Authors Note: The lateness of this chapter was mainly due to the fact that I've been having problems with my computer. As always, your comments and views are welcome.
Chapter 2
The dawn chorus was loud and enthusiastic, the sound swelling cheerfully in the early morning breeze. The air was crisp and the sky was a beautiful blend of pink, purple and blue, as the sun emerged over the rooftops of London, which was slowly coming to life.
In her spacious flat situated in the suburbs of the city, Ginny lay back in bed, savouring the peace of the morning and glad to be alive. Excitement washed through her at the thought of the day ahead and she grinned, glancing at the neatly packed trunk lying at the foot of the bed. Today she would be off to the Caribbean and she couldn't wait!
It had been a long time since she had been out of Britain, the last time being a fleeting visit to Argentina with Luna Lovegood, on an undertaking for the Order of the Phoenix. Now though, she was going alone and was looking forward to the experience. She wondered what it would be like, whether she would become acclimatized or not, she sincerely hoped she would. The good weather in the Caribbean and the wonderful scenery would be enough to satisfy anyone.
Jumping out of bed, she threw off her pyjamas and took a quick shower, her mind busy with plans and ideas for the upcoming day. Even now she couldn't believe that out of the fifty or so marine workers, she, one of the least experienced, had been chosen for the trip. Dressing hastily in jeans and a sleeveless top, she strolled into the compact kitchen and busied herself making coffee.
A few minutes later, the kitchen door was pushed open, and turning, she saw May, her flat mate, enter the room, looking bleary eyed, her damp hair hanging loose around her shoulders. Clearly she too, had just got out of the shower.
"Someone's very cheerful this morning," May, never a morning person, grumbled, slouching over to the counter and pouring herself some coffee.
Ginny smiled at her tall, dark-haired friend. "This someone has every reason to be cheerful," she replied, leading the way into the sitting room carrying her coffee, with May following. She switched on the television, a housewarming present from Ron and Hermione which along with various other muggle items of May's had been adapted to run on magic, and sprawled out on the sofa.
"It's not fair," May sighed, sitting down opposite and glaring at the TV screen where BBC Breakfast News was in full swing. "I wouldn't mind a trip to the Caribbean; it'd set me up for the next few months. All those white sandy beaches and the men!" She gave another theatrical sigh.
"It's not a holiday, May," Ginny replied with a mock-stern expression. "I won't have time to sit around and sun bathe you know. I've more than enough to do to keep me busy from morning till dusk."
May snorted and threw back the rest of her coffee in two gulps. "Yeah right, if I believe that, I'd believe anything. Is that why you've packed three bikinis, or are they just work wear?"
Ginny laughed. "Well, a woman has to have some rest you know. All work and no play isn't healthy for anyone."
"Hmph! Well, all I have to say on the matter is that you should remember your engagement." May pointed a finger at the redhead. "What did Brian have to say about everything last night? I bet he wasn't happy."
For the first time that morning, Ginny felt her smile falter. She stared down into her now empty coffee cup, images of the night before racing through her mind.
"I'm sorry," May apologised hurriedly, giving Ginny a stricken look. "I didn't… trust me to put my big foot in it… that is-"
"It's OK," Ginny smiled feebly back. "Actually, Brian wasn't happy about it in the least. We ended up having a blazing row. All we seem to do these days is row. Mum thinks it's an early case of pre-wedding nerves on my part, but I don't know."
"Fried breakfast?" May asked abruptly, getting up and bustling into the kitchen, all sleepiness forgotten as she clattered around starting to cook breakfast.
Ginny nodded, getting up and going to help her friend. She always found it was easier to discuss sensitive topics when she was busy doing something as May well knew.
"Anyway," May continued, cracking eggs into a bowl, "It's common to have cold-feet… and if you ask me, the two of you rushed into this engagement. You have your whole life ahead of you, and you're an attractive woman…"
"I know, May, I know. When he proposed, a part of me wanted desperately to say 'no' but everyone was expecting me to agree and I did. I ignored the voice of reason, and so I accepted his proposal, feeling that if I didn't, I'd hurt him. And I don't want him hurt, May. I care about him."
"Well then if you love him, it's settled." May replied, lighting the cooker with a poke of her wand preparatory to frying eggs.
"I'm starting to think that I care for him platonically, the way I love any one of my brothers," Ginny said, busily chopping mushrooms. "I don't know whether I'd mind or not if he would find happiness with another woman. I'm beginning to wonder if we're even suited."
"Better you find out now than when you're married." May responded, wrinkling her nose in thought. "Now those rows… the whole building must have heard you yelling at one another. You wouldn't think that two people about to be married could argue like that."
"Oh no, don't remind me of that. The most recent argument was about the same old thing. Brian even said I was… he accused me of being frigid."
"What?" May was now staring at her friend, the sizzling frying pan forgotten. "The git! He can't go around saying things like that. Just because you don't choose to sleep with him before marriage, is no reason to say that. I hope you gave him a piece of your mind."
"But what if it's true?" Ginny frowned, now buttering toast.
"Rubbish," May snorted, frying tomatoes and mushrooms. "Sleeping with your partner isn't a prerequisite to a relationship you know. In fact in this day and age, it's sensible not to until you're really sure of them, what with all these sexually transmitted diseases going around. Perhaps when you finally get round to it, you'll feel differently about him, and the 'platonic' issue will be forgotten."
Ginny smiled. Trust May to look at things from a practical point of view, she was a lot like Hermione in that respect.
"Anyway," May went on, carrying the heaped plates of food through to the sitting room, "this break will give you a bit of breathing space to sort yourself out. If you do find that you've made a mistake, you can cancel the engagement." She grinned. "You never know, you may find some gorgeous bloke out there with loads of money. Just remember to ask him if he's got a brother, that's all I ask!"
Ginny burst out laughing and the two tucked into their meal with relish. "I don't think Michael would like it if you made off with some stranger," she suggested. "A 'brother', indeed!"
"Oh Mike wouldn't mind, as long as he was in on the deal."
"Deal? What deal?" Ginny spluttered, unable to keep a straight face.
"Well now. I could always buy him off," May suggested with a wicked smile. "You know, use my new-found lover's money to get rid of him."
Ginny grinned. May was to be married to her long-time boyfriend of five years and a more devoted couple she didn't know. She often envied them their stable relationship, trying not to compare it to her own turbulent engagement to Brian.
"So what's the plan then?" May finally asked, setting down her knife and fork and looking across at Ginny.
"The company has a Marine reserve on the island, I'm supposed to work with their workforce and learn everything I can. They've developed some new technique of extracting pollutant gases from the lungs of barracudas, which they want me to learn so we can apply it to our own sharks."
"Lovely!" May drawled with a roll of her eyes. "I'm still amazed that you, of all the workers were chosen though," she went on, helping herself to more toast.
"It didn't go down too well in certain quarters I can tell you," Ginny remembered smirking. "Some of the older ones nearly had a fit."
"Yeah, I can well believe it. Ah well, make the most of it, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"And you make sure that you water the plants, OK?" Ginny frowned across at May who shrugged in response. "If they're dead when I get back, I'll want to know why!"
She couldn't help remembering a previous occasion when she had returned from a trip to her parents', to find the plants in the sitting room and her bedroom, dead because May had forgotten to water them. She had however, dusted the leaves within an inch of their lives.
"Ok, ok, point taken," the dark-haired woman agreed reluctantly. "Why you put such store by them, I'll never know. All they do is clutter the place up."
May was about as green fingered as a giant and Ginny knew if it was left to her, she would bin all the plants in the flat, for as she put it, they had no practical purpose other than to trap dust.
Resisting the urge to argue with her flatmate about the importance of plants, she said instead, "I'd better make sure I've got everything." She got up from the table and ignoring May's smirk, banished the dirty dishes to the sink with a flick of her wand. "There would be nothing more embarrassing than leaving an important document behind."
"Of course."
"Well it's true," Ginny huffed, glaring at her friend who continued smiling.
"You may want to check that you've got all your beach-wear as well. You can't go without that now can you?" May drawled in a deceptively casual voice. "Just imagine how embarrassing that would be!"
Her good spirits restored, Ginny marched into her bedroom chin held high, May's laughter ringing in her ears.
XoXoXoXo
The small portkey office was quiet as it was not the holiday season. Only a few witches and wizards, wearing intent expressions stood in the short cue in front of the reception desk, fidgeting or sighing deeply as the line moved slowly forward and portkeys were distributed after much checking of paperwork.
Ginny glancing at her watch, was relieved to see that she had plenty of time before she needed to be in Ethosa, the only all wizarding island in the Caribbean, on which she would be staying. She wished the cue would hurry up and move, she wanted to be on her way.
Finally, it was her turn and stepping eagerly forward, she handed her travel papers to the bored looking wizard at the desk.
"Ethosa?" he grunted glancing through them and she nodded.
"Hmph. It says here you're going on behalf of Marine Reserves, is that right?"
"Yes, you can check the paperwork, it's all there," she replied trying not to sound irritated.
He grunted again, flicking through the sheaf of parchment she had handed him. "It's an open return, how long do you intend staying?"
"As long as my business takes me, hence it's an open return."
"All Right, no need to take that tone with me, missy. Just doing my job here." He glared at her over a pair of spectacles perched precariously on his nose and pulled a folder from a pile on his desk, towards him. "Normally, we require two weeks notice for an international portkey, but only got a few days," he grumbled scrutinising its contents.
"Well, it was a last minute trip. No doubt my company has made all the necessary arrangements." Ginny hoped her voice didn't convey the exasperation that she was feeling.
Ignoring this, he said, "Here," and thrust a glass stopper towards her and waved at a door to his right. "One of the officers will activate the portkey."
Snatching up the portkey and her travel documents, she hurried towards the door, glad to be rid of the grumpy man. She pushed the door open, and entered a smaller room, containing a witch, busy labelling used portkeys. The witch turned and smiled at Ginny.
"Ah yes, you must be the lady travelling to Ethosa."
Ginny nodded and handed over her travel documents. The witch glanced through them and nodded, giving them back.
"That all seems in order. You'll feel a bit disorientated when you get there, but it'll soon pass. Now, you're travelling directly there?"
"Yes, they're expecting me in around five minutes." Ginny glanced at her watch again.
"Good luck then, it's no picnic doing that journey without at least one stop."
"Oh, I'll be ok, I've been travelling by portkey since I was tiny," Ginny smiled.
The witch shrugged, took the portkey and tapped it with her wand, before handing it to Ginny. "Have you secured all the items on your person?"
Ginny nodded, tucking her travel documents into a pocket of her travelling cloak and zipping it up, before taking a firm grasp of her portkey.
"Well, enjoy your break. Three, two, one!"
Ginny felt her feet leave the ground and the wind rushing in her ears as the portkey sped her out of Britain to the other side of the world. She closed her eyes and bit back a groan as her stomach protested at the speed she was being forced to travel. Whenever she had travelled before, the journey had been split into three stages, now she understood why. She closed her mouth tightly to prevent the bile that was threatening to escape her throat, as she was pulled ever forward, while being battered by a strong wind.
What felt like hours later, but was no more than a few minutes, she felt herself hit the ground and immediately crumpled in a heap, her head spinning and nausea overwhelming her.
"Oh, dear, me," a voice above her said in deep melodic tones and a bowl was pushed under her chin. Before she could stop herself, the contents of her stomach was being propelled into the bowl.
She looked up, her head still spinning, to find a man bending over her, wearing a concerned expression.
"Miss Weasley, I believe?" he asked smiling, holding out a hand to help her up.
"I'm really sorry," Ginny mumbled, pulling herself unsteadily to her feet with the aid of his hand. "I didn't mean to be sick like that."
"Not a problem." He smiled again and with a wave of his wand the mess in the bowl had vanished. "Welcome to The Grand View Hotel. I'm Carlton, manager of the hotel."
For the first time, Ginny looked around her. She was finally at the four-star hotel a colleague had talked endlessly about, and even in her dazed state, couldn't help but feel excited while looking round the large elegatly decorated room with wood floors.
"Are you ok?" Carlton asked courteously, while watching her intently.
"Yes, thanks," She smiled feebly, and started to feel slightly embarrassed about her sickness. "I made the mistake of travelling straight from Britain and am paying for my folly."
"Ah, no wonder, you weren't feeling well. Never mind, a bit of rest and you'll feel yourself again. Here." He held out a goblet which contained a bluish liquid. "It's a potion to cure travel sickness. We use it quite a lot and it's very effective."
Ginny eyed the goblet warily for a moment, and then downed the contents in three gulps. Immediately, she felt her head start to clear and her stomach settle. Feeling was seeping back into her and she began to feel much better. The world had stopped spinning and she was able to look around her.
"Thanks very much," she said smiling at the tall man watching her. "That's really helped."
"Good, I'm glad. Now, if you'll come this way, we can get the formalities over with."
He lead the way out of the room, into a large marble foyer which was empty but for a young woman sitting at a reception desk, busily writing in a thick ledger.
"Cheryl, this is Miss Weasley. Miss Weasley, this is Cheryl, our receptionist."
Cheryl, a striking dark girl who looked to be around Ginny's own age, looked up and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Weasley."
"Oh please, call me Ginny, everyone does," Ginny returned, with a smile of her own.
"Sure, thanks." The other girl pushed some forms towards Ginny as she spoke. "Could you please fill these in? Then I'll take you to your suite."
Hiding her surprise that she was to have a suite all to herself, Ginny picked up a brightly coloured quill and filled in the forms, pushing them back across the desk to Cheryl who filed them neatly, before coming round the desk.
"If you'll follow me," she smiled and walked on ahead.
"Well, I'll leave you in Cheryl's capable hands," Carlton said, and Cheryl paused. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. We want you to be as comfortable as possible for the duration of your stay." With that, he strolled off whistling cheerfully.
Ginny followed Cheryl's neat figure through the grand foyer with its large palm trees and other exotic plants and onto a wide curving staircase made of a reddish wood she had never seen before. The hotel seemed very quiet and she was surprised to see no one else about.
"Um, where is everyone?" she asked tentatively as they reached the top of the staircase.
"Sleeping," Cheryl replied affably. "It's siesta time here on the island and people like to take a nap. They'll all be up and about in an hour or so, when the midday heat has died down a bit."
"Of course, how silly of me." Ginny shook her head, noting the beauty of the scenery outside the windows. "I forgot for a moment that you're five hours behind Britain here. It was six in the evening when I left."
"An easy mistake to make," Cheryl excused.
They were now walking down a broad corridor lined with windows on one side, and soon, had reached a large door at the end.
"This is your suite." Cheryl unlocked the door with a wave of her wand, and stood aside to let Ginny pass her.
Moving into the small corridor beyond, it was all Ginny could do not to gawk like a teenager. Facing her were two doors, one leading into a large sitting room and the other into a bedroom. The whole of the suite was done out in cool blues and purples and the ceramic tiled floors covered with deep pile rugs echoing the same colour scheme.
"I hope it's to your liking," Cheryl smiled. "If not, we can always change it to meet your needs."
"It's wonderful," Ginny replied moving into the airy sitting room. The room was large, containing a sofa and two arm chairs. French windows led out onto a balcony and Ginny could see the sea from where she stood. It was a beautiful view. A small bar, stocking drinks, had been built against one wall and dazedly she wondered how much all this was costing the company.
Moving into the bedroom, she saw that it held a huge four-poster bed draped in Mosquito netting. There was a large walk-in closet and a vanity table holding various accessories, all made of the same light wood that covered the floor. The drapes at the large windows were partially drawn to block out the strong sunlight, and this room too lead out on to a balcony. An open door led into a spacious bathroom and she could see at a glance that the fittings were all made of marble.
"Wow, this is absolutely beautiful," she gasped, staring round her in ore.
"I'm glad you like it. Now if you give me your luggage, I'll have Hal unpack it for you. Hal?" Cheryl called.
Immediately, there was a crack and a house elf appeared in front of them.
"Please unpack Miss… I mean Ginny's luggage." She turned to Ginny. "Hal has been assigned to look after you. If you need anything at all, just call him."
Feeling slightly stunned, Ginny nodded and started unbuttoning her travelling cloak. The next moment, the elf had stepped forward and pealed the hood back and was sliding the cloak from her shoulders.
"Oh my!" Cheryl gasped staring at Ginny. "Wow!"
Confused, Ginny turned to her.
"Your hair, it's so bright," Cheryl exclaimed in wonder, putting out a hand and stroking the flaming red mass which had been pulled into a bun at the base of Ginny's neck. "It's so beautiful." She stood back and surveyed Ginny. "I don't think I've ever seen such colouring on anyone. Ginger and auburn, I've seen before. But this is different."
Feeling her face start to flame, Ginny shrugged. "My whole family look like this, this particular tone of red is our trademark, you might say."
"Well, round here, we hardly ever see redheads. When we were informed that a British lady would be coming to stay, we assumed that she would be an older lady. You'll definitely cause a stir," Cheryl winked meaningfully. "The men will be tripping over themselves to become acquainted with you. Why, I believe that even his lordship will sit up and take notice, and he is notoriously hard to please." Then her voice taking on a business like tone, she went on, "Now, I suggest you rest for a while and get some sleep. It's not easy travelling between time zones."
"Yes, you're right," Ginny agreed wearily, not bothering to ask who 'his Lordship' may be.
Soon both the elf and Cheryl had left her and she was lying back on the bed, sleep overtaking her.
XoXoXoXo
Ginny eyed herself critically in her bedroom mirror, wondering if she looked the part of a young professional woman. She straightened the simply cut silk dress that hugged her slender five foot frame, and once again checked her neatly pinned hair, to ensure that no strands had escaped. Glancing at her watch, she scooped up her evening bag. If she didn't move, she would be late for the dinner she had been invited to by the island Reserve's manager and that would never do.
She made her way into the foyer of the hotel, where several guests were milling about. All cast curious glances at her but before anyone could speak to her, she felt her elbow being lightly clasped by Ray Hawkins, the manager of the Reserve. Of middling height, Ray had a kindly face with twinkling eyes. She guessed him to be in his late forties or early fifties. Across the room, Cheryl smiled at her.
"Ah, Miss Weasley, if you'll come this way," Ray smiled. "The third member of our party as arrived. I thought we'd eat out on the hotel terrace; it's close to the sea and catches the sea breezes."
She walked with him across the foyer, out into the now floodlit gardens. They entered a patio, lined with tables and chairs. This must be an open air restaurant; Ginny could see families sitting down to dinner. Ray guided her to the end of the terrace and to a table hidden from view by a trailing vine.
A man stood to one side of the table, his tall form hidden partially in shadow. His gaze was fixed on the sea but at their approach, he turned to face them.
"Miss Weasley, this is a pleasure indeed," he purred stepping forward and taking Ginny's hand in his own.
She frowned; she had heard that voice somewhere before; low and husky with a faint accent. She looked up into his chocolate-brown eyes and felt her mouth fall open in surprise. Swiftly she snatched her hand back, and stepped away from him as though she had been burned.
"So you remember me, I wondered if you would," Blaise Zabini drawled, pulling out her chair and waiting courteously as she sat down before taking his own seat opposite her. "If I may say, you look as lovely as ever."
"You know one another?" Ray asked in amazement, taking his own seat which was at right angles to Blaise and Ginnys'. She tried not to squirm at the way Blaise was staring at her, lust and something she could not identify, glittering in his eyes.
"We last saw each other, what now almost seven years ago, I believe," Blaise replied, once Ray was comfortably seated. Ginny, glad that his attention had been diverted from her, nodded stiffly.
"But that's incredible!" Ray exclaimed, staring between them.
"Not really," Ginny responded dryly, "Mr Zabini was in the year above me at Hogwarts, which was of course closed down at the end of my fifth year."
"All this formality," Blaise smiled, "Surely we can dispense with it? I mean Miss… Ginny and I are after all, old acquaintances."
Ginny would have liked to tell him what he could do with that suggestion, but Ray was nodding in agreement, and so she too nodded, all be it reluctantly
"Excellent, now what would you like to eat Ginny?" Blaise asked, smiling warmly at her. "The cuisine is excellent here."
She picked up the menu and scanned it. Blaise's appearance had caught her by surprise and the last thing she wanted to do was have dinner with him. When earlier, Ray had invited her to dinner, as a welcoming gesture, saying he wanted to introduce her to a friend of his, she had not realised that it would be Blaise.
"I'll have the cold Broccoli soup and the Fresh Garden Salad with some Fluffy cheese Rice," she said putting down her menu, having decided to try something new. She had no intention of letting him ruin her apatite!
"Certainly, Miss," the waiter who had glided silently up beside her nodded. "What would you like to drink?"
"A non-Alcoholic pina colada please." She responded, pleased that they served this drink. She thought it best to keep a clear head under the circumstances.
Once Ray and Blaise had placed their orders and the waiter had left the table, the latter turned back to Ginny. "Tell me what you've been doing these past few years, Ginny," he invited, leaning forward.
"What most of Wizarding Britain's being doing," she responded coolly.
"And what's that?" this time it was Ray who had asked the question, and she smiled at him.
"As you know, there was a war on," she explained, addressing herself exclusively to him and ignoring Blaise. "I completed my education, then helped in the war, and once Voldemort had been defeated, began my career."
She knew she was being childish and rude, but she couldn't forget the sneers she had been forced to endure by Blaise and his fellow slytherins, about her lack of money or material possessions while at Hogwarts, not to mention continuous taunts about being a "Blood Traitor". Then there were the arrogant looks he would direct at her now and then, making her feel as though he could see right through her clothes. Five years of being ridiculed had certainly left their mark; she thought bitterly as she sipped her green drink. She couldn't trust him as far as she could throw him, and had half a mind to tell him so.
"Where did you finish your schooling?" Ray asked with interest.
"Beauxbatons."
There was a pause as their starters arrived. Picking up her soup spoon, Ginny tasted the creamy soup and smiled in contentment. It was certainly delicious, cool and tangy.
"I hope the soup is to your liking," Blaise commented watching her.
Ginny nodded an carried on eating her soup, her mind busy devising ways of speeding up the meal so as not to spend more time with him than was necessary. Of all the people she had to meet on this idyllic island, it had to be him, typical! She could feel Blaise's eyes on her but refused to look up and meet his gaze.
Finally, it was Ray who broke the silence. "I hope you're comfortable here at the Grand, Ginny. It's the Island's best hotel and if there's something you're not happy with, please say."
She looked up and smiled at him. "Thanks, it's wonderful. The views are so lovely; it almost makes me want to move out here permanently."
"It's certainly a lot nicer than England," Blaise agreed, although Ginny noticed that his attention was fixed on the ring adorning the third finger of her left hand. Seing she had noticed, he asked "Who's the lucky man? Anyone I know?"
"I doubt it, Brian Forcett. We're due to be married soon," she replied shortly, sparing him a frosty glance before turning back to Ray.
"I hope that all goes well for you both," the older man smiled. "It's nice to see young people building a life for themselves after that terrible war."
Ginny noticed that Blaise remained silent, staring moodily into his wine glass, dark brows drawn together in a frown.
Their empty dishes were removed and their second course placed before them. She looked with interest at the salad and rice before her, and took a bite, stifling a groan of pleasure at its wonderful flavour. She had heard lots about West Indian cooking from various friends, and had to agree it was extremely nice.
Glancing across to Blaise, she saw he was pushing his food around his plate in an abstracted manner.
"Is your main course not to your liking?" she asked with interest and not a little satisfaction.
He fixed her with a penetrating gaze. "Yes thanks, it's very nice. Would you care to try some?"
Before she could shake her head, he had picked up a clean fork and scooped up a mouthful of chicken and vegetables. Then leaning forward, he pressed it against her lips. "Go on, try it, I promise it's nice."
Feeling foolish, she accepted the forkful of food, conscious that Ray was watching proceedings with avid curiosity. It was certainly nice, rich and spicy.
"More?" Blaise asked scooping up another mouthful and holding it against her mouth.
Unable to do anything else, she accepted it, and then swiftly turned away, hoping she didn't look as self-conscious as she felt. To give herself time to recover, she took a long drink of water. Opposite her, Blaise had put down his own fork and had begun to eat using the one with which he had fed her.
"Hmm, very nice indeed," he purred and she had the uncomfortable feeling that he wasn't referring to the food, as with deliberate movements, he licked the fork clean.
She gazed around her, seeking some means of defusing the uncomfortable situation. "This restaurant is very busy," she finally said in what she hoped was a casual voice. "Is it always like this?"
"Oh yes," Blaise smiled back, white teeth glinting in the light of the hovering candles. "We're a very sociable lot out here on Ethosa, and believe in enjoying ourselves whenever we can. This hotel is well-known for its wonderful food and after dinner entertainment."
"Definitely," Ray chimed in. "Do you like dancing, Ginny?"
"Um, yes, I suppose so," she responded hesitantly. "Is that the 'Copa Cabana' they're playing?" She would have liked to hum along to the song but she was presented with no such opportunity, as Blaise open his mouth, once again, to address her.
"So you do enjoy dancing then, excellent," he beamed, ignoring her other remark. "They have a live band on a Wednesday evening which plays fabulous dance music."
She laughed lightly. "Oh, I doubt I'll be in any fit state to dance tonight, I'm quite tired and once I've finished this wonderful meal, all I'll want to do is sit and watch. Do you dance Ray?"
"The Misses and I enjoy the odd stately waltz, but not all this jiving that you young people like these days."
"It's great fun, Ray. You should give it a go," Blaise encouraged with a smile.
"I'll watch the two of you. You'll make a striking couple," the other man smiled fondly at them.
"I'll watch as well. Otherwise I'm guaranteed to trip over my own feet and Merlin knows what else. The change in time zone is starting to catch up with me, and my co-ordination won't stand up to dancing," Ginny excused herself hurriedly.
The waiter appeared and removed their empty plates. "Would you like dessert Miss?" he asked warmly.
Across the table, Blaise glared at him and he stepped back. Ginny gave the man a dazzling smile and said, "I'm actually quite full, so just coffee for me please." The sooner this meal ended the better.
"Yes of course, and you sir?" he addressed Blaise who shrugged.
"The same."
"A Punch a Crème, thanks," Ray said as the waiter turned to him. "If I eat any more, I think I'll explode. The portions here are very generous."
The waiter nodded and glided away. To their right, Ginny could see a small band setting out their instruments and felt a twinge of excitement go through her. She loved dancing; it was one of the seemingly few things that Brian and she had in common.
Their drinks arrived and she sipped her coffee quickly, eager to get the meal over and done with so that she could escape Blaise's disturbing presence.
"They're setting up," the object of her musings stated, waving a hand towards the large hotel lounge in which the band was busy tuning up.
Faking a yawn, Ginny set down her cup and turned to the other two. "I'm absolutely exhausted, would you excuse me?"
Immediately, both men got to their feet, and to her irritation, Blaise pulled out her chair for her.
"Of course," Ray replied, moving to her side. "I'm sorry that you're so tired, the dancing is wonderful."
"It seems so. Ah well, maybe at the weekend. For now though, all I want to do is sleep," Ginny smiled at him. "I'll see you tomorrow morning at the Reserve."
"I'll instruct the hotel to set up a portkey for you."
She shook her head, remembering her most recent experience with the device. "If you don't mind, I'll walk. It'll give me a chance to see a bit of the island and get my bearings."
"If you're sure. The hotel will give you directions. We're not hard to find."
Saying her goodnights, she moved away from the table, only to realise that Blaise was still beside her. Putting on her best smile, she said, "I should be OK, now thanks. It was interesting meeting you."
"You don't appear to be particularly tired," he replied, still keeping pace with her, his figure towering over her much smaller frame. He brushed his fingers lightly across her upper arm, and she felt her heart skip a beat at the unexpected sensation. It felt as though an electric current had brushed across her skin causing a shiver, no other man had managed to provoke to shoot up her spine.
"Oh I am," she replied, hoping that her voice didn't reflect her sudden surprise. "Absolutely shattered, as a matter of fact."
"Hmm, I wonder. I would like to think that your hasty departure has nothing to do with old school rivalries, but alas, fear these are still governing your perception of me."
She shrugged as they passed between a large group of holidaymakers. Let him think what he liked - she didn't care. "You can think what you like, Zabini, in my book, a leopard doesn't change its spots. Good night."
They had now reached the French windows into the lounge which was quickly filling up. Bending her knees, she edged her way between a group of young people, and in moments had lost Blaise. Then she hurried up the stairs to her own suite, collapsing on the sofa of her sitting room with a thankful sigh.
How she wished she could have joined in the dancing, but that would mean putting up with the x-Slytherin, something she didn't think she could do. He reminded her of a snake, innocent looking, but the moment you got too near, would bite without a second's hesitation. The man made her very uncomfortable and always had done. He screamed danger, and that was something she could do without right now. The fact that he'd caused a brief, unexpected sensation within her by the merest touch, was all the more reason for her to avoid him! Why did he have to be on this particular island of all places? From the sounds of it, he lived here and she would probably have to endure his presence more often than she liked.
Looking down at her engagement ring, she wondered what Brian was doing at the moment, probably asleep. Part of her wished that he could have accompanied her to this wonderful island; maybe he could come over for a holiday once her work with the Marine reserve had finished? She was sure the sun, sea and sand, would work wonders for their relationship and resolved to write to him about it as soon as she could.
Crossing to the balcony, she looked out and saw people making their way into the hotel to enjoy the night's entertainment. Again she wished she could join them. Then a tall figure she had no trouble recognising even from this distance, made his way out of the hotel and turned down the beach, striding away without looking back. Blaise Zabini certainly knew how to make the most of his lean muscular build, even from this distance, arrogance and self-assurance seemed to roll off the man in waves. For some odd reason, he had left before the dancing had even started.
Grinning broadly, she watched him out of sight, and then turned away. Now she could go down without fear of bumping into him. She wouldn't stay too long for she was tired, but would enjoy a few dances. She waited for another five minutes to make sure that he wasn't coming back, then locked her door and went downstairs to join the fun.
XoXoXoXo
The beat of the music was pounding loudly and the floor seemed to vibrate with it. Ginny's dance partner, swung her effortlessly round the floor and her feet hardly touched the ground. She had been dancing for the last hour or so and never before had she gone so long without having her feet trodden on by at least one inept partner. She grinned up at the man whose name she didn't know and he returned her grin. These people certainly knew a thing or two about dancing, she thought as she was whisked round the packed floor. She had lost count of the number of men who had danced with her, and wondered fleetingly when she had last enjoyed herself to this extent.
It was as the song reached its crescendo that it happened. One moment Ginny and her partner were twirling and swooping in time to the lively music, the next; her engagement ring had snapped and fallen from her finger with an unheard tinkle. She stared down at her now bare hand, horror flooding her.
"My ring," she shouted at the man partnering her. "It's fallen down somewhere."
He stared at her hand which she was waving in the air for emphasis. "Ring? What ring?" he questioned, guiding her to the side of the dance floor, and out of the way of other couples.
"My engagement ring, it's broken," she shouted above the music, trying hard to quell the panic that was taking hold of her, as franticly she looked round the wooden floor for any signs of it.
She felt a touch on her arm and turned to see Cheryl standing behind her. "Is anything wrong?" the other girl asked looking concerned. I saw you break away from the other dancers and thought I'd make sure that you were ok."
"My ring's fallen off; one moment it was there, the next, it had gone," Ginny explained, feeling tears welling up.
Cheryl frowned in thought, then raising her wand, said, "Accio Ginny's ring."
They watched as several small peaces of twisted metal whizzed into Cheryl's open palm. Wordlessly, she handed them to Ginny. The diamond, now separated from the band holding it, glittered up at her and she swallowed back tears.
"Let's get out of here," Cheryl suggested, taking Ginny's arm. "You, Lenny, you come too."
Ginny's dance partner followed them out of the room into the small office behind the foyer, where it was much quieter.
Pushing Ginny down into a chair, Cheryl left the office for a moment. Then she was back with Carlton.
They sat down and the older man took the pieces of ring from Ginny, examining them closely.
He then asked both Ginny and a nervous Lenny what had happened but neither could tell him more than they had Cheryl.
"Hmm, I don't know what to say. We have hardly any robberies here and I don't think this was a result of someone's thieving. Look, the ring's been blasted apart, not the act of a thief at all."
"Anyway, if it was a robber, you would have noticed when they tried to summon the ring," Lenny put in. "You would have felt the tug on your finger."
"It looks to me as though it blasted itself apart, like a self-destructing charm," Cheryl mused. "Your finger's OK Ginny so it can only be that."
"Can't it be fixed?" Ginny asked. "A simple repairo …"
"No, my dear. This ring was put together using several complex charms. What's more there was magic in it, there would be, it being an engagement ring. Such things once broken can rarely be fixed," Carlton replied gently, giving her a fatherly smile.
"My sister's ring did that," Lenny put in. "She split up from her fiancé and next thing she knows, the ring has fallen apart."
"Yes, but I didn't split up from Brian, we're still engaged," Ginny protested, starting to feel sick
"No, not any more, by wizarding law you're not," Cheryl shook her head.
"We still intend on marrying one another, will the broken ring affect that?" She asked in confusion. " I don't understand…"
"Magical forces will prevent the two of you joining in holy matrimony. The whole thing is strange though, the ring looked perfectly OK earlier today," Carlton replied.
"Maybe it was your fiancé who broke it off," Lenny suggested.
"No, he didn't," Ginny sighed. "For the ring to split, one party has to have told the other that they're breaking the engagement. We were engaged when I left Britain, I'm sure of that as I'm of anything."
"Tell you what, I'll ask his lordship if he knows anyone who can fix it for you," Carlton volunteered kindly. "He knows lots of people that we don't, he has contacts all over the world. I'm sure he can get it fixed."
"His Lordship?" Ginny asked curiously. "Who's he?"
Both Cheryl and Carlton gave her odd looks. "You know him better than we do," Cheryl finally said.
Frowning, Ginny shook her head. "No, I've never heard of him before, who is he?"
"But you dined with him this evening," the other woman protested. "You and Ray Hawkins dined with him on the south terrace. Remember?"
"Who, Zabini?" Ginny asked incredulously. "He's a lord?"
"Of course," Lenny answered, looking at her as though she were mad. "He's the richest person on the island, owns large estates and has an international business. Everyone knows that!"
"Oh," Ginny responded, shrugging.
"As I said, I'm sure that he'll know of someone who can maybe mend the ring, maybe one of the Egyptian goblins…" Carlton went on, but Ginny shook her head.
"Thanks, but I don't think he'll want to be bothered with such a trivial thing as this. Don't worry, I'll get it looked at when I return home." She took the pieces of ring back from Carlton and slipped them into her bag. "I'm sorry to have caused such a commotion, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go to bed; it's been a long day."
So saying, she got up and not looking at them, left the room.
Upstairs in her own suite, she felt the tears she had held back, spill down her cheeks as she looked at the mangled remains of the ring in her hand. How had this happened? One moment the ring was fine, the next it was gone and if Carlton was correct, couldn't be fixed. What was she going to tell Brian? There relationship was already strained as it was; this could be the blow that broke the proverbial camel's back.
Cheryl was right; to all intense and purposes, her engagement was broken but how, she did not know. She wondered what Brian's reaction would be; he would probably be livid and in all honesty, she couldn't blame him. She admitted the ring was not the strongest of its kind, but a lot of effort had gone into the charms that held it together. Now it was nothing and she had no idea as to how it had come apart. She wished she was back home; then none of this would have happened and she wouldn't be feeling so wretched. At least she would have someone to talk to, who could advise her as to what to do for the best.
Part of her was tempted to try and get it fixed in the hope that Brian wouldn't notice it, but the more practical part, wondered how much it would cost and whether it would make any difference to her and Brian's relationship. She was glad though that she had resisted the offer of getting Blaise Zabini involved. The less she had to do with him, the better it would be for all concerned. He would probably sneer and laugh at her misfortune, and that was something she could definitely do without!
What she had to do now was talk to Brian. Only then could they decide what was to be done, and take it from there. Straightening her shoulders, she called for Hal to put through a transatlantic floo call, even though it would be early morning in Britain.
XoXoXoXo
The lights along the beach had mostly gone out. Only the lighthouse, far out to see, could be clearly seen guiding ships around the jagged rocks dotted about the small harbour. The sky was a myriad of stars, and on any other night, Ginny would have gazed up at them, enthralled by their beauty. Tonight however, she could see nothing but her own confusion.
Wincing, she thought back to the row she had just had with Brian, her now ex-fiancé, and shook her head. Hal had put the call through to Brian, and unsurprisingly he had been a sleep. Once he had roused himself, she had told him of the night's happenings, and rather than look for a solution to the problem, he had begun to blame her.
She supposed that she should not have lost her own temper, but she had and soon, had started shouting back. What had been no more than an argument had esculated into a full scale row, culminating in Brian saying that the snapping of the ring had probably been a blessing in disguise, or it being a result of her strong inner objections to the impending marriage. She had told him that she too was glad, and never wanted to see him again, before terminating the call.
Thinking back on the argument, the only emotion that she could identify was relief. In her heart of hearts, she was glad that the engagement was finally over, even if the ending was not what could be termed as amicable. She knew that her parents would be disappointed, as they had looked forward to a big wedding for her, but that was life.
The unbidden fear that there was something wrong with her, slid into her mind and she scowled. It was true that she had gone through more boyfriends in a few years than other women managed in a lifetime, without feeling anything for them other than friendship, but surely this was because she hadn't yet met the right person? Brian had once accused her of being frigid and she had hotly denied it. Now, however she wondered. Surely it wasn't natural for a girl to have had so many boyfriends while never wanting to sleep with any of them?
She wondered if it had something to do with her reluctance to commit to a long-term relationship and sighed to herself. She did not relish the thought of being tied to one man for the rest of her life, but what woman did at her age? Growing up with six elder brothers had soon taught her to rely on herself alone; maybe it was her fierce independence that was to blame?
Deciding that she'd had enough of her own confused thoughts, she began to prepare her plans for the next day. She would spend some time after work in the hotel's gym, followed by a massage at the spa. Hopefully, this break would help her sort out her muddled thoughts. One thing she was glad of was that she wasn't in Britain at the moment. The breaking up of her engagement would be big news, and she was relieved that she wouldn't have to be witness to all the speculation, and the target of nosy reporters' intent on getting an exclusive interview from her.
With any luck, it would all have died down by the time she got back. Climbing into bed, she immediately shut her eyes, her mind switching determinedly to more pleasant thoughts of flower wreaths and hula skirts.