6 - Temptation
The next morning, Hermione returned to her own hotel room. Her stomach was filled with butterflies, and her heart was pounding. She didn't know what to think, but what happened next was what she least expected.
Tentatively, she opened the door with her key, and stepped inside. Ron was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands. He looked up as he heard Hermione come in, and jumped to his feet. Ron rushed towards her, his expression remorseful.
"Hermione, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I was such a bastard to you; all you deserve is love and tenderness. I'm not good enough for you Hermione, I don't deserve someone so clever and beautiful, so…you."
Hermione sat down on the bed, thinking quickly. "Thank you, Ron. That means more to me than you can ever know. But I can't forgive you just like that. You really scared me, you know that, don't you?"
Ron bowed his head, looking terribly ashamed.
"But we can re-build this. It'll just take time," she continued. Hermione looked deep into Ron's eyes, and saw how full of pain they were. "Oh don't look like that!" she cried, cradling him to her cheek. Ron turned his face towards hers, and brushed his lips against hers. Hermione responded, and she felt the warmth flood into her.
They were immersed in the kiss, the whole world a separate dimension from their two bodies locked together in passion, and when they heard the door open, they jumped apart guiltily.
It was Cho.
"Cho, where the hell have you been?" roared Ron angrily.
Hermione looked at his face, contorted with tension. "Ron, Ron, what is it? What has she done?" she said, softly but urgently.
"Cho disappeared last night, and she didn't come back - until now. Harry's been going crazy with worry." Ron spoke to Hermione, but kept his gaze level with Cho's arrogant smirk.
"I'm sure he coped without me," she drawled. "He's a big boy."
Ron's face twisted with fury on behalf of his best friend, and Hermione's heart sank faster than the Titanic. She realised she knew where Cho had gone last night. When she had been about to go into Collette and Sherry's room, she heard high pitched giggling coming from the end of the corridor, and saw a girl swinging her black hair, as she walked into a room with a boy. She had toyed with the idea at the time that it could have been Cho, but had scolded herself for fantasizing, and watching too many television soap operas.
Hermione looked straight at Cho. She had a new kind of confidence; she practically glowed. Hermione did not have to be the world's greatest expert on love to now that Cho had not got that kind of inner radiance from over-indulging on chocolate. Cho Chang had spent the night with another boy.
At the worst possible moment, Harry walked in. He opened his mouth to say something to Ron, then he saw Cho from the corner of his eye.
Unlike Ron's reaction, Harry was all smiles.
"Cho!" he cried, and swept her off her feet in a hug. Planting a kiss on her cheek, he asked, "Where were you last night? I was getting a bit worried."
Cho, oozing confidence, twirled petulantly, and returned Harry's look with a dazzling million-dollar smile.
"Me and Lydia went to a club - it was so late when we got back that I went to her room, and slept in the spare bed, because I didn't want to barge in and wake everyone up."
Hermione inwardly snorted. There were so many holes in that story that it fell apart as soon as it was told. Lydia was a Hufflepuff girl in Cho's year, and one of the most boring girls at Hogwarts. Cho would never deign to speak to such a nobody, let alone go clubbing with her. Besides, Lydia's idea of a fun night was to create some new Arithmancy equations, and test them out, she would hate clubbing. The icing on the cake was that Lydia and her friend were in a two-bed room, there was no such spare bed. Hermione waited for Harry to push her away, and accuse her of lying, but to her astonishment - and revulsion, Harry hugged her again, and told Cho to let him know where she was next time.
Hermione and Ron exchanged glances, and Ron made a mental note to talk to Harry later.
They went down to breakfast, where Hermione met Collette and Sherry.
"Hi guys," she greeted them, and Sherry burst into high-pitched laughter, that caused everyone in the dining hall to turn and glance at her.
"WHAT?" said Hermione.
"Must be my American influence, honey!" shrieked Sherry, in hysterics. "Hi guys, how USA is that!"
"Hey, English people don't speak the way you think we do. We don't all speak like the Queen."
"Stress not!" sniggered Sherry.
"What are you doing today?" asked Hermione, searching for a safer subject.
"We're just having a lazy shopping day today," replied Sherry, and Collette cut in, "And boy spotting!"
"What about you, Hermione?"
Hermione explained they were going to the Paestum Greek Temples, and after lunch, to the beach nearby.
"Have fun!"
"We'll see you tonight."
Hermione dithered over coffee or hot chocolate, and Ron fed her pieces of his croissant. Things are getting back to normal, she thought.
The Paestum Greek Temples were quite a way away, and the coach was stifling hot. Someone calculated that it was the hottest day of the year so far, and Hermione sucked ruefully at the dregs of her water bottle.
When they arrived, there was a breeze to cool them, and most people flopped on the grass to sunbathe. Even Hermione was content to look at the majestic Temples from a distance, and she lay back in Ron's arms.
Ms. Peacock sat on the grass a few yards from the group, and watched Hermione and Ron flirting with each other. She was sharp eyed, and had not missed the rift between them. She glanced at Cho and Harry, lying side by side on the grass, Cho plaiting daisies together in a chain. Ms. Peacock disliked Cho. Of course, as a teacher, she kept her feelings to herself, but now they were on holiday, her feelings of protection on Harry's behalf over-flowed. She had heard that Cho had slept with an Italian boy she had only met once before, and could only hope that Cho had been careful. Goodness knows what would happen to me if she went home pregnant, Ms. Peacock thought to herself.
Soon she stood up, and put on a cheerful face, hustling everyone to their feet, and herding them off in the direction of the Temple ruins. Moaning, people walked off half-heartedly.
Hermione felt the heat on the back of her neck. She and Ron had stolen away from the group, and were sitting in the shade - and privacy - behind an ancient granite slab.
"I love you, Hermione," said Ron.
Hermione thought for a moment. "Shh," she said, pressing a finger against his lips.
Ron turned his head away, but Hermione caught a glimpse of the pain in his eyes.
Oh hell, thought Hermione, and said quickly, "I love you too." But the damage had been done, and Ron had seen her true thoughts, though only for a fleeting second. However, he acted as though nothing had happened.
Ron smiled at her, and kissed her cheek, so lightly it felt like a flutter of gossamer butterfly wings. Hermione took his hand, and they walked off across the grass, dappled sunlight falling onto them.
Ms. Peacock found a secluded picnic spot nearby, in the midst of some woods, ascetically placed in a clearing. Everyone dug out their Lire, and paid for soft drinks and sandwiches. The hotel had had a rush of business that day, and was unable to provide lunches.
They arranged themselves on the different wooden bench-tables scattered around, and ate. Ginny sat with Hermione and Ron, Lee's arm glued to her at all times. Hermione still had reservations about whether he truly liked her, though. She turned and looked into the tensely packed trees: conifers and evergreens, great ancient oaks, and spindly saplings.
Up until that moment, they had seen little or no evidence of magical life in Italy. Sorrento was a predominantly Muggle town, their hotel being the only exclusively wizarding establishment. Most of the sites they had visited were treasured just as much by Muggles, as by witches and wizards, and so they had been mixing with Muggles all week. No one had been permitted to perform magic all week.
But in an instant, that all changed.
Ginny drained the last of her Lemon Tango, and grabbed Harry, Hermione and Ron's arms.
"I heard something," she whispered dramatically.
Behind them, Hermione heard the twins mutter something about espionage, as she dragged them into the trees.
"What? What did you hear?" asked Harry
"Nothing whatsoever. She's just got an over-active imagination," sighed Ron, speaking as though Ginny was not there.
"I did!" squealed Ginny, in response, and continued conspiringly, "It came from the trees."
Ginny disappeared into the foliage, while the others hung back.
They were turning around to head back to the group, when Ginny appeared, panting, red in the face.
"Told you!" she said triumphantly, clutching a struggling winged cat in her arms.
*
Hermione sat next to Ginny on the coach. She glanced at the rucksack on Ginny's lap, which was moving vigorously, and emitting tiny mews.
"Is it kind to keep it in there?" she asked, half despairingly.
"Ms. Peacock would see otherwise," she whispered back, as if this answered the question.
Hermione sighed. Ginny had already named the cat Lilia, after the Italian brand name of bottled water. She was a palest tan, with chocolate markings in a butterfly shape around her muzzle, and brown tip to her tail, and chocolate paws. The Siamese markings gave her a sophisticated look, and her brilliant sapphire eyes matched the bright blue wings that sprouted from her back. At that moment, Hermione could hear the wings beating incessantly against the rucksack, and suddenly a ripping noise, followed by a large gash in the cloth. A butterfly-marked face pushed it's way out. Lilia looked triumphant.
Hermione pretended to go to sleep.
They reached the beach soon after one o' clock, and the girls, who had put their bikinis on under their clothes that morning, raced onto the sands, pulling off items of clothing.
Hermione, clad in a black bikini to show off her tan, dived into the sea, Ginny close behind. She had entrusted the care of Lilia to Xania, her Ravenclaw friend, as Xania could not swim, and was lazing on the sands instead.
Ginny was wearing a deep blue swimsuit, with a diagonal silver stripe, and had pinned a large blue lily into her hair. The water was celestially warm. Hermione was inwardly rejoicing. She was so used to British beaches, where the sea remained obstinately cold all year round, even if the temperature was high, and this was like paradise comparatively. The beach was immaculate. There was no litter, the sand was golden-white, and the sun was bleaching everyone's hair blonde. Hermione lay on her back in the clear aqua water, and kicked her feet lazily to stay afloat.
Cho skimmed past her. Hermione took in her saffron coloured bikini, so skimpy that it left practically nothing to the imagination. It was a string bikini, tied in a halter style behind her neck. It's so tempting to swim up behind her, and un-tie it, thought Hermione wickedly. Hermione was desperate to hurt Cho, in any way she could; she was filled with such over-flowing rage for what she was doing to Harry.
Later, when everyone tired of swimming, and Hermione felt her skin beginning to burn from too much sunbathing on the sand, she sat up, and pulled on a tight pink Rosebud T-shirt, and some grey shorts. Rosebud was her favourite clothes shop. It had recently opened in Hogsmeade, and was quite expensive.
She was braiding her wet hair into two plaits, when Harry and Ron came up to her, Harry clutching his camera.
"Oh, Harry, no! I look terrible!"
"You look divine to me," said Ron huskily.
Hermione knew she was expected to be flattered by this, but Ron's over the top comment only made her feel distanced from him. As she was pulled into Ron's arms, in preparation for Harry to take a photo, she felt cold, despite the sun.
Ron draped an arm across her back, but Hermione put her arms stiffly in front of her, fidgeting with her hands.
Harry took a couple of pictures, then looked around. "Have you seen Cho?" he asked them.
"She was in the sea before, - I haven't seen her since then though," replied Hermione.
Harry wandered off down the beach, his head turning this way and that, trying to spot his girlfriend.
All too soon, the sun started slipping down the sky, and Ms. Peacock announced that it was time to leave. When they returned to the hotel, Hermione went to find Collette and Sherry. They all bundled into Ginny's room, and Hermione introduced everyone again. She was pleased to see that Ginny was getting on especially well with Collette. She needs a good friend, thought Hermione to herself.
A thought struck her. "I'll never see you again after tomorrow!" she said, suddenly.
"Let's exchange addresses," said Sherry, and she scribbled down her and Collete's address, in Florida. "The Sunshine State," she sighed happily.
"You what?"
"You have a lot to learn, my dear girl," said Sherry, in a totally serious voice.
Hermione shook her head, as she too wrote down her address on a scrap of paper.
"And here's the address of Hogwarts - my school," she said. "It's a boarding school, so if you want to write to me during term time…"
Hermione soon returned to her room, leaving Ginny still chatting to Sherry and Collete. She felt overwhelmingly tired, as the salt air from the beach had done its job.
She lay down on her bed, and stopped trying to force open her heavy eyelids…
*
Hermione was asleep, hours later, curled up in a ball on top of her duvet, wearing only her bikini and a shirt over it.
It was nightfall. She was dreaming - she was riding a palomino horse, and there was someone riding it too, sitting behind her in the old worn leather saddle. The person had their hands around her waist. They were riding out through a forest, and into some open fields. She heard some voices calling her back, screaming at her, begging her. Hermione recognised the voices, but could not make out whom they belonged to. Some more voices, muffled, filtered into her dream: they were shouting in anger, piercing the moment. A great slamming sound came, and Hermione helplessly watched the image in front of her eyes melt into nothingness.
Blearily, she opened one eye. Harry was sitting on his bed, alone, his head cupped in his hands. Hermione shook herself awake, and sat up.
"Harry?" she whispered, taking a few tentative steps towards him. Harry's head jerked up, and immediately turned away from her, ashamed. But Hermione's eyes were quick enough to take in the rivulets of tears streaking his cheeks, and more building behind his glasses, in those deep green eyes.
"What is it?" she asked him, urgently.
"Were you woken by the door slamming?" he asked, trying to keep his voice normal, avoiding the question.
"Well, yes, I suppose so…Why? Who slammed the door?"
"It was Cho. We broke up."
Hermione sat down heavily on the bed, next to Harry. "What happened?"
"She's been cheating on me, Hermione. She's been seeing another boy all week - she slept with him." Harry bowed his head, desperately trying to hide his face. Hermione felt a great lump in her throat. She was desperately ashamed that she had not told Harry what she had known for some time. She didn't know what to do, or what to say. If only Ron was here, she thought desperately. He's better at this kind of thing than I am.
"Where's Ron?" she asked tentatively.
"Gone out…with Lee and the twins. They've found some bar where they serve alcohol to people under eighteen."
Hermione raged inwardly. Great wizards, she thought.
"How did you find out?"
"I'd had this feeling something was up all week," continued Harry, "and I asked her straight out this afternoon. At first she denied it, of course, but in the end she admitted it all."
Hermione rose, and filled two glasses with mineral water. She headed back to the bed, and passed on to Harry, which he sipped silently.
Presently, when Harry's tears had dried, he said, "I don't know what I'll do without her, you know. More than a year we've been together, and she's changed so much."
"You'll get over her Harry. Maybe find someone else, given time." Hermione was making up her words on the spot; she had no idea of what the right thing to say was.
Harry was silent, then spoke. "You've been so kind, Hermione."
Hermione smiled at him crookedly. "It's the least I can do," she said, slipping an amiable arm around his back.
Harry turned to face her, pulling her into his arms. "You're right, you know. So intelligent, so perceptive. Not like me." Hermione started to laugh, and shake her head, and suddenly she felt Harry pull her face up towards his, and they were immediately kissing. Harry pulled Hermione closer, reaching for her hungrily, exploring her. Soon his hands were slipping down her body, stroking her back, and pulling at the buttons on her shirt clumsily.
Hermione felt the longing, and she responded, despite herself, arching her back towards Harry, reaching for his face, dancing her fingertips over his cheeks.
She felt Harry's hand on her breast, and pulled back instantly.
"What is it?" asked Harry breathlessly, his hair damp, his eyes full of desire.
"We mustn't, Harry."
"Why? Why not?"
It took all of Hermione's will power to step off of the bed. Her animal instincts, her emotions, her body told her to go on, but her heart and mind told her she must not.
"You're only doing this because you're hurt, Harry. You're not doing it because you love me; you just want to get back at Cho. I'm going out with Ron, Harry. We can't."
Filled with shame, Hermione covered her body with her hands, and quickly pulled on her shirt.
"I'm sorry, I got carried away - I know it's no excuse-" said Harry.
"Doesn't matter," said Hermione, and fled.