Cuándo en Valencia

Daphne Greengrass strutted down the crowded street like she owned the place. She was beautiful, and she knew every straight man there was staring at her. Not that she didn't blame them, she'd stare at herself all day if she could.

Her long, straight blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a disorderly knot, decorated with the occasional gem covered pin sticking out. A few stray pieces had snuck out, framing her sun kissed face. She pulled the oversized black sunglasses down her long nose and smiled wickedly. This was going to be fun.

Born and raised in England, Daphne had been brought up around very beautiful, privileged people. No one had ever told her no. She carried herself like her mother had, shoulders back, chin up, back straight. While it gave her a slightly untouchable air about her, it described her personality perfectly. She was, as most of the people she had been brought up with, arrogant and self-centered.

She had mellowed out over the years she'd spent at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, trading in her haughty attitude for self-confidence and containing her arrogance to the point where people didn't want to rip out their spleens after listening to her for more than five moments. She found herself to be bored by all the money, and after the glam of being a pureblood wore down, she just became bored.

It wasn't until she noticed Theodore Nott that life became interesting again.

She had asked him to Hogsmede the following day, and after a few minutes of awkward silence on his part, he accepted. She thought he was a little intimidated by her asking him, but she wasn't going to wait.

The date went well, they spent the day walking in and out of shops, stopping for lunch and talking. She learned more about him in those six hours than she had all the seventeen years she'd known him.

He was funny and charming, making her laugh so hard she'd almost cried. And, he was taller than her. Not that she really cared, but she was the same height as Blaise in heels, and it was nice to walk next to someone who was taller than her for once. He didn't try to jump her, or even take her hand while they walked, but she could tell he was interested.

They sat together at dinner that night, at the end of the table past the first years. He treated her like that had been best friends forever, and she found herself insanely attracted to him by the end of dinner. She initiated the kiss, grabbing his collar before he went up to bed and forcefully snogging the brains out of him. She had left him at the bottom of the stairs, stunned.

They continued the relationship after they left school, moving into his parents' old house. His mother was dead and his father was in Azkaban, so they had the place to themselves, and after two years of dating, he had asked her to marry him.

They were in the middle of planning the wedding and it was driving her mad. Her mother, her aunts, her cousins, everyone was at their home, going over every insignificant detail. She was drowning. Theo wasn't there, ever. He couldn't stand all the estrogen, so he was constantly out with her father, doing... well, the things men do when there were no women around. He came home late at night and they just talked. It was all rather boring.

Which was why she found herself in Valencia. She wanted excitement, well, she was going to find it.

She had slipped out early that morning and Apparated to the post in Valencia, intent on doing something fun. Since she was only going to be single for a few more days, she wanted to get out and enjoy it. Not that she minded being with Theo, the stress was just driving her mad.

The streets were lined with people selling items and shops. She had already spent half her inheritance in clothes and shoes, but the day was closing so she had run back to the hotel, tossed her bags in the corner and changed. Tonight, she was going to the beach.

She spread her blanket out in a reclusive part of the beach and sat her things down. She pulled her shirt off, leaving her in just her swimsuit before plopping down on the towel and stretching her long legs out in front of her.

The sun was just beginning to set over the crystal blue water, and she found herself thinking of Theo. Her thoughts never strayed far from him anymore, it was like he was permanently embedded in every part of her mind. She reached up and absent mindedly pulled her hair down, letting it fall across her back in ripples. As the colors danced across the water, her mind drifted to other things.

She didn't see the tall, dark haired man approach her from behind, all she felt were a pair of hands slide up her arms and to her shoulders. She let her head fall back and found herself staring into the cloudy blue eyes of her fiancé.

He sat behind her, pulling her back towards him. "How did you find me?" she asked, placing her hands over his. "You were asleep when I left."

He kissed her neck and laughed softly. "You aren't that hard to figure out," he admitted, running his hands up her arms again. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Besides, I knew you were getting upset about the wedding, so I figured we'd elope."

When his words sunk in, she pulled away from him and looked at him like he'd grown two heads. He just smiled. "Mother would kill us. She's spent so much--"

"Daph, it's your wedding. Not hers, no matter how much she wants it to be."

And then she understood. Her mother was trying to make up for her disastrous marriage by controlling hers. She looked at him, smiling. "Let's go."

He looked floored. "Really?"

She arched her perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Of course. I don't do jokes." She smirked, standing up and pulling the shirt back on. "Let's go."

Theo stood up hurriedly and began wringing his hands. "Daphne, I'm not so sure this is a good idea... I mean, your mother is going to murder us--"

"You said so yourself. It's my wedding, not hers. If I want to marry you right here and now, I will. If I wanted to shag you on the beach right here and now, I would. Let's go get married."

He grabbed her wrist and whirled her around. "Daph, love, are you sure?"

His hands were cupping each side of her face, the pad of his thumb stroking her chin. He looked worried, but she just smiled cockily at him. "Of course I am. Theo, please. Have I ever been wrong?"

His cracked an uneasy smile. "Now is the right time?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him to her. "Now is perfect."

XxXxX

Daphne's eyes fluttered open, sunlight hitting her like a ton of rocks. She rolled over, putting her hand over her face. She felt the cool silver band of her wedding ring against her forehead, and she broke out into a smile. She patted the still warm spot next to her, surprised to find Theo wasn't there. Usually she was the early riser and had to pull him out of bed.

She rolled back onto her side and looked around the little hotel room. Their clothes were everywhere, even her black lace bra was hanging from the ceiling fan. She had no idea how it got there, but it was staring down at her. She was too lazy to stand up and remove it, so she ignored it.

Holding the sheet to her chest and wrapping the other end around herself, she stood and walked towards the open window. The curtains were billowing in the breeze, and as she pulled them back, a flood of sunlight poured in the room. She could hear the sounds of the townsfolk getting ready to open their shops, and feeling daring, she stepped out onto the balcony.

She smiled as the late summer sun hit her bare skin. She closed her eyes and let her head fall to the side, recalling last night's events.

They had gotten married in a little chapel at midnight. She had worn a pale yellow, strapless, knee length dress and he had dressed up in a suit. They'd stood under a circle of candles, reciting their vows and at the end, he carried her out of the chapel. They'd gone back to the beach with a couple candles and a bottle of wine. She had put the candles in the sand, lighting them while he popped open the wine. They had forgotten glasses, so they took turns drinking straight out of the bottle. No moon had come out, instead millions of stars twinkled in the sky as they sat in the sand, completely wrapped up in each other.

They hadn't gotten back to the room until three, and they were both slightly intoxicated. Theo had carried her through the threshold and tossed her onto the bed. The rest, well, let's just say it was the best sex Daphne had ever had.

She turned around and walked back into the room, picking some clothes out of her suitcase and dropping the sheet. When she turned around again, she jumped when she saw Theo standing in the doorway.

He was watching her, and she felt herself blush under his gaze. Any other guy wouldn't make her feel that way, but all he had to do was look her way and she became self-conscious. "Good morning, Mrs. Nott," he said after a few moments. He was looking into her eyes, and he smiled nervously.

"Good morning," she repeated, setting her clothes on the bed and walking over to him. She slid her arms up his arms and around his shoulders before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Mr. Nott."

"I told your father about what we did."

Daphne's smile froze on her lips. "Oh Merlin. What did he say?"

Theo toyed with the ends of her hair, watching as it slipped effortlessly through his fingers. "Are you kidding, he told me to elope with you two days after we got engaged."

Her eyes widened. "Daddy said that?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "He almost threatened to kill me if I didn't find you. I wrote him to say I'd need a few more days before I brought you home because I hadn't found you."

"Now why-- Oh." And it dawned on her. "Well, we better start making good use of the time, now shouldn't we?"