A storm was raging the last day of the conference. Harry and Hermione decided to amuse themselves within the hotel. Instead of going to the hotel pool, they opted to put on their suits and jump in the jacuzzi in their room. It wasn't huge, but it was big enough for two.
"Who needs saltwater when you can have this?" Hermione sighed as the jets caused the warm water to surround her with relaxing bubbles.
"Beats me," Harry answered, sitting across from her. "And who needs all those people on the beach when we can be alone here?"
"Not me," Hermione said. Acting on the spur of the moment, she began to rub her foot against Harry's bare chest. He caught her ankle and kissed her toes, making her squirm.
"That tickles," she giggled.
"Oh really?" Harry asked mischievously. The next thing Hermione knew, Harry was on her side of the tub, tickling her ribs.
An all-out splashing war ensued. After a few minutes, Hermione surveyed the bathroom. "Oh my gosh. We've really made a mess!" she laughed. The floor was soaking wet. The walls were splashed. Even the mirror across the room had rivulets flowing from top to bottom.
"Oh, who cares?" Harry asked. He kissed her neck, then pulled her under the water again. She turned the tables, dunking him. They were laughing hysterically, slipping and sliding and clinging to one another. Just as another gush of water flew from the tub, they heard a distinctive "pop." It was the sound only made by an apparating witch or wizard.
The two stopped laughing and turned just in time to see Professor Snape get drenched. Hermione squealed and grabbed a towel to cover her bathing suit. Harry bit his lower lip, and fought to keep the sides of his mouth from turning upward into a smile.
Snape said nothing, but was clearly shocked by his wet arrival. He shook water from arms. "It appears I'm interrupting something," he said in his usual snarky tone.
"Do you always apparate into bathrooms?" Harry asked, as he switched off the jets and stood up, also grabbing a slightly soggy towel from the nearby wrack.
"You try apparating from England to America and see how good your aim is, Mr. Potter. I dare say you'd be as likely to find yourself in the Atlantic Ocean as in Atlantic City." Snape muttered a drying spell and instantly, he, the bathroom, the jacuzzi, and Harry and Hermione were all perfectly dry again.
"Cool," Harry said, surveying the newly dry bathroom.
"I'm glad it meets with your approval," he snapped.
"Um, Professor," Hermione started, stepping out of the jacuzzi, careful to keep her towel around her. "Why are you here?" She thought better of it and realized Snape might think they were up to something inappropriate, so she accidentally dropped her towel, revealing her purple one piece bathing suit. She jerked the towel back as if it had truly been an accident. The last thing she wanted was for Snape to think he'd found her naked in the tub.
"This bathroom is not big enough for three people," Harry said, opening the door and leading them into the main room. He was happy that the maid had made the beds while they were downstairs having lunch. Otherwise, it would be obvious that only one was being used. "Would you like to sit down, Professor?" Harry asked cordially, motioning to the table in the kitchenette. "How about something to drink?" He reached into the refrigerator and got three bottles of water. "All we have is water," he said setting them down on the table.
Hermione retrieved two terry cloth robes and she and Harry put them on before sitting down with their teacher.
Snape was almost taken aback by the hospitable treatment he was receiving. "You should have told someone you were leaving your relative's house," he began without the frost in his tone.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I was there for two weeks. That's plenty of family bonding time with them."
Snape stopped himself from calling a Harry an insolent, ignorant brat. "There are wards and protections there that were not afforded to you here."
"If you had to choose between the Dursleys and a trip to the United States, what would you do?"
"Let the Order know I was leaving." Snape answered curtly. "Professor Dumbledore has gone to--"
"I am nothing to Dumbledore but a pawn in a game of wizard's chess," Harry snapped. He could almost picture a black cloud of anger and anxiety swirling around his heart.
"This is a war, Potter," Snape's voice was stern. "Some are going to die."
"And I know it broke your heart that Sirius is one of the casualties!"
Hermione started to rub Harry's back lightly to calm him down.
"My feelings toward your godfather are a non issue. You have a responsibility to the people who are guarding you to let them know where you will be at all times."
"I'm being watched," Harry responded sarcastically. "And if I tried to forget it, you made sure I got that little reminder via sea gull. I know good and well I don't make a move without someone in the Order watching."
"You're taking your shield of protection for granted, Potter. Don't think for one moment that the Order is the only group watching you. Fortunately for you, Dumbledore has recently taken measures to conceal you so that any time you are in the Muggle world, you can't be found."
"Then why are you here?" Harry asked dryly.
"To let you know that you should be safe during the rest of your stay in the States. You, Miss Granger, and her parents have been shielded. The same protections given to your relatives have been given to Miss Granger's relatives."
"So, you came to tell me that?" Harry asked, confused. What was the point of letting him know that he was being protected?
"No, Mr. Potter. I came to let you know that You-Know-Who is plotting once more to take you. I don't have details yet, but as soon as I do, you have to be ready to move, possibly at a moment's notice. Until then," and it looked as if the next words were causing Snape great pain, "Dumbledore wants you to enjoy yourself." He sneered at Hermione. "However, it looks like you don't need Dumbledore's direction to do that."
Hermione sneered back. "Thank you, Professor," she said cooly. "We appreciate your warning and apologize for drenching you. We hope your arrival back in England is... drier."
"Be ready," Snape said to Harry. With a pop, he was gone.
"Well, he needed to wash his hair anyway," Harry said.
Hermione giggled and kissed Harry's forehead. "Let's just stay in the Muggle world," she suggested, wishing it were possible. But they knew that Harry had to face Voldemort one day. It seemed that day may be sooner rather than later.