Yet again, I'm not at the shopping trip/therapy session. I have wanted to do a flying scene for a long time, so here it is. Hopefully I will get the shopping trip with Ginny up in the next few days. I would have put it here, but it just seemed like enough, and that will include a lot of details. Let me know what you think!
0o0o0o Hermione
Waking up the next morning, Hermione felt like a weight had been lifted. Ron was locked up and no longer a real threat to her. He was also getting the help he desperately needed to overcome the pain he had been in since the war.
Hermione got dressed and went to make some breakfast. She looked at the couch as she made a bowl of cereal and giggled to herself. Draco had to wake her up because she was holding his hand. She must have really needed reassurance last night. It had been such a long time since she felt that safe with anyone other than Harry and Ginny.
There wasn't much to do today. She and Draco had finished preparing for classes, and even though she was so new to both the subjects she would teach, she had looked over the lesson plans that the previous professors had used and just fine-tuned them to suit the course books she had chosen as well as anything else she wanted to add.
She wondered if Draco was up for a little adventure of if he was busy with his own agenda today. She decided to go check. She went to the bathroom to brush her hair and realized that she hadn't taken a dreamless sleep draught in three days, and she hadn't had any bad dreams. That was something to tell Draco for sure.
She grabbed the novel she had been reading and walked to Draco's office/apartment. She hummed to herself as she walked. It had started raining, she realized as she walked past the Great Hall. That meant that a Hogsmeade visit was out as well as a trip to Hagrid's hut.
Arriving at Draco's office, the door was closed so she knocked on the door. She heard him say come in from the other side, so she opened the door and walked inside.
"Good morning, how did you sleep last night? I'm sorry I kept you awake so long," Hermione said.
"Morning sleeping beauty," Draco said smiling at her, "I slept well. How did you sleep? Any nightmares?"
"I wanted to tell you that I noticed I hadn't taken a sleeping draught for the last three nights and no nightmares. So you don't need to rush making more for me," she explained smiling a happy smile.
"Really? That's wonderful Hermione! Do you think its because you feel safer?" he asked her.
"I think so. I haven't felt this safe in a very long time. I also think having a busy fulfilling day also helps. I can't wait for term to start. We are going to have so much fun!" Hermione giggled, "what are your plans for the day?"
"I don't really have any plans. What did you have in mind?" he asked her.
"Its raining, so reading I guess. For some reason I want a bit of adventure, but I don't know what," she said with a sigh.
"Adventure you say," Draco smirked at her, "I have an idea, but it will have to wait for the rain to stop. It shouldn't last long. I think its just a summer shower. In the meantime, we can read or walk the castle."
"Let's take a walk around the castle. You can show me your favorite parts, and I will show you mine," she said smiling happily and rocking on her feet.
"Ok," Draco said getting up.
0o0o0o0o Draco
I had an idea for an adventure for her, but I wasn't sure how she would feel about it. The rain shower would be over in about an hour and I had planned on taking a ride on my broom. It had been a few weeks since I had last flown, and it always helped to clear my mind. I also remembered that Hermione was not a big flyer, but she may feel safe with me. I wanted to try to teach her, so we could fly together sometime. I went to my room to shrink my broomstick and put it in my pocket, so I wouldn't have to return to pick it up.
We ambled around the castle talking and laughing and as we got to the fourth floor, I saw that the rain had indeed stopped.
"You wanted adventure, let's go!" I say grabbing her hand and running toward the first floor and the doors to the grounds.
"Where are we going Draco?" she said laughing running beside me.
"You'll see!" I didn't want to tell her until we got outside and near the lake. I didn't want her backing out.
We ran and laughed all the way to the Black Lake. It was exhilarating to hear Hermione laugh so much. She was really and truly happy.
We stopped at the lake, and I looked at the beautiful woman beside me. I pulled my broom out of my pocket and increased its size, "When I was in school, I loved to play Quidditch, not because of the game so much, but because it gave me a reason to fly. I love to fly. I want to teach you to fly well on a broom. Is that adventurous enough for you?"
She blanched. I could see her face loose its color right in front of me.
"I don't like flying, Draco. I can't do it. I had to ride on the back of a dragon to get out of Gringotts and it was terrifying enough. I don't want to fly ever again," she said backing away from me.
"What is it about flying that makes you scared?" I asked her.
"Falling to my death," Hermione whispered.
"Oh, dear girl, I would never let you fall. Has anyone besides Madame Hooch in first year tried to teach you to fly?"
"No, it's a hopeless case. I know I can't do it."
"Have you ever flown with someone?"
"No, is that possible? Its such a small broom. I would be afraid I would fall off," she said.
"It's completely possible. How about you ride in front of me. You trust me, right? I won't let anything happen to you. I would rather die than you fall off my broom, but you won't fall, I promise." I said hoping beyond hope that she would allow me to show her the joys of flying.
"Ok, but no loops or flying upside down," she said stepping forward.
"Not a problem, you remember how to mount a broom right?" I waited for her to nod. "Ok, I'm going to mount the broom after you, so you get on first and move a little forward. You will put your hands on my forearms instead of the handle. This will help you feel safe."
She stepped forward and mounted the broom moving a little forward. I mounted right behind her and grabbed the handle out of her hands. We hovered there for a minute, allowing Hermione to get comfortable. It felt amazing having her in front of me. She held onto my forearms in a death grip, but it didn't bother me. I pulled my right hand away from the handle and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her toward me just a little so we were balanced and ready to go.
Her breathing was shallow, but I leaned forward and said in her ear, "are you ready?" She nodded so I kept my hand around her waist mostly because now both her hands had grabbed that arm and was holding on tight.
I didn't want to go to fast or too high at first so we hovered a few feet over black lake and flew forward at a steady pace. She loosened her grip and looked around. I moved my arm and put it on the handle and pulled us up just a little more and increased our speed. She didn't notice. She was captivated by the new perspective of the castle and grounds.
We continued to fly around for a few more moments at that speed and height until I felt her release her grip a bit more. So I took her higher and a bit faster. We were now at normal cruising speed for most flyers. We flew over the Forbidden Forest.
"This is amazing! Draco, I see why you love flying!" she said with awe in her voice. She leaned back into me and let go of my arms. She was just sitting in front of me, perfectly balanced. I flew back over the lake and hovered there.
"I'm glad you are here with me. Do you want to try to control the broom?" I asked her.
"Oh no! Not today, but I would like to learn. I'm just enjoying the freedom of being here with you," she turned her head slightly and brushed her lips against my cheek. I felt myself flush. I looked at her. She was looking off at the castle, an awestruck expression on her face.
"Draco, you are my best friend. Thank you for showing me this," she said as I maneuvered the broom in for a landing near the edge of the lake.
"You're welcome, Hermione. We can fly anytime you want. Do you mind if I take a few minutes to do a lap or two? Then we can walk back." I asked her.
"Go ahead, I'll wait here."
0o0o0o0 Hermione
She sat on the grass and watched Draco fly around, doing loops and dashing here and there. She laughed when he did a particularly fun looking quick dash and loop. To her untrained eye, he was an excellent flyer. And she had felt completely safe with him.
Flying on the back of the dragon, exiting Gringotts had been harrowing and terrifying. But flying with Draco had been freeing. She had loved it. She also wondered why no one else had ever asked her to fly like that. Maybe because it was so intimate and close.
She wasn't ready to have a romantic relationship. She was in too much pain still and didn't trust herself enough to not get hurt, but if she was going to think about it at all, it would be with Draco. She didn't think he felt the same way. He was just being nice to her, she was sure. But it felt nice to feel close and trust someone like she instinctually trusted Draco. Tomorrow, she would have to talk to a therapist about everything, and flying had been the perfect adventure to relax her.
At first she had been terrified, and she was sure he could feel it, but the more she relaxed, the more she felt safe. She knew that Draco wouldn't allow her to fall. He was too strong for that. And having his arms braced around her kept her feeling so very safe. She had even let go at one point! She hadn't lied to him when she said she would enjoy learning to fly from him. Maybe they could go buy a broom for her tomorrow.
Ginny and Harry would be ecstatic to hear that she wants to learn to fly. She laughed to herself as Draco landed a few feet from her.
He hopped off his broom and looked at her smiling. She grabbed his hand and walked with him up the hill to the grounds. She hadn't been this happy in a long time.