Chapter 1

Hermione put one finger on the dented tea kettle in front of her. She glanced around, waiting for McGonagall's countdown. She looked over in Malfoy's direction. She wasn't sure why but she had been looking at him a lot lately. He was looking sour, as usual, and shooting annoyed looks at the Slytherins around him; they were all sniggering and talking quietly. Hermione frowned at them.

All the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were standing, just outside the front door, in anticipation of the first ever mass fieldtrip. They were going to meet a very famous wizard; Merlin. Hermione had been ecstatic when McGonagall had announced it. Each student had an item in front of them. The item was a portkey that would transport them all to a predetermined meeting spot.

Goyle leaned over and tried to talk to Malfoy, who shooed him off irritably. Crabbe tried a bit but was ignored as well. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned her gaze to the boys standing on either side of her. Harry and Ron both looked excited and at ease. They had both filled out from Quidditch and Harry's beautiful eyes and Ron's bright hair made them both very handsome near-men. They smiled at her and continued their almost endless Quidditch talk.

Hermione turned her attention to McGonagall. She was counting heads and ticking them off on a roll of parchment. With a flick of her wand, the parchment rolled itself up and disappeared. She whispered 'sonorous' and addressed them all.

'Students,' she said, his magically-magnified voice booming out over the expectant crowd gathered before her. 'I trust you all know how to use a portkey but, for those of you who don't, you must be touching the object before you as I start the countdown. On the count of three, you will feel very peculiar but that is perfectly okay. You should all end up in the same place,' she said calmly. Some of the younger students looked very nervous.

Hermione made sure she was still firmly touching the kettle and saw from the corner of her eye that Harry and Ron were doing the same. She listened intently as McGonagall began the countdown.

'One…' Hermione readjusted her finger on the kettle unnecessarily. '…Two…' Hermione glanced around one last time and then closed her eyes tightly. '…Three!' Hermione felt the familiar tug behind her navel and she was flying through the air; her finger seemed glued to the kettle. Soon, she felt her feet slam into the ground and she worked to stay upright.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked around and was surprised to see that she was standing on a sandy white beach full of palm trees and ferns and it was very hot and humid. The beach was completely deserted with the exception of a certain blonde boy at the other end of the beach; Malfoy. Hermione slowly walked toward Malfoy, still glancing nervously around.

'Malfoy,' Hermione asked uncertainly. 'Where are we? And, more importantly, where is everyone else?' Malfoy slowly shook his head.

'I have no idea,' he said slowly. 'Our portkeys must have malfunctioned.' He began to wander aimlessly down the beach. Hermione followed him.

'But why would ours be the only ones?' she asked desperately. 'There could be others somewhere around here, couldn't there?' Malfoy shook his head. 'Well, I think we ought to at least see if this is an island or not. If there are people more inland then we could get help there,' Hermione said in a determined manner. Malfoy nodded and beckoned for her to lead the way.

Hermione pulled her wand out of her pocket and stepped cautiously into the screen of trees. It was cool and damp under the thin canopy of palm fronds and moss. Malfoy followed close behind, making Hermione jumpy and nervous. The tropical forest was teeming with life, but nothing seemed too dangerous besides all the spiders and a couple of snakes. Soon, the unlikely pair happened onto a beautiful clearing.

It was big, about twenty five feet in a rough circle, next to a clear, bubbling stream. The grass was lush and there was a smooth rock outcrop with a fairly large space under it; enough to stand comfortably at the tallest point, at least. The opening even faced south, allowing daylight to enter for the majority of the day. There were many colorful flowers scattered around, adding their aromas to the already heavily perfumed air. The sun was brilliantly bright and high above but much further west than it had been when they left.

'It wasn't this late when we left and we haven't traveled for very long,' she said, more to herself than to Malfoy. 'That must mean that we are very far away from Hogwarts.'

'What was your first clue?' Malfoy snapped irritably, brushing past her and flopping down under the rock outcrop. 'The tropical climate, nothing like that of London, must I remind you, the position of the sun, or any of the other numerous factors?' Hermione glared at him.

'What I meant,' Hermione said, her loathing of him clear in her voice. 'was that we are farther south than I originally thought.' Malfoy snorted and rolled his eyes. 'Well, the first thing to do is find food and fire, since the shelter and water has found itself,' she said in a much more business-like tone.

Malfoy stood, stretched and stooped by the sparkling stream. He dipped his hands in and lifted some of the clear water to his lips. It was cool, crisp and refreshing. Then he stood again and began to search for things to use for food. Hermione followed his lead and began to scan the undergrowth for familiar plants.

'So,' she asked offhandedly, tugging at what she suspected was a wild carrot. 'Why were you so mad at Crabbe and Goyle before we left?' She gave one more tug and it popped out of the ground, small and pale yellow. Malfoy turned to look at her, then moved next to her and began to pull up the carrots with much more ease than she.

'Them and the rest of the Slytherins had this stupid plan that they were trying to get me to participate in,' he said vaguely. Hermione motioned for him to continue. 'They weren't touching their portkeys. They didn't go on the fieldtrip. They wanted to stay behind and party when the castle was empty.'

'Well, that plan won't work too well. McGonagall did a very thorough head count. She will know if anyone is missing and exactly who it is. They should find us soon,' she added in a bracing sort of way.

'That doesn't mean we don't need to start a fire,' Malfoy reminded her. She nodded and sat back to think for a moment. Then she popped up and began searching the trees. 'What are you looking for?'

'A long thin stick and a long flat stick,' she answered. At Malfoy's inquiring look, she felt she should explain. 'I was always interested in human prehistory so I read a lot about them. I read about how they started fires. They used two sticks, one thin and one flat, and…aha! I knew there had to be some here,' Hermione yelled, rushing over to a tall tree with a lot of low branches. She ripped off two of the ones she needed and brought them over.

'The flat one is the platform and the thin one is the drill, easy to remember, no? You put the platform on the ground and take the drill and sharpen the end on a rock,' she said, demonstrating. 'You put the sharp end on the platform and make a dent to stabilize the drill. Then you put it there and you twirl it in your hands, always putting pressure on it, like so.' Nothing was happening. 'Malfoy, this can take awhile, so can you get some bark shavings and dry grass and other flammable things like that? Some twigs and stuff, too?' she asked, beginning to sweat. Malfoy nodded obediently and went to find some.

When he got back, Hermione was beginning to get tired, sweat was dripping into her eyes, so he took over, trying to do so without breaking the motion. 'It creates friction and will eventually make an ember that we can transfer to the tinder, the bark,' she said, sounding much like a textbook than a teenager. Malfoy nodded and twirled the drill faster.

While Malfoy twirled, Hermione made a hearth, fireplace, so the fire would be controlled and not spread. She gathered rocks from the streambed and made them into a good sized circle near Malfoy with the tinder inside of it. After a few more moments, a thing wisp of smoke issued from the hole in the platform. Hermione squealed and cautioned Malfoy not to stop quite yet. About ten seconds later, more smoke came and she motioned for him to desist. He did so gladly.

Hermione gently tipped the ember into the tinder and bent down, blowing on it gently. With each breath, the ember grew bright and then dimmed. Hermione blew even gentler, a steady stream of air, and the glowing coal was replaced with a flickering flame. She slowly added more tinder and then progressively larger pieces of wood until they had a blaze going within the confines of the circle of stones. She sat back on her haunches, breathing a sigh of relief and exhaustion.

'That is a very difficult way of doing it and if you see any iron pyrite, fools' gold, or flint, get it,' Hermione advised. Malfoy nodded knowingly and sat down beside her. It had taken the better part of an hour to get the fire started and they were both drained from the effort it involved. They deserved a rest and Hermione decided she fancied a swim.

'I'm going for a swim,' she said indifferently, standing up. Malfoy gaped at her.

'You are not taking your clothes off,' Malfoy said vehemently, though not with the intense disgust he usually spoke to her with. 'Not while I'm here.' Hermione looked down at him and smiled.

'No, I'm not,' she said. 'I am going to walk downstream a ways, out of sight, before I go for my swim. You should swim, too, up here. It'll feel good.' Malfoy looked thoughtful for a second and stood up, stretching.

'I think you're right,' he said, stifling a yawn. 'I will go for a swim. I'll stay here and you go over there. You see that hanging willow? Go behind that so I won't have to see you,' he suggested, pointing to a gnarled tree with thin pale green leaves that hung all the way down, touching the water and making slight ripples. Hermione nodded and headed toward it.

As soon as Malfoy was out of sight, Hermione pulled her ripped and soiled robes over her head and stepped into the river, thinking a bra and panties were close enough to a bikini for her. The water was cold but not uncomfortably so. It was a relief from the heat of the late afternoon sun. The current was strong and the stream was just deep enough for her toes to brush the streambed.

Hermione pulled her robes and dunked them under the water to rinse them as well; they could dry on the sun-warmed rock nearby while she washed. Then, she gladly rinsed the dirt and ashes off of her face and the twigs and leaves out of her hair. She even swam a few laps around the small pool encased by the circular curtain of hanging tendrils. She swam cautiously to the edge and peeked through the drape, making sure that her body was entirely submerged.

Malfoy was thinking along the same lines as her, drying his robes in the sun. He is definitely handsome, Hermione thought to herself. She admired his firm eight pack and his rippling muscles. His cool grey eyes glinted in the sun and his white blond hair hung in his eyes. Then, as though burned, Hermione jerked backward from the hanging leaves, horrified at what she had been doing and thinking. She swam a few more laps to clear her head and then climbed onto the smooth rock by her robes.

It was slightly behind the tree so Hermione knew Malfoy couldn't see her. She stretched out and spread her hair around her. It had straightened slightly over the summer, become less bushy and more sleek curls. She had filled out, as well, and she had a perfect hourglass figure. Despite her obvious beauty, Hermione remained oblivious to it and hid her shape with robes and sweaters. On the other hand, boys had been quick to notice and Hermione was getting asked out daily. She turned them all down. She hadn't really liked any of them. She was waiting for the right man.

Malfoy watched Hermione as she disappeared behind a curtain of leaves that created a secluded spot of shaded stream. He sighed and, pulling off his robes, stepped into the cool stream. The current was swift but he could stand straight. He soaked his robes to get the dirt off and laid them out to sundry on a rock. He rinsed his face and hair to remove any grime or mud and then floated on his back for a moment, just relaxing.

Malfoy heard a small noise from downstream and stood up, glancing that way. He saw a few of the vine-like leaves of the willow swing back into place and he smirked slightly. He knew she had looked. He chuckled and lied on the rock beside his robes to dry himself. He found himself glancing toward the screen of leaves, hoping to get a glance of Hermione but he shook his head to stop himself.

Hermione pulled her robes back over her head but found them horribly hot. She shrugged and walked out from under the shade of the hanging willow to see Malfoy doing the same. She got an idea and pulled out her wand. She pointed it at the bottom of her robes and muttered 'diffindo'. A large strip fell away, leaving a short skirt in place of the full length robe. She did the same with the sleeves and felt much cooler.

'It helps a lot in this heat,' she informed Malfoy, who looked impressed. He did the same to his robes; he cut the sleeves short and the robes to about knee length.

'I still don't like these robes,' he complained. 'They make me feel like I'm in a dress.' Hermione giggled, putting her hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter. Malfoy tried to suppress his laugh but Hermione's giggle was contagious and he was soon chuckling as well.

'I think we could come up with a spell of some sort to make more clothes so we don't have to wear this,' Hermione assured him. 'I am the only one around here who gets to run around in a skirt.'

'Good,' Malfoy said flippantly. He was indeed uncomfortable about the present state of dress. He laid out under the rock outcrop, very comfortable in the shade on the soft white sand. Hermione laid down beside him. She closed her eyes and sighed, a little awkward at being so close to him. Then her eyes shot open and she moaned. 'What?'

'I'm hungry,' she moaned again. 'I think we should cook those carrots we found before it gets too dark. It's already getting late. We don't have anything to put them in to cook them so we'll have to lay them on a rock and put them next to the fire. It would probably be bad for them to be directly in the fire because they would burn. Maybe with some hide or something…' Hermione began to rattle on about the carrots, getting up and looking around for a properly sized rock. Malfoy sat up. His stomach had begun to growl as well.

'I want meat,' he said and Hermione turned to look at him.

'Well, I personally think that we should concentrate on getting settled first,' she said reasonably. 'but if you really want to go kill something, be my guest, but you would have to do all the skinning and gutting.'

'Ew,' Malfoy said, grimacing in disgust, picturing himself doing such a task. 'Oh, well. Maybe later.' He stood up and walked over to Hermione, a look of gratitude she had never seen on his face before. 'Thank you, Hermione,' he said, entirely genuine. 'For the fire and everything. At least one of us knows how to survive out here.' Hermione was momentarily stunned.

'Um…You're welcome?' she answered timidly. This new Malfoy was a little unsettling. He smiled at her. Really smiled. It was dazzling and his eyes had a charisma to them. His eyes, usually so cold and grey, were the deep grey color of flint. Hermione seemed drawn to them. She couldn't look away. She smiled dreamily back. He broke eye contact, flushing a bit, and turned to set the carrots to cook by the fire. Hermione blushed, too, and turned to look for something to keep herself occupied. He's beautiful when he does that, she thought.

Malfoy pulled on his robes and noticed how swelteringly hot they were in the heat of the day. He notice Hermione come out of the screen of leaves and whisper something, making the bottom half of her robes fall away to create a short skirt, and then the sleeves. Malfoy whispered 'diffindo' and the bottom half of his fell off, too. He did the sleeves and become aware of how exposed and breezy his legs were. It made him uncomfortable.

'I still don't like these robes,' he grumbled. 'They make me feel like I'm in a dress.' He was annoyed to see Hermione begin to laugh at his predicament. He tried to scowl at her but the corners of his mouth turned up of their own accord and he began to laugh, too.

'I think we could come up with a spell of some sort to make more clothes so we don't have to wear this. I am the only one around here who gets to run around in a skirt.' she said, still trying to keep from laughing at him.

'Good,' he answered glibly. He collapsed onto his back in the shade of the stone protrusion. Hermione laid down beside him. He was uncomfortably aware of how close they were. He heard Hermione sigh and then moan.

'I'm hungry,' she whined. 'I think we should cook those carrots we found before it gets too dark. It's already getting late. We don't have anything to put them in to cook them so we'll have to lay them on a rock and put them next to the fire. It would probably be bad for them to be directly in the fire because they would burn. Maybe with some hide or something…' Hermione began to jabber on about the carrots they had picked, jumping up and searching for a good rock. Malfoy made himself sit up. His stomach began to squirm in hunger, too.

'I want meat,' Malfoy said, thinking of juicy steak and hamburgers and the like. Hermione turned and looked at him, a disgusted and skeptical look on her face.

'Well, I personally think that we should concentrate on getting settled first,' she said. 'but if you really want to go kill something, be my guest, but you would have to do all the skinning and gutting.' Malfoy shuddered. He may not be very nice at times but that didn't mean he didn't have it heart. It would kill him to rip apart a defenseless little animal. He had secretly been hoping for a burger joint to pop up out of thin air. Fat chance, he thought to himself.

'Ew,' he said, simply. Hermione nodded. 'Oh, well. Maybe later.' He stood and made up his mind. He strode over to Hermione and looked her right in the eye. 'Thank you, Hermione,' he said sincerely. 'For the fire and everything. At least one of us knows how to survive out here,' he said, chuckling slightly.

'Um…You're welcome?' she said, looking a little uncertain. Malfoy smiled at her, trying to calm her uneasiness. She stared at him with those warm, honey colored eyes. They sparkled with some unknown hint that hadn't been there long. He would know, he had studied her enough. Her eyes seemed to pull him closer. He wanted to fall into them. She smiled dreamily at him.

Malfoy realized that he had been staring. He felt the color rise in his cheeks and he wrenched his gaze from Hermione's beautiful and entrancing eyes, busying himself with the carrots, more to give himself something to do rather than out of hunger. He didn't feel like eating now. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione blush as well and wander off to do who-knows-what. She's beautiful when she does that, he thought.

Malfoy cooked the carrots and he and Hermione sat down beside the fire. She had returned with an armload of firewood a couple of minutes before. There was an uncomfortable hush. They finished their meal in silence and Malfoy tugged down some large palm fronds for mattresses. He gave a couple to Hermione and they both arranged them as the wanted under the overhang.

The rock trapped the heat and gave it back so the night wasn't chilly in the least. The palm fronds, though stiff, were supported by the sand and made comfortable beds. Their stomachs weren't full, per say, but they weren't hungry either. They both floated off to sleep rather quickly and stayed asleep.