After Astoria's departure after dinner, she wasn't seen again that evening. She was also nowhere to be seen when Hermione and Draco entered the breakfast room the following morning. However since breakfast was informal and the pair were actually slightly later than normal, they had no idea if she'd been around earlier. As it was the only person in the room was Blaise, none of their other friends were around.
"Do you think it's safe to sit down? Or am I going to get accosted by Astoria?" Draco asked Blaise.
"I actually think you might be safe." Blaise told his friend.
"How?" Hermione questioned. "Has she been thrown overboard?"
"I wish." Blaise laughed. "I think she's going to be sulking until it's time to disembark on Sunday."
"Why would she be sulking?" Draco asked. "I hardly think being snubbed at dinner is going to put her off pursuing me."
"I don't suppose it will, but getting a tongue lashing from her father might." Blaise replied.
Blaise then went on to explain how Daphne's father had spoken to her after dinner and asked what was going on with Astoria. Daphne had told her father all about Astoria's behaviour and Mr Greengrass had been less than impressed. According to Blaise, he'd gone to speak to Astoria the previous evening. Since then there hadn't been a peek from the annoying witch.
"So if you haven't seen her, how do you know she's sulking?" Draco questioned. He didn't want to get his hopes up about Astoria leaving him alone, only to have them dashed the next time he saw her.
"I'm just guessing, but her father was furious with her." Blaise answered. "There's no way he didn't give her a good dressing down for her behaviour."
"Let's just hope it worked, and the rest of the trip is peaceful." Hermione said. "I could do without more Astoria dramas."
Draco and Blaise nodded in agreement, as they carried on with their breakfast. Once Blaise was finished eating, he had to head off to attend to some wedding business. He also mentioned that Daphne was busy with wedding stuff, but he promised they would both be around by lunchtime.
"Since everyone else seems to be missing, it looks like it's just you and me." Draco said to Hermione. "So what do you fancy doing?"
"How about we go to the sports complex. I'm sure I saw a tennis court when Blaise was showing us around." Hermione answered. They'd done a lot of lounging around in the sun lately, and while it was nice to relax she was ready to do something more active.
"Okay, I'm sure I can manage to beat you before lunch." Draco grinned.
"You wish." Hermione laughed. "You've never managed to beat me yet."
"I know, why do you think I prefer playing doubles with you instead of playing against you." Draco retorted.
"Well unless we can rustle up a couple of people to beat, it looks like we're going to be on opposite sides of the court." Hermione said as she finished off her breakfast.
Once Draco was also finished his breakfast they headed to the sports complex, where they found Hermione was right and there was a tennis court. After quickly popping back to their cabin to change into more suitable clothes, the pair then headed back to the sport complex and spent the rest of the morning playing tennis. After Hermione had won their first two matches, Draco won the last one before they had to go and shower before lunch.
Draco was still revelling in his victory as they entered the lunch room to find all their friends already sitting discussing what was going to happen that afternoon. After grabbing their own lunch, Draco and Hermione settled down to eat and to find out what the plan for the rest of the day was. Over lunch it was decided that the girls would head off to the spa for a few hours, while the lads would go for a swim. When the girls were finished they would then meet the others at the pool, where the group would spend another few hours enjoying the sun.
After lunch everyone quickly popped back to their cabins to change, before the girls headed to the spa and the lads headed to the pool. While Blaise, Theo and Harry all dove straight into the crystal blue waters, Draco decided not to swim. Instead he settled down on a sun lounger and closed his eyes, using the time to think.
Draco had decided to tell Hermione how he felt about her, he was just trying to decide when would be the best time to broach the subject. Since he wasn't sure how Hermione would take the news that he was in love with her, Draco was wary about telling her while they were still on the boat. He didn't want to cause any problems before Blaise and Daphne's wedding, but he had to tell her how he felt. The last few days had shown Draco just how good he and Hermione could be together, and he wanted a chance at the real thing.
Draco's thoughts about Hermione were interrupted by Blaise suddenly appearing at his side, asking for him to join the others in the pool. Draco relented and headed into the pool for a while, before he retreated back to his sun lounger. Settling back to enjoy the sun, Draco wondered when Hermione would be returning. Even though she'd only been gone for just over an hour, Draco was missing Hermione. Lying around by the pool would be much more fun with his best friend at his side.
Lying in the warm afternoon sun, Draco was just drifting off to sleep when someone ran their hand over his torso. Before he had a chance to open his eyes, Draco suddenly felt whoever it was drop into his lap. Initially he'd thought the hand belonged to Hermione, but as soon as she sat on his knee he knew it wasn't his best friend. Draco's eyes shot open and his worst fears were confirmed, it was Astoria perched on his lap.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He demanded, sitting up and trying to prise Astoria off him. Astoria however wasn't going anywhere, she'd wrapped her arms tightly around Draco's neck and refused to be shifted.
"Stop fighting Draco, I know you want me." Astoria said, nuzzling into Draco's neck.
"No, I don't." Draco insisted, once again trying to prise Astoria off him.
As he was battling with Astoria he spotted his friends getting out of the pool, and he thought they were coming to help. However the trio came to a standstill a few feet away, all three looking amused. Draco was just about to ask why his friends weren't helping him, when he heard a shocked gasp from behind him, followed by the sound of someone approaching.
"What are you doing, you little tart." Hermione cried as she appeared beside Astoria and a struggling Draco.
Astoria turned her head to smirk at Hermione, when without warning Hermione reached out and grabbed hold of Astoria's arm. The movement took Astoria by surprise and her grip on Draco loosened. Draco quickly took advantage of Astoria losing her grip and he pushed her firmly off him as Hermione pulled at her arm. The end result was Astoria flying off Draco's lap and when Hermione let go of her arm, her momentum carried her towards the swimming pool. With no way of stopping herself, Astoria ended up falling in the pool with a large splash.
Astoria's fall into the pool was met with hilarious laughter from everyone. The laughter only increased as a soaking wet Astoria clambered out of the pool and stalked menacingly towards Hermione.
"You bitch." She spat, stopping a safe distance away from the brunette witch.
"You should think yourself lucky, I didn't throw you into the sea. That was what I promised would happen, if I had to warn you again." Hermione replied. "I thought you might have gotten the message when I threw you out of our cabin in just your underwear. Keep your hands off Draco. He's mine."
"He wanted my hands on him." Astoria retorted. "You should have felt him responding to me. If you hadn't disturbed us, we would be back in my cabin by now."
"Please, he was trying to get you off him." Theo snorted. "Not that I can blame him, who would want a tramp like you on his lap."
"Are you going to let people talk about me in that way?" Astoria demanded, glaring at Daphne.
"Why not, it's the truth." Blaise answered for his fiancée. "You are a tramp. I told you before this trip that Draco was bringing his girlfriend, but then again people having girlfriends doesn't really bother you does it? I mean if you would try it on with your own sister's boyfriend, why not someone else's."
"She tried it on with you?" Theo looked at Blaise in shock. "When was this, and why didn't you tell me?"
"It was way back when I first started dating Daphne." Blaise explained. "Daphne and I returned from an evening out to find Astoria lying on my bed in just her underwear."
"She seems to like that trick. I found her the same way on Tuesday afternoon. She was waiting in our cabin for Draco to return." Hermione said.
"I can't believe you've done that again." Daphne shook her head at her sister. "I forgave you for trying to seduce Blaise, but this is getting out of hand. I've already told you this, but I'm telling you it for one final time. Leave Draco alone. In fact leave any man alone if he has a partner."
"It was only a bit of innocent flirting." Astoria pouted. "Honestly, you lot are so boring. I didn't mean anything by it."
"Sure you didn't." Draco muttered sarcastically.
"I can't wait until this trip is over and I never have to see any of you again." Astoria announced.
Without waiting for a response, she stalked over to the other side of the pool and settled down on a sun lounger. Glaring at the group over the other side of the pool, she proceeded to strip her bikini top off and settled back to sunbathe topless.
With Astoria's dramatics done with the rest of the group also settled down, still gossiping about the showdown. Hermione was very aware that Astoria was still watching them, so instead of using a sun lounger of her own she settled on Draco's lap. Draco was more than happy to have Hermione on his knee, as she settled against him and kept running her lips over his neck.
"I didn't know you'd caught Astoria in our cabin." Draco whispered to Hermione.
"I thought my warning back then might have gotten through to her." Hermione replied quietly. "Obviously it didn't."
"I can't think why not, you were very possessive of me." Draco muttered, trying hard not to moan as Hermione's soft lips moved against his neck.
"I just wanted to get the point across." Hermione shrugged.
"That I was yours?" Draco questioned.
"It's all part of the act." Hermione replied.
"Well, it's very convincing." Draco said. "Although I have to confess, I would rather it wasn't an act."
"What?" Hermione lifted her head up and looked at Draco in surprise.
"This, what we're doing. I wish it wasn't an act." Draco confessed, making sure he was speaking quietly enough so that they wouldn't be over heard. "I wish you were sitting on my lap because you wanted to, not because you're trying to prove a point to Astoria."
"What if I'm doing both?" Hermione questioned. "What if I meant every word I said to Astoria? What if I want you to be mine?"
"I already am." Draco replied.
Gently cupping Hermione's face in his hand, Draco pulled her towards him and connected their lips. The kiss was soft and gentle, but they could both feel the fire burning between them. One move from either of them could turn the embrace into a steamy kiss in seconds. However neither of them ignited the kiss any further, they were happy to leave it as a sweet kiss.
"I think we need to talk privately." Hermione said as they finally parted.
"Yeah, I guess we do." Draco replied.
Hermione moved off Draco's lap, and once she was up he also got up. Saying goodbye to their friends, they headed back below deck. In silence they made their way back to their cabin, each of them fully aware that the talk they were about to have would change their relationship forever.