Somewhere on a Beach
Chapter Two
By the time that Hermione awakens on the second full day of her 'honeymoon', she feels far more ready to heed Fred's direction than she had been last night. She hadn't minded spending most of the day yesterday prior to supper watching children's movies and kicking Fred's behind in Scrabble– especially after a long travel day the evening before– but now, she decides, that she is ready to leave the hotel room for more than just meal times.
After stopping briefly in the restroom adjacent to her bedroom within the suite, Hermione pads quietly out to the sitting room area. She pokes her head over the back of the sofa where, in theory, Fred should be sleeping, though instead, finds that space curiously unoccupied.
Hermione doesn't have to wonder where her friend has disappeared to for long, though, when the redheaded man enters the room through the front entrance door to their suite. Fred smiles brightly when he realizes that Hermione is awake, raising both of his hands to show what currently occupies them– two paper to-go cups, presumably of coffee, and a small, white paper bag.
"Good morning, wife," Fred winks, quickly handing Hermione one of the two cups of coffee and digging inside the white paper bag to produce what looks like an absolutely mouthwatering chocolate cake donut.
Hermione gratefully accepts both of Fred's offerings, though narrows her eyes at him in thought.
"You do remember that we're not actually married, right?" she questions with a laugh, taking a sip from her– admittedly delicious– coffee.
The coffee is sweet, with just a hint of hazelnut to it– her favorite. A part of her wonders if that's a coincidence or if Fred somehow knew that.
"Yes, 'Mione. I would definitely remember marrying you, love. Anyway, the way that I see it, we should stay in character as much as possible so we don't slip up around Daniel and Linda," Fred smirks, his tone overly jovial as he sips from his own paper cup.
Hermione rolls her eyes at her fake-husband, though another small laugh still fights its way out of her chest.
"They're business owners, Fred. I highly doubt that they care if their guests are actually who they say they are as long as their money is real," she states, taking a small bite of her donut and chewing before continuing. "You're a business owner. Do you question who your customers are or just take their money and wish them a good day?"
Fred leans back against the kitchenette counter, crossing his arms over his chest with his coffee cup still in hand.
"I'm exceptionally observant, 'Mione. Of course I don't question where someone's galleons come from, but I do keep an eye out for personality traits, interests and relationship dynamics that I can utilize to make a sale. I can promise you that Daniel and Linda do the same."
Hermione furrows her eyebrows.
"But what does that have to do with 'staying in character'?" Hermione wonders, hopping up and taking a seat on the kitchenette countertop across from Fred.
"Most people only go on a honeymoon once in their lives, so the businesses which cater to those couples tend to err on the side of going above and beyond. Hence the free cake last night and the coffee this morning. Linda positively refused to let me pay her when I told her that I was surprising you with coffee and donuts."
"I still don't get it," Hermione frowns. "You want to continue to play besotted newlyweds just to get free stuff?"
Fred kicks off of the counter across from her and comes to stand more closely in front of her. He's not touching her in any way, but he's closer, in any case.
"No, not free stuff. Opportunities. Do you know what else Linda said to me this morning when I was picking up the coffee?" Fred asks, his Adam's apple bobbing as he takes another swallow of coffee. Hermione briefly wonders if his coffee is hazelnut flavored too, or if he has a different preference.
Hermione raises an eyebrow in lieu of a verbal response.
"There's going to be a firework show down on the beach tonight. She said that most of the hotel guests watch the shows from the beach, but that there's a better view from the roof and gave me the code to the security door. Now, either she's trying to lure us somewhere private in order to kill us– though, I definitely think that you could take her if that were the case– or she just wants the nice, young, happy couple to have a special experience on their honeymoon."
Well. Hermione supposes that that makes sense. By nature, people love love. Just because Hermione is somewhat jaded at present doesn't mean that everyone is, nor does it mean that she should miss out on what will, in all likelihood, be a wonderful experience.
"What time does the show start?"
"How's your book?" Fred asks, whipping his wet hair off of his forehead and dropping down onto his back on the towel beside Hermione.
Hermione finishes the line which she is reading before tilting her head to the right to meet her friend's eye. Fred is smiling and using his left hand as a visor to block the sun from his eyes, but even behind it, Hermione can still see the light flush of red across the bridge of his nose, indicating that he needs to reapply his sun protection.
"The enemies are about to kiss," Hermione laughs, grinning wildly when Fred rolls his eyes dramatically. "You're getting a sunburn on your nose."
Fred shrugs his shoulders, as if sun protection is, in any way, something to disregard.
"I'll be fine. I can't exactly whip out my wand and recast my protection spells in front of a hundred Muggles," Fred replies, his voice low so as not to be overheard.
There are moments when Hermione forgets that she was raised by Muggles, what with how magic has become so commonplace in her life. This moment is not one of them.
Hermione raises up onto her knees, twisting around to reach into her beach bag to produce a bottle of sun cream.
"Sit up," Hermione instructs– and to his credit, Fred immediately does as she bids, albeit eyeing the bottle of sun cream somewhat warily.
Hermione squeezes a dollop of the sun cream into her hand and rubs it between her fingers before sliding up in front of her fake-husband and applying it to his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, his forehead and chin.
"Muggles have sun protection too, Fred," Hermione jokes, carefully avoiding Fred's eyes and sitting back on her heels when she deems him sufficiently sunscreened.
In return, Fred smiles a smile which Hermione can only describe as disarming.
"Look at you– teaching me and keeping me safe," Fred replies, and Hermione immediately detects the mischievous twinkle in his eye. She knows what's coming, yet it still somehow surprises her. "What a good wife you are."
Hermione chuckles despite herself, shoving Fred's shoulders playfully, aiming to knock him off balance and back onto his back. What she doesn't account for is Fred quickly bracketing his arms around her waist and yanking her down with him.
Hermione shrieks in surprise, but– against her better judgment– quickly dissolves into laughter when Fred makes an 'oof' sound and slides his hands to her sides to begin tickling her.
"Fred!" Hermione yelps, trying to wriggle out of her friend's grip– her friend who still plays recreational quidditch as a Beater. Evidently, Fred has retained his upper body strength well, considering how difficult it appears to be for her to escape. "Frederick Gideon Weasley! Release me!"
Fred laughs from beneath her before rolling to the side and heaving Hermione off of him.
"Yes, ma'am– Hermione Jean Granger."
Hermione rolls her eyes and shoves at her friend's shoulder again, though all that seems to do is serve to make that mischievous twinkle in his eye shine a bit brighter.
"Sugar quills," Hermione replies easily, stealing a chip from Fred's plate and biting into it.
Fred smiles a half-smile, shaking his head.
"Boring," Fred grumbles, sliding his plate toward the middle of the table in a clear indication of offering, despite Hermione having already eaten her own plate.
"Well, what's yours then?" Hermione asks, turning Fred's question of 'What's your favorite sweet?' around on him.
Fred seems to think for a moment, leaning his elbows on the coffee table in the sitting room of their hotel room which acted as their dining room this evening.
"Don't have one," Fred admits with a slight chuckle, raising an eyebrow at Hermione as if awaiting her judgment.
Hermione sucks her bottom lip into her mouth, biting nervously.
"You have something to say, I can see it. Go ahead," Fred chuckles, reaching onto the table for his glass of water and taking a sip.
Hermione frowns, shaking her head.
"N-no, it's nothing."
Fred stretches his leg out under the coffee table and nudges Hermione's thigh, eyeing her pointedly as he does.
"Hermione," Fred insists, his attention seemingly focused solely on the witch in front of him.
Hermione sighs.
"Well, my– my parents are dentists, as you know. They're Muggle healers for teeth," Hermione states, already recognizing that Fred probably doesn't have any interest in listening to her ramble. "When I was little, I wasn't really allowed to have candy because Muggles believe that it causes tooth decay. There's a Muggle sweet similar to sugar quills– they're called lollies. I loved them as a kid, but my parents only let me have them on special occasions."
Hermione averts her eyes from Fred's, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment.
"So, when I discovered sugar quills, it was practically love at first sight. I ate so many of them throughout Hogwarts. I don't so much anymore, but they're still my favorite."
Hermione chances a look back up at Fred, who, confusingly, is smiling at her and listening to her story.
"I can just picture little Hermione squirreling sugar quills away under her pillow and savoring them until she could get her hands on more," Fred laughs lightly. "What exactly do your parents do as teeth healers? It doesn't seem like there's a lot of area to study and we don't have anything equivalent in the wizarding world."
Hermione's eyebrows raise in surprise. She knows that it isn't fair to compare two individuals, but whenever she had talked about her parents or her childhood with Ron, he had seemed almost bored. He never asked follow-up questions or had more to say than, 'That's nice, 'Mione.' Fred actually seems interested in her story.
"Oh, well, they study quite a lot, actually. They perform surgeries and diagnose infections and diseases and treat those conditions. Most Muggles don't like or are even afraid of dentists– more so than any other doctor, it seems. I've never minded them much, though, I suppose that could be because my dentist growing up was my dad."
Hermione picks up another chip from the plate now in the middle of the table and takes a bite, still trying to process the fact that Fred hasn't yawned or rolled his eyes yet.
"Are your parents still dentists in Australia?" Fred wonders, sitting back from the coffee table and turning toward Hermione, leaning his elbow on the sofa for comfort.
"As of the last time I spoke to them, they are."
Fred's brow furrows as he tips his head to the side in confusion. Despite being close friends with Fred, Hermione tends to keep the details about her parents close to the vest. Of course, he knows the basics, but the only person who knows all of the details, really, is Harry.
"You don't talk much?"
Hermione shakes her head.
"Not really. I Obliviated them during the War, so they don't exactly trust me anymore," Hermione frowns, tugging at one of her curls as a method of distraction.
"But you did that for their protection?" Fred states, though it sounds more like a question than a statement.
Hermione shrugs.
"They don't see it that way. All they can see is that their daughter, who is the only magical being in the family, used magic on them without their permission. I understand it. I call them every couple of weeks– or months, sometimes."
Fred reaches out, taking Hermione's hand in his own and squeezing, giving comfort which Hermione hadn't realized she needed until this moment.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Fred says, his voice quiet but sure.
Hermione threads her fingers through Fred's, squeezing in return. She stays quiet for a moment and Fred doesn't speak either. Rather, he just sits with Hermione and relinquishes the use of his hand for as long as she needs it.
After a moment, Hermione opens her mouth to speak, but stops herself when she hears the first crack of fireworks coming from outside of the opposite side of the hotel suite. Hermione releases Fred's hand, abruptly standing from the coffee table and beginning to clear their dinner plates away as a distraction.
"We should head up to the roof. We don't want to miss the show."
Hi, friends! Happy Friday! (:
Thank you to everyone who showed interest in the first chapter of this fic last week! (:
I usually don't like to spoil context or anything with my fics, but for this one, I will say that it is mostly canon-compliant, apart from a few things- chief of which is probably the obvious that Fred is alive, lol. Otherwise, it's still mostly canon-compliant, but not epilogue-compliant. That's all I'll say for now, though. :P
Anyway, I'm still excited to share this fic with you and I somehow managed to write the prequel to this fic and a companion piece which takes place in between the two epilogues for this fic in like two days. I dunno how it happened, but here we are, lol. This universe kinda took over my brain, I guess, lol.
Thank you, as always, for spending a bit of your time here with me this week. I am truly so grateful. (:
See you again next week. (: