"Picnics have to be one of summer's most overlooked, understated joys. Where else can you tickle your toes in the grass while dribbling peanut butter and jelly down the front of your blouse?" – Celeste Perrino Walker

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Interlude: A Hermione Story: Part I

In which Draco is a big softie and Hermione finds that happiness is a sandwich…

March 3, 2001

The sky was the most remarkable shade of blue…the kind of blue that you claim to remember, but which time and a flawed imagination inevitably fade …the kind of blue that leaves you with nothing but the surprise on your face and a faint memory of dandelion chains. They'd "stolen" a big, fluffy white blanket from the cabana and laid it out on the warm, white beach, two shots of dark, sweet, silver rum drying on their lips and forming heady, idealistic schemes of young love and picnics in their sun-warmed minds.

It was spontaneous and perfect.

He poured the drinks, voluptuous glasses of coral 'sex on the beach' and amber pumpkin-wine coolers, and she made sandwiches.

When they were done and there was nothing left to do but feast, they sprawled out in the center of the blanket, a tangle of limbs and blonde-brown hair, slightly stupid from too much happiness.

Hermione ate her late lunch— or was it dinner? — and let the sky watch her cuddling with the enemy. Everyone is a friend when they come with liquor.

"Chocolate or vanilla?" Draco asked. She didn't bother to ask why, conversation was slow in coming and so words were not to be questioned.

"Chocolate," she replied, yawning into his shirt. He smelled like peaches. "Shampoo or conditioner?"

"One without the other?" He somehow found the energy to gasp. "Cake or brownies?"

"Brownies. Inside or outside?"

"Inside… nature is evil."
"Draco?" she giggled. He was so very cute.

"Yes?"

"This is nature." She shielded her eyes against the sun with one hand and made a wide sweeping gesture with the other, letting her hand stop on the top of his head.
"Yes, but we have a blanket."

"Oh, yes. How could I have forgotten?" It was a very nice blanket. "Your turn."

"Right, er… strawberry or apple?"

"Strawberry."

"Good." He squeezed his eyes shut against the blinding blue sky.

She didn't bother asking why this was a good thing. It was likely just another part of his infamous 'mystery'. "Maths or Science?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot." She thought for a moment. "Arithmancy or Potions?"

"That's easy. Potions."
"Why?"

"It's easy. Love or money?"

"Well…" She pretended to think. "…Money. I'm at a picnic with you, aren't I?"

He snorted. It made her head jump on his stomach.

"Did you just snort?"

"No." He quickly suppressed any further pig-like noises. "Your turn"

She was silent for a moment, and then "Okay, I've got it." Dramatic pause. "The Backstreet Boys or NSYNC?"

"The Backstreet Boys… I mean…" He cleared his throat. "I'm afraid, darling, that I haven't the slightest inkling of whom you are talking."

She laughed. Hard. "The Backstreet Boys, Draco? Are you harboring a secret Nick Carter obsession you'd like to tell me about?"

"No…like I say, I have no idea who you're talking about," he lied, badly.

"I mean, I thought you'd be more of an NSYNC person, but…"

"GAH!" he yelped as though in pain. "Draco Malfoy is far too masculine for those nancy-boys."

"Nancy-boys?"

"I stand by my choice of words."

"And the Backstreet Boys are masculine!" She huffed and sat up.

He seemed ready to refute, but then thought better of it and snapped, "Like I said, I take no interest in your pathetic muggle boy bands."

She sighed. "Your turn, then."

"Flowers or candy?"

She thought about it while lying down again. "Flowers."

"Really?" He rested one hand on her stomach, playing with the skin just above her bikini line. She pretended not to notice

"Yeah, why?"

"You can tell a lot about a girl from that sort of question."

"Like what?"

He mulled it over for a moment and then, "Well, a girl who chooses chocolates isn't worried about her weight."
She snickered. "I'm not worried about my weight."

"Then you don't know yourself very well."

"No?"

"No."

She absent-mindedly ran her fingers up the side of his hand. "You're a very self-assured person, has anyone ever told you that?"

"I tell myself that every day. It's your turn."

"Chocolate or… The Spice Girls." She was feeling a bit silly.

"The who?"

She snorted.

"Did you just snort?"

"No," she lied. "Really, chocolate or the spice girls?"

"Really, the who?"

"It's not funny anymore, Malfoy."

"And I was never joking, Granger."

"Ugh…" was all she could manage. "I'll introduce you when…" she'd been about to say 'when we get back', but then remembered that she didn't want to think about that. "…when I find one of their recordings."

"Mmm." He groaned.

"You have a very soft stomach," she concluded; and promptly fell asleep.

She woke up when the first raindrop hit her cheek. The blue sky had been hijacked by a pack of renegade black clouds set on ruining her nap. Thunder was rolling in the distance. She was being carried. She looked up. Who'd have thought he had the strength? she mused, and then cuddled back into his shoulder, simultaneously deciding that she should not mention it later, and wondering that he still smelled like peaches.

When next Hermione awoke, she was curled up in their doorway. Draco was drinking his 'sex on the beach' and watching the rain. She didn't move for a long moment, afraid that she'd break his trance. She watched the wind play tricks with his bangs, his eyes seeming to contain the entire grey world.

Lightening struck nearby and she jumped, forcefully snapping his reverie.

"Finally, I thought you'd died," he snapped.

"Why are we here?" she asked, sleepily feigning confusion.

"Well, it's raining, see, and…"

"I meant how did I get here," she interrupted. "I can see that it's raining. Did you carry me?"

He snorted. "No, it took three levitating charms. I'm not carrying your fat arse."

"Of course you wouldn't, I'd sue you for sexual harassment."

"Of course you would, love." He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, like a kid in a drive-in.

It was spontaneous and perfect.

A/N: Alright. Sorry that took so long. I'm lazy. I'm still trying to get this out before HBP (I am SOOOOOOOO excited for that but anyway)

Review please! Reviews make my LIFE, even the bad ones. Constructive critisism helps me growand please... no spamming. Don't post the entire first chapter of your story on here, I had someone do that and honestly, it was the most obnoxious thing I've ever seen anyone do. Just... ack. It made me mad. Ah well, love you all (and really, I do. You have no idea how much it means that people actually read this. Sometimes I'm actually astounded.)