Yeah!! The big chapter 10!! Thank you so much for reviewing!! You guys are
awesome.
This is a transition chapter, so not a lot happens, but next chapter it'll be a lot better. I promise. Look for a preview down at the bottom.
My friend Emily just started an excellent Hermione/Draco fic called "Embrace the Darkness," and I really recommend that you go read it. And if you do, please review her on it. Thanks and kudos to the people who do it. (Bribe- I'll continue the story if she gets over 15 reviews).
Disclaimer- I am not affiliated with J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros. I do not claim to own any of the Harry Potter characters or ideas, and am making no money off this production. This was created solely for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.
~*~*~*~
"Attention passengers, we are now reaching our destination of New York City, New York. The present time is 3:07 and the current temperature is a comfortable 82 degrees. We will be landing in approximately ten minutes. Please remain seated until the captain turns off the fasten seat belt light. Thank you for flying and have a wonderful day."
Draco carefully marked his place in his book, then looked over at the sleeping girl next to him.
"Hermione, Hermione," he whispered softly in her ear. Hermione's eyelids fluttered open and she smiled sleepily.
"Are we there?" she asked through a big yawn.
"We'll be landing in a few minutes."
"Thanks," Hermione said, stretching her arms out in front of her. She had fallen asleep twenty minutes into the inflight movie and had slept soundly for the rest of the flight.
Hermione's last conscious thoughts returned as she tucked her unread book back into her bag. Draco. Draco and his words. His gentle touch. Now it all seemed almost unrealistic. But it had happened. The memories came floating back like boats on a current.
' "Hermione, I'm not trying to be forward. All I want is for us to be friends."
She had nodded slightly to show her consent, since she found herself momentarily speechless. Draco, the man she always had considered to be unconscious of female's feelings and fast, had just told her that he considered her his girl but wanted friendship before a relationship. Hermione was stunned.'
Hermione was jolted back to the future as the plane landed with a slight bump on the runway. Next to her, Draco was recreating the grooves in the armrest.
As soon as they were free to 'roam the aircraft,' Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and weaved them through the crowd, making sure they got out first and ensuring that they made it through customs in record time.
They arrived at their terminal twenty minutes before boarding time.
"So, what do you want to do?" Draco asked, checking his watch. "We've got twenty minutes."
"Let's hit the gift shops," Hermione suggested. "Do a little shopping."
Draco looked at his watch again. "That wouldn't take over a quarter hour, will it?"
"Not if we powershop."
"I don't like the sound of that."
"Come on, it's fun." Hermione pulled Draco to his feet and they walked over to the shopping part of the airport.
Ten minutes later, they returned with a bag stocked with several candy bars and a deck of cards to keep them entertained for the flight's duration. Draco had also wanted to get a portable chess set, but upon learning that the pieces did not move, decided against it.
They sat by their gate, watching the planes take off and land through the wall to wall glass windows.
"It always amazed me how these great hunks of metal can fly thousands of feet above without magic," Draco said watching a jumbo jet take off.
"I guess that if you inject enough fuel into it, you can make it do whatever you want," Hermione said. "I never really thought about it."
They waited in an awkward silence, each overly aware of the other's presence beside them, until the flight attendant began boarding the plane. Their seats had yet to be called, but they both took the opportunity to distract themselves from each other, and checked that they had all their bags more times than necessary.
"Do you have everything?" Draco asked.
"Yep. How about you?"
"All things present and accounted for." They both smiled nervously.
"We are now boarding rows 10-15 and are continuing to board 16-21. If your seats are located in any of these rows, please come up to the ticket counter."
"We're in row 13," Draco said unnecessarily. "Let's get in line."
They moved quickly past the families with hordes of children on their way to board, coming out just in front and avoiding the mad rush by seconds. After getting on board with minimal waiting in line, they found their seats and waited while the plane filled with passengers.
As the sterwardesses began reciting the rules of the airplane, Hermione dug the deck of cards out of her bag and turned to Draco.
"Want to play a game?" she asked, taking off the cellophane wrapper.
"I don't know how," Draco admitted somewhat sheepishly. "The only card game I've ever played is Exploding Snap and somehow I don't think that this is a good place to play it."
"I'll teach you, then," Hermione said, shuffling the deck, "Speed's really easy to learn. All you have to do is try to get rid of your deck before the other person. There are two piles of cards in the center and you need to put corresponding cards from your hand onto the pile."
"That makes no sense what so ever," Draco said, crossing his arms across his chest.
Hermione sighed and began re-explaining the game with more details.
"Okay, there's just one more question," Draco said fifteen minutes later.
Hermione groaned. "What aspect of the game could I possibly be forgetting to explain?"
"What do you get if you win a game?"
"Nothing except a shorter stack to start the next round with."
"Then there is no point to playing it," Draco said stubbornly. "You have to have a good prize. Preferably something gold or silver."
"Yeah and that wouldn't draw any attention." Hermione rolled her eyes. "And since some of us didn't grow up in mansions, what do you say to playing for the last bag of M&Ms?"
Draco wrinkled his nose. "Chocolate? Not a prize item."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Draco stared at Hermione for a second, then a mischevious smile began to spread across his face. Trepidation crept into Hermione's mind. What exactly was he thinking?
"How about the loser has to answer any question of the winner's choosing," Draco suggested. "Make the game fun."
"Fine." Hermione lowered her tray and began dealing out the cards for the first game.
~*~*~*~
Dun-dun-dun.
And the game begins. What will be reveled? One thing for certain-the secret that Draco was going to tell Hermione in the hospital wing. That's right. So stayed tuned. A lot more coming 'atcha.
Please review my story and Emily's too.
Muchas Graias and Kudos to everyone.
This is a transition chapter, so not a lot happens, but next chapter it'll be a lot better. I promise. Look for a preview down at the bottom.
My friend Emily just started an excellent Hermione/Draco fic called "Embrace the Darkness," and I really recommend that you go read it. And if you do, please review her on it. Thanks and kudos to the people who do it. (Bribe- I'll continue the story if she gets over 15 reviews).
Disclaimer- I am not affiliated with J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros. I do not claim to own any of the Harry Potter characters or ideas, and am making no money off this production. This was created solely for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.
~*~*~*~
"Attention passengers, we are now reaching our destination of New York City, New York. The present time is 3:07 and the current temperature is a comfortable 82 degrees. We will be landing in approximately ten minutes. Please remain seated until the captain turns off the fasten seat belt light. Thank you for flying and have a wonderful day."
Draco carefully marked his place in his book, then looked over at the sleeping girl next to him.
"Hermione, Hermione," he whispered softly in her ear. Hermione's eyelids fluttered open and she smiled sleepily.
"Are we there?" she asked through a big yawn.
"We'll be landing in a few minutes."
"Thanks," Hermione said, stretching her arms out in front of her. She had fallen asleep twenty minutes into the inflight movie and had slept soundly for the rest of the flight.
Hermione's last conscious thoughts returned as she tucked her unread book back into her bag. Draco. Draco and his words. His gentle touch. Now it all seemed almost unrealistic. But it had happened. The memories came floating back like boats on a current.
' "Hermione, I'm not trying to be forward. All I want is for us to be friends."
She had nodded slightly to show her consent, since she found herself momentarily speechless. Draco, the man she always had considered to be unconscious of female's feelings and fast, had just told her that he considered her his girl but wanted friendship before a relationship. Hermione was stunned.'
Hermione was jolted back to the future as the plane landed with a slight bump on the runway. Next to her, Draco was recreating the grooves in the armrest.
As soon as they were free to 'roam the aircraft,' Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and weaved them through the crowd, making sure they got out first and ensuring that they made it through customs in record time.
They arrived at their terminal twenty minutes before boarding time.
"So, what do you want to do?" Draco asked, checking his watch. "We've got twenty minutes."
"Let's hit the gift shops," Hermione suggested. "Do a little shopping."
Draco looked at his watch again. "That wouldn't take over a quarter hour, will it?"
"Not if we powershop."
"I don't like the sound of that."
"Come on, it's fun." Hermione pulled Draco to his feet and they walked over to the shopping part of the airport.
Ten minutes later, they returned with a bag stocked with several candy bars and a deck of cards to keep them entertained for the flight's duration. Draco had also wanted to get a portable chess set, but upon learning that the pieces did not move, decided against it.
They sat by their gate, watching the planes take off and land through the wall to wall glass windows.
"It always amazed me how these great hunks of metal can fly thousands of feet above without magic," Draco said watching a jumbo jet take off.
"I guess that if you inject enough fuel into it, you can make it do whatever you want," Hermione said. "I never really thought about it."
They waited in an awkward silence, each overly aware of the other's presence beside them, until the flight attendant began boarding the plane. Their seats had yet to be called, but they both took the opportunity to distract themselves from each other, and checked that they had all their bags more times than necessary.
"Do you have everything?" Draco asked.
"Yep. How about you?"
"All things present and accounted for." They both smiled nervously.
"We are now boarding rows 10-15 and are continuing to board 16-21. If your seats are located in any of these rows, please come up to the ticket counter."
"We're in row 13," Draco said unnecessarily. "Let's get in line."
They moved quickly past the families with hordes of children on their way to board, coming out just in front and avoiding the mad rush by seconds. After getting on board with minimal waiting in line, they found their seats and waited while the plane filled with passengers.
As the sterwardesses began reciting the rules of the airplane, Hermione dug the deck of cards out of her bag and turned to Draco.
"Want to play a game?" she asked, taking off the cellophane wrapper.
"I don't know how," Draco admitted somewhat sheepishly. "The only card game I've ever played is Exploding Snap and somehow I don't think that this is a good place to play it."
"I'll teach you, then," Hermione said, shuffling the deck, "Speed's really easy to learn. All you have to do is try to get rid of your deck before the other person. There are two piles of cards in the center and you need to put corresponding cards from your hand onto the pile."
"That makes no sense what so ever," Draco said, crossing his arms across his chest.
Hermione sighed and began re-explaining the game with more details.
"Okay, there's just one more question," Draco said fifteen minutes later.
Hermione groaned. "What aspect of the game could I possibly be forgetting to explain?"
"What do you get if you win a game?"
"Nothing except a shorter stack to start the next round with."
"Then there is no point to playing it," Draco said stubbornly. "You have to have a good prize. Preferably something gold or silver."
"Yeah and that wouldn't draw any attention." Hermione rolled her eyes. "And since some of us didn't grow up in mansions, what do you say to playing for the last bag of M&Ms?"
Draco wrinkled his nose. "Chocolate? Not a prize item."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Draco stared at Hermione for a second, then a mischevious smile began to spread across his face. Trepidation crept into Hermione's mind. What exactly was he thinking?
"How about the loser has to answer any question of the winner's choosing," Draco suggested. "Make the game fun."
"Fine." Hermione lowered her tray and began dealing out the cards for the first game.
~*~*~*~
Dun-dun-dun.
And the game begins. What will be reveled? One thing for certain-the secret that Draco was going to tell Hermione in the hospital wing. That's right. So stayed tuned. A lot more coming 'atcha.
Please review my story and Emily's too.
Muchas Graias and Kudos to everyone.