Author's note: Thank you so much for the incredible response I'm getting for this story. I really appreciate the reviews and I try to respond to them because if you're going to take the time to tell me what you think, I'm certainly going to take the time to tell you thank you. I hope you guys like this latest chapter. It's a bit longer than the last one and you get to see a little more about what Ron's been up to. Thank you again! Inspiration from this chapter came from one of my favorite oldies songs by the Drifters, Under the Boardwalk. Bette Midler also does a version that was in the movie Beaches that I am also fond of as well.
Chapter Seven
Under the Boardwalk
"Oh when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof
And your shoes get so hot you wish your tired feet were fire-proof
Under the boardwalk, down by the sea, yeah
On a blanket with my baby is where I'll be"
(Under the Boardwalk, by the Drifters)
Harry swore that the best place to snorkel was in Green Turtle Cay. As they made their way, he told her some more about what types of things she'd probably see. They were still holding hands, and she'd expected this to seem awkward, but it felt natural. If he didn't have a problem with it, she certainly wasn't going to draw his attention to it.
In fact, she was so caught up listening to what he was telling her that she forgot the fact that he was about to see her in a rather skimpy bathing suit.
Damn Lavender and her bright ideas.
She didn't know what troubled her more---the fact that Harry was going to see her in a bikini or why she even cared at all. There was no way out of it. She usually didn't care one way or the other about how she looked or what she wore, but for some strange reason she cared now. What would he think if he saw her stomach was a little flabby? Hermione wondered if perhaps she was worrying too much. Besides, it wasn't as if she didn't exercise. She did. For the past two years, she'd jogged every morning before work. That had been more for her health than anything and she'd found it to be a great stress reliever. Hopefully, it would have helped her figure in some way, as well.
Hermione couldn't believe she hadn't stood her ground that night with Lavender. It had been Lavender who'd suggested the bikini in the first place.
"Okay," Lavender said pleased as she looked over the pile of clothes she'd managed to pick out for Hermione. "We've got you something for pretty much any occasion, but you're still going to need a bathing suit or two."
From her perch on the edge of the bed, Hermione got to her feet and walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a simple, cobalt blue, one-piece bathing suit. Without looking at Lavender, she folded it neatly and placed it in her suitcase.
"YOU ARE NOT BRINGING THAT OLD THING WITH YOU!" Lavender nearly shouted.
Hermione jumped. "What? Lavender…"
Lavender picked up the bathing suit and walked over to the rubbish bin by Hermione's desk and promptly chucked it inside.
"Lavender!"
"You'll thank me for it later," Lavender said smugly. She walked out of Hermione's room and down the hall to her own. A few minutes later, Lavender came back into the room hiding something behind her back.
"I don't see what's wrong with my bathing suit," Hermione said defensively. "I've had it for years."
"Which is precisely what is wrong with it," Lavender answered simply. "Hermione…this is a holiday you're going on. You need to look your best. And you can't look your best in that old, tatty thing."
"So what do you suggest?" Hermione forced herself to ask.
Lavender smiled. "I just so happened to have a suit in my room that I've never worn because it was a little too conservative for me, but its just about right for you, I think."
Lavender produced the suit and held it front of Hermione.
"You call that conservative?" Hermione finally managed to ask. "Lavender…my scarf covers more than that will!"
"I know!" Lavender said mischievously. "Isn't it great?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, it's not. Besides, I'm not going to this Isla Solarte to go sunbathe, am I?"
Lavender rolled her eyes. "Blah-blah-blah. Yes, I know. You're going to work as well. Bollocks, Hermione. You're going to have a good time if it kills you. And if you don't…I'll never speak to you again."
"You've been using that line on me for how many years now?" Hermione countered.
"It always works," Lavender said smugly.
"No, it doesn't," Hermione replied. "You've never followed through on it…"
"That's because you always go along with me," Lavender said with twinkling eyes. "Come
on, Hermione. This isn't that bad…it's not like I'm handing you a thong. This is a tasteful, nice swimsuit and I think it'll look smashing on you."
Hermione looked at the suit and felt her resolve fading away. It wasn't that bad of a suit. Besides, she thought to herself, I'll probably be too busy to ever wear it.
Hermione shook her head at the memory of it and couldn't believe yet again that she'd let Lavender talk her into this.
"Hermione?"
Hermione looked up to see Harry staring expectantly at her.
"Yes?" she asked sheepishly.
"We're nearly there," he said, giving her a strange look.
Hermione nodded. "You know we don't really have to do this if you don't want to…"
"Yes, we do," Harry said, leading her down the cay. "You've listened to me talking about it like a kid in a candy store and we're not backing out now."
When he saw the stricken look on her face, he gave her a reassuring grin. "You're not afraid, are you? I seriously doubt we'll see a shark or anything like that."
"I'm not afraid!" Hermione retorted crossly, glaring at him.
Harry chuckled. "Okay, okay. Calm down. And you're not still mad at me for acting like an arse earlier, right? I apologized for that…"
Hermione shook her head. "Yes, you did. I just don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do."
He smiled at her. "You're not. There's no place else I'd rather be than right here."
Hermione blushed. When Harry realized what he'd just said, he tried to cover.
"I mean, I wouldn't have offered to take you unless I wanted to and I like to snorkel and I think you'll enjoy it, too and…" he said, his voice trailing off, and his own cheeks reddening.
He dropped their gear down on the sand and took off his t-shirt. He started pulling the masks, flippers and snorkels out of the bag. Hermione stood there, watching him…unsure of what to do. He didn't look up at her as he explained what she needed to do with the equipment.
"Right," Hermione said, sinking down onto the sand and slipping out of her sandals.
"Okay," Harry said, grabbing his gear and getting to his feet. He looked at Hermione expectantly, but she didn't move.
"Is something wrong?" he asked her.
"No," she lied. "I-"
He wondered if she was scared and was trying to put on a brave face for him. If she was worried, he wished she'd just say. He certainly wasn't about to risk the wrath of Hermione by asking her again if she was scared.
She bit her bottom lip and carried on an argument in her head about what she was going to do. Deciding that being worried about his reaction to her in a bathing suit was beyond stupid; she slowly got to her feet and eased out of her shorts. Her hand was shaking a bit as she tugged at the bottom of her tank top. She didn't dare look at him as she slowly lifted it over her head. She fought the urge to cover herself with her hands. The swimsuit itself was an aqua blue color with a red floral pattern design.
Without looking in his direction, she grabbed her own gear and headed toward the ocean.
If she had turned around to see, she would have seen a smiling Harry Potter admiring the view.
**** ***** *****
***** ***** *****
Later that evening, Sirius was upstairs in Eva's apartment. Her flat was just above Café Oceana and he'd arrived only a few minutes ago. They were going to have an early dinner. Eva was just freshening up and he smiled as he watched her.
"You're beautiful," he whispered, leaning against the bathroom door.
"I'm a mess is what I am," Eva said, running a brush through her hair. "They do say love is blind, though."
"That they do," Sirius said. "But I'm telling you the honest truth, Eva. You look
beautiful."
Eva smiled and leaned in for a kiss.
"And you are quite the charmer, Sirius Black," Eva said, winking at him. "But you're matchmaking skills leave something to be desired."
"What does that mean?" Sirius asked.
"That means you need to butt out of Hermione and Harry's business and just let nature take its course. I know you think you're helping, but your guerilla-style methods are just pushing them apart. They're doing quite fine without you."
"How would you know that?" Sirius asked.
"I would know that because I met Hermione today," Eva said, applying some lipstick. She explained to him what had happened this morning.
"I don't get what his problem is," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I'm just trying to point out to him what he already knows…she's perfect for him. And he won't listen to me…"
"His problem is you thinking you can run his life for him," Eva answered wisely. "And I think he's right. Don't look at me like that, Sirius. You know I'm right."
"But-"
"No," Eva said sternly. "They talked before they left to go sightseeing and when they left here, they were both grinning at each other and carrying on like old friends. It seems to me that they do just fine without your help. If you keep this up, you're going to screw up any chance the two of them have."
Sirius frowned.
Eva smiled and put her arms around his neck. "I know you can't stand to be proven wrong, but I know what
I'm talking about. Just let it go and you'll see."
"So they were getting along?" Sirius asked.
"Yes," Eva said, shutting off the bathroom light and taking his hand. "Like they'd known each other for years."
Sirius resisted the urge to say "I told you so". He'd give up trying to push them together, but he certainly wasn't going to let it go as Eva suggested…at least not, completely. If he knew his godson, Sirius knew that every once in awhile, Harry just needed a nudge in the right direction.
"Guerilla-style methods?" Sirius asked, pretending to be taken aback. "I think that's a bit harsh."
"That's spot-on," Eva corrected, as she led him out of the front door and down the stairs to the restaurant. "I'm not knocking it. It certainly helped you nab me."
"Yes it did," Sirius said proudly.
Eva said some polite hellos to a few of the customers as she and Sirius took their usual table outside. They'd only been sitting there a few minutes when Harry and Hermione came walking up to them. Hermione was slightly sunburned.
"You've caught a bit of sun, darlin'," Eva commented, standing up to give first Harry and then Hermione a hug.
"I did," Hermione admitted. "Hello, Ben."
Sirius grinned at her and squeezed her hand. He gave his godson a knowing look, but instead of getting angry, Harry just shook his head and laughed.
"Why don't you two join us?" Eva suggested.
Hermione looked at Harry, who nodded and held out a chair for her. Sirius looked at Eva, who kicked him under the table.
"So how was it?" Eva asked.
"Fantastic!" Hermione exclaimed enthusiastically. "I've never seen anything more beautiful in my
life. It's like an entire different world down there. We saw so many fish and coral…it was amazing. I didn't
want to leave."
Eva nodded. "I haven't done it in ages. We'll have to go sometime, Ben."
Sirius smiled. "Perhaps we could all go together. Sort of like a double…ouch!"
"Sorry!" Eva said quickly. "Was that your leg, Ben?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, wincing. "That was my leg."
"Jack was really a great tour guide this afternoon," Hermione said with a smile. "He even let me talk him into the museum."
"As a peace offering," Harry interjected. "I certainly didn't go because I wanted to hear about the history of the island."
"You enjoyed yourself!" Hermione teased. "You told me so!"
"I was being polite," Harry said, pushing back from his chair. "I'm just going to go inside and place our order. What will it be, Miss Granger?"
"Oh, I don't know," Hermione said picking up her menu. She finally decided on a spicy grilled chicken entrée and a glass of white wine. Harry gave her a smile before going inside.
Hermione leaned back in her chair.
"I'm really glad you two had a great time today," Sirius couldn't stop himself from saying.
Hermione wondered if perhaps would be the best time to tell Sirius that she had a boyfriend. She and Harry had a fantastic day and the last thing she wanted was for Sirius to try and push them together again, which would only anger Harry more.
"Ben?" she asked, leaning forward. "There's something you should know…"
Sirius exchanged a confused look with Eva, but nodded in Hermione's direction.
"I think you may be trying to set Harry and me up, but the thing is-," Hermione began, trying to choose her words carefully. "I sort of have a boyfriend."
Sirius smiled. "Sort of have a boyfriend?"
"Well, I don't 'sort of' have a boyfriend," Hermione said quickly. "I do have a boyfriend."
"I see," Sirius nodded.
"I would have said something sooner-," Hermione continued.
Sirius waved his hand. "It's alright. Really, Hermione."
Hermione smiled, relieved that this wasn't going to cause problems between them.
"Have you been dating very long?" Eva asked conversationally. "If you don't mind me asking…"
"No, it's okay," Hermione answered, as Harry came back to the table and handed her a glass of wine. "Thank you."
He nodded and sat back down beside her.
"What were we talking about?" Harry asked.
"I was just asking Hermione about this boyfriend of hers," Eva answered.
The smile on Harry's face fell somewhat, but he quickly took a drag from his beer to cover.
"So how long have you been dating?" Sirius asked.
Hermione wasn't all that forthcoming now that Harry was back. She bit her bottom lip, as she tended to do when she was nervous.
"Um, six months," Hermione answered quietly.
"I imagine he wasn't too happy to have you up and leave for two months," Eva commented.
"He's always telling me I should take it easy," Hermione said with a slight smile. "He thinks I work too hard. I think he doesn't work hard enough. We fight like cats and dogs most of the time."
"Really?" Sirius asked, looking at his godson for any sign of how he was taking all of this. Harry's expression, however, gave nothing away.
"But he's really funny and charming," Hermione continued, wishing they could stop talking about Ron. She felt guilty as she realized that this was the first time she'd properly thought about him in the past couple of days.
"And lucky," Harry said, looking at her. Their eyes locked and Hermione felt as if her stomach was doing flips.
"So, um, how about you tell us some more about snorkeling?" Eva asked softly.
"What?" Hermione asked, reluctantly looking away. "Oh, yeah…right."
Sirius leaned back in his chair, content and happy that his plan was going better than he'd even imagined.
***** ******** ************
******** ******** ******************
Ron walked out of the changing room with his teammate Tim Flynn. They were going to go back to the hotel and play a game of wizard's chess. Ron smiled as he knew that this would be the first day of his life. From now on, he would be faithful to Hermione. She was the best thing in his life and he wasn't going to mess it up.
"Great game, Weasley," a familiar voice called to him from behind. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to see the girl from a couple of nights ago standing against a door.
At least this time he knew her name. She was Melinda Downey. She was 23-years old and worked as a waitress at a sports pub while she went to University. For the past three years, she'd been dating a curse breaker at Gringotts' who spent most of his time traveling.
"Melinda," Ron said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"
"A mate of mine was able to get tickets to the game," she said flirtatiously. "I thought I'd come by and see how good you were in person."
Ron laughed. "And how was I?"
"Quite good," Melinda said with a grin. "I was very impressed."
"Ron?" Tim asked impatiently. "Come on, mate. I'm knackered. Let's go."
Ron tore his eyes away from Melinda and focused on Tim. "Oh, Tim Flynn this is Melinda Downey. She's a new friend."
Melinda giggled. "Nice to meet you, Tim."
"Pleasure," Tim said politely. "Well, Ron and I were just on the way back to the hotel. Right,
Ron?"
Melinda frowned. "Is that so? I was hoping I might talk you into coming round to the pubs with me? If you play your cards right, Mr. Weasley, I might even buy the first round."
Tim shook his head in disbelief. If he'd been a betting man, he'd have been willing to wager that Ron was already well on his way to taking this girl up on her offer.
"Melinda, is it?" Tim asked, getting in between her and Ron. "Would you mind if I stole him away for just one second?"
Without waiting for her response, Tim led Ron a few feet away and stared at him.
"You're really something," Tim said, with a hollow laugh. "I thought you were serious when you said you were going to concentrate on your playing career and you were going to cut out the drinking and the carousing and the girls. Does any of this ring a bell, Ron? Do you even remember asking me to help you out?"
Ron nodded sheepishly.
"Normally, I wouldn't care what you do, but we're on the verge of winning the Cup, Ron," Tim continued. "You're one of the best keepers in Europe. What's more important to you, Ron? Winning the Cup or having a quick shag with some girl?"
Ron wanted to say the Cup. And of course that was what he wanted. But surely one night with Melinda wouldn't mess that up, would it? He knew he'd made a promise to start things over and be a better man, but surely that could start tomorrow.
Tim just laughed. "You fuck up our chances to win the Cup and so help me, Ronald Weasley, you'll pay!"
Ron watched as Tim angrily stalked off and Ron knew that he should probably follow his friend and teammate, but he didn't want to do that.
"Ready for that drink?" Melinda called, coming up behind him.
Ron nodded. "Just remember, you said you had first round."
****
*******
***********
It was quite chilly on the boat as Hermione and Harry sailed back to Isla Solarte at just after midnight. Hermione wished she'd brought a jumper or a jacket, but she hadn't thought she'd needed one. As soon as she'd thought that, she felt Harry's hand on her bare shoulder.
"Cold?" he asked. She looked up and nodded.
"Here," he said, handing her a jacket. "I found it down below."
"T-thanks," she said, with her teeth chattering.
"No problem," he said, going back to the helm. He turned back around and looked at her with gleaming eyes.
"What?" she asked.
"Want to steer the boat?" he asked, smiling at her.
Hermione shook her head. "I have no sense of direction, Jack. I'd probably land us in Cuba or something."
"Relax," he said, offering her a hand up. "I'm going to be right here. It's not as if I'm going to leave you to it and go have a kip or something. I'm not that stupid."
She laughed and swatted at him. "Okay, what do I have to do?"
"Just stand here and put your hands on the wheel," he said, standing behind her as she did so.
She smiled as she felt the wind in her hair and the power from the boat. She could also feel Harry's breath on her neck and it was…
"You're doing great," Harry said, putting his hand over hers as they turned the boat to the right. He could make out the lights from Isla Solarte.
"I like this," she said, turning to look at him.
"You're a natural," he said, locking eyes with her again. They held each other's gaze for what seemed like an eternity, before Harry realized that he'd better take over. Hermione felt somewhat dazed as she sat back down on the bench seat as Harry docked the boat.
Once everything was secure, he helped her out of the boat and insisted on walking her back to the guest house.
"Thank you," she said softly as they reached the front door. She took off the jacket and handed it back to him. "For the jacket and for the wonderful day."
Harry smiled. "It was a great day, wasn't it? Well, despite the terrible start, right?"
She nodded. "Good night, Jack."
He leaned in and pecked her on the cheek. "Good night, Hermione."