Pastel Skies

Chapter 15

There was a Five Guys Burger Restaurant not too far from Orsini's corner shop, which they stumbled upon on their way back to the hotel.

They had been quiet at first, letting the experience sink in as they walked, holding hands. But when they were lucky enough to find a recently vacated table under a tree outside on the wide sidewalk, they sat their trays down, unwrapped their burgers and took deep drags of their cokes, the only topic was of the sparkle and beauty of the diamonds.

Soon Hermione delicately put the last small bite of her burger into her mouth, then wiped her hands and looked around the still bustling pavement of Antwerp's Diamond District. Draco had turned his face into the warm sun.

Her thoughts drifted as she picked up her cup and held it with both hands in mid-air, watching passers-by that were chatting happily, laden with shopping bags. She sat back and it suddenly hit her what they were doing here. It felt like a dream, yet new fears surfaced stubbornly. Fears of 'too fast', 'head over heels', 'fools rushing in'. It had, after all, only been a few months. She noticed her scar stinging annoyingly but then swallowed the knot that had quickly formed and turned to Draco.

"This is crazy, isn't it?"

"Hm?" he sounded dreamily, content.

"Us. Here. Doing this."

"What are you on about?" He squinted at her through one lazily opened eye, then feeling a nervous throbbing in his scar.

"Well..." she cleared her throat, "uhm... are you sure?"

"Am I sure?" he sat up curiously, rubbed away the tingling, pushed his sunglasses up and looked at her with a serious expression. "What's this about, Hermione? What's going on?"

"It's just... so fast," she dropped her gaze, feeling silly all of a sudden. "Never mind," she waved a hand in a dismissive gesture and rubbed her own forearm. "It's nothing." She looked away, but Draco wasn't having it.

"No no, Love. Don't you never mind me. Spit it out."

She didn't answer right away, looking for words, an explanation as to what that feeling deep down inside her really was. "I know it's right. That much I know. I don't have doubts. It's not that..." she broke off, still struggling. "I guess, I worry about what others might say."

"Really?"

An embarrassed laugh escaped her after a moment. "Now that I've actually voiced it and heard myself say it, I realize it really is stupid, isn't it?!"

Draco leaned forward and took her hand, kissed her palm and placed it against the side of his face, holding it there. "We're doing the right thing. I love you. You love me. Nothing else matters."

She smiled, a wonderful warmth spreading through her, "Nothing else matters."

Draco pulled his chair around to sit by her side, the sun now warming their backs. They held hands, fingers interwoven and the stinging and throbbing subsided. They sat for a little while longer, chatting, people watching, trying to distinguish wizards from muggles.

It took them a little longer to return to the hotel, taking a detour through a park on the way, but they found the cozy roof top room waiting for them.

"Catch!" Draco called to Hermione, who had spun around quickly as she was passing the bed and just in time caught her black bikini top, the bottom having slipped her grasp.

"You brought my bikini?" Hermione said stunned. "How'd you even find it?"

"Accio, Love," he grinned and shouted, "Off to the hot tub!" excitedly, undressing quickly and donning his own swimming trunks, while Hermione still watched him in amazement.