Well I've had enough reviews since the next chapter so here's more. I hope you like what I came up with…if not, those wheels are always turning in my head and I'm bound to come up with something better. Thanks guys…you rock!
CHAPTER 13……OPERATION: KISS ME
"So Ron, tell me about your two friends. Are they a couple?"
Ron nearly choked on his ice water at her question. He wiped down his front from the little bit of water that dripped on him and looked into Josie's heather-toned eyes.
Her light blonde hair shimmered in the moonlight and he couldn't help but smile at her. "No. I'm afraid they're not."
"And why is that? They look so perfect together," she commented.
Ron started to feel his insides twist a bit and fiddled with his fork, bouncing one end of it on the table. "Well we're all very good friends. I don't know what it is. Harry and Hermione-they're-just very comfortable with each other. It's always been that way. Both of them just got out of rocky relationships so…"
"It would be awkward," Josie added in a soft, intelligent tone.
"Exactly! But I don't know-if they were a couple, I guess I would be the one that would feel awkward. It's always been just the three of us."
"Sounds like you've got a very solid friendship."
"We do. Now enough about me. Tell me about yourself."
Ron leaned forward on his side of the table in interest, resting his arms on the edge and waiting for a response from Josie.
"There isn't all that much to tell. I come from a big family. I'm an only child but I've got a very large extended family. Probably the most interesting thing about me is that I can sing."
Ron's eyes lit up. "You sing? Well you're going to have to prove that to me sometime."
Josie blushed and moved a lock of her blonde hair out of her face. "Well I haven't done any solos for a while so unless you find someone else to sing with me, you're out of luck."
Ron smirked and tapped his fingers on the table. "What about her," he pointed to the woman entertaining the customers with her beautiful voice.
"Very funny."
"Oh come on! She sings too!"
Ron and Josie sat and talked for a few minutes. Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione were talking about Cho and looking around to see if she would be there.
"There she is!" Hermione said to Harry, tapping him lightly in the shin with her foot. Harry turned in his seat and looked behind him. Sure enough, Cho came strolling in with someone on her arm.
"Isn't that Tom? The guy that showed us to our rooms?" Harry asked.
Hermione squinted a bit to get a better look. She caught his eye and he smiled at her, winking just as Hermione turned back around. "Sure is." She said calmly and taking a sip of her strawberry lemonade.
"Now what was it you were going to tell me earlier? You said you would tell me at dinner and," he gestured with his arms, announcing their presence. "Here we are!"
"Alright. It was actually just a quick question I had for you."
Hermione gingerly put her strawberry lemonade down and gazed into his eyes, clear and green as they always were. "Harry, why is it that you didn't go with Ron earlier today to go look for girls?"
Harry sighed contently and leaned back in his chair, looking deep into her eyes. "I guess it's because I don't feel comfortable being around women right now. Except for you of course. I don't know how to explain it. It's like-"
"Sorry Harry. Cho just sat down."
"Right. So what's the plan."
Hermione knew very well how to get Cho to notice they were there. She leaned carefully over the table and whispered in Harry's ear. He nodded and she got up out of her seat, heading toward the bathrooms.
The loneliness Harry suddenly felt with Hermione leaving him there was torture. He felt as if the entire world was staring at him. His feet began to tap anxiously under the table, waiting for Hermione to come back. Then it happened. He caught Cho's eye.
At first she just stared, giving off the feeling of a thousand needles driving into his skin. This was it. She was going to fly off the handle at any given moment. To Harry's surprise, she got up from her table and came over, sitting in Hermione's seat.
"Well Harry. It's definitely a surprise seeing you here."
Harry stared, almost ready to leave the restaurant at any moment. "Likewise," he said in a plain tone, making her feel uncomfortable immediately.
"Are you here with someone? Because if you're not, I'd really like to--" she began, running her foot up his leg.
Just then, Hermione returned, saving Harry from the horror he was going through. "Hey sweetie," she greeted. Harry looked away from Cho and up to Hermione as she stood above him. Her perfume wafted through their area and it sent shivers down his spine. She started to work her magic and trailed her fingers down one cheek, ever so softly, and planted a sweet kiss on him. Her hands moved to his shoulders, massaging them gently, and moving back up to his face.
Harry instinctively put one arm around her waist as she stood in front of him, kissing him deeply, but most of all, convincingly. Her half-exposed back tingled under his touch as he moved his hands to caress her soft skin. During the last moments of the kiss, Harry moved his hands down her arms, making her go all funny again. Then they pulled away from each other. Hermione had a sort of stunned look on her face, but washed it away at remembering Cho was watching them.
Cho's mouth was open, and she was at a total loss for words. For a very short time though. "Harry, sorry I bothered you. I guess I'll just go back to my boring date because the person I came with is busy right now." She left in a huff, hinting that she wanted him to feel bad for her.
Harry chuckled into Hermione's mouth as Cho walked away. Hermione had a seat next to Harry, instead of taking back the one Cho had just occupied. Harry leaned into Hermione when he was sure Cho was watching and pecked her softly on the lips. She smiled at him and felt chills run throughout her entire body, like a sonic wave, when Harry put his hand softly on her leg.
"I think we got her. Hopefully she won't bother us the rest of this trip."
"If we're lucky. But Harry, didn't you hear the part where she said she was with someone else. Sounds to me like Tom was a last minute thing."
"Yeah, I wonder who she really came with." Harry said, looking at Hermione and giving her a wink of thanks before bumping her chin up to kiss her once more.