"I think I'm done surfing for today." Hermione said as the conversation, which had shifted to ways of getting Harry into all the L.A. night clubs, was exhausted.
"But the camp still goes for another hour." Charlie said.
"I think I'm done with this camp. I can learn to surf on my own." Ginny said.
"Me too," said Harry.
Ron and Hermione looked a little confused.
"But why do it yourself, this camp provides the boards and an instructor." Hermione said.
"Eh, sometimes trial and error is the only way to really get it. You just have to get out into the water as much as possible. That's how you learn; persistence. Oh, and I have extra boards in the garage. They are a little beat up, but that just makes them look cooler." Charlie was talking and digging a hole with his feet in the sand at the same time.
"Hey, Charlie, before we arrived, the lady who gave us our travel plans told us that you might be able to get us some driver's licenses. Is that true?" Ron had been waiting all day to ask that question.
"Well, not legally of course. Muggles are in charge of the road rules here. And to get a license legally takes at least six months of practice before you turn sixteen. But, since I am not a muggle, I could work the system. If that's what you want. It can be dangerous though. I only have a muggle car. Those don't dodge sign posts the way wizard cars do. You have to steer around everything." Charlie explained.
"I don't mind. It'd be more fun to have to steer yourself. And I could do it. I've been in plenty of cars before. My dad's obsessed with cars. I flew one once. Harry can vouch for me. And I flew it quite a long way. And we are both still alive!" Ron exclaimed, obviously very excited.
"Yeah, but you did hit a tree." Harry reminded him.
"But I was so much younger then. I could handle the pressure much better now." Ron justified. He was hoping to be one of those people you see in the movies who are speeding along a coastal rode in a convertible with the wind whipping through their hair and the music blasting. Something about that open air speed was appealing to Ron's sense of adventure.
"Alright, Ron, I'll get you a license. But you gotta promise that you'll listen to me when I teach you how to drive. And you have to promise that you will not wreck my car. It's not a real luxurious one, but it is pretty tripped out." Charlie looked Ron straight in the eye.
"I promise. But hey, I'm not the only one who's going to drive. Right, you three will learn with me?" Ron looked around at Harry, Hermione, and Ginny, all three of whom were listening to the conversation.
"Duh!" Ginny shouted.
"Of course!" Hermione confirmed.
"Driving! Yeah, are you kidding!" Harry agreed.
"Of course you all do. I forgot. When you are a teenager, everything is about driving. You think walking is for people who can't drive and bikes are people who don't have cars." Charlie smiled.
"Well, not so much in the wizard world, but If I were a muggle, that would sound about right!" Ron said, smiling at an image of him driving along the coast, looking cool with Hermione singing along to radio from the passenger seat. He couldn't wait to make that dream come true. Ron shook his head and glanced quickly at Hermione, who was looking very good today, and banished those thoughts form his head. He didn't really like Hermione. It was just that she was very pretty, and smart. And that she is always helping him and can cheer him up. But even if he did like her, thinking of that made him blush, Hermione doesn't like him. She is chasing after Vicky Krum.
"Well, I think I'm going back to house." Ron suddenly lost his desire to hang around the group.
"You can't go!' Hermione grabbed his hand.
Ron stopped moving and looked straight into Hermione's eyes. "I just don't feel like staying."
Hermione was taken aback. She had never seen Ron look at her like that. It was so confusing. Was he angry? No, because there was concern and caring in his eyes, but oh, there was something else there too. Hermione was shocked to find that she didn't understand this. For once, she was stumped.
"Well, then neither do I. Ron, I'm coming with you." Hermione said as she caught up with Ron, who had stared walking back already.
"Hermione, why would you want to come? The fun is happening on the beach. That's where all the pretty boys hang out." Ron had raised his voice a little.
"Ron! Stop it! Why are you picking a fight?! All I wanted was to go with you!" Hermione was yelling now too.
Harry and Ginny were used to their fights. They didn't take as much notice as Charlie, who was absolutely shocked at the pain Ron and Hermione were causing each other.
"I don't understand you, Hermione!" Ron shouted, and then still in an upset tone, he asked, "Do you still write to Vicky?"
"Where did Krum come into this conversation? Ron, you leave him out of this, this is about you and me!" Hermione huffed. She was angry, but not the usually sort of anger she had towards Ron. It was frustrating, and exhilarating, and she didn't know what else.
"Well, you don't see me writing to any other girls!" Ron shouted.
"Well, I didn't know we had an exclusive friendship! Can I not talk to Harry anymore?" Hermione was getting more and more upset at Ron. Why couldn't he grow up? Why couldn't he ask her out already!
"I meant a different sort of friend. Not like Harry. And I don't want to discuss it anymore." Ron turned and walked even quicker towards the beach house.
"Ron, when are we going to talk about it?"
"I don't know. It's not the sort of thing you can really talk about." Ron moved away from Hermione after he said this. He couldn't look at her. If he did, he didn't know what he would do.
Hermione didn't follow Ron. She didn't know what she would have said. Instead she turned to walk back to Harry, Ginny, and Charlie. All three of them had witnessed the fight, as well as several other strangers on the beach.
"Well, its good you guys let it out. Better out than in." Charlie said, as he patted Hermione on the back.
"Well, there's still more inside that didn't get out. And it's never going to get out unless Ron says it first!"
"Why does he have to start things?" Ginny asked.
"Because I don't know how to. And I don't want to. And I don't think Ron wants me to. He should take charge of something; he should put himself on the line for me. I'm always the one who rescues you guys with schoolwork and stuff. I want to be rescued now, metaphorically. You know, rescued from my troubled heart."
"Hermione, you are sounding pretty cheesy right." Harry said.
"Harry!" Ginny shrieked.
"Well, you now, he's right, you are sounding pretty cheesy. But you are in California. And California is known for its cheese." Charlie said.
Hermione laughed at this. She felt a little better. All she needed to do was to get in control of herself again. She was scared because she had just lost control of what she was saying and feeling. She didn't want that to happen anymore. Especially in public! The horror! This sort of emotional spillage usually only happens on television! Whoa, Hermione thought. The California heat is getting to me already.
Ron was thinking as he walked back to house. Thinking about Hermione, of course. Thinking about how to tell her. And why do people always have to use words to communicate? Why does one always have to pick a word to express how he is feeling? Why wasn't there a way to just let her know that he likes her; but he more than likes her. But he didn't think it could be love, yet. Darn it! Even if he knew every word in the dictionary, he still didn't think he could explain it. Sometimes words just aren't enough. Ron was getting frustrated. His thoughts were telling him to just kiss her. But that's no way to start things off, he told himself. Or is it? He already knew her, and maybe she'd like it. But what if she got mad at him? Oh why was this so hard!