Chapter Six: Bare Naked Truth

"WOAH!" Hermione heard a door slam as she fell onto a messy bed.

"YOU KISSED HIM!" She saw Emelyn leap onto her bed and land a foot away from her.

"What?" Hermione asked, sitting up in the bed.

"You kissed Drae!" This time Hermione was paying attention. She began to blush furiously as she stood up and walked over to the mirror. "How was it?"

Hermione turned around and looked at her cousin. Her face was as red as a cherry tomato. "It was just a peck."

"Then what's with the sunburn?" Emelyn asked with a smirk.

Hermione hid her face in her hands and flopped onto the bed. She squealed into the first pillow she could find excitedly.

"Whoa, cuz. Don't wet yourself."

Hermione tossed the pillow at her cousin's head, missing by half of an inch. She sat up quickly and looked at Emelyn. "Shut up Em."

Emelyn got up and walked over to her dresser. "P.J.'s?" She pulled out two pairs of boxer shorts.

"I have my own, you know?" Hermione told her.

"Okay," Emelyn began to walk over to Hermione with one pair of blue and green boxer shorts and a yellow tank top in her hand. "You go upstairs and get your sexy ass into a pair of your most comfortable pajamas, Brush your teeth and hair and get ready for bed then move that sexy ass mentioned earlier down those stairs 'cause you will be up all night with all that is gonna happen tonight." Hermione leapt up and hurried out of the room with a smile plastered on her face.

When she got to her room she closed the door and began searching through her bag for her favorite nightgown.

'Wait, why do I want to look like an old woman?' Hermione thought to herself after a minute of looking. She sat up and thought about what she had packed.

"Harry?"

The door to Harry's room opened and Hermione stepped in, still wearing her skirt.

"Hermione?" Harry asked. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed so we can go downstaird?"

"I was actually wondering if I could, um, borrow a pair of pajama pants," Hermione asked. 'Harry probably only packed dressing gowns too.'

"What do you need them for?" He asked.

"Well, I only have nightgowns and, um, I think that it might be a bit uncomfortable to wear tonight. I mean, with all the stuff we might be doing."

"What?"

"I want to impress Drae," Hermione said as she flopped onto the bed. "The nightgowns make me look like a fifty year-old old maid," she explained before her could even ask.

"Oh," Harry looked in his bag and pulled out a pair of baggy green pants and a black T-shirt and a pair of red pajama pants and handed them over to Hermione.

"Nice," Hermione said as she handled the comfortable fabric. "Did you just get these?"

"Yeah. Ron and I worked at Fred and George's before we went to your house," Harry told her. "They pay pretty spectacular."

Hermione smiled as she thanked Harry and walked towards the door.

"Don't think you're getting away that easily," Hermione turned around and faced Harry. She knew what was coming. "I had a great time," Harry said, imitating Drae's deep voice. "Me too," he said in a high-pitched voice.

"Hey, I have not sounded like that since the polyjuice potion incident." Hermione playfully put her hands on her hips and made a mock serious face. "Thank you for the pajamas and good bye. I will see you downstairs." She left the room and closed the door before he could make fun of her any more.

"Great friends," Hermione whipped her head around. Drae was standing in the hallway by himself in a pair of baggy, black pajama pants and a grey tank top. He looked even more gorgeous than she remembered.

"Well they do let me borrow pajamas," she said, trying to hide her burning, blushed face.

Drae let out a chuckle. "Forget yours back across the Atlantic?" He asked with a step towards her.

"Er, yeah," Hermione lied. "I did a last minute packing job yesterday and must have forgotten."

He let out a small smirk, but quickly wiped it off his face. For some reason the smirk sent shivers down Hermione's spine, but she thought not of it and called it lust.

"Well, um, I have to get changing. See you downstairs." Hermione ran past him and into her room.

Ten minutes later Hermione was changed, her hair was in a loose braid and she had brushed her teeth. She walked into the den and collapsed onto Harry's lap with her head on Ron.

"So where are Em and Drae?" she asked.

"Em is getting a few movies and Drae is on the telly (A/N I couldn't resist having him call it that) speaking with, er, someone," Ron said, refusing to look Hermione in the eye, making her suspect something wrong.

"Okay, what's going on?" She asked, sitting up.

"Nothing, Herm, don't worry," Harry assured her. "Nice pajama pants by the way."

"Why thank you very much Harry," Hermione giggled.

"Okay ye filthy redcoats," the three friends turned toward the doorway where Emelyn was standing holding a small pile of DVD's, "who wants to watch a movie?"

"Well maybe if you apologize,"

"Or just remember that you're a 'filthy redcoat' yourself," Drae laughed from behind Emelyn. "Your parents are on their way home."

"Thanks Drae," She said. She walked over and flopped into a large armchair.

"So what's first?" Drae asked, taking the pile over to the large T.V. and looking through it.

"Pirates of the Caribbean, loser."

Drae put the DVD into the DVD player, began the movie and sat on the large, comfortable love seat. Harry and Ron spread their legs out in front of themselves and leant back, making Hermione slightly uncomfortable.

Two water bottles later she had to go to the bathroom. The movie wasn't too far in, so she assumed that she would be able to catch up. She left the room and went to the bathroom down the hall as fast as she could. Upon arriving back in the den, she saw that Harry and Ron's feet were crowded in the middle of the couch where she had been sitting before.

"There's an empty spot over here," she heard a soft, barely audible whisper from beside her. No one heard it but her, she noticed as she looked around the room before her eyes fell on Drae's hand taking her to the empty spot beside him on the seat.

'Thank goodness it's so dark in here,' she thought to herself as she felt the cushions make contact with her body. "Thanks, those two can be a bit territorial at times," she laughed lightly. 'Oh god, that was so not funny.' He laughed, though.

An hour later his arm was around her and her head was in his chest, close enough for the scent of her shampoo to lightly tickle his nose. His fingers gently brushed against her arm so softly she could barely feel it, but just knowing it was there sent shivers down her spine. It felt so perfect she wanted the wanted the feeling to remain forever.

"Kid's we're home!"

Hermione jumped up. In the doorway stood her aunt and uncle, destroying the mood with the bright light and the fact that they didn't know she was using a fake name.

"Amara," Aunt Deidra said with a large smile as Hermione stood up and gave her and uncle Jalen hugs, "it's so great to see you!"

"Don't worry, Lynn left a message on the door," Uncle Jalen whispered in her ear.

"We'll go upstairs and have proper introductions in the morning." Aunt Deidra turned off the light behind her. "Good night kids."

(A/N they didn't introduce themselves to Harry and Ron because they never interrupt Emelyn and her friends to do embarrassing parent stuff or anything. These are cool parents who are going to take them to play paintball tomorrow)

"They seem nice," Harry said, a bit turned off by the lack of introductions.

"Oh don't worry, Neo," Emelyn said, taking the movie off 'pause'. "They just never do parents stuff when they come home from a party or when it's a dark room or anything. They're mad cool."

"Oh," Harry said as Captain Jack Sparrow took a piece of gold from the chest.

THE NEXT MORNING

Hermione felt the sun flood over her as she slowly awoke to the pool of gold. The bed was perfect and fit to her every curve. A few strands of hair had fallen over her face, but she did not care and didn't want to move for anything in the world. She breathed in deeply and inhaled a scent so familiar she couldn't hide the smile from her face. It was the scent of Drae's…whatever, it was just his scent and she wanted nothing more than to just take a bath in the scent so she could remember him all, wait.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked up. Sevaral feet away, Harry and Ron were strewn on the couch. Emelyn was curled up on the large armchair on her other side and above her was Drae. He looked like an angel with his blond bangs falling gently across his face. His muscular arms were wrapped softly around her but with enough constriction that it was like he was protecting her and never wanted to let go.

But who was she kidding? They had only met yesterday. Hermione mental slapped herself and slowly tried to free herself from the warmth of his body and his gentle touch, but as soon as she began to move he lifted his eyelids and smiled.

"Good morning," he whispered. Hermione noticed that he didn't have morning breath like most people. Either that or she just refused to inhale it and destroy his perfection in her eyes.

"Good morning," she whispered back, praying that she didn't have morning breath.

"Have a nice sleep?" he quietly asked.

Hermione nodded, "and you?"

"Couldn't have been better."

Ron suddenly let out a grunt and flipped off of the couch, bringing Harry with him. The commotion caused Emelyn to wake up and laugh at the sight.

"Good morning peoples," she said to everyone in one big yawn.

"Morning Lynn," Drae replied as Hermione sat up and moved away from Drae before she did something she wouldn't regret.

'Good Morning's went around the room as everyone began to wake up a bit.

Everyone stood up, stretched in their own weird ways, and in some cases scratched, as they went to the kitchen.

"Who's eating what?" Emelyn yawned.

"You sit," Drae led Emelyn over to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair for her. "I'll make breakfast."

"I'll help," Hermione said not a second after him.

"No, guys, I got it," Emelyn said as she stood up and began taking all food out of the refrigerator, pantry, cupboards and freezer. "Buffet style babes!" She took a blueberry waffle and put it in the toaster, grabbed a banana and filled a bowl with strawberry ice cream topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and rainbow sprinkles.

"That's your breakfast?" Hermione asked, taking two eggs out of the carton.

"No." Emelyn rolled her eyes in a playful 'duh' kind of way. "I mix up the ice cream stuff, put the most minute amount of margarine on the waffle, then cover it with the ice cream combination." Emelyn smiled.

"And this is why she gains all her weight in the summer," Drae joked.

Following Emelyn's example, Harry and Ron made their own food combinations consisting of bacon filled pancakes topped with massive amounts of syrup, fruit loops with chocolate milk and sugar, French toast covered with cheese fondue and s'more pancakes (pancakes made with mini marshmallows and bits of chocolate). Hermione stuck to an egg, cheese, mushroom, spinach, onion and tomato omlette and two pieces of English muffins with a cup of coffee while Drae had a Cherio, Rice Krispy, banana cereal and an Apple Crumb muffin with a glass of orange juice.

When they were finished and cleaned up their messes, everyone went upstairs and got dressed and ready for the day. Emelyn was planning on taking them all to the mall for a surprise for Hermione and then to the beach. (A/N I didn't feel like going to paintball. They'll do it later)

"Okay Amara, open your eyes!" Hermione opened her eyes and looked around. Emelyn had taken her to a nail salon.

"Where did the guys go?" She asked.

"Drae took them to get swim trunks and whatever," Emelyn told her as she ushered her to a woman in the back. "They didn't want to hang with us while we got our nails done."

"Is this your big surprise?" Hermione wondered what the big deal was about getting her nails done.

"Nope, we're getting waxed too."

Hermione froze in place. She didn't even shave down there let alone wax.

"Why do we need to get waxed?"

"I would say that it's an American thing, but I don't know if it's a big deal or not back in the U.K., so for now I'll just stick to 'don't you want to go swimming without wearing shorts?'"

"But I always wear shorts," Hermione said as she watched Emelyn take off her pants revealing a purple thong.

"Don't worry hun. My first time it didn't hurt at all (A/N ME TOO! ). In fact, I only do it before vacations when I know I'll be wearing a bikini." Emelyn laid down on the table and an old woman began putting baby powder and hitting her where she was going to be waxed.

"Are you getting waxed too, dear?" another woman asked.

"Yeah, but not too much," Emelyn said as the woman pulled the first strip off of her bikini line.

Hermione slowly followed the woman to the other room.

Ten minutes later the girls were getting their nails done. Hermione was getting a regular French manicure and was feeling bare, sore and naked while Emelyn was having them use different colors for each finger instead of the usual pink.

"So I say we go get really cute bikinis that match our nails and leave here as quickly as possible then come back another day and have a shopping spree," Emelyn said as she admired her first finished hand.

Hermione nodded, dying to talk about Drae.

"So how was the kiss?" Emelyn asked as though reading her mind.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" Hermione blurted out.

"No, not really."

"Why not?" Why didn't a guy as perfect as Drae have a girlfriend?

"He just hasn't found the right girl yet," Emelyn explained.

"Oh," Hermione looked down at her nails. "What's he looking for?"

"To be honest, sorta you."

Hermione wanted to jump out of her seat and sing on the top of her lungs, but then she remembered, "sorta?"

"He wants a girl who isn't afraid of who she is and will flaunt it without bragging. Bust basically you're the package; intelligent, good sense of humor, good heart, brave but still has fears that she fights to overcome, neither of us believe that anyone is unafraid of anything. There's a bit more to the list, but you're it. I just think that you need to come out of your shell a bit more. I can't exactly see him with the girl at the party who stands in the corner hiding behind a book." Emelyn looked at her completed nails and went to the nearby drying area.

Hermione sat in her seat as the woman began on her second hand. So he wanted someone a bit more outgoing? Well maybe she could try a bit more. After all, she was tired of being the girl on the side of Harry and Ron when Viktor wasn't around.

"So how are you lovely ladies doing over here?"