Disclaimer: nothing belongs to me... this is just my version of a story with JK Rowling's characters...
Author's Note: thanks to everyone who reviewed! It made me sooooo unbelievably happy checkin my mail and finding reviews! Here's some notes to my reviewers:
Tria Marie Val: It'll happen soon enough, don't u worry, I got it all planned out... and the too sexy thing actually happened with a bunch of my guy friends... omg ill never forget that night
Alicia B: I'm sooo glad u love it! I got better things planned ahead!
Miss Court-A-Doo: thank you! I had sooo much fun writing it...
Heaven 'n' Angel: my first reviewer... Ron's gonna become a lot more loveable soon... I can't wait to write that!
DancinDuck: I sorta had to have something happen so that there could be suspense! There might be one more interruption before it finally happens...
Thanks again guys! And be sure to check in often in case I'm on like a writing spree or something.... Oh yea and something keeps happening on my comp whenever I try to do "..." after something... So when you see that weird A and E thing... That's what happened... sorry bout that
Chapter 5: Day 2- Morning Walks
It was a late morning. The sun had long risen hours before, and was now set high in the sky, showering everything and everyone below it with only sunlight, because no clouds could save them now. There was a slight breeze that only the early afternoon could bring, and on the beach, things were surprisingly still. Just the light swaying of the wind through the fine palm branches could be heard, and the rustle of sand leaving the ground, carried through the crisp, warm air could be heard for miles. The mewing of seagulls circled overhead, but seeing as no one was yet awake from last night's events, it was almost impossible to hear.
Unless you were Hermione, that is. She had finally woken at about 1 o'clock pm, and tried to tame her unruly mess of brown curls into something somewhat presentable. She looked behind her at the 2 beds. One was she had lain, and now where Ginny slept soundly, a smile playing her lips that made Hermione certain who was present in her dreams. Luna was stirring slightly, but stay asleep, and on the other side of their bed, Hannah snored lightly. Hermione smiled at this, and at the same time wondered what this day would bring.
She went outside on the balcony, the wind sweeping through her hair, blowing it around and encircling her face. She closed her eyes and turned herself to face the ocean, becoming lost in herself, trying to close her mind, but an image of Ron dancing with her, flirting shamelessly with her, was toying at her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to shake it off and remind herself that it meant nothing, the more she found herself denying what she kept trying to tell herself. What if it had meant more? What did this mean? Whatever it was, she knew one thing, and she wasn't going to find the answers in her hotel room. She needed open air, a brisk walk along the beach, maybe, to clear her head.
Ron stirred some 2 floors above her. He woke up, smiling, recalling the events of last night, of dancing with his Hermione, and thought for a split second that it was a dream. He yawned; disappointed that he might be right, until he glanced toward the nightstand at his left and saw a Polaroid picture Colin had taken last night and given it to him. The picture showed a couple, both in blue, dancing happily to a song that suited them perfectly: a slow, love song. The girl in the picture was several inches shorter than the red-headed guy, and she had her head against his chest, smiling to herself. The guy in the picture was over 6 feet tall, had flaming red hair, and his eyes were glancing down at the girl he was dancing with. He looked happier than anyone had ever seen him.
Ron smiled to himself. He knew those two people. He knew them very well. Good, it wasn't a dream. It was real, all real. He took the picture off the nightstand and put it to his heart, thinking that maybe the moving picture-Hermione could feel his heartbeat. After realizing this wouldn't work, he looked over at the clock. It was 1:30 PM. Wow, he had slept in. Really slept in. He looked to his right, where Harry was sleeping soundly, facing the wall, his expression unidentified, seeing as Ron couldn't see his face.
He then looked to his far left. Neville was sprawled out on the bed, and Seamus seemed to be cocooned in the blankets. Ron snickered and got out of bed. What had really happened last night? He remembered the dancing, he remembered the casual flirting he had done. He remembered the almost-kiss. He gasped. Did she know? Was she scared? What if she never wanted to see him again? What if their friendship was ruined? Trying to calm himself down, but not succeeding, Ron decided he needed a walk. Leaving a note for his roommates, he changed into some athletic shorts and a cut off tank top, and set off out of the room, heading for the beach.
Hermione walked aimlessly, barefoot along the beach, deep in thought. She stopped every now and then to pick up a stray rock by her feet at water's edge, and tossed it into the water. She sighed several times, unaware of why she was really feeling this way. Maybe it had something to do with last night. She thought back to last night, after the dance; when she and the girls had a bit of innocent fun, back at the hotel.
Flashback
It was late at night, well beyond Midnight, when she and the girls had entered their hotel room, very energized, and very excited. They all kicked their shoes off, changed into their pajamas, and joined the other in the living room area. They were all giddy, and no one felt much like sleeping.
"Ok, time for truth or dare." Ginny said, smiling mischievously. "Hermione, you first. Truth or dare?"
"Ill stick to "truth" right now, Gin" She said, not wanting to be daring just yet.
"Okay. I got a good one." She looked to Hannah and Luna, who nodded. Hermione was quite confused. "Tell the complete and honest truth."
"Okay..." Hermione sounded uncertain now.
"Do you,"She paused for dramatic effect, "like my brother?"
"Depends, which one?"
"Hermione Jane, you know very well which brother I'm talking about!" she laughed. Hermione smiled.
"I'm just playin, Gin. Of course I like Ron; I mean we've-"She was cut off.
"-as MORE than a friend?" Ginny looked at Hermione with burning curiosity now, and Hannah and Luna moved closer so they could hear her answer better.
"Uh- Well- The thing is... okay, here's the thing." She seemed lost for words.
"Spit it out, Granger!" Hannah said, and they all laughed.
Finally, she gave up. She smiled to herself, blushing a shade of crimson that could make any Weasley proud. "Yeah, I do. I really do."
Ginny squealed with excitement and engulfed her in a huge hug, Hannah and Luna joining in. "I KNEW you liked him! I KNEW it! KNEW it! KNEW it!" Ginny said, not trying to hide the excitement in her voice.
"Hermione, this is great!" Hannah cheered and laughed giddily.
"Congratulations! You go girl!" Luna laughed and fell off the couch. They all laughed and Hermione beamed.
"So, tell us Hermione. How long have you known?" Ginny asked, almost smiling as wide as when she was with Harry.
"Well, I guess I've always known. I mean, I denied it for a while, knowing nothing could ever happen, and I guess since third year was when I really knew it. I'm crazy about him. He makes me feel happier than I've ever been. All these years we've fought, I guess was because I didn't know how to handle my emotions for him. Last night, dancing with him, being close to him, was probably the happiest night of my life." If it was possible, she was blushing even redder with every word she spoke.
The other girls noted how much she glowed whenever she spoke about him. They let out loud, "Aww"s, and hugged for a few minutes. When they broke away, Luna wasn't afraid to speak up.
"You do know he really likes you too, right?" Luna asked in a dreamy voice, now back upright from her fall.
"He does not. Believe me, Luna. I'm the last thing on his mind." She said, not believing her.
"Or so he might have you believe." Hannah said, smiling.
"There's only one way to find out." Ginny went over to the table, picked up the cordless phone off its receiver, and handed it to Hermione. "Call him."
The other girls nodded and smiled giddily. Ginny winked at her. "If you do this, I promise you can interrogate us about anything, as many questions as you want. But you'll soon see that we're right."
Hermione shot her an "I-know-you're-wrong-but-I'll-humor-you" look and took the phone from her, rolling her eyes. Ginny didn't catch that, but only stared at the phone as Hermione began to dial the number for the guy's room. After she pressed the "1", she hung up, worry spreading over her face.
"Gin, I can't do it." She looked truly nervous.
"Hermione, yes you can. I can promise you he likes you. We never said you had to tell him you liked him. You can call him, Hermione. It's just Ron. You're a Gryffindor, be brave." Ginny smiled. "Come on, we're supposed to have fun! We're on vacation!"
Hermione laughed. "You're absolutely right. I can talk to him. Nothing out of the blue, right?" The other girls nodded, and Hermione, receiving a sudden jerk of confidence, picked up the phone, dialed the full number, and held the phone up to her ear. Hannah, Luna, and Ginny leaned towards her ear to listen.
The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. Then...
"Hello?" said a deep voice, familiar and somewhat muffled.
"Hi Harry, is Ron there?" She asked, with dignity.
"Yeah, one second." He covered the phone with his hand and yelled "Oy! Ron! Phone!" He handed the phone over to Ron, winking at him, but Ron slapped him lightly on the shoulder, and Harry stepped away from him, but still within listening distance of the phone.
"Hello?" Ron asked, unsure of whom it was.
"Hello you." She said, smiling into the phone.
"Hey 'Mione" he said, smiling into the phone, as well, shooing Harry and the rest of his roommates away from the phone. They sat on the couch and started playing video games, as Harry had showed them after one successful summer of hi-jacking Dudley's Nintendo Gamecube. They were being somewhat violent, as they kept trying to crash the NASCAR cars, instead of actually racing them.
"Shh! I'm on the phone!" Ron yelled over to them, as they were making quite a bit of noise in their festivities. Then he turned back to the phone, and the person at the other end. "Sorry, 'Mione. The other guys really love those video games."
She giggled. "Oh Dear God, What've I done?" she said, and Ron laughed. She loved when he laughed. It sent chills up and down her spine whenever he gave her that lob-sided grin of his that made his name famous at Hogwarts and that made Hermione weak at the knees whenever she saw his smile, as she imagined he was doing right now. Combine that smile with a laugh that should be cherished forever, and you have one of the reasons why Hermione liked him, maybe even loved him, a lot. But how could she not?
"So, 'Mione, why'd you call?" he raised an eyebrow, even though she couldn't see. He was curious, but still completely clueless. Hermione snapped out of her reverie and focused her attention back to the fact that she was talking to Ron on the phone.
"What? I can't just call and say 'hi' to my best friend ever?" she said, playfully, though, in her heart, she wasn't kidding.
"No, I guess you can. But I know you 'Mione. What's really goin' on? " he sat down in a seat beside Harry, collapsing on the couch, more confused than he had ever been before in his life.
"Uh- sorry Ron, I can't. Gotta go, bye!" and she hung up the phone. She burst into fits of laughter and couldn't stop blushing. The other girls giggled with her then immediately requested the play-by-play of what happened. Since there was almost nothing to tell, Hermione shared. The girls couldn't help laughing through it all.
"Ron is so thick sometimes. I swear he knows everything and anything about the Cannons and who's going to win the Cup this year. But ask him about his feelings or something, and you'd think you were talking to Goyle about advanced divination." Ginny said, and the other girls nodded and laughed. Hermione had to agree. Hadn't it become clear to him by now how she felt?
Ron just stared blindly at the phone after Hermione had hung up on him. What had she really wanted to talk to him about? What was she talking about? He raised an eyebrow questioningly at it, but only gave up on what was going on. He hung it back on its hook and sat down on the couch, one hand supporting his forehead, which seemed to be hurting him a little bit. Harry paused the game and looked up at him.
"You okay, mate?" he asked, like a concerned brother.
"Yeah, just confused." He sighed, then leaned back in the couch and closed his eyes, trying harder than ever to make his head stop hurting.
END Flashback
Hermione was still completely lost in her trance, but was taken back to reality when she heard a particularly loud wave crash a few feet away from her and wash up at her feet. She smiled and stopped for a second, letting the cool, ocean wind sweep through her hair. She closed her eyes and let it fan over her, feeling free, peaceful.
"Gotcha!" a voice yelled from right behind her, and someone grabbed her waist, disrupting her moment of tranquility. She screamed loud, and she spun around on a reflex, to reveal who was around her waist.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" She yelled. He gulped at the mention of his full name, but smiled that infamous lob-sided grin she loved so much. She mock glared at him and stared him down in the eyes. He gazed softly at her, and she forgot being mad at him. Hell, she was alright and it was Ron's strong, masculine arms around her waist. She thought she could feel him pulling her closer to him, but she knew she thought wrong. She let out any anger she still retained at him by lightly and playfully, smacking him on the shoulder, smiling nonetheless. Ron laughed.
"Miss Granger, you're weak." He said, playfully serious.
"Why, Mr. Weasley, would you like me to slap you harder?" she said, in the same playfully serious tone as he. Right as she said it, she immediately wanted to take it back. "That came out all wrong." She said, smiling.
"I'll say." He said, and he let her waist go. She pouted slightly at being let go, but didn't want to arise suspicions, so she just went with the flow. "What're you doing out here?"
"Going for a walk. You?" she answered.
"Going for a walk."
"Want some company?"
"Yeah. Wanna join me?"
"Yeah." She smiled and Ron offered his hand to her like a gentleman. "Quite the gentleman, you are, Ronald." And she took his hand, and interlaced her fingers with his. They began walking forward, slowly.
"Yeah, well, you know. Fred and George insisted they taught me how to treat a girl nicely before this trip. I'm just following orders." He smiled again and Hermione thought she was walking on air, even though she could feel the cold water on her feet. Looking down for a split second, she saw he was barefoot too.
They walked in silence for quite a bit. Just holding hands and walking, each thinking of the other. Hermione was the first to speak what was on her mind, which, coincidentally, was the same as what was on his.
"Um... Ron?" she asked, uncertain and a little bit nervous.
"Mmm?" He mumbled, unaware of what she was about to ask.
"I was thinking, about last night...."
"Yeah?" He was slightly more aware now. She cleared her throat.
"Did that mean anything at all? I mean, we were just having fun, right? Innocent fun and the music took its toll on us." She blushed a little bit, re-remembering the night. Ron looked at her, having gotten the wrong idea of what she meant by it.
"Yeah. Just innocent fun. Blame it on the music." He said dully, and quite disappointed by it and sulked slightly. He didn't believe what he had said. She didn't believe what she had said. They were both becoming even more oblivious to the other. Ron broke the long, uncomfortable silence that followed.
"Hey, wasn't it hilarious when Crabbe and Goyle tripped on the dance floor? I mean, I know they like to be like Malfoy, but trying to dance with him is just too much for anyone to handle!" and he burst out laughing. Hermione laughed, too. It was hilarious. She had seen it last night and almost made her mascara run from her tears of laughter.
"I know, right?" she said through fits of giggles. They both sighed in unison to the other, still walking slowly, hand in hand. Their hands swung back and forth, back in forth, creating shadows across the sand. Shadows of two people holding hands, happy and content, wind in their hair and sand beneath their feet. They were so happy, so desired. And they weren't a couple. As far as the other was concerned, it might never happen. They were just friends, just best mates and nothing more. Forever. Each let out a rather loud and disappointed sigh at the same time, looking down at the earth they were walking on.
A huge wave washed over their feet rather forcefully after a few minutes, making a once stable Hermione lose her balance. It caught her at the ankles and she began to fall. Though the impact of the wave was strong, it apparently was strong enough for a certain redhead to maintain, because his feet stayed rooted in the sand and, moving quickly on an adrenaline rush, caught Hermione a foot before she fell in the sand. One arm supporting behind her back, the other catching her behind the head, he held her gently.
"Thanks for that, Ron." And Hermione smiled at him and looked up into his baby blue eyes. (A/N: if I described his eyes different earlier, sorry..) He stared back into her eyes, smiling.
"Yeah, no problem." He held onto her still, not even realizing another presence among them.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Weasel and the Mudblood Granger. Did I interrupt something?"
Ron dropped Hermione upon spinning around to see a very smitten and smirking Draco Malfoy, intimately walking with his "girlfriend" of the week, Pansy Parkinson. Hermione moaned from the fall, but Ron didn't notice. He was flustered, angered, and a very bright shade of scarlet.
"Ronnnnnnn!" Hermione yelled, and then she noticed Malfoy there, even though she had heard him. She got up from the sand as if it were fiery hot, and looked him straight in the scowl, a scowl expressing on her lips and in her eyes.
"Shove off, Malfoy! Mind your own business! We weren't even doing anything!" Ron bellowed, towering above the Malfoy heir. Malfoy had grown an inch or two, but Ron was still overwhelmingly taller. At least 6 feet, and still possibly growing.
Malfoy rolled his eyes and Pansy smirked. "Yeah, right," he said sarcastically, "tell me, Granger, have you actually found yourself a winner?" he said smugly.
"We're not together, you ass." She stared at him, a look of cold and pure hatred.
"Now, now, Granger. No need to be harsh. Besides, that's certainly not what you thought of me last year. Remember this?" he said, and leaned in to Pansy and kissed her very passionately on the lips for several long, anticipating seconds. Pansy responds by kissing him back just as passionately, and Ron watches in spite, disgusted by the sight as Draco visually slips his tounge into Pansy's mouth. She giggles shrilly and then the couple break away. Hermione gapes at them, her face reddening.
"What's he talking about, 'Mione?" Ron asked, worried and all out concerned.
"Nothing, Ron. It's nothing." She said quietly and quickly.
" 'Mione'? he has a nickname for you now? Ha! I always thought you liked "Hermy" better... but then again, I could be wrong. And you know very well that it wasn't nothing. I specifically remember a certain bushy-haired Gryffindor asking for more..." he added with a wink, and raised his eyebrow flirtatiously at her.
"I NEVER ASKED FOR MORE!" she screamed at him, holding back some very real and angered feelings, as well as actions.
"Isn't he a good kisser?" Pansy piped in, full of glee.
"ye- NO!" she said quickly, becoming even more angered by the second. Malfoy just smirked.
"If it wasn't so good, why'd you kiss me a second time?" he said, blackmail visible in his tone.
"You kissed me both times!" she bellowed, louder, so that the ground almost shook.
"But why'd you kiss back?" he snickered now, and his smirk became an evil grin, spreading from ear to ear.
"Go to hell, Malfoy!" she was so red, if she was in Spain, a bull would've charged at her. She was angered beyond anything she had ever been before, by far at least 600 times worse than she had EVER been at Ron. Oh no, RON! She thought.
"there- you two- kissing- twice?!" Ron gaped, mouth wide open, in disbelief. He seemed at a loss for words and in the past few moments had gone unusually pale. His mouth was dry so the words he managed to get out were barely audible, and there was a lump in his throat he couldn't seem to force back down.
"Looks like you two have some issues to work out." Malfoy sneered, and he grabbed Pansy's hand and ran back with her towards the hotel. Pansy gave a short, snobby little wave, and together they ran away, kicking sand in the couple's face as they departed.
"Ron, I am SO sorry." Hermione turned to him, her anger almost subsiding, and she gazed at him sympathetically, tears welding in her eyes.
"Hermione." Ron said, regaining himself and coming back into focus of the world around him. He spoke seriously, dully, and his expression was unreadable. "What happened last year?" The truth was, he didn't want to know, but he felt he had to, that he must.
"Look, Ron, it really was no big deal."
"Hermione, tell me. Tell me honestly."
"You won't like what I have to say."
"Say it anyways."
She took a very deep breath, and sighed it out. "Okay. It was right after one of our fights. I was really upset, so I went to the library and just, kind of, sulked there for awhile. Then he came. He walked up behind me and tried to comfort me, and I just kept telling him to shove off- honestly, I swear I was. He started to leave, and I really thought I had actually told him off for once. But instead, he went to my other side and in the quickest second ever, his lips were against mine, passionately and forcefully." She looked disappointed with herself, tears becoming more visible in the corner of her eyes.
"Spare me the details, please." Ron said after a second, finally speaking. "Did you like it?" he asked, more serious, anger almost trying to hide what he really felt inside. Heartbreak.
"Look, Ron, I only kissed back because he caught me in a very vulnerable state. I was needy." She said, trying to cover up for herself. She felt more horrible inside than she had ever felt before in her like, and she didn't want to lost Ron forever just because of two stupid, idiotic little instances.
"What about the second time?"
"Again it was after we fought. I went down to the lake, even more upset than before. He was there yet again, and when I asked what he was doing there, he kissed me again. And I- I- I accepted it!" Hermione said, as tears began to stream out of her eyes.
"How could you hide this from me?!" he asked, his voice growing steadily.
"Because I didn't think you needed to know!" her voice was growing in volume, too.
"So you were gonna hide this from me forever?! Is there anything else you've been hiding from me? Still kissing Vicky?!" his voice was becoming shaky now. There was anger and resentment in the tone when he mentioned Viktor, and Hermione, being the clever witch she is, picked up on it right away.
"What's he got to do with this?!" she yelled, outraged.
"EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD!" he screamed.
"like what?" she said, calming down slightly, trying to prove a point.
Ron fumbled for words. "He- Well... he- he always tried to-"he couldn't find the words, partly because, he knew there were none, but at this point, he was so angered, it didn't even matter.
"You are so thick." She said, hotly, and behind her tearstained face was heartbreak in herself.
"You are so- grr!" he said, hotly as well.
And they stormed off in opposite directions.
A/N: love it? Hate it? Sorry bout their little fight, they had to have one last outburst. smiles mischieviously The next chapter will be incredibly AWESOME! And I can't wait to get started on it! I'll try to move a little quicker... promise. Well, as always, please review! Thank you to my 8!