Work Text:
“What exactly am I watching?” Sam asked as he looked over the Quidditch pitch. “You asked if I wanted to come to the game to watch Oliver and Marcus play. I was thinking football or rugby, not basketball and broomsticks.”
“This is the game I grew up watching and playing, Quidditch.” Pansy shrugged. “I’ve explained it to you before, but it is hard to understand until you really see it. Oliver is the Keeper, and Marcus is a Chaser for Puddlemere United. Ollie is trying to keep the quaffle from going through a hoop, and Marcus is trying to get the quaffle through the other team’s hoop.”
“That almost makes sense.” Sam watched men and women dressed in brightly coloured robes fly around the pitch. “So, the thing that looks like a basketball is a quaffle, a Keeper is like a goalie, and a Chaser is like a point guard? What about the two that are circling above everyone else?”
“That sounds about right.” Pansy shrugged. “These two are the seekers, and they are looking for the snitch. The team that catches the snitch ends the game and wins. Unless the other team has too many goals.”
“I think I am going to stop asking questions before my head explodes.” Sam chuckled. “You explaining quidditch is like me explaining American football. So, just tell me when and what to yell, and I’ll try to get it right.”
Pansy felt Sam’s hand rub the small of her back as they continued to watch her friends play. It was one of the little things he did every day that made her glad she had taken a chance on that dinner date with a stranger. They were supposed to be catching a portkey to Portsmouth after the game. But, instead, Sam had promised her one last relaxing weekend with no work for either of them before the baby came.
“A penny for your thoughts.” Sam’s voice tickled her ear. “I am enjoying this game, but you look tired. Is it time to take you and our little bird back to the hotel to rest before our portkey?”
“Just thinking about what I want to do and why Ollie is letting them get to his left side.” Pansy jumped as she felt Sam’s other hand on her pregnant belly. “Ollie, watch your arse. Marcus, what the bloody hell are you doing?”
“Sounds like that is a no.” Sam turned Pansy so he could wrap his arms around her and rest his hands on her stomach. “How much longer will this game last?”
“Move your arse, Marcus!” Pansy continued to yell at the pitch as Sam held her. “Benjy, get the snitch. What are you waiting for?!?”
Sam pulled Pansy closer to his chest as the crowd roared and began to jump up and down. “IS it over?”
“He caught it!” Pansy started to jump up and down. “They won! They won!”
“So, can we go back to the room now?” Sam tried not to laugh as he watched Pansy try to raise her wand to join the celebration.” Why are their purple sparks coming out of all of their wands? This is not what I expected.”
“Purple Firecrackers!” Pansy muttered and raised her wand to join the crowd around them. “The best spell to celebrate a Puddlemere victory without burning a place down. Now, we can go back and rest. Our portkey to Portsmouth is set for the morning. I can’t wait to wander around the Historic Dock and find all the magic the Muggles missed.”
Sam stared at the boot sitting on the bed. “How is this supposed to get us to Portsmouth?”
“Magic.” Pansy shrugged and continued to put items in her bag. “We can take several hours in a car, and I can be incredibly uncomfortable, and we will stop every time I see a Petrol station, or we can take a portkey and be there in under an hour and have easy access to a loo whenever I want it.”
“Nice argument, but that does not explain how it works.” Sam kissed Pansy cheek and continued to watch her put items in her bag. “But, that is not what I asked. Is it really safe for you to travel this way?”
“I will be perfectly fine.” Pansy closed the bag she’d been filling and put a hand on Sam’s cheek. “A cushioning spell has been built into this portkey. Magic does have its advantages. But, unfortunately, you are acting more like a mother hen than a falcon.”
“Because you and our little bird are the most important things.” Sam kissed Pansy’s forehead as he wrapped his arms around her. “I just don’t always trust what I don’t understand. Especially with things that are precious to me.”
“It will be fine. I double-checked the spells and destination when I picked it up yesterday.” Pansy let her head rest against Sam’s chest. “We are packed and ready to go. Now, all we have to do is wait for it to activate, and we will be at the Inn at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in a blink.”
“Why is it glowing?” Sam pointed to the bracelet that was lying on the table beside their bed. “Is it supposed to do that? Are you sure about this? I don’t mind driving.”
“That’s our five-minute warning.” Pansy handed her bag to Sam and picked up the bracelet. “Hang on to the bracelet and the bag. We’ll be where we are meant to be before you can figure out how Tony Stark manages to not get hexed every time I see him.”
“That’s simple.” Sam grinned as he felt the magic flow from the bracelet through his body. “You like Pepper.”
“This does not look like Portsmouth.” Sam looked around the meadow where the portkey had ended their journey. “I see water but not boats or a place to stay.”
“I might have changed the destination for the portkey.” Pansy bit her fingernail as she looked at the river in front of them. “Mione told me about this place, and I wanted to see it. So I packed a tent.”
“Where exactly are we?” Sam asked as he looked across the green, pink and blue river that flowed in the distance. “I don’t mind having you all to myself, but you may have taken things a little too far.”
“We are glamping along the Caño Cristales instead of walking the streets of Portsmouth.” Pansy shrugged and clicked the portkey bracelet around her wrist. “As much as I loved the idea of a week in Portsmouth, I liked the idea of you, me and the river better. We can go for walks, swim or just relax. Enjoy the quiet before the storm.”
“The river is beautiful, and I do like the thought of only the two of us for a week.” Sam watched Pansy start to pull different items out of the bag she had packed. “I packed for a week in Portsmouth, not a week on the river. Unless you magically make a pair of swim trunks appear from that bag.”
“Ever heard of skinny dipping?” Pansy smirked as she shook out the magical tent she had pulled from the bag. “This is a magic only area of the river, and we have it to ourselves for the next week. Give me a few more minutes, and the tent will be ready. Dig around in the bag and find some wood and Phoenix Fire Lighters. You can set up the firepit while I finish everything else.”
“I will never understand how you get everything in one bag.” Sam stuck his hand into Pansy’s bag and began to search for the items she had requested. “How am I supposed to find everything for a firepit here? And, yes, I have heard of skinny dipping, but my amazing wife has been known to work magic with fabric, so I hope she can pull something out of her bag. Just because something is supposed to be private doesn’t always mean it is.”
“Just think about what you want to find, then reach in the bag.” Pansy tapped the tent poles with her wand. “Molly helped me pack some things before we left for the Quidditch match, so we should have everything. She sent the firelighters because the flames that they create are supposed to be long lasting. There, the tent is ready.”
“I think I found everything,” Sam grunted as he pulled out a bundle of firewood and a box of firelighters from their bag. “Do you want me to set this up now or show me around that tent?”
“Tent tour and then fire.” Pansy grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him into the tent. “There is a room at the back I think you might really like. It’s a perfect place to take a nap.”
Sam looked around the tent. It looked more like their flat in London than any tent he had ever used. Pansy continued to pull him toward the back of the tent.
Pulling back a curtain, Pansy sighed. “This is the best part of the tent. The nap room.”
Sam wrapped his arms around Pansy as he took in the space around him. Piles of pillows and blankets were scattered around a thick cushion that was on the floor. “So, is this where we are napping between hiking and swimming sessions? I’m not so sure about how comfortable this is going to be for you and our little bird.”
“It’s amazingly comfortable.” Pansy slipped out of Sma’s arms and laid down on the cushion. “Why don’t you join me and see for yourself?’
“Don’t mind if I do.” Sam sank to his knees and leaned over Pansy, kissing her forehead. “Make some space. I think I need a nap.”