Full Summary: It is Hermione's seventh year. Voldemort is dead, and Harry, Ron and Hermione are treated like celebrities for their aid in his murder. Even Draco Malfoy seems to be leaving them pretty much alone. Then Dumbledore announces something exciting. After graduation night, all the seventh years will go on a last farewell vacation to mark their seven years in Hogwarts. Namely, a five month trip consisting of a worldwide cruise, backpacking and roughing it, and of course, normal touristy things that are more fun than they have any right to be. If that was all, everything would have been just fine and dandy for Hermione. But what happens when - owing to Dumbledore's obsession with house unity - she is forced to live with the Slytherins? Especially her least favourite Slytherin - Draco Malfoy? What things could brew when two arch-enemies are forced to stay in close proximity of each other for longer than they can bear? Explosions? Tea? Vegetable fights? Cursing? Evil? Hate? Or maybe...love?
Chapter One: Graduation Night
Loud music pulsated through the Great Hall as the seventh-years danced to the drumming of the Weird Sisters - whose music Dumbledore seemed to be especially fond of. When the song ended, Hermione wound her way out of the crowd and sat down next to the punch table, exhausted. Ron had forced her to dance with him continuously for the past hour. The two of them had finally admitted their feelings for each other, and were now so lovey-dovey that Harry could hardly stand it.
Ron walked over and poured both of them a glass of punch. Hermione mock-glared at him through her sweat-drenched hair and accepted the punch gratefully. Ron grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry. I just like their songs alot," he said, motioning towards the Weird Sisters.
Hermione glanced over at him and noticed how adorable he looked, smiling at her in that sweet way of his. She smiled back and leaned over to kiss him.
Just then, Draco Malfoy passed them, with Pansy Parkinson clinging on to his elbow. He saw Hermione's action, but instead of mouthing off, he just turned away quickly. Pansy, however, laughed crudely.
"Aww, how sweet," she smirked to Malfoy.
"That was weird," Hermione said as she pulled back from Ron, raising an eyebrow.
"What, Parkinson's face?" he frowned. "I thought you would have noticed by now that she looks like a mutated pug."
Hermione shoved him gently. "No. I mean Malfoy. Usually, he would have made some smart comment. But he didn't."
Ron paused awhile. "Maybe. But I suppose he has to show at least some respect towards us since we made old Lord Voldy kick the bucket. I mean, he was threatening his family, wasn't he?" Ron snorted in contempt. "Now that he's dead, all Malfoy has to worry about is his whack job of a father."
Hermione scouted out Malfoy in the crowd, her eyes lingering. "...Ron, don't joke about stuff like that," she said softly. "Even Malfoy has to care about his family, however broken, frozen over and mutilated his heart is. I never actually imagined that he would cry, though. He just doesn't seem like that sort of person..." Hermione turned to look at Ron.
But he wasn't listening. He had just noticed the apple pie placed just out of reach next to the punch. And beyond that, blueberry muffins.
Hermione sighed as he tore off, drool flying.
Dumbledore thanked the Weird Sisters graciously as they packed up and left Hogwarts. The Graduation Night celebrations had just come to an end. Dumbledore surveyed the mass of students congregated before him, and smiled reminisciently.
"Seven years, seven years," he murmured. "And what fun it has been."
The students gazed back up at him, their faces pink from the exertion of dancing. They, too, wore peaceful smiles.
"I remember each and every one of you when you first came to Hogwarts. So young, so innocent. I hope that every one of you will remember the days in Hogwarts and look back upon them with a smile." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled through his half-moon glasses. "It is an exhausting, tiring world out there, so take comfort in your childhood days and strive on. I know that some of you have already accomplished much," he said, his eyes lingering on Harry, Hermione and Ron. "And your efforts will not go unnoticed. I wish you the best of luck in your adult years. Leave this school, go forth and show the world what you can do.
"However...You cannot leave Hogwarts this easily," Dumbledore said quietly. "Not without doing something first."
The students were confused, and a murmur drifted through the hall. Hermione noticed the teachers were looking stern, excepting Hagrid, who was fidgeting about nervously. She began to feel uncomfortable.
"Yes," Dumbledore continued. "I cannot let you leave ... for ..." he studied them expressionlessly, then drew and waved his wand so fast that nobody saw it coming.
A wave of confetti fell onto the students, and then suddenly all the teachers broke out into wide smiles. It was quite scary, actually, to see Mcgonagall and Snape grinning like maniacs. Then, Hagrid leapt out of his seat, accidentally kicking the staff table and knocking off all the teacher's plates in the process. The students in the front row jumped back impulsively.
"Yeh goin' on a vacation!" he fairly screamed at them excitedly.
Now everyone was thoroughly bewildered, and took no concern in disguising their surprise. The noise level rose to a distinct buzz.
"Yes," Dumbledore said with an amused look, raising his voice slighty to be heard over the chatter. "It is Hogwarts tradition to sponsor a five month long trip for their seventh-years when they leave school," he said. "Ah, yes, a tradition, though a very secret one. Everyone who knows of this has been sworn to silence. Even the mere existence of this event is unknown to those who have not taken part in it. Tale of it can not be found even in Hogwarts: A History." Hermione could have sworn he winked at her as he said that. She, like everyone else in the room, was startled and exhilarated to hear such news. Ron had paused his face stuffing. Apple pie slid slowly out of his mouth and onto the floor. The noise level grew a few decibels.
"The details," Dumbledore said loudly, and everyone immediately quietened. "Please listen carefully.
"Consent has already been given from your parents. We here at Hogwarts are rather good at persuasion - if I do say so myself. All of you have full permission. You will leave Hogwarts tomorrow via the Hogwarts Express and reach the London harbour by four o'clock. Please assemble here by six a.m.
"You will be staying on a cruiseliner for the most part of five months. Each of you will be rooming with five other students in a suite. We will be stopping at numerous locations around the world. The whole trip is entirely free, and you will not be required to pay for anything besides your own personal souvenirs and visits to unlisted locations in the countries we will pay league to. Also, for the purpose of house unity - " An audible groan went through the Great Hall. " - you will be rooming with people from different houses. A list of your roommates have been sent to you and are waiting on your beds.
"As the teachers cannot afford to leave the school for such a long period of time, a crew of wizards and house-elves will attend to you while on the trip. Please enjoy yourselves as much as you can as kids before you enter the realm of adulthood. But also, try not to give the crew too much trouble - they'll want extra pay."
And with that, Dumbledore sat down to his treacle tart and left them in disbelievement.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron filed out of the Great Hall, discussing the news excitedly.
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe they didn't even say anything about this in Hogwarts: A History!"
"This is awesome!"
"Bloody wicked! ...What's a cruise liner?"
They followed the noisy crowd up to Gryffindor Tower and ran up to their dormitories. Hurriedly, Hermione grabbed the sealed envelope on her bed and rushed down to the common room to meet Harry and Ron. They tore open their envelopes and read the names enclosed with a nervous heart.
The Sapphire Suite
1. Brown, Lavender
"That's alright, I guess," Hermione muttered anxiously.
2. Granger, Hermione
3. Patil, Parvati
"Is it a coincidence that I'm getting my dorm-mates?" Hermione murmured.
4. Longbottom, Neville
Hermione breathed. "That's okay."
5. Thomas, Dean
"He's alright..."
6. Malfoy, Draco
She died on the spot.
"Hermione?" Ron said. "What's wrong? Who'd you get?" He craned his neck to read her list.
"Lavender ... Parvati ... Neville ... Dean ... Nice so far ... And - bloody hell! Malfoy!" Ron looked at her sympathetically. "Ouch, Hermione."
Hermione nodded and groaned. She glanced at his list, and found that he had been unlucky, and had three Slytherins.
"Padma - she never did dance well - got Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, though," he grimaced. "Damn, I'm gonna be blinded by their ugliness by the end of this thing. And ... Crabbe and Ernie Macmillan." He moaned sadly.
Harry slid Hermione's and Ron's list from their hands, yelling respectively at the Slytherin's names. His list, however, contained no trace of a Slytherin.
"Well, only the best for the Chosen One I suppose," Ron sighed. Harry threw him a dirty look.
"But I've got Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed. "He's going to be horrible."
"At least you've only got him," Ron said soothingly. "I've got three idiots."
"Yeah, and he has been leaving us pretty much alone since we killed Voldemort," Harry said consolingly. "It's alright."
Hermione brightened just a little. "Maybe..."
"Come on, we've got to pack," Harry said, patting her on the back. "I still can't believe we're going on a five-month cruise ... whoa ..."
Hermione kissed Ron goodnight and Harry goodnight and waved goodbye. As she manoeuvred her things into her trunk, she couldn't help thinking of Malfoy.
"I never really believed he could cry," she murmured softly. The moon bathed her hair in gentle twilight; the wind whispering in the trees. Outside, a light rain began to fall.
Over in the Slytherin dungeons, Draco Malfoy stared at his list. He was the lone Slytherin. Slamming his face into his pillow, he let out a yell of frustration. Then someone knocked on his door.
"Drakie?" crooned a high-pitched voice. He didn't answer. He heard the door open as Pansy let herself in.
"Who'd you get?" she asked as she picked up his list from where it had fallen on the floor. She sat down on his bed. "I've got Weasel, ugh. And that big fat Bulstrode, retard Crabbe, loser Patil and stuck-up freak Macmillan." She lay down next to him and slid her hands around his head, pulling his face close to hers.
"I wish I could have gotten you, Dragon," she said in what she probably thought was a low, seductive voice. Draco thought she sounded like a cow - the cow that she was. Then she giggled and leaned in to kiss him. But Draco pulled away irritably. "I've got Granger," he growled. "And a whole lot of other useless Gryffindors."
"Oh, poor Drakie!" Pansy said highly, breaking his ear-drums in the process. "That Mudblood will give you hell."
Draco remained silent, thrusting his face back into his pillow. Pansy continued to lie there, still hoping for a kiss.
"Come here, Drakie," she said, pouting.
Draco groaned exasperatedly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Pansy. Just leave me alone tonight. I have to sleep." He waited awhile until he heard her leave, and then settled down, still thinking about Granger. He noticed how she had gotten prettier over the years, with her teeth having been shrunk, her hair tamed and her body toned. Scowling and shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he fell into an uneasy sleep.
That night his dreams showed a brown-haired girl who kept popping up like daisies in a meadow, while the sun faded and gave way to dusk. He watched the stars in the sky as the girl whacked him repeatedly with a pogo stick. Then, the scene morphed into a beach. The breeze curled the waves that crashed against the shore and whipped back his hair. He was sitting on the seaside rocks, with the girl next to him. She was leaning against him and they sat, watching the sunset. The sky was streaked with pink and vermillion. Draco opened his mouth to say something. "I - "
And then the dream ended. Draco opened his eyes groggily, irritated by his rude awakening. It was now morning. Pansy had jumped onto his bed.
"I've come to collect, Drakie!" she giggled, wrapping her arms around him.
Draco remembered what he had said to her the night before. But he was too tired to protest. Pansy slid her hands through his hair, meeting his lips and sliding her tongue into his mouth. Then she rolled off him and lay by his side.
"I love you, Drakie," she giggled into his ear.
The thought made Draco feel slightly queasy.
A/N (Semi-important): About the cruise - I'm not going to be bothered with geography or anything or planning out a route. Ahem. I'm just twelve! I haven't learnt geography yet! The last time I looked at an atlas was when I was eight! So just tell me about the places you wanna see in here, and I'll try to put them in. Elaborate if you can. But try to keep it nice and safe, not like New York or anything where Hermione gets mugged - or worse. O.o. Cause I like happy fics. :D Oh yeah, in this fic Snape isn't evil, and him and Draco didn't go off gallivanting in his sixth-year. Or whatever. Point is, they're at Hogwarts.
And the reason I started this was because I have really no idea where my other fic is gonna go. Ehehe:) If I happened to look over any points that don't make sense, feel free to criticise. :)