Hermione Granger bustled around her bedroom, making sure everything was packed in her suitcase. Triple checking she had everything Hermione grabbed the suitcase and her hand luggage and left the bedroom. Heading into the front room she found her best friend, Harry Potter, sitting watching the television.
"Are you all set?" Harry asked, flicking the television off and turning his attention to Hermione.
"Yeah." Hermione nodded. "You know you really don't need to do this, Harry. I'm perfectly fine getting a taxi to the airport."
"I want to." Harry replied. "Besides, Ron insisted."
"It's not up to Ron." Hermione sighed, thinking about how over protective her ex, Ron Weasley, could be. "I'm not his responsibility."
"It doesn't matter that you're not together at the minute, he still loves you and wants you to be safe." Harry responded.
Hermione thought about correcting Harry's statement regarding her and Ron not being together at the minute, but she decided against it. Even if she told Harry their recent break up was permanent he wouldn't believe her, after all her and Ron had been constantly splitting up and getting back together since leaving school five years ago. With each break up it had been getting harder and harder to mend their fractured relationship and Hermione knew that this time it couldn't be fixed. This last break up had dealt with several issues that had simmering under the surface throughout their relationship, in fact they had probably been there throughout their friendship beforehand as well. Hermione knew it was time to end things completely before things got so bad between her and Ron that they couldn't even be friends.
With a complete break from Ron in mind, Hermione had taken a few weeks off work and arranged to go on holiday. When she was deciding where to go Hermione decided it would be nice to forget all about the wizarding world for a while so she booked herself on a ten day Mediterranean muggle cruise. Hermione was currently preparing to go to the airport where she would fly to the south of France, where the cruise began.
"Are you ready?" Harry asked, startling Hermione out of her thoughts.
At Harry's question Hermione turned round and found her friend standing by the door, her suitcase and hand luggage in his hand. Picking up her handbag she nodded and followed Harry out of the flat. After locking up her and Harry headed outside, where Harry tossed Hermione's bags in the boot of his car.
Like Hermione, Harry liked to keep in touch with his muggle roots and as such he had learnt to drive as soon as he was old enough. Harry loved taking his fiancée, Ginny Weasley, out for the weekend in the car and showing her some of the muggle world. Hermione also drove and had a car but unlike Harry she rarely used hers, mainly because Ron didn't like venturing out of the wizarding world. While Ginny loved her explorations with Harry and was quite taken with several muggle things, Ron was less impressed and more often than not turned his nose up whenever Hermione had suggested doing something muggle.
The drive to the airport passed quickly and the two friends laughed and talked the entire journey. When they arrived Hermione insisted Harry just drop her off, so after a quick goodbye Hermione headed into the airport while Harry headed back home.
After checking in almost immediately Hermione only had to wait a short while for her flight. The flight to France passed quickly for Hermione as she had settled down to read as soon as she had settled into her seat. Once in France, Hermione hailed a taxi and headed for her cruise ship.
Hermione had never been on a cruise before, so she wasn't sure what to expect when the taxi pulled up at the marina. The ship she was travelling on was called 'The Aphrodite' and was one of the biggest ships to cruise the Mediterranean. Hermione had booked one of the most luxurious suites as she hadn't had a decent holiday in years and she really wanted to spoil herself these next ten days.
Hermione had no sooner alighted the taxi when a handsome member of the ship's crew approached her and asked if he could be of assistance. Once she told him her name and gave him her ticket, he grabbed her bags and led her aboard the ship. As the sailor led her to her cabin he chatted the entire way and told her a bit about the ship. When they reached her cabin the sailor dropped her bags onto the floor and told Hermione to give him a shout if she needed anything. Hermione thanked him and gave him a tip before he left and she checked out her cabin.
The cabin space was slightly smaller than her bedroom at home, but it was much bigger than Hermione had been expecting. Against one wall sat a large double bed, with nightstands at either side. There was also a matching wardrobe, chest of drawers and a dressing table with a large mirror in the room. Walking over to the open bathroom door, Hermione peered inside. The bathroom wasn't massive but it had a toilet, sink, shower and more impressively for Hermione, a large sunken bath tub.
After wandering around her cabin Hermione unpacked and changed into something more appropriate for the warm summer weather. Because she cheated and used magic to unpack she had plenty of time to head up on deck and watch the ship leave the marina. Heading up to the top deck she discovered an outdoor bar. Grabbing a fruity cocktail, Hermione wandered over to the railing as the ship began to set sail.
"Fancy seeing you here, Granger." A voice behind Hermione remarked, startling the brunette out of her thoughts.
Unable to believe what she was hearing Hermione whirled around, finding the last person she ever expected to find on a muggle cruise, Draco Malfoy. Hermione gaped at the sight, not only was she shocked to find Draco in the muggle world but she was shocked to find he looked so attractive dressed casually. His platinum blond hair was worn in the messy style he favoured these days and it hung ever so slightly in front of his piercing grey eyes. He was wearing a pair of light grey trousers and a light grey shirt, with the top few buttons undone revealing the top of his chest.
"Malfoy, what a surprise." Hermione said, finally regaining her composure. "What on earth are you doing here?"
After the war Draco had emerged a changed man and he had made a big effort to right the wrongs he and his family did in the past. Hermione herself had long since buried the hatchet with the blond and they had worked together several times at the Ministry as they both worked there as lawyers, albeit in different Departments. Hermione also knew the blond had long since gotten over his aversion to muggleborns and muggles but she still hadn't expected him to be on a muggle cruise ship, surrounded by muggles.
"I'm on holiday, Granger." Draco smirked, before leaning against the railing and watching the disappearing coastline. "What about you?"
"Holiday as well." Hermione replied, turning so she was standing next to him watching the same scenery disappear.
"Alone?" Draco asked, turning to face Hermione.
"Yes, Ron and I broke up."
"For good or will you take him back again?"
"What do you mean, will I take him back again?" Hermione questioned, surprised that Draco knew so much about her love life.
"Please, you and Weasley have been doing this for years. One minute you're the perfect couple, madly in love and the next you're finished. And then before you know it you're back together and the whole thing starts again." Draco answered. "So which is it, permanent split or temporary one?"
"Permanent." Hermione admitted. "This time there's no going back."
"I never quite got why you kept going back in the first place." Draco remarked. "You and Weasley just don't work as a couple, I thought someone as intelligent as you would have worked that out years ago."
"What do you mean we don't work as a couple?" Hermione asked, curious as to what an outsider thought of her relationship with Ron. She also knew that Draco would tell her the truth, even if it was pretty brutal.
"There's the obvious reasons; you're more attractive than him, you're way cleverer than him and you have no interests in common with each other." Draco responded. "Then there's Weasley's inability to be in a relationship with a successful woman like you. It takes a certain sort of a man to date someone like you, and Weasley isn't cut out for it."
"What do you mean someone like me?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at Draco, unsure if he was insulting her.
"Beautiful, smart, successful." Draco replied, smirking when Hermione blushed at his compliments. "It's common knowledge that Weasley has an inferiority complex. Back in school he was ridiculously jealous of his own best friend and he just can't compare to you in any way."
"Ron's not a total disaster." Hermione said, feeling the urge to defend her ex. He was still one of her best friends after all. "He has a successful career as an Auror."
"Yeah, where his best friend will one day be his boss." Draco retorted. At Hermione's glare he instantly regretted his sharp tone and set about rectifying the situation. "Fine, I admit Weasley has a solid job and is a success in his own right. But he still can't compare to you. Whatever you do you will be successful at, if you stay working at the Ministry in a few years you'll be head of a department, maybe even one day Minister of Magic. Basically it doesn't matter how good at his job Weasley is, he'll always feel inferior to you. You will always be more successful than him, you'll always earn more money than him and more importantly you'll always be better at magic than him."
Hermione looked at the blond in surprise, he'd unknowingly mentioned the exact things Ron had thrown back in her face when they broke up. For the first time Ron had told Hermione that she overpowered him, that she made him feel emasculated. Hermione had refused to apologise for being smart and driven and Ron had admitted he didn't want her to apologise, he loved that she was clever and was successful, he just couldn't handle that she was superior to him.
"It takes a certain kind of man to cope with a woman like you and Weasley just isn't that man." Draco added.
"And what kind of man would that be?" Hermione asked, smiling flirtatiously at the good looking blond.
"A man who is secure enough so that your brilliance doesn't overshadow him." Draco responded with a sexy smile. "You need a man who's intelligent and can keep up with your wit. You need a man who is successful in his own right and doesn't mind being with a woman who's more than capable of carving her own way through life."
"Sounds nice." Hermione sighed. "But where would I find someone like that?"
"I'm sure there's men like that around somewhere." Draco grinned. "You never know, you might even find one in the middle of the Mediterranean."
"Hmm, maybe." Hermione shrugged non-committedly. She wasn't sure what had come over her but she was quite enjoying flirting with Draco and she was definitely enjoying his flirting with her. "So now you know what I'm doing here, what are you doing here?"
"I wanted a break, but I wanted to go somewhere I wouldn't be badgered all the time." Draco admitted. Since the war he was constantly in the press and while some of it was necessary to show he'd changed a lot of it was unwanted attention.
"Why come into the muggle world, though?" Hermione questioned. "I'm sure you've got properties all over the world that could provide a bit of peace and quiet."
"I have, but I was looking for quiet not solitude." Draco responded. "This is ideal, I still get company but I also get my privacy."
"What about the muggles?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the smattering of people around them having a drink.
"Turns out they're not too bad." Draco shrugged. "Besides, the ship docks practically every day so I can still explore the wizarding world if I want."
"Sound like fun." Hermione commented. That was exactly how she planned on spending her days on the mainland, splitting her time between the muggle and magical world.
"Maybe we could meet up one day, explore the sights together." Draco suggested, running his eyes over Hermione's body. While he was more than happy to explore the sight of Europe with Hermione he was also interested in exploring the sights she had to offer and from the looks of things she looked to have quite an impressive bit to offer.
"Would whoever you're with not mind me tagging along?" Hermione asked. She knew from the papers that Draco had a regular supply of women in his bed so she wasn't about to assume he was travelling alone.
"I'm all alone."
"Really?" Hermione raised a surprised eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because I've never met a witch I liked enough to take on holiday." Draco admitted. "I just can't seem to find someone who likes me for me. All the witches I seem to attract are only interested in my money or the family name."
"Maybe you're dating the wrong type of woman." Hermione suggested.
"Maybe I am. What type of woman do you suggest I date?"
Hermione smiled at Draco, knowing exactly what he was doing. "You need a woman who isn't interested in your money, maybe try a witch who earns her own money and is successful. You also need a witch who isn't interested in your name or the prestige that comes with dating a Malfoy. And more importantly you need someone who can stand up to you and not let you dominate her."
"Some women like to be dominated. You should try it sometime." Draco chuckled, a low sound that sent a flash of arousal through Hermione's body.
Hermione couldn't help the blush that crept over her cheeks as she dipped her head. Her coyness only made Draco chuckle more as he removed her empty glass from her grasp.
"Another drink?" He asked.
"Yes, please." Hermione smiled.
"What do you want?" Draco questioned.
"Surprise me." Hermione responded, feeling bold.
Draco gave her a wicked smirk before turning and heading to the bar. Hermione watched him go with a smile on her face before she turned back to the view of the mainland, which was now a tine speck on the horizon. It looked like her quiet, peaceful holiday had just taken a very interesting turn indeed.
Ten Days Later.
Harry and Ron sat in the airport, waiting for Hermione's flight to land. Hermione had given the details of her return to Ginny before her holiday and Ron had insisted he and Harry go and meet their friend. Ron was determined to speak to Hermione and make sure their friendship was still intact. He'd accepted their relationship was never going to work but he needed to know he hadn't lost Hermione completely. Before she went away he'd never got the chance to speak to her properly as everything was still too fresh from their breakup.
Once it was announced Hermione's flight had landed, Harry and Ron began the search for their friend. Half an hour after the flight had landed there was still no sign of Hermione and the boys were getting worried. While Ron was fretting Harry spoke to a woman working in the airport and she confirmed the flight Hermione was due to be on had all disembarked and everyone had passed through customs.
"What do you think's going on?" Ron asked when Harry announced Hermione's flight had all passed by them. "Should we be worrying?"
"I really don't know." Harry sighed. "Let's go back home and see what we can find out."
Ron nodded and the two men hurried from the airport, still scanning the crowds in case Hermione had passed by them and they had missed her. By the time they got into Harry's car they were certain that Hermione never got off the plane, which meant she never got on the plane at the other end. After an anxious drive back to Harry's, the two men burst into the house where Ginny was sitting drinking tea with her mother, Molly.
"Is Hermione here?" Ron demanded, looking around even though it was clear his ex was nowhere to be seen.
"Isn't she with you? I thought you'd gone to pick her up." Ginny said.
"She didn't get off the plane." Harry explained. "We think that means she didn't get on it in the first place."
"Maybe she extended her holiday." Molly suggested. "The poor girl certainly needed a break, she's works herself far too hard."
"No, she would have let us know by now." Ron fretted, pacing the floor. "Something's wrong, I can feel it."
"Why don't you relax and wait a few days." Ginny said to her brother. "If we still haven't heard from Hermione in a few days, then we can worry."
"A few days could be too late." Ron argued. "She could have been kidnapped for all we know. Every second could be vital."
"I agree with Ron." Harry said. "We need to act now."
"And what do you suggest?" Ginny questioned. "Running halfway across Europe on a wild goose chase. I'm telling you we need to wait, I bet Hermione has just extended her holiday and any minute now an owl will arrive confirming it."
"We need to go now." Harry insisted, brushing Ginny off. "Ron and I will go to the Ministry and get the ball rolling."
Before Ginny and Molly could protest further Harry and Ron bolted from the house. An hour later when an owl from Hermione arrived, confirming she'd extended her holiday, Ginny rushed off to the Ministry to stop her brother and fiancé from making prats of themselves. Unfortunately by the time she got there she was informed that Harry and Ron had gone to Greece, where Hermione's cruise had ended. Muttering about irrational idiots Ginny headed home to wait for Harry and Ron to come home with their tails between their legs.
Over in Greece, Harry and Ron had used a bit of magic to get themselves on board The Aphrodite. The ship was refuelling for a few days in a Greek port and Harry and Ron were posing as private detectives, looking for Hermione. They were armed with a recent photo of their friend and they were determined to track her down.
After speaking to several of the crew that claimed not to remember Hermione, Harry and Ron eventually hit lucky with a barman. The barman remembered Hermione clearly and informed them that she regularly drunk at the bar on the top deck, which was where he served.
"When was the last time you saw her?" Harry asked.
"I'm not sure exactly, maybe a few days before the end of the cruise." The barman replied.
"Did you ever see her with anyone?" Ron asked.
"Only her boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" Harry queried, wondering if the barman was talking about Hermione or another woman. "Hermione doesn't have a boyfriend."
"I just assumed." The barman shrugged. "They were always together and they certainly behaved like a couple, they couldn't keep their hands off each other."
"What did this man look like?" Harry asked. He still wasn't convinced the barman was talking about Hermione but it didn't hurt to be vigilant.
"He was tall, over six foot. He had very light blond hair and his skin was quite pale, even by the end of the cruise he wasn't sporting much of a tan." The barman answered. "I'm sorry, that's about all I can remember."
"You've been a great help, thank you." Harry said, dismissing the barman. "Well, what do you think? Did Hermione meet a guy on board or was the barman confusing her with someone else?"
"I think he was confusing her with someone else." Ron replied. "Hermione isn't the type of person to randomly get involved with some stranger she's just met."
"I guess so." Harry agreed. "Let's go and speak to some more of the staff."
An hour later Harry and Ron had to admit that the barman they spoke to first was telling the truth. Several other members of staff had remembered Hermione with a man and they had all given the same description; tall, blond, pale and according to a couple of the female staff, gorgeous. The more the description was been repeated the more Harry began putting a name to the face, however he was too afraid to mention it to Ron.
Eventually Harry and Ron managed to speak to the captain and persuaded him to check when Hermione left the ship. The captain was very reluctant to give out the information but Harry laid on a sob story about a dying relative and the captain gave in.
"I'm not supposed to be doing this." The captain grumbled, sorting through the paperwork. "But Miss Granger disembarked two days before the end of the cruise in Crete."
"Why did she leave early?" Harry questioned.
"I have no idea, but it's a regular occurrence. Sometimes passengers find somewhere they like and they leave the cruise. It's especially not unusual to leave just a few days early, there was at least one other gentleman that left the same day as Miss Granger."
"What's his name?" Ron asked. "Please, he could help us find Hermione if they left the same day." He begged the captain when he looked reluctant to help.
"You better not tell anyone I've done this." The captain muttered, once again consulting his papers. "The man's name was Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
"Bloody hell." Ron muttered, his eyes widening in shock. "Tall, light blond hair, pale. Why didn't we see this earlier? Although I suppose the gorgeous bit threw us slightly, since Malfoy isn't good looking."
"I don't think many woman would agree with you Ron." Harry said. "Malfoy is quite the catch, even Ginny thinks he's hot."
As Ron expressed his disgust at his sister's opinion on Malfoy's looks, Harry thanked the captain and the two men left the ship. Once back on solid ground they headed for a drink while they mulled over their next move.
"I suppose we go back home, now." Harry remarked.
"Why? We still haven't found Hermione." Ron argued.
"Come on Ron, its clear where she is. Somehow she and Malfoy have hooked up and they've obviously gone off together."
"We don't know that, Harry." Ron said, determined not to give up until he knew Hermione was safe and sound. "I know he's changed since the war, but he could have taken her by force. I mean, can you really see Hermione willingly jumping into bed with Malfoy?"
"I'd rather not think about it, thanks." Harry replied, trying to clear the mental images that had accompanied Ron's question. "But we can't ignore the evidence. Everyone we spoke to said she looked happy and she was apparently quite hands on with Malfoy."
"That still doesn't mean she would leave the ship with him." Ron protested. "Please Harry, we need to check she's safe."
"I'll get in touch with the Ministry and see if the Malfoy's own any properties out here." Harry sighed, giving in to his friends badgering.
"Thanks mate." Ron beamed at his friend, feeling much better now they were going to do something.
"I just hope Hermione will be thanking us for doing this." Harry muttered. "Something tells me she'll not be happy with us, though."
Hermione sighed contentedly as the warm sun shone down on her back. Hermione could hardly believe the way her holiday had turned out, but she wasn't complaining in the slightest. This holiday had been the best of her life and she had willingly extended it to spend some extra time with Draco in the privacy of his remote villa on Crete.
After that first afternoon on the ship they had arranged to meet up the following day and it soon became a habit for them to explore both the ship and their various destinations together. Hermione was pleased to find that they had an easy rapport and she genuinely liked spending time with Draco. He was smart and quite funny and more importantly he shared a lot of her interests in the arts, meaning they always had plenty to talk about.
As well as the friendship that had developed a strong romantic attachment had also formed. The flirting from the first day quickly escalated and it wasn't long before their passion erupted and they tumbled into bed. After their first time whenever they weren't exploring their surroundings they were exploring each other's bodies. After a week of regularly sleeping with Draco, Hermione had to admit it was the most amazing and adventurous sex she had ever had.
Hermione and Draco hadn't really discussed their future or if they even had one, instead preferring to wait until they returned to their real lives back in London. Normally Hermione would be panicking about if she had a future with Draco but for once in her life she was planning on taking things as they came. If she and Draco decided to carry on seeing each other when they were back home, then it was great, if not she still had the most amazing memories she would cherish forever.
Hermione was still thinking about the last week or so when she felt Draco perch on the side of her sun lounger. Hermione didn't bother moving from her position on her front and she let out a happy sigh when Draco pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder blade.
"You need more sun block." Draco murmured, reaching for the bottle sitting on the floor beside Hermione.
Hermione smirked as Draco drizzled the sunblock over her back and began to rub it in. She didn't actually need any more sunblock, it was just an excuse for Draco to have his hands all over her and more than likely initiate another round of sex. They may have only just emerged from a romp in the pool less than ten minutes ago but she'd quickly discovered that Draco had good stamina and could easily go for hours on end without needing much of a break.
Hermione moaned softly when Draco untied her bikini top and his fingers brushed the sides of her breasts as he continued to massage the sunblock into her skin. Draco rubbed round her neck, shoulders and the top of her back for quite a while, deliberately grazing the skin of her breasts. Hermione was just on the verge of flipping over and telling Draco to do her front when his hands began travelling south. Draco massaged the sunblock into her lower back for a while before he undid the string holding her bikini bottom together and peeled the material away from her bum. Hermione's moans got louder as Draco's hands descended on her backside, gently massaging her bum and the tops of her thighs.
Every touch of Draco's set off a surge of lust in Hermione and after nearly ten minutes of his ministrations she was aching to be touched somewhere more intimately. When Draco reached down for more sunblock Hermione quickly flipped over in the lounger, discarding her bikini as she did so.
"Now you've turned over, I'll have to do your front." Draco grinned, watching Hermione as she settled back down as though she was going to sunbathe.
"I have no problems with that." Hermione replied, smiling back at Draco. "Rub away."
Draco chuckled as he raised the bottle of sunblock and drizzled it over her chest. Hermione pouted in disappointment when Draco's hands descended on the area above her breasts and began massaging the sunblock into her skin. Ever so slowly Draco's hands crept down her skin until he was firmly rubbing the sunblock into her perky breasts. Every time his fingers scraped over her nipples Hermione whimpered and arched up into his hands slightly. Draco spent an inordinately long time making sure Hermione's breasts were amply protected from the sun before his hands continued their journey south.
As Draco's hands swept over Hermione's firm stomach she was aching for him just a tad bit lower but she knew he didn't like to be rushed. She'd discovered on more than one occasion this week that Draco loved to tease her and build up the anticipation. She'd also discovered the teasing and torment she endured was well worth it, she was always well rewarded with an earth shattering orgasm and she knew this time would be no different.
Slowly Draco's hands crept lower, until they were massaging her thighs. With Draco so close to where she needed him, Hermione automatically spread her legs wider. Much to Hermione's frustration Draco didn't immediately give her what she wanted, his hands stroked up her inner thighs before his head finally descended on the place she begged to be touched. Hermione moaned Draco's name loudly the second his tongue hit her wet folds and she almost lost it completely when it flicked her throbbing clitoris.
Draco chuckled at Hermione's reaction, his hands pressing down on her hips to stop her from moving too much. With Hermione pinned underneath him, Draco got to work teasing and taunting her with his tongue. Eventually his right hand slipped off her hip and joined in the action, bringing Hermione closer to the edge. The combination of his tongue swirling around her clit and his fingers thrusting in and out of her wet heat had Hermione panting and begging him for more. Eager to bring Hermione pleasure, Draco continued his actions and when he felt Hermione grasp tightly onto his hair he knew she was close. A few more flicks of his tongue combined with the curling of his fingers inside her, had Hermione screaming her orgasm as she came apart around him.
"That was amazing." Hermione panted as she recovered and Draco moved up so he was lying over her.
"I try my best." Draco grinned, before crashing his lips into Hermione's.
Hermione moaned at the taste of herself on Draco's lips as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her. Hermione moaned at the feeling of Draco's erection pressing into her stomach. Reaching down she pushed his trunks down his legs and wrapped her leg around his waist. Breaking the kiss Draco removed his trunks fully and realigned himself so he was settled right against Hermione's centre.
Draco was just about to reconnect his lips with Hermione's and enter her when a crashing sound from the other side of the pool caught their attention. Turning his head, Draco was annoyed to see one of the ornate vases that decorated the pool area on the floor smashed to smithereens and he was shocked beyond belief to see two heads poking out from behind the stand it was normally placed upon.
Hermione had also moved to see what had happened. Peering over Draco's shoulder she was appalled to spot the guilty looking faces of Harry and Ron watching them. Before she could react Draco had sprung up off the lounger and was stalking across the patio towards her two friends. Hermione's first instinct was to go after Draco but she remembered she was naked and grabbed a nearby beach towel. Wrapping the towel securely around herself she grabbed one for Draco and went chasing after her lover.
"What the hell are you two perverts doing?" Draco yelled, approaching Harry and Ron.
Harry and Ron both quickly dropped their gazes to the floor. Not only were they totally embarrassed and ashamed to have being caught they really didn't want to look at an angry, naked Draco Malfoy. Luckily before Draco had a chance to question them any further Hermione arrived at his side and handed him a towel. Unluckily for Harry and Ron they now had to face the wrath of their best friend.
"What is going on?" Hermione hissed, her tone betraying just how angry she was.
"We came to check you were alright." Ron muttered quietly, not looking Hermione in the eye. He was still trying to forget about what he had just seen, but it was hard when he had been with Hermione for five years and he had never once made her scream the way Malfoy just did.
"When you didn't come home we were worried." Harry added.
"I sent you an owl explaining I'd extended my holiday for another week." Hermione said sharply, not in the mood to listen to her friends explanations for their spying.
"We didn't get any owl." Ron said, finally looking up and finding Hermione glaring at him while Malfoy stood at her side wearing an equally mad look on his face.
"Well I sent one." Hermione said. "How did you even know where I was?"
"We did a bit of digging." Harry said, admitting to everything they had done to find Hermione and how they knew who she was with.
"Bloody stalkers." Draco muttered. "Why the hell did you come here once you knew Hermione was with me? From what you've just said you knew exactly what we were up to."
"We wanted to make sure Hermione came willingly." Ron said.
Draco snickered at Ron's comment and Hermione knew instantly he was going to make some crude remark so she quickly jumped in. "I'm here of my own free will, so you two can go now."
"But..." Ron started to argue but was cut off by Hermione's death glare.
"Go, now." She spat. "I'll talk to you both when I come home."
"One more question, before you leave." Draco said, stopping the two former Gryffindors as they turned to leave. "Just how long have you been here?"
"Too long." Harry muttered, turning bright red at all he had witnessed.
Hermione also turned red at the thought of what Harry and Ron had seen. She was mortified that Harry had seen her naked and while Ron had obviously seen her naked before she was still unhappy with him seeing her that way now they were no longer together. She also felt odd that Ron had seen her with another man, especially one who was able to make her scream the way she just had.
"We'll be off then." Harry said, hastily changing the subject. "We're sorry, Hermione."
"Yeah, sorry." Ron muttered.
Turning around Harry and Ron quickly scarpered from the remote villa, leaving Hermione and Draco staring after their retreating backs. Once they hit the boundary of the property they apparated away, the loud sound of the twin cracks resounding all the way back to the still stunned couple.
"Do you want to go and get some dinner?" Draco asked, idly using wandless magic to fix the vase and return it to its rightful place. "Or have Potter and Weasley ruined our fun?"
"They will have if we go for dinner." Hermione replied, reaching out and untying Draco's towel, causing it to fall around his feet. She then unwrapped the towel she had wrapped round herself and let it join Draco's on the floor. "We were about to do something much more fun than eat."
Draco smiled at Hermione before roughly connecting their lips. Locked in a tight embrace he walked Hermione back over to her lounger and they collapsed onto it. Barely able to tear their lips away from each other they rearranged themselves and Draco was soon buried deep inside Hermione, the pair quickly picking up from where they had been interrupted earlier.
One Week Later.
Harry and Ron nervously paced the floor in front of the floo network, waiting until it was time to go and see Hermione. Earlier that morning both men had received a message from Hermione saying she was back and wanted to see them. After what had happened the previous week both men were naturally nervous about seeing their best friend and they were worried about what she would say about the spying incident.
Harry and Ron hadn't meant to spy on Hermione and Draco, they had just come across then unexpectedly on their way up to the villa. Once they had spotted the couple they were both rather stunned by the scene and before they knew it they were hiding behind on of the large ornate vases that were dotted around the pool. When it became obvious things were going to go even further they had turned to leave, but unfortunately Ron had caught the vase and sent it flying, accidentally revealing their presence in the process.
After their conversation with Hermione the two men returned home where they found a letter from Hermione and a smug Ginny waiting for them. When Ginny heard what had happened she had been furious with the pair of them and lectured them on not rushing into situations and jumping to conclusions. She'd also made them both promise to behave and not cause trouble if Hermione decided to pursue anything with Draco. Neither man thought Hermione's dalliance with the blond was anything more than a holiday fling but they agreed not to cause problems if they were wrong.
The nearer it got to Hermione's return the more they began to worry about her reaction, back in Greece she hadn't reacted too badly but they were worried that once she had thought more about their actions that she would be furious with them. By the time the day dawned they were due to go to Hermione's both Harry and Ron were a jumble of nerves and the time seemed to crawl along until finally Harry announced it was time to leave.
Harry stepped into the emerald flames first, and flooed to Hermione's flat. Ron quickly followed and the two men were standing brushing the soot of their clothes when Hermione entered the front room.
Just a quick glance at Hermione showed how much she had enjoyed her holiday. She had a healthy tan, she looked happy and content and more importantly she looked very relaxed. It had been a long time since either Harry or Ron had seen Hermione looking so at ease and happy, in fact they weren't sure they had ever seen their friend looking so content.
"Harry, Ron, thanks for coming." Hermione smiled.
"Hermione, we're so sorry." Ron said, approaching his ex-girlfriend warily. Even though she was smiling he wasn't totally convinced she wasn't going to snap and yell at them. "We're were idiots and let ourselves get carried away."
"Yes you were." Hermione nodded. "But I understand you were just looking out for me. I'm not going to pretend I like what you did, but in understand your motives behind your actions. However, it's time you both stopped treating me like a little kid who can't take care of herself. I'm a fully grown witch who is more than capable of looking after myself."
"We know." Harry sighed. "And we're so sorry."
"I accept your apologies and I don't wish to discuss this any further. Last week never happened."
"Really? Oh Hermione, you're brilliant." Ron gushed, pulling Hermione into a tight hug. "I promise we can forget all about seeing you with Malfoy. We can pretend you never slept with him."
"That won't be happening Ron." Hermione said, wriggling out of her friends embrace. "Well, you two might like to pretend I've never slept with Draco but I certainly won't be."
"Why not?" Harry questioned. "It was just a holiday fling."
"Actually there might be more to it than that." Hermione admitted. "We've agreed to have a go and see if things work out now we're back home."
"You're dating Malfoy?" Ron gasped. Despite Ginny's warnings he'd never once considered it a serious possibility.
"Yes, and I hope you will both behave and accept it." Hermione replied, looking at her friends sternly. "I know we've all got a sticky past with Draco but that's all behind us now. He's not the same person he was back in school and I hope you both will give him a chance to show you he's changed."
"We already know he's changed, Hermione." Harry admitted. "We've both seen how different he's been since the end of the war and all the things he's done to try and make amends."
"All we're really bothered about is your happiness. If you're happy then we won't cause problems." Ron said.
It was very strange for Ron to think the woman he had dated for five years was now with their childhood enemy, but he still loved her as his friend and wanted her to be happy. If Malfoy really made her happy then Ron could accept that, despite the oddness of the situation. He didn't really like to admit that Malfoy was probably a better fit for Hermione, but the thought had been swimming in his head since witnessing them together the previous week.
"Thank you both." Hermione beamed, giving both Harry and Ron a hug. "It means so much to me that you're willing to give Draco a chance."
"That's what friends do." Harry shrugged. "Anyway, we better be off and let you get settled back in."
Harry and Ron both gave Hermione another hug before disappearing back into the floo network. Once her friends had gone Hermione locked the floo and turned round, finding Draco standing leaning against the doorframe. The blond was only wearing his boxers as the couple had been in bed when Hermione had to get up and deal with her friends.
"That sounded as though it went well." Draco commented, walking into the room and wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist.
"It did, I think they're going to behave." Hermione replied running her hands over Draco's muscled chest.
"As long as they don't watch us again, that's fine with me." Draco replied, pulling at Hermione's dress as his lips sought out her neck.
Hermione pulled the dress over her head and quickly shed her underwear. Pulling Draco's boxers off the couple collapsed onto the sofa, eager to carry on from their earlier activates. Losing herself in Draco's touch Hermione forgot all about her friends or worrying about the future. She and Draco might just have a brief fling or they could end up in a serious relationship, but either way Hermione was having fun and she was cherishing every second with the gorgeous blond man who had given her the holiday of a lifetime.
The End.
