Sorry about the previous posting of this chapter! Apparently my copy and paste went haywire! I hope you can read it now without all the code in the front of each sentence. This is AU for sure, just some fun!

Flotation

Rated T: Fluff

The River Vyrnwy is a majestic river that flows through Wales. Hermione Granger and her family had often taken canoe trips down the river, being careful to avoid the sections of white water rapids while they surveyed the area. Her parents had long ago quit taking the canoe trips and for the first time she was headed for an adventure on her own. She had found a canoe group online that took monthly trips to different rivers across the continent and had even traveled to the states. She was looking forward to the opportunity to be with new people.

She had packed the car the night before with her camping gear and had strapped her canoe down on the roof top. She was going to stop and pick up her friend Ginny along the way. Canoeing was not Ginny's favorite thing to do, in fact she hated it, but the opportunity to meet new people and maybe a few guys had encouraged her to travel along.

Hermione watched the sun rise and stretched beside her car. "Today is a new adventure," she whispered into the air.

She stopped at Ginny's flat about an hour later and laughed at the girl's dour expression. "I can't believe I'm doing this," the red head said with a groan. "I hate the outdoors! I hate bugs! What in the bloody hell was I thinking?"

"Hot guys?" Hermione said questioningly.

"Hot guys!" Ginny said with a sigh.

The drive to the river took about 4 hours and the girls were full of giggles by the time they arrived. They checked in at the gate to the park that surrounded the river and were informed that three groups had already headed out to the camp site. "The rapids are rough right now," the attendant had explained to them, "make sure you wear your flotation jackets when you are on the river. It will be too far out to rescue you before something bad happens if you were to take a fall on the water."

"Safety first," Hermione had said with a laugh.

The camp site was large and there were already four tents set up. Hermione parked near the other cars and she and Ginny made their way towards the others. "Oi!" shouted a tall dark skinned boy. "New arrivals and they are of the female persuasion!"

"Shut it Blaise, you'll scare them off," said another boy with a head full of dark crazy hair. "You must be Hermione and Ginny. I'm Harry we've been emailing."

"Hullo Harry," Hermione said. "Where should we set up our tent?"

"Anywhere along the circle is fine," Harry said. "This is Blaise," he pointed to the tall guy who had shouted at them. "The rest of our mates are scouting the area, but they'll be make in a few. You need help unpacking?"

"No thanks Harry," Hermione said with a smile. "We'll take care of it."

Over an hour later the girls had their camp site set up and were pulling the canoes off the car rack when a group of voices could be heard through the trees. "Draco, Neville, Theo!" Harry shouted. "Come over here and meet some of the new recruits."

Hermione and Ginny moved towards the center of the camp site along with three other girls that had also arrived. "This is Tori, Daphne, and Pansy," he said indicating the three girls who had arrived together. "And this is Hermione and Ginny, they all found our site and I've been emailing with them the last several weeks. Ladies that tall dork is Neville, the incredibly pale guy is Draco, and the one that looks so full of himself is Theo."

The girls all said hello and everyone stood around awkwardly for several moments. "Well," Draco said clapping his hands together, "everyone got their tents set up yeah? It'll be dark soon so let's get a fire going and we can tell you about the terrain."

"Yeah, yeah," Theo said, his voice cracking a little. "We can also learn more about you girl's maybe."

Ginny giggled and Hermione rolled her eyes before pulling her back to the car. "Let's get the canoes off before you decide to shack up with one of them."

Hermione had loosened the straps that held the canoes in place and squealed as the weight of the boats shifted towards her. She was struggling beneath the weight when two pale arms appeared over her shoulders to grab the canoes. "Need some help?" he asked quietly against her ear.

"Uh, yeah. The… uh… middle strap that was holding them separate must have broken."

Draco helped her and Ginny pull both of the canoes down before he and Theo drug the boats down to the riverside. "So Hermione," he said sitting down next to her.

The fire was roaring and the groups had produced hotdogs and marshmallows to roast. They were using blankets and fold out chairs for seating and Hermione had made herself comfortable on a nearby blanket. "So Draco," she responded.

"Your parents appreciated Shakespeare I guess."

She chuckled. "Sort of, my name is from a poem but everyone assumes it's from Shakespeare. Most of my friends shortened it to Mia over the years because it's quite a mouthful."

"I like it," he said with a smile. "It's different and meaningful."

"Your parents like dragons?"

"Touché," he said with a grin. "It's actually Draconis but I've always been known as Draco. It's a weird family name that they stuck me with not because they were into dragons or anything cool."

"Well I like your name. It's simple but exotic sounding. And as a family name it has meaning as well."

"Thanks for that," he said with a smirk. "Do you live close?"

"About 4 hours away. My parents and I always took trips like this on our own, but they've recently stopped the canoe trips and this is my first one by myself."

"What about your friend Ginny?"

"She hates the outdoors and has only been canoeing once. I'll be shocked if she actually gets out on the water. I can see her just hanging out here and reading a book while the rest of us canoe."

"So she's here because?"

Hermione laughed. "Harry told me you were a group of 5 guys who did this monthly. She's here because of you boys."

"Well Harry seems to fancy her. I've never seen him act like that around anyone."

"And what about you Draco?" she asked boldly. "Have you taken a fancy to me?"

He smirked at her again. "From the moment I walked into camp," he said seriously.

Hermione blushed and looked away from him.

When dinner was done and the fire was out everyone made their way to their perspective tents. "We'll head out around 7," Harry said to the group before ducking into his tent.

When she and Ginny were bedded down in their sleeping bags she found herself staring at the ceiling of the tent and thinking about Draco. He was an attractive guy with a decent personality. They had a lot in common and had been able to have conversation all evening long.

"Hermione, you awake?" Ginny whispered.

"Yeah," she answered back in a normal tone of voice.

"Harry says that Draco guy fancies you."

"Draco says that Harry fancies you."

"I like Harry. We have a lot in common."

"Same with me and Draco. Are you getting on the water tomorrow?"

"Not if I can help it."

"That's what I figured."

"That Daphne girl doesn't want to go either. She's only here because her sister Tori has a crush on Theo and didn't want to come on the trip alone."

"So they all know each other?"

"Yeah, apparently Neville, Theo, and Harry were good friends and they met Draco and Blaise a year ago to form this group."

"Wow, so we are outsiders."

"Well, you are. I know Pansy Parkinson. She and my brother Ron dated for a little while in high school."

"Ah, so I'm the outsider."

"Who seems to be fitting in just fine…"

"Goodnight Ginny."

"Goodnight Hermione."

The group gathered at the river side the next morning and Hermione laughed when she saw the dragon on the back of Draco's flotation jacket. "Don't make fun," he said shaking a finger at her.

"Don't give the opportunity," she said giggling.

"Ginny and Tori don't want to go," Harry said sullenly. "We have three partner canoes if anyone would rather do that than a single."

"I'm game," Pansy said. "Neville you want to be my partner?"

"Sure!" Neville replied with excitement.

"I do better solo," Hermione said. "Besides I want to get my boat wet, she's never seen the water."

"I like solo too," Draco said shrugging his shoulders.

"Me as well," Theo said. "No offense but I don't really know the lot of you well enough to trust you as a partner."

"Well I'll stay behind with the other girls," Daphne said with relief. "Then Harry and Blaise can just be together in the last canoe."

"I take it the three of you didn't come for the scenery," Blaise said with a smirk.

Hermione laughed. "It's alright Blaise. Let them stay Pansy and I can keep you boys entertained."

"Hell yes we can!" Pansy said with a wide grin. "Make sure you tell Tori we said that," she winked at Daphne.

The trip down river was smooth even though they were fighting against the current. "This way we get our workout on the way up river and can coast down river," Theo had shouted from his boat.

"I'm glad Ginny didn't come," Hermione shouted back. "She isn't strong enough to manage this current. She'd be against the bank walking her way back to camp."

The group laughed and joked the whole way and Theo was right about the trip back being an easy coast. "The river is low," Draco said as he help Hermione pull her canoe back to the shore line. "The rapids are usually heavier than that this time of year."

"Well I hasn't rained a lot so I can understand."

The girls that had stayed behind had lunch ready for them when they arrived back. "Good trip?" Ginny asked.

"Very nice," Hermione said smiling towards Draco.

"We'll break down camp after this," Harry said. "I hate you girls drove all this way and didn't even touch the water."

Ginny smiled at him. "I had no intention of touching the water Harry." She leaned in close to whisper in his ear something that made him blush.

Hermione rolled her eyes and headed back to the tent to start packing. She heard the tent flap open and she sighed. "Ginny you didn't have to leave Harry just yet," she said.

"Oh she's still wrapped around him," a male voice said from behind her causing her to jump and fall forward onto the sleeping bag.

Draco was above her instantly. "Hermione are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

She laughed. "I'm fine, you just startled me."

"Well I never could get used to girls falling for me," he grinned at her.

"I fell over, there's a difference."

Draco sat down on the ground of the tent next to her. "I like you Hermione and I think you like me too. I think we are adult enough to be honest with each other. I want to get to know you better and I was hoping you felt the same way."

Hermione smiled at him. "I would love to spend more time with you Draco."

Draco broke out in a wide smile. "I think this is just the beginning of a beautiful relationship Mia."

8 years later:

"Alright Archer let's make sure the flotation jacket is tight. In case the canoe flips I want you to be safe."

"Yes mommy," the incredibly pale 4 year old boy said.

"He's fine Mia," Draco called from the shore line. "He'll be in the boat with me so he'll be safe. Let him go already."

"I just don't like that I can't go along with you two," Hermione said.

Draco rolled his eyes and made his way back up to her. He cupped her face and kissed her soundly on the mouth. "I'm sure you would be just fine, but I am not letting my 34 week pregnant wife in a canoe. It's not going to happen, but I am going to take Archer up the river."

"Besides," Harry said wandering up beside him. "Blaise and I will be along and between the three of us we will keep him safe. Now go sit down with Ginny and prop your feet up."

Hermione hugged her son Archer and checked the latches on his flotation jacket once more. "Have fun and listen to your father."

The boy nodded before sprinting off to the boat with a look of pure joy on his face. She glanced beside her to see her red haired friend watching the group, her arms crossed over her own very pregnant abdomen. "He was bound to love it what with both you and Draco being such avid canoers."

"I know," Hermione said with a sigh. "It's just his first time without me."

"He'll be fine. Come on Pansy said she would paint our toenails while we wait on the boys to get back."

"Who would have thought that one canoeing trip 8 years ago would see all of us married and having children?" Tori said with a grin.

And Hermione grinned widely.

~FIN~