Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Harry Potter.
"I changed my mind, this is stupid." Ron grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Too late." Hermione admonished him as she walked up to the young woman waiting for them at the entrance of the cave.
"Hi there! I'm Darla and I'll be your instructor here at wizarding Australia's mermaid cove!" She said in a disgustingly bubbly voice. Ron snorted and Hermione stepped on his foot. He winced and glared at her but Darla was too busy effervescently describing the experience to notice.
They found out that they would be transfigured for a period of one hour only, as it was dangerous to breathe underwater for too long as a human. Their entire body would change, not just their legs like they had assumed, and they would be able to breathe on both land and water. They were allowed to stray further out into the ocean, but they had to be careful of sharks, especially since they were only allowed to use their wands for emergencies as it would undo the transfiguration.
Hermione bent over the coral table and squinted. The light in the grey cave was not very good. She finally found the dotted line and promptly signed her name on the waiver. Ron followed with much trepidation. She rolled her eyes at his expression and turned back to Darla, who had her wand out and pointed at Hermione.
She quelled the short spike of adrenaline that encompassed her body as she had turned around to see someone with a wand on her, and walked calmly closer. Darla murmured some Latin phrases that Hermione for once didn't force her brain to try and understand. She gasped at the sensation which wasn't unlike Polyjuice potion, as her body transformed. Darla grabbed her upper arm and dragged her to sit down at the wide ledge of the cove so that she wouldn't fall over when her fins appeared.
She examined her body. She was wearing a hot pink bikini top that was covered in very becoming ruffles. She watched as bright yellow sparkling magic surrounded her legs and bound them into a tail. This was also hot pink and Hermione was extremely disconcerted by the feeling of it.
Her legs were not encased by the tail, as she had expected, but were absolutely gone. In their place was a thick, scaly, tail. It moved when she twitched it experimentally, and she could feel muscles rippling down it. Darla pulled Hermione's hair out of its ponytail and it fell down her back in a waterfall of curls. She turned to look back at Ron, flipping her fins, and found him gaping at her. She sent him a playful smile and splashed him with water. He eagerly stepped up to Darla, who smirked although she tried to pretend that she wasn't.
First was the body and though Hermione saw no change in him, she knew he felt slightly off-kilter, as she had. Then he was sitting beside her and she watched as his legs disappeared. She gasped aloud at the sight of him and he grinned through his shock.
He had a deep blue merman tail. It began flesh coloured to match his lower stomach, and gradually became a darker shade of blue down its length. Hermione blushed violently, staring at him openly. It suddenly seemed obscene for him to even be in public, that was how attractive he was.
He ran a hand carelessly through his still short red hair, and Hermione couldn't help but notice his bicep bulge slightly as he did so. She bit her lip as his eyes met hers and shivered as the arrogance melted away from him to be replaced with a deeper emotion that literally took Hermione's breath away.
"That's normal." Darla called from behind them. "Just breathe through it." Hermione wanted to tell her that she was affected by Ron and not by suddenly becoming a Mermaid, but her gasping had turned into something deeper than attraction and she realized she could barely breathe. "I would suggest getting in the water." Their instructor informed them and Hermione shared a skeptical look with Ron. She shrugged her shoulders and dove gracefully into the water.
She attempted to hold her breath, but the sensation of the water was too much for her and she found she couldn't. Thankfully, she could now breathe underwater or else she would have surely drowned. She had never felt anything like this. The water was not simply pressing against her, she was the water and it was her. All of her senses were heightened by at least a thousand and she could feel every gentle tug of the current, where every fish and aquatic animal was.
She spread her arms and breathed in the smells of under the sea. It was heavenly and laden with salt, though this wasn't unpleasant. She marveled at her senses, tasting the water as she smelt it in a way she never would be able to again; seeing, hearing, and feeling so many things at once.
There was a large disturbance behind her and she knew without turning around that it was Ron. He still smelt a little like himself, though this was muted by the water. It was incredibly faint, and if it weren't for her mermaid senses she never would have been able to sense him, but she could smell that hint of familiarity.
She let him float and get his bearings for a second, and then she shot off away from him. He growled under the water which sounded ridiculous, and swam after her. She turned sharply to her right as he caught up with her and they swam circles around each other.
She burst from the water into the air as she had seen wales do, and laughed with delight before she gracefully dove back into the water. He followed her and their dives criss-crossed each other. She descended and he grabbed her quickly, pressing her to him.
She turned easily in his arms to face him and kissed him soundly, somehow managing to stay upright. She couldn't be sure of how long they stayed like that, but it felt like a very long time. She was delighted, and very much in love. She hadn't felt so many good feelings in much too long.
He pulled away, but didn't move his arms. She rested hers on his shoulders and embraced him under the water. "This is nice." She mumbled, her voice coming out slightly higher pitched.
He fought the smile trying to cover his face but couldn't and she smacked him in the shoulder, sending ripples out from them. She swam away from him and into a grotto and she beamed to herself, feeling very much like her second favourite Disney Princess.
To Ron's extreme shock, she began to sing and twirl around, swimming up into the very top of the grotto. He watched with a strange smile on his face that he only used with her. She found herself soften at the sight of it and she smiled tenderly back at him, sure her heart would burst.
Suddenly, there was a loud whistling sound that called them back and Hermione frowned, not wanting to become a human again. Ron grabbed her hand and together they swam back to the cove. Hermione found that her tail was not tired or sore, and wondered if Darla had specifically made it extremely muscular. Maybe merperson tails were just naturally that strong.
They emerged back into the ledge of the cove to Darla's grinning face. They sat on the top of the ledge while she muttered the countercharms. It was like she was putting bubble wrap over Hermione's senses. Ironically, it sort of felt like she was in a fishbowl. Her eyesight worsened as did her hearing, and the world became muffled.
"That'll wear off in about ten minutes." Darla assured her, and Hermione had a feeling she was shouting so they could hear her. Hermione's tail unravelled back into her legs and she felt much too light. Darla left them to gather themselves. Ron stood, wobbled on his legs, but stayed upright. He looked over at Hermione proudly who giggled. His expression turned affronted which did nothing to lessen her mirth.
She stood up and discovered her bottom half was much, much lighter than she had anticipated. She reeled at the feeling and panicked slightly, falling into Ron. He had achieved a very treacherous state of balance, and he fell onto his back at the contact. She gasped as she lay on top of him, winded.
He groaned but put his arms around her waist as if on instinct to shield her from the fall. "Whoops." She said and he rolled his eyes in exasperated amusement. She tried to push herself off of him, resisting the urge to kiss him, but he was having none of it. He held her captive and met her lips with his.
She had been worried that the kiss would be terrible compared to the one they had shared in the ocean, but she was elatedly swept off her feet just as well on land. She gasped as they pulled apart and he winked at her, letting her get up.
She marveled at how much of a man he had become in body and attitude and wondered at his change in personality. But she knew that people were never the same as they were as teenagers, even when they hadn't gone through a war. She wondered casually to herself if this was how women in the olden days had felt, barely eighteen but definitely a woman.
She stood carefully and balanced herself, sighing in relief as she found she could walk normally again. She extended a hand to Ron and grunted at the effort pulling him up took.
"So that was a lot more fun than I thought it would be." He exclaimed.
"Mhmm." She agreed contentedly. "I can only hope I'll feel the same about parasailing." She said somewhat off-hand, and yet not. She wasn't exactly scared of heights, but she preferred to avoid them. However, she had also ridden a broom recently, she tried not to think of that horrific scene which had everything to do with the battle and war and nothing to do with the actual act of riding a broom, as well as a Hippogriff and a Thestral.
He just grinned. "Well it certainly won't be as hot as being Merpeople was." He winked at her and she was mortified at the fact that she definitely blushed. His grin turned wicked in acknowledgement.
"When are we parasailing, again?" She knew that he knew she was fully aware it was tomorrow, but she hoped he wouldn't call her on it, allowing her a way out.
He gave her quite a look, but she continued to look as innocent as possible and he dropped it. "Tomorrow. As is the Opera." He frowned in distaste and she grinned.
"I won't fault you if you fall asleep. But I rather think you'll like it. Plus…" She drew out a silence and his eyes snapped to hers as he tilted his head slightly. "I bought a new dress for the occasion." His eyebrows rose.
"Is that so?" She couldn't quite ignore the huskiness in his tone so she didn't mask the similar emotion she was sure shone in her eyes, and she watched in delight as his pupils widened.
They didn't make it to dinner, instead ordering room service. Hermione lay on her back, very much comfortable and at ease. She was wearing a new silk nightgown and she loved the way it felt across her legs. Ron's breathing had evened to deep breaths but he wasn't yet snoring, and she was utterly at peace, there in the dark. Until she gained enough of her faculties to think, and then her brain decided to torment her.
Then she felt heart wrenching guilt. How could she feel remotely good when they had lost so many friends and family, while the rest of her family was either home in London suffering through grief or hating her here in Australia. She tried to think of an old memory, or a fantasy or even school, to occupy her mind, but it was to no avail. So, instead she thought about Lavender Brown and how she hoped they could continue their friendship when she got back. This in turn lead to thoughts about other former D.A. members; it had not escaped her notice how close Dean and Seamus had become. A wash of guilt ran through her as she thought of Luna. Hermione hadn't talked to her or even tried to do so since May.
She let herself fall asleep finally, by planning a reunion between all of them. She felt they ought to have monthly reunions. She smiled sleepily, her mind too far gone to sleep to continue her thoughts.
She was awoken gradually. Something was off, though she didn't know what. She opened her eyes slowly and found the world to still be dark. Other guests, maybe? Ron had stopped snoring. That was probably it, and they'd woken him too. She closed her eyes.
And then abruptly forced them open again. No, that wasn't it. It sounded crazy, but it was as if she could feel that something was wrong with Ron by the very air surrounding him. She wondered briefly to herself if auras were real and made a mental note to research that when back home.
She knew that he knew she was awake, but he wasn't saying anything. She lay there breathing quietly into the silence for a while, unsure if she should comfort him or not.
"Ron?" She whispered tentatively. This seemed to be a catalyst.
"I'm fine." He said harshly, swinging himself out of bed and stalking out onto the balcony. Hermione's eyebrows shot up her forehead in concern and slight affront at his tone, but she did not follow him.
She sat up in the dark, watching his shadow pace outside. What time even was it? She located her watch and found it to be just after four in the morning. She sat there hesitantly. Clearly, he didn't want company, but maybe he did. Blast it, she had no idea what to do.
She pulled on a robe, as the room had become slightly cool as the night air wafted in. She found him with his hands clenching the railing as he stared out in front of him. His entire body seemed to be taut.
"Ron?" She whispered. He let out a sigh and turned to her. She was shocked to discover that he was crying. Her eyes widened for the briefest of moments before she went to him and put her arms around him. He leaned into the embrace and when his arms came around her, she found they were shaking. She hugged him tighter. "Are you alright?" She asked softly.
"No." He replied, just as quietly. "Some days I am, but other days I'm just…not." She nodded, understanding. "And then I'll wake up slowly and I won't remember and then it'll come back to me that he's dead. That he'll never tease me again. And I know, there were things about him that I didn't like, but damn it all if I don't wish he could prank me one last time."
She said nothing, for there was nothing that she could say. He pulled away and rubbed furiously at his eyes. "I'm so sick of being sad. Of grieving. I wish I could stop."
She frowned though not in reprimand. "But what is grief, but love persevering?" She said, so softly she thought he hadn't heard. His head shot up.
"Love persevering." He murmured.
"Something my mother said to me when my Grandmother passed when I was little. That sentiment is the only thing that keeps me from falling apart sometimes. It's," she paused, searching for the word. "Comforting." Her eyes met his and she saw some of the torture leave them.
"I like that." He said, almost inaudibly.
Unable to help herself, she lifted a hand to his cheek. His eyes were unbelievably blue in the moonlight, and sad. He gave her a smile at the touch and placed his hand on top of hers.
"I love you." He murmured. She smiled.
"I love you too."
"Go back to bed." He said softly. "I'll be there in a minute." She regarded him for a moment before nodding once. She kissed him on the cheek and went back in to sleep. She couldn't nod off though, and continued to stare at his shadow through the curtains. After what must have been at least half an hour, he eased himself back into bed. His arms snaked around her waist and she let out a silent sigh at the comfort, finally allowing herself to fall back to sleep.
The next morning dawned much too early, Hermione's body felt decidedly unrested as she groaned at the light seeping through the cracks of the curtain. Stupid, useless hotel blinds. She fumed silently to herself. After a very grumpy breakfast (both of them were tired and not in favourable moods) they apparated to a desolate area near where they would be paragliding. Her anger was forgotten as she felt apprehension creep up on her. She was going to have to jump off of a cliff with muggle wings strapped to her back.
Their instructors were once again way too chatty and upbeat for so early in the morning, though Hermione found it easy to ignore them behind her nerves. She forced herself to listen to the important parts, however, as she didn't wish to fall to her death. She had been practicing the cushioning charm without her wand in case she failed to reach it in time, but she had never tried it in a high stake's situation. Much too soon, their instructors declared them fit to fly. Ron looked exhilarated. She felt sick.
"All ya gotta do is throw yourself off the cliff." Robbie, their trainer, said much too brightly. She stepped up to the cliff, her toes right along the edge. She looked down. There was no way she could do this. She could not throw herself off.
"Scared?" Ron teased and she stuck her tongue out at him, but her heart wasn't in it. "And here I thought you were a Gryffindor."
She glared at him, knowing exactly what he was doing. And damn him, it had worked. She snarled something tremendously uncomplimentary at him and then flung herself off the ledge. Her stomach dropped and she thought she might throw up or pass out, but there was no plummet to her dive. Her wings had held true and she was gliding through the air over the ocean. She heard Ron whoop in delight as he zoomed by her, doing a twirl in the air. Just the sight of it made her dizzy and she followed him at a much-decreased speed. She had a feeling he was using magic to go faster than they were supposed to.
But, she had to admit that this had become almost, well, lovely. It was peaceful and the view was incredible. She was flying! Not on a broom, but real flying. She remembered that some wizards could fly, her mind traitorously turning to the memory of Voldemort flying through the air. She remembered suddenly that Professor Snape had also been able to do so, and wondered if Minerva would allow him to ask his portrait how to do it.
She almost slammed into Ron who had slowed down to take in the ocean which now surrounded them on all sides. She let out a breath she hadn't been aware she had been holding and felt only calm. Ron ceased to exist, she ceased to exist, as she took in the vast beauty that was the ocean. She had never written poetry in her life, but she suddenly had the urge to wax on about the sheer gloriousness of the ocean spreading out in every direction for farther than she could see. It was wonderfully jarring, to feel so insignificant. They flew gently in circles to take this in, not speaking, and then they began the journey back to land.
Hermione was actually sorry that it was over when she landed, and she thought to herself that she might just be able to handle a broom now. It seemed much sturdier than flinging herself off of a cliff with nothing but man-made wings on her back, she pondered as she later put lipstick on in the hotel mirror.
It was a dull red that paired quite well with her extremely elegant black dress. Too vivid a shade would have taken the focus off of the expensive and elegant evening dress she had bought herself. It had three quarter length lace sleeves and a Princess scoop neck. The lace on her arms was much more sheer than that on her bosom and upper midsection. It was an A-frame dress, so there was a line where the two fabrics met on her upper torso, and then the dress draped in tulle rivulets. She had pinned her hair up into a bun and donned a pair of earrings her parents had given her when she had turned sixteen.
Ron emerged in a charming black suit and offered her his arm. "You look a Princess." She beamed at the compliment.
"And you look…well not a Prince but maybe a Duke or an Earl." He shook his head good-naturedly as he escorted her down the stairs and into their carriage, yes carriage. It had been part of the package they had paid for, which had cost an obscene amount. Hermione had protested vehemently, but Ron showed her how much they both still had and she had agreed. She wondered vaguely if they were as wealthy as all of the old money pureblood families. She'd have to ask Harry.
They were seeing Die Zauberflöte, or the The Magic Flute and Hermione was very excited. She had heard a lot about this opera, but she was just extremely excited to see any opera at all, and especially in the famed Sydney Opera House. To her amusement, Ron did not fall asleep, though she knew at times he was bored, and she found it quite fantastical and was hooked on every word. She did fall asleep in the carriage ride, however, and knew nothing until she awoke the next morning in her earrings and one of Ron's t-shirts.