IT'S ONLY PRETEND
The Proposal
Chapter Two
Hermione had a suitcase opened up in the center of her living room floor. She was tossing articles of clothing out of her bedroom; they were landing near the suitcase. It looked as though a strange type of tornado had blown through the house, strewing clothes everywhere.
A teapot on the kitchen stove was whistling loudly, but it had been whistling for the past ten minutes. She had already become so accustomed to the noise that she didn't even notice it anymore. The neighbors however were probably growing annoyed.
The Wizard Wireless was playing in the living room. A fast paced song blared and only caused Hermione to speed up her packing--if she continued at that pace she would soon pass out from sheer fatigue. But she couldn't stop. She had too much to do.
She felt harried and exhausted. How would she ever get everything together before tomorrow morning? What kind of human would think she could get everything she needed for such a long vacation in a single day--not even a day? In her fatigued state, she wasn't even using magic...a sure sign she was practically out of it.
When the bottom half of her flannel pyjamas flew out of her bedroom a voice boomed out of the fireplace.
"Harry Potter is accessing your Floo Network. Is this acceptable?"
"Yes!" Hermione yelled from her bedroom.
With a great wooshing noise, Hermione heard Harry enter her fireplace.
"I hate your security clearance," she heard him call from the living room. "It leaves me hanging around in Flooland, and it always makes me feel like my head is unattached from my body while I wait for you to clear me--" She heard him pause and she walked out of her bedroom with a hairbrush in her hand and a towel hanging on her arm. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked, looking around and seeing the huge mess in her living room for the first time.
"Ummm...yeah," she said hesitantly.
"Is everything okay?" he asked while peering into the kitchen, looking for the cause of the high pitched noise. He lifted the teapot up and turned off the stove.
She sighed and dropped down on the couch, finally letting her exhaustion take hold of her. "No."
He walked over to the couch and made to sit down next to her. He grinned and blushed slightly as he used his wand to slide a black bra off the cushion. She grabbed for it quickly and flushed with embarrassment, stuffing it beneath her and sitting on it.
He sat down beside her, smiling easily. "What's going on?"
"Well, it's work."
"Did you get fired?" he asked quickly.
"Of course not," she replied indignantly.
"Then what's going on. It looks like your closet threw up in here."
Hermione rolled her eyes and leaned forward on her elbows. "I have to go out of town on an assignment."
"Really? I'm amazed your boss actually let you leave the office," Harry said playfully. This time he stood up and walked across the room to the Wizard Wireless. He turned down the volume. Then, he carefully maneuvered back to the couch, trying not to step on the many items that were seemingly everywhere.
"Well, this is a really important assignment," she said, and realizing she couldn't hold out any longer, she blurted, "and would you like to go?"
"Go where?" he asked, looking at her in confusion as he sat down.
"Would you like to take the trip with me?"
"What? Are you serious?" he asked as he laughed lightly.
Hermione's voice took on a pleading tone. "Yes, I'm very serious. It's going to be a great vacation. It's down in Mexico and we'd be staying at the Royal Magician's Palace...and I can't go alone," she added quietly.
"Why not? Is it dangerous?" he asked, and she could see the concern in his eyes.
"Not really," she admitted. "In fact, I highly doubt it will be dangerous at all."
"Then why do you want me to go?"
"Wouldn't you like a vacation?" she asked, avoiding the truth.
"Well...yeah."
"So you'll go?" she asked.
"I suppose I could shift a few things around. When are you leaving?"
"In the morning."
"In the morning? Hermione, that's really short notice."
"I know."
"How long would we be gone?"
"A couple of weeks."
"A couple of weeks?"
"Yes," she replied, exasperated.
"Now don't get all irritated with me. This is last minute, you know."
"Yes, I know."
"So, let me get this straight. You are going on an assignment in Mexico, and you'll be there for a couple of weeks and you want me to go...for the company?"
"Yes..." she hesitated, "...but..."
"But what?" Harry asked as he eyed her carefully. "What are you not telling me, Hermione? I know that look on your face."
"It's...well...it's just that the Royal Magician's palace is for married couples only."
Harry looked at her with an expression of complete confusion on his face. She would have laughed at him had she not been so tired.
"I don't understand."
"Ugh...Harry, think about it." And when his expression didn't change she added, "I need you to pretend to be my husband."
"Really?" He looked on the verge of laughing.
"Yes, really."
"Hermione," he said playfully, "I didn't know you felt that way."
She dropped her head back onto the couch and groaned. "Harry."
"Is that all? You need me to pretend to be your husband for a few weeks, and I get a free vacation?"
Hermione lifted her head up and glanced at Harry. Her face looked tired and dark circles shadowed beneath her eyes. "That's all."
Harry shrugged. "Sounds okay to me. Should I go out and buy you a ring?"
Hermione laughed wearily. "Yes, definitely. I would like the diamond to be extra large."
"One extra large diamond ring coming up." Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at a knut lying on the coffee table. After a moment and a few murmured spells, the knut was no more, and in its place was a lovely diamond ring. "There you are milady," he said melodramatically. He slid off the couch and knelt down in front of her. "Will you be mine?"
"Harry," she laughed, "stop it. I'm too tired."
"You're too tired to say yes?" he asked, feigning disappointment.
Hermione held out her hand and Harry slipped the ring on her finger, winking at her. "It's beautiful. Just what I always wanted, a fake diamond."
Harry sat back on the couch beside her. "Seriously though Hermione, why don't you get some rest. I can get the rest of the stuff together. It looks like your entire wardrobe is out here. I can magic everything into your suitcase if you like. I would never have imagined you packed in such a manner."
"I don't," she said in her defense, "but everything is so crazy."
"Yeah," he said in mock seriousness, "what will Ron say when I tell him we've gotten married?"
She smiled sleepily as she yawned and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Thanks, Harry. I really owe you one for this."
"Nah. You're taking me on a free vacation, and all I have to do is pretend to be your husband. How hard can that be?"
"We might have to hold hands," she said drowsily.
"I won't tell anyone," he whispered playfully. He could feel Hermione's weight leaning against his shoulder. She was overworked and too tired to keep her eyes open any longer.
"Good. They wouldn't believe it anyway," she said before yawning again.
Harry laughed quietly. "You're probably right." He eased off the couch and placed Hermione's head against a pillow. "I'll get all of this stuff together and then head back to my place and pack--"
"--oh, you'll need to bring all your nice things. We're supposed to be rich," she mumbled.
Harry knelt down beside the couch, and Hermione opened her eyes briefly. He winked at her and whispered, "I am rich, Hermione. Hey, is that why you're marrying me? For my money?"
Hermione closed her eyes and smiled, chuckling sleepily. "Of course not," she said quietly, "I'm marrying you for your wicked Divination knowledge."
"Figures. You women are all the same. Find out a chap has money and you throw yourselves at him," Harry said, standing up and smiling down at her.
"Yeah," she said sarcastically, "I've always thrown myself at you, Harry Potter. You can spot my advances a mile away."
He grinned a crooked smile and pulled his wand up. He flicked it around and Hermione's belongings lifted into the air and began packing themselves neatly into her open suitcase.
"Okay, I'm going to run home. Could you give me the password to your network? You can change it later so you don't have to worry about me breaking into your place and reading all your books without asking."
Hermione laughed again. "I'm trying to get some rest here, Potter." She cracked an eye open and reached up her hand to his. He put his hand out and grabbed hers. "It's Narnia."
"Narnia?" Harry asked, shaking his head. "I haven't read those books in ages. Good choice though...shame you'll have to change it. But, okay, I'll be back soon." He placed her hand back down on the couch beside her.
"Thanks Harry," she murmured.
He smiled at her before disappearing in a great woosh and roaring of flames from her fireplace. She fell asleep immediately. It wasn't even eight o'clock, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd been in her own flat before midnight. She relished the feeling and didn't feel the least bit guilty for falling asleep while Harry did the rest of the packing.