Disclaimer: I really, really, really, really, really wish I owned Harry
Potter and Co. I really do. But I don't. Ok? Ok! Now, on with the story.
Ok. I really want to apologize for taking so long to write, but I've had a lot of projects to do lately and the middle school music festival is coming up. Let's just put it this way: I've been pretty damn stressed lately. Ok? Ok! NOW, on with the story.
***************************
The Ski Trip
***************************
Chapter Six
***************************
A Long, Long Day
***************************
(Hermione P.O.V.)
'We're off! Finally! So...I wonder if I will be very good after spending a few years away from the mountain...' I thought to myself.
"So...Are we just supposed to jump from here?" Draco asked me, eyeing down at the fifty-foot difference between the ground and us.
I laughed.
"Are you insane?" I got out through my giggles. "We could kill ourselves doing that!"
"We could?!?!" He asked, now with his back firmly placed against the seat.
"Yes. We could." I said simply.
"Oh. Well. How DO we get off, then?"
"After about ten minutes there will be a sign on one of these posts saying that we should get our ski tips up...like this." I said, demonstrating with my skis.
He copied me, but never took his hands off of the armrest.
"You know, you aren't going to fall if you just sit here. It's not like you're sitting on a tree branch. You don't have to hold on for dear life." I said simply.
He looked cautiously at me, as if he were checking for any possibility of me trying to kill him.
"What?" I asked, exasperated.
"Nothing." He said. But I apparently convinced him that it was fairly safe, though he was still a little jumpy.
"So when the sign comes up we just point our ski tips up? That's it?" He asked, looking at me suspiciously.
"No. You'll see a little building with a little snow covered thing in front of it tilting up. Your ski tips will go up right next to that. You should then set your skis on the flat surface under you, like you were sitting in a chair. Then when you're right on the edge, you stand up. Ok?" I said in a way that I thought was simple.
"Riiiiiight..." Was all that I heard.
We sat there for a little while just looking around. Then I saw an opening in the trees.
"There's the run! Wow. Looks smaller." I just started talking to myself about how many times I bombed this run when I saw the sign.
"Ok. Just wait a little longer until you're a few yards away from it...now put your tips up. Ok. Not when I say now, stand up. Ok? Ok. NOW!" And I stood up.
I could feel the cool air on my face for a minute, but then it was gone. It wasn't a very big drop. I turned to my side expecting Draco to be right next to me. But he wasn't there. I looked around for him, but he wasn't among the people standing around preparing to ski or snowboard.
Then I saw him. He was still in the seat. The lift operator had stopped the lift. He helped Draco off of the seat and led him to the drop. Draco skied down and looked like he knew what he was doing. Then...
Splat.
Ouch.
That had to hurt.
I skied over to him and helped him up.
"Well, think if it this way: you wiped out getting off of the run, so now you shouldn't wipe out when you actually get on the run! Ok?" I said, smiling a little.
"Ya. Sure. Like that'll happen." He said grudgingly.
"Hey, no one's perfect!" Said to him.
"Ok. Enough arguing. Put your skis like this." And I proceeded to teach him how to stand up on his own.
"Ok. Now, arrange your feet like a piece of pizza. Good. Now put pressure on your left foot. Ok. You're kinda moving left..." I continued to explain how to snow plough. I told him to take big turns and to stay away from pedestrians. He made it about half way down the run before wiping out. He was now lying with the bottom of his feet facing outward. (A/N: I know that's just a teensy bit painful.)
I helped him up and told him to go again.
When he made it to Ladies Aide, I shouted to him, "That's right! Good Job Dr-"
Splat.
Ouch.
Did I bomb the run this bad when I started?
I sure hope not.
That looked painful.
I skied toward him. I stopped in front of him.
Where's a camera when you need it?
"This is classic. The day Draco Malfoy isn't good at something. I'm sure Ron would bet his whole Cannons collection for a picture of you looking like this. Pure pleasure I'd give him. Be glad that I don't have a camera with me." I said, laughing.
"Oh, believe me, I am." He said curtly, getting up.
He fell over again.
Ha.
Ha ha.
What I'd give for a camera.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Well, did you guys have fun?" Bethany asked.
"I had an awesome time and only wiped out twice, but Draco Dahling here, well, let's put it this way: I really, really, really, really, really wish I had a camera." I said, taking off my headband to see my hair in a worse state than when my hair was bushy.
I started to comb my hair with my fingers when I heard Draco say, "Hey, could you put in that C.D. again?"
Malfoy? Likes STYX? A muggle band?
"Sure." Bethany said without a second thought. I guess she liked them too.
I hear the songs play and I start mouthing the words. I look at Aunt Cheryl and see that she's doing the same thing. I shake my head and smile, not breaking my steady stream of mouthed words.
I look at Draco, who was looking at me, smiling. Not smirking. Not scowling. Not staring. Smiling.
Whoa.
What's up with him?
He looked at me for a little while longer. This is kinda creepy...
Oh. We're home.
I'm getting out of the car. He gets out of the car. He grabs his stuff and walks into the house. He didn't look back. Good. He's acting normal again. Wait. The normal that I know is him insulting me. He's not acting normal.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Dinner!" Aunt Cheryl calls from the kitchen downstairs.
I hear my stomach grumble.
I havn't eaten since this morning.
I got up and ran to the kitchen. On the way out the door I run into non other than Malfoy himself.
I ran headlong into his chest.
I could feel his arms help me steady myself. My skin tingled where he touched my arms. And as soon as it started-
It ended.
He walked away.
I stood there staring at his back.
I shivered.
And I followed him down to the kitchen.
I sat down at the table.
Guess who I was sitting next to.
Just guess.
Malfoy.
Peachy.
Just peachy.
I looked out the window at the house next door. It looks familiar...
Abi!
"Aunt Cheryl?" I asked anxiously.
"Yes Hermione?"
"Does Anna-Bliss still live down the street?"
"Oh! Yes! I forgot you two were friends! That's why the house seemed so empty within the past few years!" Cheryl said.
"Wait. Who's Anna-Bliss?" Draco asked curiously.
"One of my best friends. I havn't seen her since I was...I think it was the summer after first year..."
I went off into my own little Lala land, but was jerked back into reality when Aunt Cheryl said, "No. It was the summer before first year. She hasn't even stopped by much in the time you were gone. But she skis very often. She always takes Andi, but he's not a very good skier. Maybe you should go over to see her after dinner." Aunt Cheryl suggested.
"I think that sounds great, Hermione. You should take Draco with you."
MOM!!! I silently screamed.
"Ok. Fine by me." I said, forcing a smile.
Great. Now Abbi gets to meet my pig headed best friend in my parents' and aunt's eyes.
Jolly.
Just jolly.
I finished dinner fast, regardless of my thoughts telling me to finish slowly to stall spending more time with that lazy pig-headed pain in the ass.
But he wasn't a pain in the ass before dinner.
Grr.
Stupid Draco.
NO!
Stupid Malfoy!
There.
Much better.
Now, on to Abbi's.
I walked to the door and put my shoes on. I grabbed my coat and almost called to Malfoy to hurry up, but he walked into the hall with his ski jacket and shoes on.
Ok.
Here goes nothing.
I opened the door.
I let him out.
I followed.
I closed the door.
We're on our way to Abi's house, which is about a quarter mile away, but it still is the nearest to our house.
We walked in silence for a little while, but confined in silence isn't the way I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to be loud. And excited. But I just feel annoyed that I have to spend the rest of the night with Malfoy.
"You know, you didn't have to come." I said simply.
"I know." Came his simple answer.
"Well, why did you come then?" I asked, irritated.
"I wanted to. Imagine that." Came his reply.
"Why? I mean. You hate me. Simple as that." I stopped and turned to him when I said this.
Draco sighed.
"I don't hate you. I just have to have a certain image. If I don't, I'm punished. Now, can we drop the subject?" He said, his eyes closed and his head thrown back to the stars.
"Well, you still havn't told me why you came." I said slowly, afraid he might blow up in my face for pursuing the matter.
"If I tell you, will you drop the subject?" He asked, now looking me straight in the eyes.
"Yeah." Was all that I could say.
"Three reasons. One: I'm curious about this Anna-Bliss girl. Two: I needed to get out of that house. It seems like I've been there all day. And three: I wanted to spend more time with you." He said, starting to walk again.
"One: she'll probably drive you insane. Two: It does, doesn't it? And three: why would you want to spend time with me?" I answered all of the things he said with my comments and questions.
"You told me you'd drop it." He said, but I knew that he didn't mind my comments since he was smiling.
"Well, I can get curious, too, you know." I answered.
"So who is this Anna-Bliss girl?" Draco asked me.
"Well...she was extremely full of energy and loved to dance, sing, and ski when I was here last. But with my luck she's probably changed so much she won't even remember me.
We were nearing Abi's house when I was saying this, so I started to end the conversation.
"Mostly, she's a wild girl who's not afraid to be herself." I sighed in anticipation as we neared the door. We reached the door and said, "This is it." Before knocking.
A girl answered the door and I gasped.
"Abi?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Hi! It's me. What do you think? I didn't really want to make up the details of how badly Draco Dahling bombed the mountain, so I went along with the friend route. As for her name, I made it up: Anna-Bliss Isen. I got Abi from Anna-Bliss Isen. The capital letters are what I got it from. Well, The next chappy will be about Abi and Andi. TTYL!
Ok. I really want to apologize for taking so long to write, but I've had a lot of projects to do lately and the middle school music festival is coming up. Let's just put it this way: I've been pretty damn stressed lately. Ok? Ok! NOW, on with the story.
***************************
The Ski Trip
***************************
Chapter Six
***************************
A Long, Long Day
***************************
(Hermione P.O.V.)
'We're off! Finally! So...I wonder if I will be very good after spending a few years away from the mountain...' I thought to myself.
"So...Are we just supposed to jump from here?" Draco asked me, eyeing down at the fifty-foot difference between the ground and us.
I laughed.
"Are you insane?" I got out through my giggles. "We could kill ourselves doing that!"
"We could?!?!" He asked, now with his back firmly placed against the seat.
"Yes. We could." I said simply.
"Oh. Well. How DO we get off, then?"
"After about ten minutes there will be a sign on one of these posts saying that we should get our ski tips up...like this." I said, demonstrating with my skis.
He copied me, but never took his hands off of the armrest.
"You know, you aren't going to fall if you just sit here. It's not like you're sitting on a tree branch. You don't have to hold on for dear life." I said simply.
He looked cautiously at me, as if he were checking for any possibility of me trying to kill him.
"What?" I asked, exasperated.
"Nothing." He said. But I apparently convinced him that it was fairly safe, though he was still a little jumpy.
"So when the sign comes up we just point our ski tips up? That's it?" He asked, looking at me suspiciously.
"No. You'll see a little building with a little snow covered thing in front of it tilting up. Your ski tips will go up right next to that. You should then set your skis on the flat surface under you, like you were sitting in a chair. Then when you're right on the edge, you stand up. Ok?" I said in a way that I thought was simple.
"Riiiiiight..." Was all that I heard.
We sat there for a little while just looking around. Then I saw an opening in the trees.
"There's the run! Wow. Looks smaller." I just started talking to myself about how many times I bombed this run when I saw the sign.
"Ok. Just wait a little longer until you're a few yards away from it...now put your tips up. Ok. Not when I say now, stand up. Ok? Ok. NOW!" And I stood up.
I could feel the cool air on my face for a minute, but then it was gone. It wasn't a very big drop. I turned to my side expecting Draco to be right next to me. But he wasn't there. I looked around for him, but he wasn't among the people standing around preparing to ski or snowboard.
Then I saw him. He was still in the seat. The lift operator had stopped the lift. He helped Draco off of the seat and led him to the drop. Draco skied down and looked like he knew what he was doing. Then...
Splat.
Ouch.
That had to hurt.
I skied over to him and helped him up.
"Well, think if it this way: you wiped out getting off of the run, so now you shouldn't wipe out when you actually get on the run! Ok?" I said, smiling a little.
"Ya. Sure. Like that'll happen." He said grudgingly.
"Hey, no one's perfect!" Said to him.
"Ok. Enough arguing. Put your skis like this." And I proceeded to teach him how to stand up on his own.
"Ok. Now, arrange your feet like a piece of pizza. Good. Now put pressure on your left foot. Ok. You're kinda moving left..." I continued to explain how to snow plough. I told him to take big turns and to stay away from pedestrians. He made it about half way down the run before wiping out. He was now lying with the bottom of his feet facing outward. (A/N: I know that's just a teensy bit painful.)
I helped him up and told him to go again.
When he made it to Ladies Aide, I shouted to him, "That's right! Good Job Dr-"
Splat.
Ouch.
Did I bomb the run this bad when I started?
I sure hope not.
That looked painful.
I skied toward him. I stopped in front of him.
Where's a camera when you need it?
"This is classic. The day Draco Malfoy isn't good at something. I'm sure Ron would bet his whole Cannons collection for a picture of you looking like this. Pure pleasure I'd give him. Be glad that I don't have a camera with me." I said, laughing.
"Oh, believe me, I am." He said curtly, getting up.
He fell over again.
Ha.
Ha ha.
What I'd give for a camera.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Well, did you guys have fun?" Bethany asked.
"I had an awesome time and only wiped out twice, but Draco Dahling here, well, let's put it this way: I really, really, really, really, really wish I had a camera." I said, taking off my headband to see my hair in a worse state than when my hair was bushy.
I started to comb my hair with my fingers when I heard Draco say, "Hey, could you put in that C.D. again?"
Malfoy? Likes STYX? A muggle band?
"Sure." Bethany said without a second thought. I guess she liked them too.
I hear the songs play and I start mouthing the words. I look at Aunt Cheryl and see that she's doing the same thing. I shake my head and smile, not breaking my steady stream of mouthed words.
I look at Draco, who was looking at me, smiling. Not smirking. Not scowling. Not staring. Smiling.
Whoa.
What's up with him?
He looked at me for a little while longer. This is kinda creepy...
Oh. We're home.
I'm getting out of the car. He gets out of the car. He grabs his stuff and walks into the house. He didn't look back. Good. He's acting normal again. Wait. The normal that I know is him insulting me. He's not acting normal.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Dinner!" Aunt Cheryl calls from the kitchen downstairs.
I hear my stomach grumble.
I havn't eaten since this morning.
I got up and ran to the kitchen. On the way out the door I run into non other than Malfoy himself.
I ran headlong into his chest.
I could feel his arms help me steady myself. My skin tingled where he touched my arms. And as soon as it started-
It ended.
He walked away.
I stood there staring at his back.
I shivered.
And I followed him down to the kitchen.
I sat down at the table.
Guess who I was sitting next to.
Just guess.
Malfoy.
Peachy.
Just peachy.
I looked out the window at the house next door. It looks familiar...
Abi!
"Aunt Cheryl?" I asked anxiously.
"Yes Hermione?"
"Does Anna-Bliss still live down the street?"
"Oh! Yes! I forgot you two were friends! That's why the house seemed so empty within the past few years!" Cheryl said.
"Wait. Who's Anna-Bliss?" Draco asked curiously.
"One of my best friends. I havn't seen her since I was...I think it was the summer after first year..."
I went off into my own little Lala land, but was jerked back into reality when Aunt Cheryl said, "No. It was the summer before first year. She hasn't even stopped by much in the time you were gone. But she skis very often. She always takes Andi, but he's not a very good skier. Maybe you should go over to see her after dinner." Aunt Cheryl suggested.
"I think that sounds great, Hermione. You should take Draco with you."
MOM!!! I silently screamed.
"Ok. Fine by me." I said, forcing a smile.
Great. Now Abbi gets to meet my pig headed best friend in my parents' and aunt's eyes.
Jolly.
Just jolly.
I finished dinner fast, regardless of my thoughts telling me to finish slowly to stall spending more time with that lazy pig-headed pain in the ass.
But he wasn't a pain in the ass before dinner.
Grr.
Stupid Draco.
NO!
Stupid Malfoy!
There.
Much better.
Now, on to Abbi's.
I walked to the door and put my shoes on. I grabbed my coat and almost called to Malfoy to hurry up, but he walked into the hall with his ski jacket and shoes on.
Ok.
Here goes nothing.
I opened the door.
I let him out.
I followed.
I closed the door.
We're on our way to Abi's house, which is about a quarter mile away, but it still is the nearest to our house.
We walked in silence for a little while, but confined in silence isn't the way I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to be loud. And excited. But I just feel annoyed that I have to spend the rest of the night with Malfoy.
"You know, you didn't have to come." I said simply.
"I know." Came his simple answer.
"Well, why did you come then?" I asked, irritated.
"I wanted to. Imagine that." Came his reply.
"Why? I mean. You hate me. Simple as that." I stopped and turned to him when I said this.
Draco sighed.
"I don't hate you. I just have to have a certain image. If I don't, I'm punished. Now, can we drop the subject?" He said, his eyes closed and his head thrown back to the stars.
"Well, you still havn't told me why you came." I said slowly, afraid he might blow up in my face for pursuing the matter.
"If I tell you, will you drop the subject?" He asked, now looking me straight in the eyes.
"Yeah." Was all that I could say.
"Three reasons. One: I'm curious about this Anna-Bliss girl. Two: I needed to get out of that house. It seems like I've been there all day. And three: I wanted to spend more time with you." He said, starting to walk again.
"One: she'll probably drive you insane. Two: It does, doesn't it? And three: why would you want to spend time with me?" I answered all of the things he said with my comments and questions.
"You told me you'd drop it." He said, but I knew that he didn't mind my comments since he was smiling.
"Well, I can get curious, too, you know." I answered.
"So who is this Anna-Bliss girl?" Draco asked me.
"Well...she was extremely full of energy and loved to dance, sing, and ski when I was here last. But with my luck she's probably changed so much she won't even remember me.
We were nearing Abi's house when I was saying this, so I started to end the conversation.
"Mostly, she's a wild girl who's not afraid to be herself." I sighed in anticipation as we neared the door. We reached the door and said, "This is it." Before knocking.
A girl answered the door and I gasped.
"Abi?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Hi! It's me. What do you think? I didn't really want to make up the details of how badly Draco Dahling bombed the mountain, so I went along with the friend route. As for her name, I made it up: Anna-Bliss Isen. I got Abi from Anna-Bliss Isen. The capital letters are what I got it from. Well, The next chappy will be about Abi and Andi. TTYL!