Oh. My.God. I am sorry. I have had no laptop for the past….month. Year etc. It's so bad. Finally, I got the time (I'm in my second year of University) and I got the chapter finished! It beats John Stuart Mill anyday.
For Glen, who is the real Lee Jordon.
Chapter four-The Mile High Club- The Flight.
"Thank you for flying British Airways, please take a seat!
"Thank you for flying British Airways, please take a seat!"
Hermione handed the flight attendant her passport and then backed away slightly to let Ron hand the flight attendant his own passport. He handed it to her upside down and then moved away as the attendant threw him a raised eyebrow. A row of people stood behind them, waiting to be let on the plane which was humming with excitement.
Hermione was starting to feel a bubble of her own excitement in her stomach as she steeped onto the plane. Anticipation burned in her as she thought of the trip ahead, the chance to get her parents back again...they were going to be very angry. Beaming around at her friends, she hoped the trip would work out the way that they imagined that it would.
She hoped Lee wouldn't keep to his notion of going to strip clubs.
They stood to let Harry, Ginny, Lee, Percy and finally a disgruntled George hand their own passports to the flight attendant (the attendant stared at Georges' ear), then walked down the aisle to find their seats, Hermione leading the way.
"Gosh, it's a bit cramped isn't it?" asked Ron as they winded their way threw the plane, passing passengers and large bags.
"It's not like that film I saw," commented Lee, looking around, "The plane was very small and they drove the plane themselves."
"Which movie was this,?" Hermione enquired, trying to avoid a fat man who was putting his bag in the over-head compartment.
"Top Gun," said Lee with a smile.
"Top Gun? Oh, I love that movie!" Hermione cried happily, "So, you where expecting to be 'flying threw the danger zone!'" she said happily, chuckling to herself, obviously under the impression she had made a funny comment.
Lee who was three persons behind her blinked and looked blankly at the back of her head.
Hermione glanced over her shoulder, clearly annoyed that nobody got her joke.
"You know?" Hermione said slowly to Lee, "The theme tune?"
"Eh?"
"Flying threw the danger zone? 'Take my breath away? No?"
"Hermione I think you're making up your own movie there" said Harry, chuckling to himself.
"It's the theme tune!" cried Hermione grumpily, stopping to peer around at the seat numbers, "It was defiantly Top Gun you watched wasn't it?"
"Two guys fly a plane and one dies?" asked Lee.
"Well, yes but there was homoerotic volleyball, macho talk, "You can be my wingman?"….and of course the music?" asked Hermione.
"Top Gun was Homoerotic?" demanded Lee incredulously.
"Of course it was." said Hermione in a manner that suggested that Lee had just declared Magic to exist.
"Er, Shouldn't we be looking for seat numbers?" Ginny interrupted and Hermione shook her head in exasperation and quickly moved on down the plane, still looking for their seats.
Lee had been watching Top Gun and Hermione knew it.
Eventually, somewhere near the back of the plane, they found their seats. A row of seven which where backed up against a light wall. Around them, people were talking aminatly to their neighbours and laughing with their partners and families. A group of kids nearby were having a fight with their game consoles.
"Here we are!" Hermione brandished happily.
Everyone, excluding Harry, simply stared at the seats. Hermione felt her heart sink.
"We just sit there?" asked Percy, looking confused and slightly disappointed.
"Why don't we drive it ourselves?" asked Ron.
"Who drives the plane?" asked Ginny.
"Can we sit down, I'm bloody knackered." grunted George.
"Wow, that woman's fit." commented Lee, staring over at an air-hostess.
"Lee!" Hermione cried, scandalised.
They settled down on in the seats, shoving some of their bags in the over-head compartments and sitting down, Ron, Ginny, George, Lee and Percy all looking very awkward and uncomfortable. Hermione sat at the end with Ron beside her, beside Giny who sat beside Harry who sat beside Lee who sat beside Percy then George at the end. They all twisted into their seats and tried to get comfortable, looking distinctly disgruntled. Hermione and Harry settled back in their seats without a problem, Hermione feeling a swooping sensation in her stomach that she associated with kissing Ron. She felt excited and nervous at the same time not having gone on a plane for years.
"They're very small seats Hermione. Can't I just enlarge them?" asked Percy who did not seem to like the arm rests and was finding it hard to adjust his body to them. He kept shifting his bottom so that it was pushed right down in the seats.
"We're with Muggles Percy" Ginny reminded him, struggling to get comfortable in her seat and pushing herself down into the seat while Harry laughed at her affectionately.
Hermione thought they were quite comfy seats, not much leg room, but enough to sustain the long journey. TV's where placed on the back of the seats and there was lights above them for reading.
"Did you all see the TV's?" Hermione asked them all.
"Eh?" asked Ron, who was beside Hermione and looked very confused about the whole situation, glancing around nervously.
Hermione pointed to the TV's on the back of the seats in front of them, small square screens which, at the moment, where blank.
"That's a TV?" asked Percy in delight and pressed his face up close to the screen, "How does it work?"
"What does it do?" asked Ginny, "What does it have to do with flying?" she asked as George pointed a hesitant finger at the screen
"It shows films and programs." Harry explained to them all, "Muggle ones. It's pretty ingenious."
"It's sort of like moving photographs," said Hermione, "Except with music and talking."
"Good Morning, Welcome to British Airways!"
The Weasleys and Lee all yelped again as a clear Scottish accent spoke over the intercom.
"Thank you flying British Airways," the voice continued, "We are just waiting to taxi out of the Airport. We ask you to relax until be begin our departure where we will be taking you through a short safety programme."
"Where is it coming from?" demanded Percy in excitement, "How do muggles manage to do a sonorus charm?"
"Percy," Hermione implored as an old Muggle threw Percy a frown.
"What does she mean when she means the plane taxi's?" asked Ron
They only had to wait for fifteen minutes before they found out, the plane beginning to move slowly away from the airport, the lights of Heathrow beginning to move away from their view.
"Thank you for waiting. If we could have your full attention please."
They all turned in their seas to see the Air Hostesses standing in the aisles, beaming around at them.
"They are not human. They could not be that happy this early in the morning." grunted George.
"While the plane gets ready to Taxi, we ask that you pay attention to a short safety procedure given by our air-staff."
The air-staff began to smile round at them all, the Weasleys and Lee watched fascinated.
"What do we have to be safe about?" asked Ginny in a whisper.
"In case of an emergency, emergency exits are located throughout the plane. They are located at the front and back of the plane on the left and the right and in the middle of the plane. Please take the time now to locate your emergency exit."
The air-hostesses gestured with their hands as the voice over lady directed them. They beamed all too brightly around at everyone, as they directed to the front and back of the planes, moving in an almost robotic manner.
"In case of emergency, please make your way to your nearest emergency exit. Lights will light up along the aisles to guide you to your exit."
"In case of landing on water-"
"What?" demanded Ron. Hermione silenced him with a sshing noise. Ron looked terrified.
"- under your seats, pulll out your life-jackets and place over your head. Pull the toggle and blow into it to insert air. In case of lack of Oxygen," The air hostesses pulled gas masks and began to place them over their faces. Percy looked delighted, "Oxygen Masks will fall from above your heads, please place over your heads and breathe as normal. Please help Children with their own gas masks, please asert your own oxygen mask before helping others."
They finished and the voice over-head kept talking.
"Thank you for your attention. We will shortly be taxing and departing for Melbourne, Australia. Could all flight staff please prepare for take off, prepare for take off please"
The air-staff began to move away again, hurrying to either end of the plane.
"What was that?" asked Percy, a worrying hint of 'Weasley-family-photo' in his voice, "I would love to see what exactly they where holding, didn't she say that they where under our seats?"
Percy, Lee and even Ron dived under their seats at once.
"No!" cried Hermione, wishing for the last time that they had flooed, "Don't touch them! It's for emergency's only!"
"Are you lot foreign?"
They all turned around in their seats, Percy in mid-grabbing position. The old man who had frowned at them earlier was staring at them all like they where mad.
"They've never flown before," Harry said to the man immediately as Hermione groaned quietly in despair at another Muggle's near chance and finding them out. Hermione silently thanked Harry for his quick thinking, her best friend was grinning benignly at the man in the seat across from them as if nothing was wrong.
"Yeah, looks like they've never flown before indeed." said the man, looking very annoyed at them for not knowing how to behave on a plane. Angrily throwing them a look, he disappeared behind his copy of the Daily Mail.
"Git," muttered Ron.
The voice sounded again and thankfully, this time nobody yelped.
"Thank you for waiting. We are just waiting for confirmation from the tower to give us permission to depart."
"There are hundreds of planes up in the air at the moment," Hermione explained to her friends, "They have to co-ordinate them so that no accidents happen and that they all fly in safely. It's called stacking. Heathrow's one of the busiest airports in the world and-."
There was a groaning noise which made Hermione stop in mid sentence and which made everybody freeze and look down at the floor. Then, there was a rushing noise, a rumbling which increased and then the plane started with a sudden jerk, going faster than it had originally gone before. They where thrown back in their seats as it lurched forwards, the plane gaining in speed, a slight G-Force keeping them back in their seats. The Weasleys and Lee looked surprised at what was going on, looking around for a sign of what the plane was doing. But it was so dark outside that it was hard to see anything. Bright lights rushed past their window, the blackness rushing past with speed.
"Wow, what's it doing?" asked Ron, gripping the arm rests on the seats and peering out of the small windows as they began to move even faster, "How is it doing it? Hermione?"
Hermione had her head in Ron's shoulder and her eye's closed. As the plane went faster, she placed her fingers into her ears and said, "I hate this bit." She felt her stomach rumble and do a little summersault.
The nose of the plane began to lift up, Lee gave a woop and then the plane began to lift off the ground, gaining in speed again. At once, everyone sort of winced and grabbed their ears.
"Ouch," said George, "My ears feel like they're being trodden on."
"What is that Hermione?" asked Percy, clutching his own ears.
"It's the pressure from us gaining altitude," Hermione replied wincing even further, "It puts pressure in your ears and they pop. Swallow, everyone. It'll help."
The others followed her advise and swallowd the saliva in their mouths. It was awful: Their ears popped with anger.
"Awh!" muttered Ginny.
The rest of the plane lifted up and very soon, they where up in the ground, a pain starting to begin in Harry's ear. Ginny winced as the plane lifted up, gaining further in height.
"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I'm John Thompson" came a broad Liverpool accent, "We're just beginning into our flight towards Melbourne, Australia. Reaching an altitude of 70,000 km, reaching Australia in approximately 12 hours"
George gave a low groan and leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed. Ron gratefully pulled off his seatbelt and stretched out his legs, Ginny sighed and leaned back in her chair while Lee exclaimed, 'Excellent' and immediately began hoking around in the seat to find interesting things to do.
"I'm going to keep you informed of our flight as it goes," continued the captain, "Sit back, relax and enjoy your flight."
"This is a brilliant machine!" Percy declared brightly, unfasning his seat-belt, "I must find out how it works!"
"We could actually take you up to the cockpit Percy," said Hermione thoughtfully, "You know, go up and see the pilot."
Percy looked pleased, "That would be wonderful!" he exclaimed.
"I'm sorry," George had sat up and looked at Hermione with a raised eyebrow, "It's called what?"
"The cock-pit." repeated Hermione after a pause.
George's mouthed curved for a fraction into a smile, Hermione seen his eyes glimmer with a fever that for a moment she thought she was looking at Fred…then it died as quickly as it came.
George, sat back in his seat and continued slightly bemused.
"Cock-pit!" cried Lee loudly, causing the old man to look even more scandalised, "What a bloody name! ha-ha" Ginny giggled too and covered her mouth to laugh some more.
"What's so funny?" asked Ron, looking confused.
To Hermione's shock, Ginny leaned over and whispered in her brothers' ears what exactly that meant. Ron's face went bright red and his eye's widened.
"No way, really?!!" he cried, a blush creeping up his neck and a guilty grin appearing on his face. George looked liked he was trying not to laugh.
Lee chuckled to himself and Ginny tee-heed to herself which seemed to disturb Harry more than anything. He raised a suggestive eyebrow at Ginny as if asking, "How did you know about…that"
Ginny winked at him and Harry went bright red. She giggled and settled back in her seat while Harry seemed to blink furiously and look embarrassed…but pleased.
Ginny loved teasing him.
"It's terribley rude," Percy commented, looking flustered, "Hermione, you should stop using that language in front of Ginny,"
"Percy!" Ginny cried in outrage, "I know what it means!"
"Don't be silly, Ginny" spluttered Percy, "Of course you-"
"It means Penis Percy!" Ginny exclaimed rather loudly, causing Hermione to burst into rather hysterical giggles and Lee to laugh so loudly the air-hostess frowned disapprovingly at them. Ron went bright red, Harry looked uncomfortable. Percy looked scandalised.
George banged his head off his seat.
"Somebody, kill me." he said loudly,.
London lay below, Australia lay ahead.
11 Hours to go.
The Televisions came on quite soon after the P-word incident and they all settled down, some to sleep others to watching the many varied and colourful TV channels provided by British Airways. Food had been served and they where all starting to feel rather tired and groggy.
Percy had enthusiastically discovered the radio's which where in the arm rests (after a hilarious attempt at introducing him to ear-phones) and was now happily listening to some Muggle Music. Harry and Ginny where watching, "The Lion King," and were giggling every so often. Ron was reading the Magazine from the front pocket of the seat.
Hermione had settled herself down to watch some TV programmes she had missed over the years at Hogwarts and most of all, to calm herself down. She felt stressed and unable to think straight due to exhaustion. The TV programme she was watching about a bunch of Americans who lived together, she couldn't concentrate on it other than to observe than one of the characters was dating an Italian man and another one, was annoyed. She didn't get it all.
She glanced at Ron who was reading threw the magazine, poking at the pictures and laughing at the funny articles about planes. She was so glad that her boyfriend was coming on this trip with her-she smiled without helping it. Her boyfriend. How funny was it that it still gave her the giggles.? If only the ones who had picked on her in school knew that she had a boyfriend…and a very good looking one at that.
"What's wrong?"
She snapped out of her musings to see Ron staring at her in a bemused fashion.
"Nothing," she said lightly, "Just glad that you're here with me."
Ron went slightly red, but smiled anyway.
"Awh," he teased, "I never knew you were this soppy."
Hermione raised her eyebrows, feeling slightly molified that Ron didn't think that she could be romantic…or was all this down to the fact that he didn't know that she was girl until 4th year?
"I have been." she said to him in a defensive tone, "I just wasn't dating you until 1 and a half months ago."
Ron looked away and stared out the window looking thoughtful.
"Wow. That's right you know. Only a month and a half?" he mumbled.
"Would have been longer if you'd plucked up the courage to tell her earlier that you liked her." came Harry's voice out of no-where. Hermione and Ron turned round in their seats to see Harry and Ginny with their headphones off staring at them with smiles on their faces.
"Oi," said Ron, slightly annoyed, "Thought you were movie watching?"
"The Lion dad died, Ginny got upset." Harry explained.
"It was horrible!" Ginny protested defensively, "Why would they do that?"
"It's ok," Hermione told her, "Simba comes back and avenges his dad. It's all very Hamlet"
"Anyway," Ron butted in, " Can I get back to what I was talking about? Stop entering our conversations Potter."
Harry grinned wickedly, "I kill Voldemort and you two create sexual tension." he quipped, " Just doing my job!"
He giggled to himself and he and Ginny pulled their ear-phones on again, looking at a different movie. Hermione wondering whether she was looking at the same boy, Harry was so….different these days. Calm, relaxed, if not a little nervous occasionally.
"Anyway," Ron said, looking slightly embarrassed at Harry's end comment.
Hermione rolled her eyes and settled her self on Ron's shoulder, smiling slightly. Ron grabbed her hand and set his own head top of hers.
"To think I couldn't even do things like this a month ago." muttered Ron.
"Hmm, you probably could have done," said Hermione teasingly, "I wouldn't have minded."
"Ron. Do.Not.Answer." George butted in warningly, "If I have to take any more of this romantic crap, I will go sit somewhere else,"
"Hey!" cried Ron, "Can't I have a private conversations at all?"
"No," said Harry, Ginny, Lee, Percy and George, all focused on their own activities.
"Typical." muttered Ron as Hermione laughed and together they snuggled down in their seat further. Ron began to stroke her hair and Hermione found herself relaxing and calming down, sighing happily.
"I am really glad that I can do this…" said Ron to her in a low voice that made her shiver, "That I have you."
She kissed him lightly on the mouth for a second and Ron went a perfect shade of red.
"Should talk like that all the time," he said shyly. Hermione smiled, basking in the glow that she seemed to be lying in whenever Ron was around. She has gotten used to the fact that she and Ron where now a couple, but that didn't mean that it didn't feel any less special. It felt nice lying there with Ron as he stroked her hair.
Hermione sighed happily and began to stroke Ron's hand lightly with her hand, it reminded her of so very long ago lying in Grimald place with Ron taking her hand in the middle of the night as they both lay in such worry after the horrible events of the wedding. The three of them had had a conversation for a while about what had gone on that day and eventually, Harry had gone quiet. Whether he had been asleep or not was another question but he had remained silent for a very long time, leaving Hermione and Ron to themselves for a while……….
At the wedding, the feelings the pair had for each-other, had been at the surface of everything they did. They where both past it at that stage, they both knew what one felt for the other, had done so since Ron had gone out with Lavender and they had both stopped talking to each-other for reasons neither of them was willing to admit. Since Dumbeldore's funeral things had changed. They both knew what the other felt, it was only a matter of making it into a relationship.
As Ron had danced with her in the centre of the dancing couples, with the soft music and the fireflies and the wine and the way the sun set, Hermione had cursed herself for deciding to leave the question of she and Ron until after Voldemort was dead. Since coming to the Burrow, everything between she and Ron was there. Always in conversations, in the house, in the way that Ron hugged her when she arrived. They both knew what the other felt and seemed to know without saying very much that they couldn't have what they wanted until after: whatever after was. Hermione felt it in the way that Ron comforted her and was more affectionate with her in everything he did. Ron must have felt it in the way that Hermione was more affectionate to him too and every time he looked at her he just seemed to be saying how much he wanted her….
It was so frustrating!
As they danced with each other, Ron had started with just placing his hands on the crook of her back As the night progressed, as they whispered to each other and giggled as they watched Fred and George chat up the French veela, they had gotten progressively closer to each-other, Ron moving his hands to her hips, bringing her closer to him every time a new song started. The look in his eyes had been intense as he did so, saying very clearly what exactly he wanted and Hermione had tried not to look at him too much because she knew that she would lose it and kiss him…
Pity the Death Eaters had messed that up for them.
While telling her how worried he was about his family in Grimmauld Place, Ron had taken her hand and held in tightly, only looking slightly nervous at his actions. Hermione had smiled and done nothing, gripping his hands tightly back. The look in Ron's eyes had returned rather quickly and Hermione only had to glance once at Harry to say to him: not now. Ron's eyes had looked disappointed but Hermione had only shook her head a fraction before he just fell back into staring at her softly. Hermione had fallen asleep under his gaze holding hands with him tightly. Ron had stroked her hand as he began to doze off, muttering comforting words to her, squeezing her hand as if to say: one day.
How strange to think that it had been over a year ago.
Hermione turned in her seat to see that Ron had his eyes closed and was still stroking her hair softly. He looked about ready to go to sleep, Hermione didn't blame him after a long day's travelling. The way that he was touching her was making her sleepy…..
"Stop staring at me," he said suddenly, and Hermione jumped, concentrating too much on Ron's actions on her hair to see that he had opened his eyes.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly, "I was daydreaming,"
Ron smiled at her a fraction, then stared at her intently very suddenly, as if he had only noticed her. The look in his eyes was the same one he had worn at the wedding, very raw, wanting.
"Ron," Hermione pleaded quietly.
His face fell slightly but he pulled her to him and held her tightly, kissing her lightly on the head. Hermione sighed softly, glad that she had some self-restraint. Things had been building up between them some-what lately….far too quickly. Hermione didn't know if sleeping in the same bed as Ron since the battle was the reason why. Sometimes, she would just wake up and Ron would be staring at her in the same way that he had just done. Hermione had to sometimes use all her courage to stop and say no before Ron could act on his own instincts. She had convinced herself that it was too early to be doing that. Because she didn't want to do that just yet….
Ron's hands began to trail down her arm and at the spot behind her neck and Hermione felt that she might need a bit more self-restraint on this trip. Here they where, on a road trip, by themselves…..
10 Hours to go
"Use the force Luke," said the man on the screen and George rolled his eyes and thought to himself that that was the most stupid thing he'd ever heard.
"The force is with you." the man continued, "Use it"
George sighed and pushed the buttons on the arm rest to change the channel again. He was getting the hang of it already.
That movie was really a pile of bollocks.
Some 'cartoons' as Hermione had called them, appeared on the screen. A small girl with pig-tails and dark-hair talking to someone in what sounded like Spanish.
"What the hell is Dora the explorer?," he muttered.
"What are you watching George?" asked Percy excitably, leaning over and shoving his face in front of the screen.
George groaned, wondering how on earth he had got stuck beside Percy. It was like sitting beside an excitable child.
"I don't know Percy," he told him in a patient voice, "Something not funny away."
"I'm watching something called 'Star Wars'!" Percy said proudly, "And d'you know what? It's rather like the story between Harry and Voldemort!"
"Excuse me?" George asked, wondering how on earth that stupid movie could compare to Harry.
"Percy, you're comparing me to Star Wars?" asked Harry, leaning around in his seat .
"Yes. The main hero has to defeat the 'dark lord' of Space! And Voldemort could have taken some tips, he should have built a death-star! Anyway, the boy finds out his destiny and has to kill 'Darth-Vador' with the help of his two sidekicks, Han Solo and Princess Lela who turns out to be his own sister!"
"My story in no way compares to Star Wars!" said Harry, laughing, "For one, Voldemort wasn't' my father!"
Percy looked confused.
"Darth Vador is Luke's father?" he demanded.
"Oops" said Harry, clapping a hand to his mouth.
George mentally backed out of the conversation and sighed heavily. He couldn't wait until this plane landed so they could find Hermione's parents and go home. Everyone around him seemed to happy and excitable, all enjoying their journey. George couldn't summon a happy thought to save his life.
The TV annoyed him, the plane annoyed him, his own brothers and sisters annoyed him….god why on earth was that Spanish girl on the screen dancing in flowers, was she on Dragon Claw?
He leaned his head against the seat and looked around him, catching a glimpse of a young women who was standing talking to her friend in a different isle, bending over and giggling with each-other.
What was funny was that they where staring at him.
He blinked and looked away quickly, wondering if he was imagining things. But no, he looked back and both girls where staring at him with wide eyes, grinning at him seductively and curiously.
George snapped his eyes away with a flourish and looked deter idly at the TV screen. He was usually quite smooth with the ladies, having attained many veela cousins at Bill's wedding.
He looked back at the girls again and grinned at them sheepishly.
One of the pointed at him and touched her ear, the other made an exclaimation and gasped.
George scowled and threw himself back into his seat.
Fred, had gotten the girls.
"Can I carry escort you to the dance floor? You do look beautiful you know."
The veela had grinned and George, had winked at her friend who was sitting beside her. She had grinned blushingly at George before he held out his hand for her to join him. Fred had already gotten half-way across the dance floor at this point.
Yep, George Weasley. The one-eared freak and a serious depression problem.
"George," said Ginny, "D'you fancy watching this film on Channel 15? It's about Merlin!"
Whoop-de-fucking-do.
8 Hours to go
Everybody had nearly fallen asleep when Lee realised that he'd been awake for hours now, drinking copious amounts of coffee. It made him hyper, and fidget quite a bit and made his mind think too quickly. He was annoyed that everyone had gone to sleep, leaving him to amuse himself. So far, he'd stuck Percy's hair up with some of the soap he had found in the seat in front and drawn on Harry's face with the pen someone had lent him and stolen Hermione's passport so that she would freak out when she went to look for it.
He wished they'd get up and start to get annoyed at him.
He glanced at George and sighed, wishing his best friend would join in and help Lee in his attempt to cause a bit of havoc. It would be like the old days, where was life without a bit of chaos?
Lee had tried 'everything' to get his best friend up and back on his feet again and it just wasn't workign. He didn't expect George to 'ever' go back to normal, but he wasn't even trying to move on, continuing to mourn by himself, not trying to talk to anyone and shutting himself away. Lee thought he was afraid to move on.
Lee poked George lightly, hoping he would wake up and laugh at Harry who had pen over his face. (In particular the scar area which was now sporting a black ring around it's edges, exaggerating it hugely0 George didn't do anything however, he lay asleep and still. Hesitantly, Lee began to poke again, putting his forefinger into George's side, somewhere he knew made George jump.
Nothing.
"Sssh, stop it!"
Lee whirled around in his seat at the sound of the very hysterical giggles that seemed to come from further up the plane. Squinting, he peered up to see two figures tip toeing down the plane towards the toilets. It appeared to be a young Austrailian women and young man. They where looking suspiciously around themselves, the women seemingly unable to stop laughing.
"Stop it love!" whispered the man who talked with a broad London accent, holding onto her waist and holding her back from bursting into giggles.
Lee watched as the women began to laugh again, turned around in her lovers arms and began to open the toilet door behind her. The man began kissing her neck while she giggled to herself. With one swift movement, she dragged him by the shirt and pulled him into the toilet.
Ewh, thought Lee. What type of sick freak went to the toilet with his own girlfriend?
Dude!
7 Hours to go
Ginny yawned widely as she felt herself wake up, Harry's head on her shoulders. Beside her, Ron was watching TV again with the same confused expression on his face. Hermione was reading a book while Percy was listening to the radio again. George still lay in his seat a very obviously bored expression on his face while Lee was energetically watching another TV programme which made him smirk every so often. The plane atmosphere felt much more awake and lively, people talking to each-other amenably..
Ginny felt groggy as she stretched her arms, her eyes feeling heavy and laden with sleep. She rubbed them furiously, a sudden urge to eat something.
"Mmm," she groaned, "How long have we got to go?" she asked Hermione.
Hermione looked up sleepily from her book and said sadly, "Seven hours"
Ginny groaned quietly and flopped back into her seat again.
"Problem?" Harry asked sleepily.
"Seven hours to go." Ginny told him miserably.
Harry didn't look too bothered but sighed.
"You sleep well?" he asked Ginny who smiled warmly at him.
"As well as you can in this Muggle tin can" Ginny joked. Harry smiled affectionately at her.
"Any chance of us getting any food?" he asked Hermione.
"I'll try and ask." Hermione told him, looking down the aisle for the air hostesses.
"Oh get the good looking one," Lee told Hermione, pulling off his headphones and looking eagerly at a blonde girl a couple of meters away who was talking with her college and staring at the toilet in the middle of the plane seriously.
"Lee," said Hermione exasperatly, "Don't you ever go for women because of who they are?"
Lee rolled his eyes at Hermione.
"Nope," he quipped, "All I want is a wife who can cook, clean, do the washing up and has an ass you can set your pint on"
Ginny and Harry burst out laughing. George who was still lying with his eyes closed opened them to roll his eyes. Hermione gaped in horror at what Lee has said, obviously unable to decide if he was joking or not.
"Excuse me! Excuse me can you please get out of there?"
The all stopped laughing to look around to see the air hostess banging on the doors of the toilet cubicle in the middle of the aisle.
"What are they doing?" Percy asked, taking off his earphones and watching the scene too. Ron took his off as well and peered curiously at the air hostesses.
"Excuse me, this is ridiculous! Please get out!" commanded one air hostess in a Welsh accent.
"Oh yeah," commented Lee, "That couple who went in there an hour ago haven't come out yet" he added thoughtfully.
"A couple went in there together?" Ginny asked, horrified by the thought, "Ewh"
"How long have they been in there?" Hermione asked Lee, looking wary for some reason.
"About an hour," Lee told Hermione, "They went in just as everyone was going off to sleep,"
Hermione's face fell slightly. Coughing slightly she glanced towards the toilet cubicle, looking half horrified and looking as if she was trying not to laugh.
"Get out please!" the air hostess called commandingly, other passengers now looking around to see what was going on.
"They must be close if they can go to the toilet together," George commented lightly, watching the scene with bored indifference.
Hermione giggled slightly, and then looked ashamed of herself. Harry began to chuckle too and he looked at Hermione and burst out laughing as the young couple marched out of the toilet looking dishevelled and red in the face. The airhostesses began to look at them sternly, pulling them away down the other end of the plane and looking disapproving.
"What?" Ron asked Harry, "What's so funny?"
"They're not going to the toilet Ron," Harry told him, through giggles.
"Harry-" Hermione began warningly.
"They look very tired," Percy commented, "And it doesn't take an hour to go to the toilet," he said smartly.
Harry burst into so much giggles that he shoved his hand in his mouth.
"What?" Ron demanded.
"It's called the Mile-High-Club," Hermione explained to them all, very red in the face, "Sort of like a airplane club but-"
"You can join an aeroplane club?" Percy exclaimed, "How do you join?"
Harry let a snort of laughter, Hermione frowned at him though her mouth was twitching with laughter.
"You..well…" Hermione stuttered.
"Do you have to have membership or something?" George demanded.
That did it for Harry, who burst into so much laughter that the Daily Mail man turned in his seat and glared at him. Ginny stared at her boyfriend who began to shake with laughter, tears running down his face.
"You don't pay membership. It's an actual club, it's more like at term for people who-" Hermione paused watching the young couple walk back to their seat looking very red in the face.
"People who have sex in aeroplane toilets" Hermione finished.
There was silence.
"I'm sorry. What?" Percy demanded.
"It's the term for people who have sex in aeroplane toilets" Hermione finished, looking very embarrassed.
Ginny burst into giggle, thinking that it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. George's eyebrows flew into his hair and he gaped at Hermione. Ron went bright red.
"You mean to tell me," began Lee, "That those two," he pointed to the young couple, "Where having sex in that toilet?"
Hermione heaved a deep sigh and said in a steadying voice.
"Yes,"
Ron burst into laugher, Harry began to giggle silently. George looked gob smacked and leaned back in his chair looking bemused. Percy mouthed wordlessly and went back to his radio, blushing profusely.
"Wow," said Lee, "They went for a full hour. That's some going!"
Ginny hit Lee for being so rude, Percy glared at him and Hermione leaned back in her chair, smiling slightly.
"Excuse me," Lee asked the next air-hostess, "Care to join the Mile-High-Club with me?"
Lee got a well deserved slap.
2 Hours to go
Harry and Ron went for a walk along the plane, finding sitting in the chairs for to long was making their legs hurt. Harry needed the toilet however he wasn't so sure that he wanted to go in one after the couple had been thrown out.
"Can't wait to get to this bloody place now," said Ron, stretching his arms and shaking his legs, "This thing's kinda claustrophobic."
"Tell me about it," said Harry, "Been in the toilets?"
"Well, no," said Ron uncomfortably, "I didn't want to go after that couple..."
"Too right," said Harry and then paused thougthfully, "Hard to believe we'r actually going to Australia isn't it?" he asked.
Ron looked at him curiously, "What d'you mean?" he asked.
Harry shifted his shoulders awkwardly and ran his fingers through his hair subconciously. He didn't really know what he meant to be honest. He felt slightly overwhelmed with the plane journey and the shift in his life since the end of fight with Voldemort. One day he was jumping off dragons into lakes, the next he was drinking chocolate fudge cake on a British Airways flight. He wondered how on earth he could put this into words to Ron who was now staring at him curiously.
"Just..I dunno," he said to Ron , "This time last year I was flying across England with Voldemort on my tail." he paused, "Now, I'm on a plane to Australia." Harry looked at Ron sheepishly, "I have coloured shorts in my suitcase and a floppy hat," he told him.
Ron chuckled knowingly and Harry knew that he understood him.
"I've got flipflops," Ron told Harry conversationally,"Blue ones. They're the weirdest pieces of shoes I've ever seen,"
Harry laughed now and shook his head exasperatly.
"We're a right bunch of losers aren't we?" he asked.
"A bit." teased Ron with a snigger,"Terrified?"
"I am, " said Harry suddenly, and, when Ron threw him a questionable look,"I dunno. I just, how do you manage to get on with things when you're not being whisked away by the Order of the Phoenix late at night and being unable to visit Hogsmede cus you might get killed by some Death Eaters. And your headmaster wants you to come to some cave with him to kill a bit of your enemies soul..."
Ron looked thoughtful as he stared at Harry when he was finished talking.
"I guess," he said to Harry,"That we just act normal. You know," Ron adopted a teasing voice,"How I was before I met you."
"Ha," said Harry sarcastically though he couldn't help but grin,"And may I add Ha."
"You know what I mean," said Ron exasperatly,"We go find Hermione's parents.We drink beer, we eat ice cream we relax. We don't have to steal stuff out of the supermarket under the cloak while Hermione slips some money in the till..."
"We should do that for old times sake," Harry said.
"We should," said Ron brightly,"And you can pitch a tent, we'll huddle around the fire and make Hermione cook mushrooms."
Harry had to laugh at it all and wondered was it such a bad thing that he found quite possibly the worst and best year of his life so funny.
"Come on," said Ron with a mock sigh, pushing Harry down the aisles and slinging an arm round his shoulders,"Let's go sit down. Eat some cake and watch Power Rangers"
"Power Rangers?"
"It's this show I found on the kids channel."
"Ah. Careful where you put your arm or everyone'll think we were in the toilet."
Ron dropped his arm imediatly as Harry sniggered.
15 MINUTES TO GO
"Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking, We are now approaching Melbourne Australia and are preparing to begin our decent. We ask that you put all seats in the upright position and return all tables to their normal positions,"
They all beamed at each-other except George.
"This had better be good," he told them furiously.
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So, read and review please! I know it looks like there's no plot at the moment but there is, trust me. Just sort of squint a bit and you'll find it. It's going to be a lot of fun to write!