AN: I've split this chapter into two parts, in 5 and 10 page sections, here's part one:
Revealing chapter...
Chapter Twenty-Three-Part One: Vacation
Hermione apparated to the designated place, Harry recommended on his scoping out of where they were staying.
"Hi," he beamed at her, when she was fully materialized. "Would you like some help?" He asked gentlemenly, noticing, all of the suitcases she was lugging.
"Aren't you cold? You'll get sick without a coat in this wheather."
"Yeah, I am."
"Then it's a good thing I brought you your winter coat."
He smiled at her in surprise.
"Hold this," she thrust a bag at him, opened it and pulled out his coat, before taking the bag back, "Here you are."
"Thank you," he put the coat on, zipped it up to his neck and pulled on the hood.
He smiled mischeviously and kissed her cheek, swiping the two larger bags, "One of these has clothes for me in it, right?"
"Yes."
"Thank you, thank you! Shall you go check us in?"
"Let's go, Jimmy."
"Okay, Janey."
They both laughed as they trudged through the snow out of the alley.
They walked into a waiting room, out of the snow. Hermione approached the counter, "Excuse me," she greeted the receptionist.
"Yes?" Answered the young brunette woman of maybe twenty.
"I have a reservation for H.J. Granger."
The woman looked her up on the computer. "Yes, chalet number five, till the thirtieth?"
"Yes."
"How are you paying?"
"Credit," Hermione handed over her credit card.
"Do you have identification?"
"Yes," Hermione dug through her handbag and pulled out her muggle I.D.
"Here you are," Hermione handed over her I.D.
The woman held up Hermione's I.D. and looked at Hermione then back. "Yeah, I think that's you. And your card is approved. Your all set, here are your keys, I.D. and Credit card. Follow that hallway," she pointed to her right, "And go out the door. Yours is number five. Have a good stay," she feigned happiness.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome."
Hermione and Harry walked down the hallway and out the door, back into the snow, they passed four A-Frames, before they reached Number five.
"Well, open the door," Harry urged.
She smiled and did so, holding the screen open so he could carry their bags inside. She closed and locked the door behind them.
"Harry, it's wierd to be able to call you, Harry and to hear your voice without you masking it under another accent," she smiled happily.
"I know, I've been talking to Krum all month, the accent going in and out. It's so wierd to be able to be called, Harry again." He beamed. "I missed you! So where shall I put the bags?"
"I don't know... there's one bedroom upstairs and one down here... we're in the kitchen."
"Now, I'm in the living room!" He stepped over a few feet.
She laughed, "And the bathroom is here," she said opening a door off the kitchen and looking within.
"Uh... Hermione... we have no food... how are we going to eat?"
"There's a store on the other side of the hotel."
"Oh." She smiled and asked, "Which room would you like?"
"Um.. Upstairs."
"Alright, the red bag is yours."
"Thank you," and he went and sat the bags besides his own in the room Hermione would be staying in, before dashing up the steps and putting his own bags down.
Not a minute later he was back down, "I forgot to take off my coat."
"Really!"
He laughed, "Really. What's the plan for the day, H.J."
"Shut up, those are your initials too, if you'd forgotten."
"Why don't you have your name on your card?"
"It's too long."
"What! I knew this girl who had twelve letters in her last name and a hyphen and they fit most of it on her card."
"How'd you meet this girl?"
"Auror training."
"Really?"
"No, I dated her."
"I knew you weren't all alone after training. So why did you break up?"
"Our jobs clashed, it just wasn't working, though she was a really awesome chick."
"Why did you break up?"
"She was going home, back to the states, she was here for a year of University. Plus, I was holding back, I was too frightened... scared to open up to her. She got fed up... I don't blame her at all. I hope she's happy now. She really was an awesome chick!"
"What was her name?"
"Uh... are you going to hunt her down?"
"No."
"Louise."
"And why would I hunt anyone down in the first place?"
"I don't know? To find out what went wrong."
"I think I have a pretty good idea."
"And what's that?"
"It was a fling, or you just weren't ready for a relationship."
"Want to know what she said?"
"Sure."
"She said I was 'hung up on someone else.'"
"Really, who?"
"I can't tell you that!"
"And why not?"
"How about you.. any relationships since Hoggy-warty-Hogwarts?"
"Yeah."
"WHEN?"
"Are you jealous?"
"Should I be?"
"Maybe."
"So when, who?"
"A fling in France, while I was there promoting a book last Febuary."
"And you knew it was a fling, eh?"
"Well, yes. I was only there for a few weeks."
"What about before.. Like at Hogwarts?"
"I'm not answering that."
"Why not?"
"You don't want to know, Harry."
"What about that month of dating, Ron?"
"Oh, please."
"How about, uh... What's his name, argh.. what was his name?"
"Who?"
"That Ravenclaw.. I think he was a year ahead of us."
"I don't even remember."
"I do."
"Were you jealous?" She asked him in a sing song voice.
"Uh.. yeah actually."
"Your kidding?"
"Nope."
"What about seventh year? Who did you date in seventh?"
"Nobody... though if you recall the incident with firewhiskey..."
"I do... and the Head Dorms..."
"After the match."
"Where, you beat Slytherin..."
"Yeah... you were um..."
"Your kidding... me too... and with..."
"All those girls chasing me... yeah."
"Your kidding... me... of everyone?"
"Yes.. you."
"Remember, how awkward we were... afterwards."
"I do, vividly... and Ron's odd looks."
"And nudging."
"Yeah."
"That's really ironic."
"We're lucky... though... unlike..."
"I know... we are."
"So.. um.. after me... it was that French guy?"
"Yep."
"What was his name... I told you my ex's name."
"Jean-Luc."
"How was it?"
"I'm not telling... how was Louise?"
"I'm not telling, either."
"So?"
"So.. uh.. do we have any food?"
"Did you bring any?" He shook his head, no.
"Did you?"
"Unfortunetly no.. shall we head to the grocery store?"
"And what will we cook the food in?"
"Harry! There's a microwave, problem solved."
"I meant pots and pans. So we don't have to eat all T.V. Dinners or pot pies."
"Hopefully, they'll have something."
"Shall we go, milady?" He asked whipping his coat back on, slipping on his shoes and offering up his arm.
"Certainly," she laughed, taking his offered arm, after putting on her own coat and boots.
The duo set off on the trek down the road to the grocery store, passing A-frames, and parts of the ski resorts.
They made it to the store and Hermione grabbed a cart. "What do we need?"
"I don't know, food and booze," Hermione suggested.
"Sounds good, Jane."
"Thanks, James."
Hermione paid the bill and they began the long walk back to the chalet loaded down with there groceries.
A half block into there march, a jeep pulled up and the driver rolled down his window, "Do you need a ride?" asked the bagger from the grocery store.
Hermione looked to Harry, whom like herself was loaded down with bags. "What do you think, Jamie?"
"Whatever," he shrugged.
"So, do you want that ride or not?" asked the fellow in his early twenties.
"Alright, we're take it."
The grocery store worker hopped out of his jeep and opened the back hatch, Harry and Hermione piled there bags into the tiny back end of the jeep.
"So, which one of you are sittin' in the front?"
Hermione looked at Harry.. who was giving the bloke an 'I'm going to kill you look,' and said, "We'll both sit in the back."
"It's cramped back there."
"We'll manage," she affirmed.
The guy pushed his seat forward so they could hop in.
Harry jumped in and slid over.
"I'm Rick by the way," He introduced himself to Hermione.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jane and that's James," Harry nodded.
Rick offered his arm to Hermione as she was getting in, "Thanks."
Harry just looked uncomfortable.
"So where are you guys staying? Which resort?"
"Um... Powder Mountain."
"The main lodge or the A-frames?"
"The A-frames."
"Alright, just checking to see where I've gotta take you, eh."
A minute or so later, they were in front of the A-frame chalets.
"Is this a good spot?" Rick asked, parking in front of number three.
"Yeah, fine," Harry answered.
Harry and Hermione got their bags from the boot, "Thanks for the ride, Rick."
"Your welcome, Jane." And he drove away.
Harry and Hermione walked the brief way to number five and Hermione unlocked the door.
Once inside they unpacked there groceries into the Refridgerator or cupboards and Harry started on microwaving dinner.
"Harry, what's the problem?" Hermione asked noticing his distraught look.
"Nothing."
"You sure?"
"YES."
"It doesn't seem like it."
"I'M FINE!" He replied agitated.
"Hmm.. you started to look that was when Rick gave us a ride... why.. are you jealous?" She asked incrediously.
"NO."
"Your acting like it... now why, pray tell me, are you jealous?"
"I am not!"
"I think you.."
"Why so?"
"You tell me."
"Well, I"m not."
"I'm not so sure."
"Hermione, just drop it!"
"Why should I?"
"Because your bothering me."
"You, my dear friend sound like a five year old, Stop bothering me!" She mocked.
Harry laughed.
"So were you jealous."
"Shut it, Hermione, please!"
"Fine, you sound like Ron in fourth, maybe fifth year, but were you?"
"Fine, I was."
"And why?"
"Because."
"Because, why?"
"I'm not saying today."
"Then I'll ask tomorrow."
"What if I don't answer tomorrow?"
"Then the next day."
"If you must," he replied, as the microwave went off and he took out there dinner.
AN: Well, they officially acted like little kids! Lol, I wrote this chapter I'm guessing mid-Febuary... Part two is what you've all been waiting for! Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter! THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I've been desperate for reviews.. I'm working at the moment on chapter 27... have one sentance down... that will probably be the last chapter.. unless as with chapter 26, it takes a new direction. After I'm done with this I will start on my next fic, which will be a muggle fic, following mainly Harry... from his last yr of HS/SS to at least first yr of University.
And I'm may edit and expand on the ideas of The Wedding.. someone wanted me too... if I get around to it, I will.. I have spring break week after next. YAY! I get to go home for a few days, most importantly I can say adios to my braces.
Part 2 will be up... eventually... by at least next week...
Oh, yeah, the name of the resort is based upon a combination of a few of the ski hills from near the area where I went to HS.
PLease Review!
Typed: March 1, 2005
