Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. They all belong to JK Rowling. I merely thank her for writing such a compelling series that it sparks my imagination. No copyright infringement is intended. I make no money from this, I just use it to live out my fantasies.
Draco had been planning the rest of Hermione's birthday surprise for two weeks. He had given her no hints except he told her to pack a bag for the weekend and meet him outside her flat early Saturday morning. She had no clue what he was planning or what to even take with her. She threw all kinds of stuff in a bag and enchanted it so it would hold everything discreetly in a small bag. She was an expert at that spell after her time on the run with Harry and Ron. She even threw in a fancy dress and some heels just in case he was taking her to France or something. She had no idea what to expect. But she walked outside at eight in the morning and stood in front of her building waiting for him to appear. She didn't know why he didn't just come upstairs and get her. It made no sense. But then all of a sudden she saw a green Volkswagen Bug swerving through traffic and horns started blaring and people were yelling at the driver and saying rude things. The bug came to a screeching halt in front of Hermione and Draco opened up the door and stepped out. He was smiling huge.
"Surprise!" he said looking proud of himself.
"What the hell is this? You bought a car? Do you even know how to drive?" she asked him with astonishment.
"No, this is my first time driving it. I suck. I almost killed a few people on my way over here, but I managed to not crash the stupid thing. Do you like it?"
"It's cute. It's old. And small. And not exactly the car I'd expect you to want. As if you'd want a car at all. Do you have a drivers license?"
"No. I'm afraid not. But the guy who sold this to me showed me how it works. It's not so hard. You saw me driving it," he told her.
"Yeah, I saw you almost plow over a pedestrian and everyone was honking at you. Are we really getting into this thing and driving someplace?" she asked feeling unsure.
"Yes we are. It's a road trip. This is what Muggles do. We're going to see Stonehenge. Have you ever been?"
"No, I've never been there. Stonehenge? Why there?"
"I dunno. It's mystical. Plus it's a nice little drive in the country. I booked us a room in a bed and breakfast place. Muggles let you sleep in their homes if you pay them money. It's so weird that I couldn't resist. I saw a thing on the telly about how it's supposed to be romantic or some such shit. Do you not like the idea?" he asked, suddenly feeling self conscious about his plans.
"No, I love it. It's just weird. Driving a car and staying with Muggles? Are you sure you're really Draco Malfoy and not Arthur Weasley? He was always fascinated with Muggle things and cars."
"I'm pretty fucking sure I'm not a Weasley. Now get in the stupid car and let's go. I brought the camera so we'll remember this forever, even if I happen to crash us into a ditch or something."
"Oh alright. I'll get in. But please do not kill us or anyone else," she implored him.
"I'll do my best. Now hop in."
She opened up the door and threw her bag into the back seat and then she climbed in the passenger side. He tried to start it back up and ended up making the engine screech because the car was already still on.
"Oops. I guess I wasn't supposed to do that. Now where is first gear again?" he muttered to himself, utterly clueless.
Hermione thought this was the cutest she'd ever seen him. He was like a completely different person. And he was so excited by this car he was beside himself. And he was actually pleased to take Hermione on a Muggle road trip. It was so bizarre. But she kind of loved it. He finally got the car into gear and they squealed out into the street almost taking out another driver. But Draco felt confident he could do this. He was a horrible driver though and he kept stalling the thing every time they stopped at an intersection. People hated them. But eventually they got onto the open road and it was much more smooth sailing. Then he pulled the car over onto the side of the road and looked at Hermione.
"It's your turn. You drive us the rest of the way," he told her.
"What? I don't know how to drive. I never learned. Plus I don't have a license either," she protested.
"So what? No one's gonna know. Plus didn't you have one of these things growing up?"
"Yeah, sure. We had two cars. But I never drove them. I was a kid."
"Just give it a go. It's fun. And relatively easy. Just remember to push in that clutch thing on the floor before you try to change gears. Otherwise it makes that horrible noise and doesn't work right."
"I don't want to drive."
"Please? I really wanna see you drive it. There's hardly anyone on this road. It'll be a challenge for you and I know you like challenges."
"Fine. Challenge accepted. But if I get pulled over by the police and taken to jail for not having a license you better bail me out," she said giving him a stern look.
"I promise. I won't let you rot in prison. Do they really take Muggles to prison for driving with no license?"
"I have no idea. But I don't want to find out."
She got out of the car and they swapped spots and she settled herself behind the wheel. The car was already running so she didn't make the mistake of trying to turn the key over again like Draco did. But she had no idea what to do next. He showed her first gear and told her how to ease off the clutch and step on the gas at the same time and they just went skidding off onto the highway at full speed.
"Oh shit! I don't know what the fuck I'm doing! We're gonna die!" she exclaimed.
"Just put it in second gear! Keep doing that until you're in fourth. Then just cruise. We're not gonna die," he reassured her.
She did her best but she ground every single gear and almost stalled the thing right in the middle of the highway. But she recovered. They had the windows down and the wind was whipping through their hair and Hermione had the biggest smile on her face.
"I'm driving! I'm driving a bloody car! It's fantastic," she said excitedly.
"I told you it was fun. Here, let me take your picture."
"My picture? No, you'll distract me. I'll crash."
"No you won't. Just look over at me and smile."
She did as he asked and then he scooted over and leaned against her to get himself in the picture too.
"Stop! You're shoving my arm and the steering wheel is making us swerve."
"Just keep it straight. I want this moment captured forever," he said snapping a picture of the two of them smiling with the wind blowing through their hair. "Now that picture is gonna go on my fridge for sure."
"You're silly. But you're right that this is fun."
"It's a bloody party is what it is. I mean if other witches and wizards knew how much fun driving was, they'd all have automobiles. Sure apparating is great and convenient but it lacks poetry or adventure. Now this is an adventure," he told her enthusiastically.
"I suddenly feel like Ron must have felt when he was twelve and flew his father's car to school," she told him.
Draco laughed. "I hate your ex, love, but that was a funny story. I mean what twelve year old steals a car and flies it to school? I had to give him credit for that one. I wish my father had a flying car."
"You do know that Stonehenge is in Wiltshire where your parents live. We'll be awfully close to them," she pointed out.
"I'm well aware. I've been to Stonehenge before. But Wiltshire is big enough that they won't notice me lurking about unless my folks plan to be at Stonehenge or in some Muggle bed and breakfast, which I doubt. Maybe I should owl them and send them that picture of us driving this Muggle car? I should tell my father, 'hey, me and Hermione Granger are driving a Muggle automobile so we can elope at Stonehenge'."
"Elope? As if. They don't marry people at Stonehenge do they?"
"I have no idea. But can you imagine my fathers face if he saw a picture of us in this car and I told him we were eloping? He'd fucking flip his lid. God, I'd pay to see that," Draco uttered to himself.
"Is that why you do all these crazy things? Just to piss off your father? You always say, 'if only my father could see this, he'd freak out'. Where as you used to always say, 'wait until my father hears about this!' all threatening like."
"I don't do things to piss off my father. In order to do that, he'd have to actually know what I was up to. I just do them because I can. Because I'm a free man now. I'm an adult. And to be honest, all this Muggle shit is awesome. Magic is cool, granted. I won't be handing in my wand anytime soon. But look at this around us. We're in a car in the middle of nowhere just cruising along without a care in the world. What's not to love about this? My father can suck it. He had it all wrong about Muggles and Muggleborns. I mean maybe he's content to sit in his fucking Manor and sip brandy and twirl his cane around while staring at the wall, but I want more from life than that."
"What do you want from life, Draco?" she asked glancing over at him.
"I don't know. I want to be happy, I know that much. I don't think my father was ever actually happy. He never smiled.."
"I want to be happy too. I'm just not sure anymore what it is that will make me happy. I used to think I had it all figured out. If I had this brilliant career where I could really shine, I'd feel fulfilled and satisfied with myself. But now it doesn't seem like enough."
"Do you not like your job anymore?" he wondered.
"No, I do. It's just not what I base my life on anymore. It's not who I am, it's just a job. And I find myself caring exceeding less about success than I ever used to feel. My crowning moments were acing all my school exams and doing my homework ahead of schedule. How boring was I? I mean, who gets a thrill from that?" she asked shaking her head.
"A nerd does," he smirked at her.
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut up. I wasn't a nerd. Okay, well maybe just a little. But I thought it was really important at the time! I just had no idea that books and homework didn't really matter as much as my real life experiences did. That's why I never went back and finished school. I felt like I'd already learned everything I could possibly learn after being on the run for so long and fighting for my life."
"Yeah, I kind of felt the same. I mean, I didn't feel like school mattered anymore after the war. I already knew it all just from living it. Why did I need to learn how to turn a rat into a teacup for? Like that's ever gonna be useful in my real life," he told her.
"I agree. Although I do regret not knowing more useful potions. That's something I should brush up on in my spare time. You never know when those might come in handy."
"I'm good at potions. I could teach you some stuff. If you wanted me to."
"I'd love that," she smiled over at him. "Anything you want me to teach you?"
"Teach me? I think I know it all by now."
"Do you know how to do a patronus?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A patronus? Hmm, well, you got me there. I can't do that. I tried but it didn't work."
"What happy memory were you focused on?"
"Happy memory? Uh, I don't remember. I didn't have a lot to choose from, honestly. I wasn't ever particularly happy before," he admitted.
"I bet you might be able to do one now."
"You think so?"
"Don't you have some happy memories now?"
"I do. Lots of them actually. And they all involve you," he said leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"We'll have to try it sometime. I'm really curious what form yours will take."
"I hope it's something cool and not stupid like a poodle or something. That would be embarrassing."
"A poodle? Why on earth would it be a poodle? Did you have one as a child?"
"No. We never had any pets. Except my father's peacocks. Do you think mine will be a peacock?"
She shrugged. "I have no idea. Mine's an otter. And I didn't really understand why except that as a child we went to visit a sea aquarium place and they had otters and sea lions and I was fascinated by them. I thought they were cute. But that wasn't the memory I was thinking of when I conjured it."
"What memory did you think of?"
"It's embarrassing and stupid," she said trying to brush it off.
"No, tell me. What's your happiest memory?"
"Being accepted to Hogwarts. When I got my letter it was like everything in my life suddenly made sense. All the weird things I could do and didn't understand were all explained. It was the first time since I was six that I didn't feel like I was crazy. I literally thought something was wrong with me and I'd live out my days in an asylum or something. It was such a huge relief to have it all explained."
"That's not embarrassing or stupid. I understand it. Being a Muggle I guess you would feel insane if you accidentally did magic and had no idea what it was. I was lucky because as soon as I could do things, my parents had already told me what to expect. They were just excited when I finally showed signs of being magical. I think they were terrified of having a squib or something."
"I guess that would have been devastating to them. Especially since you're a pureblood. It would be almost unheard of I'd think to produce a squib," she said thoughtfully.
"I don't know. I just remember my father patting me on the back and telling me 'well done Draco' and then I got to eat biscuits for dinner because that's what I asked for."
"They spoiled you rotten," Hermione laughed.
"That they did."
"I never got to eat biscuits for dinner, I can tell you that. My parents were dentists, so they always made me eat apples and such and no sweets. It was annoying actually."
"No sweets? That's like a living hell. You never had sweets?" he asked with surprise.
"Sometimes I did. Occasionally. Like I would get ice cream or maybe a piece of candy if I was really good. But I always had to brush afterwards and floss."
"Your parents sound like a drag to me. Brush and floss? When I was a kid if a tooth hurt me, my father just took me to a healer and they waved a wand and I was all better."
"Yeah, well I was a Muggle. It doesn't work like that for us. Have you never seen the silver in my mouth before? I have fillings. Metal fillings. They drilled into my teeth and placed them," she told him making a face.
"Drilled your teeth? That's ghastly! Who drills teeth?"
"My parents did. That was their job. I even had teeth pulled."
"Pulled? Were they rotten?"
"No silly, they were just too big for my mouth. I have horse teeth."
"Shut up, you do not. You're teeth are fine. Who told you had horse teeth?"
"Everyone. I was always made fun of for them. It's not my fault they were bigger than my mouth. Don't you remember cursing me and making my teeth grow like a fucking beaver? You were horrid to me," she recalled.
"Oh. Shit. I did do that. I forgot. But I never thought your teeth were bad before. I was just messing around," he explained sheepishly.
"Yeah it was real funny, Draco. You traumatized me. But I had Madam Pomfrey shrink my teeth back down to a normal size. I figured I might as well use magic in my favor. Beats having orthodontia."
"Orthodontia? What the hell is that?"
"It's when they put metal braces on your teeth to make them straighter and better looking. Luckily I didn't need that because the spell fixed my teeth."
"So then really, you have me to thank for that," he said with a small grin.
"Oh fuck you. You sucked. I still can't believe you did that to me. You horrid little freak," she said giving him a glare.
"I'm sorry, love. What can I say? I was a fucked up asshole. I'm sure it was funny at the time though."
"Yeah, maybe for you."
"Forgive me?" he asked giving her his best pouty face.
"Oh stop that look. Don't try and look pathetic and adorable at the same time. I have every reason to hate you," she said haughtily.
"Yes, you do. But you don't hate me. You love me," he said as he leaned over and laid his head on her shoulder.
"Oh get off me. I'm angry now. I'd forgotten that stupid teeth spell you did. And now I'm mad."
"Oh come on. I was a kid when I did that. As if I'd do it again."
She glanced over at him and gave him a hard look. "You're lucky I'm forgiving. I have no idea why I'd forgive you for that. Or anything. But you're just so fucking cute. I want to eat you," she said with a devious smile.
"Hmm, I like the sound of that. Shall we pull the car over and have some fun?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No. Dream on, Malofy. We're driving. I'm not stopping until we get to our destination," she said giving him a hard look.
"Oh fine. Whatever. Hold my boyish past against me. It's not like I didn't get as good as I gave. I remember being turned into a fucking ferret by Professor Moody in front of the whole school. That was fucked up. And I recall you laughing your ass off."
"Of course I laughed. It was brilliant. You should have seen your face. My god, if looks could kill. You completely deserved that. My only regret is that he changed you back and I didn't get to keep you as my personal pet," she said with a smirk.
"Very funny. Keep me as a pet? I would have bitten you. Badly. And without remorse," he said frowning at her.
"I'm sure you would have. But still. Draco the ferret as my pet? I'd cherish such a memory."
"You're evil. You think I'm fucking bad, but you're diabolical," he told her with a laugh.
"Yeah, and you love me. Funny the things life throws at us, huh?"
"Yeah, it's real fucking funny. I can't believe we're actually here together. I mean, what the fuck? Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy? In love? Like two complete idiots? It's madness," he scoffed.
"It is madness. We're all wrong for each other, you know. But somehow, I just can't seem to care."
"Me neither. I rather fancy you and all your self righteousness. I like to challenge that. You're not as good as you seem," he told her seriously.
"I'm not? How am I not good? Just for being with you?"
"No. You robbed a bank. Don't think I didn't hear about that, because I did. You are a fucking bank robber. I never even did that shit," he said shaking his head.
"A bank robber? When did I rob a bank? Oh wait. You're right. I did. I robbed Gringotts. I almost forgot. I was dressed as your aunt and I sort of stole from her. But it was for a good cause!" she defended herself.
"What good cause?"
"Didn't you know? She was hiding a horcrux. We had to steal it. But I did not fancy looking like Bellatrix. Her teeth were atrocious. I guess years in Azkaban doesn't afford one a toothbrush."
Draco laughed. "I still can't believe you made Polyjuice potion of my aunt and broke into her vault. That's insane. More insane than she was. And then I read you stole a fucking dragon and flew it out of the bank. Is that actually true?" he wondered.
"Yes, it's all true. I did all of it. I robbed a fucking bank and I stole a dragon. So what? It was for the greater good," she protested.
"Greater good? Even I never robbed a fucking bank. You're so much more bad than you claim to be. I kind of love it. I mean, becoming Bellatrix and stealing her shit? I would have paid to watch that in action. The stupid bint had it coming. I fucking hated her. She was a loon."
"A loon huh? I thought she was your beloved aunt?"
"Beloved? What are you smoking? Did it look like I fucking loved her when you were at my house being tortured by her? Fuck no. I wanted her to die. I was glad when someone offed her. She had it coming."
"She did have it coming. She was dreadful."
"You don't have to tell me twice. I already know she was. My mum wasn't even sad she was dead. She was scared of her own sister," he told her seriously.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. My mum wanted nothing to do with that Death Eater shit. She just wanted to live her life. She was fucking horrified when I got dragged into it and she was pissed at my father. My mum was not a Death Eater. I realize she was part of our family and therefore guilty by association, but my mum has no Dark Mark. She's not a Death Eater and never was. She's just a mum who cared about me and didn't give a fuck about Voldemort or his mission," he explained to her.
"Really? She wasn't a Death Eater?"
"No. She wasn't. She hated Voldemort. She only pretended allegiance because of my father. She could care less."
"I didn't realize that. But it makes sense I suppose. She did after all save Harry. She told Voldemort he was dead when he wasn't. I never quite understood that, even when Harry told me about it."
"She just wanted to get to me. So did my father. They both could have given two shits less what Voldy wanted by that time. They both ended up hating him in the end. My family sucks, but they didn't support that fucking war. It was all a mess. We were forced. You wouldn't get it. I should stop talking about it because it just upsets me," he said somewhat angrily.
"I'm sorry Draco. I wasn't thinking. I don't want to talk about the war. Or anyone's part in it. It's all over and doesn't' matter. Your family was found innocent. And that's all that matters. Let's just talk about something else," she said, trying desperately to lighten the mood.
Draco was quiet for awhile but then he saw some cows in a pasture. "Look at those! They're bloody cows. Do you suppose those are the kind of cows we eat or get milk from?" he asked, completely changing the subject to something light and airy.
"I have no idea. They're quite cute. It makes me feel bad for enjoying hamburgers."
"Eh, it's kill or be killed, I say. And cows taste good."
"Kill or be killed? Do you think those cows are armed and dangerous?" she wondered.
"No, stupid. I just meant, humans are better than cows. Of course we eat them. Even if they're cute. God I hope my patronus won't be a fucking cow. That would be just my luck," he muttered.
"A cow? I would die laughing."
"Yeah, yeah. Just keep driving. We're almost there. And if my patronus is ridiculous I will punish you if you tell anyone."
"Punish me? I kind of like the sound of that. How will you punish me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and wicked grin.
"Hmm, I guess you'll just have to wait and find out," he told her with a devious look.
They drove the rest of the way in relative silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Hermione had been reminded of Draco's dark past and it upset her, but she also didn't see him that way anymore. She couldn't. think that way. But every once in awhile the reality of life would creep in. She'd remember something he'd done, or something he'd said. And it just gave her a sinking feeling. But he wasn't like that anymore. Not at all. He'd changed. When she looked at him, she saw a sweet caring man and not a monster or a jerk or potentially evil being. He was not like that. Not anymore. But she also couldn't pretend the past didn't happen either. It was real. Just as their love for each other now was real. She had to rectify that to herself somehow. And it was hard sometimes. She loved him, but she didn't exactly forgive all his wrong doings. But she also knew it wasn't completely fair. He had only been a stupid boy back then. He was a man now. And that man did not resemble the loathsome boy she knew at all. That's what she focused on now. She had to. It was the only way to justify her feelings for him.
They pulled up into the lot at Stonehenge and found countless other tourists there. The place was jam packed. And they couldn't really get close to the stones because it was all roped off. But they both learned about the history of the place and how ancient it was. It was fascinating, Hermione thought. And Draco enlisted some Muggle couple to take their picture several times in front of the ruins. It was sweet. In one picture he kissed her full on the mouth and she'd been embarrassed. But the couple just handed back the camera and smiled at them and told they hoped they were very happy. And they were. Very happy. More happy than Hermione felt they had the right to be. But she wasn't going to question it.
They set off after awhile to the bed and breakfast place Draco set up for them. Hermione had never been to such a place and Draco definitely had not been. It was weird. This older couple greeted them and showed them upstairs to their room. Everything was done in antiques and had a vineyard theme to it. There were pictures of grapes everywhere. And they found out that the place had it's own small vineyard.
"Tonight at six there will be dinner and a wine reception. Do be punctual because it's first come, first served," the woman told them.
"Of course. We'll be there. No worries," Draco told her.
And then she disappeared from their room to leave them in peace. Hermione laid on the bed and said it felt heavenly, and Draco looked at the bathroom and noticed it had a whirlpool bathtub in it big enough for two people.
"We are so going in this thing. Look at it? Why don't our flats have bathtubs like this," he asked curiously.
"Well I'm too poor for such things, and you just decided to live like a pauper. You could get a flat with a tub like this," she told him.
"Yeah, I guess. Let's get naked. I want to try this thing out," he said stripping off his shirt and throwing it aside.
"We might be late for dinner," she reminded him.
"No we won't. We have plenty of time. Now get naked woman before I rip those clothes off you, " he said with a devious smirk.
"Rip them off? As if I'd let you."
"You have no choice," he said laughing as he began to chase her around the room.
She giggled her head off and ended up stripped naked and waiting for the bath to fill. Draco won that battle. She was in no position to argue with him. They soaked in the tub together, filled with lovely smelling bath ingredients that were provided by the establishment.
"What is this smell?" Draco asked, sniffing the water.
"It's lavender. It's very soothing. Just sit back and relax."
"Relax? You're all naked and pressed up against me. How am I supposed to relax?" he asked her.
"Just try. Be a good boy."
"I don't know how to be a good boy," he whispered as he reached under the water and started touching her between her legs.
She gasped out and closed her eyes. "Oh my, that's not a bad feeling at all," she muttered.
"You like that?" he asked seductively purring in her ear.
"Oh yes, keep going."
And he did. He kept going until she had to stifle her cries from the pleasure of it all. She was breathless and sweating from the exertion and the heat of the bath.
"You are so naughty. I'm going to get you back for that," she told him as she kissed him hungrily.
"Oh please do. I'm at your mercy. Use me. Seduce me. Defile me. I'm ready for it," he told her desperately.
They fooled around in the tub until half the water was splashed out and they were both gasping for air. Hermione had never fooled around in a bath before, but she decided she liked it rather a lot.
"We've wrecked this bathroom," she told him breathlessly.
"So what? I'm sure they have maid service. It's like a hotel, right?"
"I think so. I don't know. But my god, I can't feel my legs. I'm dizzy."
He smiled at her and kissed her hungrily. "Is that from the hot water or from me?"
"Both. I need to get out of here and just lay on the ground. I can't breathe."
She pulled herself out of the tub and laid on the floor of the bathroom, dripping wet and completely nude. Draco enjoyed that sight quite a lot.
"You're inspiring me to ravish you once again, laying like that. You better watch out," he warned her.
"No, stop. Please. I'm spent. You've killed me. I'm a sputtering fool now. I just need to cool off," she told him seriously.
He stood up and got out of the tub and laid on the floor next to her. "You like what I do to you?" he asked curiously.
"Like it? I can barely form coherent thoughts afterwards. I never knew sex could feel this way," she admitted.
"Really?" he asked, turning so he was facing her.
"Yeah, really. It's not like I'm experienced. I'm sadly a novice. I mean Ron and I did things, but they didn't feel like this."
Draco laughed somewhat smugly. "So the Weasel didn't deliver the good stuff, eh?"
"I don't know. I mean, I thought he did. I thought I felt something a few times, but now I'm not so sure."
"Not sure? You can't tell if you've come or not?" he asked confusedly.
"No, I can tell. Believe me. Now I can tell. But before? I didn't know. It felt good, but it didn't ever knock me flat on my ass. I think maybe you were the first," she admitted.
"The first, huh? You never had an orgasm before me?" he asked dumbfounded.
She shook her head. "No, I don't think I did. Or if I did, they were really small and not life altering. With you, I can barely function afterwards. What are you doing to me?"
He laughed and traced his hand down the side of her face. "I'm loving you properly, that's all. If the Weasel didn't make you feel this way, then obviously he was not the right guy."
"No, he wasn't. I see that now. I never knew I cared so much about sex. But it's bloody fantastic. I'm hooked on you like a drug," she murmured to him.
He kissed her passionately. "I'm hooked on you too. I'd flip out if I wasn't with you. I need you."
"I need you too."
They both lay there on the bathroom floor, just kissing and looking at each other. Their overly hot bodies became cold eventually and they had to get dressed. It was dinner time after all. They were expected in the dining room. So they got themselves together and went downstairs hand in hand. They were stopped by the woman who owned the place.
"Oh good, you're here. You're last ones to arrive. I thought we'd have to rustle you up. There's wine right over there and cheese. And dinner will be served shortly."
They both went and got themselves wine and sipped that while they waited for dinner. There were four other couples there besides them. All of them Muggles, of course. And Draco did his best to blend in with them. But he didn't know about half the stuff they were talking about. He just smiled and nodded a lot. Muggles talked too much, he thought to himself. And it was never about anything interesting. But he smiled a lot and played nice for everyone. Once dinner was over, everyone retreated to their own rooms. Draco had dirty ideas in mind, but Hermione put on pajamas and turned on the telly. He was slightly disappointed, but he couldn't help but remember that they'd shagged each other senseless when they got there.
"So what are you doing? Watching the telly?" he asked her curiously.
"Yes. Is that alright?"
"Sure I guess. What's on?" he asked as he got himself undressed and lay on the bed next to her on his stomach.
"It's Titanic. I saw this movie once and I absolutely loved it. It's great. You should watch it with me."
"Titanic? Isn't that some ship that sank?"
"Yes, it sank in 1912. It was a British luxury liner. It was headed to New York, but it hit an iceberg and it sunk. Loads of people died because they didn't have enough life rafts aboard, because the ship was supposedly unsinkable."
"Unsinkable? I bet they were pretty fucking embarrassed when it sank on the maiden voyage then. Talk about false advertising. This movie is going to be sad isn't it?" he asked her.
"I'm afraid it is."
"See, that's what I don't get. All these Muggle stories are so sad and tragic. Do Muggles enjoy crying over stories?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose we have a morbid fascination with tragedy and we like being sad. But just watch the movie. You'll enjoy it."
He did as instructed and he watched the movie with her. Towards the ending her turned to her.
"That Jack guy is going to die, isn't he? There's no way he's making it off that ship."
"I don't want to give it away."
"I've already figured it out. You said it was sad. So Jack's toast. Poor sod. After he meets up with that fine looking red haired girl, he bites the big one."
"Fine looking red haired girl? You like Kate Winslet?"
"I don't know. Is that her real name?"
She nodded her head and he said, "Well I didn't mind seeing her naked."
She shoved him playfully. "I'm sure you enjoyed that quite a lot."
"Of course I did. Who wouldn't? If I could draw, I would have been toting around my big sketch book and asking girls to get naked for me too so I could draw them. It's a bloody good way to get some ass. That Jack guy was slick."
"Oh shut up. He wasn't slick. He loves her. It wasn't just a way to see her naked," she explained.
"Sure. Even if he didn't love her, he would have asked."
"He didn't ask, she offered. She wanted to be drawn like one of his French girls."
"Would you ever let someone draw you like that?"
"Me? Are you kidding? No way."
"Not even me?"
"Well I'd let you, I suppose. But you don't draw."
"True. But now I'm wishing that I did more than stick figures."
Once the end of the movie came, Draco was actually upset. He didn't understand how a simple movie could make him care about fictional people so much. But he related a bit to them. Rose's character was from a snobbish background and she was forced into an engagement with a man she didn't love just to keep her social standing. And Jack was a pauper who came from nothing. And yet they fell in love. The roles were reversed, but he could see a bit of himself and Hermione in them. And he admired Rose for chucking her sodding ponce of a fiancé out the window, just so she could experience actual love. That took guts. Guts he supposed he himself possessed because that's exactly what he was doing with his life.
"There really looks like there's enough room on that piece of debris for Jack to climb on. Why doesn't she scoot over and let him on?" Draco asked curiously.
"I don't know. They think it's too small. What if it sank if he got on it?"
"But he's dying. Surely they'd try anything to keep that from happening."
But in the end, Jack slipped under the water and disappeared. Draco felt his stomach tighten in knots, even though he'd guessed the tragic ending right away. But when Rose threw the necklace into the ocean and then died peacefully and was reunited with Jack, Draco felt tears welling in his eyes. He refused to let them show though. He wiped them quickly and didn't look at Hermione, who was actually crying.
"Oh I love a good sad movie. I mean, it ended happily. They were back together," she told him as she wiped her own eyes.
"Yeah, but they're dead. It's not the same."
"It just proves that love is eternal. I mean, she led her life and never stopped loving him."
"I wonder what her actual husband would say to that? She dies and he probably expects her to come to him, and yet she's on the bloody Titanic with the lover she had when she was seventeen."
"I hadn't considered that. Maybe when you're dead you can see everyone you love?"
"I don't know. And that's way too heavy for me to think about. It was a good movie. Tragic, but good. Was it true? I know the ship part was true, but was there a Heart of the Ocean and Rose and Jack?" he wondered.
"No, that part was made up."
"Oh well good job then. It got my emotions going. Bloody movie. I can't believe I actually cared what happened to them when they aren't even real."
"That's what good storytelling is about."
"Our story won't end tragically, will it?" he asked her curiously.
"I should hope not. But perhaps we shouldn't book any cruises together, just in case," she smiled at him.
"Good thinking."
It was late by this time and they both just decided to go to sleep. Draco had other ideas in mind, but Hermione could barely keep her eyes open. So he just watched her sleeping for awhile and then he got up and went to the window to look out at the darkened landscape. It was peaceful out in the country. No street noises or people bustling about at all hours. It had been a long time since he'd enjoyed the peace and quiet of the country. He knew his parents were not far away, but he just couldn't bring himself to visit them yet. It had been so long now, he didn't know how to go back. Did he just show up one day? He wasn't sure. His life was so far removed from what he'd known before, he didn't know if he could ever go back. His family wouldn't like what he'd been doing with himself. Not just the drinking and smoking and tattoos. But Hermione. They'd be horrified at him. But their disapproval didn't matter to him anymore. He expected it now. And he also expected horrid disapproval from Hermione's circle of friends too. It seemed he didn't have a place to fit in anymore. Not unless it was alone with her. Otherwise he didn't belong anywhere. And that made him undeniably sad. Sometimes late at night when he couldn't sleep, that's when all his demons would come to haunt him. And this was one of those nights. He was supposed to be blissfully happy and enjoying the weekend getaway, but his mind was in overdrive. There had been unpleasant things brought up in the car that he hadn't forgotten. Cursing Hermione and her teeth, was one of them. Why was he such a prat to her back then? He didn't mean it. He'd always liked her. But he acted horrendously. Maybe she never would entirely forgive him? And if that was the case, where would he end up in life? Alone and lonely. He really wanted a drink but hadn't brought anything with him. He decided to creep out of the room and see if there was leftover wine lying around downstairs.
He walked through the darkened house and saw that the other guests doors were all closed and dark. Everyone appeared to be asleep. Hopefully including the owners because he was about to pilfer some of their good wine if he could find it. He crept into the sitting room where they'd had the wine and cheese and he opened up a cabinet and found bottles of wine and liquor. He grabbed up a bottle of scotch and took it outside into the backyard so he could have a smoke, which he'd managed to smuggle into his bag without Hermione seeing them. He lit up a cigarette and took a big swig of the scotch.. He sat out there for awhile until it finally got too cold. Then he went back inside and put the bottle back quietly. They'd never know he'd drank half of it. Then he crept back up the stairs and climbed in bed with Hermione, who never even realized he'd gone. He finally fell asleep and was awoken when Hermione began kissing the side of his sleeping face.
"Rise and shine, Draco. It's time to get up. Breakfast will be served soon."
"Breakfast? Ugh. I feel like I just went to sleep."
"Oh you're cranky. Didn't you sleep well?"
He opened his eyes and stared at her happy face. It made him smile.
"No I slept fine. I just had a bit of a rough go getting to sleep."
"So I noticed. You smell like smoke. Did you sneak out?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Afraid so. Shoot me. I suck."
"It's alright. I don't care."
She climbed on top of him and began kissing him in order to wake him up properly. He wasn't complaining about that. He grabbed her and tossed her over so he could be on top of her, and when he did, the entire bed frame collapsed onto the ground. It made a huge racket and they lay there in a heap under the covers still.
"What the fuck just happened?" Draco shook his head.
"Oh my God, we broke the bed! We weren't even doing anything!"
"Shit. I've got to fix this before they see it."
But there was no suck luck. There was a knock on the door and when Draco disentangled himself from the mess of the bed, he went over and opened the door cautiously.
"What was that racket in here?" the woman who owned the place asked curiously.
"Oh it was nothing."
"Nothing? It sounded like something crashing to the floor." She peered in over his shoulder and saw the bed lying on the floor. "Oh my stars! That bed is broken. What were you two doing?"
"We weren't doing anything. I swear it. It just broke. It looks rather old."
"It is old! It's an antique. And now look at it. It's destroyed."
"I can fix it," Draco insisted.
"Fix it? How? The wood frame is splintered. I'm afraid you'll have to pay for that bed," the woman told him sternly.
"But it wasn't our fault! We were just laying there," he argued with her.
"Right. I'm sure that's all you were doing. Heaven's this is just horrible. Wait until my husband sees this." She marched off and left them alone and Draco shut the door.
"Fuck. The stupid bed breaking wasn't our doing. We hadn't even gotten to the good parts yet. I'll just fix it," he said rooting around for his wand.
"Draco, you can't fix it. If you fix it with a spell they'll be suspicious. How are you supposed to have fixed a broken bed in two minutes with no tools. Think about it," Hermione reminded him.
"Well I don't want to bloody pay for it. Who knows how much this old thing costs?"
"Yeah, I know, but you can't magically repair it. It would give us away."
"Damn it. Staying with Muggles was a stupid idea. Can't even use magic to fix something broken."
"Wait. I have an idea. You fix it and then I'll obliviate them. They won't even remember we were here," Hermione suggested.
"Obliviate them? Is that your favorite spell or something?"
"No. And I won't fuck it up this time. I'll just erase the memory of us and nothing else. I won't give them entirely new lives like I did to my parents. I've learned my lesson."
"You know if we get caught doing this shit, the Ministry will be pissed. And you're one of their star employees."
"I know, but they'll never find out. Trust me. Just fix the bed and let's get our stuff together. Then we'll pull them aside and I'll work my magic," she told him confidently.
He just shrugged and went along with it. It was breaking the rules quite a bit, but it was her idea. He'd go along with it. He waved his wand and the bed began to mend itself and within moments it was restored to it's former glory. Then Draco got himself dressed and they both grabbed up their things.
"You know, we might have to obliviate the whole place. What if the other guests say something? Surely they heard the racket," Draco pointed out.
"I hadn't considered that. I bet they're all down at breakfast now. I'll just do everyone all at once."
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Please. I know what I'm doing. It's a piece of cake."
They took their bags and snuck downstairs and spied everyone sitting in the dining room over breakfast. The owners were serving them and everyone else was eating. They all looked up when Draco and Hermione entered the room.
"There's the cheeky couple who breaks beds," one of the patrons laughed as he pointed at them. Apparently word had gotten around.
"Don't worry, we're leaving," Draco informed them.
"Not so fast. You owe us for that bed," the woman said to him.
Before anyone else could say anything Hermione did her spell and everyone at the table was numbed with confusion. She grabbed Draco's hand and they ran out the front door and hopped into their car and sped off. Inside the people were shaking off the confusion and looking around. The woman who owned the place looked at the spot where Hermione and Draco had been standing and she shook her head.
"I thought I was talking to someone. Where did they go?" she asked.
"Who were you talking to? There's no one else here," her husband informed her.
"Oh. Well that's odd. I could have sworn there was something about a bed."
"A bed? I don't know what you're talking about."
They all just shook it off and figured they were imaging things. There was no other couple who had stayed there. Everyone was accounted for. And no one had broken a bed.
In the car Hermione started laughing. "I can't believe I just did that. That was so wrong."
"We better not get caught for that shit."
"How will we get caught? No one even knows we were there."
"True. You're really good at that spell," he told her.
"Eh, I've perfected it since my little mishap with my parents. Erasing memories, good. Creating new ones, bad," she explained.
"I still can't believe we broke a bed. Now that's funny. Too bad we weren't doing anything fun at the time because then I could boast we fucked so hard we broke the furniture. That would be impressive," Draco said dreamily.
"Who exactly would you tell?"
"I don't know. Anyone who would listen? I mean, that's a great story."
"Well we won't be telling anyone about it. As far as the world knows, we never went to Sunset Vineyards Bed and Breakfast."
"You got that right. Next time we go someplace, it's five star hotels. More privacy and room service. I don't know what I was thinking to stay with Muggles. That idiotic travel channel put ideas into my head. I thought it'd be interesting."
"It was. Sort of. But I think I like the idea of a five star hotel better. Then we can trash the place like rock stars do."
He laughed at her. "You wanna trash a hotel room?"
"Why not? It'd be fun."
"Yeah and then my credit card will get charged for the damages. Not as fun."
"True. But we could still stay there and not trash the place. I'll just steal the towels and the little soaps they give you."
"Steal towels? Why would you do that?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Because you can? I used to take towels when I'd holiday with my parents. They never even knew I did it."
"But why towels? Did you not have enough at home?"
"No I did. It was just a compulsion. Free towels! So I took them."
"You are really weird, you know that?" he asked with an amused look on his face.
"I know. I'm totally weird. But I know you think I used to be such a priss and a goody two shoes. But I wasn't. Not entirely. I mean I did steal towels and rob a bank. I have some street cred."
"Street cred? Will you be joining a gang soon?"
"Maybe? My life of crime should afford me entrance into any reputable gang," she said flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"Well good luck with that."
Once they made it home, Draco dropped off Hermione at her flat and went back to his own. They were going to meet up later though and go out to a club that Draco heard was all the rage. He though it'd be fun. And Hermione said she loved to dance. Their little weekend getaway had been fun, even if it didn't quite end the way Draco planned. But at least they escaped unscathed and undetected. He had been rather surprised by her suggestion of what to do, but he just went along with it. She seemed to know what she was doing and it wasn't like he was gonna stop her. He liked this rebellious side of her. It was sexy. And he was looking forward to dancing the night away with her at his side.
Feedback is much appreciated! I love reviews. Let me know if you like the story or if it totally sucks. Thanks for reading!
