Chapter Fourteen
Author's note: Sorry for the delay in getting this out to you guys and I apologize ahead of time about how "short" this chapter is. This will probably be the shortest chapter of this story. I hope to make up for it later. I hope you guys like it. Thanks again to everyone for reading and for reviewing.
Chapter Fourteen
Broken Arrow
Who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow
Who else is gonna bring you a bottle of rain
There he goes moving across the water
There he goes turning my whole world around
Do you feel what I feel
Can we make it so that's part of the deal
I gotta hold you in these arms of steel
Lay your heart on the line this time
(Rod Stewart, "Broken Arrow")
The next morning on Elbow Cay, the sun was shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was hard to believe that just last night the island had been hit by a violent storm. Some employees from the resort were busily sweeping up debris. Hermione watched them from the restaurant, an untouched cup of coffee and blueberry muffin set on the table before her. She wasn't hungry, but she'd thought she'd at least order something.
Hermione had woken up a little after eight. Not wanting to wake Harry, she'd showered and changed clothes and tiptoed out of the room. She needed to think and that certainly couldn't be done while lying beside him in bed. It would be much too tempting repeat what had happened last night.
Last night...
They'd talked. He'd shared something with her that he hadn't told many people and it meant something to her. HE meant something to her. All this time, she'd wondered what exactly he meant to her, but last night she'd gotten her answer. Was it possible to fall in love so fast? Seeing that she had never been "in love" before, Hermione honestly didn't know.
She did know that no one had ever made her feel the way Harry did---warm, safe, protected, and most importantly loved. He'd been so gentle and caring last night.
Silently, she cursed herself for thinking about him like this. She wasn't supposed to be falling for the best friend of her boyfriend.
Ron.
He'd been the furthest thing on her mind last night. Truth be told, she hadn't really thought about him much since she'd arrived on Isla Solarte. What kind of person does that? she asked herself. Ron was nice. He was charming and he was funny. They had absolutely nothing in common and at the beginning that had been okay. As their relationship progressed, they fought about their differences. Ron liked to go out and have a good time with his Quidditch mates. Hermione was all for having a good time, of course, but she was much more at home in quieter places. To Hermione, a good time could be had spending time on the sofa watching old movies and eating take away. Her idea of a good time wasn't watching Ron play darts with his mates while they all got pissed and told lame jokes. That was what they'd done on their last three dates.
And six months into the relationship, Hermione still had her doubts. She cared about Ron, but she didn't think it was love.
But Harry? He was like no one she'd ever met. After the crummy childhood he had she wouldn't have been surprised if he had grown to be a cold, distant person. But, he wasn't like that at all. He was caring, compassionate, and open. When she was with him, she felt as if she could tell him anything. In fact, she'd told him things that she'd shared with neither her family nor closest friends. And he'd listened. He'd cared. It felt as if she'd known him all her life instead of for a few short weeks.
Thinking about Harry in this way was wrong, though. No matter what she felt, she knew she couldn't be the reason that caused his friendship with Ron to fall apart. Long before she entered the picture, Ron and Harry were best friends. If Ron found about what happened, he'd never speak to either of them again. He certainly wouldn't give them his blessing and wish them well. The conversation she'd had with Ron a few months back replayed itself in her head. Ron's words echoed in her mind:
"I'm a shit for thinking like that, I know. But you don't know what it was like. He was always… it was just that things always seemed to come so easy for him. Everyone expected greatness from him, and he never seemed to disappoint. I was always jealous of him because he always seemed to get what he wanted; even what I wanted."
Hermione had known how Ron felt. Yet, she couldn't help herself. She'd given into her feelings last night and in the process betrayed a man she'd committed herself. The guilt and shame she was feeling at the moment was making her stomach turn. She pushed the plate of food away from her and leaned back in the chair wondering what in the world she was going to do about this mess she'd created.
Hermione knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to run back upstairs to the hotel room and confess how she felt to Harry. But, he was, no doubt, going to feel bad about what they'd done as well. Ron was his best friend after all. So, she knew what she had to do. Go back upstairs and tell Harry that what happened was a mistake and it would never, ever happen again.
It would be a lie, of course. And she'd always been a terrible liar. If only Lavender were here or Eva, Hermione thought wistfully. It would be so nice to have someone to talk to about this. But, it wasn't up to Lavender or Eva to decide for her. The decision ultimately was up to her.
~~~~~~
~~~~~~~
Harry awoke the next morning with a smile on his face. He didn't know where his glasses were and at the moment, he could care less. Turning over on his side, he reached for Hermione but to his dismay, only managed to grab a pillow.
"Hermione?" he called out, his voice scratchy with sleep. There was no answer. Harry closed his eyes and sank back down into the pillows. She wasn't there.
He didn't know what that meant. Was she ashamed of what they'd done? Did she need time on her own to think about what had happened and what it all meant? It killed Harry to think that she would be feeling guilty about cheating on Ron when Ron had been cheating on her almost from the start.
Harry didn't know when or why or how it happened, but he'd fallen for Hermione. Two months ago he'd no idea who she was. Now, he couldn't imagine spending one day without her.
Sirius had always said that love was something that stumbled into you when least expected. Harry had always rolled his eyes whenever Sirius would say this and dismiss it for the cliché that it was. But, much to Harry's chagrin, Sirius had been right. Of course, Harry would never tell the smug bastard that.
Harry certainly hadn't planned or expected to ever meet someone like Hermione Granger. But, here she was. Well, at the moment, she wasn't here. And he knew the reason why.
Ron.
No matter what Ron had done behind Hermione's back, it certainly didn't justify or excuse sleeping with Hermione behind his back. Harry could only imagine the sort of reaction he'd get from his best mate if he found out what had happened in this room last night. It certainly wasn't as if Ron would shake his hand and wish him well. If Harry pursued any kind of romantic relationship with Hermione, he knew he could kiss his friendship with Ron goodbye.
Was he really willing to throw away a 13-year friendship for the love of a woman he'd not even known a couple of months? Harry honestly didn't know.
But he did know what he had to do; what he must do if he wanted to keep Ron as a friend. The only problem was, Harry had no idea how he was going to do it.
~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
The bloke on the minds of both Harry and Hermione was, at the moment, watching Melinda dress. She'd stopped by his flat on the way back from some meeting and one thing had led to another and they'd found themselves in Ron's bed.
Melinda looked over her shoulder at Ron, who was sitting up in bed.
"So, your girl is getting back soon, eh?" she asked conversationally.
Ron nodded and wondered why Melinda was talking about Hermione.
"Two weeks," he replied.
Ron was also wondering why Harry hadn't bothered to write him back. He'd sent that letter days ago wanting Harry to give him advice. Harry wasn't the most reliable pen pal, of course, but he wasn't usually so slow in responding. As Ron watched Melinda pull her jumper on, Ron realized that getting out of this mess was going to be up to him alone. Besides, Harry didn't even know Hermione. He couldn't really give an objective answer, could he?
"So what is she like?" Melinda asked turning to face Ron properly.
Ron laughed. "You want me to talk about my girlfriend with you after you and I just shagged?"
"Why not?" Melinda shrugged. "Now's a good time as any, right?"
"Not really," Ron muttered. "What about your boyfriend? What's he like when he's at home?"
"Sean?" Melinda asked her features twisting in thought.
"He has a name!" Ron teased. "Sean. Okay, what else?"
Melinda sighed. "Well, our families have known each other for years. We've practically known each other since we were in nappies."
"And?"
"And I love him very much," Melinda said simply.
"You do?" Ron asked her. He was amazed by this. "But you're doing the dirty to him, Mel. Come on, there's got to be more to it than that. He's got to be a drunk or something. Tell me that he calls you names or forgets your birthday or something. There has to be a reason why you're…well, why we're…."
Melinda giggled. "Has anyone ever told you that you're cute when you get all flustered? Okay, okay. Don't sulk, Ron. Sean isn't a drunk. He always remembers my birthday and he treats me quite well. I love him with all my heart and soul."
"But…"
"But nothing," Melinda interjected. "That's all there is to it."
"But you and I?"
"Well, you and I are just having a bit of fun, right?" Melinda asked. "We're two adults getting something out of an easy relationship, right? Besides, you said so yourself, you love this girl, Hermione. Why are cheating on her if you're so happy?"
Ron had asked himself that same question over the last few weeks. The answer to it wasn't going to make him look good in anyone's eyes, least of all Hermione's.
"I do love her, Mel. It's just complicated."
"I don't think it is," Melinda said, slipping on her shoes. "I don't think you're ready to settle down yet with anyone. You're still ready to have fun."
Ron shook his head vehemently. "That's not true. I-I'm thinking of asking Hermione to marry me."
Melinda laughed. "You?"
Ron stared at her with a hurt expression on his face. "Why are you laughing? I don't think what I said was all that funny…"
"Trust me," Melinda said, stifling her laughter. "You…married? I just don't see it happening anytime soon."
"It will you know," Ron said determinedly. "In fact, I think it's just what I need. If I have that commitment from her, I won't need to look around for anyone else, will I? Why haven't I thought of this before? This is what I've needed to do all along. I've just been repeating the same mistakes over and over again and hurting someone I love. The answer has been here all this time. Melinda, you're a genius!"
Melinda stared bemusedly at him. "You're right about me being a genius, but I don't know what I said to make you think that you needed to go and propose to this poor girl. Ron, come off it. You will never change."
"That's where you're wrong," Ron said, pulling the covers back and getting out of bed. "I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going ring shopping."
Melinda sighed and shook her head. "Good luck, Ron. I think you're going to need it."
Ron grinned and pecked her on the cheek.
He was going to do this. Ron Weasley was finally going to take that step and grow up. He was going to ask Hermione to marry him and they'd live happily ever after like they did in those Muggle fairy tales. Ron was giddy as he turned on the shower. He'd figured it out all by himself without Harry's help.
Hermione Granger Weasley. Now that has a wonderful ring to it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione slid the keycard in the lock and slowly opened the door. Harry was sitting up in bed. His hair was as unruly and disheveled as ever. The prepared speech she'd gone over in the restaurant left her mind completely as she looked at him. This wasn't going to be easy, she thought to herself as she closed the door behind her.
"I…um," she began.
"Listen, Hermione…" he said at the same time.
Harry laughed nervously and Hermione suddenly became very interested in the pattern on the carpet.
"You go ahead," Harry finally said.
"No," Hermione said looking up. "You…"
"Okay," Harry said. "I was worried when I woke up and you were gone. You don't have to explain or anything. I can guess why you left this morning. I think I need to apologize…"
Hermione looked at him in surprise. "Why are you apologizing? What happened between us last night wasn't your fault, Harry. I initiated it, didn't I?"
"Maybe," Harry said quietly. "But I certainly didn't turn you down, did I?"
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Hermione put her head in her hands. "It was my fault. I should have just gone back home to London when I had the chance."
Harry knew he was treading into dangerous waters by asking what he was about to, but he had to know. He had to know he wasn't alone in this; that she felt the same way he did. "And why didn't you? Why didn't you go?"
Hermione looked away. "Because I didn't want to go."
"I didn't want you to go either," he said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. Despite the situation, Hermione smiled.
"What are we doing, Harry?"
"I wish I knew," he replied, wishing that she would turn around and look at him so he could see her face.
"This morning when I woke up, I felt as if it had all been a dream. I know it sounds so corny, but I did. I was asleep in your arms and I just remember thinking that I never wanted to be anywhere else. And then…"
"…you thought about Ron," Harry finished. His hand fell from her shoulder. The man whose name neither of them had mentioned was suddenly the biggest presence in the room.
"He's your best friend, Harry."
"Don't you think I know that?" Harry snapped. Her back was still to him, but when he'd snapped at her like that, she'd jumped. Instantly, he felt bad for reacting like that. Harry's own guilt was eating away at him, too. "I didn't mean it like that, Hermione. I'm sorry."
Hermione wanted to turn around and look at him, but she couldn't move. She found it completely bizarre that last night, she'd bared her body and soul to him and now she couldn't even force herself to look him in the eye.
"Hermione? Look at me, please."
Slowly, she turned around and looked into his piercing green eyes. He scooted closer to her and cupped her face in his hands.
"Are we being honest here?" he asked softly.
She nodded.
"Okay," he said. "Here goes. Last night was amazing. Being with you like that was amazing. I don't think it was a mistake. If anything, it was the wrong timing. But, I don't think what happened between us last night was a mistake. And I'm not going to apologize for it."
"You're not?"
He shook his head. "Being with you doesn't feel wrong, Hermione. In fact, being with you feels about as right as it can get."
Hermione hugged him and he held her in his arms for quite some time. Gently, he pulled away so he could look at her when he said what he was about to say.
"I want to be with you," Harry said, tilting her chin up so she would look at him. "What do you want?"
A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked up at him. "I want to be with you too."
Harry smiled and gently pressed his lips to hers.
"We'll figure something out, Hermione," Harry said softly, pushing back a strand of hair from her face. "I promise."
When he said it like that, she almost believed him. Snuggling against him, she let out a contented sigh. Harry kissed the top of her head.
Hermione did the one thing she wanted to do since she'd woken up this morning. She kissed him and let herself relax into his arms. Their kissing became more intense and in a matter of minutes, Harry was undoing the buttons on her blouse again as she was running her hands through his hair.
Hermione arched towards him and they made love again, forgetting--for a while at least-- the guilt that both of them still felt about what they were doing and how it would hurt someone they both cared about.
*****
Later that afternoon, Harry and Hermione finally made it back to Isla Solarte. The island didn't have much damage from the storm, save for some downed tree limbs and scattered leaves. A few lounge chairs were overturned on the deck to the guest house and Hermione made a mental note to do some cleaning up after she got settled in.
Harry was still down at the docks securing the boat. She'd offered to help, but he'd told her to go on because her being there would only distract him. With a lingering kiss goodbye, she'd walked back toward the guest house.
To her surprise, the moment she opened the door, she saw that she had a letter waiting for her. This was quite strange because she'd not told anyone where she was going. Only Remus Lupin knew and he'd only contact her if there was an emergency. Hermione's breath caught in her throat and she wondered for an awful moment that perhaps something bad had happened to someone in her family or to Lavender.
Hermione walked over to the couch and opened up the letter.
Hermione:
I really don't know how to say this, but I feel that you really need to know. You know that I've never been Ron Weasley's biggest fan and at first, I thought I was just being a paranoid, protective best friend, but the other day I found out that my suspicions about the redheaded louse were correct! Hermione, I hate to tell you this, but I really think Ron is sneaking around behind your back! The other day I was having lunch at an outdoor café when I saw him walk out of a shop, arm in arm with some blonde floozy! They snogged right out in the street like it was the most natural thing in the world to do and it took everything that I had not to run across the street and hex him into the next century!
I hate to tell you all of this by letter, but I really couldn't wait until you came back. I know that if our positions were reversed, you'd tell me. You've always been a great friend to me. You are a wonderful, caring, loving person and you deserve nothing but the best, Hermione! The Ron Weasleys of this world don't have a clue as to how special you are and they never will!
I miss you and hope that you take this news well. When you get back, we can plot full-scale revenge on the bastard! He'll regret the day he ever messed around on you! I can guarantee that!
Your best friend,
Lavender
Hermione read and reread the letter again each time trying to wrap her brain around the words. This couldn't be true, could it? Lavender wouldn't lie. Anger swelled up in Hermione as she thought about Ron's excuses for missing dates. Suddenly it all made sense. Hermione felt like such a fool for not realizing it herself.
Harry knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response, he came inside.
"Okay, I know we said we were going to each take a nap, but I couldn't let you go without one last kiss…"
He stopped in his tracks when he saw the look on Hermione's face.
"What is it?" he asked concernedly.
Hermione handed him the letter. "You're not going to believe this…"