I claim the plot, the hotel and the few characters I made up. J. K. Rowling is the mastermind behind everything else!
"Aw shucks guys, you're making me blush." A voice mocked behind them.
All heads snapped around to look at the source of the voice and Cordelia's jaw dropped at how good looking the man standing before them was.
"Daddy!" Scorpius cried out and ran to his father with his hand in held out front of him, expecting a snack to drop into it. Draco raised an eyebrow but didn't drop the snack he had got for Scorpius into the little boy's hands. Scorpius huffed and rolled his eyes, "Please could I have my snack?"
Draco smiled as he dropped the chocolate chip cookie he'd got from the kitchen into the awaiting hands, "That's more like it, young man."
"No wonder he looked so familiar," Isabel murmured under hear breath as she bit her lip and put any thoughts of flirting with the man to rest – unlike her father's receptionist she was not a homewrecker, "Scorpius is the spitting image of him."
"Isabel, the guy you saw earlier had better be better looking than Hermione's husband," Cordelia whispered, "I'm not settling for less than what Hermione's got."
"That is the guy I saw earlier." Isabel hissed back. She looked at the cousin she so admired to gauge her reaction and saw that she'd put up a mask of indifference, a sure sign to Isabel that Cordelia was scheming and that someone was going to end up hurt.
"Are we all ready to go then?" Draco asked, as he picked up the cookie munching boy, "Sorry to have delayed the party out."
"Unless my wife here still has objections to the smell of our clothes…?" Grandfather Charles turned innocently to Pippa who wasn't looking amused.
"Well I just-" Pippa started.
"You wouldn't have a problem if we sat downwind of you." Draco interrupted. Pippa looked appalled that he'd had the audacity to interrupt, however when she looked over at Draco – who had simply raised an eyebrow at her and was exuding power and confidence – she closed her mouth and nodded in agreement.
"Brilliant," Charles clapped his hands together and stood up, "Pippa, Cecily why don't the two of you lead on since I'm sure you're the only two who know where we're eating."
"Could someone fill me in about where we're eating?" Mark asked, "I couldn't hear anything Grandma Pippa said earlier because Tris's stomach was performing a symphony."
"Was not!" Tristan cried indignantly.
"We're having a picnic near the cliffs," Cordelia announced proudly, "I had that marvellous idea whilst we in the spa and had to let Grandma Pippa know. She took to it right away and changed the plans." She flashed a confident and charismatic smile Draco's way, who was brushing off the non-existent crumbs Scorpius may have dropped onto his shirt.
"Anywhere particular along the cliffs?" Mark asked as his stomach gurgled hungrily, Tristan looked at his brother in triumph that he wasn't the only one.
Cordelia had the good sense to look a bit sheepish at the question. "No actually, I'm not familiar with any good spots along the coast." She trailed off and looked down at her feet, tapping the toe of her heels together a few times a bit self-consciously – a very un-Cordelia-like thing to do. Mark groaned at her response, looking at the child in Draco's arms with envy.
"We could go near the spot we went with Narcissa and Lucius," Hermione suggested, turning to Draco, "It's got a good view and there's enough nearby that we won't have to go far when Scorpius gets bored." Draco smiled a knowing smile when he thought of exactly where Scorpius would want to go when he grew restless.
"You sound so certain that Scorpius will tire of our company." Cecily put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.
"He will." Draco replied bluntly before muttering under his breath, "If he hasn't already."
"We're grown-ups, every child finds us boring." Aunt Sophie said as if it were common knowledge, which it was and especially obvious to a woman who'd had three children. Cecily spluttered for a bit and seemed to have trouble comprehending that anyone would tire of her no matter how small.
"Is it a long walk?" Tobias asked, "If it is, I'm not sure everyone will be able to make it to the site comfortably." He paused before hastily adding, "What with some people getting on in age and others wearing heels that must be awfully painful after walking in them for a long time."
"Speak for yourself brother," Sophie narrowed her eyes at her sibling, "I'm sure after the many parties you and Cecily have thrown, combined with the many events I've been dragged to and the wild nights out I'm sure the girls have that we'd all be able to run a marathon in these heels."
"It's slightly further than the walk to the shooting clearing." Hermione answered Tobias's question, feeling slightly sympathetic at the man's obvious disappointment and discomfort.
But those feelings quickly disappeared when he shook his head and looked rather haughty at Hermione before opening his mouth. "That reminds me, I'd like to speak to your boss – the owner of the hotel directly."
"You're looking at them." Draco responded, looking every bit more superior than the front Tobias had put on despite the child that had climbed onto his shoulders.
"You're the owner?" Tobius asked in disbelief.
"How could he not be, Dad?" Cordelia asked, rolling her eyes at her father. "Extremely striking, fit man emanating power? It's practically the recipe for young, rich owner." She explained batting her eyelashes subtly at Draco, who simply looked at her with guarded eyes.
"Mummy and Daddy both are." Scorpius smiled proudly as his chin rested atop his father's head.
"What did you want to talk to us about?" Hermione asked after eyeing Cordelia suspiciously.
"Golf buggies are a must have in a place like this," Tobias announced, "The walk to the shooting traps was a little too long for comfort."
"Golf buggies are tacky contraptions, I'm not too keen on polluting the view." Draco answered immediately.
"Perhaps the extra walking will do you some good, Uncle Tobias." Hermione smiled sweetly, before turning her head to address the rest of the group cutting off whatever Tobias had opened his mouth to say, "I'm assuming you pre-ordered the food for the original luncheon?" Cecily nodded her head. "Brilliant, it'll have already been prepared. I'll meet you at the spot with food, Draco do you want to lead them there?"
Draco smiled at her and pressed an affectionate kiss to the top of her head. "See you in a bit."
"Bye-bye Mummy." Scorpius copied his father and kissed his mother's forehead before decided it would be a good idea to pat her hair as well.
Hermione parted ways with the group and headed down a side corridor towards the kitchens, going around many turns and up a flight of stairs to get there. When she opened the door, she was greeted with the mouth-watering smells of food being prepared.
"Hermione!" A little voice greeted her from her left. Hermione turned her head and saw a little elf standing on a stool and levitating some diced up vegetables into a frying pan.
"Hello Posie." Hermione waved in return and started to make her way towards the Head Chef, who was dressed in a chef's uniform that Posie had decided to turn purple.
The elf turned to her sous chef who was conveniently walking past her at that moment. "Alfred!" She called to grab his attention. The young man stopped and turned to the elf in question. "Would you mind finishing off this dish?"
"Of course." Alfred smiled and stepped up to take over, glancing at the magical fireproof card next to it indicating what the dish was and which steps were yet to be completed. "Hello Hermione." He smiled at her as she walked to stand next to the elf who had just hopped off the stool she'd been standing on.
"Good afternoon Alfred." Hermione smiled back.
Alfred was a squib, as were many of those Hermione and Draco employed to work at the hotel. Not one member of the staff was not aware of the Wizarding World. After the war, squibs were still finding it challenging to find a place in the Wizarding World, and though many of them left to live life as muggles they still found the transition hard as they were not familiar with many of the scientific advancements the Muggle World had undertaken. When Hermione and Draco had decided to open a hotel they wondered whether the squibs who were struggling to find jobs in the wizarding world would want a job around the hotel. As it turned out many were incredibly appreciative and some who had tried to integrate themselves into muggle lives found it easier to use the hotel to transition as Hermione insisted on using some of the muggle technological advancements around the place and they learnt things from some of their muggle guests.
"What do you need Hermione?"
"I was wondering if food for the Granger's had been prepared?"
"You wound me with that question." The elf exclaimed, mockingly putting a hand over her heart and swooning. Hermione laughed at Posie's antics, since her first week working at the hotel Posie had decided to improve her grammar learning everything she could and had ended up picking up some of Draco's flair for dramatics as well as the ability to deliver sarcasm perfectly.
Posie led Hermione under an arch into a separate room containing many tables that housed an array of different foods placed under stasis charms. They stopped at a table that was labelled 'Granger' which was bursting with the foods that covered it. Hermione looked around and saw that none of the other tables had nearly as much food as they did.
"There's enough food to feed an army here, Posie." Hermione commented, "You do know there are only 14 of us?"
"When they ordered the food there was a long list of foods people did and didn't like, allergens, intolerences… a lot of it clashed but they insisted everyone had their favourite meals so we had to make everything." Posie shrugged.
"Draco and I will eat any leftovers, I don't want this food going to waste." Hermione sighed before conjuring baskets with weightless charms on them and transferring the food into them.
"I'll go fetch Ethan, Harold and Marcus to help you carry the baskets." Posie said once they noticed there were eight rather large baskets to carry.
"Thank you Posie," Hermione smiled, "And thank you for the food too, I'm sure it'll taste amazing."
Posie smirked, "Of course it will, I made it." She replied cheekily before going off to get the three young men to help.
I am sooooooo unbelievably sorry that is has take me so long to update this story. I now have an outline for the rest of the story so I know exactly what is happening in the next chapters until it ends.
Thank you so much guys for continuing to read this story and being so patient with me