RP: Cry Foul

[pb_hermione]

Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy
Date: 31 May 2000
Location: Contego Terrace to an obscure field in Wiltshire
Status: Private
Summary: Hermione decides it's time to play and Draco has slept long enough.
Completion: Complete

Comments

[pb_hermione]

"Well, not necessarily. I want to fly," she said happily, spreading her arms out wide and bouncing lightly on the bed. "I also have some questions about Quidditch. I thought we could put them together. Just because we aren't doing our Tuesday and Friday lessons is no reason you shouldn't keep teaching me about Quidditch strategy after all."

Hermione laughed when he accused her of being someone else. "You promised to teach me to play well enough that I wouldn't embarrass myself." Actually he'd promised to teach her to play well enough that she wouldn't embarrass him but she thought that might be too much to hope for. He was very exacting about his Quidditch. Hermione enjoyed playing with him, even so. It was nice to have someone teaching her that didn't assume she knew things she didn't, didn't treat her like she couldn't learn if she applied herself, and most of all demanded excellence but understood excellence took practice. "Don't think I'm letting you out of it. Besides, it's such a beautiful day. I asked Cookoo to put together a picnic. We can take a little siesta after we eat lunch," she said waggling her eyebrows. Hermione was feeling playful and wanted him up. "Up now. Please?" she pleaded and made big eyes at him.

[pb_draco]

Good lord, she really was adorable. She sounded so excited about this idea that he couldn't stand to keep her from it for too long. Draco wriggled his head under the pillow and shoved it back just enough to be able to peek out at her from around the edge of the pillow case. "You're trying to bribe me, woman. I know your vile ways. Play on my need to see you flying well, tempt me with a nap, and then bat those lashes at me? Cruel. Cruel and vicious."

He flung the pillow off one side of the bed and the blankets towards his feet, all in one motion, to immediately pounce on Hermione and drag her down to the bed. "Cruel and vicious," he repeated, "and I love every second of it. I'll teach you some of my moves if you insist. But first!" He bent his head and nipped at her throat, aiming directly for the spot that always made her writhe. When he was satisfied with the noises she made, he lifted up, grinning. "All right, I'll get up. Start me some coffee while I shower."

[pb_hermione]

"Bribe. Persuade. You say toe-may-toe; I say toe-mah-toe. I have another inducement," she sing-songed before stretching her leg out and raising it up so that he could see she was wearing her boots with all the buckles that he liked. "It would only be vicious and cruel if I were mention that if we can find a more out of the way place than Hogsmeade, that I might be induced to let you unbuckle and remove my boots before that nap later."

Hermione shrieked and laughed when he pounced on her, but was moaning a moment later when he found that spot. "I'm way ahead of you. Or rather Cookoo is. I'd offer to soap your back but I've been for my jog and showered already. I'll sort our gear instead."

[pb_draco]

Draco looked up the length of Hermione's leg and held his breath as he looked at her boots. He stifled a soft whimper and buried his face in her neck. "Cruel. God, I love that. Love every tormenting bone in your body." He bit her again and sat up on the edge of the bed, rolling his shoulders. He felt better when he woke up these days than he could ever remember for years. It was all thanks to her. Draco patted her leg, trailing his fingers over her boots, before he headed into the bathroom.

A shower usually took him a good twenty minutes, if not longer, but he rushed through it this morning. Hermione was too excited about this for him to take his time. He sauntered out after only a few minutes, hair slicked back and shirt mostly unbuttoned. "Did you just want to practice flying?" he called to her as he took his coffee from Cookoo. "Or did you want to try out specific positions?"

[pb_hermione]

Hermione was looking over the classifieds in The Daily Prophet when Draco sauntered into the kitchen for his coffee. She looked up and bit her lip. Heavens, he was gorgeous. He looked like a wet pirate with shirt half open and his hair pushed back. She realized he'd said something but she had no idea what. The blush spread across her face as she realized she'd also been staring. "I'm sorry. Would you mind repeating that, please?" Her cheeks were flaming. She'd have raised the paper to hide them if it wouldn't have been rude of her.

[pb_draco]

Draco cocked a hip against the counter and sipped his coffee, tugging on one earring as he looked at Hermione. From her blush, he suspected she had gone someplace quite entertaining in her mind. He raised an eyebrow and smiled at her over his cup. "I asked if you wanted to try out any positions today."

[pb_hermione]

Hermione shivered a little when he tugged on his earring. She may possibly have whimpered a little too, but she wasn't going to admit it unless she had to. He'd get a swelled head and he was already... "Positions?" she squeaked.

She shook herself and tried to focus. "You look like a pirate this morning," Hermione confessed softly, knowing that he'd understand why she was acting so oddly. "Maybe you should um, button up or at least stop tugging on your earring if you'd like me coherent for this conversation." She wasn't entirely sure she wanted him to stop being so pirate-like, but she knew she would have a difficult time focusing if he didn't.

[pb_draco]

Draco laughed, hiding a grin behind his cup before he set it down to free up his hands. "Sorry," he said, not the slightest bit apologetic. Her pirate fantasies fascinated him, and he was more than willing to play along with them whenever she wanted. Too bad they didn't really have time for that. Maybe later. He buttoned up his shirt most of the way, leaving the collar loose. The fact that he was willing to wander around half-dressed like that spoke volumes to him. She saw more of him than anyone. He trusted her. It was amazing to him sometimes.

Finished with his shirt, he took up his coffee again and claimed a seat next to her. "I meant, did you just want to fly, or did you want to try playing? I don't have any Bludgers, but I'm sure I have a Snitch or two somewhere if you want to give Seeking a try. You're pretty fast, think you could do it. Think I still have my practice Snitch. It doesn't get away as much. Or we could try Transfiguring a Quaffle and some hoops, maybe, if you'd rather try Keeping."

[pb_hermione]

Hermione watched him do up his shirt. It really was for the best. She did want to get outdoors.

"Whatever you want to teach me will be fine. I liked the lesson where we tossed the ball back and forth. It was good for control, learning to fly and catch at the same time." Hermione grinned, "What I'm really interested in learning is about some things I heard yesterday while the Weasleys were playing. They were talking about blasting, or maybe it was blacking, I'm not sure exactly. There were some other odd terms too. I've heard some of them before, but I thought maybe you could tell me about some of the fouls and such while we practice. I wouldn't mind learning about Keeping too." Oliver had always made it look so effortless. Ron was getting pretty good now too, although Hermione knew she didn't know enough to really judge.

[pb_draco]

"Blagging," he said without thinking. "It's when you grab another player's broom by the tail." He snickered into his coffee. "Did that to Potter fourth year, Hooch never called it. God, I was good." At the look she gave him, Draco tried to act penitent for a full five seconds, then wrinkled his nose at her. "Oh, like you didn't know I cheated at Quidditch. Everybody did. I just didn't get caught often."

He leaned over to kiss her cheek before getting up to go hover just outside the door on the terrace while he had a cigarette. That way he could talk to her through the open door, but the wind blew off most of the smoke. "Keeping's easy enough, maybe a little Chasing, too. Those are really the two easier positions, so they're a good place to start. They're mostly about agility, not so much speed or strength."

[pb_hermione]

"No, I don't think so," she shook her head. "I don't mean that you're wrong about what blagging is, only that's not what happened. At least I don't think so. There was nearly a collision. Is there anything with a 'b' for that, you cheater?" Honestly!

"I suppose if I want to fly, Chasing would be more fun. Keepers don't get to fly very far from their goals. Although, I've seen some very fancy moves from Keepers that look like they could be fun to learn." Hermione thanked Cookoo when the picnic basket was announced as ready. "I don't mind trying to find a practice Snitch, although you'll probably beat me to it unless you're flying without your glasses, I mean goggles."

[pb_draco]

"Blatching, then. That's flying deliberately to collide with another player. That one's pretty easy to pull off, really. You just have to 'not see' the other person and wham. Successful commit of one of the seven hundred fouls." He blew a smoke ring over the terrace, eyes unfocusing slightly as he thought about what equipment they'd need. "Could fly without them, give you a fighting chance. Tell you what. Let's start with Chasing, then see if you feel up to a little Seeking later."

He finished off his cigarette and stuffed it into the ashtray, then sauntered back into the kitchen to have a little more coffee. "You want to wear that or put on something a little more aerodynamic? Think I might haul out my uniform, should still fit."

[pb_hermione]

"Seven hundred?" Hermione thought he had to be kidding. No sport had that many fouls. "If you can't see the Snitch, how will you be able to find it?" She knew her eyesight was much better than his. All she'd have to do was fly toward it at a measured pace until she was sure he wouldn't be able to catch up, then zoom off after it. Piece of cake. Easy as pie. Or it should be. Of course it never looked easy during matches. The Snitch tended to zip off in all directions when she'd spot it sometimes. "Chasing works for me."

"I have my chest protector and things in my satchel already. I plan to take off my jumper when we get there." She had on a close fitting top underneath and her leggings were what she almost always wore for flying. "Your uniform? If anything, I think you're thinner but you are taller. Unless you played your seventh year?" Hermione didn't think they'd had Quidditch based on what Ginny said, but she wasn't sure she remembered right, and she hadn't been there herself.

[pb_draco]

"Seven hundred," he repeated. "I've flown blind plenty of times, Granger. Broke my goggles halfway through a game third year, still flew without them. Didn't catch the Snitch, I'll admit, but I came close."

He hesitated with his coffee, drinking the last of it with deliberation. "No," he said slowly. "No, I didn't play that year. Last time I played was fifth year, really. Missed it, but I had ... other things on my mind." Things like a Dark Lord and torture and fear. Draco set his cup down and locked his fingers together, stretching his arms in an attempt to hide the slight tremble in his hands as he stopped himself from thinking about things he did not want to think about. "I'm not that much taller. Couple of inches, I think? Though I don't really know, now that I think about it. It's been years since I've really tried on the full uniform. Definitely thinner, you're right on that one."

[pb_hermione]

"Heavens, how do people keep track of them all?" Hermione was astonished.

"I think you look brilliant exactly as you are. I don't mind if you want to change but I'd rather you be comfortable whatever you decide to wear." If the uniform didn't fit right, she thought it would bother him too much.

"Is there a nice field somewhere around Malfoy Manor we can use to practice? I'd really rather not use the place we go to outside Hogsmeade." It wasn't private enough for a nap later.

[pb_draco]

He laughed, shaking his head. "We don't. We just worry about the ones we can commit. Each individual player, I mean. I used to try to memorize them all when I got bored, but I think I only made it through a couple hundred."

Draco looked down at himself and made a slight face. "Not this shirt. Not really designed for flying in." He had a few tighter pull-overs in his wardrobe, and he thought he'd change into one of those. The breeches still fit, and those were better if he planned to do a lot of agility work. Hermione's question distracted him from thinking about his clothes, and he blinked at her as he unbuttoned his shirt. "Near the Manor? Yeah. Yeah, there's plenty of fields there we could use. There's one I used to practice in all the time. We could go there. Just let me change real quick, and we can head out in a couple of minutes."