And all the ways, I got to know
Your pretty face and electric soul
Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

Peering through the window, Hermione found herself wishing she was outside – or more accurately, anywhere but working in the small shop filled with racks of brightly coloured t-shirts, keychains, mugs, and other assorted bits of overpriced advertising.

Mostly, she wished she wasn't wearing her scratchy red uniform polo.

Maybe staying in California had been a mistake after all. She hadn't imagined her job to be so boring. Surely full O's across the board in her NEWTs merited better than this. At least something less mindless.

"Some help here?" a voice drawled, and she spun on the spot, eyes wide. She could feel a flush creeping up her neck as she took in Malfoy, leaning against the front counter, his eyes on her. His lips twitched when she rolled her eyes. "How have your first few days gone?"

"Fine." Hermione twisted her mouth to the side, keeping an eye out for her supervisor, a man in his late twenties with a thick beard and a superiority complex. "Boring, to be honest."

Malfoy's eyes swept the merchandise she was peddling in poor conscience with a hint of disdain pulling his mouth. "I can imagine." Then he took a step closer, folding his arms. "We're going to the beach tomorrow – do you have to work?"

"No," she said, adding under her breath, "thank Merlin."

Surreptitiously, she took in Malfoy's appearance. His headset was wrapped around his neck as usual, and he wore a black t-shirt and light jeans. Swallowing, she forced herself to look away from the way the sleeves of his shirt hugged the lean muscles of his arms.

"Great," he quipped. "I'll give you another lesson."

Hermione brightened for what felt like the first time all day. "That would be excellent."

"I'll pick you up at seven-thirty?" His brows were high on his forehead. "I'd say just go with Lisa but she'll probably be with Mikhael."

With a hesitant nod, she glanced around the shop once more to be sure her inattentiveness wasn't being noted. "Right. Are they –" She waved a hand.

Malfoy snorted. "Sleeping together? They don't really talk about it, but yes. Everyone knows anyways."

Cheeks warm, Hermione instantly wished she hadn't brought up the topic. She wondered exactly how she and Malfoy had reached the point where sex was a point of casual conversation. She muttered, "Of course."

"So, you know…" His lips pulled into a slow smirk. "You might not want to forget how to cast a Silencing Charm."

She choked on her own saliva, and he released a bark of laughter. Shaking his head, he stepped away, flicking through a rack of tie-dye shirts plastered with a large emblem of the park. Holding one up in front of his chest, he quirked a questioning brow.

"Definitely." Hermione gave him a nod, a smile teasing her lips. "Rainbow is your colour."

With a grin, he replaced the shirt on the rack, just as Hermione's supervisor returned from the back room. Malfoy gave the man a cool assessment, the skin around his eyes tightening, before offering a cursory nod to the man and a muttered, "Tomorrow," to her.

Quietly, she returned, "See you then."

Malfoy stared at her a moment longer as he backed towards the entrance, a secretive smile on his lips. Then he said, "Nice fucking polo, by the way."

He ducked out before she could fire a retort.

Excitement swept through Hermione when Malfoy's Jeep pulled up out front of the house the following morning at twenty past seven. She had almost convinced herself she was looking forward to improving at surfing – but when he stepped out of the vehicle, hair swept back and dark sunglasses on, the fluttering in her stomach suggested otherwise.

Despite everything else, he was still Malfoy – and whether he was attractive or not, she had no right to be thinking these sorts of thoughts. He arranged her things into the backseat before jumping back in, and frowning, she slipped into the passenger side with a quick, "Hello."

He considered her over the top of his glasses for a long moment, his expression stoic and unreadable, before pulling out into the road, gaze fixed on the traffic ahead of him without a word.

As they were nearing the beach, Malfoy finally spoke. "Mikhael can't make it until later, so Lisa decided not to come either, since I'm still teaching you."

"Oh." Feeling awkward, Hermione pressed her lips into a grimace. "You can go with her, if you prefer."

He gave a casual shrug. "I already made plans with you."

There was something in his tone that filled her with heat and she nodded, attempting to ignore the feeling. His friends felt like a buffer of sorts, but now knowing it would be just the two of them, she felt a tingle of nerves in her chest.

"Besides." His mouth pulled into a smirk as his gaze landed on her for a brief moment. "It's so much fun watching you fall again and again."

Eyes narrowed, Hermione scowled at him, but his words were teasing and she felt the ire deflate almost instantly, to be replaced once more with a hesitancy to spend the day with Malfoy alone.

Which was ironic, because she had originally been expecting that exact scenario when he had first invited her to the beach.

"What?" Malfoy's cold drawl pulled her back to the present; he parked the car at the beach, and turned to stare at her. "You look like I've just killed your great beast of a cat." Then he hesitated, jaw clenching. "What ever happened to that cat, anyways?"

Surprised, Hermione blinked at him. "He went to stay with the neighbours across the street when I left with Harry and Ron. How did you even know about my cat?"

Rolling his eyes, Malfoy let himself out of the vehicle and began untying the surfboards. "Who didn't know about that cat? Honestly, Granger, your presence at Hogwarts was a little difficult to miss."

Hermione sniggered. "Says you, the most conceited, self-absorbed boy in school."

He fixed her with a long stare, the skin around his eyes tight; she wondered whether she had struck a nerve. But he rolled out his shoulders, and said, "We all had to grow up, didn't we? Come on, give me a hand with this."

Quietly, she murmured, "I suppose we did." His grey eyes met hers for a moment before she looked away, hauling the top board free.

The wetsuit she had borrowed the time before was folded carefully in the back of his Jeep, and Hermione pulled it out. "Whose is this, anyway?"

His eyes widened as he shook his head in a facetious sort of way. "Mikhael's ex-girlfriend. We don't mention her."

Chuckling, she said, "Noted." Without thinking, Hermione stepped out of her shorts, and tugged her top over her head, leaving her in just her swimsuit; it wasn't until she was partially into the wetsuit that she noticed Malfoy standing awkwardly beside the Jeep, his gaze lingering halfway on her, before he turned away.

Feeling a flush creep into her cheeks, Hermione wrung her hands as his throat bobbed and he started fidgeting with his own suit. She couldn't keep her gaze from sweeping the smooth muscle of his back, eyes tightening at the slashing scar tissue visible.

But he zipped himself up before she could look any closer, and his eyes flashed as he turned back to face her, where she was still shifting and tugging at the tight material. His lips drew up into a slow smirk as he stowed their bags in the car. "Do you need a hand?"

"No." Her voice came out oddly high-pitched as she managed to get herself into the suit, reaching back for the zipper pull. Her flush darkened as she wound up flailing a hand behind her for the pull, unable to find it.

"Fuck, Granger," he barked a laugh, sweeping his hair out of his face. "You're going to break something."

He walked around her, and Hermione was hyper-aware of his presence; she could feel the heat emanating from his body as he swatted her hand out of the way and pulled the closure shut. She thought his fingers hesitated against the back of her neck for a moment, but then he swept away, slinging his surfboard up to his side and making for the beach without her.

Unsettled by his abrupt departure, Hermione collected her board and chased after him.

"So," Malfoy prompted, sweeping his wet fringe back, "as you improve, you're going to get better at reading the surf, how and where the waves break, and when to paddle out. Make sense?"

Processing his words, Hermione gave a stuttering nod. "Got it."

He'd been giving her a more technical lesson than the last time, and Hermione found her brain spinning as she attempted to comprehend all of the small nuances he'd been explaining.

Her eyes kept drifting further out towards the fishing pier, where surfers caught and rode massive waves with practiced ease.

"And this is important –" her eyes snapped back to meet his narrowed grey ones "– stop bloody watching everyone else. You don't know how long most of them have been surfing. This is your second time, stop comparing."

Feeling chastised, Hermione nodded again, panting slightly as she tread water, holding tight to her board. But she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Can you do that?"

His eyes flickered out. "Yes."

"How long did it take?"

"Months." He shrugged. "This isn't an easy sport, Granger. Swells are powerful, and they can be unpredictable. A nasty wave can take down even the most experienced, careful rider. Which is why we're learning all this. Yeah?"

"Yeah," she muttered, refocusing. "It makes sense."

He nodded out into the incoming waves. "I want you to try and catch one of those green reforms coming in."

Swallowing the lump of nerves in her throat, Hermione gave a nod.

"And just remember everything you've learned." His expression tightened for a moment. "I'll keep close by in case anything happens."

Running through her mental list, Hermione clambered atop her surfboard, preparing herself to begin an approach into the waves. Malfoy gave her a thumbs up with a hint of a smirk when she looked back at him, and feeling a smile of her own pull at her mouth, she began to paddle out.

It went about as well as most of her attempts had gone – and Hermione felt herself pulled beneath the waves as the swell toppled across her. Choking on a large mouthful of seawater, she struggled with a shortage of breath as she fought to break the surface.

Panic swept through her when she realized she was deeper down than she'd expected, and she reached out, her eyes blurry and stinging as she focused on the bright spot of sunlight above her.

An arm belted around her waist from behind, and Hermione felt herself yanked from beneath the waves. Coughing out water from her lungs, she swiped at her eyes, gasping desperately for breath as her board floated up, still attached to her by its leash.

Drifting alongside his own board, Malfoy eyed her, his expression hesitant, shoulders tense. His hands lingered on her arms before he released her. "You're okay."

She wasn't certain whether he was telling her or asking, but she managed a rough nod, eyes watering from a combination of saltwater and fear-induced adrenaline.

Sweeping his eyes over her face, Malfoy assessed her with a blank expression. "Do you want to take a break?"

Considering the thought for a moment, Hermione shook her head. "No. I want to figure this out."

"Atta girl," he muttered, a glint in his eye that set her heart racing.

It took more attempts than she could recall, but Hermione knew she would never forget the moment it happened. Reading the waves as they broke, she began to paddle out, gaze fixed ahead of her.

Then at the moment he'd taught her, Hermione lifted into her take-off, feeling anticipation mingle with nerves when she realized she was still standing, chasing down the green swell – and when she emerged on the other side, something leapt in her chest she had never expected.

And the slow, crooked grin that spread across Malfoy's face as he watched her – that was something she hadn't expected either.

She paddled back over, elation flowing through her, a smile wide on her face as she squinted at him in the brightness of the sun.

"Very good, Granger," he said, his grin softening into a teasing smirk. He nudged her in the side. "Now just do that – again."

By the time Hermione dragged herself out of the ocean, every muscle in her body felt as if it had wilted, and all she wanted to do was collapse into the sand and burrow deep, ignoring the legions of sand grains that clung to her wetsuit.

A few minutes later, Malfoy dropped down beside her with their things, slipping his dark aviators from his bag and releasing the zip on his suit. She was too tired to feel embarrassed as he shrugged his shoulders free, dragging the wet material down to his waist and she merely rolled over, staring up at the brightness of the sky.

"You did well today, Granger." His gaze flickered to her. "Better than I was expecting."

"Thanks," she puffed out on a breath. Her head rolled to face him. "You don't need to stay with me, if you'd rather actually surf. I'm sure it's frustrating for you to watch me struggle all day."

Making a face, he merely gazed out at the waves, and she thought he was going to grab his board and head back out. But then he shrugged. "Are you hungry?"

Sitting back up in the sand, she replied, "Famished."

Turning away as she peeled herself out of her suit, Hermione felt a flush creep up her neck as she avoided looking his way until they'd towelled off and dressed. As they packed up the boards on top of his vehicle, Hermione asked, "Who taught you? To surf, that is."

"Mikhael," he responded, his expression partially obscured by the dark glasses he wore. "He works at the pier, too. That's where he and I met. He runs the ferris wheel." An absent smile drifted to his face, and Hermione was struck by the way it made him look. "To be honest, he thought it was mad I didn't know how to drive, but he taught me that too."

She gaped at him for a while as he secured the boards, before turning back to her. "So I met him the second time I was at the pier? I didn't remember."

"Must have done." With a shrug, he locked the vehicle and made for the lengthy boardwalk of shops and restaurants that ran along Venice Beach. "But anyways – he's the one that introduced me to surfing, and to everyone else."

"Interesting," she mused, falling into step.

There was something both intriguing and frightening about the way she and Malfoy had slipped into a sort of rhythm in their interactions with one another – and Hermione wondered whether such a thing ever would have happened in England.

But she had been given the impression he wasn't keen to talk about much from home, and hadn't broached the subject. After all, she'd be heading back for healer training or the curse-breaking internship come the end of August, and presumably that would be the end of their newfound almost-friendship.

So there wasn't much sense in pushing any of that.

And given the way she'd been reacting to him physically, it was probably for the best.

She started in surprise as Malfoy flicked her sharply on the side of the temple with his forefinger.

"Hey," she exclaimed, rubbing at the spot with a scowl. She smacked his hand away, ignoring the amused look on his face.

"Back to the present, Granger, if you will," he quipped.

With a huff, Hermione folded her arms. But she could see, in her periphery, his grey eyes on her and she found herself unable to stay annoyed with him. Dropping her shoulder, she shoved into him, pushing him sideways from the walk.

Then carried on, smiling, as Malfoy strung a trail of curses, indignant.

The last hints of dusk hovered in the air as they paced the boardwalk once more, and Hermione glanced over as Malfoy lit up a partial joint, taking a long hit.

Head falling to the side, contemplative, she watched as he blew out the smoke.

"It surprises me," she began, "that you smoke pot. You've always been so proper."

He snorted, taking another quick drag and brandishing the roll. After a moment's consideration, she accepted the offering, her fingers brushing his.

"Look where proper got me, yeah?" he muttered, shaking his head. "A lifetime of expectations, and always blindly following what people told me to do? Nearly got me bloody killed, didn't it?"

Her eyes met his for a second before she took a drag, feeling the sharp acridity of the smoke fill her lungs and she released a cough, handing back the joint as she lifted her other hand to her mouth. Malfoy snickered.

"I hear you, but it feels different," Hermione mused, in control of herself once more. "I mean, it has no bearing on your life in that capacity."

Malfoy waved the hand holding the joint, a wispy trail of smoke following it in the darkening sky. "Look around you. You're on fucking Venice Beach. When in Rome, Granger."

With a laugh, she conceded, "Fair enough."

"I don't know," he went on, his eyes fluttering shut as he sighed heavily. "Maybe I was tired of expectations. Maybe I like the way it makes me feel. Maybe I just want to live my life on my own terms, for once."

His words resonated deeper than Hermione expected as she accepted the joint, taking an easier drag than the last.

He eyed her. "Why are you smoking with me? You and I both know you aren't the type. Weren't the type."

With a shrug, her lips twisted to the side. "Maybe I get it. Everything you just said."

Malfoy drawled, "I guess you would." He waved a hand again. "But don't try this on Santa Monica beach. Things are more lax in Venice."

"Noted."

Hermione fell silent as they walked, feeling a warmth sweep through her veins, and she found herself giggling as she glanced sidelong at him. His blond fringe hung in his eyes, grey stare lidded as he cocked a brow at her.

"What?" he murmured, a smirk playing at his lips as he put out what remained of the joint and tucked the roach back in his wallet.

Smiling, she peered up at the night sky. "This feels weird. You and I, here. It doesn't really make sense."

"So fucking weird," he agreed, and Hermione laughed again, the sound bright between them. He chuckled as well, his arm brushing against hers as they walked. "But it's fine. Something about it – it's fine."

She turned to face him, flashing a hesitant smile. "Yeah, it's fine."

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're continuing to enjoy this little story - let me know what you thought of the chapter! Since a couple of people have asked, I currently have 15 chapters written, with the expectation this story will land around 17-19!

Thanks to Kyonomiko and LadyKenz347 for alpha-reading, and to I was BOTWP for beta-reading.