Ginny plopped down next to Hermione, then busied herself by sinking her toes into the sand.
Content to wait until Hermione spoke first, she took a deep breath of the salty ocean air and tilted her face up to catch the best part of the misty breeze that swirled around them.
The view was simply marvelous. For just a moment, Ginny allowed herself to pretend that they weren't lost on some remote island. No, they were on a glorious tropical vacation, where there was no Tom Riddle, no greasy Potions master, and, thankfully, no sneering, arrogant ferret face to contend with. Only her brother, her best girl friend, and a spectacled boy with messy hair and a hero complex that made her whimper with bliss when he touched her.
Oh, yes. Life was good.
"Gin?" Hermione's tone was cautious.
Here we go, Ginny thought to herself.
"Do you think- that is, to say- never mind."
Huffing slightly, Ginny turned her body fully towards Hermione.
About to snap at her, Ginny caught the look of misery on Hermione's face and gentled her voice in response.
"You know there's nothing you can't tell me."
Hermione bent her head. "It's so embarrassing, I can't get it out."
Ginny grinned. "Well, I certainly am familiar with that particular emotion."
"What would you say," Hermione began again, "if I told you that I think I'm becoming..morally loose?"
Ginny responded with a straight face. "I'd say that was about as likely as Dumbledore being Tom's Secret-keeper."
"I'm serious, Ginny!"
"Why would you possibly think that?"
Hermione was silent for a moment, then requested, "Promise you'll never tell anyone what I'm about to say?"
Ginny started. "Absolutely."
Hermione had to keep her gaze on the sand in order to get the words out.
"Ron and I were cleaning out the coconut shells, and he kept, you know, touching me and stuff, pretending it was all innocent contact. I protested, naturally, but it wasn't bothering me in the least, well, not the way you'd think."
Ginny let out half a giggle, before stilling at Hermione's quick glance upward.
"So," Hermione continued, "Then he- he-"
"It's okay," Ginny soothed, reaching over to pat Hermione's back.
"He deliberately scooped up some of the coconut and threw it at my chest. I yelled at him, called him an immature dolt, I believe- and then he gave me this look that I just knew was dangerous. And then he gets up to me so as we're barely a centimeter apart, and in this incredibly deep, smooth voice, says, 'Let me get that for you.' And he just puts his mouth right on-"
Hermione's throat closed- she just couldn't say that, not even to Ginny.
The feeling had been so sudden and fierce, she'd been barely able to push him away. It had taken everything in her power to stop herself from giving in to the sensations his mouth had created, or worse still, demanding more.
Luckily, Ginny had already guessed what Hermione was trying to convey.
Ginny didn't respond, just continued rubbing Hermione's back until her friend's breathing evened once more.
"I don't think he knew- I mean, he obviously knew where he was putting his mouth, but I don't think he realized it was at that exact spot."
Ginny's eyebrow raised. "I wouldn't say that, Hermione. I mean, it's not like we have robes to put on over our t-shirts, which are usually pretty clingy what with the water and our perspiration. I doubt him hitting your bulls eye was an accident."
Hermione let out a kind of half laugh, half gasp. That was why she loved Ginny. She could make anything funny.
Ginny made a show of looking down her own front, then at Hermione's.
Grinning in triumph, she said, "Well, it's a bit of a cheat to say I can see mine, what with knowing where they are and all, but if I had a quill, I think I'd be able to put an X on your spots. I can try it with some berries, if you'd rather?"
Hermione doubled over at this, and the two girls collapsed with laughter on to the sand.
Eventually, Ginny asked, "So you're mad at Ron for being so.forward?"
Hermione hesitated, then responded, "No, I'm mad at myself.because of how much I liked it."
Ginny sat up. "That's why you think you're 'morally loose'?"
Hermione shrugged.
Rolling her eyes, Ginny murmured, "Shall I tell you what I was doing a half hour ago? Harry had me up against a tree, and was pushing 'something' against me while quite enjoyably assaulting my chest. And that was about ten minutes after our first kiss."
Ginny stood up, ignoring the incredulous look on Hermione's face.
"Trust me, Hermione, you have nothing to worry about. Enjoy yourself. Who knows how much more time we'll have? Neither Ron or anyone else thinks anything but the best of you. For once in your life, enjoy yourself without thinking about the consequences. Lord knows you deserve to."
"But Gin-"
"No buts!" Ginny roared dramatically. "I demand you go find my brother at once, and find some way of letting him know you love him and aren't angry. I'm sure you'll think
of something."
"Just a tick," Hermione said.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me more about what just happened with Harry."
Ginny blushed. "Nothing. We snogged, he said he was happy I still cared for him, and then we just kind of cuddled a bit."
Hermione waited for more, then asked, "Anything else?"
Ginny huffed. "Absolutely nothing else."
"Ginny, he- he isn't much good with girls, you know that."
"So what?" she burst out. "I've loved him since I was eleven! He'd damn well figure it out, and soon, or I'll-"
"Or you'll what?" Hermione's voice had an amused tone.
Ginny deflated. "Or I'll just keep waiting until he does." She sighed melodramatically.
"He loves you. I know he does." Hermione said firmly.
Ginny flailed her right hand. "Maybe, but what matters is that I don't think he knows he does. And what if he decides it's better if we're not together? You know how he is, Hermione."
Amused, Hermione nodded in agreement.
'Don't let him, Ginny. Fight for him."
Ginny nodded. "I will. I love him too much to let him be himself."
With a sheepish grin, she impulsively gave Hermione a fierce hug, before pulling her feet and giving her a helpful shove.
"Now go get my brother."
Hermione looked towards the orange head in the distance apprehensively, then muttered,
"Well I could take him to the place we found."
"Good, good!" Ginny encouraged.
"Will you be alright with Harry?"
Ginny tilted her head to the side. "Should I even answer that?"
Hermione smiled. "Best not to. Don't want it to ruin my mood!" With that, she strode off.
Ginny waited a beat, then yelled in retribution, 'Just remember, we don't have any contraception spells here! I'm too young and beautiful to be an aunt!"
Hermione responded with a incredibly rude gesture she must have learned from Ron.
Or Fred or George. Or any Weasley for that matter.
***********************************************
Harry was confused. Hermione had returned to camp, all shy smiles and whispered words.
She had asked him where Ron was, and Harry had explained that Ron had eaten all their berries and so Harry had made him go get more.
Ginny, who'd followed Hermione back to their camp, had rolled her eyes and muttered that Ron would probably eat another basketful and never come back. She went off to collect him, leaving Harry and Hermione to their own devices for the time being.
Hermione kept glancing at him, and smiling mysteriously.
Harry reddened. He had no doubt as to what they had probably been discussing.
"Harry," Hermione started.
"No. We are not going to talk about it."
"About what?" was her innocent reply.
"About anything. We are going to sit here and look at the ocean and enjoy the sun and most importantly, not talk."
Hermione was petulant. "You never want to talk."
"Because you always force me to admit something personal and embarrassing."
"I do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
Harry sighed. "Whatever."
With Hermione, you never won. You could only achieve a stalemate at best, and Harry decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
"So," Hermione continued, "You and Ginny..are what, now?"
Harry didn't respond.
"Because you know, it seems like if you cared for her as it appears you do, you should.make some sort of statement to that fact."
Harry responded before he remembered he wasn't talking. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe you should let her know what you think of her as. I'm sure it's more than a snogging buddy, right?"
Harry's eyes bugged. "Of course!"
Hermione nudged him playfully with her shoulder.
"You should probably mention that, then."
Harry made a show of moving some sand around with his feet, before softly inquiring,
"And how, exactly, would I go about doing that?"
Instead of answering, Hermione asked a question of her own.
]
"Do you love her, Harry?"
Shrugging uneasily, he replied, "I don't know. Not quite sure what that means."
"How do you feel when you're with her?"
"Happy," was his simple reply.
"Well, I always, or almost always, knew how I felt about Ron. I came to terms with it in our third year, and I waited. And waited. Because I knew he had absolutely no clue. I was okay with it, but it hurt, knowing that the person I wanted most had no feelings for me whatsoever. You have to understand that Ginny feels the same way. This is all new for you, but loving you is something that's been a part of her for years. She needs to know that this isn't just a temporary thing."
She patted his hand comfortingly.
"Until she's certain of your intentions, she'll keep a part of herself guarded. Because you keep yourself guarded, Harry. I know it's hard for you to let her know how you feel. I know you're worried that you can't protect her."
Hermione took hold of Harry's hands and smiled up at him.
"But Harry, I have a feeling that she'll do a much better job protecting you, if you'd only let her."
Hermione never knew what Harry's response might have been, since Ron and Ginny returned at that moment.
Ginny was leading Ron by one hand, the berry basket in her other. Ron was stumbling along behind her, eyes glassy and unfocused.
Hermione and Harry both jumped up and went to them.
"What in the world?" Hermione looked to Ginny for answers.
She shrugged. "I think he had too many berries. He said his stomach hurt."
Hermione touched his forehead, which was feverishly sweaty.
"You're burning up!" she exclaimed. Ron just groaned in response.
"He needs to get cooled off. Hermione, why don't you take him to that place we found?"
"Oh, yes," Hermione nodded. "That would work."
She took her boyfriend by the hand. "Ron, can you walk? He nodded sluggishly. The pair set off east, left of their encampment.
Harry turned his gaze away from them after a moment, and saw Ginny, arms crossed defensively, looking at the ground.
"Hey," he ventured softly. "You okay?"
She nodded stiffly, not meeting his eyes.
Okay, thought Harry. Obviously, Hermione had been on to something.
"Ginny," he began, then faltered.
What exactly, should he say? He couldn't tell her what he wasn't sure he felt. He knew he'd loved Sirius, and what he felt for Ron and Hermione was love too, in a different sort of way. He felt a sort of distant love for his parents, whom he knew only by what others had told him. Remus Lupin was, well, all he had left of the Marauders, but was himself a very distant sort.
He had never before experienced the emotions Ginny stirred in him. Cho had been.an infatuation, her surface not matching her true nature in the least. Ginny on the other hand, was nothing if not honest. She was beautiful inside and out, and never ever pretended to be anything she wasn't. She could be sweet and shy, or a lioness, depending on what the situation called for. She was pure and lovely, with some of the best Weasley characteristics as well as the worst.
She was stubborn, and mischievous, and quite prone to temper tantrums, as he had discovered the previous year at Grimmauld Place.
She was a Weasley. And somewhere along the way, she'd turned into a woman, as well.
So, they'd circled around each other for a time, and their current experience had forced a sort of inability in Harry to resist her charms. But what happened when, if, they were able to go home? Was it this situation that made him feel so strongly for her? Or was it real?
How was he supposed to know?
He didn't. He simply had no clue. He supposed it was time to admit that to her.
"Ginny," he said again, "I-"
Harry's voice cut off as Ginny gave a hoarse shout. From the woods, a huge snarling boar, black as night, approached, ears bent back and nostrils smelling them, sensing meat.
"Get behind me," ordered Harry.
Ginny seemed frozen.
"Ginny!" Harry screamed her name this time.
She moved, slowly backing away from the animal.
Harry waited until she had moved behind him, before he guided her towards the water.
The boar, apparently sensing their attempt at escape, charged.
Both Harry and Ginny turned and ran for their lives.
**********************************************
"C'mon, Ron, we're almost there."
Hermione was getting worried. Ron hadn't been getting any better during their walk towards the circle of rocks she and Ginny had found in their travels.
She helped him step over some of the more jagged rocks, before they sank into the beautiful blue water that was surrounded by smooth boulders.
Ron let out a moan of happiness as the cool water soothed his heated skin.
The discovery had been a mistake. Ginny had climbed the rocks in order to see a bit more of the island, hoping to get a vision of the landscape. She had been pleasantly surprised to discovered that the rock she was standing on was one of several that surrounded a section of water. They were just high enough to rest your back on as you sank your body into the softly swirling water. They were formed in a circular shape, giving the appearance of a Muggle Jacuzzi, but Hermione didn't think she'd been very successful in conveying that idea to Ginny.
Hermione moved next to him, watching his responses carefully. She didn't want to look away and have him drown on her.
He opened his eyes, and turned his eyes slightly to look at
her.
Hermione only had time to note that his blue eyes were suddenly clear and
bright before he roughly covered her mouth with his own.
***********************************************
A/N
Hopefully, you all have realized exactly where Ron put his mouth that got Hermione all bothered. I can't say it explicitly, having a PG-13 rating and all.
1-R-rated R/H outtake next.
2- The boar is more than just a boar.
3- In two chapters, Harry has an epiphany.
