Chapter VII
Hermione appeared in front of Celeste. The air was like a soft caress on her skin after Wiltshire's winter chill and Hermione breathed deeply. It was a very long time ago since she had the chance to go on a vacation. Celeste was more of a luxury ship than a yacht. The gleaming white ship rode proudly at anchor, her woodwork polished until it shone like satin.
It appeared deserted but a man appeared in white uniform and he greeted her with a smile. "Hello there, little lady. I'm Paul Krasnik. We sail in an hour, and who you might be?"
"I'm Hermione Granger," she responded with a small smile.
"Welcome aboard, Ms. Granger!"
Another man appeared in uniform, but a different kind. He took Hermione's luggage. "Will you put it down for a minute? I'm afraid, I'm not going anywhere. I just came down to make a report to Mr. Malfoy."
The man frowned. "I don't understand. But if you would like, I can take you to his cabin if you like. I don't do anything unless he gave me orders."
Hermione's heart was beating fast as she followed the straight figure below deck and down a plush carpeted corridor. What else could go wrong? First John's defection and then her plan not working. When a deep male voice answered the captain's knock, her heart threatened to stop beating entirely.
Draco opened the door dressed only in a brief pair of black swimming trunks, an emerald green towel slung around his neck. His lean torso was slightly tanned and powerful muscles rippled over his shoulders as he extended a welcoming hand. (Drool much? Lol)
"Hermione, it's good to see you. Come in." A slight tug pulled her into the room when she stood reluctantly on the threshold. She looked around with interest in spite of herself. The cabin was much bigger than she would have expected, although her knowledge of yachts was non-existent. For one, it had a large bend instead of bunks and there was room for two comfortable chairs and several tables. Thick cocoa-colored carpeting covered the floor, and through an open door a luxurious bathroom could be seen. There were even windows instead of little port holes. Only the best for a Malfoy! She thought.
Draco watched her face with amusement. "You expected it here to have bunk beds, huh?"
"I didn't even expect to be here."
He inspected her critically. "It's what you need. A few days in the sun will do wonders for you. You're as pale as a little Dresden doll."
"A few days!" Hermione was aghast. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I just came down to give you figures and progress of the report. Oh—I forgot to tell you about John." After she had explained and Draco expressed polite regret, she said, "Maybe you could take a quick look at the figures now in case there is anything you want to tell me before I go back to Wiltshire."
"We can discuss it on the way to the Virgin Islands instead."
"But I've just told you! I will come back to the office."
He was standing so close that Hermione could see the tiny droplets of moisture from his shower on his bare chest. The scent of his aftershave filled her nostrils. Everything about him was dominatingly masculine. "The only think you have to do is what I tell you. How many times do I have to remind you that you're working for me?" he demanded arrogantly.
She faced him defiantly, obscurely angry because her body was starting to feel deliciously languorous. "That's what I'm trying to do. But how can I when I'm goofing off somewhere in the islands?"
His frown faded and he studied her face intently. "You're a strange woman, Hermione. Most people would jump at the chance of a vacation. Don't you know how to enjoy yourself—or is it something else?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"I think you do." When she took an involuntary step backward, his hands circled her wrists, drawing her slowly closer, and then sliding sensuously up her arms. "Are you afraid you inhibitions will melt in the warm sun and you might be tempted to do what you really want to do with me?"
"That is too absurd to require an answer," she told him, trying to control the tremor in her voice. "I'm no more afraid to be alone with you here than I am in Wiltshire." If only that man didn't take her suitcase. She could have easily escaped this man.
White teeth gleamed as he threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, so that's it. You thought the big bad wolf had schemed to get you alone on the seas. Well, calm your feathers, little bird, Pansy and Theodore are aboard. Along with Blaise and a nubile lady named Adelaide."
Hermione's relief was mirrored in her expressive eyes and Draco chuckled again. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he led her to the door. "Your cabin is right next to mine. After you get settled, put on your bathing suit and come upstairs." He ran a finger lightly down her tilted nose.
Hermione's cabin wasn't as large as Draco's but it was almost as luxurious, and fitted with every comfort even a pampered guest could wish for. The bed had pale peach velvet spread and there was a small dressing table that was separated from the beautiful bathroom. She opened her suitcase and stared at her wand. Should she leave now? But if she did, what Draco had said, will be considered a fact. Setting aside her wand, she began to put away her few things.
The motors started to throb and the dock began to recede. Hermione watched for a while with undeniable excitement. What was she worried about after all? Draco was right. She ought to learn to enjoy herself. The strip of water had widened considerably before she could tear herself away from the enchanting view. With a last look over her shoulder, she slipped hurriedly into a red bikini and donned a short matching cover-up.
Draco and Blaise were playing chess at the table, while Theodore was entertaining Pansy and another. A dark-haired woman who was wearing the skimpiest string bikini Hermione had ever seen. She was working for an advertising agency, and that was saying a lot as she had already gone through portfolios of different models all over Europe, muggle and wizard. A steward in a white jacket was dispensing screw drivers and everyone looked tanned and relaxed.
Pansy saw her first and jumped up with a surprisingly warm greeting and was soon echoed by the men. She was introduced to the dark-haired girl who was pleasant enough but Hermione soon discovered she wasn't much interest in women. Her attentions were divided equally among the men and it wasn't quite clear whether she was with Blaise or Draco.
"Have a drink, Hermione," Theodore said, pressing a glass in her hand. "Take off your dress and stay awhile."
"I'm almost ashamed to. You're all so nice and tanned." But she started to unbutton her cover-up consciously.
"Don't worry," Draco said, taking the garment and tossing it over a chair, "After a few days in the sun, you'll be able to model for a suntan lotion ad."
At the word "model", she looked up apprehensively. Was that a subtle reminder of the hostilities between them? The opening gun in a new round? But Draco was smiling, his eyes roaming appreciatively over her slender figure. Hermione felt warmth that had nothing to do with the sun, but at the same time, she felt shy with this man who knew her body so intimately.
"When is lunch? Draco, I'm starved," Pansy called.
It was fifteen minutes later when the man who took her luggage appeared and started setting up a folding table. Linen was spread and then a sumptuous feast appeared, and everyone helped themselves buffet style. The food was varied and delicious. There was cold seafood and salads of every description. A silver chafing dish kept a spicy Creole hot and there were rolls, muffins and crusty Cuban bread. Hermione discovered that she was famished, having been up since six o'clock that morning with only two cups of coffee to sustain her.
Draco watched with satisfaction as she wolfed down her lunch. "That's the first time I've ever seen you eat a lot more than sandwiches. Maybe I'll put a few ounces on you yet."
"I'll take her the way she is," Theodore said, but the compliment was spoiled by the leering quality in his voice.
"No one asked your opinion. You'll keep your hands off her if you know what's good for you." Draco was smiling as though it was just a casual banter, but his eyes were gray chips of ice.
Theodore was quick to sense Draco's displeasure and changed his tone. "Would I strain the bonds of the long time friendship?" he asked reproachfully.
"Not while you played with him yet, which Draco has gotten tired of," Blaise drawled.
"Well, if it isn't the stalwart protector of the Malfoy fortune to the rescue," Theodore sneered. "You sure make it hard for a guy to male a living."
"Have you ever tried working besides flying on brooms?" Blaise asked grimly.
"Why should I when I have so many good…friends," his mocking glance flicked toward Pansy, "to subsidize me."
A muscle started to twitch dangerously in Blaise's cheek and Hermione moved restlessly. Nothing had changed. She wondered how they could bear to go on with this charade.
Sensing her discomfort, Draco put his hands under her elbows and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, I'll show you the rest of the ship."
She followed him gratefully, but her mind was still on the ugly scene they had just escaped. "Does she…does Pansy…support Theodore?"
Draco took her hand and tucked it firmly under his arm. "My mother taught me long ago that you never ask a question to which you don't really want to know the answer."
He was smirking but there was a grim set to his mouth that told her the despicable truth. Her first impression of Theodore didn't begin to cover it! But how could Draco stand to have him around? The answer to that was obvious—because of his genuine affection for Pansy.
Draco looked at her troubled face and said dryly, "Don't worry about it. Pansy will land on her feet. Just remember, we all do what we want to do in this life." A mocking eyebrow lifted and he added, "Or maybe I should say most of us do."
She tried to draw away but Draco tightened his grip. Unable to meet his eyes, she looked out over the ocean and was rewarded with an enchanting sight. A school of flying fish like miniature airplanes broke the surface of the water and soared through the air before diving into the sea once more.
Hermione gripped Draco's forearm with her free hand and then pointed, "Look! Aren't they adorable?"
They leaned on the teakwood railing and looked out over the glittering expanse of water. Its dark blue smiling surface stretched all the way to the horizon where it blended with the lighter blue of the sky. The sun reflecting off the water was dazzling and as they watched, another school of the silvery little fish broke the dappled surface in a kind of choreographed formation, trailing a shower of diamond droplets in their wake like tiny shooting stars.
Unknown to Hermione, Draco was watching her with admiration in his eyes as she looked eagerly at the school of fish swimming by. He could not stop himself as he turned her to face him and his hands were warm on her bare shoulders. He pulled her gently toward him and she could smell the salty tang of his skin. He smelled of sea and sunshine, and a subtle male aroma. His body was like a sculpted torso of some magnificent Greek god.
A quiver of remembrance turned her weak. It would be so easy to give in to the wild yearning to be in his arms. She hesitated for a moment, and then a sudden change in the rhythm of the engines brought her to her sense. "You…uh—you said you were going to show me around the ship."
"So, I did." Tiny pinpoints of light danced in his eyes. "Would you like to start with my cabin?" he invited huskily.
"I have already seen that," she reminded him, mobbing to a safe distance where she could breathe normally once more.
"I hope next time, you'll stay longer—much longer," Draco teased, but he followed her along the deck to the prow of the ship.
They were cutting through the water at a fast clip. The ocean parted before this alien intruder, impotently churning up boiling streaks of pure white foam that dissipated into long ripples astern as they went their imperious way. The wind was whipping Hermione's long hair around her face and Draco brushed it away with a gentle hand.
"Too windy for you here?" he asked.
"No, I love it," Hermione said but shivered slightly in the bikini. She could still feel the sun but no its warmth.
He put an arm around her, guiding her toward the double doors that led to the saloon, a large windowed room fitted with couches and comfortable chairs. "We'll do the inside tour now."
Hermione looked around with admiration. If it weren't for the sight of water all around, this could have been the plush living room of a luxury home. There were even paintings on the paneled walls and a small spinet piano in one corner with a bowl of fresh flowers on its narrow top. It was obviously charmed to never die out.
From there, Draco led her to the dining saloon and the feeling of being in a spacious house was repeated. The heave, carved table and long teakwood buffet were bolted to the floor, the only concession given to ship-board living, but the fact wasn't evident. The tall backed chairs were upholstered in maroon and silver satin and a large crystal chandelier swayed every so slightly with the motion of the yacht.
Draco took her hand and led her to the companion-way. Hermione held back slightly, knowing the lower deck was given over to the sleeping cabins. "Where—where are we going now?"
"You're going to take a nap," he said
"Oh no, I'm not really tired."
"If I know you, which I do—you've been up very early this morning and I want you to rest," he told her firmly.
"But I don't want to miss anything!" she protested. "And besides, I'm used to waking up early and sleeping late."
He ignored that and opened the door of her cabin and pushed her gently inside, closing the door after them. Taking her face in his palms, he kissed her lightly on the lips. "I won't let you miss a thing."
She started to tremble but he walked over to the closet and took out a thin silk robe. With it over his arm, he pulled back the peach velvet spread. "W-what the hell do you think you are doing?" she quavered.
Draco's hand went to the tie of her bikini top where it peeped out from under her tumbled hair. "You'll be much more comfortable in this robe."
"Stop!" He grinned at her shocked face while she mustered what dignity she could. "I know how to undress myself!"
His grin broadened. "I know, but it would be much more fun fore us if I did it."
"Will you please leave?" she glared.
"Not until I see you get into bed, miss independent." His folded arms and air of waiting patience told her he meant it and Hermione sighed and reached for the robe. "Should I turn around?" he asked.
"No." When he raised his eyebrows, she said, "I'll go change in the bathroom!"
He was still waiting when she came out and she pulled her belt tighter. "There, are you satisfied?" she asked mutinously, nervously aware of his admiring eyes following the flowing line of her curves through the thin fabric.
For an answer, he drew back the stop sheet and looked at her pointedly. She had no choice but to get into bed and he started to cover her, she snatched the sheet out of his hand and pulled it up to her chin.
The room was quiveringly silent for a moment and then Draco smoothed for her hair caressingly. Then his hand drifted to her cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb. He kissed her lightly on the mouth and said, "Go to sleep, Hermione." Then he left the room and closed the door with a soft click.
How much more of this could she take before giving in to her own fierce desire? He was a devil who knew her every weakness and she was no match for him. Gradually, the sleep she had thought would never come enveloped her and Hermione slept like an innocent child, although her dreams were haunted by a certain blond-haired ex-Slytherin.
A/N: I had help with the descriptions, so I don't think I deserve much credit. Well actually, I researched some stuff on and then I described them. Honestly, I thought I exaggerated the bit. Was it too much, the yacht I mean?
