Hermione bit her lip. "We can't rule it out until we look."

They checked closets, rifled through drawers, and tossed back sheets. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. They checked each room twice before finally coming back to the drawing room.

Hermione was ready to begin peeling back the wallpaper when she heard a loud sigh from the first sitting room. She found Draco relaxing on the sofa, his head lolled back.

Her lips pressed together. They should have brought some Pepper-Up for him as well.

"We'll find it, Draco. I know it's here." She waited for him to look at her. Instead, his eyes fluttered closed.

Her spine tingled, and she quickly crossed into the sitting room to stand over him. "Are you alright?"

He nodded and breathed deeply, as if he were inhaling fresh air. "It's lovely here, isn't it?"

Fear bubbled in her gut, whipping her insides — but then a cool tranquility settled over her, like a perfect summer breeze.

Her legs were tired, her mind weary. She could stay awhile and rest.

Perching on the arm of the sofa next to him, she took in the little room. The colors shined, and the wood sparkled. "It is," she agreed.

"And look at the view." Draco gestured to the wall across from him, and Hermione followed his hand to a window she hadn't seen before.

A sandy beach looked back at them, the turquoise water glittering. Sunlight flooded the room the longer she looked. A smile broke over her face, and she slid down onto the couch. He took her hand in his.

"I don't know why we'd ever leave," said Draco, his voice full of wistful longing.

Her lips trembled at the thought. "We don't have to," she whispered, squeezing his fingers. "We shouldn't. We're together, aren't we?"

He turned his face to hers and kissed her temple — as gentle as if she were blown glass. With a contented sigh, Hermione relaxed back into the cushions. On the ceiling, she found a stunning fresco of a woman in gauzy white, lying at the edge of a river. The waters were placid.

Draco's arm snaked around her shoulders, and as she tilted her head up, her eyes fell on the window again. The steady back and forth of water soothed her, lulling her to sleep. She snuggled into Draco's side and tucked her legs beneath her on the cushion. His arm wrapped around her as they lay on the sofa, watching the ocean together.

The tide came in. The tide went out. Her breath grew thin and light, like it, too, was drifting out to sea. Exhaustion tugged at her eyelids. As her vision grew hazy and her heartbeat slowed, a mountain range appeared in her mind's eye. She gazed at the water there, cool and uninterrupted.

Still waters.

She blinked, and the window was gone — a thick rock wall in its place. She blinked again, and saw sparkling turquoise and golden sunlight.

Her head felt light as she tilted her head up to the fresco—