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Hermione gripped her daughter’s hand firmly as they walked alongside the large crowd of civilians. She was aware of the castle’s popularity, but goodness! It was worse than the circus Rose had her attend last summer.
After her divorce, the trips she planned with her baby girl were a little different; she had to use every reason she could conjure in order to stop Rose from questioning her father’s whereabouts. Rose was sharp despite being only six years old.
At least Hermione knew the perfect way to distract her; take her places that took her little breath away. This particular trip just happened to be at Disneyland.
Hermione was never a Disney fan herself; she preferred more realistic love stories and books. Still, she didn’t miss the mystified, wide glances her daughter would have when she saw one of the princesses or shows appearing on the television. Hermione wouldn’t deny her Rose that experience.
She would like to deny the constant breach of their personal space, however. The people in the city of Florida were madmen when it came to getting to their rooms on time; the wait and desperation to make it to certain showtimes was ludicrous.
And Hermione’s friends had the nerve to mock her punctuality. They wouldn’t survive in this whatsoever.
A light tug on her shawl broke Hermione from her thoughts, and she looked down at the wide, brown eyes of her baby girl.
“What’s the matter, Rose?” she asked.
Rose bit her lip and looked around. “How much longer do we have to wait, Mommy? We’ve been here alll night!”
Hermione glanced up ahead to see if the direction they needed to move toward was clearing up. With a smile, she shook her head. “We don’t. If we hurry now, we’ll get that special room by the pool with an amazing view of your favorite animals,” she answered.
Her response made Rose visibly brighten, and with a firm nod, the pair hurry to the transportation cars that would be going in the direction of the Dolphin Hotel.
Upon checking into the hotel with their room key and pamphlets ready on arrival–courtesy of Ginny–Hermione let her daughter explore the room that would be theirs for the next week or so.
Hermione didn’t voice her thoughts about the room aloud, but she was sure her expression nearly matched her daughter’s. The room was amazing . It had milk white-colored walls lined in aqua and coral designs; the comfortable white bedding with a bunk bed in the other room just as comfortable; and the pool that could be seen from their room looked just as amazing with its crystal blue waters illuminated by the night lights. Rose was probably more excited to see real dolphins and meet the princesses in Epcot.
Just as Hermione was starting to unpack their luggage, she heard the door opening to the room. She frowned, knowing that she locked it beforehand; it must be a worker or something.
The brunette ushered Rose into her room and headed to the door where a slight commotion reached her ears.
“Excuse me,” Hermione began to say. “I didn’t ask for anyone to…”
She trailed off when she saw a tall man with a luggage set behind him, and he most certainly wasn’t a worker because he wore a fitting button-up black shirt and white shorts. There was also a little girl who’d hid behind the man’s leg.
“I’m sorry,” he said, the heavy Russian accent evident through his words, “I was under the impression that this was our room.” He held up his keycard to examine with a frown. “Perhaps the front desk woman is mistaken.”
The man looked down at the little girl behind his leg. “Come, myshka . We have to find another room.”
Before he could turn around properly, Hermione held a hand up. “Wait!”
‘What on Earth are you doing, Hermione?’
He paused, looking at her curiously. The little girl still attempted to hide from Hermione.
“My daughter has a bunk bed,” she said. “I know how awful waiting to get here was, and I’d hate for you to waste more time over a mistake as simple as this.”
The man tilted his head in a slightly amused manner. “You don’t know my name yet willing to share a room for the evening?”
Hermione’s cheeks flushed at his response. She had no earthly idea what she was thinking to begin with, and for the man to make more sense than she should have–
“Antonin,” he greeted. “Antonin Dolohov.” The dark-haired man gestured towards the little girl behind him. “This is my myshka , my daughter Vanna.” He patted her thick, dark curls. “It’s okay, Vanna. This lady means no harm.”
Vanna peered over Antonin’s leg, and Hermione met the brightest, wide blue eyes she’d seen since her last trip to the Weasley family home. Though this was not the time to think about that.
“Wow,” Rose’s voice airily sounded behind Hermione. “You’re so pwetty.” The little redhead bounced forward, sticking her hand out towards Vanna. “I’m Rose.”
Hermione laughed uneasily and placed her hands on Rose’s shoulders. “She’s forward, this one,” she said. “I’m Hermione Granger.”
Antonin released a sound of amusement as Vanna tentatively took Rose’s hand and shook it. “Takes after her mother, it seems,” he commented before meeting Hermione’s glance. “She has your eyes.”
Heat crept up Hermione’s neck. ‘It was just a simple compliment. Get it together!’ “Yes, well,” she said, “introductions aside, I know you must be tired, so you should unpack your belongings. The sooner the better.”
Hermione turned on her heels to finish her own unpacking. The flight therefrom Maine was exhausting; it was a wonder that Rose had any energy. Typical children. Hermione thought about plopping on the bed and dozing off right that second.
Her mind wouldn’t let her, though; it was too busy scolding her for her rash actions. Hermione was the cautious one, the one who was prepared for many situations. If there was a problem, Hermione would find a book to acquire the answers.
The Hermione her friends and family knew was tossed out the window the second she saw the tall man standing there with his daughter.
It was just the two of them, and she didn’t spy a wedding ring; obviously, he was single–not that Hermione cared about that particular status, but boundary issues were a thing. He was toned through the shirt he wore, and the beard he sported was thick yet well kept. Hermione deduced that he took care of himself and his daughter well.
That’s when the questions came flooding in her mind. Did he travel all the way from Russia? What happened to his wife? Did he work out? What was his career? How old was Vanna? What was–?
The door to the master room opened, and Antonin appeared with one of the luggage bags. His hand rested on the doorknob.
“Vanna and Rose are becoming acquainted and discussing bunk beds,” he explained. “So I figured it was safe to discuss sleeping arrangements as well?”
Hermione froze momentarily because her words were misplaced earlier in the invitation to spend the night. She forgot to mention that there was only one bed in the master room so the bunk beds were supposed to be shared with one parent and their child while the other shared the queen-sized bed in the master room. ‘How could you forget to mention that, Hermione?’
Antonin must have read something across Hermione’s face along those lines because he chuckled at her. “You did not think this through, milaya .” He shook his head. “I believe that it’s best that we–”
“The girls are clearly eager to room together for the night,” Hermione interrupted. She saw the twitch of his brow, indicating that he didn’t like to be interrupted. Hermione paid it no mind so she could continue. “The bed is large enough to place boundaries, so just sleep here. It’s only for one night.”
Her former professor would be so disappointed in this forwardness. It was like she’d been taken over by her former roommate Romilda’s personality.
He watched her with an unreadable expression before nodding. “We could do that,” he agreed. “I stay on my side, and you stay on yours.”
Hermione nodded as well. “Agreed. I’ll just…” she pointed in the direction of the bathroom with her thumb. “Could you keep an ear out for the girls?”
Antonin hummed in agreement, his fingers moving to the buttons on his shirt. ‘He was going to do that out here?’ “Of course,” he said.
The curly-haired brunette silently backed into the bathroom with her bag and shut the door quickly. When the door was shut, she released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
“God, help me and my judgment for the remainder of the evening,” she whispered to herself before grabbing her pajamas to change into.
Hermione didn’t expect to find herself standing next to Antonin way beyond the necessary time of spending the night together with their children. It was just her luck that Vanna was just as eager as Rose to meet the princesses. The little one had warmed up to Hermione enough to mention it.
They were traveling in the train cars around the Epcot locations that the princesses resided, and each one filled the little girls’ hearts with joy and happiness. Their bright spirits rivaled the shine of the sun beaming on them.
She wouldn’t complain about his company; it had been a while since the comfortable presence of a man was next to her. He shouldn’t be a comfortable presence. But after the night before…
Hermione’s eyes shot open, and a warm arm was found wrapped around her waist. She squirmed a little to move, but that made things more difficult given the close proximity between her and Antonin. They were practically molded together; boundary pillows damned.
“You were having a nightmare,” whispered a thick, throaty voice behind her. “Only quelled by the embrace.”
“T-Thank you,” Hermione whispered back, her eyes shifting quickly around the far wall. She’d thought those were gone. It hurt to know what her ex still plagued her thoughts.
“Not a problem,” he replied. “Though I ask in return that you do not squirm as much. Otherwise, we won’t be the only ones woken up in bed.”
That’s when Hermione realized she was feeling bare, hard muscles on her back. She didn’t want to feel anything else bare and hard. At that thought, she flushed deeply and cleared her throat.
“Sorry,” she told him.
“Don’t apologize. Just get good rest now.”
She knew his eyes were closed as his breathing was becoming light and even. She tried to push anything dirty from her mind, even if it would have been more pleasant than a nightmare.
“Hermione, are you okay?” Antonin’s voice cut through her thoughts.
She shook her head, seeing that the girls were in the next paddle boat secured with Ariel before addressing the man next to her. “Hm?”
“You spaced out,” he told her, a brow quirked. “Is this about last night?”
“Yes,” she answered before shaking her head. “No. I mean...yes and no.”
Antonin chuckled and ran a hand through his hair; it wasn’t in a bun like it was the night before. She wasn’t sure which one she preferred.
“I only wanted to help you feel better,” he explained.
Hermione clapped her hands together. “Yes, and I’m thankful for that,” she replied. “I just...it’s been a while since…”
He gingerly placed a hand on her back and rubbed it lightly. “Perhaps it was fate that the clerk made a mistake on the room,” he said.
“Have you fixed that, yet?” she asked suddenly.
“No,” Antonin replied. “I can as soon as we’re done with the princesses.”
Hermione bit her lip, glancing at the girls having the time of their lives and at Antonin’s soulful gaze. Another bad decision was going to be made on the impulse of the heart. She was slowly becoming Harry.
“No, you don’t have to,” she said. “Vanna and Rose are getting along, and you and I…” Hermione blushed once again, “you and I are civil with one another. It could save money if you stayed with us for the rest of your vacation here.” She added quickly, “If that’s a logical option for you.”
Antonin pursed his lips, his brows furrowed. Hermione knew that it was a mistake. A bad mistake. A terrible, embarrassing–
“I would like that, Hermione. Perhaps we could grow to be close friends before the time ends here,” he said.
Hermione’s heart leaped in her throat. There was a message hidden within that statement; and she wanted it to be true, even if she didn’t know it yet. If he would hold her like that at night, she wanted things to progress into more.
God, was it the Disney magic stuff her daughter loved in the movies so much? Surely not.