Somewhere on a Beach
Chapter Five
Hermione's plan for the fourth day of her 'honeymoon' is to start the day by apologizing to Fred for upsetting him last night at the pub via coffee and donuts. She still isn't sure exactly what upset him, but she knows that something did– and her friendship with him is far more valuable to her than winning an argument.
When she wakes up, she isn't exactly surprised to find the sofa in the suite empty, as Fred hasn't actually been there in the mornings since their vacation began, but she does worry that he will have beaten her to the breakfast service in the dining room and therefore rendered her surprise null and void.
Hermione scans the dining room when she arrives downstairs, searching for a swath of copper and feeling simultaneously relieved and disappointed when she comes up empty. She does, however, spot Linda across the room manning the stand with the coffee and pastries.
Hermione approaches the stand, smiling at the dark-haired woman in greeting.
"Ah, good morning, Mrs. Weasley!" Linda chimes, beaming brightly in response. "It's nice to see you so early in the morning. Your dear husband usually comes down to pick up your breakfast."
Hermione smiles an uncomfortable half-smile. It still unnerves her that she and Fred have been lying about their actual circumstances on this trip, but she supposes that it isn't actually hurting anyone, really.
"Though, I did see Mr. Weasley heading out towards the beach while I was setting up the coffee. Are you here to pick up his usual order?" Linda asks, cocking her head to the side, questioning.
Hermione stammers slightly, stuttering out an agreement and trying to hide her discomfort at the fact that this perfect stranger knows more about Fred's preferences than his supposed 'wife' does.
Linda putters around with different coffee pots and flavoring syrups before placing them in a paper cup holder for easy transport. Next, she picks up two chocolate cake donuts with metal tongs and drops them into a white paper bag, handing both the bag and the cup holder over to Hermione once finished.
"Here you are, dear," Linda says, reminding Hermione heavily of Mrs. Weasley. "The cup with the straw is your husband's. He mentioned how much you dislike peppermint, so I'd hate for you to accidentally drink from that one."
Hermione nods somewhat dumbly, thanking Linda genuinely– and attempting to pay her despite being immediately shut down– before turning toward a side exit door from the dining room which leads out towards the beach. Hmm. Peppermint, then.
Hermione isn't sure which is more surprising to her, the fact that Fred's preference for coffee flavoring is peppermint or that he remembered her dislike for it.
Hermione finds Fred on the beach relatively quickly– he is fairly recognizable, after all.
Hermione had wondered what Fred might be doing on the beach when Linda mentioned that she saw him heading in that direction, but now that she sees him, it makes sense.
Quickly, before Hermione steps out properly onto the beach, she casts a quick and covert, wandless stasis charm over the coffees and donuts, hoping to keep them fresh until such a time when Fred has finished his run along the shoreline. Next, Hermione locates a small bench toward the far side of the beach where she can still see Fred, but also where she is somewhat shaded from the morning sun and takes a seat.
Beside Hermione on another bench is a group of three young women, probably a handful of years younger than Hermione and on the beach itself are a few individual people and a small family of three with a young girl who can't be more than five years-old building a sandcastle with her parents. Hermione thinks that it's actually probably quite peaceful on the beach like this. It's quiet and the waves are calm and the air smells like salt.
For a moment, Fred disappears behind a collection of rocks only to reappear a moment later, now running in the opposite direction along the water.
"Hockey. My guess is hockey," Hermione hears one of the women on the bench beside her say, her voice serious despite the giggles.
"No way. He looks tall. He has to play basketball, not hockey," another woman insists.
"Yeah, but have you seen those shoulders? Perfect for hockey," the first woman pipes in again.
"Well, I don't care what sport he plays. I just hope that he's single," the third and final woman laughs.
"I was here when he came out this morning. He's not wearing a ring, I checked," the second woman states and out of the corner of her eye, Hermione can see her nodding her head excessively, evoking a similar feeling to a bobble-head figurine.
Hermione rolls her eyes. How horrible these women are to ogle someone so unashamedly– as if they're not an actual human being with more to them than their shoulders. Sure, Hermione can appreciate physicality in a man, but dear Godric, there's more to men than their appearance. She almost feels bad for whoever these women are talking about, him being so blatantly objectified and all.
Hermione quickly flits her gaze up to Fred, who now has circled back and is running back in the direction of the rocks.
"And you know how much I love redheads," one of the women– Hermione can't tell which– gushes. "He's perfect!"
Hermione's eyes widen and her heart leaps into her throat. They're talking about Fred.
Hermione verifies this assumption by quickly scanning the beach again, this time, in search of other redheads than her redhead– no, not her anything, Hermione corrects herself– and realizing immediately that there aren't any.
Hermione cuts her eyes to her right, in the direction of the other bench, glaring at the women harshly. How dare they talk so rudely about her… friend.
Hermione huffs back against her bench, frustrated at the way that her mind now races, so many thoughts warring for attention.
Perhaps even more annoyingly, the first thought which wins is when Hermione finds herself mentally correcting the women. Fred plays quidditch– for fun, anyway. He has Beater arms, not hockey shoulders. Furthermore, he's also one of the funniest and kindest people that Hermione knows. Reducing him to just his arms is absurd.
Hermione can admit that objectively, her friend does have fairly nice arms, though. Of course, she can understand why women are attracted to Fred— he's an objectively handsome man. She just also happens to know that he's a great person who deserves recognition for more than just his body.
Hermione also feels vaguely queasy at the thought that one of these women might catch Fred's attention and draw him away from spending time with her on this vacation. She knows that that thought is probably unreasonable– Fred is a grown man and can spend time with whomever he wants– but there it is. It's just that she doesn't want to lose her vacation partner, that's all.
Hermione looks up just in time to see Fred climbing out of the ocean, likely having taken a dip to cool off after his run. He drags his fingers through his hair, smoothing the typically-shaggy strands up off of his forehead before his focus seems to zero in on Hermione.
Immediately, his smile brightens and he picks up his pace, jogging across the sand in her direction. Hermione sets the coffees and donuts down on the bench beside her before standing to greet her friend.
Without conscious thought, as soon as Fred approaches her, she stands up on her toes, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. The front of her shirt and shorts soak through from the water which was clinging to his skin, but she doesn't care.
Thankfully, Fred quickly returns her hug without question, raising one arm to wrap tightly around her waist and using the opposite hand to cradle the back of her head.
"I'm sorry," Hermione mumbles against the freckled skin of Fred's shoulder.
Fred exhales a breath, squeezing her even tighter for a moment.
"So am I. Merlin, I was such an arse last night. I'm so sorry, 'Mione."
Hermione lingers in Fred's arms for a moment, immensely grateful for being able to both give and receive an apology this morning. That's a luxury that not everyone gets and a skill which not everyone possesses.
"I brought coffee and donuts," Hermione explains, reluctantly pulling away from Fred– though she isn't shocked or disappointed when he simply twists slightly to drop his arm to rest around her shoulders.
Fred shakes his head, laughing lightly.
"Oi! That's usually my job," Fred points out, already reaching his free hand toward the bench to pick up the coffee cups. Hermione follows his lead and grasps the paper bag which houses the donuts, intending to carry them back to their hotel room. "Dutiful husband, remember?"
Fred winks down at Hermione again, this time, erupting a disconcerting flutter behind her ribcage– which she decidedly ignores. Rather, Hermione slips out from under Fred's arm and shoves the paper donut bag into his now-freed hand.
"Well, alright. Be a good husband and carry these too, then."
With that, Hermione winks back at Fred and takes off running toward the hotel.
"No! It was horrifying, Fred!" Hermione states emphatically, collapsing back against the sofa and kicking her leg out in an attempt to shove Fred's thigh. She misses, but the intention was there, at least.
"I think it's funny," Fred laughs, tipping his head back against the back of the sofa and crossing his arms over his chest.
Hermione rolls her eyes.
"You only think that because they thought you were fit," Hermione grumbles, eyeing her friend pointedly.
Fred shrugs, kicking his legs up to rest his feet on the coffee table in front of him.
"I dunno, it's nice to be the hot Weasley for once. That title has always gone to Charlie– or Ginny, depending on where on the sexuality spectrum one falls."
"Well, I mean, Charlie is a dragon keeper," Hermione jokes, dodging the pillow which Fred unceremoniously throws at her head with a laugh. "I'm kidding– and you're fishing for compliments."
Fred smirks, leaning a bit closer to Hermione on the sofa.
"Well, I certainly won't turn them down if you've got any," he replies, smiling a massive, bright, fake smile. "I'll even pay you back. Compliment for compliment. I've got 'em in spades for you."
Hermione rolls her eyes once more, though decides to indulge her friend anyway… sort of.
"You're funny," Hermione says seriously, though she can't help but laugh when she says it. The idea that her friend, who co-owns a joke shop, is funny somehow makes her giggle a bit.
Fred looks to his right at Hermione, his expression unamused– for once.
"That doesn't count. That's like me telling you that you're smart," Fred huffs. "Which you are, by the way. Brightest Witch of Her Age– but you don't need me to tell you that."
Hermione thinks for a moment, though she doesn't really need to. She could think of ten things right now that she likes about Fred Weasley.
"Oh, alright," Hermione acquiesces. "You have one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. You and George both act like you don't have a care in the world, but really, you'd do absolutely anything for someone you care about."
Fred smiles a genuine half-smile and Hermione can tell that her compliment meant something to him.
"I admire your loyalty," Fred counters, dropping his feet from the coffee table and twisting to sit on the sofa so that he is facing Hermione fully. "You're so fiercely loyal. Any sane person would've left Harry long before the start of the Second War. You didn't."
"Neither did you. Or Ron– mostly. I wasn't the only one who helped him," Hermione argues, thinking that she has found a fault in Fred's logic.
"Right, but that actually brings us full-circle back to your brains. You kept him alive long enough to win the War– and stayed loyal to him and the Order the whole time," Fred explains, leaning his elbow on the back of the sofa to prop his head up. "Merlin knows that little eleven year-old Hermione could've– and probably should've– dipped out as soon as everything went sideways the first time."
Hermione opens her mouth to– yet again– disagree, to say that she was just doing what was right, but Fred cuts her off before she can.
"And that's not to mention my brother and your penchant for staying with him even when he absolutely did not deserve it."
Hermione promptly snaps her jaw shut. Well, when he puts it that way…
"Well, you're incredibly thoughtful. Your sole focus on this trip has been to make sure that I have a good time. Your run this morning was the first thing that I've actually seen you do for yourself," Hermione says, tugging her quilt up under her chin and tucking her legs up against her chest before continuing sarcastically. "And I suppose that you do look pretty good while running on the beach."
Fred scoffs playfully, though a smile does begin to tug at the corners of his lips.
"Just face it, 'Mione, you were checking me out too," Fred winks, his mischievous sparkle in his eye shining extra bright at the minute. "It's okay. You can admit it."
Hermione groans aloud, dropping her head back dramatically on her neck before returning her gaze to meet Fred's eye.
"But I wasn't ogling a complete stranger! Those women withered you down to a set of shoulders! I can at least find you attractive for far more than just your bloody arms!"
It occurs to Hermione, perhaps belatedly, that she has just admitted to thinking that Fred is attractive. Out loud. To him. But whatever, they're friends. Friends can find their friends conventionally attractive and have it not be weird.
Naturally, the expression on Fred's face when Hermione finishes speaking is one of supreme self-satisfaction– downright smug, really.
"Oh, I know. You've just listed several things that you like about me," Fred points out, though following that logic, he has also just listed several things that he likes about her. "S'okay, 'Mione. Your arse looked great when you were running back to the hotel in front of me earlier."
Hermione can't help the laugh which bubbles up out of her chest at Fred's completely unexpected joke. She continues to laugh despite picking up the pillow which Fred threw at her earlier and hurling it back at him playfully.
Hi, friends. Happy Friday. (:
Thank you all again for your patience with regard to uploads. Recovering from surgery is rough and I just found out that my recovery is going to be even longer than expected. In any case, thank you for being so kind and understanding.
I don't have much to say about this chapter, outside of the fact that while I was writing it, I wanted to call out the fact that men get objectified too, just as much as women do, but yet nobody talks about it. It's not okay to do to anyone. Don't objectify people, y'all. That's my little PSA for today.
Also, this is one of my favorite chapters in this fic. (:
Anyway, thank you all for spending a bit of your time here with me this week. Thank you for understanding that uploads are still going to be wacky, but I'm trying my best. I'm so grateful for your support through this. Thank you.
Please review, if you feel like it.
See you soon. (: