific moment he wished he could so he might be given at least a chance at defending himself when she struck just as she had. "Forget it, when she wants me to know, I'll know. We have other business, apparently part of our supplies has gotten loose. I need your help in rounding up that little bugger they stuck us with. A baby dragon isn't going to run rampant on a wooden ship, if its hasn't learned to breath fire yet or has, I don't care. Too much of a risk, and now I have more than our well-being to think of, but the whole wizarding world's with their royal heiress aboard."

A smile lit the other's face as he hurried to catch his Captain as he went lower into the ship's hold, "Would you be referring to them almost as one in the same? Drake, she's not changed a bit has she?" His smile was a bit too bright for Draco's liking and made him want to wipe it off his face, with rather painful means of doing so evident in his mind.

"No, and it is not very likely she shall any time soon. Did you ever expect her to? Her Royal Highness Hermione of the Greater Wizarding Kingdom, or the Phoenix Princess, will be exactly as annoying as she's always been, a bloody pain in the arse from hell. My mate, I can't even concentrate for a small time without her invading my thoughts, how can I manage not only my ship and crew but this mission with her around? There's good reason to my walking away as I did, most of it having to do with her. She wasn't to be involved, ever." Stopping to lean against a crate he bowed his head in exhaustion. "It will take some time to adjust to her being here, to being near her once more."

A strong clap of a hand on his shoulder was reassuring, "I'm by your side through it all, don't avoid her for long. It will be hard enough holding up the charade with you both refusing to even share the Captain's cabin, let alone completely avoiding one another as if one you had the plague." Draco nodded his head, "She's not so bad, Drake. We both know that, have always known it, Merlin there was a time when we all waltzed about the Court like we were friends, even Potter and Weasley. It's been more than six months since the two of you have truly been with each other, no six months ago was just when you two could coldly look each other in the eye and dance as social rules demanded. It's been years, Draco, years since any of us have even dared to talk amongst each other." That was when the blonde left the conversation, he didn't need to be reminded of all this.

"We have a job to do down here, mate. I'll tell you now it has nothing to do with the past." The next four hours passed in silence as they chased down the damned dragon to cage it.

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Ocean spray matted her hair, and the wind whipped it to tangle, the sun was out of the clouds and it seemed as if they'd left the storms behind for now. The men eased around her trying not to have to speak to her and still do the jobs they were expected to do. The waves tossed them a little roughly still in the wake of the storm that had brought her here. Turning she eyed a rather rough man, all rugged and burly they all were, but this one she could see the scottish blood in him. "Sailor," he turned to her eyeing her suspiciously, "Don't worry, the Captain is a bit exaggerated in his treatment of me, as always. The man should be in drama in a play company not our here on the seas, but nonetheless here we are. Is there any way that I could have an easel and canvas? To paint you know, the sea, the boat life?" She ushered her sweetest smile upon her face and the man still considered her.

"Well, lassie, myself or any of the men would be happy to get you whatever you should need." He turned a bit, "Ay, O' Malley, any way you could rig up some paints and what not for the lassie 'ere?" The other man swept over to her, a darker, dirtier blond than Draco, a bit slimmer than the Scot she was speaking to, and a bit more artistic all around if the rough edges of sea life weren't considered.

A small dip showed he had some breeding, "The names Thomas O' Malley, and I'd be pleased to share my supplies with the wife o' Captain Malfoy. As it is I have some canvas and paints below, and shall garner more when we come to port with my cut of the profit, unless the Lady thinks her husband shall get her some then." His smile wasn't as handsome as Draco's but still a charm in its own right, and his eyes were a ruddy blue unlike Blaise's pristine coloring. "Shall I retrieve some canvas, paper, and pencils or paints?" It showed that he was all to eager to please her, and the other man nodded his head to her before heading off to help with the rigging seeing that she was gong to be cared for.

Looking back to Thomas she smiled gently, "Oh if it wouldn't be too much trouble with the Captain." It was hard not to sense him behind her, she'd expected his intervention sooner since she was associating with the crew.

"Get whatever it is the Lady should need." The young man skittered off away from them, "He's only a year younger than you or I, Blaise brought him from his home country on the Green Isle. What is he retrieving for you?" Draco's baritone was easy on her ears as she turned to stare up into his quicksilver gaze, he was still keeping his gaze off of her scanning those around them, as if experience kept his guard on always. "I don't like you being on the deck, any moment a storm can hit and I can't always be near to save you."

A soft sigh slipped through her porcelain doll lips, as she turned to look back out to sea, "Do you have to be? I believe there are more than enough men who can keep me from the depths."

"Here you are, Lady Malfoy." His blue gaze raked her form this time, and she didn't think it was with an artist's appreciation. Draco noticed, giving the man a look that would make anyone's blood run cold in fear. He backed up then hurried off back to his work, "Perhaps, the Captain shall provide, that the Lady shall be supplied at the next port to please her needs." Hermione was almost sure he wasn't speaking of canvas and paints, "If not, I can handle any she has." If she hadn't been between them, she was sure Draco would have lunged and killed the other man then, as he quickly turned almost running to his post.

Picking up a pencil, she lifted the sketchbook that had been left for her, "Do not trust fully any of these men, I may be able to trust them as a crew to do the duties that are needed on this ship, but never could I be sure to trust many of them with a Lady such as you are." then looking down at her drawing hand, he smirked, "I was always one of your favorite subjects, wasn't I? The proud lioness can't resist drawing such a form as mine, as it pleases her eye more than any other." With that she swept her had across the page ripping it out and stuffing it into her dress pocket, a basic rough gingham Blaise had dug up somewhere.

"What could you possibly be talking about, you git? I happen to only want to draw the ocean, it has been years since I've done a portrait, especially of you. You're in my light, Malfoy. Either move away and keep your mouth shut or get back to work, I know you have something else you should be doing." A rough wave hit again and his hand gripped her elbow as she pitched towards the railing, a gasp fell from her and she eased back against his strong chest as her heart beat rapidly.

Strong arms practically picked her up with the art supplies and moved her up to the helm area on the back of the ship, "There now I know you can see what it is you want to draw and your close at hand if you take to falling to the waves again." Blaise was watching them from the wheel, and saw the glares being traded both ways, there was no way he was getting involved in this one, she could tell by the way he averted his attention immediately to whistling. "Merlin knows if anything were to happen to you, my fault or not, it would be my head on the chopping block." The Captain settled a level gaze on her, those gunmetal greys demanding her to defy him, and if she knew nothing else it was she was to always challenge him. Especially when he went off on one of his high handed tangents as he was now.

"I will not be babysat by you and Blaise like I'm some sort of china doll just waiting to be broken!" With that she tore off back down the stairs, then chose the second set to take her back down to the Captain's Cabin. Tripping once again on the way, she shot a look up at him, "If you so much as make a move to come after me you prat then I shall be bloody pleased to put your head on the block of my own volition!" A huff and she disappeared from his sight, and it was good too, because her heart beat faster when those eyes were trained upon her than when she'd almost tumbled over the rails.

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A hard kick to a barrel, a few curses, then he turned on his first mate, "That bint is going to drive me crazy before I even get halfway to land. She and I take shots at one another any chance we get, and she's just flouncing around here like she's back home in her little palace. This isn't a palace Blaise, she just about took another tumble to the sea and then she goes off her rocker about me trying to babysit her? It's my ship, and she just threatened my life!" He was pacing back and forth while the other man just continued to whistle, "Are you going to say anything? Try to take care of her, and do you know what Tom down there just blatantly offered his services if mine weren't enough to satisfy her needs. " The woman was going to force him to jump his own ship for some sort of reprieve from their continual adversity to one another.

Blaise looked down at the compass and Draco just about wanted to walk up and smack the other man up the side of his head, he wasn't helping him at all, some first mate and best friend he was. "So you're taking her side in all this? Really Blaise I figured you one better than that! She's going to turn the whole ship into a mutiny against me... I guess you want to go apologize and start being less like myself. Well I'm not going to do it! I have some male pride and dignity even if you don't." Draco was stomping back and forth much like a toddler not getting his way all the time. "Bloody Hell! I'll be back..." He made his way down the stairs towards the gangway to go to his cabin, when the lookout cried out for land.

He looked of the port side to see the swell of the ocean crashing on a distant shore line, well the little lady might get a chance to leave him alone soon, if that is what she chose. "It's a Southern Spanish port, Captain!" Blaise called down to him, and Draco nodded his head in affirmation and continued after his current interest, the woman was not going to like that.

Walking down the dank corridor past the next stair that would lead down to the crew's hammocks and mess hall, then past what was now his and Blaise's cabin to the grand big door that lead into her Highness's quarters, what used to be his Captain's cabin. The insufferable wench was going to learn her place or she'd put herself off this ship at the port they were coming up to. "Your Highness, we're approaching a new port..." the door flew open once the words were out of his mouth, he noticed that she'd taken to wearing his shirt once again, he couldn't help but appreciate her figure in something he owned.

"Well, what port is it? Draco, dear I'd appreciate it if you didn't drool all over yourself, really. You act as if you've never seen a lady in your clothes before, I for a fact know that's not true." She snapped her fingers in his face then, and he turned his grey orbs back up to her golden ones, he had to restrain himself from wanting to jerk her up in his arms and show her just how much he'd rather see about getting her out of his garb. It was this thought that reminded him just as to why it was a necessarily appropriate measure that he stay in Blaise's cabin for the course of the Lady Hermione's stay on his ship. "Malfoy, you must stop staring it's perversely inappropriate. Now, I demand you tell me what port we're coming upon and if we will be docking?" This time, she'd dared to pinch his arm to get his attention, and he wanted to just show her where he'd like to pinch her.

His gunmetal eyes glared at her, "Calm milady, it is a southern Spanish port, and we'll only be stop long enough to stock up and get out. We don't trade with the likes of them."

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Amata Mercy

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