Hello all! Sorry this is late but whatever Fanfiction.net was doing over
the week really confused me. Anyway. I'm going to ask a small favor of you
my readers, when you submit reviews could you tell me what your favorite
chapter is? If you don't know that's okay but I'm trying to see what you
all like the best! Tootles!
"Okay, now that we're all here class." Snape looked pointedly at Draco. McGonagall cleared her throat. "We have good news and bad news. The good news is Crabbe is going home and Ron will be free of the spell. The bad news is the rest of you are still stuck together."
There was a collective groan. Draco ignored everyone else. "Where are we going now professor?"
Minerva smiled "Paris." It was now Draco's turn to groan.
He was almost afraid to ask, "How are we getting there?"
Snape smiled wickedly. "The grand ocean liner S.U.N.K."
"Sunk? As in going into the ocean?" Questioned Hermione.
"It stands for Students Understanding Natural Kangaroos." Answered Minerva.
"Excuse me?" Harry was becoming frightened.
"It's a ship that transports kangaroos from the U.S. to Europe and visa versa." Explained McGonagall.
Snape glanced at his watch. "We better get going, Minerva, it leaves in an hour." She nodded and the students piled into the airplanes a final time and took off to a dock in New York to board the boat S.U.N.K.
Once a board the ocean liner Hermione was walking around the deck talking with Draco when a crew member plowed into her nearly barreling her over and causing both to lose their footing.
Draco tried to grab Hermione but failed and she and the crewmember along with a thousand sugar cubes the crewmember had been carrying hit the deck, literally.
The crewmember appeared to be terribly shaken. "It's a monster I tell ya, a monster! It tried to bite my hand off."
Draco kneeled down beside the man and put a calming hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" He asked gently.
"Sunshine." The man said as if it were a terrible evil thing that had haunted him for years.
"Who's Sunshine?" Draco tried, helping Hermione to her feet.
"The most terrible, horrible, evil, twisted, psychotic kangaroo I've ever seen in my life. I was trying to feed it sugar cubes and it attacked me!" He cried. Just then they heard ferocious growling from around the corner that the crewmember had come from. The crewmember leaped to his feet in horror and ran away, obviously not caring about his fallen sugar cubes.
Hermione gathered a few sugar cubes in her hand and started for the corner. "What are you doing?" Asked Draco falling in stride beside her.
"Feeding Sunshine." She answered coolly.
"Are you crazy? You saw what it did to that man."
She shrugged. "Maybe Sunshine's just grumpy."
Draco groaned. "You are going to get yourself killed one day." But he allowed her to go, following her around the corner. There, right in front of them was a cage that held a drooping kangaroo.
Sunshine was lying in her cage, her fur matted; she appeared to not have eaten in days. Hermione approached her cautiously. Draco held back, not wanting to startle the creature. It snarled weakly as it caught sight of Hermione. Clearly it didn't have the energy to fight off another person.
"Sunshine." Hermione whispered softly. "Look I've brought you some sugar." She reached her hand into the cage and stroked the kangaroo's head. Draco could see her hand trembling.
She placed four sugar cubes beside the poor beast's mouth. It stopped snarling and sniffed the sugar cubes. It ate one and licked Hermione's hand gratefully. Eventually it devoured every sugar cube she had and stood up licking Hermione feverently.
She stroked it's ears one more time before turning away to look at the sea over the side of the boat. She felt Draco's body behind her, "Of course. If there were wild animals everywhere the only person they'd listen to is you." He said laying his head on her shoulder.
"It's not my fault, I'm nicer than you." She replied sweetly.
He chuckled softly. "You're right about that, I don't have a nice bone in my body."
Hermione smiled. "Yes you do."
He raised his eyebrows. "Do I? Would you mind enlightening me on what I've ever done that has been nice."
She laughed. "If you don't know then you aren't as smart as people give you credit for.'
He was going to retaliate but caught sight of land. "Land ho." He said quietly. "We'll be docking in about thirty minutes."
Hermione felt bereft. She didn't want to get off the boat but knew it was inevitable. She sighed and spent the rest of her time gazing at the land growing ever nearer with Draco in silence.
"Okay class! To the café slash gift shop!" Said McGonagall walking in the direction of the building. The class reluctantly followed.
"Oh, Severus, look at this!" Minerva held up a miniature structure of the Eiffel Tower.
"Lovely Minerva." Snape replied in bored tones.
McGonagall's eyes lit with an idea. "I've got it! We'll take the kids on the wall less elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower."
Snape's face filled with shock. "Wall less, as in lacking walls? I don't think that's a good."
"Come on kids we're going to the Eiffel Tower!"
"Too late." Snape watched helplessly as the students followed Minerva towards the looming monument and was forced to follow. He glanced at the sinking sun and prayed that they closed before dark. No such luck.
"Only seven at a time." The elevator operator said stopping the professors from joining their students. They were about to protest when the elevator jerked into motion. Snape sighed; this was going to be a long night.
Pansy glanced at Draco, concocting a plan as she felt the elevator stop at the top. She elbowed Hermione subtly causing the Gryffindor to lose her balance and fall off the platform.
Ron and Draco both lunged simultaneously. Ron's mistake was jumping too far. Draco, however, caught Hermione's hand with one hand and the platform with the other.
Ron barely caught Hermione's leg before falling to his death. Ginny and Goyle both peered over at their respective allies. But Goyle tripped over his own feet taking Ginny with him.
Pansy rushed over to the other side to see where Goyle had fallen and in the process lost her own footing. Harry stared blankly forward. "Pansy I hate you." He stated to the air before casually stepping off the platform so as not to disappear.
Meanwhile Hermione was slipping out of Draco's grasp. "Weasley, let go you're too heavy for her to hold!" Draco snapped at Ron.
"Are you mad!" He screamed back up.
Think! Draco ordered his mind. He remembered reading somewhere that a female wrist in a male grasp was unbreakable. But how was he going to get a hold of Hermione's wrist? He mustered all his strength and threw both bodies closer to him, and, in mid air, snatched Hermione's wrist. Then with his remaining strength he pulled himself on the platform.
"Just think of us as dumb bells!" Shouted Ron encouragingly.
"One of you is." Muttered Draco hauling Hermione's form up beside him along with Ron shortly behind. Hermione swallowed hard.
"What's wrong Hermione?" Draco asked laying a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm acrophobic." She said meekly trembling in the cold night air; the elevation didn't help either.
"What?" Asked Ron.
Draco turned on him. "Acrophobic you idiot! She's afraid of heights."
"Then why'd you get on the elevator." He wondered aloud.
"I didn't have a choice, Draco got on before I could say any thing."
Guilt swept over Draco. "Why didn't you tell me?" He coaxed.
She shrugged still shivering. Draco removed his black robe and wrapped it around her smaller frame, warming her.
Ron put his hand on her other shoulder. "Just don't look down." He said stupidly.
Draco rolled his eyes but refrained from insulting Ron yet again. Hermione smiled at Ron. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." She said sweetly. She swung her legs around to sit Indian style beside Draco.
Draco saw a portion of her leg that was bruised where Ron had grabbed her. He growled, cold fire leaping into his eyes. One day Weasley was going to pay. He just had to be patient and wait for that day.
"Well done, once again Minerva!" Bellowed Snape throwing his arms forward for emphasis, Goyle soon occupied that space.
"Hello professor." Said Goyle as Snape sat him down.
"Oh my goodness Severus!" McGonagall cried pointing up. Snape looked up and saw several small bodies hurtling towards him.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" He yelled catching Ginny inches before she hit the ground. Minerva followed suit, catching Harry and Pansy with the same spell.
Snape looked around. "Where are Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley?"
All four students pointed up. Minerva's eyes went wide. "They're still up there?" She rushed to the elevator operator. "Sir, could you bring down the elevator please?"
He regarded her tiredly. "'Fraid it's jammed lady."
"Jammed?" repeated Snape.
"Yes, jammed, as in it can't move until we fix it."
"How long until you can get it fixed?"
The man glanced at his watch. "Morning." He concluded
"Morning!" McGonagall and Snape caroled in unison.
Now the operator was becoming annoyed. "Yeah, morning, as in when the sun comes up."
"Okay don't panic Minerva. I'll take the other children to a hotel while you think on what to do about this."
McGonagall nodded. "Good thinking Severus." She agreed as Snape led the children away. "Okay, Minerva, think." She commanded herself. "How to get them down."
Ron was curled into a ball in one corner of the platform asleep. The second Ron had succumbed to sleep Hermione had rushed to Draco to let his heat comfort her.
He was holding her body protectively, shielding her from the howling wind. From below Hermione could hear music drifting to them from a nearby café. Draco stood abruptly, extending his hand to Hermione. "Fair Maiden, would you accompany me in a dance?"
Hermione giggled softly, so as not to wake Ron. "Why, I'd be honored kind sir." She drawled in a heavy southern accent.
"Don't do that." He laughed pulling her to her feet. He placed one hand on her hip and the other in her remaining hand. She wrapped her arm around his neck. They began to sway to the rhythm of the music humming below.
"You dance well." It took Hermione a moment to realize she had been complimented "Thank you, you aren't bad yourself."
Suddenly he burst into laughter. "Listen to our conversation, so formal, stupid really."
She realized he was correct and laughed with him. He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, still dancing, and for the first time she didn't pull away.
Oh dear. Stuck in the Eiffel Tower! What ever will they do? Oh well, don't forget to tell me you're favorite chapter. I'm trying to understand my readers better. If that's possible.
"Okay, now that we're all here class." Snape looked pointedly at Draco. McGonagall cleared her throat. "We have good news and bad news. The good news is Crabbe is going home and Ron will be free of the spell. The bad news is the rest of you are still stuck together."
There was a collective groan. Draco ignored everyone else. "Where are we going now professor?"
Minerva smiled "Paris." It was now Draco's turn to groan.
He was almost afraid to ask, "How are we getting there?"
Snape smiled wickedly. "The grand ocean liner S.U.N.K."
"Sunk? As in going into the ocean?" Questioned Hermione.
"It stands for Students Understanding Natural Kangaroos." Answered Minerva.
"Excuse me?" Harry was becoming frightened.
"It's a ship that transports kangaroos from the U.S. to Europe and visa versa." Explained McGonagall.
Snape glanced at his watch. "We better get going, Minerva, it leaves in an hour." She nodded and the students piled into the airplanes a final time and took off to a dock in New York to board the boat S.U.N.K.
Once a board the ocean liner Hermione was walking around the deck talking with Draco when a crew member plowed into her nearly barreling her over and causing both to lose their footing.
Draco tried to grab Hermione but failed and she and the crewmember along with a thousand sugar cubes the crewmember had been carrying hit the deck, literally.
The crewmember appeared to be terribly shaken. "It's a monster I tell ya, a monster! It tried to bite my hand off."
Draco kneeled down beside the man and put a calming hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" He asked gently.
"Sunshine." The man said as if it were a terrible evil thing that had haunted him for years.
"Who's Sunshine?" Draco tried, helping Hermione to her feet.
"The most terrible, horrible, evil, twisted, psychotic kangaroo I've ever seen in my life. I was trying to feed it sugar cubes and it attacked me!" He cried. Just then they heard ferocious growling from around the corner that the crewmember had come from. The crewmember leaped to his feet in horror and ran away, obviously not caring about his fallen sugar cubes.
Hermione gathered a few sugar cubes in her hand and started for the corner. "What are you doing?" Asked Draco falling in stride beside her.
"Feeding Sunshine." She answered coolly.
"Are you crazy? You saw what it did to that man."
She shrugged. "Maybe Sunshine's just grumpy."
Draco groaned. "You are going to get yourself killed one day." But he allowed her to go, following her around the corner. There, right in front of them was a cage that held a drooping kangaroo.
Sunshine was lying in her cage, her fur matted; she appeared to not have eaten in days. Hermione approached her cautiously. Draco held back, not wanting to startle the creature. It snarled weakly as it caught sight of Hermione. Clearly it didn't have the energy to fight off another person.
"Sunshine." Hermione whispered softly. "Look I've brought you some sugar." She reached her hand into the cage and stroked the kangaroo's head. Draco could see her hand trembling.
She placed four sugar cubes beside the poor beast's mouth. It stopped snarling and sniffed the sugar cubes. It ate one and licked Hermione's hand gratefully. Eventually it devoured every sugar cube she had and stood up licking Hermione feverently.
She stroked it's ears one more time before turning away to look at the sea over the side of the boat. She felt Draco's body behind her, "Of course. If there were wild animals everywhere the only person they'd listen to is you." He said laying his head on her shoulder.
"It's not my fault, I'm nicer than you." She replied sweetly.
He chuckled softly. "You're right about that, I don't have a nice bone in my body."
Hermione smiled. "Yes you do."
He raised his eyebrows. "Do I? Would you mind enlightening me on what I've ever done that has been nice."
She laughed. "If you don't know then you aren't as smart as people give you credit for.'
He was going to retaliate but caught sight of land. "Land ho." He said quietly. "We'll be docking in about thirty minutes."
Hermione felt bereft. She didn't want to get off the boat but knew it was inevitable. She sighed and spent the rest of her time gazing at the land growing ever nearer with Draco in silence.
"Okay class! To the café slash gift shop!" Said McGonagall walking in the direction of the building. The class reluctantly followed.
"Oh, Severus, look at this!" Minerva held up a miniature structure of the Eiffel Tower.
"Lovely Minerva." Snape replied in bored tones.
McGonagall's eyes lit with an idea. "I've got it! We'll take the kids on the wall less elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower."
Snape's face filled with shock. "Wall less, as in lacking walls? I don't think that's a good."
"Come on kids we're going to the Eiffel Tower!"
"Too late." Snape watched helplessly as the students followed Minerva towards the looming monument and was forced to follow. He glanced at the sinking sun and prayed that they closed before dark. No such luck.
"Only seven at a time." The elevator operator said stopping the professors from joining their students. They were about to protest when the elevator jerked into motion. Snape sighed; this was going to be a long night.
Pansy glanced at Draco, concocting a plan as she felt the elevator stop at the top. She elbowed Hermione subtly causing the Gryffindor to lose her balance and fall off the platform.
Ron and Draco both lunged simultaneously. Ron's mistake was jumping too far. Draco, however, caught Hermione's hand with one hand and the platform with the other.
Ron barely caught Hermione's leg before falling to his death. Ginny and Goyle both peered over at their respective allies. But Goyle tripped over his own feet taking Ginny with him.
Pansy rushed over to the other side to see where Goyle had fallen and in the process lost her own footing. Harry stared blankly forward. "Pansy I hate you." He stated to the air before casually stepping off the platform so as not to disappear.
Meanwhile Hermione was slipping out of Draco's grasp. "Weasley, let go you're too heavy for her to hold!" Draco snapped at Ron.
"Are you mad!" He screamed back up.
Think! Draco ordered his mind. He remembered reading somewhere that a female wrist in a male grasp was unbreakable. But how was he going to get a hold of Hermione's wrist? He mustered all his strength and threw both bodies closer to him, and, in mid air, snatched Hermione's wrist. Then with his remaining strength he pulled himself on the platform.
"Just think of us as dumb bells!" Shouted Ron encouragingly.
"One of you is." Muttered Draco hauling Hermione's form up beside him along with Ron shortly behind. Hermione swallowed hard.
"What's wrong Hermione?" Draco asked laying a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm acrophobic." She said meekly trembling in the cold night air; the elevation didn't help either.
"What?" Asked Ron.
Draco turned on him. "Acrophobic you idiot! She's afraid of heights."
"Then why'd you get on the elevator." He wondered aloud.
"I didn't have a choice, Draco got on before I could say any thing."
Guilt swept over Draco. "Why didn't you tell me?" He coaxed.
She shrugged still shivering. Draco removed his black robe and wrapped it around her smaller frame, warming her.
Ron put his hand on her other shoulder. "Just don't look down." He said stupidly.
Draco rolled his eyes but refrained from insulting Ron yet again. Hermione smiled at Ron. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." She said sweetly. She swung her legs around to sit Indian style beside Draco.
Draco saw a portion of her leg that was bruised where Ron had grabbed her. He growled, cold fire leaping into his eyes. One day Weasley was going to pay. He just had to be patient and wait for that day.
"Well done, once again Minerva!" Bellowed Snape throwing his arms forward for emphasis, Goyle soon occupied that space.
"Hello professor." Said Goyle as Snape sat him down.
"Oh my goodness Severus!" McGonagall cried pointing up. Snape looked up and saw several small bodies hurtling towards him.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" He yelled catching Ginny inches before she hit the ground. Minerva followed suit, catching Harry and Pansy with the same spell.
Snape looked around. "Where are Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley?"
All four students pointed up. Minerva's eyes went wide. "They're still up there?" She rushed to the elevator operator. "Sir, could you bring down the elevator please?"
He regarded her tiredly. "'Fraid it's jammed lady."
"Jammed?" repeated Snape.
"Yes, jammed, as in it can't move until we fix it."
"How long until you can get it fixed?"
The man glanced at his watch. "Morning." He concluded
"Morning!" McGonagall and Snape caroled in unison.
Now the operator was becoming annoyed. "Yeah, morning, as in when the sun comes up."
"Okay don't panic Minerva. I'll take the other children to a hotel while you think on what to do about this."
McGonagall nodded. "Good thinking Severus." She agreed as Snape led the children away. "Okay, Minerva, think." She commanded herself. "How to get them down."
Ron was curled into a ball in one corner of the platform asleep. The second Ron had succumbed to sleep Hermione had rushed to Draco to let his heat comfort her.
He was holding her body protectively, shielding her from the howling wind. From below Hermione could hear music drifting to them from a nearby café. Draco stood abruptly, extending his hand to Hermione. "Fair Maiden, would you accompany me in a dance?"
Hermione giggled softly, so as not to wake Ron. "Why, I'd be honored kind sir." She drawled in a heavy southern accent.
"Don't do that." He laughed pulling her to her feet. He placed one hand on her hip and the other in her remaining hand. She wrapped her arm around his neck. They began to sway to the rhythm of the music humming below.
"You dance well." It took Hermione a moment to realize she had been complimented "Thank you, you aren't bad yourself."
Suddenly he burst into laughter. "Listen to our conversation, so formal, stupid really."
She realized he was correct and laughed with him. He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, still dancing, and for the first time she didn't pull away.
Oh dear. Stuck in the Eiffel Tower! What ever will they do? Oh well, don't forget to tell me you're favorite chapter. I'm trying to understand my readers better. If that's possible.