I'm picking up the pace, my lovely readers. My body forced me to tone it down a bit, but I'm not gone and day 29 is a two-chapter, the second part is being cooked as we speak :)
Beta'ed by my angel Magzillasaurus.
Day Twenty-Nine
The arrival at Honolulu didn't happen as she hoped. There were no dancing grass-skirted women, nor drumming on the tambourines.
"Why are you pouting?" The curled bottom lip was a dorky sight.
"Hmpf...it only happens in the movies...balls…" She whimpered, thinking, At least there were flower garlands.
As they passed the curtain of welcoming young girls, Draco and Hermione were greeted with a fresh Lei, "Ha, one of my three wishes is accomplished!"
"A chain of flowers?"
She shook her head, "Well yes, a true first taste of the Aloha spirit. I miss the music and the dancers, though." Her deception was hard to subdue.
Draco seized her hand, "You can be such a girly girl sometimes." Following Perkins, they arrived at the bus with two other couples, and two men who were obviously good friends. They were driven to an area where multiple companies were stationed, the different models of helicopters and two-engine aeroplanes as a business card shining outdoors.
Theirs was at the end of the lane, and as the bus drove up the driveway, the faces of every passenger showed excitement.
Draco's jaw fell open, and the first thought that crossed his mind was, can I fly one of these birds? Before him, stood two red, yellow and brown striped helicopters, as those Hermione recognised from the TV-show Magnum. Five rotor blades, a T-tail, and no doors.
The looks of awe muted any conversation until their pilots reached the group, "Good Morning folks, or as we say Aloha. I'm Steve, this is Evan and behind us are two MD-500's, or the Hugues 500 model they use in the Military. These babies are the civilian versions, and were used in the famous Magnum PI tv-series in the USA, with the famous Tom Selleck in the leading role; we're sure the ladies will remember." The smirks confirmed the statement, Hermione's was more of I've heard of him, from my mum. "They can fly as fast as two-hundred eighty kilometres per hour for the European folks, one-seventy-five miles per hour for the Americans. We will not fly that fast, of course, our goal is to show you in an hour time the highlights of our beautiful island."
With no exception, all the passengers hung on Steve's words, "It's an open-air helicopter, but please ladies, fear not. You will be safely strapped to your seat!" The laughter was evidence of how not only women feared the absence of doors. Draco, on the contrary, didn't mind it though, broomsticks have no entries…
The young Hawaiian continued, "You'll have to excuse our indecency, but we need to weigh you, guys. To have a decent weight distribution between both aircraft. Rest assured, we will not announce aloud the number on the scale."
His mind raced about million things, how did Muggles get this baby flying? Where can I buy one? How do they work and what are all those displays for? The majority weren't things Hermione could answer, he thought, but she would know where I can get my answers.
They were weighted per couple, and in the end, Hermione and Draco got the company of the two brothers as it turned out.
"Have you flown before?" The oldest of the two asked, "It's my first time, Alan-my brother-has done it before with his ex-wife."
"Yes-" Draco winced.
"No, we haven't." Hermione elbowed Draco subtlety before he would tell he flies via Firebolt, "Draco means he has wanted to do this for a long time." She stared at him intensely as a warning.
"I meant, indeed, that it was my first time too." The insistent brown stare was returned by a dark grey glare, he still could feel the point where her elbow hit.
Evan, their pilot, helped them harness securely, explained the use of the two-way headset and fired up the engine, amplifying the thrill in the blond wizard. Unfortunately, there was no centre-seat for Hermione, and she held tight to the sidebar and her seat.
After flying over the idyllic Keehi Lagoon, the first of many highlights, Draco's eyes were wide, hair flew everywhere despite the headset around his head, "Look! That tower looks like our Big Ben, the basic version." His outstretched arm pointed towards an iconic tower, the tall building at Honolulu Harbor.
Evan spoke through the com-set, "You're looking at Aloha Tower. It has been the tallest building in Oahu for four decades since it was completed in 1926, it's clock is the largest in the US." A new photo, the fourth or fifth already, since they took off.
The next passage was above a bowl-shaped crater, now covered in beautiful trimmed grass and a few stone markers, Evan elaborated, "We're flying over the Hill of Human Sacrifices, as the ancient Hawaiians called this Punchbowl Crater. It's believed that, at an ancient temple here, the bodies of slain taboo breakers were cremated upon the altar. Now, it is the resting place for more than fifty-thousand veterans including those who lost their lives during the attack of Pearl Harbor."
Draco lipped, What's Pearl Harbor? She mouthed back, Later.
Yet the serenity of the place was impressive, just as much as the ridges of the mountains that followed, creating a spine down the middle of the island. More harbours and beaches followed, with the blue water babbling onto the sandy shores, surfers, and to their immense pleasure, dolphins submerging in the water, a school of six if Draco counted correctly.
He took picture after picture, patting her leg to point out a spot; whether it was as they flew over downtown Honolulu with its beach line, or when the pilot brought them above the Diamond Head Crater giving the Hogwarts couple a taste of their hiking planned for the next day.
"That's what we're heading tomorrow, right?" Draco asked for confirmation, after Evan's spot naming.
"It looks magnificent from above, doesn't it?"
Honestly, Hermione didn't know what she loved the most. Everything was so green or blue, vivid colours all around her. It looked like paradise, rugged coastline alternated by sandy beaches, some full of sunbathing tourists, others clearly transformed into natural reserves for their protection.
"We're flying over Hanauma Bay, people. Pay attention to the clear water and spot the coral reefs underneath." Only the rotors could be heard, as every single passenger admired the natural beauty, "It's now heavily protected, as a first-time visitor, you have to watch a nine-minute video to learn about marine life, preservation and the rules of the park." Evan circled above Outer Reef, and flew closer pointing out a certain spot, "Look at your five o'clock, guys!"
"Draco! Look! I see a turtle down there!" She heard the camera go off, but didn't notice that one or two were close-ups of her delighted face. For that one time, she leaned over the edge for a closer view, ignoring her fear of the aircraft entirely.
It wasn't the first coral reef they saw, nor the last beach. A lighthouse followed, Makapu'u Point, with the largest lens of the whole United States.
Draco wondered, "Is this America?"
Hermione nodded, "It belongs to the United States, yes."
More of the island was shown, the pilot pointed out to must-see spots, among them, the valley used in several movies including Jurassic Park; the beautiful thousand-foot cascade, Sacred Falls; or where celebrities had their vacation properties until the end of the tour came in sight. Circling the Pearl Harbor site, he didn't skip the Arizona Memorial or the battleship USS Missouri.
The wizard understood that this place had the same vibe as the Liberty Ship in San Francisco, and stored for later the wish to know more about it. Perhaps their Wizarding Community needed such a monument, to remember those who lost their lives at the hand of the noseless bastard.
Aside from some occasional turbulence, the flight ran smoothly, though some turns were narrow, almost parallel to the ground. The younger of the two brothers felt uneasy at one point from the motion sickness, but it lessened after a while and a few bits of advice from Evan.
Draco was not only astonished by the entire tour, but he was mostly fascinated by the aircraft.
The smooth landing was meant to be the very last phase of the tour, the other helicopter touching down shortly after. Everyone unhooked the harness, thanked both pilots for their beautiful journey thoroughly and headed back to the bus. All but Draco, and subsequently Hermione.
The blond entered an intense conversation with both pilots about the functioning of a helicopter. Steve was apparently the most enthusiastic of the two and took the wizard with him into the cockpit after he gave the blond an outside tour pointing out the several components like the rotors and the tail, and explaining how they worked.
Hermione sent the other passengers away, "We'll call for a taxi when he's done. Don't wait for us, sorry."
Nothing that the two men were discussing interested her much. It was just like cars, meant to drive somewhere, but how the fuel made the engine move forward was of no interest to her.
Instead, she found a shaded spot under a tree and sat down, slumbering in peace.
The restart of the blades woke her up. To her great astonishment, it was her Draco behind the poke, who was lifting off with the helicopter, with a stern look of concentration on his features while following every bit of instructions.
The flight didn't take long, just over the water to the other shore and back, but it was long enough for her to understand that this came very close to his thrill of flying a broomstick.
Draco nearly hopped back to her, the spark in his eyes spitting a youthful fire she hadn't spot yet. He held her face between his hands, squeezing her mouth a little too tight, unnoticed, "Did you see me fly, love? That was WOW! Just fucking WOW, holy Salazar's saggy tit. You steer that thing by holding a poke one hand, pulling another at your side and balancing the tail blades with the two pedals...Hermione, it's fucking awesome!"
"Very interesting, Draco. I'm glad you love it. Will we be looking for a flight academy? You must be dying to take flight lessons when we get back to the UK. Or am I wrong?"
"I'm boring you with all this, or am I wrong?" In the middle of his enthusiasm, he forgot with whom he was speaking.
"I'm not into flying a broomstick, nor one of those without doors. But don't let my snarkiness about the subject kill your buzz. Now, will I be helping you find a decent place when we're back in London?" The answer was displayed on his face, the nodding was superfluous.
-oOo-
For their choice of lunch, Hermione talked Draco into expanding his palette of tastes with a selection of new dishes for both of them. While his decision of Pork Laulau, tender slices of juicy pork wrapped in taro leaves that, after cooking in an underground hot rock oven, turn into a spinach like consistency - a new experience, but one both enjoyed - Hermione's selection was more challenging.
She tried a mix of Lomo Salmon and Tuna Poke. The first was dice sized pieces of salmon cured in salt and eaten with a Hawaiian style of salsa, mainly acid tomatoes and sharp onions. Out of safety, she asked for the version without the chilli peppers. The second seemed like the sashimi sushi version of tuna, but instead of the thin slices, they were bite-sized hearty cubes and a choice of marinades to try, from wasabi to lime.
Hermione made him try both, confirming once more he was no man for raw fish. Give him the cooked versions of any fish plate, not this stuff that would barely satisfy his hunger.
In the meantime, he talked her ears off with questions about Pearl Harbor, falling silent the more she recounted what she knew.
"I've told you about World War II, remember? America was until that point watching from the sideline more or less. The Japanese decided to attack a strategic place, in particular, Pearl Harbor, to prevent the American's mingling in a planned conflict against the UK and other countries, if I'm not mistaken, though it's been a long time since I read anything about it. Out of nowhere, battleships and bases were attacked, more than two thousand people died." She sipped her ice tea, before continuing, "If my memory doesn't fail me, I read somewhere where Japan says that they won the attack but lost the war."
"Help me understand...They attacked a military base successfully but lost the war?"
"Draco, we have to see if we have time for a visit, I don't know all the details. But, the Japanese fought the Allies on the side of Germany and Italy, but after the atom bombs on cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, they yielded."
"Atom bombs?"
"Chemistry, imagine this deadly bomb build with dangerous potions and dropping it on innocent people with catastrophic consequences. Mankind can be cruel, like fuck, if you tell me."
"Between the Avada's from the Dark Lord or those chemistry bombs from your Muggle World, I don't know which is the most violent folk."
"Nor do I, Draco." She ordered them a mint tea as a closer.
-oOo-
Their next adventure was a novelty to both.
"Draco, this will be one toy you can't buy."
It was time for their next excursion, an underwater tour aboard the Atlantis submarine and they were at this moment on their way to the diving site outside Waikiki, on board a smaller speedboat.
Cautiously, they transferred from the one into a long white elongated surface, and descended down the stairs on board of the sub, surrounded by big round windows. To say that Draco was entirely at ease inside the closed space, was a false statement; on the other hand, the interest to experience and see the underwater world instead of looking at photos appealed to him more.
Once the boat was loaded and the necessary doors were closed and locked, it navigated away from the pier and began to sink.
Hermione and Draco had chosen a window in the centre, adjusting the headsets provided - later a marine biologist on board would name the different marine life they encountered. Bubbles ascended against the glass, and he took her hand for grounding. It was this morning's events on the reverse, she providing comfort instead of his nudges.
A display on the wall showed the reached depth, starting at twenty feet, quickly reaching the sixty and stopping at the end goal, a hundred feet. At first, Draco controlled his breath to keep his head straight - small spaces weren't his cup of tea - but once the fish swam around their vessel, one coloured and small, others long like a snake, his nervosity made room for astonishment. Name after name, the biologist in his ear pointed out the eels, the stingrays, the turtles and so much more, all of them impressive in their own right.
He learned to take pictures without the flash, at the suggestion of a neighbouring tourist, recording for later the evidence of a remarkable experience. He also drew away from the window when a curious shark displayed an impressive amount of teeth, "Damn those look sharp."
"I believe they are, and they love meat!" Hermione shivered. It was one menacing fish she didn't want to touch, unlike dolphins.
But it wasn't limited to fish only, the submarine brought them between the coral and the marine vegetation; they witnessed the sandstorm a stingray caused while searching for a place to rest.
"Is that a boat?" Draco blinked a few times as the vessel slowly approached the wreckage, navigating around the entire boat.
"It's been here for a while, I guess. See how it's full of encrustations…"
"I need to bring my mother here, she would love to see this…" He snapped picture after picture. "Your Potter might like this too…"
That last comment surprised her the most, "Would you like to return?"
"Of every port we docked, this one has the most variety to offer. The beach, the sightseeing, I bet the shopping also, my mother will enjoy it as much as I do. Salazar's sake, what the hell is that?"
"An aeroplane." Hermione inched closer to the window, "Probably one from the war." Next to her, the camera shot a few pictures. "The bottom is full of wreckage, see another boat far ahead."
She yelped, thought the brunette wasn't the only one. A turtle swam nearly against the window; Hermione put a hand against her chest while she laughed in shock, "Holy shit, the damn thing came out of nowhere."
Slowly, the submarine turned around and again a joint aw floated in the air, as three dolphins escorted them to the shore. Draco spoke to her, but she never registered, entranced as she was at the sight. The biologist confirmed it was very likely a little family, between them an infant, who came closer, curious about his many admirers. His antics were met with peals of laughter, not one passenger was immune to so much cuteness.
None remarked the ascending, which happened accompanied by their dolphin group. But something scared them away, and Draco's jaw couldn't drop more open. Two big whales swam towards the submarine when it reached the surface. The pilot noticed how fast everyone mounted up, exiting the inside of the craft and admire the new arrivals.
This hour-long journey underwater was an eye-opener for the blond, but the cherry on the pie was watching the colossus expel air and water out of their blowhole before they dove in the water. For a man who only saw whales in his textbook, seeing two so close was breathtaking.
"It beats any schoolbook, right?" Her words fell on a deaf man's ears, it was his turn to be mesmerised.
Draco never noticed her shooting a picture of him. As they were urged to switch over to the speedboat for the return trip, the blond directly headed the quickest back to the rail and keep admiring the view, especially when the three dolphins kept tabs on the two newcomers from a safe distance.
Any uncertainty or any residual repercussions from his Alcatraz breakdown he still felt, all of it disappeared and was replaced by a sense of peace. Even when he found himself on the pier, his hand firmly in her hold, the sensation lingered in his heart.
Hermione entered his line of sight, joy glowing on her features, held his face between her hands and kissed him reverently. Draco craved her closer, wrapping her petite shape in his arms, hand holding her head in place as his mouth devoured her with a hunger that went beyond arousal. It was his way to say thank you.
Thank you for letting him enjoy without demanding his attention needlessly, for allowing him to relish in silence. Thank you for sharing this magnificent experience with him.
In return, Hermione filed this journey as a trip that should be renewed a few years later. Because it brought him so much joy.
Temporarily, both forgot they were in public, the other mattered more than what a stranger might think. Creating their own cocoon, regardless of the possible audience. Those strangers were ignorant to the path the couple had walked to arrive at that point; ignorant to the hate turned into friendship into true love that grew exponentially every day. Oblivious to his secret desire to make her a permanent fixture in his life, and to welcome any siblings into his world as an extension of his feelings for her.
Regretting even the time they wasted all those years.
Since his breakdown at Alcatraz, his mind and heart pondered on all the possibilities with her at his side, returning over and over to the same conclusion. He wouldn't let her go. Instead, he thought of marrying her once they arrived in the UK. Playing with the thought of asking her to stop with her potion and let nature lead the way. His blurting out about the heir in her womb, during a moment of passion, was nothing more than a prayer spoken out loud.
What this excursion taught him was, life is too precious to waste. Salazar knew how much time he had lost already.
But he had a mission first, in Brisbane. To set the one thing straight that his side brought upon her, the only one he could undo. With a soft hand or the hard means if necessary. Or his name was no longer Draco Malfoy.