Chapter 11: A night on the ship

The dreaded day came as quick as a flash of lightening. Our parents escorted Draco and me to the cruise ship. " So tell me again, why aren't we allowed to bring our wands?" Draco asked about a million times as we walked up the ramp to get on the ship after we were forced to give our wands to Lucius.

" Draco, will you stop asking? We've already told you, it is because we are going to be on a muggle cruise ship. We don't want any of them to find your wands, now would we?" Narissca answered his every question the same.

" I guess not, but what if something happens?"

" Nothing will happen, now get going up to the ship! They're going to be sailing soon!" she urged and pushed him with the suitcase she held in her hand. For being the age of seventeen I pondered if Draco even had the decency to act at least not so childish, but then I remembered that he always acted that way, no matter his age. The ramp ended and we stepped up a series of steps to the ship's main area. We sat our suitcases and such on the floor and looked about us, astonished that a ship so small could hold many things. I actually gave credit to the muggles for having great ideas for taking up less space.

Our parents got their keys for their room and waited for Draco and I to register our names in the lobby. We finally got the key after the man behind the desk took many tries to find our name. I noticed that our room wasn't at all close to our parents, which was a plus. Draco and I came to a bright white closed door with the number, ' 30' labeled on it. He unlocked the door and rather pushed his way through to get a good look on the inside. I would say that the room wasn't at all horrible as I thought it would have been.

A small rather rounded window sat above a bed with a white comforter, which stood in the middle of the room. At the right of the bed beheld a small closet, though it had much space for us to set all our belongings in comfortably. To the left of the bed a small bathroom was placed with a sink, toilet, and shower. After I glanced upon the bathroom I turned around to get a better look at the room. Something caught my eye, though.

I walked closer to a square object that was in a small corner of the room, close to the bed. It was colored black and when I tapped my finger anxiously at it a small hint of noise told me it was glass. I took a look at the back of the box to see many cords coming out from behind the box. I followed the cords all the way to a wall, which somehow the cords were stuck in. Wondering what could this little box do, suddenly I heard a noise from behind me, near the box.

Draco had somehow turned on the box to make it all of a sudden appear to have a moving picture shown by the glass. Small talking sounds came from the box and I was so astonished.

" Draco! What did you do?" I questioned. He sat on the bed watching the box with amazement. He shrugged his shoulders.

" I thought it was you who took Muggle Studies at school," Draco uttered still watching the box. I thought through my memories of school to realize what the box was.

" I remember, we did study this in Muggle Studies! It's what the muggles call a television," I said and sat on the bed next to him, gazing at the television. " I've never seen one though, only a picture."

" This is interesting," Draco trailed off.

" How'd you make it work?"

" I pressed a little button and then this happened," he said motioning at the television. He got up from the bed and as I watched him near the box, he pressed a small button below the glass and then abruptly the box turned off.

" I think I'm going to like staying here," Draco said and sat on the bed while looking at me. " What shall we do, my dear?" he asked.

" I'm actually tired," I yawned remembering our waking moment of the morning. My mother had Apparated into our bedroom and woke us up by throwing water upon us early in the morning. She urged us to get ready and then headed off to her house and came back about an hour's time later. We all had to take the Floo-Network to some place in London and then we set off in strange directions to find this ship. It was until late in the afternoon we Apparated safely to a spot where no muggle could see us suddenly appear in front of them. Draco had trouble Apparating to the spot we were heading to, and sometimes we found only his upper body follow us while the rest was still left back at the place we already came from. Eventually when he pulled himself together, literally, (thanks to the help of his father), we hiked up a long hill and then reached the dock to the ship.

" Maybe we could go to bed after the ship sets off?" Draco asked. I nodded my head and he stood up while holding out his arm for me to hook onto and then we strode out to the balcony where we found many people standing around waving happily at the people on the land. I was so tired that I found myself just about falling asleep until huge fireworks lit the dark sky and the ship set away from the dock.

" Jessica, I think it's time for us to go back to the room," Draco urged while trying to revive my sleepiness. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and guided me back to our room. Lazily I managed to change my clothes into my bed attire. Before I changed Draco asked if I wanted him to got into the bathroom while I changed, but since we were married I told him he could stay in the room.

" Jessica, I have a question," Draco said as we got under the covers of the bed.

" What?"

" I was wondering, could I give you a goodnight kiss?" he asked. I turned my body around to face him. He had a small smirk playing on his face, and I gave in.

" You don't have to ask, Draco. You're my husband and-," but he kissed my lips before I could say anymore. His lips unlocked mine and he smiled.

" I love you, Jess."

" Goodnight, Draco," I said and turned my back to him.

He wrapped an arm around me and said, " Goodnight, Jess." Fortunately, I had gotten to sleep that night and felt very refreshed for the morning. Draco was still sleeping as I awoke. Trying not to disturb him, I sneaked out of the bed. I briskly grabbed clothes for the day and practically ran into the bathroom. I then found out that the bathroom had no lock on the door.

I pondered on whether setting one of the chairs, that was next to the bed, in front of the bathroom door to help block Draco from going into the bathroom, but I decided that it wasn't a grand idea and just shut the bathroom door.

The water of the shower was greatly warm enough for my pleasure and I stayed in there for a long time, sensing its every bit of warmth. After I had finished, I was unaware of someone else's presence in the bathroom. Snatching a towel from behind the curtain and wrapping it around myself, I opened the curtain to see none other than Draco standing in front of the mirror. Being a bit surprised I stood in the tub for quite some time until he looked at me and suppressed a grin.

" Am I in your way?" he asked as if knowing what my answer would be.

" No, it's just I'm not used to having someone with me in the bathroom, that's all," I plainly answered and got out of the tub. I looked at myself in the mirror and rolled my eyes. My hair was still wet and I was miffed at it. Beside me Draco appeared stern whilst he held a piece of parchment in his hands, as if reading something.

" What are you looking at?" I asked trying not to be snoopy, while I tried my best to apply make-up on myself without magic.

" I'm trying to figure out how to use this razor thing so I can shave. It's confusing how these muggle men shave," he said, still gazing at the parchment. He handed it to me and I read it.

" Ah, yes, well, you add the shaving cream to your face and then you use the razor to cut around the cream, thus you'll be clean-cut," I instructed. He seemed a bit perplexed, but took the parchment and did as he was told. In the end he appeared very nice. I cupped a hand on his chin and used the other to feel his soft face. " Nicely done," I said and kissed him lightly on his cheek.

Throughout the day, Draco and I numerously walked around the ship, searching for new ideas as to what we could do to pass the long hours. Evidently we mostly spent our time near the pools, watching random people swim in the cool water while sitting on a nearby bench. Though, I would not have minded if I did take a dip in the pool. I watched a man about the age of thirty help his as to what I conceded to be his young daughter swim in the water. The young girl appeared to be the age of five and just learning to swim. I watched attentively, not even taking my eye contact off of the two.

As the child was being set to float on the water's surface, she seemed a bit on the panic side. Her father came to her side and helped her float easily on her back by placing an arm under her. The girl was then relieved at her father's presence and trusted him with every ounce of herself. I noted that as soon as he let go, she seemed to not notice until her father went under the water and did a hand spring from underneath. The panic in her eyes came back. The child screeched, calling for her father. " DADDY!" she cried. He came back from under the water and quickly grasped her lonely arm lying beside her floating body.

" There's nothing to be afraid of," he said. Then without reasoning, he made a very silly face at her, causing both her and me to laugh. I felt a push on my arm.

" What's funny?" Draco asked. I looked at him and smiled.

" A man is teaching his daughter to swim and he made a face at her. It was funny really," I added looking back at the father and daughter. I pondered on how life would be like with children. I wondered if the Draco would be like that father, and help his son or daughter with swimming. I smiled after I thought about it.

" Did he do something funny again?" Draco queried looking at were I was gazing.

" No, I was just thinking."

" Thinking about what?"

" Oh, you know, thinking about the future. Deciding on whether we'll have children or not," I said and gave him a smirk. Draco smiled as well and put his arm around my shoulders. We left the bench after the sun crept behind the clouds, leaving a gorgeous orange glow around the sky. Draco and I held hands as we walked to the outdoor restaurant on the ship. It was rather fancy, though. The ceiling held a mass of lighting and gave the room a distinct red color. We were seated at a table for two and were each given a menu. I ordered a small salad and Draco ordered the prime rib.

" I've been thinking about what we should do when we get back home from our honeymoon," Draco said as we munched on our food.

" About what?"

" I'm deciding on whether we should leave the new house and find a place of our own that's not so big," Draco mumbled as he took a bite of the prime rib.

" Not a bad idea, really. I wouldn't mind be away from our parents," I said. We slowly finished consuming our dinner and thereafter set off to our room. As we walked past a couple of doors to rooms, I felt a feeling of guilt as we passed our parents rooms." Draco, maybe we should at least say goodnight to our parents." He gave me a strange look. " I mean, it would be rude of us if we didn't," I added trying to get Draco to agree. Surprisingly he agreed and we paced back to our parents doors. Both set of parents had their owns rooms, but next to each other.

Oddly, though, we found that one of the rooms door was open a bit ajar and as we peeked through the crack, we found all our parents in the room. My mom was sitting on a bed with Narcissa beside her. Both our father's stood in front of the bed, with their backs to us. Our mother's has nervous looks on their faces. I couldn't really heed whoever was speaking, but as I moved my left ear, I was mistaken to hear the whole conversation.

" But Lucius, what will happen if they find out?" Narcissa asked her husband.

" You do not need to worry! We aren't going to tell them until Draco's eighteenth birthday!" Lucius answered.

" Do you think this is such a great idea, though?" I heard my father ask.

" The Dark Lord told me before he died that I would be made right to have the power. The problem is, I need Draco's help with that." I looked at Draco who seemed perplexed. Lucius continued, " He has more power, than any of us. He's the heir to the Dark Lord's reign. You know why we had Draco and Jessica marry? It's so we can produce more purebloods and make a chain of them to follow me. "

" What if he refuses?" my mother asked.

" I have a way to change his mind," Lucius said with a soft laugh. The laugh somehow reminded me of Voldemort's. I looked at Draco who seemed outraged with the bit of information he had just heard coming from his father. I stopped him from barging into the room.

" Draco," I hissed, " Don't go in there! They'll catch and you don't even have your wand!" He settled back down.

" Jessica, we need to get out of here."

" How are we going to do that?" I asked.

" I brought my broom with. We'll fly back home and gather our stuff."

" What about our wands?"

" Right, well we'll have to steal them back, won't we?" he seemed a little bit happy.