"Granger! Granger! Wake up," he called, shaking Hermione's shoulders.
"What," she said, sleepily. Opening her eyes she looked up into the smirking face of Draco Malfoy.
"Granger, get up!" He yelled again.
"Why?" She asked, sitting up, "What have you done now?"
"I've done nothing! Ok, that's not strictly true, I've done lots of things. Many of them to you last night. My god that sound you made when I suck-"
"Thank you Malfoy!" Hermione quickly said, and she got out of his bed. She looked around for her robe but it was nowhere to be seen, unsurprisingly given Draco's preference she wear nothing. She gave Draco a suspicious look, he was far too happy this morning. "What's the matter? Why do you look like you're hyper on sugar?"
"I have a surprise for you," he eagerly said.
"Oh no, it's not the same surprise as last night is it?" She asked, genuinely worried.
"Which surprise was that Granger?"
"Well you know, when you…," she petered off and did some hand gestures.
"Yes?"
She moved closer and whispered quickly in his ear.
"That surprise," he said, now enlightened, "no it's not that sort of surprise. But I would be happy to replicate that particular position with you any time." He waggled his eyebrows at her in an alarming fashion.
"No, no. I'm fine for the moment thank you," she stiffly said. Stiff was the word of the day. She wouldn't be walking normally for a week.
"Anyway what was I saying, all your dirty talk has put me right off my stroke. Which is very much what I'd like to do to your-"
"Draco!"
"Ah you did it again. Put something on woman, I can't get my thoughts straight with you standing there with all your jiggly bits on display. It's like having my face pressed up against a cake shop window!"
"I swear, one day," she muttered and she picked up one of his shirts from the back of a chair.
"That's much better. The little grey cells can start to work now. And the first order of the day is," Draco paused and pulled her closer by the loose fabric of the shirt. He planted a firm kiss on her unexpected mouth. "Now that's done," he said as he pulled away, "I can tell you my surprise plan."
"Doesn't that negate the point of a surprise, if you tell me?" She asked, readjusting the shirt which had mysteriously opened during the kiss.
"Fine I won't tell you," Draco said, flicking his long hair dramatically over his shoulder. "But go to your room and get dressed," he commanded, shoeing her in the direction of the door, "quickly now. Don't make me chase you." He gave her a wolfish smile. She got out the room sharpish. He'd given her that exact look in the early hours of this morning and she hadn't got back to sleep for over an hour!
She met Draco down the stairs and was just about to enter the dining room.
"No time for breakfast Granger," Draco briskly said, taking her by the arm and leading her away from the food and the coffee!
"But, I'm hungry? And need coffee," she whined. Unfortunately her addiction to coffee hand come back with a vengeance.
"I've packed you something," Draco said, with what he probably thought was reassurance. Hermione was not convinced.
"Where is Oliver?"
"Oliver's taken the hired car and gone walking round some national park. He mentioned something about there not being peacocks up mountains?"
She sniggered. "But, if Oliver's got the car then how are we getting there?" She asked, as Draco walked them out the front door and into the courtyard.
"Ah, your powers of perception do you justice. You have hit the nub of the problem," Draco jovially said. "Luckily I have already sorted it. We're borrowing Dumbledore's car."
Hermione was impressed, Draco really seemed to have thought through their whole day out.
"That Old Bastard!" Draco cried out, when he saw Dumbledore's 'car'. Hermione couldn't help agree with the sentiment, if not the exact phraseology.
Calling that contraption a 'car', was an insult to the name of car. It was old, rusty and looked like the car from the musical 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. It seemed like, if you turned the engine on it would certainly Bang Bang! She didn't know what would happen to the Chitty Chitty part.
"Right Granger," Draco said, squaring up to the car like it was a wild animal, "stand back. I'm going to try and get this bucket going." He passed her his bag and descended on the car.
Draco turned the key in the car's ignition and it gave shudder and a croak; but with a splitter it started. Draco adjusted the mirrors and tried the peddles. "Get in Granger, I don't think it's going to explode on us."
She got into the car with some trepidation. She'd never experienced Draco's driving, but if the points on his licence were anything to go by, then he liked to drive really, really fast.
"Don't look so worried," he said, "I am a fantastic driver. Now, check the bag. There's a flask of coffee and some toast in there. And try not to get crumbs everywhere!"
She swatted him on the arm.
They'd been driving for about half and hour, and during that time Hermione had been happily munching. Draco had been trying to coax the car to go above 60 mph, but he wasn't succeeding. Something she was very thankful for.
"Draco, where are we going?" She asked, tucking the empty flask back into the bag.
"It's a surprise. You said you didn't want to know," Draco reminded, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Yes, but now I do."
"Tough titties."
"What kind of expression is 'tough titties'!"
"In this context, it means be quiet and let me concentrate on these damn bendy roads."
After that, Hermione didn't say anything for a while. Well, until her curiosity got the better of her, "Draco, where are we?"
"You'll see soon nosey. We're almost there."
They'd been driving up and up along long chalky roads. When they reached a rather unimpressive car park, Draco pulled the car over into a space. He turned to her, he was beaming.
"Out you pop," he said, opening his door, "we just have to walk up that road."
She grumbled something about gentlemen but got out of the car. Draco came and took her hand and lead her up the dull looking road.
When they'd walked for a few minutes Hermione got a glimpse of a building through the trees.
"Oooh," she gasped.
"I knew you'd like it," Draco said, smirking. "Welcome Hermione, to Fontfroide Abby."
Fontfroide Abby, or Abbaye de Fontroide to use the French, was a large monastery, founded in 1093. The Abby was made up of long rectangular buildings which enclosed a large cloister. Most of the Abby's main buildings were made of stacked grey stone, but the roof tiles were coloured a lovely terracotta red. Several stained glass windows were embedded in the buildings thick walls. Draco lead her through stone arches, past delicately formed wrought iron work and through vaulted passageways.
"Now before we visit the famous cloister or their very romantic rose garden," said Draco, "I want to take you to the library."
She gave a small squeak of excitement.
"See I just knew the library would elicit that response. I would be a happy man if you'd make the same noises in bed!"
"Shut it Malfoy, I want to enjoy the moment."
The Abby's library was unique. Not a huge room but it had been decorated unlike any other room Hermione had seen. On opposite walls were two large panels, painted in a Symbolist style.
"They're by Odilon Redon," Draco whispered in her ear. "That one," he pointed to the panel decorated in black, white and gold, "is called 'Night'. But my personal favourite is the other painting called 'Day'."
The painting 'Day' was like a fantasy dream, an amalgamation of blues, pinks and yellows. The background seemed to be a subtle representation of a sunny day overlooking the mountains- but who can truly tell with symbolism. The foreground was much easier to decipher; ferns, leaves and flowers all depicted in bright blues and reds. Hermione felt as if Redon had captured the sensory explosion of being out in nature on a summer's day.
"How did you find this?" Hermione asked, holding his hands in her's and her eyes shinning up at him.
Draco span her, so her back was pressed against him and her arms crossed over her torso. He moved his head down so that he could softly speak in her ear, "It gets better, you'll love the story behind this. In the early Twentieth Century, artist's and collector's Gustave and Madeleine Fayet bought the Abby in auction, to save it from being stripped of it's worth. They then started restoring it, and filling it with their collection. Gustave and Redon became friends and they decided to decorate this room together. Perhaps," and his voice went very low, "you and I could do something similar one day."
"What, like Gustave and Redon? Or Gustave and his wife."
"Both?" He said, his tone impossibly quiet.
"Draco, what are you saying?" She asked, her heart beating very fast now. She turned, trying to get a good look at his face, but he kept his gaze solidly on the painting behind her.
"I…I," he started, a furrow appearing between his eyes. Still not looking at her, he cupped the back of her head in his hand and pressed her into an embrace. Her head rested onto his chest and gently rose and fell with his breathing.
"I meant nothing by it Granger, it's not the right time," he faintly spoke. Taking her by the shoulders he pulled her back, so he could now look into her eyes. He looked strangely cheerful, like he was forcing himself to be lighthearted. "I don't know about you Granger, but I bet they've got some paintings of long dead naked women lying around."
She playfully punched him on the arm, "you and naked women!"
"Hey it's art! Being a pervert at naked women doesn't count in art. Anyway, the only real life naked woman I'm interested in is you."
"How romantic of you," she sarcastically said, raising an eyebrow.
"Talking of romance why don't we check out the gardens. I've hear they make their own wine here as well. You certainly need to sample that! Drunk Hermione is highly amusing."
And before she could ponder on his weird behaviour any longer, he marched her out of the library.
It was late afternoon and they were back in the terrifying car. Draco had given her a choice, either she partake in the wine tasting or she would have to drive them to Narbonne for dinner, while he got merry with the wine. In the end it hadn't been a difficult decision. Her head now lolled against Draco's shoulder as he drove them to the commune of Narbonne where he'd made supper arrangements.
Although the drive was long, when they arrived in Narbonne her head still felt fuzzy from the effect of the wine. Dang it, why did the Abby have to make wine. Why couldn't it have been cake or something non-alcoholic! At least cake would have just made her gain weight, it would not be causing her to imagine Draco's naked body right now!
"Why don't we just skip dinner and go back to the chateau," Hermione said, managing to not slur her words. You had to take joy in these small victories.
He quickly glanced down at her, then fixed his eyes back on the road, "Granger, you'd be blushing right now if you could see the look you're giving me."
"No I wouldn't blush! I'm a woman of experience and, not exactly sin, but certainly something that shouldn't be discussed in a church." She giggled.
"You we're not this bad the last time you got tipsy. What has happened to you- woo-" he started, as she'd slipped her hand up his thigh, "Hermione, get off. I do not want to crash this car!" He sounded fairly angry now.
"Then pull over," she wheedled, her voice going very high pitched.
"You sit quietly now. God, I'm beginning to appreciate how difficult it is being the grown up in this relationship, I much prefer being the child."
"Fine," and she slouched back into her seat and crossed her arms.
"When we get to the restaurant I'll give you a present," Draco said, trying to placate her.
"What type of present?" She asked, in spite of herself.
"Just a little present."
"You don't normally describe your dick as 'little' Draco."
"I'm not talking about my- you are uncomfortably horny Hermione," said Draco, his hands gripping the steering wheel a bit harder.
"Now you know how it feels to be teased."
"I do not tease."
"Yes you do, you're a sexual tease Mr Malfoy," she chortled and snorted. Surprised at the sound she'd made, she put her hand in front of her mouth.
"That was a very attractive sound. You're right, I feel really turned on after hearing that."
"Just drive Draco," Hermione said, glowering at him.
Once in Narbonne, Draco half dragged, half carried her to the restaurant. Off the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Narbonne was an ancient port established in Roman times. Draco headed Hermione towards Narbonne's central Canal, Canal de la Robine, which ran through the city. Hermione would have probably found this all fascinating, if she hadn't felt quite so woozy.
Once at the restaurant Draco signalled a waiter and plonked Hermione down onto a wicker chair. There was some quiet talking between the waiter and Draco. The waiter nodded and looked at Hermione.
"Right Hermione," Draco said, cupping her chin in his hand so he could look at her, "this chappy here is going to keep an eye on you while run an errant. Hopefully in that time you'll be feeling more sober. To keep you occupied here is a book," he spoke like he would to a small child, very slowly and articulately. He handed her a slim volume titled, 'The History and Provenance of Narbonne'. "This ought to keep to occupied and out of trouble. Drink lots of water. God, and remind me to never encourage you to drink on an empty stomach again." With that he handed the waiter a wad of Euros and left.
If Hermione had know how the next 48 hours were going to pan out, she would have told Draco to stuff his book up his own arse!
...
Note: Fontfroide Abby is a real place and all the details and art are based on the Abby's history.
