#chibaken

Flying with Ryanair or Easy Jet is a unique kind of hell, so picture the narrow seats and aisles of the place full to bursting with travellers, kids who start screaming after takeoff, Greg trying to squeeze his bulky frame in one of those tiny seats (new headcanon: Greg turning to boxing as a way of coping after the war and releasing tension, and meeting Dudley and becoming besties! Omg). Harry would be sitting next to Ron and Hermione, but he’d rather sit next to Draco, who had been dragged in the middle seat by Greg and Blaise. At least Harry’s across the aisle from them, so Draco is full on sarcastic comments because it amuses Potter, and Harry is leaning towards them and Blaise would change from the aisle to avoid having Draco lean over him all the time, but no one wants the middle seat so he stays put. You have to pay for the food in budget airlines and the prices are exorbitant, but only the Muggleborns complain, because they know what £5.5 gets you in the real world and it’s not a tiny Panini with a slice of cheese.

Professor Peony would be sitting next to an elderly couple who do the crossword in the Times or read Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and she’d thank the heavens for these quiet people (she can hear Draco’s sniding all the way to the back, drilling into her brain, and Potter laughing from across the aisle, and Daphne saying how she’s too hot with these dresses on and Ginny saying “You’re too hot. Period” and Millicent would be howling at some extremely rude joke McMillan is telling her, which draws the attention of several four-year-olds and their frowning parents) and so Peony would buy a tiny bottle of wine (“keep them coming” she tells the air steward) and decides when they land, they’ll have to book British Airways for the return flight and if she needs to cover the cost for the students who can’t afford it, then so be it.

Visiting Greece would be great, though. That’d be a fun fic to write :)

The second scenario that I wrote in the tags (I actually started writing a fic about it some months ago but it’s only 300 words) which @bixgirl1 also mentioned is a long-haul flight to, say, Sydney. Emirates or Singapore Air are fantastic airlines and a long-haul flight has several comforts, but these people would be in first class so it’d be amazing. I’m talking proper silverware, screens on the seat in front of them with a selection of DVDs to choose from as well as the regular in-flight entertainment, blankets and face masks and tiny toothbrushes and special socks and glasses of champagnes just before takeoff). Pansy, Daphne, Blaise, Theo, Tracey and Greg would be be sitting next to each other, but the seat next to Draco would be empty. And then Harry boards the plane because for some reason he’s going to the same convention in Sydney – and wouldn’t you know! He’s got the last empty seat, right beside Draco! What are the chances of that?! Draco isn’t too pleased, because he’s a little nervous about flying, but tries to hide it. The two of them have been out for coffee once or twice and they’ve had some pleasant chats at the Ministry after training, and once they sort of flirted in a pub (Draco isn’t sure, he was a little tipsy at the time and may have been bolder than normal and he thinks that maybe Potter was also drunk and didn’t mean whatever he said – Draco can’t remember for sure and vows never to drink again, while holding his second glass of champagne of course). Takeoff is indeed stressful for Draco, but Harry holds his hand for support, only every time he tries to pull his hand away, Draco pretends to shiver so he’ll keep holding it for some time. Harry looks amused, but Draco is sure he’s fooled him.

This flight is a whole different experience and after a delicious meal (they have a menu with several choices), the lights dim and everyone settles for a long night and covers themselves in blankets. Harry and Draco have been talking – Draco a little calmer now that the plane seems able to stay aloft; he wasn’t sure it could – and they’ve had some wine and they’re leaning back on their seats, which fully recline because first class. The blankets are super soft and they spread them over them as if they’re about to sleep. (spoiler: they won’t sleep). But they encounter some turbulence, nothing terrible, but Draco yelps, very embarrassingly, (Blaise and Theo scoff from further down the plane) so Harry takes his hand again and tries to comfort him and maybe under the blanket (it’s not Harry’s fault, he can’t see through fabric) maybe instead of finding Draco’s hand, he touches his thigh? Idk you decide.

And then they make out. Hm, I could write a bit of smut based on that, one day.

Thank you for the prodding, Chiba and Bixie, I was incredibly and miserably blocked and burned out for the past week and couldn’t write a sentence, but here’s 1k words on a headcanon lol. ❤  ❤ ❤

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