Chapter Four

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, pushing Ron away from her and standing up with an embarrassed expression on her face. She shifted uncomfortably as she always did and smiled as sweetly as she could, beckoning Ron to also get up.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, ma'am, sir," The maintenance man that had talked to Harry nodded his head in their general direction and walked off. Ron looked rather accomplished and Hermione tried to hide her paranoia as Harry stood there watching them.

"Right uh... Still haven't put your bags in your room yet?" Harry asked, looking from one to the other. Ron shook his head and Harry sighed.

"I take it you guys need another hour... or should we make it two this time?" Harry said sarcastically. Hermione just grinned, turning even brighter red if it were possible.

"One should be fine. I still need to shower before dinner," Hermione said quickly.

"Alright, one hour then. I'm holding you guys to it this time." Harry said, sighing. He turned around and headed for the gift store, leaving Hermione and Ron in the elevator together again. This time, a couple of other people got on the elevator with a few suitcases and pressed a few buttons. The elevator reached the second floor and let out a group of people. Hermione's room was on the third floor, and when the elevator doors opened, Hermione dragged her suitcases behind her with Ron on her tail.

"I figured I might as well walk you to your room," He said, smiling.

"Thanks," she replied smiling back.

"Least I could do..." Ron picked the very feminine-looking bag up easily and putting it behind his back like it was no problem even though it was filled with what felt like a year long supply of clothes and god knows what else.

"It's kind of heavy," Hermione smiled at him and carried the two smaller bags in her other hands as they walked down the corridor and turned a corner. The ocean, a few stories below, was growing loud and Hermione couldn't help but glance over the deck and see the crystal blue water.

"Nah," Ron muttered, trying to continue to carry the bag with "ease".

"Wow, it's gorgeous," Hermione commented as they reached her door and Ron put her bag down gratefully. Hermione leaned over the white railing and felt her hair hit her face in the wind.

"Not as gorgeous as you," Ron said quickly. He smiled and she smiled. Ron was laughing on the inside. He wasn't usually like this. What was going on?

"Thanks," Hermione sighed and turned red, still looking out towards the ocean, not noticing the pool and people sun bathing below on the main deck.

"This is going to be a great vacation," Ron said, leaning over the railing next to her.

"That's definitely one thing we can agree on," Hermione replied, still not looking at him, afraid they might start something again. Ron just watched her as the curls in her hair whipped at her face and her skirt started swaying in the wind. Her pink-manicured toes looked so cute in those little strappy sandals... He had to stop thinking about it or they'd end up like they had in the elevator. "So, I'll see you in an hour?" She asked, interrupting his thoughts and he snapped back to reality. She opened the hotel room door with ease and dragged her suitcases in behind her. She stood at the open door, not knowing what to say or expect.

"Yeah. See you in an hour," Ron said rather uncomfortably. He stood there, looking at her for a minute before kissing her on the cheek and walking off.

Hermione shut the door behind her and smiled as she leaned on the inside of it. She shook her head to clear the thoughts swarming her mind and pulled her bags down the small hallway into the medium sized room with the large, queen-sized bed positioned on the far left wall towards the left part of the room leaving space for a wooden desk with a phone and a lamp on the right. She managed to get the three suitcases on the bed and laid down next to them, enveloped easily by the large white down comforter that was so warm and inviting. She looked up towards the white mosquito net that hung in the center of the bed and attached to the four bed posts, covering the two longer sides of the bed. The white bedding looked very comfortable against the dark hard-wood flooring and the love seat in the corner was a soft shade of her favorite color: pink. There was a television across from the couch and two French-style doors to her balcony beside the couch. This was definitely the perfect room. Even the bathroom, located to the right of the little main hallway by the hotel door, was a cute shade of blue featuring a tropical sea-creature and fish shower curtain.

She stood up and began to unpack, pulling out clothing of all variety and color. She had unpacked a large portion of her clothes and either folded them nicely into the dresser on the wall or hung them in the small closet across from the bathroom. After she was finished with her clothes, she unpacked the things that were most precious to her and never left home without: the five-picture frame including pictures of herself, Harry, and Ron at their Hogwarts graduation, her and Ron at the Yule Ball their seventh year, Hermione receiving her Medi-Witch diploma, her and Fred at the Burrow, and the whole Weasley family in front of their tent for the Quidditch World Cup the summer after her seventh year. She couldn't help but grin as she watched the people she loved wave back at her. She hadn't known why she'd kept the pictures of Ron with her over these years, after all that he'd done to her, but something inside of her couldn't let go. Didn't want to let go.

Hermione placed the picture frame on the nightstand by the bed and went to pick out what she would wear to dinner. She took a thirty minute shower and got out only to wrap up in a fluffy white robe and slippers that were embroidered with small orange goldfish which made her giggle. She did her hair and make up with her wand and grabbed the cute muggle dress she'd decided to wear. She glanced down at her watch to see exactly an hour had gone by and smiled to herself. She was definitely looking forward to dinner with two good friends she hadn't seen in years. There was so much catching up to do and Hermione just couldn't wait. She grabbed her purse and her room key before shutting the white door quietly behind her and she headed off towards the main lobby.

~*~

"Harry, she's amazing," Ron said as he stood shaving in the middle of their blue bathroom with only a white towel draped around his waist. Harry stood in their room putting on a pair of jeans and a green polo shirt.

"No, shit, Ron." Was Harry's only response.

"I just can't believe after all these years..." Ron paused and walked into the room with Harry. Their room was a bit bigger because they'd opted for a pull-out couch. Something about two guys in a bed didn't seem appealing to either Harry or Ron.

"She could look that good?" Harry asked, finishing Ron's sentence. He watched as his best friend pulled something oddly familiar out of his suitcase. "You still carry that thing around with you?" Harry looked at Ron curiously who shook is head and put the picture on the dresser. Hermione was waving eagerly after they'd just found out Ron had been offered to try out for the Wimbourne Wasps right after seventh year. Ron smiled as he remembered it.

"You got a job offer!?" Hermione exclaimed, looking at her boyfriend in the face, smile from ear to ear. He nodded his head and she jumped on him, smothering him in kisses while she held him tight. He spun her around quickly. He laughed as they stood hugging in the backyard of the Burrow.

"This could be the start we need, Mione," Ron said, looking as eager as a five year old who'd discovered his first bug. "It will be perfect. I promise."

Ron chuckled as he pulled off the towel. So he hadn't kept his promise. What could he possibly do about it now?

"Ugh, man! Tell me before you undress next time!" Harry exclaimed, turning around immediately. Ron laughed.

"Sorry, man. I was just lost in thought, that's all," Ron replied coolly, pulling out a pair of blue jeans and a button up, sky blue collared shirt.

"You were so lost in thought that you ripped off your towel? I don't wanna know..." Harry remarked, smirking at his best friend as Ron got dressed. Ron finished dressing quickly and continued to gel his hair. Harry, who was sitting on the couch in the corner, laughed as he watched his best friend do his hair in the mirror. "You are such a loser." Harry commented.

"Thanks for the support, man." Ron said sarcastically as he continued to do his hair.

"No problem." There was silence. "She's got you wrapped around her finger already and it's only been, what, two hours!?" Harry continued to laugh.

"No she doesn't!" Ron was quick to reply and he turned around abruptly.

"Right, buddy. Think what you want." Harry said, still sitting on the couch, watching his best friend primp.

"Why would you say that anyway?"

"Well, look at you! You're fixing your hair... I haven't known you to do that since you first started dating Maley," Harry said her name nonchalantly like it was no problem. Ron grimaced at her name and looked at his best friend with a concerned face.

"You haven't told her, have you?" Harry looked at Ron with a serious expression. Ron shook his head in response. "Are you stupid!?" Harry was shocked.

"Please, Harry," Ron paused. "I don't want to tell her just yet. PLEASE don't tell her, Harry. I'll do anything."

"Anything, eh?" Harry's eyebrow raised in curiosity. Ron nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Just give me tonight, okay? I'll tell her tonight." Ron looked at Harry who was now standing.

"Promise?" Harry asked.

"Promise." Ron sighed and followed Harry out of their room. He didn't know how to tell her. He wouldn't until the time was right. 'The time wasn't ever going to be right. Face it, Ron.' Ron told himself mentally as they walked into the lobby. They found a place to sit and there were only for a few minutes before he spotted her halfway across the room. He knew at that moment he'd have to break his promise to Harry, there was no way he was ruining a night like this.