Chapter 3 -
Not to far away…
"Snape, pick up the pace. Come on, we need to get there some time before dark." Harry Potter stood at the wheel of the boat, steering it through the water. He had seen both Sirius and Snape standing on the dock looking lost. After getting their attention he had offered them a ride to the island. They obviously didn't think they had to work to get there though.
"Potter you tell me hurry up one more bloody time and…"
"And what, Snivellus? You don't seem to have a way there." Sirius pointed out. Over the last twenty years their hate for each other had dwindled to something more like a sibling rivalry between the two men. Now most nicknames were a sign of joking but then again one never could tell with the two of them.
Severus grumbled to himself and began to fumble with some rope, all the while thinking of creative ways to strangle both Potter and Black with it.
Back on the Island…
Hermione drove along the rode, bubbling with excitement. Lavender, Ginny and her had become the best of mates just after Hogwarts but when Hermione had moved to magic-less Greece they had split up. That hadn't stopped their friendship though. Now rich divorced Lavender and unmarried, carefree Ginny were coming to the Island for Sophie's wedding.
She drove up to the dock as Ginny and Lavender began to get off the boat.
"Come on Cleopatra." Ginny said to Lavender as she held her hand out for the stiletto wearing blonde. They began walking down the wooden dock until Lavender shrieked as her shoe got stuck and she stumbled forward.
Hermione wove her way through the people until she was at the very end of the wooden dock.
"Will you look at what the tide washed in?" She yelled loud enough for them to hear. Lavender and Ginny both stood back to back and took a pose.
"For one night!" Ginny yelled.
"And one night only!" Lavender continued.
"Hermione and the Harpies!" They both shrieked and ran to Hermione who was running to them. All three collided in a tight hug.
"Oh wow! Look at you!" Hermione exclaimed to Lavender. "You look fantastic."
"You look like and old hippie." Lavender teased pointing at the stylish overalls she wore.
"Pfft she looks great." Ginny smiled at the two of them. It was good to see the three of them all together again.
"Ohh… and where did you get these?" Hermione groped Lavender's boobs for a moment until she was jokingly pushed away.
"Husband number three!" They all laughed like school girls. Then together the all shouted "Harpies, Harpies. Sleep all day and Boop," they butted their butts together, "all night!"
"So, any men at this wedding? Gorgeous Greeks of independent means?" Lavender asked Hermione while they were driving up the Island side.
"Oh no. Here we go, husband number four!" Ginny and Hermione laughed in agreement.
"No not for me, for her." Lavender motioned to Ginny. "Now that her book is a best seller and has the whole world stuffing, what, mushrooms and various vegetables it's time for her to find Mr. Right."
"Oh please, BORRING!" Ginny laughed.
"Ha ha ha, great couple of role models you two are for Sophie. The serial bride and the little hermit over here." Hermione was so happy to see her best friends again. Too much time had past since they had last been together and she had missed the playful bantering.
"Hah, that's me. The lone wolf." Ginny gave a wolf howl and Hermione joined in. They rounded a corner and slowly came to a stop on a flat cliff. Another two cars were parked there and muggles were taking stuff like flowers, and walking towards the hotel.
"So when are the love birds flying the nest?" Ginny asked.
"Haaah, who knows? You know I do not know what's going on in that childs head sometimes. She wants a big white wedding and she and Scorpius are making all kinds of plans for the hotel. Sometimes I think they'll never leave." Hermione unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Ah, but do you really want them to?" Both Ginny and Lavender turn to Hermione.
"Well I want what's best for her… Course not!" As the three of them got out of the car, Scorpius was walking on the path way towards them.
"Scorpius, come meet my back up girls." Hermione shouted to him.
"Back up girls my ass." Lavender and Ginny said together as Scorpius sauntered over in his navy blue t-shirt and white shorts.
"He's the leading man at tomorrow's shindig."
"The lucky man." Scorpius replied.
"Hello." Ginny held out her arms for a hug.
"Ah you must be… Ginny. How are you?"
"I am. Very well thank you." Ginny hugged the boy then moved over to allow Lavender some room to get out of the car.
"And you must be Lavender. I've heard so much about you." Scorpius moved in for a hug.
"All bad I hope." Lavender replied as she hugged back.
"Ha, yes."
"And all true." Hermione said while she reached for the luggage.
"Here let me help." Scorpius offered.
"Harry you sure have grown. I've read your books. Bloke in a boat in Botswana. They've been a god send on dull business trips. Now, I may look like I'm pondering my securities but in reality I'm trekking through some remote part of the planet." Sirius was sitting next to him as Harry steered the boat.
"Well Sirius, you should try it for real sometime."
"Ah well sadly I'm not really the spontaneous trip taker anymore." Sirius said regretfully.
"So, have you two been close friends of Hermione recently?" Severus cut in.
"No," said Harry "I haven't heard from her for twenty years and then this invite out of the blue."
"You know that's a coincidence, neither have I." Sirius looked puzzled. Suddenly Harry gripped the wheel tighter and said "Going about."
"All right." Severus walked off to his station as Sirius stood and grabbed a rope. The rope began to pull him forward until he gained his balance.
Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, Scorpius and two other guys trekked up the steps to the hotel luggage in hand.
"You should have brought the iron lung." Ginny said gasping a little.
"Why did I wear stilettos?" Lavender moaned. As the two oxygen deprived women leaned against the stone railing to catch their breath Sophie ran from her room to the balcony.
"Aunty Ginny!" She squealed and ran back inside.
"Ohh, look at Sophie she's gotten so beautiful." Lavender said to Hermione. A little squeal and Sophie ran to Ginny. "Come here to me… Oh, Sophie Granger you get more gorgeous every time I see you." Ginny hugged the bride-to-be.
"I bet you don't remember me." Lavender said hoping she did.
"Ha ha, not with all that plastic surgery." Ginny laughed and Sophie ran towards Lavender.
"Of course I do. Aunty Lav you haven't changed a bit."
"Aw look at my baby. Your whole life ahead of you." Hermione pulled Sophie into a hug.
"Oh please, I'm getting married not joining a convent." She pushed her way out of her mother's arms and ran up the steps playfully. Both Ginny and Lavender 'ooo".
"She'd feisty. I love that."
"Yes she's a chip off the old block."
"Hmm if she were more like me she wouldn't be getting married at twenty." Hermione and the girls followed up the same steps.
"Or married at all." Responded Lavender. All three rounded the corner to see lines and lines of laundry.
"Oh I meant to get the laundry down before you came." Hermione grabbed a couple of sheets from a line.
"Ah, Lavender's going home."
"You'd think, that with all this new technology they'd figure out a machine to make the beds." Hermione wadded the cloth into a ball that was easier to carry.
"You could use magic you know." Lavender pointed out.
"Lav, I haven't done magic since Sophie was a baby and I'm not about to start again." whispered Hermione. Sophie came back and overheard the part about the bed making machine.
"And if they did you'd be going along behind it making them again." Sophie took the wad of cloth. "I know you mom." She kissed Hermione on the cheek and walked off as Scorpius walked up to them with drinks.
"Aww. But I am going modern," Hermione turned to Scorpius. "Tell them about the… internets, he's going to put me on the line." "Online." Sophie said as she came back.
"I'm designing a website. I just think this place has so much potential and no one knows we're here." Lavender smiled enthusiastically as if she knew what he was talking about. "If I market it really really well then hopefully people start flooding in." Scorpius explained.
"We just want this to be the ultimate romantic destination. This was once supposed to be the site of Aphrodite's fountain, you know the goddess of love, and if you drank the water you were supposed to find true love and perfect happiness." Sophie placed her hand lovingly on Scorpius' arm. Both Ginny and Lavender looked happily at the couple.
"Well I'll have a glass of that." Lavender said looking at Hermione.
"Yeah, and I'll have a bucket." Ginny was still watching the two love birds.
"Aphrodite's spa." Lavender tested out the name as Hermione led them into their room. A baby blue room with an old yet beautiful look to it.
"I thought you didn't want boat loads of tourists?" Ginny asked.
"Oh no, not boat loads but a few more would be nice." She laughed and walked into the adjoining bathroom. She stopped short and turned back to her friends. "Ok now the thing about the toilet," She looked pointedly at Lavender. "If it doesn't flush right away, just go and come back in a while and it should…" Hermione gave a little 'move on' motion with her hands. She began to walk to the shuttered window to open it.
"Nothing works around here, except for me. Heh I've been running this hotel for 15 years and I have never had a day off." She pushed the shutter open and gasped as one fell off and down to the street. "I'm sorry." This situation reminded her of a song she had heard a few years ago. She began to sing it;
"I work all night
I work all day
To pay the bills I have to pay.
Ain't it sad?" The workers replied while holding the shutter.
"And still there never seems
To be a single penny left for me." Hermione noticed Ginny about to sit in an old broken chair.
"Don't sit down there.
That's too bad.
It's broken. In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man,
I wouldn't have to work at all
I'd fool around and have a ball." She looked through a pair binoculars at a yacht then handed them to Ginny so she could look. Hermione walked out of the room and down to where the shutter had fallen. Multiple produce sellers and fancy ware sellers bombarded her with what they were selling. Still she continued to sing to herself.
"Money, money, money
Must be funny
In a rich man's world." She paid a few people then reached for the shutter.
"Money, money, money
Always sunny
In a rich man's world." Above her on a ledge Lavender had pulled out all her credit cards and was showing Hermione with an expression that said she could use them if she wanted. Hermione just shook her head.
"All the things I could do, Hah
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world." Hermione placed the shutter against a wall and walked down some steps then towards a shut door. Ginny and Lavender followed but as Hermione turned the door knob it broke off. They got through the door and into a kitchen looking room where four women were making food. Now Lavender and Ginny joined in.
"A man like that is hard to find."
"But I can't seem to get him off my mind."
Ain't it sad?
"And if he happens to be free
I bet he wouldn't fancy me."
That's too bad
"I have to leave,
I have to go
To Las Vegas or Monaco
And win a fortune in a game
My life will never be the same." She drifted off to picture herself in a flowing gown on a luxurious boat.
"Money, money, money
Must be funny in a rich man's world.
Money, money, money
Always sunny in a rich man's world.
Oooooooooooahhhh
All the things I could do
If I had a little money"
"It's a rich man's world." Ginny and Lavender added.
Money, money, money
Must be funny in a rich man's world.
Money, money, money
Always sunny in a rich man's world.
"All the things I could do
If I had a little money"
It's a rich man's world.
Hermione walked out side with her tool belt. While the four women were taking down the rest of the laundry Hermione buckled her tool belt on. Suddenly a rumble rocked through the hotel and a crack appeared in the middle of the court yard. All the women shrieked and Ginny and Lavender rushed over.
"What's going on?" Lavender asked.
"Did you feel it? The earth moved darling, we're falling apart. Don't think about it." Hermione grabbed a wine bottle out of Lavender's hand. "Come on, let's go have fun."