A/N: Thank you all so much for your favorites, follows and reviews after last chapter! I just finished Sleeper yesterday, so go read that if you are looking for a complete story! It's Theomione. I so hope you will enjoy this chapter...things are about to get a little steamy.
Please let me know what you thought of chapter three, and be on the lookout for chapter four soon!
The next morning came much more swiftly than either Hermione or Neville would have liked, but both knew that they needed to get up to face the day to deal with the portkey lag. The sooner that they got onto the island's time schedule the better.
Hermione had, undoubtedly slept better than Neville had. He'd become quite tall, well over six feet tall, since he was a child, and he didn't quite fit on the oddly shaped bed that had been created when they split it in two. He could really only get one leg fully on the point of the heart, and the other one had kept falling off, causing him to wake up several times in the night.
Bad sleep aside, he was ready to get started for the day. Hermione had graciously cooked him breakfast, sliding a plate of scrambled eggs and fried tomatoes, with a few slices of bacon in front of him on the kitchen table. He'd contributed a pot of tea for them to share, but suddenly felt inadequate in the face of her culinary masterpiece.
"I know it's not much, but I figured it would do for today." Hermione said sheepishly, before taking a forkful of eggs from her own plate.
Neville happily took a bite, moaning his delight. "Honestly, Hermione, these are delicious. It's been a long time since I've had a proper breakfast. I've been so busy with my research." He'd taken to spending most of his mornings in the library at Hogwarts.
Hermione gave him a sheepish grin, obviously flattered at his words of praise for her cooking. It was hard to be constantly compared to Molly Weasley's cooking, and so to hear such an honest opinion was refreshing. "What are you researching, exactly?" She asked, intrigued.
"Well, I am specifically looking at how magical plants do in non-magical environments. I've heard of a particular kind of orchid here in Fiji that the local inhabitants use for medicinal purposes. I think that it's likely a magical plant, but they don't realize it." Neville said, really excited to have someone to talk about the subject with.
"Hm, that's very interesting!" Hermione said, thinking of the implications. Of course, being a muggle, she knew all about muggle scientists finding plants that could cure or fight loads of muggle diseases, but she'd never considered the possibility that they were magical plants all along. "What's it called?"
"It's similar to a Pastor's Orchid." Neville told her. Personally, he loved orchids, and he thought that they were a very meaningful flower, tricky to keep alive for any reasonable amount of time, especially in Scotland! "Those are really common around these parts, and they have these big leaves. But, the special one is called a Death Orchid. It's got petals that are nearly black, and it looks like it's wilting, even when it's perfectly healthy."
Hermione snorted. "What an apt name."
"Yeah, I'm really hoping that I will just be able to find one. Pot one to take back, and maybe do a bit of research of its magical properties while I'm here." Neville said, pushing his empty plate away. "That was delicious, Hermione, thank you." He told her sincerely.
The lopsided smile he gave her caught Hermione completely by surprise, and she was surprised by just how attractive she found Neville. Of course, hearing him talk so passionately about a subject that clearly interested him, that wasn't Quidditch, had been nice too. "It's no trouble. Think of it as a thank you for getting me out of that blasted city."
A beat of uncomfortable silence stretched between them until Neville awkwardly cleared his throat. It was staring Hermione in the face just how much they'd grown apart, just how much she didn't really know this new Neville. And then her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to know him.
"Well, I was planning on doing a short hike the rainforest this morning, if you wanted to come with." Neville told her, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "It's not going to be anything too intense, just to kind of get my bearings."
Hermione relaxed, hearing that. She wasn't sure that she was ready to go on some eight hour hike over rugged terrain just yet, though maybe after she'd gotten a few days rest. "That would actually be really lovely, Neville. I'll just go change."
She ran back to their room and dug through her travel bag until she found a pair of khaki shorts, sturdy pair of boots and a breathable linen top. At first, she was going to choose a black shirt, but instead settled on the white, sleeveless one, knowing that she was liable to get hot, and she didn't need the added warmth of a black shirt.
After she'd changed, she put her hair in a tight french braid, wanting to keep her thick hair off of her neck. She returned to the kitchen, seeing Neville putting on a bit of sunblock. Deciding that was probably a good idea in the tropical sun, Hermione did the same, making sure to get the tips of her ears.
Filling up a set of water bottles, they made their way out onto the deck before apparating over to the beach. Hermione sighed, taking the scenery. It was truly gorgeous, with the blue ocean surrounding them every which way that you looked, and the lush green vegetation that covered the tiny island they were on.
Entering the forest, Hermione smiled, intrigued by all of the different flora and fauna that she'd never seen before. She'd gotten a lot of experience while on the run with Harry and Ron with forest, but this was completely different.
Once they had walked quite a ways, pointing out new and exciting things together, Neville finally broached a subject that had been on his mind since the engagement party. "So, Hermione, humor me...if you had to date someone, what would be the qualities that you'd want him to have?"
Hermione snorted. "Merlin, Neville, did Rita Skeeter put you up to this?" She teased. Rita Skeeter did not trust Hermione enough to actually approach her, after her little vacation in a glass jar, but she did get her little flying monkeys to do her dirty work for her, to report on the sad state of Hermione's love life.
Neville laughed. "No, I promise I won't tell anyone...Gryffindor's honor!" He said, making a little motion over his heart. "I guess I just...well, it seems like you've gone on a lot of dates, but nothing ever seems to stick." He teased her. He wasn't sure why he wanted to know, but he thought that Hermione deserved a nice guy, her own Prince Charming.
She was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. "Hmm...I don't know Neville, this seems a bit silly." She said, kicking a rock far ahead from where they were walking.
"Let me guess. Average height...Um, pureblood of course - only the best for you, Mione - red hair, blue eyes, has the disgusting habit of eating with his mouth wide open." Neville ticked off traits, using his fingers. "Oh! And of course, an unhealthy obsession with the Chudley Canons. He'd also have to have a terrible middle name like "Bilius", or something like that."
By the time that he was done, Hermione was laughing. "Nev-ille!" She sing-songed his name. "No! Ronald is definitely not my ideal wizard. Lavender can keep him and his terrible snogging skills to herself."
Hermione walked a ways, collecting her thoughts. "I don't really have a preference for hair or eye color." Hermione privately knew, though, that she didn't want a redhead. Too much baggage. "I guess, I'd like him to be taller than me, but that's not hard, because I'm pretty short." Hermione nibbled on her lower lip, gaining a bit of confidence in her wants. "I want someone who is smart, funny, has hobbies other than Quiddtich, understands that succeeding is important to me and shares that quality. I also don't want someone who takes themselves too seriously."
She noticed that Neville's hazel eyes were looking at her face with pure concentration. "Merlin, that sounds like a pretty demanding list." She told him, feeling a bit sheepish.
"I don't think it's unreasonable at all, Hermione." Neville said, giving her that goofy lopsided grin of his. "So what if none of the guys you have been on dates with so far don't fit the bill. Someone will, and it will be worth the wait." He said, confidently.
"Well, the dates never worked out because no one seemed to understand that I am still me, Hermione Granger. They all have this idea in their head about some big war heroine, and they like the idea of dating someone famous, rather than dating me." She looked down again at the path, scowling. "Even some guys in our own year. I took classes with them for six years. Surely they know who I am."
Neville grimaced. "To be honest, Hermione, they were probably just excited at the chance to get to date you. I know several guys who think Ron is crazy for going for Lavender instead of you."
His tone with quite serious, which made Hermione a bit uncomfortable. It was odd to think that someone...guys even...would prefer her over Lavender. She needed to get the conversation off of her love life. "Well, I am sure that it will die down soon. Everyone will remember how boring I am and then move on to someone else."
He could tell that she didn't really want to discuss this any more and let it drop, not wanting to upset Hermione on the very first day of their vacation together. "Exactly." He looked around. They'd been walking around for a few hours, and he was ready to go back to the villa. "Well, I think I've got a good idea of the lay of the land. Shall we head back to the villa?"
Hermione nodded, before taking Neville's arm in her hand, so that he could side-along them back. When they returned to the air conditioned bliss of the villa, she realized just how sweaty she'd gotten, trudging about the rainforest. "I think I'll just shower quick, then. Okay, Neville?"
Neville nodded, before heading over towards the door to the deck. "I think I'm going to take a quick dip in the ocean. Are you game for dinner at the resort tonight?" He asked. He was glad that Hermione had cooked breakfast, but he didn't expect her to cook all their meals.
"Sounds good!" She called over her shoulder, walking in the direction of their fabulous bathroom. She left her sweaty clothes in a heap by the door, before turning the water on cold, and releasing her hair from it's braided prison. She giggled at herself in the mirror, seeing the havoc that the humidity had wrecked on her.
Stepping into the cool water, Hermione sighed, feeling herself relax despite the cool temperature. She thought about the day she'd had. It had certainly gotten herself out of her comfort zone, and she was able to do a bit of introspection. And she had had a good time joking around with Neville.
One of the walls of the shower was partially frosted, so that her body couldn't be seen, but she could still see the ocean where the glass was clear, above her shoulders. Hermione decided to enjoy the view, thinking that this villa, despite the romance, might just be paradise.
Looking out the clear portion of glass, Hermione noticed Neville, still standing on the deck in his clothes. She gasped when he took his shirt off, revealing the bunching muscles in his back. Next, he unzipped his pants and slipped them down his legs. Hermione thought her eyes might pop out of her head.
She felt bad because she was spying on her friend, but he looked so good. She had obviously noticed that Neville wasn't the chubby eleven year old that she'd first met, but this was...he was completely transformed into muscled hunk! Merlin, Hermione thought, he must be so strong. Just when had this happened, and where was she? How was it possible that she hadn't noticed it before?
Just then, Neville looked left and right, before shaking his head, remembering that the villa was completely private, before he hooked his fingers in the band of the clingy boxer briefs he was wearing. Hermione knew that she should look away, stop invading her friend's privacy, but she was transfixed.
The clingy black fabric slipped down off his hips revealing tanned flesh to her greedy eyes. Hermione didn't think she'd ever seen such a nice arse before, and she thought about how nice it might be to hold onto his back or his arse if he were on top of her. That thought caught her completely off guard.
Neville then bent over slightly before taking a dive off of the deck and into the water. Hermione gasped, seeing the way that his muscles rippled all the way down from his arms to his leg as he went through the motion.
She leapt away from the glass, her shoulders pressed against the cold tile. Despite being under the cool water, her body was on fire. Hermione squeezed her legs together, surprised by the heat there.
Hermione felt completely embarrassed, thinking about what a terrible voyeur that she was, spying on her good friend's private moment, but then she wouldn't have realized just how different of a person Neville had become. And the fact that she'd become so...aroused by him. Her cheeks flushed hot.
Turning the water off, Hermione stepped out of the shower, thinking that maybe it had been too long since she had been on a date, since she'd had an...intimate encounter. To be such a terrible little spy was reprehensible. She scowled. This was the kind of thinking that she was trying to avoid by getting out of London, by agreeing to go on this trip with Neville in the first place.
Toweling her body off, Hermione took a deep breath, trying to get her heart to stop beating so fast. Drying her hair with her wand, she summoned new bra and knickers from the bedroom, and slipped them on.
Now, she just had to figure out how to calm herself down enough so that she could get through dinner with Neville without blushing the whole time! She was sure that he would notice something was up. He'd always been very perceptive.
