Chapter 6: Discoveries
"What is it?" asked Ron.
Luna tried to speak, but it came out as a whisper.
"The Phantom." said Haley and Ginny at the same time.
"I thought you guys just said you were joking!" Harry accused Madison.
"We were."
"Well then, what's going on?" Ron said.
"How would we know?" said Haley, puffing up.
"Okay, settle down." A calm Hermione declared, stepping between the two. "We need to handle this responsibly. Where did you find it?" she asked.
"The cottages." said Luna instantly.
"Cottages." Thought Hermione.
"Well?" said Harry.
"well, what?" Madison snapped, receiving a warning look from Haley.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go." said Harry as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, and he started up the beach.
"Go?" said Ron blankly, standing there in his red swimming trunks.
"You don't think we're going to just sit here, do you?" Harry called back to him.
"But--"
"Hurry up!"
Ron rolled his eyes and jogged after him. Hermione hurried to catch up.
"You should see your hair!" Ginny laughed as she passed him.
"What?" Ron touched his head, "What's wrong with my hair?" he questioned, turning to Hermione.
"Nothing." Hermione lied, smiling a bit.
"How could this be possible?" said Haley, who had fallen into step with Madison.
"I don't know," Madison said, "But just imagine it! If, you know…" she left the rest unsaid.
"I highly doubt that it's true. I mean, how could it be? It's just a story."
Madison shrugged, "come one, let's catch up to the rest of them."
Luna, surprisingly, reached a bush a few yards from a cottage first.
"So, what now?" asked Ron when Haley and Madison jogged into the group.
"Well-" began Harry.
"What are you doing here?" said someone with a French accent.
A girl was learning over the bush. She had tan skin, sparkling blue eyes, and full lips. Dark brown hair fell to her waist. Coming around the bush, they could tell she was tall and skinny. She wore muggle clothing of tan shorts, a pink spaghetti-strap shirt, and pink and white tennis shoes.
"What are you doing hiding behind that bush?"
"Um.." Haley searched for a reason.
"We found a note…" said Madison.
"Really?" said the girl.
Luna nodded and handed the note over.
The girl took the note with slim fingers ending in a pink French manicure and slid the envelope open. She carefully took out the piece of parchment and studied it for a second. Another second. More seconds. She covered her mouth and looked at them. Hermione was about to speak, but before she could open her mouth the girl let out a laugh.
"What?" said Harry, "What's so funny?"
"I wrote this!"
"You're the Phantom?" said Ron stupidly.
"No, silly." she laughed heartily again, "I love Phantom of the Opera. I wrote this and left it around to see if anyone's notice. I guess they did."
They all looked at her in surprise.
"My name is Cerene." she held out her hand. Her accent was gone. "I'm not French, really. But I still go to Beaxbatons. My mum and dad went to Hogwarts, but they moved to France. I'm pleased to meet you."
"Harry." said Harry, shaking her hand. He didn't feel the need to voice his last name.
She nodded and shook hands all the way down the row until she reached Hermione.
"Pleasure." she muttered.
"So, do you guys mind of I hang out with you? No one else really notices me here and I've finished all the books I brought along with me. I wish I would have brought my portable DVD player for Phantom of the Opera and a Quidditch video I made, but Madam Maxime took it away when I enlarged one of her horses to ten times its normal height." She had said this very quickly.
"You what?" said Harry incredulously.
"Enlarged her horse." Cerena repeated.
"That's way cooler than anything we've ever done." said Ron.
"And sure you can come along. Why not?" said Ginny. She flashed a smile that Hermione recognized was fake.
"Where should we go?" said Luna, rather absent-mindedly.
"Well, I haven't been swimming for a while." said Cerena, thoughtfully.
"Great, let's go." said Harry, walking toward the ocean.
"Well, the thing is…" said Cerena, blushing a little, "You see, I'm not really very comfortable swimming in the ocean. Do you mind if we go to your hotel?" She nodded her head up at the white building.
"Works for me!" said Ron.
As the boys, Cerena, and Luna headed toward the hotel, Ginny, Hermione, Madison, and Haley lurked behind a few steps. It was clear that Ginny and Hermione didn't like her.
"Why not?" said Madison.
"I just- don't." said Ginny, "There's something odd about her."
"I agree." said Haley.
"I just don't like her." said Hermione, through gritted teeth.
"Wait," said Ginny, "Don't tell me you're -- jealous!"
"Of course not, Ginny." Hermione snapped, "Why on earth would you think that?"
"Just a thought." said Ginny, grinning.
"Well, you thought wrong."
"Are you--"
"Hey! What's taking you so long? Let's go!" said Ron, walking backwards, looking at them. He turned back around and continued a deep conversation with Cerena. Harry walked along the other side of Cerena, nodding and putting in his own comments.
It was a full ten minutes before they reached the pool. The only other people with them were Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Parvati, Ernie, Hannah, and Susan. Harry, Ron, and Cerena filtered over to the others to greet them to Cerena, who had removed her shirt and shorts to reveal a hot pink swimsuit. Ginny, Hermione, Haley, and Madison hung around the other end.
"Hello." said a day-dreaming Luna, wandering over with a long blue skirt over her swimsuit. "Nice, isn't she?" Her gaze fell onto Cerena.
"I guess." said Madison.
Luna cast her an inquiring look, but said nothing.
"Why don't you flitter over there and drool over her, too?" said Haley.
"I wouldn't wish to do that." said Luna, a matter-of-factly, "It may seem so, but I haven't lost my mind." She indeed drifted away, toward the door to the pool.
Haley rolled her eyes. "I'm getting out." she said.
"I'm coming with you." Madison said. They both lifted themselves out of the pool, grabbed a towel, and left up the stairs.
"It is rather boring." said Ginny. The words had barely escaped her mouth when Harry and Ron came over.
"We're going to play chicken, want to join?" said Harry.
"I do!" called Cerena, "Ron? Will you be my partner?" she smiled.
Ron nodded vigorously, "Definitely!"
Harry cast him a confused look. "Anyway," he said, "Coming?" he said, looking at Ginny, then Hermione.
"I think I have somewhere else I've got to be." said Hermione, airily.
"Hmph!" replied Ginny, following Hermione.
"Ooookay. Anyone wanna be my partner?" Harry called.
--
"You are so jealous! Just admit it!"
"Ginny! I am not jealous!" Hermione lied for the third time up the stairs.
"Yes you are, Hermione. I can tell." she said wryly.
"Fine, Gin. I'm jealous." Hermione said flatly.
"Ha! I knew it!" cried Ginny triumphantly.
"You do know I was lying, right?"
"Sure, Hermione. Just keep telling yourself that."
Hermione opened her mouth to say more, but Ginny had already gone through their door and snapped the bathroom one shut, cutting off their conversation. She rolled her eyes and flopped on her bed, holding the impression of trying to fall asleep.
--
Haley was furious as she and Madison climbed the stairs.
"A sword…no! No, one of those balls with spikies and a string at the end. No! I got it! A bazooka!" Madison's face broke into an evil grin.
"You do know," said Haley, "That there are other ways to get rid of her."
"Yes." said Madison lightly, "Just, my way is more fun!"
Haley shook her head, smiling as they closed the door. She fell onto the couch and dug into her bag. A second later she had revealed her cd player.
"oh no you don't." said Madison, "I know exactly what you're going to do. You'll put on those headphones and--"
She stopped abruptly; Haley had already pressed 'play' and blaring rock music pumped in her ears.
"--and completely ignore me." Madison said dully, "Fine. Fine. Be that way!"
She grabbed her cd player and started to sing along with the Phantom of the Opera.
Ginny came out of the bathroom in a bath robe and her wet hair trailing down her back. She crossed over to the window to look outside.
"I don't believe it!" she burst out.
"What?" said Hermione.
"It--he--her--cheek--they--!" She made no sense whatsoever. "Oh," she said, "When he gets back up here…"
"Wha-?" Luna went over to the window and gasped. "It's Ron! He's coming down towards the hotel from the cottages!"
Ginny went out into the hall and hardly a minute later they heard echoing off the walls:
"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU!"
They didn't have to be outside to know Ron's facial expressions. They could, however hear him mumble something about, "--No idea what you--", but he was cut off by Ginny.
"OF COURSE YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"
"They sound like Mr and Mrs. Weasley." Hermione muttered, smiling a little.
"HOW DARE YOU? HOW-COULD-YOU?" Ginny roared, "SHE---AND YOU--AND--AND YOU JUST LET HER KISS YOU!"
Madison turned to Haley, who turned to Hermione with a horrified expression, who was whiter than snow.
"YOU COULDN'T STOP HER? YOU-COULDN'T-STOP-HER! OF COURSE YOU COULD HAVE! YOU --WORTHLESS--LITTLE--WEASEL! HOW COULD YOU? YOU FALL HEAD OVER HEALS FOR THE FIRST PREPPY LITTLE--"
Luna gasped.
"THAT COMES FLIRTING YOUR WAY AND YOU DROOL OVER HER LIKE THAT? SURE, YOU'RE FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE WORST--WORST--PERSON I'VE EVER KNOWN AND BREAKING SOMEONE'S HEART IN RETURN!"
"Who?" they heard Ron say, quite confused.
"You don't know? You-Don't-KNOW?" her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, "If you don't know, Ronald Weasley, I won't tell you. You better hope she's stupid enough to still care for you after what you've done!" she spat, then slammed the door in his face.
She looked rather shocked to find them all looking at her. "WHAT?"
Luna, Madison, Hermione, and Haley turned away, busying themselves with something else.
But as Haley changed her cd, she noticed, as she fixed the bed, a tear falling from Hermione's eye onto the blanket.
(A/N: Sorry, I've been really, really busy with other things going on in the summer: my cousin coming over, a sleep over, my friend is soon going on vacation to CA; and I haven't had the whole time to work on my fan fiction. The next chapter should be up no later than the end of next week (2 June 05). Ta!)