Author's note: I really do apologize for the long time its taking me to post updates. Real life along with The Time of Their Life story I'm writing with Heaven is taking up much of my time at the moment. I hope this makes up for it and thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed! Happy Halloween!
Chapter Five
My Life
I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life and leave me alone
(Billy Joel, My Life)
"YOU DID WHAT?" Eva asked incredulously as Sirius walked into the kitchen of Café Oceana that evening.
"Left him alone with her," Sirius said innocently, but not even bothering to hide the mischievous grin on his face.
"Ben," she cautioned, using his pseudonym since they weren't alone. The chef was standing at the counter busily preparing an entrée. "He's going to kill you for doing that."
"No, he won't," Sirius said with a laugh. "I imagine he'll be thanking me when I get back."
"You're quite optimistic," Eva said, pouring some sauce into a dish. "They've only just met."
"I know," Sirius replied, leaning back against a counter. "But they've taken to each other already."
"Jack's told you this, has he?"
"No, not in so many words," Sirius admitted. "But I know him. He likes her."
Eva just shook her head. "If you keep this up, you're going to scare that poor girl away."
Sirius frowned. "Eva, I'm just giving them a little push. The moment Remus told me about this girl, I knew. I knew she'd be perfect for him."
"And the fact that she's dating his best friend?" Eva asked incredulously.
"Dating his best friend who cheats on her with anything that moves," Sirius answered sarcastically. "Look, I really do like Ron, but he's not serious about this girl. If he was, I certainly wouldn't ---"
"Yes you would," Eva interjected with a laugh. "You most certainly would."
"Aye, you're probably right," Sirius admitted.
Eva laughed and shook her head. "I hope you don't think you're pulling one thing over on either of them. If this girl is as smart as Remus says she is, I imagine she knows exactly what you're trying to do and I'm positive Jack can see through it as well. Face it, sweetheart, you're about as subtle as a nuclear bomb."
"Yes, but you love me for it," Sirius said with a wink.
"That I do," she said, shaking her head again. "That I do."
**************************************
*************************************
In my entire life, I've never been at a loss for words. Why can't I think of anything to say? On second thought, why do I even care? Maybe it's because he is my boyfriend's best mate and I want to make a good impression? No, that's not it. He doesn't know who I am and I'm not supposed to know who he is. This would be so much easier if I didn't know who he really was! Why did I have to figure it out? Merlin, he keeps looking over here at me. Probably thinks I'm mental. Come to think of it, I think I'm mental at the moment.
Speak, Hermione. Speak. Say something intelligent. Say something witty. Say anything.
At least he has the cooking to keep him preoccupied. He doesn't have to say anything. I, on the other hand, am sitting here on a stool-drinking red wine and feeling like a complete idiot.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked from his position at the stove.
"Hmmm?" Hermione asked, interrupted from her thoughts.
"I asked if you were okay," Harry said, raising an eyebrow at her. "You've been awfully quiet."
You should hear the conversation I'm having with myself.
"I-I guess I'm still a little tired from my trip," she lied. "I'm still getting used to the time difference."
"I can understand that," he said with a smile. "It'll take you awhile to get your bearings."
Hermione nodded. "I'm sure a good night's sleep is all that I need."
Harry grinned at her before turning back around. Hermione took another sip from her wine glass and looked around at the kitchen. It was larger than the one at the guest house and had all the state-of-the-art appliances. Hermione looked at Harry who was expertly sprinkling spices on the fish. He certainly knew his way around a kitchen.
"You're quite good," Hermione heard herself saying.
He looked over his shoulder at her. "I get by."
"You do more than get by," Hermione said with a laugh. "You're much better than me. I have trouble with anything you can't microwave."
Harry laughed. "Well, I've been cooking since I was a kid. My aunt basically thought of me as a chef-slash-butler-slash -jack-of-all-trades."
Hermione knew, of course, that Harry had grown up with his Muggle aunt and uncle. Although she didn't know what sort of people they were, she could tell from the tone of Harry's voice that there was no love lost between them.
"I'd starve if it wasn't for my flatmate. She's a whiz in the kitchen. I, on the other hand…"
"I'm sure you're not that bad," Harry said.
"You'd think I wouldn't be, wouldn't you?" she asked with a giggle. "I mean, I did outstanding in potions. But, you put me in front of an oven and I have no idea what I'm doing. I was thinking I might try a few things while I'm here to see if I could improve."
With a stricken look on his face, Harry turned around and looked at her. "Um, Hermione? Remus is sort of attached to his kitchen and I don't think it'd be a good idea if you burned it down."
"See! You don't even know me and you know well enough not to trust me in a kitchen!"
"I was only teasing," Harry said, putting a plate of food before her.
"Jack," she said. "This looks fantastic. What is it?'
"Um, grilled marlin with port wine sauce," he answered, sitting down across from her with his own plate. "And roasted vegetables. Best I could do on short notice."
"If this is what you do on short notice, I'd love to see what you do when you have time to plan," she said smiling at him.
They ate their meal in silence, save for Hermione gushing about delicious the food was.
"I don't think I could eat another bite," she said, as she pushed back from the table. "That was amazing."
"Ah, I could have done better," Harry said with a shrug. "You should try Eva's recipe for this. I'm not even in the same league as her."
"Eva's your godfather's girlfriend, right?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded. "She's great. She owns a restaurant on the main island. You should really check it out while you're here."
"I'd love to," Hermione said excitedly. "I was looking on the Internet earlier about Great Abaco and I found all this great information. Green Turtle Cay sounds fascinating. I read about this little museum they have there that traces the entire history of the settlement."
Harry smiled. "Did a little research, did you?"
She blushed. "A little. I just wanted to know what I should be looking for and what sorts of things and places the islands had to offer."
"Well, I don't fault you for that, but you're really going to miss out on a lot of stuff that the tourists don't know about because they're being led around by some tour guide from a cruise ship or one of the resort hotels."
"Like what?" she asked, intrigued.
"Well, there's this certain stretch of the island where you can go snorkeling and you can see loads of coral reefs. View will take your breath away, Hermione. Not to mention the different caves and canyons."
Hermione grinned. "You'll have to write down some of the places I should go for me."
"Why?"
"Because I'd never find them on my own," she said, before draining her glass. "I'll ask one of the villagers or something to point me in the right direction."
Harry got up from his chair and gathered up their plates and silverware. "You'll do nothing of the kind. Some of the blokes on the island would love nothing more than to send some naïve tourist on a wild goose chase."
"Naïve tourist?" Hermione repeated, standing up and folding her arms. "I know I've never been here before, but I'll have you know that I can more than take care of myself. Honestly! Naïve tourist."
"Hey, hey," Harry said, setting the plates in the sink. "I certainly didn't mean to imply that I didn't think you couldn't take care of yourself, Miss Granger. I fondly remember you pointing your wand so forcibly at me this morning so I can vouch for the fact that you probably can take care of yourself. I'm just saying that you've never been here before and you don't know where to go. Not everyone is so nice and honest. They'll do anything to hassle tourists. And you may not be naïve, but you ARE a tourist."
Hermione had to admit that he did have a point. "Okay," she said reluctantly. "I will be careful."
"Good," he said, turning on the water and looking at her with a grin. "And since I don't know whether or not to trust you, I'll go with you."
"What?"
"You heard," he said.
"Yes, I heard you, but surely you've got better things to do than show me around the island," she
protested, but she was touched that he at least offered.
"Yes, but I don't think I could do them if I was preoccupied with worry over your safety, now could I?" he asked cheekily.
She smiled. "I guess not."
"Then, it's settled," he said, splashing some of the water from the sink in her direction. She gave him a stern look.
"What?"
"You did that on purpose!" she said accusatorially.
"What?" he asked innocently. "I've been a perfect gentleman the whole night."
She shook her head and with a quick motion, ran her fingers in the water and splashed him back. "Now you're a perfectly wet gentleman."
"True," he said, smirking at her. She noticed how green his eyes were. Okay where did that come from? Just another astute observation, is all.
"I, um, should probably go," she said softly. "I wanted to do a bit of writing before I went to bed."
"Oh," he said, and Hermione wondered if she was imagining the hint of disappointment she heard in his voice. Stop this. This is crazy. You are mental.
"Would you like me to walk you back?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I'll be okay. I've troubled you enough tonight anyway."
"You haven't troubled me, Hermione. Really, I enjoyed the company."
She smiled. "So did I. Thanks for the dinner."
He walked her to the door and they both reached for the doorknob at the same time. His hand lingered on top of hers for what seemed like an eternity. She didn't dare turn around to look at him. Instead, she cleared her throat and he quickly withdrew his hand.
"Sorry," he said awkwardly.
"No problem," she said, turning the doorknob. "I-I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"
He nodded, a strange expression on his face.
"Good night, Jack," she whispered before turning around and walking out.
What on earth just happened?
*******
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It was early the next morning when Sirius finally made it back to Isla Solarte. Harry was still asleep when his godfather walked inside. Sirius was pleased to see an empty wine bottle on the counter along with two glasses. He smiled and settled back down at the table to have breakfast.
Harry stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later, his hair a mess and when he saw his godfather he frowned.
"Good morning," Sirius said pleasantly.
"Two words that shouldn't ever be strung together," Harry said crankily.
"And how are you today my little ray of sunshine?" Sirius asked teasingly.
Harry didn't answer him as he poured himself a mug of coffee.
"So what did you do last night?" Sirius asked innocently. "I'm sorry for cutting out on you last night, but I wanted to spend some time with Eva."
A smile played on Harry's lips. If Sirius expected details, he was in for a rude awakening. Harry decided to have a little fun with his godfather. "Nothing much, really, I went onto the main island and found some girl. You'll have to keep your voice down. She's a bit of a light sleeper."
Sirius froze. "What?"
"Yeah," Harry said, sitting down at the table. "I was thinking of staying here, of course, but I got a little bored so I went onto Great Abaco and I must say I'm glad I did because she was…wow doesn't even begin to cover it."
"But what about…" Sirius began, but his voice trailed off.
"What about what?" Harry countered challengingly.
"Nothing," Sirius grumbled, folding up the newspaper. "Nothing at all."
"There's no girl in my room," Harry said before breaking out into laughter.
Sirius glared at him.
"Honestly, there's not," Harry said still laughing. "But you should see the look on your face. Well, if I had any doubts about you actually trying to match make, they're out the window now."
"That wasn't very nice, Harry," Sirius retorted.
"Yeah, well you know what's also not very nice, Sirius?" Harry asked. "You thinking of playing puppet master with me and some girl. Really nice. Inviting her over for dinner and then forgetting to mention it to me---that's certainly nice, isn't it? And then you conveniently leave the island so I'll be left alone with her. If you thought I was going to be fooled by that, you don't know me at all."
"So she did stop by for dinner?" Sirius asked intrigued.
"Yes, she did," Harry said. "And don't worry. I made up an excuse for you that it must have slipped your mind."
"Good, good," Sirius said happily. "So how was it?"
"You're not getting details from me," Harry said, before taking a sip of his coffee. "You're lucky I'm even talking to you, you sick old man."
"You had a good time then?" Sirius asked, ignoring the insult.
Harry had actually enjoyed himself with Hermione last night. He found her witty and charming and quite pretty in a natural way. She wasn't like most girls he knew who painted their faces with so much makeup that they looked like a cartoon. She was honest and although he'd only just met her, he felt that he could talk to her about almost anything. He certainly wasn't going to tell Sirius this…not after the stunt he'd pulled last night.
"Drop it," Harry said, pushing back from his chair. "She's a nice girl, but nothing is going to happen between us. The sooner you get that through your head, the happier we'll all be. Besides, I've never had trouble getting dates before. I don't think I need your help."
"Need I remind you that I was one of the driving forces in getting your mum and dad together," Sirius said smugly.
"No, you don't have to remind me," Harry said quietly. "You've told me so much I pretty much have it committed to memory."
"Well, my track record speaks for itself I think," Sirius said proudly. "Now if you don't mind, I'm thinking of kipping before I head out on the boat later."
"Fine," Harry said dismissively.
Sirius grinned and headed out of the kitchen, leaving his godson alone with his thoughts.
Harry was contemplating going out on the boat himself and was just committing to the idea when there was a knock on the kitchen door. He turned to see Hermione standing at the sliding glass doors. She looked well-rested and happy as she waved at him. She'd pulled her long brown hair into a ponytail and was wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a white tank top.
Harry was glad Sirius wasn't in the room to witness the smile that came on his face when he saw her.
"Hello Jack," she said when he opened the door. "You look like you just got out of bed."
Harry looked down at his white t-shirt and boxer shorts and nodded. "No, I always dress like this."
She laughed. "That just got out of bed look is supposedly all the rage these days. At least that's what Lavender tells me."
"Yes, well I'm definitely a trendsetter," he said with a roll of his eyes.
"I'm not too early, am I?" she asked.
He stared at her bemusedly. "Oh! I was going to take you onto the main island today, wasn't I? Sorry, I'm not exactly entirely awake at the moment."
"No problem," she grinned. "I understand. So, you still wanted to take me today, didn't you?"
Here was his out, he thought to himself. He could just tell her he was busy and had other things to do and that maybe they could do it some other time. But, she looked so excited and ready to go that he didn't have the heart to lie to her. Besides, it might be fun, he thought.
"Yeah, of course," he said, nodding his head. "Of course, I do. I just need to hop in the shower first." He looked behind him and wondered if he should invite her inside. With his luck, Sirius would wake up and give her the third degree about the dinner last night.
"Is there a problem?" she asked.
He shook his head and gave her a weak smile. "There's no problem. I-why don't you come inside and have some juice or coffee while I take a shower? I shouldn't be that long."
She gave him a warm smile. "That sounds great."
He stood back so she could come inside. "There are some bagels on the counter and we've got jam and marmalade in the icebox and you can help yourself to anything you like."
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked teasingly. "You do remember me telling you how dangerous I could be in a kitchen?"
He laughed. "Yes, I do. But I think you'll be okay with a bagel, don't you?"
"I think so," she said, sitting down at the table.
"Good," he said. "I'll just be a few minutes then."
"Okay," she said picking up Sirius' discarded newspaper and beginning to read. Harry watched her for a few moments before leaving the kitchen and bounding upstairs. He showered, shaved and changed clothes in nearly record time. When he headed downstairs a few minutes later, he heard muffled voices coming from the kitchen. Sirius obviously hadn't taken that long of a kip, Harry thought miserably.
Harry slowly made his way back into the kitchen in time to see his godfather and Hermione chatting like old mates at the kitchen table. As Sirius' back was to him, it was Hermione who saw Harry first.
"Jack," she said grinning at him. "Your godfather here was telling me some amusing anecdotes about your father."
Harry shot Sirius a warning look. Surely, he hadn't told this girl about the Marauders, had he? Hermione already knew Remus Lupin and he'd no doubt shared tales with her about the famous Marauders. She was a bright girl and he knew it wouldn't take too much for her to add two and two together.
"I'm sure he was," Harry said tersely.
Sirius chuckled. "Hermione was just being polite and listening to the ravings of an old man like me."
Hermione patted his arm. "You were quite entertaining."
Sirius beamed at her. "She thinks I'm entertaining, Jack. Did you hear that?"
"Yeah, I heard," Harry said crossly.
"Hermione, I think you and I are going to get along just fine," Sirius said, winking at her.
"I hope so," Hermione said good-naturedly, but she could sense the irritation in Harry's voice. She hoped she wasn't the cause of this, but the way Harry kept shooting Sirius looks, she had a feeling that she was. She wondered if it was something to do with the fact that Sirius seemed hell-bent on matchmaking. She should tell him that she had a boyfriend so he'd stop, but she didn't say anything.
"I won't keep you two kids any longer," Sirius said, looking at Harry. "I know you'll want to get to Great Abaco as soon as possible. You're going to love it Hermione. And make sure he takes you by Café Oceana so you can meet Eva. She's dying to see you."
"I'm ready to meet her as well," Hermione said. "She must be some kind of woman to put up with you."
"She keeps me on my toes," Sirius admitted.
Without a word, Harry grabbed his bag and slid the sliding doors open. "Are you coming?" he asked, much more abruptly than he'd wanted to.
Hermione looked up, surprised. "Yes, of course."
"Let's go," Harry said, walking out of the door and toward the docks.
Hermione quickly rose from her chair and grabbed her own bag.
"Hey, Hermione?" Sirius called out to her. Hermione turned around and saw him staring at her with a sympathetic look on his face. "Don't take any of his crap, okay? And don't take it personally. He's not mad at you."
Hermione nodded and wondered if that was entirely true. Either way, she had a feeling that what she'd thought would be a promising day, was going to be a very, very long one.