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“Oh, James,” Darcy sighed as she took in the view from the bedroom of their suite for the next two weeks. “It’s absolutely gorgeous here. The valley will be a sight to see in the morning as the sun rises.”
The panorama was of the sprawling valley below with the spires of the fairy chimneys reaching for the sky.
“And so much quieter than Istanbul,” James murmured as he wrapped his arms around Darcy’s waist.
“Yes, it really was quite a zoo there, but the places we visited were simply amazing.” Darcy turned in James’s hold to face him. “I enjoyed our time there, but I’m really looking forward to just relaxing here with you for the next two weeks.”
James smiled as he leaned down to press a kiss against his wife’s forehead. “Me too.”
The two of them stood in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the solitude provided to them by their surroundings.
A few minutes later, James broke the silence. “So, what do you want to do first?”
Darcy leaned back and looked up at her husband. “A shower first to wash off the day of travel, and then,” she smirked, “I want to take advantage of the private pool downstairs.”
“There are windows downstairs,” James teased.
She rolled her eyes. “Are you a wizard or not?”
James gasped as if offended. “A wizard, of course! And a smart one at that, as I’ve already put up a few wards. I also put up a privacy spell.”
Darcy snickered as he wagged his eyebrows suggestively.
“These windows too?” Darcy asked as she gestured to the windows in the bedroom and bathroom.
“I wouldn’t be a good husband if I didn’t.”
“That’s the man I love,” Darcy grinned as she stepped out of his arms and turned to make her way to the bathroom—leaving a trail of clothes and shoes behind her.
James grinned. Privacy spells really did make life much easier, especially when you had a wife who loved to go starkers anytime she had a chance. And who was James to complain?
Darcy’s voice from the bathroom pulled James from his thoughts. “Are you coming or not?”
Fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, he hurried to catch up to his new wife. In his haste, James nearly tripped as he tried to toe off his shoes.
“Merlin, this feels good,” James sighed as he placed his glasses away from the edge and settled into the private pool of their hotel suite early the following day. He and Darcy never actually made it back downstairs the night before as they took advantage of the oversized jacuzzi in their bathroom and the opulent bed. Closing his eyes, James let his body relax into the warm water as it soothed his muscles.
“Oh, James!” Darcy’s voice called from where he had left her upstairs in bed a few minutes ago to sleep in. “Look outside!”
“What is it?” James asked as he reached for his glasses and slid them on.
“Just look!”
James made his way to the steps in the corner and grabbed a towel to dry his legs as he slipped his feet into his sandals and walked to the closest window. Shifting the sheer curtain to the side, James couldn’t miss what Darcy was talking about.
Hundreds of hot air balloons in the valley below the hotel were slowly rising into the air.
“Wow,” he whispered in awe.
“Let’s go outside!” Darcy said as she hurried down the stairs.
James looked over his shoulder to see Darcy dressed in her swimsuit with a towel wrapped around her, leaving her legs and shoulders bare. He would never tire of seeing his lovely second wife. She was an absolute spitfire, like Lily was before Voldemort killed her, and was unabashed in her looks.
Darcy had been injured in an animal attack not long after they met and would forever bare a scar across her shoulders and down her back. Shuri had been able to heal her wounds, and while most of her scars faded over time, a few remained. And Darcy wore them with pride.
“Come on, let’s get a closer look,” she said as she took one of his hands in hers and opened the door.
As they stepped outside into the little garden in front, James let go of Darcy’s hand to wrap an arm around Darcy’s shoulders and pulled her close. She snuggled into his side.
The couple stood in silence, enjoying the view as the hot air balloons rose into the morning sky.
It was sometime later before either of them broke the quiet of the morning. “I would love to go up in one of those. I bet the view is even more spectacular than it is from here.”
“What would you say if I told you we had a ride scheduled in one for one morning next week?”
Darcy looked up at him. “We do?!”
He grinned. “Yes.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “You spoil me way too much!”
“You deserve it,” he replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” he murmured.
Over the next two weeks, Darcy and James enjoyed everything their hotel and the local region had to offer.
As the couple gently floated over the expanse of the Goreme National Park early the next morning, their balloon pilot pointed out some of his favourite places. From hiking along the connecting Meskendir, Red Valley, and Rose Valley trails to visiting some of the local wineries. He was kind enough to give them the name of his family’s vineyard.
Darcy and James also took a day to visit a couple of the surrounding towns, where they bought gifts for family and friends back home.
On the last day of their holiday, James surprised Darcy with a cooking lesson provided by the hotel. She had been like him, not one for cooking when she was younger, but ever since the two of them started dating four years ago, they made an effort to try making something together at least once a week. They were even able to visit the hotel’s garden, which gave them both ideas for the garden they had been planning for months.
That evening after dinner, Darcy turned the tables on James and surprised him with a couple’s massage. It had been awkward at first for him, but his masseuse’s near magical fingers allowed James to relax. But the soft sounds coming from his content wife had his libido skyrocketing, and Darcy wasn’t complaining as James showed her how much he enjoyed her surprise that night.
“Shall we finally return home to our own zoo?”
Darcy sighed dramatically, “Yes, I guess we must.”
“Children and duties call us both,” James reminded her.
“I know, but, James, this really was a magical honeymoon. Thank you,” Darcy told James as she zipped her last bag. She winked up at her husband. “Even if there was nearly no magic involved, and you spent way more than I deserve.”
“As I said our first morning here in Cappadoccia, you deserve it. You deserve the world. Plus wards and privacy spells don’t count, but this was worth every Knut and penny spent.” James pulled her closed and kissed her. Then, breaking the kiss sometime later to come up for air, he added, “Just to see that beautiful smile on your face.”
Darcy broke out into his favourite smile as she smacked his shoulder. “Oh, James.”
“Mr and Mrs Potter, your ride is here,” a voice called from downstairs.
“Let’s go, love,” James said as he took Darcy’s hand.