A/N: This is a totally AU piece for the American Independence Day. Happy 4th of July everyone!
"Draco, what are you doing?"
He cast a glare over his shoulder towards her, but quickly resumed his position leaning over the table. The hot sun shone of his light hair radiantly, the brightness giving Hermione a mild headache. Raising a hand to shield her eyes, she moved so that he could see her out of the corner of his eyes, as she knew he would.
He scowled lightly and finished signing his name with a flourish. "I just entered a pie-eating contest."
She cocked a brow in bemusement and placed a hand on her hip. She could feel the back of her neck getting sunburned, and she was quickly losing patience with the bustling people as they went about the 4th of July carnival. She could only take so many screaming children and wizened barbershop quartets.
"You? Why? Do you even know what a pie-eating contest is?"
He rolled his pale eyes at her, as if he was about to chastise a four-year-old. "Of course I know what a pie-eating contest is, Granger. It's a contest to see who can eat the most pie." His tone clearly tacked a "duh" onto the end.
She squinted her eyes in disbelief and allowed her mouth to part slightly. "Then why did you sign up? This is a Muggle carnival, celebrating an American holiday. You're not actually going to participate, are you?"
He took a step towards her, not menacing, just trying to make a point. "Oh, I am going to participate, and I fully intend to win."
Incredulity danced rapidly across her face. "Then why?" she reiterated.
He smirked benevolently, as if seeing something she couldn't. "Does there has to be a reason for everything, Granger?" And with a light laugh, he turned away and wound through the carnival booths, disappearing behind a red-, white-, and blue-painted lemonade stand, his tall form getting lost among the crowd.
An hour later, he waved at her from his seat on the make-shift stage, smirking the same smile and looking completely out of place. Hermione shook her head in exasperation, but sat down in the audience, patiently waiting while the crowd's din died down and a portly man in a tall, starry hat stood up with a microphone grasped tightly in his hand.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Blue Spring's 45th annual Pie-Eating Contest!" He smiled as the crowd cheered politely, and then continued, speaking about the proceeds and the rules. Hermione tuned him out and crossed her arms over her chest, wearing an odd expression of anticipation and impending hilarity.
Soon, three girls in blue dresses placed several cream pies in front of each contestant, and with the bang of the starter, Hermione watched in amusement as five people dug into their pies. Except one.
Draco politely leaned over to one of the girls, and after a moment's puzzled surprise, the girl brought him a fork and a knife. He smiled at her, and with a wink at Hermione, cut into his first pie.
The first man ducked out at half a pie, eliciting a light-hearted boo from the crowd. Good-naturedly, he held up his hands in defense and laughed at himself. A few minutes later, the only woman in the competition stopped after an entire pie and a half, leaning back in her chair and groaning. Hermione grimaced as the rest of the audience clapped for the woman. Slowly, two more men dropped their hands down in defeat, until it was Draco and one other man – a beast who had been shoveling cream into his mouth by the handfuls, severely disgusting everyone watching. Draco just sat contently and ate his pies one-by-one, lifting dainty morsels to his lips. Hermione wondered at how anyone could look so sophisticated in the midst of an old-fashioned pie-eating contest. Only he could pull it off.
Ten more minutes went by, in which Hermione became bored of watching Draco eat pie, so she was relieved when she heard the announcer's old microphone crackle to life again.
"It looks like we have a winner, folks! Our out-of-town contestant, Draco Malfoy, ate a total of five and three-quarters pies!" The crowd clapped wildly as Draco shook the announcer's hand, a wide, satisfied grin spreading contagiously across his face. With a flourish, the man pinned a small blue ribbon onto Draco's chest and clapped him on the back. Turning back to the audience, the man raised the microphone to his lips and called, "Thank you, all who participated! Have a wonderful Independence Day!"
It took Hermione a moment to find him, but she wasn't surprised at the smirk he greeted her with. Pointing proudly to his chest, he boasted, "I told you I would win."
She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Almost six pies? Draco, you're going to be sick!"
He laughed. "I know. It'll catch up to me later. But just look at my ribbon. What a prize!" He grinned at her sarcastically.
"I don't even know why you did it."
He slung an arm around her waist and pulled her close, walking among the booths. "Because I figured it was something you wouldn't expect me to do."
She paused and laughed softly. "Draco Malfoy, that's the lamest logic I've ever heard."
He laughed and kissed her hair. "I know, but as your husband, it's my job to keep life interesting and never cease to amaze you."
"And a vacation to the States wasn't enough?"
"Nope."
She shook her head again in amused frustration. "Well, do you have any more plans to 'amaze' me?" She looked at him pointedly as he stopped pensively at a game booth, eyeing a large white bear that hung from the top. Three milk pins were stacked several feet away in a pyramid, mocking the baseball that sat stoically on the counter.
He turned to her with a smile. "For you? Always." With a kiss on her cheek, he turned to the game worker and handed him a dollar bill, smiling widely.
"I'm going to win my wife a bear!"
A/N: Weird, I know. I just had this image of Draco winning a pie-eating contest and thought it was funny, so here it is. Sorry about any mistakes, I didn't get this one beta-ed. This drabble was totally pointless and not my best writing, but I hope you had fun reading it! Until the next holiday!
BIE
P.S. What is the next holiday I should do? Suggestions always welcome!