(A/N: OK. Long time, no write. I just saw the HP movie yesterday (Nov. 16th) and I have to say that it totally, and utterly, ROCKED!!!!! *Starts singing * Oh yeah! Go Harry! It's your birthday! It's your birthday! * LOL * Lisa, you were right. Oliver Wood IS hot. ^_^ I saw it first! Na, na na, na na, na! Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, I demand that you go see it, NOW. Well? What are u doing wasting your time reading my fic? Get GOING already!!! …….. OK? Did ya see it? You done? OK. Good. Now, onto the story. If you want snogs, I hope this'll work. Hee hee… So here's my corny idea of a wacked-out field trip. And yes, the Kneazles ARE coming back. Just not quite yet. I'll shut up and type now. R/R!)
Chapter 6 Lanora IslandGinny was jittery for the entire morning. As tired as she was, she couldn't help but be excited. She was going on a true vacation! No homework, no detentions, and NO SNAPE! Yes, life was sweet. She had forgotten the near-kiss for the moment. All she thought about that morning was the island. Dumbledore had made an announcement at breakfast that they were using Portkeys to get there. There would be lots of them down at the grounds near the Quidditch stadium.
"Okay, did I pack everything?" Jessica asked as they got ready in the dormitory.
"Everything except the four-poster beds," Ginny told her. "Just relax! We are going on vacation, my friend."
Sara agreed. "Yeah. Don't worry about it."
Ginny stuffed her bathing suit in her suitcase along with her nice, casual robes Fred and George had bought her with some of the money Harry had given them the previous year to start a prank shop.
"Right," she said. Then the bell rang. "Let's go!"
They hurried out the castle doors and Ginny met up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. ("Maybe we get to Apparate!" Ron was saying, just to annoy Hermione.)
((A/N: I spelled that wrong…)) "Hi guys!" Ginny greeted them.
"You ready to go?" Hermione asked after giving Ron a stern look.
"Sure. You guys?"
"Packed and ready," Harry replied.
It seemed like forever, waiting for the teachers to get the students in groups and touch a Portkey to head to the island. When it was their turn, Ginny and the others huddled together to leave Hogwarts. She touched the Portkey (An old Muggle tire) and got the sensation of a jerk from behind her navel. Her surroundings blurred and the school grounds were soon replaced by a beach with a lush tropical forest and crystal clear water. The warm sun shone upon them accompanied by the fresh, salty sea air. It was beautiful. The most fascinating place Ginny had ever been to in her life, and she was too preoccupied to notice the last of the groups arrive.
They waited, unsure of what to do. Then, a black wizard with dreadlocks ((sp?)), sunglasses, and colorful clothes and bandanna (Which was tied across his forehead) Apparated. He smiled at Dumbledore, whose elegant and wacky robes stood out on the sandy beach.
"Dumbledore!" cried the wizard. "'Tis been a long time, mon!" He spoke with a Jamaican accent. "Welcome to Lanora Island!" Dumbledore shook his hand.
"It has indeed been a long time, Bob, my old friend," he replied curiously. ((A/N: I know, I know. Bob. I couldn't resist! Hey… I have a friend named Bob…*Evil snicker*)) He smiled his warm smile. "These are some of my students this year." He gestured to the hundreds of kids behind him.
"Welcome, welcome!" said Bob. "Com! Follow me to da village where you will be stayin on your visit."
They walked down the beach, the students talking on and on, some walking through the shallow waters, some taking off their shoes to enjoy the sand. Ginny, Jessica, Sara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione did all of these, already enjoying themselves.
Ginny didn't mind that the bottoms of her robes were getting wet. She didn't mind that her mum would have probably told her not to go walking in the water unless she had her suit on. She was carefree! The only thing she had to do on the island for their little report, was tell about any magical creatures, cultures, rituals, and just stuff in general that she happened to come across, and that might be kind of fun.
Bob led them to a place near the shore with hundreds of straw huts, which were in village like groups that each had some civilian homes and bonfires (which were not currently lit.) The students were more or less grouped off by their Hogwarts houses. Gryffindore had their area, Hufflepuff had theirs, as did Ravenclaw and Slytherin. It didn't matter if they went into another's place. They had free range over the entire island, for it was safe enough there.
Each student got their own hut, which Ginny thought was kind of neat, though it would feel strange to be sleeping alone after being used to the dorms at school.
She unpacked and decided to explore, as many other students decided to do. She walked a ways into the forest, explored other hut groups, and she and Jessica and Sara entered various little shops and general stores. One in particular gave them a surprise.
The three girls pulled back the thin curtain that was the door to a cute little shop. Upon entering, they almost regretted it.
"Trelawney??" Sara whispered. "What's she doing here?" ((A/N: I think I spelled the name wrong, but I don't feel like getting off my ass to get the book and check. /_-))
"Hello, my dears," said the familiar misty voice. "I knew you were coming." The Professor was dressed in her usual weird robes and scarves and necklaces and what not. "And to answer you question, I am here on some business. Come." The kids obeyed hesitantly. Trelawney had a small bowl on the shop's counter that had icy blue flames in it. The item strongly reminded them of the Goblet of Fire.
"This can reveal secrets that you didn't know you had been keeping. Much like a Muggle fortune cookie. Come."
She took hold of Sara's hand and dipped it into a separate bowl of oil.
"Now hold your hand in the flames. Do not be afraid, my dear," said the Professor. Sara, out of sheer curiosity, hesitantly did as requested. A mark appeared on her palm and the back of her hand. Trelawney looked at it.
"The dolphin," she said excitedly. "You have great pleasure in store for you, child!" Next came Jessica. When Trelawney looked at the mark on her hand, she said, "The eagle! You shall reach your dreams!"
When Ginny got to her turn, she heasitated.
"Go on, dear," the Professor encouraged.
Ginny placed her hand in the fire. She had expected to feel heat, but instead, she merely felt warmth as the flames licked her hand.
A mark appeared.
Trelawney examined it.
"A dove!" she exclaimed. "Oh, my child, you shall soon find love in the place you least expect it." ((A/N: Dun, dun, DUN!!!))
That evening, Draco was exploring the island alone, for it was easier and more peaceful when you didn't have two oafs like Crabbe and Goyal lumbering behind you. Instead, he was able to climb about trees that had fallen halfway into the water in an enchanting way. The surf lapped up to the forest, creating a very peaceful scene that not even the son of Lucious Malfoy could ignore. ((A/N: I think I spelled his name wrong, too. Don't know, don't care. ^_^))
What he didn't expect was to see her again.
He made his way through the light undergrowth and stumbled upon Ginny, who was sitting on a fallen tree, watching the sunset. She turned to see who had arrived.
"Draco?"
"Oh, sorry…did you want to be alone or something?" he asked.
"No, that's okay," Ginny said, gesturing to him to come sit. He walked over and sat down next to her and on the tree. "So what are you up to?" she asked.
Draco shrugged. "Nothing, really. Just checking the place out. What about you?"
"Same. Isn't it beautiful?"
Draco looked at the view of the sun setting over the ocean. He wasn't as interested in the sunset as he was in looking at Ginny.
"Er…yeah," he said. He looked back at her. She was dressed in a two-piece bathing suit with a skirt whatchya-ma-call-it tied around her waist. ((A/N: You know those skirt-tie things that come with some bikinis, right girls?)) Her long, red hair was down and she was holding her sandals in her hand.
Wow, she's even hotter than I thought, he said to himself. He was wearing some baggy jean shorts. No shirt.
"So…have you gotten anything for that stupid report he have to do?" he asked.
"Just some crazy thing with Trelawney. She's here. Oh! And I just saw a sea serpent way out there about fifteen minutes before you showed up," she said.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. You missed it. I didn't know they lived here."
Draco smiled. "Man. I always miss that stuff."
They sat for a while without talking. Ginny became very self-conscious, as did Draco, though she didn't know it. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. Every movement was smooth and graceful, right down to the blink of her eye. He knew that was stupid, but that's what he thought. It was madness. Insanity, how a Malfoy could be attracted to a Weasley. But it was so. He sat, watching her emerald eyes watch the sunset for what must have been twenty full minutes, but seemed like two.
Finally, they noticed that it was going to get dark.
"We'd better get going," Ginny told him.
"Yeah," he agreed. He hopped down with a small splash into the shallow water that went up to his ankles. He held out his hands and Ginny took them, giving her something to support her as she hopped down after him.
She landed very close to him, not intentionally, but she still did. So close they were almost leaning against one another. She looked up and their eyes met. Draco smiled and she smiled back, neither of them breaking the contact.
He moved closer to Ginny and she felt the brush of his lips against hers. The kiss was not at all what she had expected from Draco. It was a slow, sweet kiss without too much tongue. Just perfect. Perfect in every way.
It seemed to be over as soon as it started. They kissed again, getting a little bolder. Though the back of his mind was a little surprised he had made a move like that, Draco never for the rest of his life regretted it. As they kissed, he brought his hand to her cheek as she put her arms around him. Draco ran his fingers through her fiery red hair. Ginny's hand came to the back of his neck.
Never. Never had Ginny felt so content. Suddenly there was no where else in the world she would rather be but right here on Lanora Island in the arms of Draco Malfoy, French kissing, a thing that her mum would have grounded her for. But she didn't have a care in the world. It felt so right. Fate, destiny, luck, call it whatever you want. She didn't care.
Then they stopped and stood for a moment, their foreheads together.
"This is madness," Draco said with a smile. Their faces were close enough that when one of them spoke, their lips once again brushed lightly against the others.
"I know," Ginny said. "My family would kill me."
"My mother would go way off her rocker," The boy replied. "Even my house-elves would disapprove."
Ginny gave a small laugh. Draco lifted his head for a moment and then hugged her tight, her head against his bare chest. He kissed her again and let the salty yet watermelon scent of her hair fill his senses.
Voldemort would not have her. He would NOT have her. No matter what. If it took the last beat of his heart to keep her safe, than so be it.
((A/N: Ugh. Horrible. ^_^ Sappy enough for you? Enough smooching? ^_- No? You want more? OK. You asked for it. Please review. Later.))