Harry folded one of the blankets as a mattress, grateful they had a spare one to use as a cover, "I miss our bunker beds, it's not going to be an easy night." He turned to Pansy but saw she had her back turned to him. He shrugged and wanted to twist again when he saw a light shoulder tremble. Furrowing his eyebrows, he touched her shoulder, and rotated her to him, "Parkinson?"
Pansy jerked her shoulder away but wasn't able to contain a sob. Harry rose her chin up, "Hey, witch, we'll live through this. We won a war, what's a night on a stone bed?"
"I…didnot…do…"
"I know you didn't, and I should have been less demanding." Harry squeezed her arm, apologetically.
"You were correct, you know? If not for Draco's help, I wouldn't have made it. He has the patience of a saint." Pansy dried her tears from her cheeks, still hiccupping between her words.
"Don't make me laugh, saint and Malfoy in the same sentence…" and he steered away to avoid a whack against his shoulder, "I see you are returning to your normal self."
She sat down with a huff, "This is such an incredible fuck-up. We get along just fine, apart from a small fire here or there. Have you seen Theo and Neville? Those two are fraternising as if they have been friends for ages. Your witches' wit is flooring me, who knew prude Granger had a wicked side?"
"Bull's eye conclusion, Parkinson. Hermione has been breaking the rules since year one." Harry chuckled at the sweet memories.
"That's what I mean; she has a string of Slytherin in her veins…"
"She can be quite vindictive, ask Edgecombe. I guess she still has some pimples as a reminder." He laughed freely.
"And she still holds a grudge against Lavender, right?"
"It's much Lavender's fault as Hermione's. Herm's and Ron are not romantically involved anymore, but I believe the way Lavender dangled their relationship in front of Hermione's nose left a scar. One that stung viciously…"
"I understand, enter my assessment about her Slytherin streak. But that's my point exactly. We should have been able to make up our decisions about each other based on our own opinions. I entered Hogwarts believing Muggles were inferior beings, and judging Weasley's based on a vendetta I know the bullocks of. Not that Ron is a perfect example of a wizard." She stretched out her ankles in front of her, leaning back on her hands behind her back.
"Careful there, Parkinson, Ron might do-first-and-think-after, but he wears his heart on his sleeve. He has a heart of gold and is a loyal friend. He is sometimes a hothead, agreed. By the way, what was that about a night kiss? Explain…"
"I have nothing to tell you," trying hard to dismiss him.
"His gangly way is appealing to you, eh Slytherin…?"
"Potter, I was starting to like you."
He wiggled his fingers in front of her face, "I sense someone who's in denial," his grin couldn't be wider, "I bet Trelawney's tea leaves are flashing 'Pansy fancies Ronald'." He had to dodge her pillow, smirking at her flushed face.
She hissed, "Stop it!" He guffawed loud, and she hid her face in her hands, "Prat."
He chuckled some more before he calmed down and continued her reasoning, "I give you this much, you are correct. Between Malfoy and us are still some deep waters to navigate, not all will be solved over a night's sleep." Pansy nodded, "But with the rest of your lot? We get along better than expected. Maybe McGonagall was correct; maybe we can achieve a change inside the castle's walls. Overturn the vendettas between the houses, and unite the Wizardry world."
Pansy added, "A Hufflepuff isn't a Slytherin, but we need the softies to counteract the cunning. We should help each other, not fight against one another." She paused, to ponder on her next words, "Now, about Draco. If you give him a chance, he might surprise you. I know he yearns after forgiveness, regrets most of all the nasty words he said to your girl. Did you know he had a serious back fall with his father about all the lies Lucius fed him concerning Muggleborn's?"
"He told me he considers himself unworthy of Hermione."
"Because it's how he feels." She rubbed her hands on her thighs, "I'm babbling here, and I count you'll cover for me: Draco has a crush on Hermione since she hit him with her right hook. She hit him square in the jaw, and it's like she awoke something he didn't know he felt. Did you know how jealous I was of her at the Yule Ball?"
Harry frowned, still stunned by Pansy's revelations, "Why? You looked beautiful too…"
"Because the moment your girl entered the ballroom at the arm of Krum, my" pointing at her chest, "companion stopped paying attention to me. Draco's eyes followed her every move. It did quite a number on my self-esteem. And as payback, I struck him in the head." She chuckled remembering, "He always believed his feelings for her were wrong as fuck. His head was filled with the ridiculous allegations from his father. What did reality teach us?"
"I get your point. What do you think will happen?"
"If your girl has an open mind to accept his apologies, they might have a future together. He was an arse to you, but for me? He's my best friend, loyal, and protective. If she declines him? I'll have to help him recover."
"But between you two?"
"Aside from some snogging to satisfy the juvenile hormones? Nothing can happen when your boy's heart belongs to another witch."
"Much has happened between the four of us, to wipe it all under a rug."
"I can't say you are wrong. I just hope you can meet each other in the middle, and her to see beyond the armour. He has learned some nasty lessons, and he stands in life now with a much different demeanour. He became humble, believe it or not."
Harry sighed and stretched over his blanket, arm over his head, "Time will tell… Pansy. Good night witch."
"Likewise, Potter."
-oOo Day Four oOo-
The group wizards and witches waited in a good mood for the assignments, under bright sunshine, happy to be complete again. The goblins approached them and waved to follow, leading them to the restricted area inside the courtyard. Taking out a hoop, Gnarluk motioned them to insert ten of the thirteen collected keys.
"We only needed ten keys? We went through fifteen challenges." Blaise spoke casually. Tracey completed his reasoning, "It's nice to be aware that we have room for failure. Imagine if we needed all the fifteen of them."
Gnarluk grunted under his breath, annoyed.
Hermione riposted, "Something to say, Mr Gnarluk?"
"No." He barked back, handing her over a roll of parchment, "Read."
Offering him a condescending smile, she did a quick swipe over the text, showing surprise on her face, "It's from Professor McGonagall." All the others came closer, "She says, from now on the game will change. We have to collect clues to guess the code word to win the game. And instead of being appointed to a challenge, we will have to determine which couple is the best fitted to approach each challenge."
Ron spoke, "From now on, we read those sheets, and we decide who we send in?"
Hermione nodded and continued to read, "We'll have to consider each other's strengths and make the best decision. Oh and she ends with good luck to all of us."
Draco rubbed his chin, "I think we should be open about what we don't want to do, so we don't waste time while choosing the wrong couple."
"No spiders nor snakes for me," Ron started, and the rest laughed.
Tracey nudged him, "We know it already, Ron."
"No ghosts!" Lavender followed.
Blaise added, "Yes, please, my eardrums are still recovering."
Theo punched him in his shoulder, "Ninny."
Blaise shoved him back, "Be my guest," offering him a hand, "If you want to test your hearing limits."
The dark-haired Slytherin shivered on the prospect, "I believe your word, Blaise."
Gnarluk growled, "Follow me." He took off and led the whole team outside to a pontoon where a two-seat canoe floated. He pointed at three posts in the water. Harry looked around him, "Who feels up to a round of canoeing?"
"Not me, my hair could get wet." Lavender skidded off.
"Your nails could break too…" Blaise mocked her, and Hermione laughed her head off. The remaining four couples looked at each other.
Draco shook his head, "If you don't mind, I would like to sit this one out, I'm not sure if Hermione's shoulder can handle it." He surprised everyone with his concern, "It's better to save her strength, am I wrong?"
Pansy smiled softly at him, "Granger, isn't he a nobleman right now? Him considering your injury?"
"Yes, he's charming."
"Malfoy my man, you are being praised." Blaise slapped him slightly harder than needed on the blonds' shoulder, who reddened under the compliments.
Tracey raised her hand, "I would like to try."
Harry, however, remarked, "Rowing requires stamina, Tracey. Do you think you can handle it?"
"I do, and I have confidence that Ron will handle it too."
Ron shrugged and headed to the canoe, "I'll enter first," offering a hand gallantly to his witch.
Harry helped Tracey step in also and gave the couple some advice, "I did this once with Dudley, you need to coordinate your movements; otherwise you won't get far. That's why a rowing team has a captain, to make sure everyone paddles from the same side at the same pace."
Their first attempts were hilarious for the bystanders. Instead of paddling towards the first goal, they kept turning around. Harry shouted from the pontoon, "The same paddle-side, at the same time!" A few loops later, Ron and Tracey got the hang of it, yelling, "Left. Right," to mark a rhythm. Slow but steady they reached the first post. Tracy dangled the first tube and beamed at the applause.
But they had two more posts to reach, and towards the second their rowing pace got messed up before they knew, their canoe performing a three-sixty. Both wizard and witch spat water out, "Bloody hell, salt water, bah."
On the side everyone folded double of laughter, Neville confessed, "If they keep it up, I'll wet my pants!" The sight remained hilarious, now two drowned cats were paddling finally at a decent rate. They reached the second post faster than the first, and the third one demanded two new spin-rounds before Tracey was able to scratch her way closer, she crawled literally closer using her hands until she snatched the last tube.
Theo stood with his head resting on his arm against the stone wall, his shoulders shaking violently from laughter. Even Draco dried tears away watching the efforts of the couple to return to the group. Somehow they forgot how to synchronise their paddling, and they returned to the looping from the start. Harry tried to get the rhythm again, shouting again left and right between his guffaws.
Blaise accepted the three tubes to uncork them, freeing the pieces of paper containing a code. He reached Uruk, used the cypher and opened a box, only then noticing an hour-glass almost at its end, "Shit, we almost ran out of time."
Uruk grunted, and pointed at the box first, then to the hour-glass and gestured an explosion. Blaise asked first for confirmation, "What? If we ran out of time, the hint explodes?" Uruk nodded, "Hey, we have to keep an eye on the time too!"
The hint he revealed showed, "990 a. D"
Lavender asked, "What does that mean? A.D?"
Draco and Hermione answered at the same time, "Anno Domini." He smiled and gestured her to simplify it.
"Anno Domini or, in the year of the lord." She lectured, "This hint is a year? Year of what?"
Theo suggested, "Focus now on gathering more hints before you overload that brain of yours with all your thinking, Hermione."
Pansy snaked an arm around Hermione's, "For once, I agree with Theo." Gaining a side-eye from the said wizard.
Gnarluk growled, "Follow!" What he forgot to mention was they were going from the ground floor to the rooftop with destination: Watch Tower. None of the youngsters was still fresh after such a cruel pace and trail from hell. The wizards showed themselves from their most sportive side, adjusting their rhythms to the smaller ones of their female counterparts, and even offering a hand to help them keep up.
Theo held a hand up upon arrival; demanding a minute of rest and calm down their breaths. After a few moments, the group paid attention to their next challenge, 'Guess a riddle'.
Blaise put his hands in the air, "You need two working brains for this, intelligence is primordial, and I have a handicap." Glancing at his partner, who was oblivious at the snide.
The rest grinned and discussed, "Ron and Tracey are out for today, leave us with brain team, muscle team and mix team." Theo divided the pairs.
"Elaborate Nott, who's who?" Harry was curious if this assessment matched his.
Theo didn't disappoint, "Brain team," pointing at Draco and Hermione, "Muscle team: moi and my buddy Neville, and you, Harry with my dear Pansy, you form the mixed team."
Lavender jumped up and down, "What's our name?" Blaise rolled his eyes, wondering how old this witch was?
"Barbie and Ken."
"Beauty and the beast."
"Thank you, Granger, I was starting to like you." He stuck his tongue out at the brunette, who smiled wide back.
"Zabini," she whispered, "Nonetheless, I consider you the Beauty half." Her honey-sweet smile carried a naughtiness the wizard loved by now.
He pecked her on the cheek, "I forgive you."
Neville turned his focus to the more critical issue, "Who goes in?"
Eight fingers pointed at Draco and Hermione, the blond shrugging, "Majority wins, I'm afraid. Granger lets go."
Entering the Watch Tower the couple was greeted by the French version of Dumbledore, a more wrinkled but less imposing stature, "Bonjour, bienvenue, welcome! I have a riddle for you, you are such a lovely couple."
Hermione exchanged a look with her partner, mouthing, "Is he for real?" He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug, smirking.
The older man introduced himself, "I'm Pere Fouras, and I'll be your host today. I have a riddle for you," inclining his head to Uruk, "My friend, turn the sand glass will you?" He took a deep breath, "Pay attention, my friends:
Vincent was a famous one, and people still enjoy his torment-filled pictures,
In this sort of war, no one is shot, but many are cut and slashed,
If you have one on your head, you're in trouble."
Hermione's eyes widened, "What?"
Draco repeated sentence by sentence, to break it down, "Vincent was a famous one, and people still enjoy his pictures. Ring a bell?"
Hermione shook her head, "It's about torment-filled pictures. Why? Because they are disgusting?"
"No idea, Granger, Sort of war with no blood but many are cut and slashed… It feels like I'm listening to Mandarin, damn it, I understand the bullocks of this."
"Let's take the last one Malfoy, what can you have on your head that could lead to trouble? Caps and hats don't cause trouble."
"But if you have a price on your head, you're in trouble."
"Damn it, Malfoy I could kiss you right now!" In an impulse, she held his face on her hands, releasing it a second later, grinning, "Vincent Price is a famous horror actor! My father loved his movies, and I always hid behind the couch of fright, every time I sneaked in to watch one."
Draco was stupefied, and didn't react immediately to her words, "Eh…hum…"
"Malfoy to Planet Earth?" She waved a hand in front of his eyes.
"Eh, yes, Granger?" He blinked.
"It's price! The answer is price, right Mr Pere Furaz?" Hermione couldn't hide her eagerness, "Price wars, slashed and cut. It fits like a glove."
The French Dumbledore-look-a-like smile, "Yes, Mon Cherie," A blond eyebrow rose at the endearment, "You guessed…correctly." He held up a hand with a distinctive piece of parchment.
Hermione had no patience, snatched it out of his hand, and read it to Draco, "Scotland. What happened in Scotland in the year 990 before the Lord?"
"Have no clue, Granger."
She patted him on the arm, slightly harder than meant, and she blushed, "Sorry, let's return."
Pansy interrogated them at first sight, "Spill the beans, Dramione."
Hermione frowned, "Huh?"
"Never mind, I meant Hermione and Draco."
The wizard mouthed at Pansy, behind Hermione's back, "What the hell?" Pansy's dismissive wave riled him up more.
Hermione ignored it and threw the new hint in the group, "Scotland."
Neville counted on his fingers, "We have a year - 990 a. D. - and Scotland."
Harry added, "Not enough to ring a bell yet, or do you have an idea, Hermione?"
"Not yet, Harry."
"Less talk, next test!" Aside from Lavender, everyone saluted but followed Gnarluk meekly.
Draco stalled Pansy, "What the hell was that about Pans? Dramione?"
"I ship you guys, she's good for you."
"I'll end up with a hexed arse thanks to you if you keep this shite up, witch. Stop meddling." He hissed, clenching his fists. His mind was already in dirty places, courtesy of his object of obsession, planning a little visit to a particular cubicle later.
"I'm just lending you a hand, I'm working already on turning around her best friends assumptions about you…" They kept a lazier pace behind the rest of the group.
"You did what?" He stopped in his tracks, spinning around to face her.
"I had just had a nice chat with Potter last night. We've traded secrets." Her wink was devilish.
"Are you seducing Potter and Weasley?" He sent her a wry smile in return.
"Potter is head over heels with Weaslette. Weasel is pushing my buttons daily. Now, what I mean is, Potter is changing his mindset about you, many thanks to me and my effort. You're welcome." She sprinted away, after a light jerk of her chin. He remained behind, astounded.
-oOo-
From the rooftop, the group ran to the second floor, holding a halt at one of the arcs. From that spot, two ropes hung over the Atrium to the other side of the fortress, one higher than the other, meant to cross the open space stepping on the lower cord, while holding on to the top one. Gnarluk pointed out, "Hint halfway."
Blaise nearly begged, "Let me do this one, it's like its custom made for me." The side looped smiles he received, agreed wordlessly with his choice of activity; for this one he didn't need Lavender, it was more a solo job. Gnarluk attached a security belt around his waist and instructed him how to start.
It turned out his assessment was correct; he kept a nice pace shovelling to the side, never wavering despite how high he was above the ground. Everyone was silent, intent on not to bring Blaise out of his concentration.
Of course Lavender didn't think so far, "Blaise, move faster. How hard can it be? Ouch!" She threw a deadly stare at Pansy who swat her on the head, "What was that good for?"
"Stupid bitch, he's already moving at a fast pace, ignorant. Have you paid attention to how high he stands above the ground? Even with the security belt around him?" Pansy was seething and by the looks of Hermione's face, so was the brunette. She continued to hiss, "If he falls, he'll swing pretty nasty. So keep that filthy annoying snatter shut, or I'll push you over the railing."
Hermione hissed, "I'll lend a hand or two, Pansy."
The blond Gryffindor witch decided to pout but refrained from further comment.
Theo and Neville placed themselves at each side of the rope to help Blaise find a steady ground and step out; the tanned wizard passed over the hint tube to his blond friend. He huffed, jumping to the ground, a wave of relief brushing through him, all went as he hoped, "And Draco, what does it say?"
Harry looked over Draco's shoulder and frowned, while the blond Slytherin read, "De Mimsy-Porpington." Draco looked behind him at Harry, "Does the name ring a bell, Potter?"
Harry shook his head, "I haven't the slightest idea. Never heard of it." He shot his best friend a questioning look but Hermione shook her head, "I've read it somewhere, but can't say exactly where and its context."
Ron jerked his chin to the goblin, "Next clue, please?" Gnarluk grunted but lead the group a few doors down and pointed at the flipping page. Ron read it aloud, "Capestan, push the rotation machine all the way to haul the hint. My bet is this is one for strength and force. Don't take me wrong Pansy, but I think Neville and Theo should do this."
"None taken, Harry might not have enough muscle power alone to achieve the goal. We'll take the next shift."
Next to her Theo fist-bumped Neville, "Warm up those biceps Nev, we're up!" They entered the cell and found in its centre a rotating mechanism as in ships, so the seamen could haul heavy ropes. They wasted no time and worked synchronised, cheered up by the girls outside the cell, who followed their challenge through a TV-screen.
"C'mon Neville and Theo!"
"Let the abs work their arses off."
"Neville you're my hero." Tracey's cheer made everyone smirk and caused Neville to flush red. Theo winked at this partner.
Their combined forces added to the present heat in the room - filled with a radiating sun - turned the cell into a small sauna. Both wizards sweated heavily while pushing the mechanism non-stop.
"Fuck, how much more, Nev?" Theo puffed, "This shit weights like a ton."
"We are almost there. Bloody hell," Neville grunted, began to feel a burn in his thighs, and released his force on the wheel just for a second. The diminishing strength of the mechanism allowed the wheel to reverse, which pushed Theo back, the poor wizard skidding powerless.
"Fuck, Neville, get your arse back in here. This fucker is on payback time." No matter how much he tried to push back, the result remained the same: him sliding backwards. "Damn it, Longbottom, come back!"
"Alright, I'm coming, Nott." They kept hoisting the rope until the tube containing the hint appeared over the window, "Let us keep rotating until that thing is inside the room." Puffing and grunting, they kept pushing until the blissful plop announced the fall of the tube.
Neville let go of the wheel, distracted, and the dark-haired Slytherin had barely the time to jump away and protect his crown jewels from an unexpected attack, "Oh, fuck." Both men forgot about the reversing issue, "A second too late and goodbye little Nott's."
The Gryffindor smirked, "Sorry Theo, but rather you than me." He rolled the piece of parchment open and read, "A murdered thief."
"These hints get weirder by the minute. See if it rings a bell in our brain team." The Slytherin swung the door open, "Hermione, a murdered thief! Ring a bell?"
"Countless possibilities, A murdered thief in Scotland around 990 a.D.? I need the Hogwarts library!"
"I thought you were a walking encyclopedia, Hermione." Harry winked at her.
She raised her chin, "I refuse to have a battle of wits against an unarmed opponent." Behind her only Draco chuckled, drawing up the attention of his fellow Slytherins and their questioning looks to him. Hermione lifted a corner of her mouth stealthily. "Harry, I don't see the link yet. Do you?"
Gnarluk interjected, "The last one for today, follow me!"
The party of ten moved to the pontoon again, Harry already looking forward to his own rowing challenge. They are brought to a halt, where Uruk explains, "Two go from there to there," pointing first at zip line starting from the fortress' wall, over a platform on the top of an external staircase and ended at a pontoon several feet away from where the group was standing. "One dive for the lobster cage, and hint inside the cage. Then two swim back."
"Potter, my hair will get wet."
"Parkinson, cook me tonight one of those lobsters."
"Who do I look like? Nigella Lawson? I eat lobsters, I don't cook them." She shoved him forward, "You should probably ditch your tank top, to dive better."
"Quid pro quo, babe. Only the sun rises for free." Harry shared a look with a flushed Ron and winked.
Hermione shook her head, eye-rolling, "Oversexed teenagers." Yet she approached Pansy in silence, "I think you should follow your own advice, it could slow you down."
With a big sigh, Pansy took her top out, hand it over to Hermione and held Harry's wrist in a vice hold, "Let's do this Potter before I lose my courage to zip line this shite." Uruk waited for them on the platform to instruct them.
Harry counted to three, "C'mon Pansy, grab your big boy panty's and soar with me. One – Two – Threeee." Together, they flew down, Pansy yelling her lungs out until it was time to jump. In synch, they landed on the second pontoon, and Harry dove the seawater in, finding under the wooden platform the attached lobster cage.
With zero effort he freed it and dragged it, swinging it with slightly more power than necessary up to the pontoon. He pushed himself up while Pansy attempted to insert her hand in the cage. The lobsters looked menacing, and her fingers didn't enter beyond the first knuckle, "Ah! Potter get your arse over here!"
The wizard laughed his arse off, "Miss Parkinson is afraid of a crustacean?"
"Have you seen their claws?"
"Yes, they are clamped together, you see? There's some kind of rubber band around to prevent them from chopping off your precious hand." He mocked her, while he fished three of them before he could access the plastic tube, "Gotcha! Parkinson, join me for a swim, will you?" He dove into the water and set a cruel pace in his crawl. Halfway he changed his mind and waited gallantly for his partner who used the frog technique. "Don't they teach you how to swim at Slytherin's? You swim like a six-year-old muggle child."
"Shut up, Potter." Harry adjusted his pace and held a stop a few times, to let her close the distance. She needed two arm swings to match one of his, and it annoyed her to no end. Luckily for her, the end was near.
Ron was chuckling at how often Harry had to pause, even the Slytherin showed no compassion. Neville just smiled softly. Tracey, Lavender and Hermione, however, shared sly looks. This display of testosterone was not so amusing. Silently, they sneaked up behind the unaware wizards, who stood too close to the edge.
Hermione mouthed, "One, two, three." Running up the few last steps, she bumped Draco over the edge; the splashes next to her confirming her partners-in-crime' success. Tracey pushed Ronald, while Lavender did a payback on Blaise. Theo was happy-dancing for staying dry, but a nudge from Neville together with a pull coming from the waterside by Harry, and the last Slytherin dove in the water willing or not.
"Granger, this means war." Draco looked menacing at his partner, and using his upper arm strength, he was back on the pontoon in no time. He walked over in long strides to approach her, but his prey foresaw his game and took off, laughing. Tracey and Lavender sensed danger as well and ran away, but Blaise reached Tracey with as much as no effort.
He ordered Ron, who passed him by on a sprint, "That witch is for you." In the meantime, he hauled Tracey over his shoulder, put her on her feet in front of Neville, "You take her arms, I'll hold the legs, but you witch, you'll pay dearly." Harry and Pansy laughed loud, watching the whole scene unfold.
In the distance, Ron dragged a rebelling Lavender, and Neville gave assistance to bring the sheep at the offer table. Merciless, they threw her in the water and splashed right behind her, sending a wave of salt water at Lavender's face once more.
The group of eight was shoving water at each other, the sounds of their laughter raising up into the blue sky. The water games let them be the teenagers they still were in their hearts. Free. Worriless.
None noticed the absence of a blond wizard chasing a curly hair witch who ran for her life. Hermione couldn't hold back her laugh; this was pure fun. A few times he almost got her, but she slipped through his fingers much to his grunted frustration.
However, he was not in a bad mood, he smiled broadly at her bright spirit while he trailed behind her over stairs and arches. Draco used his Slytherin cunning talent and tricked her into a fake move, luring her in. All of a sudden, he was there, pushing her against a wall, shaking his wet hair over her face forcing drops of seawater to fall on her cheeks, and all of this while he breathed in heavily, exhales mixed with laughter.
She looked up with sparkling eyes, panting. Smiling broadly.
And his world froze.
He became fully aware of her small shape. His focus tuned at every inch of her soft body against his, her breasts pressed against his chest. She fit within his frame flawlessly, head at shoulder height perfect for snuggling. His eyes roamed slowly over her face, starting at the glow in her eyes, to the soft pink colour on her cheeks.
Draco's gaze landed as last on her slightly parted lips. He fought a big internal struggle but gave in to his instincts, and kissed her while his hands curled around her cheeks in a very gentle way. His tongue darted out, licking her lips and demanding entrance. When she gave him permission, he tasted every corner, toying until her tongue battled his.
He ended the kiss, before she regained her wits, letting her lips slip from his hold. Taking advantage of her confused face, he hauled her over his shoulder and ran towards the pontoon. Changing fast the way he held her, to make sure she wouldn't dive heads down, he took a leap and jumped with her in the water. She came above water, spitting the few drops out her mouth, looking darkly at him. But in her gaze, he read something more. His kiss had messed with her system; she was blown away. He just hoped the payback wouldn't be severe.