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Pirate Blood

Chapter 23

Swimming in December

Hermione was in the common room. She was only one of two people. She was looking at Jesse. It was so hard for her to believe that he actually was Jesse Sparrow. He seemed to be reading something.

Jesse wasn't reading though. He knew Hermione was watching him. He didn't say anything though. He looked up and locked eyes with her. He knew that she was still just processing that he actually is Jesse Sparrow. Even though he had been at Hogwarts for a while now, she didn't really process that it actually is Jesse in that body. She had seen him in his normal form for the first time when Draco found out Chris was Kaylee. He was Jesse Sparrow. The same boy who she loved when she was fifteen. He wasn't sure that she still loved him. Draco said she did. So did Kaylee and Blaise. But he didn't understand Hermione sometimes. She would be sweet and kind. At other times she would be cold and bitter. It didn't make sense. She didn't want to get hurt again. He understood that. But that never stopped her before. She had gone back to him before. Why couldn't she trust him?

"Why can't you trust me?"

"I do trust you, Jesse. It wasn't the things you did that hurt me. It was the falling that hurt."

"Then I've been hurting since I was thirteen, nonstop." Jesse walked out.

Jesse went down to the lake. He saw something moving in the water. Chris's head popped out of the water. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"The fact that you are swimming in the lake when it is fifteen degrees out side."

"Ha ha. Funny. I haven't changed that much since I was fifteen. So what did Hermione say?"

"That it was the falling that hurt, not the things I did."

"Falling in love hurts. Especially when you love the person you should be hating. You see, it was more the fact that she loved you and you did those things to her, not that you did those things." Chris said.

"I hate her being like this." Jesse said.

"I have to talk to you, Jesse."

"What about?"

"I'm going to have to leave soon. Go somewhere else to hide."

"Where should we go?"

"There is no we, Jesse. I going alone."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am. You love Hermione. She needs you here. Eventually she will admit it."

"Thank you, Kaylee. But where are you going to go?"

"Here."

"What?"

"I'm going to be a mermaid."

"That is the best idea I've ever heard."

"I thought it made sense."

"You're going to be in this lake?"

"Yeah. I figured I can pose as a student when I see you and Hermione and everyone else. And McGonagall said that I can get my work too. So that way I'll be able to pose as a teacher after the mermaid gig is up."

"That's brilliant, Kay."

"I know."

On December 17, Chris came running down the stairs. She was wearing a black shirt that said 18 on the front and FINALLY LEGAL on the back in bright purple. She found Hermione sitting next to Ron on the couch. "Where's Jesse?" Chris asked in a hurry.

"Upstairs." Hermione said.

"Why is she up so early?" Dean asked. He knew it was Sunday. Chris didn't get up before noon on weekends.

"She is always hyper and happy on her birthday." Hermione said.

Chris tip toed into Jesse's dorm. He was the only one still asleep. She started jumping up and down on his bed. "Wake up! Wake up!"

"Why?" Jesse asked groggily.

"One: It's our birthday! We're legal!" Jesse groaned. "Two: Hermione in a bikini." Chris said.

"I'm up!" Jesse jumped out of bed. Chris first rolled her eyes then muttered something and flicked her wand. Jesse was dressed.

"I already sent owls to everyone. They should be there in fifteen minutes." Chris said as they went down the stairs. Chris muttered something and flicked her wand. Hermione jumped.

"What the bloody hell was that?" she asked.

"You didn't really think I'd let you break your promise, did you?" Chris said.

"We said that years ago. You can't be serious."

"Yeah, actually, I'm dead serious."

Hermione reluctantly got up and followed Chris. They came to the lake. Chris was surprised when she saw Draco there. "I didn't think you'd come."

"I came for Jesse." He said blankly. He didn't though. Jesse couldn't have cared less about swimming in December. Kaylee did. That's why he was here. He came for Kaylee.

"Now for any of those who forgot why we are here, I will remind you. Five years ago, seven people made an agreement. When the last of them turned eighteen on December 17th, they would all go swimming. The last of them were Jesse, Kaylee, and Isabel Sparrow. Isabel couldn't be here due to the circumstances of death. So the rest of us shall keep our promise because, if any of you don't, I will kick your ass. Got it?" Chris said. What started as a serious moment turned out very light-hearted. You could always count on Chris for comic relief.

Draco took off his shirt. "Wait." Hermione said. She muttered something and flicked her wand. "I put a warming charm and an invisibility charm over us. The only people that can see us is each other. So, Jesse, Kaylee, if you want to morph..." Hermione told them. They did morph.

"So on three we jump in." Blaise said. Blaise was in green swim trunks. Draco was in his usual black, while Jesse was in blue. Kaylee was in a black halter bikini. Hermione was in a purple tube top bikini. Pansy was in a pink one piece. They held hands. Pansy held Blaise's. Blaise held Hermione's. Hermione held Jesse's (uncomfortably). Jesse held Kaylee's. And Kaylee held Draco's. "Count it off, Kay." Blaise said.

"1...2...3!" They all jumped in. They were splashing and they played around for an hour or two when they got out for lunch. They all did a spell to get dressed and dried off. Kaylee and Jesse morphed back.

At lunch...

Hermione sat next to Ron. Chris sat a couple seats down and across from Hermione. Jesse sat with Seamus across from Chris and Dean. Chris looked over at Hermione. Ron kissed her cheek.

Hermione smiled at him. "What the fuck?" Chris said.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"Look at Hermione." she said.

"Well I have got no problem doing that." Jesse smiled and turned his head to see Ron and Hermione kissing. "Bloody hell." Jesse said. Chris raised her eyebrows.

"What did you just say?" Dean asked.

"He said Bloody Hell." Seamus said.

"I guess England's getting to me." Jesse quickly covered up.

"I overheard you guys. You didn't know that Hermione and Ron got together this morning?" Ginny asked.

"I thought she would have told you this morning." Dean said.

"So did I." Seamus said.

"It's about time too. They've been flirting like mad since they were in first year." Ginny said.

"I'm not hungry anymore. What about you Jess?" Chris said.

"I'm ready to vomit." he answered. They left. After about a minute in the hall way, Chris pressed her thumb against her wrist. Jesse pressed his finger against his upper arm. In the next two minutes, Blaise, Pansy, and Draco came into the hall.

"Did you see Hermione bloody making out with the Weasel? What the bloody hell was that about?" Draco asked.

"Why isn't she coming? I called." Chris said.

"We'll all call." Blaise said. Blaise and Draco put their fingers on their upper arms. Pansy put hers on her thigh.

Hermione came out after five minutes. "Okay! Okay! I'm here! What the hell is it?"

They walked to the heads common room in silence.

"Why didn't you come when I first called?" Chris asked.

"I was a bit tied up." Hermione said.

"With your tongue." Jesse said.

"My love life is none of your business, Jesse." Hermione said.

"Why the hell didn't you tell us, Hermione?" Blaise said. She was surprised to hear Blaise say this. He was usually the calm and collected one.

"I thought you guys would react this way. I was trying to avoid this."

"So you had us find out by shoving your tongue half way down his throat?" Chris asked.

"Look, I like him. A lot. I have since first year. So don't screw this up for me. I have no reason to feel guilty so stop trying to make me feel that way."

"So you liked him the whole time we were together? I was just the side guy. I was just a substitute for the summer and vacations. I was only your boyfriend when it was convenient." Jesse said in his real accent. There was anger and hurt in his voice.

"Jess–" Hermione started.

"No I get it. I only wasted what? Like eight years liking you. Actually no. I spend four years liking you. I only spent the last four being completely in love with you. That's nothing though."

"Jess–" Hermione started again.

"You want to know what the worst part was? Hmm? I actually believed that you loved me. I figured 'Well if she puts up with all my shit, she must.' But I guess I was just a toy that you could fuck around with."

"What in hell gives you the right to do this to me? You disappeared for three years. You didn't write me for three years! For all I knew you were dead!"

"Bullshit, Hermione! I know that they wrote in papers about my family. They all said that my mother and I were living in Los Angeles, California. You could have easily written to me, too! You're right. I should have written to you, but I didn't. But neither did you! You think that you are any better than me, I've got news for you: You aren't. You've been making me feel guilty for months. And that's a reason for you to feel guilty." with that Jesse stormed out of the Heads common room and left Hermione with tear streaming down her face.

"Well this birthday sucked." Chris said, "I'm gonna go find Jesse. Make sure he doesn't kill anyone or anything like that."

'Happy Birthday's' came from everyone. Chris wouldn't look at Hermione on her way out.

(A/N: You know what a great gift for the holidays is? a REVIEW! Really guys, please, just take a minute or two and write a review. I really need some motivation. Anyways, Happy Chrismukkah. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanakkah, Happy Kwanza, or Happy whatever the hell you celebrate. And Happy New Year too, since I'm not sure I'll update before then. If you review, I definitely will update before new years. l8r, Nikki)