The Beach
Chapter One
"....and so, there I was, covered in blood, which I don't even know if it was mine or not, and he started to smoke at the ears, and I took a deep breath and lunged at him...."
Hermione sighed, and snuggled herself deeper into her towel.
Ron had told this story to everyone how many times now?
And how many revisions had there been?
She began to listen again to resume the counting.
"....and then, after I had chopped his head off," (six) "I ran over to her, breathless and still covered in blood, and she grabbed me," (seven) "and kissed me. I mean, really kissed me!" (eight...) Ron sighed dreamily, "Boy, was she ever something. I mean, me all covered in blood and she didn't care! Most girls would just say that was gross, but no! She just grabbed me and kissed me...."
Hermione exchanged a look with Harry, who was sitting across from her, and was obviously also trying to cover his amusement at Ron's vivid imagination.
"So," said Hermione, stretching her legs out on the Mexican Blanket, "what do you say we go for a swim? I mean, we didn't come here just to talk, did we?"
Harry nodded in agreement, and looked at Ron, who looked slightly put out.
"Yeah, yeah sure." he said reluctantly, and started to get up.
Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil sat up in quick synchronisation and held out there hands hungrily to help Ron up.
Hermione could see him glowing in his mind as he smiled at the two girls offering their hands.
"No thanks, ladies. I can get up on my own..." he grinned as he stood up quickly, and they stared dreamily at him.
Then he clutched his head for a moment, and his eyes slid out of focus for a moment.
Then he stood still, and shook his head.
Hermione stifled a giggle, "Get up too fast there, hero?"
Ron glared at her for a moment, then turned to Harry.
"Let's try out the waves, eh?"
Harry nodded and waved at Hermione to come.
She went red in the face.
She'd forgotten about...
Her new bathing suit...
Oh, this should be quite interesting...
Hermione started giggling profusely as she stared at herself in the mirror.
Parvati and Lavender just looked in awe.
"What....wow. That suit is so cute! You have to get it, Hermione!" Lavender finally breathed.
Hermione looked at herself from every angle in the mirror.
It did suit her...
Her body.
But did it suit her personality was another...
The suit was a pale pink, two piece and very revealing. Lavender had picked it out for herself, but it "hadn't looked quite right".
Just then, she saw a male figure in the mirror behind her.
An openmouthed, very good looking male figure.
Once he realized he'd been caught, he went red in the face and ducked out of the Witch Shop before Hermione could even blush.
After that, she decided, who cares about my personality....this is getting me places...
She smiled to herself and went back into the change room to get back into her robes.
She changed and got out, pulling out six Galleons, smiling brightly at her amazed roommates.
Ron stared at her.
"Come on," he said impatiently.
"Ok," Hermione rolled her eyes self consciously, and quickly, avoiding everyone's gazes, pulled off her white cover-up shirt.
She didn't look up as she walked quickly over to her two friends, and didn't until she heard a spluttering noise once she was beside them.
She looked up.
It was Ron.
"Oh, uh...um...Hermione....yeah. Let's...let's go in." he stammered, and Hermione turned to see Harry trying to recover from a pitch red face.
"Yeah."
Hermione rolled her eyes again, but was thinking in her brain, Was I just checked out by my two best friends? Why else would they be red in the face like that....!
She stepped tentatively into the water, and her eyes widened when she felt how warm it was.
"Wow, if this were any warmer, it would be a bath!" she exclaimed, and immediately splashed further into the water.
Harry followed her, all expression free from his face.
But Ron stood by the water's edge, his face stuck in a position of horror.
"What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked concernedly.
"C-c-cold." he chattered, wrapping his arms around himself.
Hermione laughed freely.
"Yeah, sure Ron. Good one."
Ron glared at her again, and stomped up to where Lavender and Parvati lay, tanning, on the beach.
"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked Harry, turning to him with a look of utter disbelief on her face.
Harry shrugged, grinning.
Hermione eyed him for a moment, then rose out of the water, arms crossed.
"You know something I don't, don't you?"
"Yup." he grinned, "but don't feel so bad. He doesn't know either."
"Who doesn't know either?"
"Ron."
"Tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me what you know that I, we don't."
"Nope, that's your business."
"What!?"
Harry laughed.
"You are so easy to mess with."
Hermione giggled, then assumed the serious face again.
"No, Harry...really! Tell me!"
"Nope."
"YES!"
"No."
"Harry!"
"No."
Hermione sighed, annoyed.
Why were boys so annoying?