Chapter 6
They didn't go to Brazil the next week. They just ended up staying put by neither mentioning a plan to leave.
It had been awkward waking up the next morning after the night they first danced downstairs and then the stuff upstairs happened, but not talking about such things, just kind of smoothed it all over. Not to mention that they had sex just about every time they were anywhere near the bed. Every night, every morning, sometimes in between.
Hermione decided she wasn't going to question it, so she didn't really and they didn't really talk about it in any depth. They had this unmentioned rule that they wouldn't talk about politics, friends, relations, the wizard world, Hogwards, or even the muggle world. It didn't leave much for indepth debates, but they were otherwise occupied.
Most days they would go out somewhere. Walk the streets, drive along the coast, sometimes to the inland water fall pool that was usually deserted on the weekdays. Hermione would cook in the early evenings after they went out and got provisions.
Malfoy was learning Spanish at a lightning rate, compliments of knowing French, Italian and Latin. Hermione didn't have the same head for languages, but whereas before him doing something she couldn't would be gut wrenching, it was now gut wrenching for an entirely different reason and it usually led back to bed.
Malfoy had starting reading Spanish books by local authors and a few Hemingways along the way. Hermione had taken up drawing and she was actually pretty good, she discovered. She drew the sceneries they came across, and sometimes she would draw Draco. He was a subject of endless fascination, particularly naked and sleeping.
Sometimes in the evenings, they would go downstairs and dance. Hermione loved going down and dancing with him. It always seemed to make him laugh and then he would get that look in his eye that just made her melt. She liked having his hands on her and she was starting to feel his absence when he wasn't with her.
She knew his touch so well now, to the point where she couldn't really tell where she ended and he began. His taste, his lips, his breath. And the way he made her feel when he was inside her.
Sometimes they would just go for little drives without any destination at all. She loved melting into him whenever they went anywhere on their little bike, just letting him take her wherever he felt like.
It was all perfect. They didn't really need anything within this nice little bubble they lived in. It was all so entirely unexpected, but she didn't question it. She didn't want to analyse it, didn't care what it meant. Absolutely no thoughts about the future. She didn't call it love. She didn't define it, it just was.
And the weeks were just slipping away. Before she knew it, they had been there two months. The spectre of going back to the UK was starting to creep in. They were both going back to Hogwarts in the fall and the date was relentlessly getting closer.
"Why don't we just stay here?" Draco suggested one day as they rested inside away from the midday sun.
"Don't be silly. We have to do our NEWTs." Hermione laughed and hit him with a pillow.
"What for?" Draco snorted and pulled her down beneath him on the bed. "Complete waste of time if you ask me. There are some much more important things to do."
Hermione could only chuckle as he kissed her.
"Besides, I am pretty sure you already know everything that will be covered in the NEWTs exams, so why bother."
"Because we need NEWTs if we are ever going to get a job at the Ministry."
"Bull." He whispered and played with her earlobe.
"Well maybe not for you, but I do." She said. Both knowing that this was the edge of the allowable limits for conversation in their little world.
"I don't want to go back." He said and settled his head down on her chest.
"We have to. Besides, you're needed back home." She said referring to Lucius Malfoy's trial. Again brushing the boundary of conversation.
"I just ... I don't know." He sighed, but before long was distracted by the softness he was resting on.
The last week was spent pretty much like the weeks prior, but there was a tinge of something to it as the end was approaching all too quickly.
They decided they were going to go to New Orleans and organise a portkey home. They would have to fly the muggle way out of Cuba because apparating over water was dangerous even for short distances.
Hermione was actually a little sad to say goodbye to the little apartment, but Draco took her hand and they were off.
New Orleans was hot and crowded. The magical section of it was blissfully tranquil compared to the muggle part. Draco found a hotel that was so opulent that Hermione felt a little uncomfortable. The whole room was white and gold with white carpets her feet sunk into. The bathroom was Italian marble and the bed was enormous.
Draco organised the portkey for the next morning, then took her to an equally opulent restaurant. The food was amazing, but Hermione felt a little uneasy. This was his world. This is what he was used to and he was at the very top of the heap in this world, with the little nuisance of his father's trial being a temporary blemish. Hermione was somewhere shunted to the side of the bottom of this heap and this was the type of restaurant that typically didn't catered to people like her, or anyone she called friends.
She did hold him a little tighter that night. Neither of them slept much.
The next day the port key took them to a building that was right next to the Ministry.
"I'll give you some money for the trip." He said.
"Don't worry about it." She said, "I am sure the last evening more than made up for it."
They were both now going to apparate home.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He said, referring to the Hogwarts Express.
"Yeah."
A last kiss, lasting a little bit longer than was appropriate for a 'see you later kiss', and he apparated away.
Hermione got home and dropped her backpack on the floor in the hall. Her parents came rushing out wanting to know how her trip when. Clara had come home with some German guy a week earlier.
Hermione talked for a few hours about her trip, which skipped over some important parts and some intended countries, but her parents didn't pry even though they would occasionally swap looks.
In the end she'd convinced them she'd had a great time.
The next morning was a rush as she quickly had to go to Diagon Alley to get her school things before apparating to Kings Cross. She had a brief chat with Seamus at Diagon Alley, but she had to rush off. He wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts this year.
Returning to Hogwarts was pretty much optional for people who had attended last year, more mandatory for those like herself and Ron if they wanted NEWTs certificates. Harry didn't need to, he could pretty much to whatever he wanted.
She saw her friends for the first time in months on the platform. She first spotted Ginny, then Neville. To her surprise she also saw Harry, Ron and George. She gave them all a hug.
She was especially surprised to see Harry, but it soon became clear that an extra year of youthful irresponsibility started to look really attractive compared to the politics at the Ministry. Besides, he wanted to set a good example, he said.
Ron was here because his mother made him, obviously she had managed to pull George into tow as well. Maybe the fact that she had killed Bellatrix Lestrange had put her flock a little more in awe of her and what she wants.
They asked about her trip and she explained that she'd had the best time. Spent more time in Cuba then she intended to, but New Orleans was nice as well. She left out any detail about the company, more out of a complete lack of ideas about how to bring the topic up. In the end, her holiday was not interesting enough to delve too deeply into, compared to the upcoming Quiddich try outs. Every single person standing there was a shoe in for the Gryffindor team, but they were all discussing who they want to fill the rest of the team with.
Hermione snuck a look over at the Slytherins and caught sight of Draco standing in the Slytherin crowd. Hermione's heart skipped a beat when she saw him and her attention seemed to draw his. They exchanged looks for a second before Ron bumped her with his elbow to point out some man walking down the platform.
"That's the new Defence of the Dark Arts professor." He said.
The group discussed the new professor as well as the general restructuring of Hogwarts now that McGonagall was Headmistress.
An hour into the ride, Hermione got restless with the Quiddich talk and went for a walk down the corridors. When she passed one of the toilets, an arm came from behind and pushed her into one. She knew by the scent who it was.
"Merlin I missed you last night." He said and plundered her mouth.
She knew what he meant, she had ached for him too. She wanted all of him and shaking hands were fumbling with his belt as she tried to unbuckle him. He lifted her up against the wall in the tiny compartment and sunk into her with a great groan. The lack of space only lent itself to some rushed jerks but it was enough to send them both over the edge. They actually stayed in the position much longer afterwards, just kissing.
Hermione returned to her friends a little flushed and feeling very mischievous. No one really noticed her flushed state and she was thrilled by the idea of having such a secret. She had never kept a secret like this before.