Remain Nameless

Chapter 33

August 2008

Hermione needed to get a grip on herself. Honestly, it wasn't as if she were some poor little pauper who'd never experienced anything of luxury before. She'd stayed in several upscale accommodations on holidays with her parents, not to mention, being a war heroine often led to certain upgrades when she used her real name to make reservations. But this? This level of opulence was heretofore unseen by her eyes.

When their international portkey (an ugly, chipped mug) had landed Hermione and Draco into a side chamber just off the main lobby of their Paris hotel, Hermione had no idea what to expect. Draco had been in charge of this part of their trip after all, and perhaps she should have known he would have gone completely overboard. Not that someone of his tax bracket would think this overboard. No, Malfoy didn't crane his neck to study the cathedral-high ceilings of the lobby, nor admire every surface covered in pristine white marble, nor did his gaze track the shine of every framed gilded mirror and assorted richly upholstered accent furniture. A design union of old world extravagance and modern gaudiness. Rows upon rows of crystal chandeliers hung from above, reflecting an almost blinding light across the polished walls and floors, the intricate stain-glass windows, and the dozens of fountains outfitted with gleaming ice sculptures ranging in size from 2 to 15 feet in height. Was that a champagne tower in the corner? In every corner?

Leave it to the French to exceed her expectations.

Hermione managed to keep her composure by running through her mental checklist of her life's accomplishments (a personal tactic whenever she let feelings of inferiority creep in) and she would have been perfectly fine if Malfoy hadn't opened his stupid mouth.

His stupid, perfect, sinful mouth.

His stupid, perfect, sinful mouth that had just opened to conduct a polite conversation with the hotel's concierge in rapid, flawless French.

They'd been in France all of five minutes and he'd already ruined her knickers.

She did not possess the necessary wherewithal to pay attention to the astonishing spellwork of the concierge tapping her palm to activate the charm that would allow her and Draco access to their suite via personal lift through a mere touch of their fingertips. Instead she channeled all her mental energy into keeping her jaw from unhinging as she listened to Draco inquire (flawlessly, lyrically) about their dinner reservations for the evening. She barely registered the impressive magic of the concierge clicking his fingers and their luggage disappearing, surely now awaiting them in their room.

By the time Draco led her towards the lift, she suppressed the urge to rub her thighs together at the way he'd tossed a perfectly accented "merci beaucoup" to the staff. The lift had no buttons, and once inside, Draco pressed a hand next to the closed doors for it to move. The entire car of wall-to-wall mirrors offered Hermione no escape from her flushed face and the puzzled look Draco shot her.

"All right Granger?"

She could only bite her lip and stare down at her feet. "Mmm, a bit flustered from portkey travel," she lied.

Weren't magical lifts supposed to be quicker than this? Gods, thirty more seconds in this box with Draco and she would jump him and his expensive suit.

He stared at her the rest of the ride.

Finally, mercifully, the lift doors opened and Draco gallantly allowed her to pass into their suite first. Now her jaw really did drop.

The marble foyer led to a vast open floor plan that Hermione quickly calculated as possibly triple the square footage of her entire townhome. A full kitchen complete with an island and breakfast nook sat on one end of the suite, while a full wine bar sat at the opposite end. In between these two extraneous bookends was a long glass dining table that seated twelve, and perhaps a dozen or so lush couches, loveseats, settees, and chaise lounges plus two fireplaces. She vowed to sit on every exquisite piece of expensive furniture at least once before the holiday ended. A few doors led off the main room, and Hermione left Draco behind to discover what treasures they held. She found two bedrooms, both with queen-size canopy beds and private bathrooms the size of her bedroom at home. There was also a guest half-bath as well as a powder room.