Chapter Text
June 14th
Narcissa couldn’t help but smile back when Hermione looked over her shoulder and beamed at her in such delight, you’d think she had just proposed to the younger witch. The ring around her finger was proof that such a request was rather impossible for they had just celebrated their wedding anniversary last week. No, Narcissa had agreed to something else entirely and it was making her so nervous, her smile faltered the second Hermione turned around again.
The sounds of the theme park grew louder as they approached Disneyworld and Narcissa couldn’t help but stare at the enormous iron constructions that were a lot further from the ground than she’d like. Just like her wife, she wasn’t too fond of flying but judging by the speed with which she saw a bunch of muggles pass by, those funny looking contraptions were rather similar to a broomstick. The blonde gulped. Why had she agreed to this?
‘Cissy, are you alright?’
Two amber eyes looked at her worriedly before she managed the earlier smile back on her face. She had agreed because she loved Hermione with all her heart and despite the struggles they faced at the beginning of their relationship, the girl had stuck with her. Hermione Granger, Brightest-Witch-of-her-Age, brains of the Golden Trio and notoriously famous for hating attention and big crowds, had manoeuvred herself through every interview and every party to prove to even the biggest doubters how serious she was about this relationship. Narcissa had often felt like Hermione was managing the impossible.
She had faced Draco and Lucius after the divorce. She had faced Andy who approved wholeheartedly but reminded the younger woman so much of the witch who tortured her that she needed extra therapy to cope. She had faced Rita Skeeter who wrote sceptical article after sceptical article about them in the Daily Prophet. She had faced her own friends who were very worried about her and she had faced her own parents who handled their daughter coming home with a woman almost twice her age rather well.
And now, after a few years of blissful happiness, Hermione had asked the impossible of Narcissa. She had asked her to go on a muggle date once a month until the muggleworld held no more secrets for her pureblood-wife. The question came as a surprise, but Narcissa suspected she’d waited for their lives to settle down before suggesting such a thing. Because when Narcissa saw someone vomiting the second he stepped out of a rolling coaster, she just knew she would not have been able to handle it so gracefully a few years ago as she did now.
‘And that,’ Hermione said while giggling at Cissy’s look of disgust, ‘Is why I told you to eat a light breakfast. We’ll eat greasy stuff when we’ve tried all the rollercoasters and move on to the calmer attractions.’
‘The things I do for love,’ Narcissa muttered before desperately avoiding to be hugged by a giant mouse in a pink dress.
Before she knew it, Hermione was dragging her towards the biggest and highest iron contraption that could be seen in the entire park and she felt her stomach protest already. When Hermione asked her if she was alright, she lifted her chin into the air. She’d be damned if a member of the Noble House of Black puked her guts out in the midst of hundreds of poorly dressed muggles.
Despite agreeing to keep the use of magic to a minimum, Hermione had allowed Narcissa to charm them so that they always managed to end up at the front of the waiting queues without someone noticing. The brunette kept insisting that the waiting was part of the experience, but had to relent when Narcissa pointed out how fragile her patience was. It was either that or having Narcissa buy the theme park so they could have it all to themselves…
Hermione was pulled back to reality when the operator gestured them over and pointed towards the next incoming train. The brunette chuckled when she saw her wife step into the car almost regally before underestimating how low the seat was and collapsing on her backside. Narcissa didn’t get a chance to glare at Hermione because the operator pushed the restraint over the blonde’s head and into her lap. She squeaked but relaxed when she felt Hermione squeeze her hand reassuringly.
‘I finally understand why you forced me to change my attire.’
‘A ballgown isn’t exactly suited for a theme park,’ Hermione snickered.
‘If someone told me I’d be wearing Jeans in the future, I’d have laughed in their face.’
‘You look fantastic in them.’
Just when Narcissa was going to joke about her ass being the only thing looking fantastic in Jeans, the train jerked into motion, startling the blonde. Hermione looked at her awed expression at the clack clack clack of the car being pulled into the air. When they reached the top of the rollercoaster, Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Now, this isn’t so ba-‘
The car toppled over the edge and Narcissa screamed while Hermione laughed her ass off. It was only when the high pitched shrieks next to her died and there was nothing but silence, that Hermione glanced over at her wife in worry. Narcissa’s usually pale complexion was nothing compared to what she looked like when they went into the third looping. Hermione felt relieved when the car came to a stuttering halt and the operator loosened the restraints.
‘Are you okay?’
‘That… was…’
‘I’m sorry, Cissy. We’ll skip the other rollercoasters if you don’t like it. There’s enough other fun stuff for us to do.’
‘AMAZING.’
Hermione blinked. What?
‘Can we do that again?’
***
Both witches sauntered towards the exit of the theme park, arms linked and plucking bits and pieces from their shared candyfloss. They were still snickering about the girly screams from one particularly rude man who had tried to hit on both witches in the queue at the haunted house. He’d been boasting about his bravery and promised to protect them from the monsters when Cissy had Apparated right behind him, whispering boo in his ear.
Hermione offered the last of the candyfloss to Narcissa and smiled. The fact that her wife liked theme parks just made her love her more. She’d even agreed to having their picture taken with Mickey and Minnie Mouse and that alone, could be considered a success.
August 23rd
‘I’m not wearing Jeans again!’
‘But you can’t go to the movie theatre wearing a cocktail dress and stiletto’s Cissy!’
The blonde witch rolled her eyes, but relented, trusting that her wife had more knowledge about appropriate muggle-attire than her.
‘I’ll settle for Jeans and my stiletto’s. I’m not wearing sneakers, darling.’
Hermione shook her head but smiled. She knew Narcissa could run a marathon in heels. She’d managed to saunter through Disneyworld in them after all. But they’d be sitting down all evening so it really didn’t matter what kind of shoes she wore. Normally they had planned another date but there was a brilliant movie in theatre now that Hermione really wanted to see. She took Narcissa’s outstretched hand and she Disapparated them just around the corner of the cinema.
‘Two tickets for The Hours, please.’
Hermione accepted the tickets, ignoring Narcissa’s hissing remark about the uselessness of being the richest witch alive if she didn’t have any muggle money and guided the blonde inside. She laughed at her wife’s confused frown when she asked her if she wanted popcorn or nachos and bought some of both. After pressing a Sprite and a Coke in Narcissa’s hands, she nodded towards the toilets with a questioning look in her eyes.
‘You know my opinion about public toilets, darling.’
The brunette snorted before walking to their seats and settling down. She smiled when Narcissa tasted both the popcorn and the nachos and immediately claimed the latter for herself, shoving the popcorn in her wife’s hands. She was indecisive about whether she liked Coke or Sprite better and let Hermione decide, who opted for the Coke. A calm contentment washed over them but it didn’t last long as a muggle couple interrupted them, asking Narcissa to remove her coat so they could sit in their seats.
‘I told you we had to buy the seats next to ours as well,’ Narcissa said matter-of-factly but Hermione shrugged.
‘It’s part of the experience.’
‘Is being kicked in the back also part of the experience?’
‘What?’
Narcissa didn’t answer her wife but twirled around in her seat at such speed, Hermione thought she’d used magic to do it. The blonde witch opened her mouth to insult the person seated behind her, but faltered momentarily when she saw how young the muggle boy was.
‘Darling?’
‘Yes?’
‘Is that person old enough to be aware that his actions are impolite and unacceptable?’
Hermione glanced at the teenage boy who seemed to be about sixteen or seventeen years old and scoffed when he flipped her off.
‘He definitely is.’
Narcissa nodded before directing her icy, blue eyes on the boy who immediately started shuffling in his seat.
‘If you kick my seat one more time, I’ll kick your balls so far up your throat, you’ll talk like a girl for the rest of your life.’
The boy paled and nodded causing Cissy to turn around in her seat again, satisfied with the outcome. Hermione snorted next to her and patted her knee.
‘You’re getting better at threatening muggles.’
‘How could I know they wouldn’t understand the danger of a Dementor’s kiss?’
Hermione actually laughed this time, ‘Well I still pity that man who was convinced you were going to kiss him.’
Suddenly, the commercials started and Narcissa practically jumped from her seat. Luckily Hermione had anticipated this moment for she grabbed the blonde’s arm and pulled her down again. The older witch smiled apologetically before making herself comfortable again. When a chicken pranced across the movie screen, she scowled.
‘Is this the movie?’
‘No, these are commercials. They force you to watch them to make a profit.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Hermione leaned closer to her wife to explain but someone shushed them and she rolled her eyes. The younger woman mouthed later to Narcissa who nodded before realizing she had already eaten all her nachos. Hermione would never forget the moment that Narcissa Black, formerly Malfoy, Pureblood-elitist and heir of the Noble House of Black, pouted. The brunette shook her head and muttered something under her breath, refilling the nachos with wandless magic.
***
‘Did you like the movie?’
Narcissa nodded, carrying her third portion of nachos. She had thoroughly enjoyed the story despite having a headache from the absurdly loud volume. But she didn’t get Hermione’s enthusiasm about this actress, Meryl something? While the younger woman had repeatedly reassured her not to be jealous, she still couldn’t help but squint her eyes each time the name of the actress was mentioned.
‘I think I like nachos better than movies, though.’
Hermione snickered, ‘Next time, you can pick the movie.’
‘Next time? Are you asking me out on a second date?’
‘That’s right, I am. What do you say?’
‘Alright.’
The younger witch beamed and leaned in for a kiss but Narcissa gently shoved her aside, ‘I don’t kiss on a first date.’
September 20th
‘Come one, Cissy! It’s the rules.’
Narcissa glared in disgust at the bowling shoes Hermione was dangling in front of her. The brunette had almost convinced her to wear the hideous footwear before it had dawned on Narcissa that the shoes had been worn by countless muggles before her.
‘I will not wear those shoes.’
‘But you’re in heels! You’ll break an ankle if you go bowling in them.’
‘I don’t care.’
‘At least switch shoes with me.’
The blonde witch laughed, ‘I already told you, I’ll wear Jeans but I draw my line at sneakers.’
Hermione groaned in frustration and got noticed by one of the employees who sauntered over to them with an annoying, fake smile.
‘Can I help you, ladies?’
‘My wife is refusing to wear the required shoes.’
The fake smile faltered for a second when the employee looked into Narcissa’s icy, blue eyes but he didn’t relent and Hermione couldn’t help but admire his bravery.
‘I’m afraid I can’t allow you on the bowling alleys if you’re not wearing the shoes, ma’am.’
Narcissa tutted her lips at the man and leaned closer to him, ‘You’ll allow me to wear any shoes I want.’
The man blinked stupidly before nodding, ‘You can wear any shoes you want.’
‘Excellent,’ Narcissa said before magicking sparkling, black shoes on her feet that looked suspiciously like the bowling shoes.
‘Did you just cast an imperio on that poor man?’ Hermione practically shrieked.
‘Of course not, darling. That’s an Unforgivable curse. I did a Gedi mind trick on him.’
‘It’s Jedi and I so regret introducing you to StarWars! Why didn’t you transfigure your shoes sooner?’
Narcissa smirked and kissed Hermione on the cheek before walking to bowling alley number three they had rented for the upcoming hour. Harry and Ginny were already waiting for them with rather amused expressions on their face, but Hermione’s glare made sure they didn’t say a word. Harry ordered cocktails and crisps while Ginny set-up the game and Hermione explained the rules to her wife for the third time that evening.
‘Okay, Hermione,’ Ginny called, ‘You go first.’
Hermione felt her wife’s eyes burn in her back, intently watching her every move. She lifted a few bowling balls to determine which one she could swing without pulling a muscle and opted for the pink one.
‘Pink, darling? How girly.’
The brunette ignored the jab and lifted the ball in front of her face, closing one eye so she could aim properly. Hermione exhaled, took three large steps whilst swinging the ball backwards before releasing it with all her strength towards the pins. She remained standing in her awkwardly bent position, muttering c’mon c’mon c’mon at the ball that slowly diverted from its trajectory before rolling in the gutter, leaving all the pins standing.
Harry laughed. Ginny laughed. Hermione pouted and Narcissa couldn’t resist a chuckle.
‘Thanks for demonstrating how not to do it, darling.’
‘Laugh all you want. I just need to get into it again. It’s been years since I went bowling.’
Hermione’s second attempt was more successful and she managed to knock half the pins over. Ginny was next and almost casually threw a strike. When she raised her eyebrow at Narcissa in a silent challenge, the blonde merely hummed while rising from her seat when the computer indicated that she was next.
‘You’ll probably want to look for a ball you can easily carry. It’s trial and error until you find the right one,’ Hermione offered.
Narcissa’s eyes shimmered with approval when she spotted a dark, emerald, green bowling ball and lifted it without effort despite it being almost the heaviest ball in the rack. When Hermione saw her frown at the three holes, she put her drink aside and walked towards her.
‘Those are the holes you put your fingers in. You might want to shorten your nails or you’ll ruin them.’
The blonde shuddered, ‘Normally I don’t have any objections in putting my fingers in tight holes, but this is simply disgusting, darling.’
When Hermione heard Ginny splutter, she slapped Narcissa with the back of her hand, feeling a crimson blush creep up her neck. Before she had a chance to offer a solution, however, Narcissa cast a scourgify on the ball and shortened her nails with a sharp snap of her fingers. The older witch still looked extremely uncomfortable when she inserted her fingers in the bowling ball but started imitating Hermione’s earlier position nevertheless.
Narcissa released the ball and in contrast to Hermione, rose to her full height while watching nine out of ten pins fall. She slowly turned around to see three shocked faces and smirked.
‘I believe, miss Weasley, that the expression the game is on applies here.’
***
‘Merlin’s beard, I still can’t believe you won!’
‘I still can’t believe you accused me of cheating,’ Narcissa replied drily but the expression in her eyes betrayed her amusement.
‘Like that would be so impossible.’
Narcissa laughed out loud and Hermione couldn’t help but be in awe at the sound of her voice. She loved it when her wife allowed herself to let go once and a while.
‘I want to wash my hands, though. Urgently.’
Leaving no room for discussion, Narcissa wrapped her arm around Hermione’s waist and Apparated them home.
October 11th
‘What’s this called again?’ Narcissa asked while Hermione strapped her harness on.
‘Laser tag.’
‘And what do I have to do?’
‘You, Draco and Harry are a team and Ginny, Astoria and me are a team. You just have to try and shoot as many members of the opposite team as possible without getting hit too much yourself. When your harness flickers, you know you’ve been shot. Your laser gun tells you how many hits you’ve scored yourself. When you encounter a ghost along the way, you’re put in time-out and can’t shoot for a whole minute. It’s best to find shelter if that happens.’
‘So it’s like a duel?’
‘Sort of! Our first round is just for practice so we can all get used to the maze. It’ll be much clearer when you’ve played the game for a first time. After that, we have a real battle.’
Draco joined his mother and scoffed, but he wasn’t nearly as convincing anymore. Everybody knew he was a big softie underneath who secretly enjoyed himself during these outings. An encouraging smile from Astoria usually sufficed to have him on his best behaviour and Narcissa couldn’t help but be happy that her son found actual love since her first marriage had been a political arrangement.
‘Before the game begins and we become mortal enemies,’ Hermione suddenly whispered into her wife’s ear, ‘I just wanted to say you look lovely.’
‘You know I’m only wearing these sneakers because there will be running and jumping and I’m not going to ruin my Louboutin’s!’
‘Still, Nike suits you.’
Hermione disappeared into the darkness of the maze with her team before Narcissa had a chance to roll her eyes at her. She was never going to admit to the brunette that her new shoes were actually extremely comfortable. The Gryffindor had already teased her relentlessly when she’d purchased two new Jeans and couldn’t resist laughing at the ancient corsets she used to wear, each time Narcissa appeared in front of her in her lacy, muggle-made, bra.
Suddenly, Harry tapped her on the shoulder, indicating that their waiting time was over and they were allowed to enter the maze as well. They had quickly discussed tactics, deciding that they’d all go their separate ways in order to get used to the game and explore the maze. They could always change plans for the actual game later that evening. Draco took the first turn to the right, while Harry took the second on the left, leaving Cissy to go straight.
Suddenly she was alone and she could hear her own heart thrumming in her chest. A ghost appeared into her vision, but she quickly swirled around a corner to avoid it. Before she had a chance to be smug about it, her harness blared and flickered indicating that she’d been shot. She saw the brown curls of her wife disappear into the darkness and cursed. This meant war!
***
Narcissa gritted her teeth. The game was almost at an end and she’d been shot so many times, the blaring of her harness had given her a headache. Her own laser gun was still at zero hits. It was unbelievable. She was either too slow when she encountered a member of the opposite team, struggled with her laser gun or was put in time-out by a ghost, making her an easy target. The blonde started to feel frustrated. If this would have been a duel with wands, she’d have the upper hand without a doubt.
Suddenly an idea popped into her head. The harnesses responded to the red beam of the laser. What if she recreated that beam using a spell? It would elevate her chances of actually hitting someone and save her ego from being mortally wounded. With a twist of her wrist, Narcissa unsheathed her wand and hooked the gun on the harness. She wouldn’t be needing it anymore.
A flash of brown drew her attention and the witch smirked. Her wife had appeared just in time, it would seem. She sprinted through the corridor and ducked right before rounding the corner, knowing that Hermione’s own aim would be too high to hit her. When she saw the brunette, she aimed her wand and whispered expelliarmus.
The spell had barely left her wand or Narcissa realized the mistake she’d made. The flare hit Hermione straight in the chest, flinging the woman several feet backwards and onto her back. A pained yelp escaped her throat before she hit the ground with a thud. Narcissa gasped and ran towards the younger woman, dropping onto her knees when she arrived.
‘Oh, darling! Are you alright?’
‘Did you just cast a spell at me?’
‘I’m so sorry, darling! It turns out I’m horrible at laser tag and my frustrations got the best of me. I thought I could trick the game by aiming a red beam with my wand at your harness.’
Hermione looked at her wife, too stunned to reply before bursting into a fit of giggles.
‘Did you pull the safety pall from your gun?’
‘The what?’
‘It’s to prevent you from accidentally pointing it at someone’s eyes when you’re not playing,’ Hermione explained while pulling the lever on the laser gun backwards, ‘You can’t shoot otherwise.’
‘You knew,’ Narcissa said upon seeing Hermione’s feigned innocent expression.
‘I have no idea what you are talking about, Cissy.’
‘Don’t Cissy me! You knew!’
‘Fine,’ Hermione laughed, ‘I guess this makes us even.’
‘Mmmmm,’ Narcissa hummed while leaning closer to her wife who was still sprawled out on the floor, ‘Kiss me.’
Hermione happily obliged, pressing her lips on Narcissa’s while humming in delight. She never grew tired of kissing her wife. But before either of them could deepen the kiss, both their harnesses blared. They looked up to see the rest of their teams shaking their heads in disbelief and pointing their guns at the kissing couple. Game over.