Eleven Things (Oneshot)
Title: Eleven Things
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Draco has a list of things he wants to do before he dies, and Hermione finds out just where she fits in… and how.
Notes: Written for inadaze22's prompt at hp_spring_fling. Her prompt was Alaska, a compass, and eleven things to do before you die. You can see the entire prompt here.
Big thanks to my beta dynonugget. You were a lifesaver, friend, and the summary help was fabulous.
Banner courtesy of girl_trash at The Dark Mark Forums
Eleven Things
Part I
“Eleven things?”
“Eleven things.”
“Why eleven?”
“Why not?”
Hermione bit her lip. He was doing it on purpose, the little ferret. He knew how much she despised odd numbers and answering questions with questions. It was infuriating and he always did it because he knew it would ruffle her feathers. How she even lived in the same flat as him, let alone dated the git, she didn’t know.
She must be insane; it was the only explanation.
Hermione folded her arms across her chest. “Malfoy,” she trailed off in the warning tone that she was famous for.
“You know that tone of voice does nothing to me,” he answered evenly.
Hermione scoffed. She did know and that irked her even more than his other annoying tendencies. She may be the brightest witch of their age, but when smitten she was a complete pushover.
She watched him for a moment. Eleven things? Merlin, what eleven - she shuddered - things could he possibly want to do before he died? While growing up, Draco had been given everything he ever asked for. What more could he possibly want to do, see, or experience?
“Don’t over-think it, Granger,” Draco drawled from his high-backed, leather chair, where he was reading the Prophet with a slight scowl on his face. He didn’t look up as he continued, “I don’t want to have to call a house elf in to clean up the mess when your head spins off into another dimension.”
Hermione’s eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t have to over-think things if you would just answer my questions when I ask them,” she said.
Draco turned the page. “That’s not likely,” he drawled.
Hermione continued to watch him, her blood boiling. She wasn’t really mad at him; he was just being him. She knew that. It was one of the things she loved most about him. No matter what happened to him, no matter how much he suffered once the war was over for his past involvement with Voldemort, and no matter what the Ministry did to try and bring him down he was still Draco Malfoy.
One would wonder, however, how Hermione could end up with someone like Draco. It was simple, really. Everything that had happened to him, how much he had suffered for his involvement with Voldemort, and what the Ministry did to him made him realize that he wanted to be a better person. Hermione had been there, working beside him as a curse-breaker, when it had all transpired, when the changed Draco Malfoy came into work that first day. Four months later, when Draco’s new behavior, in Hermione’s opinion, had proven to be true and not just some guise, Hermione had truly started to see Draco for the first time.
She had been looking ever since.
Draco turned the page, yet again. She needed to know. It was her nature. Hermione Granger knew everything. It was driving her crazy that he could and would keep a secret from her.
“Don’t worry, Granger,” Draco’s voice sounded bored. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
She watched him intently, a smile on her face, until he dropped the paper from in front of his face to look at her. Despite his hard-nosed exterior and his snarky attitude, when he looked at Hermione his eyes sparkled.
He smiled back.
Part II
The loud crack of someone Apparating broke into the quiet morning air. However, there was no one around to hear it and be disturbed by it.
Hermione landed with a spin, her arm coming free of Draco’s after the side-along Apparation, and she yawned despite her curiosity. “Where are we?” she asked breathlessly, failing to hide her drowsiness and peering through the darkness to see where they were.
Draco grabbed her arm again once she had made a full circle and started walking her in the opposite direction. “We’re not there yet,” he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. “But we have to hurry. We’re going to be late.”
Hermione pulled her parka tighter around her body and shivered. “I don’t know why we needed to be out so early,” she complained. “And for the love of Merlin, Draco, it’s freezing out here. Couldn’t we have waited until - say - noon when it had warmed up a bit?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “It’s bad enough you’ve already made us late this morning, but do I have to listen to you bitch about every little thing?” With his wand, Draco cast a Warming Charm over Hermione and she visibly relaxed beside him. “Better now, princess?”
Hermione didn’t take the bait. “Yes, Draco, thank you.” She wanted to mention that she wouldn’t have had to complain about it had he allowed her to grab her wand before they left the flat. She also wanted to further complain about the early hour in which he had awakened her. He should know better than to disturb her precious sleep - especially at five o’clock in the morning. And even further, she wanted to mention that his weird behavior the last few days was reason enough for her not to accompany him on this oh-so-secret-last-minute trip; Merlin only knew what he had in store for her.
Instead she remained quiet and allowed him to pull her at a quick pace to their destination, all while letting her eyes roam through the darkness around her. About three minutes into their walk, her eyes adjusted to the dark, and with the added pink of the brightening sky, she was able to make out rolling green, frost-tipped hills. She had no doubt that, in the proper lighting, this area they had Apparated to was absolutely gorgeous.
Draco sharply maneuvered her around a large bolder. “What your step, love. I’d hate to miss this because you fell and cracked your head open.”
Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing full-well that he couldn’t see her, before saying, “Where is it we’re going exactly?”
“Soon,” he murmured, his jaw set.
Hermione stifled her instinct to scoff and continued to be led toward their destination. She didn’t, however, have to wait long. Just as the sun was peeking over the horizon in the east, casting a kaleidoscope of color onto the earth, Hermione saw their target.
“Newgrange?” Hermione gasped. “We’re in Ireland? Oh, I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland.” Hermione felt her face blush with excitement and immediately started to ask questions, as she was known to do. “But why today? Why this early?”
Draco, a smile tugging at his lips despite himself, raised an eyebrow at her. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what day it is, Granger.”
Hermione looked at him curiously for a moment and then her eyes opened wide. “It’s December 21st,” she breathed, “Winter Solstice.”
“Winter Solstice,” Draco nodded and took her hand, bringing her closer to the tomb.
It was gorgeous. The ornate carvings into the rocks, the intricate details around the entrance, the sheer size of the tomb was all more than Hermione could have ever imagined it to be. She was running her hand over the carved boulders marking the entrance, when Draco spoke.
“Number three on my list of things to do before I die is to see Newgrange on the winter solstice, and not under the everyday mocked lighting.” Hermione watched him run his hand over the entrance.
“It really is beautiful,” she said with a smile.
Draco smiled back and grabbed her hand. “We have to hurry. We’ll miss the best part.” Hermione had no chance to argue as Draco took off at a dead run down through the passage of the tomb, dragging her along behind him. Soon they were standing in a large cross-shaped chamber inside the tomb. It was seemingly more beautiful than anything that they had seen outside, but Hermione’s focus was stolen almost instantly when Draco turned her around to look back down the passage they had just come.
The morning sun was shining in through an opening at the ceiling of the chamber, illuminating the floor of the chamber. Hermione’s breath caught in her throat. This was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
They were silent for a full five minutes as they looked around the chamber, seeing every detail in the light of the sunrise, before Draco stood beside her and grabbed her hand.
“Do you like it?” he asked in a hushed tone. Hermione could only nod and Draco squeezed her hand.
They watched for another quiet five minutes before Hermione whispered, “How are the only ones here right now, Draco?” She couldn’t speak any louder for fear she would disturb the moment completely.
“I called in a favor or two.” He smirked in a way that was purely him, and Hermione felt herself smiling. “I just wanted it to be you and me.”
Seven more quiet minutes passed and finally the sun had risen high enough in the sky that the chamber was no longer illuminated with its light. It was a bittersweet moment, until Draco turned her toward him and smiled down at her lovingly. “Thank you for being here with me,” he said, his voice still quiet.
“Thank you for bringing me,” she responded just as Draco’s lips descended to hers in a sweet kiss.
Part III
Hermione rolled over and reached out towards Draco’s side of the bed. When her hand hit nothing but cold sheet-covered mattress, her eyes fluttered open slowly. She first glanced past the empty spot in the bed to the nightstand on Draco’s side of the bed; it was just after 8:00 in the morning. She frowned. It was 8:00 in the morning on a Saturday and Draco was not in bed. That was odd. Draco never got up that early on a Saturday. He always said he had to get up early every day to go to work; the weekends, Saturday especially, were his day to sleep in and enjoy it.
She ran her hand absentmindedly along the empty spot in the bed and tried to remember if Draco had mentioned anything during the week about being gone early on Saturday morning. When nothing popped into her head, she sighed and focused on his pillow. Lying, crisp white against the black satin sheets, was a note. Hermione smiled to herself, picked it up and read:
I have a meeting this morning. Meet me at 8:30 AM for coffee. Love, Draco
Hermione rolled over in bed and stood up, her feet touching the cool hardwood floor and sending a shiver down her spine. Draco hadn’t had a Saturday meeting in months; why now? She shook her head. There was no point in questioning it; she didn’t really want to get herself meddled in his side job of helping his father run one of the many family companies.
Instead, Hermione thought about something more pleasant.
Since the trip to Newgrange, Hermione had been sitting on pins and needles waiting for the next time Draco would whisk her away to enjoy another event on his list. She didn’t have the slightest idea what else was on his list, but she was sure - based on the trip to Newgrange - that they would all be spectacular.
She had tried to weasel some hints out of Draco, but it hadn’t worked. It had actually caused a bit of a fight between them one evening, causing Draco to sleep on the sofa that night and Hermione to eat her fair share of crow the next morning when she apologized for her behavior.
It had been six months since they spent the day in Newgrange. It had been six months of torture. Hermione was ready to know more.
Moving across their bedroom to the attached bathroom, Hermione continued to think about any fabulous possibilities that might be on Draco’s list. If Newgrange was any indication of what was to come, Hermione was definitely ready.
Hermione turned on the water in the sink and reached for her toothbrush. Instantly, she felt the pull behind her navel as the Portkey activated and carried her off. Only a few moments later, Hermione lost her balance when she was delivered to her destination and fell backward onto her bum. Draco’s hand was instantly reaching out for her to grab.
With a huff, Hermione ignored him and stood up on her own, brushing the minor street dirt from her pyjama pants. It was only then that she realized she had been moved from the comfort of her flat before she could change her clothes or brush her teeth. She was infuriated further.
“You’ve a lot of nerve, Malfoy,” she spat at him as she tried to cover her fairly exposed body. She never went out without, at least, jeans and a t-shirt on. Her thin, plaid pyjama pants and slim tank top were a little too risqué for public.
“I told you to meet me at 8:30 AM,” he drawled. “It is 8:30 AM, is it not?”
“Yes, but my toothbrush?” Hermione was looking around and couldn’t place where they were. “I didn’t even get a chance to brush my teeth.” Her eyes widened. “And the water is running in the sink!”
Draco’s left eyebrow rose slightly, but she saw the smirk on his lips. She wanted to smack it - or kiss it, she wasn’t sure - right off his face.
“I do apologize,” he answered. “I assumed you’d have been ready. And you are still holding your toothbrush, my dear. Might we find you a restroom?”
Hermione glared at her boyfriend, but allowed him to grab her elbow and lead her along a cobblestone pathway. In typical Hermione fashion, her sense of curiosity got the better of her. She felt her anger slipping away, only to be replaced by an overwhelming need to ask questions.
“Where are we?” she asked, her eyes trying to see everything at once.
Draco continued to pull her along. “We’re in Rome,” he replied, his tone even.
Hermione shot him an incredulous look. “For coffee?”
“For coffee,” he nodded his head and continued to guide her by her elbow.
Hermione stopped in her tracks, fuming with anger. “Not a bit of what you said made any sense, Draco!” And then, like a bolt of lightning, Hermione was hit with an intense bout of understanding. “This is something for your bleeding list, isn’t it?” No longer was Hermione excited about Draco’s list like she had been earlier in the morning. Now she was truly angry that she was going to experience something on that list in her pyjamas.
“Of course it is,” he answered, putting his hand under her elbow once more. Hermione snatched it back before he could start leading her away. Draco groaned, “What?”
“You couldn’t have just prepared me a bit?” Hermione burst out, the heat rising to her face as her anger was getting the best of her. “I’m in my pyjamas, Draco.”
Her sarcasm was biting, but Draco didn’t let it bother him. Instead he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you,” he said.
Hermione scoffed. “Why?”
“Because,” Draco shot back. Hermione, slightly shocked at his aggravated tone, took a step back. “You’re so obsessed with my list. You go on and on and on about it almost all the time and I want you to be surprised for once. I mean, wasn’t it nice to be surprised when we went to Newgrange?” Hermione assumed it was a hypothetical question, because he kept going. “This list isn’t just about me, Hermione.” He took a step toward her. “It’s for both of us. I want you to enjoy it as much as I do. But I can’t have you being so obsessed with it. We have our whole lives to get through the list, okay?”
Draco moved his hand over to Hermione’s cheek and rubbed his thumb over it gently. Hermione nodded. “Okay,” she whispered, her heart clenching at his words. Though they had talked about getting married, it wasn’t something they brought up a lot. To hear him actually say those words, well it made Hermione regret ever being mad at him.
“Okay,” Draco said before touching his lips to hers quickly. “Now, let’s go.”
Hermione, who was actually quite looking forward to a short little snogging session, groaned and followed him around the corner. They were no longer on an empty, back street but on a much busier front street looking directly at-
“Is that the Pantheon?” Hermione asked, her eyes as big as saucers and her voice sounding confused and awed at the same time.
“Huh? Oh yeah,” Draco said waving her off, “but we’re headed over here.” He pulled Hermione to his left a few paces and then stopped. “Tazza d’oro,” he said with a grand sweep of his arm and an uncharacteristic smile on his face.
Hermione, an eyebrow lifted, looked at the front doors of the café. “A coffee shop?” she asked.
“A coffee shop,” Draco answered. “I did say to meet me for coffee, did I not?”
Hermione hedged, “You did, though,” she turned around to look at the Pantheon that was only a couple blocks away, “we’re in Rome, Draco. We came to Rome for coffee?”
“It’s not just any coffee, Hermione,” Draco said, abashed at her lack of enthusiasm. “Tazza d’oro has the best coffee in the world.”
Hermione turned back around and gazed in shock at her boyfriend. “I’m sorry?”
Draco smiled. “I read about this guy on that internet thing you’re always using. Anyway, he swears that Tazza d’oro has the best coffee in the world. And I want to have a cup of the best coffee in the world.” He stopped and looked at Hermione. She nearly laughed at how excited he looked - about coffee - until he added, “With the best girlfriend in the world.”
Hermione’s heart melted as she let him guide her into the café.
Part IV
“Okay,” Hermione called as she exited their bedroom, pulling her luggage along behind her. “I’m ready to go.”
Draco looked at her small, conservative suitcase and smirked to himself. He was so glad he was dating someone as low maintenance as Hermione. Reaching behind her, he grabbed the handle of her luggage and moved it beside his. Then, with a flick of his wand, they disappeared.
“When is the Portkey ready?” Hermione asked, pulling her jacket on over a light sweater. Draco had warned her it would be chilly this time of year.
Hermione and Draco were taking their first real vacation together as a couple. Draco told Hermione she could choose where they would go, if he could plan the trip. She had been so excited, that she agreed immediately.
Afterwards, however, she regretted that completely. The only thing she knew about their trip was that they were headed for Alaska. She didn’t even know where in Alaska they were headed and it was bloody frustrating. But since their last trip to Rome, where the coffee had been extremely excellent, Hermione had laid off on asking too many questions about anything. Especially anything that had to do with travel or the list.
It was unfortunate that Hermione was such a curious person. Truly unfortunate.
Draco looked down at his watch. “We have one minute,” he drawled. “Do you have everything?”
Quickly, Hermione did a mental checklist of the things she would need while they were gone. Because she didn’t know exactly what they would be doing, she had to over-prepare; the list was longer than expected.
“Grab the compass, Hermione.” Draco interrupted her thoughts. “We have ten seconds.”
She mentally checked the last item on her list and touched the old, weathered compass, just as it started to glow and was instantly pulled into a spin of travel. As they spun around, Hermione felt her gaze being drawn to Draco’s face across from her. He truly was a gorgeous man, and Hermione couldn’t help but feel lucky that they were together and happy.
Life couldn’t get much better than this.
Gently this time, her feet touched the ground and she looked around. “Where are we?” she asked. Though she had no idea what Draco had planned, she assumed they would have landed somewhere near a resort of some sort. Instead, they had landed beside a beautiful lake, looking towards a small fishing village.
Draco turned the old compass over and over again in his hand. “We’re standing on the lake looking over at Little Port Walter in Alaska.” Hermione thought he looked nervous. Draco never got nervous.
“Why? Are we staying here?”
“No.”
Hermione looked him over; he was still spinning that compass in his hand and not making eye contact with her. It was strange. “Well, then why are we here?”
“Because,” Draco answered after a moment, lifting his eyes to hers and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. “Because there is something I need to do first and this place is beautiful. I thought it would be fitting.”
Hermione looked around, suddenly feeling as nervous as she thought Draco looked. He was right, Little Port Walter was beautiful. The sun was starting to set behind snow-capped mountains and the sky was turning pink. The water was calm, minus the occasional movement of fish at the surface, and the trees lining the water near the small town were swaying gently on the cool breeze.
Beautiful might not have been a strong enough word.
A gentle clicking sound against the near-quiet surrounding them brought Hermione’s attention back to Draco. The compass in his hand was open like a container and he was pulling something small and shiny out. Hermione didn’t get a chance to see it before his fingers closed around it.
“What did you have to do, Draco?” Hermione asked, her voice suddenly no more than a whisper.
Draco closed the compass again and pocketed it. Then, dropping to one knee in front of her, looked up at her. Hermione gasped and felt tears prick her eyes instantly.
“Hermione,” he croaked and then cleared his throat. “Let me try that again,” he said with a smile. Hermione felt herself smile back, though she wasn’t sure how she managed it. Her body was numb and felt a bit like gelatin.
“Hermione,” he began again, his voice louder yet shaking, “there are no words that describe how much I love you.” She watched his tongue dart out and wet his lips before he continued. “And everything I could say to you right now would only sound cliché. I don’t want us to be a cliché.”
Hermione felt her head shake gently as tears trickled down her cold and reddened cheeks. This was really happening.
“When we were in Rome and I told you I wanted to share my eleven things with you, I meant it. I want us to have our whole lives together to explore this world and my list.” He smiled and added, “Which, by the way, does not only include travelling, but learning how to make homemade pizza and having a family.”
Hermione’s heart was pounding in her chest as she envisioned small, frizzy, blond children running around their home. She wanted it so badly.
Draco opened his hand and a simple, yet beautiful ring was sitting in the middle of his palm. Hermione choked on a happy sob. “Number one on my list, Hermione, is to marry you. Please say you’ll marry me.”
Hermione fell to her knees in front of Draco and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his fiercely on the mouth, her tears wetting both of their cheeks. Draco laughed gently as he wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close to him and kissed her back.
They had the rest of their lives to experience love, together.
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Draco has a list of things he wants to do before he dies, and Hermione finds out just where she fits in… and how.
Notes: Written for inadaze22's prompt at hp_spring_fling. Her prompt was Alaska, a compass, and eleven things to do before you die. You can see the entire prompt here.
Big thanks to my beta dynonugget. You were a lifesaver, friend, and the summary help was fabulous.
Banner courtesy of girl_trash at The Dark Mark Forums
Eleven Things
Part I
“Eleven things?”
“Eleven things.”
“Why eleven?”
“Why not?”
Hermione bit her lip. He was doing it on purpose, the little ferret. He knew how much she despised odd numbers and answering questions with questions. It was infuriating and he always did it because he knew it would ruffle her feathers. How she even lived in the same flat as him, let alone dated the git, she didn’t know.
She must be insane; it was the only explanation.
Hermione folded her arms across her chest. “Malfoy,” she trailed off in the warning tone that she was famous for.
“You know that tone of voice does nothing to me,” he answered evenly.
Hermione scoffed. She did know and that irked her even more than his other annoying tendencies. She may be the brightest witch of their age, but when smitten she was a complete pushover.
She watched him for a moment. Eleven things? Merlin, what eleven - she shuddered - things could he possibly want to do before he died? While growing up, Draco had been given everything he ever asked for. What more could he possibly want to do, see, or experience?
“Don’t over-think it, Granger,” Draco drawled from his high-backed, leather chair, where he was reading the Prophet with a slight scowl on his face. He didn’t look up as he continued, “I don’t want to have to call a house elf in to clean up the mess when your head spins off into another dimension.”
Hermione’s eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t have to over-think things if you would just answer my questions when I ask them,” she said.
Draco turned the page. “That’s not likely,” he drawled.
Hermione continued to watch him, her blood boiling. She wasn’t really mad at him; he was just being him. She knew that. It was one of the things she loved most about him. No matter what happened to him, no matter how much he suffered once the war was over for his past involvement with Voldemort, and no matter what the Ministry did to try and bring him down he was still Draco Malfoy.
One would wonder, however, how Hermione could end up with someone like Draco. It was simple, really. Everything that had happened to him, how much he had suffered for his involvement with Voldemort, and what the Ministry did to him made him realize that he wanted to be a better person. Hermione had been there, working beside him as a curse-breaker, when it had all transpired, when the changed Draco Malfoy came into work that first day. Four months later, when Draco’s new behavior, in Hermione’s opinion, had proven to be true and not just some guise, Hermione had truly started to see Draco for the first time.
She had been looking ever since.
Draco turned the page, yet again. She needed to know. It was her nature. Hermione Granger knew everything. It was driving her crazy that he could and would keep a secret from her.
“Don’t worry, Granger,” Draco’s voice sounded bored. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
She watched him intently, a smile on her face, until he dropped the paper from in front of his face to look at her. Despite his hard-nosed exterior and his snarky attitude, when he looked at Hermione his eyes sparkled.
He smiled back.
Part II
The loud crack of someone Apparating broke into the quiet morning air. However, there was no one around to hear it and be disturbed by it.
Hermione landed with a spin, her arm coming free of Draco’s after the side-along Apparation, and she yawned despite her curiosity. “Where are we?” she asked breathlessly, failing to hide her drowsiness and peering through the darkness to see where they were.
Draco grabbed her arm again once she had made a full circle and started walking her in the opposite direction. “We’re not there yet,” he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. “But we have to hurry. We’re going to be late.”
Hermione pulled her parka tighter around her body and shivered. “I don’t know why we needed to be out so early,” she complained. “And for the love of Merlin, Draco, it’s freezing out here. Couldn’t we have waited until - say - noon when it had warmed up a bit?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “It’s bad enough you’ve already made us late this morning, but do I have to listen to you bitch about every little thing?” With his wand, Draco cast a Warming Charm over Hermione and she visibly relaxed beside him. “Better now, princess?”
Hermione didn’t take the bait. “Yes, Draco, thank you.” She wanted to mention that she wouldn’t have had to complain about it had he allowed her to grab her wand before they left the flat. She also wanted to further complain about the early hour in which he had awakened her. He should know better than to disturb her precious sleep - especially at five o’clock in the morning. And even further, she wanted to mention that his weird behavior the last few days was reason enough for her not to accompany him on this oh-so-secret-last-minute trip; Merlin only knew what he had in store for her.
Instead she remained quiet and allowed him to pull her at a quick pace to their destination, all while letting her eyes roam through the darkness around her. About three minutes into their walk, her eyes adjusted to the dark, and with the added pink of the brightening sky, she was able to make out rolling green, frost-tipped hills. She had no doubt that, in the proper lighting, this area they had Apparated to was absolutely gorgeous.
Draco sharply maneuvered her around a large bolder. “What your step, love. I’d hate to miss this because you fell and cracked your head open.”
Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing full-well that he couldn’t see her, before saying, “Where is it we’re going exactly?”
“Soon,” he murmured, his jaw set.
Hermione stifled her instinct to scoff and continued to be led toward their destination. She didn’t, however, have to wait long. Just as the sun was peeking over the horizon in the east, casting a kaleidoscope of color onto the earth, Hermione saw their target.
“Newgrange?” Hermione gasped. “We’re in Ireland? Oh, I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland.” Hermione felt her face blush with excitement and immediately started to ask questions, as she was known to do. “But why today? Why this early?”
Draco, a smile tugging at his lips despite himself, raised an eyebrow at her. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what day it is, Granger.”
Hermione looked at him curiously for a moment and then her eyes opened wide. “It’s December 21st,” she breathed, “Winter Solstice.”
“Winter Solstice,” Draco nodded and took her hand, bringing her closer to the tomb.
It was gorgeous. The ornate carvings into the rocks, the intricate details around the entrance, the sheer size of the tomb was all more than Hermione could have ever imagined it to be. She was running her hand over the carved boulders marking the entrance, when Draco spoke.
“Number three on my list of things to do before I die is to see Newgrange on the winter solstice, and not under the everyday mocked lighting.” Hermione watched him run his hand over the entrance.
“It really is beautiful,” she said with a smile.
Draco smiled back and grabbed her hand. “We have to hurry. We’ll miss the best part.” Hermione had no chance to argue as Draco took off at a dead run down through the passage of the tomb, dragging her along behind him. Soon they were standing in a large cross-shaped chamber inside the tomb. It was seemingly more beautiful than anything that they had seen outside, but Hermione’s focus was stolen almost instantly when Draco turned her around to look back down the passage they had just come.
The morning sun was shining in through an opening at the ceiling of the chamber, illuminating the floor of the chamber. Hermione’s breath caught in her throat. This was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
They were silent for a full five minutes as they looked around the chamber, seeing every detail in the light of the sunrise, before Draco stood beside her and grabbed her hand.
“Do you like it?” he asked in a hushed tone. Hermione could only nod and Draco squeezed her hand.
They watched for another quiet five minutes before Hermione whispered, “How are the only ones here right now, Draco?” She couldn’t speak any louder for fear she would disturb the moment completely.
“I called in a favor or two.” He smirked in a way that was purely him, and Hermione felt herself smiling. “I just wanted it to be you and me.”
Seven more quiet minutes passed and finally the sun had risen high enough in the sky that the chamber was no longer illuminated with its light. It was a bittersweet moment, until Draco turned her toward him and smiled down at her lovingly. “Thank you for being here with me,” he said, his voice still quiet.
“Thank you for bringing me,” she responded just as Draco’s lips descended to hers in a sweet kiss.
Part III
Hermione rolled over and reached out towards Draco’s side of the bed. When her hand hit nothing but cold sheet-covered mattress, her eyes fluttered open slowly. She first glanced past the empty spot in the bed to the nightstand on Draco’s side of the bed; it was just after 8:00 in the morning. She frowned. It was 8:00 in the morning on a Saturday and Draco was not in bed. That was odd. Draco never got up that early on a Saturday. He always said he had to get up early every day to go to work; the weekends, Saturday especially, were his day to sleep in and enjoy it.
She ran her hand absentmindedly along the empty spot in the bed and tried to remember if Draco had mentioned anything during the week about being gone early on Saturday morning. When nothing popped into her head, she sighed and focused on his pillow. Lying, crisp white against the black satin sheets, was a note. Hermione smiled to herself, picked it up and read:
I have a meeting this morning. Meet me at 8:30 AM for coffee. Love, Draco
Hermione rolled over in bed and stood up, her feet touching the cool hardwood floor and sending a shiver down her spine. Draco hadn’t had a Saturday meeting in months; why now? She shook her head. There was no point in questioning it; she didn’t really want to get herself meddled in his side job of helping his father run one of the many family companies.
Instead, Hermione thought about something more pleasant.
Since the trip to Newgrange, Hermione had been sitting on pins and needles waiting for the next time Draco would whisk her away to enjoy another event on his list. She didn’t have the slightest idea what else was on his list, but she was sure - based on the trip to Newgrange - that they would all be spectacular.
She had tried to weasel some hints out of Draco, but it hadn’t worked. It had actually caused a bit of a fight between them one evening, causing Draco to sleep on the sofa that night and Hermione to eat her fair share of crow the next morning when she apologized for her behavior.
It had been six months since they spent the day in Newgrange. It had been six months of torture. Hermione was ready to know more.
Moving across their bedroom to the attached bathroom, Hermione continued to think about any fabulous possibilities that might be on Draco’s list. If Newgrange was any indication of what was to come, Hermione was definitely ready.
Hermione turned on the water in the sink and reached for her toothbrush. Instantly, she felt the pull behind her navel as the Portkey activated and carried her off. Only a few moments later, Hermione lost her balance when she was delivered to her destination and fell backward onto her bum. Draco’s hand was instantly reaching out for her to grab.
With a huff, Hermione ignored him and stood up on her own, brushing the minor street dirt from her pyjama pants. It was only then that she realized she had been moved from the comfort of her flat before she could change her clothes or brush her teeth. She was infuriated further.
“You’ve a lot of nerve, Malfoy,” she spat at him as she tried to cover her fairly exposed body. She never went out without, at least, jeans and a t-shirt on. Her thin, plaid pyjama pants and slim tank top were a little too risqué for public.
“I told you to meet me at 8:30 AM,” he drawled. “It is 8:30 AM, is it not?”
“Yes, but my toothbrush?” Hermione was looking around and couldn’t place where they were. “I didn’t even get a chance to brush my teeth.” Her eyes widened. “And the water is running in the sink!”
Draco’s left eyebrow rose slightly, but she saw the smirk on his lips. She wanted to smack it - or kiss it, she wasn’t sure - right off his face.
“I do apologize,” he answered. “I assumed you’d have been ready. And you are still holding your toothbrush, my dear. Might we find you a restroom?”
Hermione glared at her boyfriend, but allowed him to grab her elbow and lead her along a cobblestone pathway. In typical Hermione fashion, her sense of curiosity got the better of her. She felt her anger slipping away, only to be replaced by an overwhelming need to ask questions.
“Where are we?” she asked, her eyes trying to see everything at once.
Draco continued to pull her along. “We’re in Rome,” he replied, his tone even.
Hermione shot him an incredulous look. “For coffee?”
“For coffee,” he nodded his head and continued to guide her by her elbow.
Hermione stopped in her tracks, fuming with anger. “Not a bit of what you said made any sense, Draco!” And then, like a bolt of lightning, Hermione was hit with an intense bout of understanding. “This is something for your bleeding list, isn’t it?” No longer was Hermione excited about Draco’s list like she had been earlier in the morning. Now she was truly angry that she was going to experience something on that list in her pyjamas.
“Of course it is,” he answered, putting his hand under her elbow once more. Hermione snatched it back before he could start leading her away. Draco groaned, “What?”
“You couldn’t have just prepared me a bit?” Hermione burst out, the heat rising to her face as her anger was getting the best of her. “I’m in my pyjamas, Draco.”
Her sarcasm was biting, but Draco didn’t let it bother him. Instead he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you,” he said.
Hermione scoffed. “Why?”
“Because,” Draco shot back. Hermione, slightly shocked at his aggravated tone, took a step back. “You’re so obsessed with my list. You go on and on and on about it almost all the time and I want you to be surprised for once. I mean, wasn’t it nice to be surprised when we went to Newgrange?” Hermione assumed it was a hypothetical question, because he kept going. “This list isn’t just about me, Hermione.” He took a step toward her. “It’s for both of us. I want you to enjoy it as much as I do. But I can’t have you being so obsessed with it. We have our whole lives to get through the list, okay?”
Draco moved his hand over to Hermione’s cheek and rubbed his thumb over it gently. Hermione nodded. “Okay,” she whispered, her heart clenching at his words. Though they had talked about getting married, it wasn’t something they brought up a lot. To hear him actually say those words, well it made Hermione regret ever being mad at him.
“Okay,” Draco said before touching his lips to hers quickly. “Now, let’s go.”
Hermione, who was actually quite looking forward to a short little snogging session, groaned and followed him around the corner. They were no longer on an empty, back street but on a much busier front street looking directly at-
“Is that the Pantheon?” Hermione asked, her eyes as big as saucers and her voice sounding confused and awed at the same time.
“Huh? Oh yeah,” Draco said waving her off, “but we’re headed over here.” He pulled Hermione to his left a few paces and then stopped. “Tazza d’oro,” he said with a grand sweep of his arm and an uncharacteristic smile on his face.
Hermione, an eyebrow lifted, looked at the front doors of the café. “A coffee shop?” she asked.
“A coffee shop,” Draco answered. “I did say to meet me for coffee, did I not?”
Hermione hedged, “You did, though,” she turned around to look at the Pantheon that was only a couple blocks away, “we’re in Rome, Draco. We came to Rome for coffee?”
“It’s not just any coffee, Hermione,” Draco said, abashed at her lack of enthusiasm. “Tazza d’oro has the best coffee in the world.”
Hermione turned back around and gazed in shock at her boyfriend. “I’m sorry?”
Draco smiled. “I read about this guy on that internet thing you’re always using. Anyway, he swears that Tazza d’oro has the best coffee in the world. And I want to have a cup of the best coffee in the world.” He stopped and looked at Hermione. She nearly laughed at how excited he looked - about coffee - until he added, “With the best girlfriend in the world.”
Hermione’s heart melted as she let him guide her into the café.
Part IV
“Okay,” Hermione called as she exited their bedroom, pulling her luggage along behind her. “I’m ready to go.”
Draco looked at her small, conservative suitcase and smirked to himself. He was so glad he was dating someone as low maintenance as Hermione. Reaching behind her, he grabbed the handle of her luggage and moved it beside his. Then, with a flick of his wand, they disappeared.
“When is the Portkey ready?” Hermione asked, pulling her jacket on over a light sweater. Draco had warned her it would be chilly this time of year.
Hermione and Draco were taking their first real vacation together as a couple. Draco told Hermione she could choose where they would go, if he could plan the trip. She had been so excited, that she agreed immediately.
Afterwards, however, she regretted that completely. The only thing she knew about their trip was that they were headed for Alaska. She didn’t even know where in Alaska they were headed and it was bloody frustrating. But since their last trip to Rome, where the coffee had been extremely excellent, Hermione had laid off on asking too many questions about anything. Especially anything that had to do with travel or the list.
It was unfortunate that Hermione was such a curious person. Truly unfortunate.
Draco looked down at his watch. “We have one minute,” he drawled. “Do you have everything?”
Quickly, Hermione did a mental checklist of the things she would need while they were gone. Because she didn’t know exactly what they would be doing, she had to over-prepare; the list was longer than expected.
“Grab the compass, Hermione.” Draco interrupted her thoughts. “We have ten seconds.”
She mentally checked the last item on her list and touched the old, weathered compass, just as it started to glow and was instantly pulled into a spin of travel. As they spun around, Hermione felt her gaze being drawn to Draco’s face across from her. He truly was a gorgeous man, and Hermione couldn’t help but feel lucky that they were together and happy.
Life couldn’t get much better than this.
Gently this time, her feet touched the ground and she looked around. “Where are we?” she asked. Though she had no idea what Draco had planned, she assumed they would have landed somewhere near a resort of some sort. Instead, they had landed beside a beautiful lake, looking towards a small fishing village.
Draco turned the old compass over and over again in his hand. “We’re standing on the lake looking over at Little Port Walter in Alaska.” Hermione thought he looked nervous. Draco never got nervous.
“Why? Are we staying here?”
“No.”
Hermione looked him over; he was still spinning that compass in his hand and not making eye contact with her. It was strange. “Well, then why are we here?”
“Because,” Draco answered after a moment, lifting his eyes to hers and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. “Because there is something I need to do first and this place is beautiful. I thought it would be fitting.”
Hermione looked around, suddenly feeling as nervous as she thought Draco looked. He was right, Little Port Walter was beautiful. The sun was starting to set behind snow-capped mountains and the sky was turning pink. The water was calm, minus the occasional movement of fish at the surface, and the trees lining the water near the small town were swaying gently on the cool breeze.
Beautiful might not have been a strong enough word.
A gentle clicking sound against the near-quiet surrounding them brought Hermione’s attention back to Draco. The compass in his hand was open like a container and he was pulling something small and shiny out. Hermione didn’t get a chance to see it before his fingers closed around it.
“What did you have to do, Draco?” Hermione asked, her voice suddenly no more than a whisper.
Draco closed the compass again and pocketed it. Then, dropping to one knee in front of her, looked up at her. Hermione gasped and felt tears prick her eyes instantly.
“Hermione,” he croaked and then cleared his throat. “Let me try that again,” he said with a smile. Hermione felt herself smile back, though she wasn’t sure how she managed it. Her body was numb and felt a bit like gelatin.
“Hermione,” he began again, his voice louder yet shaking, “there are no words that describe how much I love you.” She watched his tongue dart out and wet his lips before he continued. “And everything I could say to you right now would only sound cliché. I don’t want us to be a cliché.”
Hermione felt her head shake gently as tears trickled down her cold and reddened cheeks. This was really happening.
“When we were in Rome and I told you I wanted to share my eleven things with you, I meant it. I want us to have our whole lives together to explore this world and my list.” He smiled and added, “Which, by the way, does not only include travelling, but learning how to make homemade pizza and having a family.”
Hermione’s heart was pounding in her chest as she envisioned small, frizzy, blond children running around their home. She wanted it so badly.
Draco opened his hand and a simple, yet beautiful ring was sitting in the middle of his palm. Hermione choked on a happy sob. “Number one on my list, Hermione, is to marry you. Please say you’ll marry me.”
Hermione fell to her knees in front of Draco and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his fiercely on the mouth, her tears wetting both of their cheeks. Draco laughed gently as he wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close to him and kissed her back.
They had the rest of their lives to experience love, together.