The Perfect Place
Harry wanted a secluded location somewhere near the water. He wanted to be able to walk along the shoreline, wade in the water, climb the rocks and feel the spray of the ocean water on his face. He lost himself in a public library for three days before he finally found the perfect place. He briefly noted that Hermione would have been proud of the diligence he'd exerted to find exactly the place he was looking for.
Once he knew where he was going, he put a rush on his passport. The moment he received it, he wasted no time in booking his flight, tying up a few loose ends, and catching a plane to the United States. Eventually, after many restless hours, he landed in Portland, Oregon and caught a small commuter flight into North Bend, a small coastal town thirty minutes from his final destination. He had pre-arranged to have a driver take him the remaining distance to Bandon; a quiet little oceanside town where he'd made arrangements to rent a beach house with lots of windows, wide-open spaces…and extraordinary views of the Pacific Ocean.
Highway 101, the road that would take him to his place of discovery, was not far from the airport, so there was very little in the way of stop and go before they reached it. Harry sat back, staring out the window, smiling contentedly as he gazed in wonder at the world around him. They passed right through the heart of a quaint little town called Coos Bay with its look of days long past. People were milling about on the sidewalks, enjoying the beautiful weather and the shops lining the highway on both sides. Harry felt a great deal of longing to be one of those people, to blend into the crowd with seemingly little in the way of worry occupying his mind.
Once they left the city limits, there wasn't much left to see aside from trees and endless stretches of highway and an occasional house or farm set against a backdrop of low-lying mountains. Harry closed his eyes and settled back for the remainder of the drive. The drive, in and of itself was uneventful and, in his haste to reach his new home, thankfully short. Already he was thrilled with the idea of being here. He already loved what little he'd seen of Oregon, and he knew that it would only get better.
The moment they turned onto the street where his new home awaited him, he began to feel anxious. This was such a drastic step for a kid of only seventeen. Granted, his carefree days of childhood had been ripped away from him long before they should have been. And he'd been forced to take on responsibilities that far exceeded those of any other kid his age. But still, he couldn't stop the feeling of nervousness that suddenly swelled within him. As the car slowly made its way down the block, he began to question whether or not he had made the right decision. He closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. Too late to turn back now, he thought with a certain amount of finality and a little less regret.
"Here we are, sir," the driver said, his voice light as it carried back to where Harry sat, his eyes still closed.
Slowly Harry opened his eyes, intentionally focusing his gaze directly on the driver. "Thank you," he said, smiling nervously.
"This is a beautiful place," the driver said, looking out the window in the direction of the house. "You staying long?"
Harry looked out the window and for a moment, sat in stunned silence. "As long as it takes," he murmured nearly incoherently. He looked back at the driver. "It is beautiful, isn't it?" he said, his voice full of wonder. It was one of the most beautiful places he could ever remember seeing.
"How about we get your luggage," the driver suggested, as he turned around to open his door.
Harry nodded and groped around for the handle before he finally had to pull his eyes away from the house and look at the door so he could open it. The driver had the trunk open and Harry's two small suitcases were already sitting on the driveway before he'd made it around to the back of the car to help.
"Thanks," Harry said, reaching in his pocket for his wallet, "how much do I owe you?"
"That'll be $30.00," the driver replied.
Harry pulled a fifty dollar bill from his wallet. "Keep the change," he said, he held out his hand and as the driver shook it, he thanked him again. Harry reached for his bags at the same time the driver did. "I'll get these," he said, picking them up himself. "Thanks again."
The driver looked at the house once more and then returned his gaze to Harry. "My pleasure," he said kindly. "Enjoy yourself. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for."
He turned to walk to the front of the car and Harry looked at him in astonishment. "How did you…?"
"A young man like you, all alone? You've obviously come a long way, what with an accent like that. Just assumed you must be looking for something," he replied. "I hope you find it."
"Thanks," Harry replied, nodding slightly, "I hope so too."
The driver bowed his head and smiled. "If you're ever in need of a driver, here's my card," he said, pulling out his wallet and handing Harry a business card. Harry set his bags down and reached for it. "Name is Jim." He tapped the edge of the card as Harry held it up to read it. "I have my own business so if there's anything you need, you just call that number right there."
"I will," Harry replied. "Thanks again."
"You betcha." Jim opened the car door and took one last look at the house. "If you can't find it here son, I'll say a prayer for you." With that, he climbed in the car and shut the door.
Harry waved as Jim backed out of the driveway and drove away. He could never remember feeling so alive and so alone at the same time before. He closed his eyes and released a heavy sigh. He picked up his bags and turned to face his immediate future.
He walked toward the porch and set his bags down, curious about the rest of the house and what he would find when he stepped around the back. He walked to the edge of the driveway, checked the ground around him, placed his hand on the corner of the house, and closed his eyes and stepped forward. He listened with a sense of longing, to the sounds of the ocean waters, and the seagulls calling from high above. A breeze kicked up around him and his hair fluttered about his forehead, he smelled the crisp clean air as it blew in from the ocean. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
It took him a moment to adjust his sight to the scene before him. The sun was shining down brightly and the way it glistened against the water momentarily stung his eyes. He walked forward until he had a clear view of the back of the house. There was a covered porch large enough for a hammock and table for four. There was a low railing that ran the length of the sides and a couple of feet across the front from both sides. There were deep steps leading down into the sand below. Another 100 yards and he would be wading in the cool waters of the Pacific. He stepped up onto the balcony and looked out upon his new world, and he knew in an instant, that this was exactly where he belonged.
He was so entranced by the sight and sounds before him that he barely registered the opening of the large glass door behind him.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" A woman's voice spoke softly from behind him.
Startled, Harry jumped around and instinctively reached for his wand. Thankfully he wasn't carrying it. The woman started at his sudden movement and instantly Harry felt regret for his instinctive actions. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't hear you come out."
The woman held her hand to her heart for a moment longer and took a deep, calming breath. "Quite alright," she said breathily. "I'm sorry I frightened you. You must be Mr. Potter?"
"Yes ma'am," he said, holding out his hand. "That must make you Ms. Richards?"
"Miss, yes…Tanya, please," she replied, taking his hand in a firm shake.
"Harry."
"Very well then, Harry," she replied smiling, "shall we?" She gestured toward the house and Harry nodded. He took one last look out across the ocean before following her inside.
"Well, you're payment has already cleared," she stated, looking at the papers lined up across the table. She looked at him questioningly, "All six months paid in advance?"
"Yes, ma'am," Harry replied. "Seemed a bit easier that way," he added with a smile.
She looked at him appraisingly. "Well, we're certainly not going to complain about that," she said, rearranging the papers. "It looks like all we need to do is have you sign here," she pointed at the paper, "and here. And then we'll be done."
"Great," Harry replied, anxious to get started on his tour of the house. He picked up a pen and bent down to sign the forms. He was oblivious to the look that passed across her face as she watched him.
"May I ask you something?" she said hesitantly.
Harry finished signing the papers and stood up to look at her. "Of course."
She raised her eyebrow and studied him for a moment. "How old are you?"
Harry chuckled and looked down at the papers. "Doesn't it say on the application?" he asked evasively.
She laughed softly in return. "I thought it might be wrong," she replied.
Harry's cheeks flushed a soft pink and he looked busily at the papers, searching for the date of his birth. He swallowed hard and pointed. "Nope," he said huskily, "that's right. Just, um, seventeen. Uh, yeah…erm, eighteen in another week," he stammered, looking up at her quickly.
"Mmm," she murmured, still studying his face. "You look older."
"Nope," he repeated, "that's it."
After what felt like an eternity to him, she lowered her gaze and looked around the house. "Do you want me to show you around?" she asked, returning her gaze to him.
"Erm, uh," Harry shook his head, "no, that's all right. I'm kind of excited to explore it all on my own, thanks."
"All right then," she said with a sigh, "it looks like our business is done here."
Harry released the breath he'd nervously been clinging to. "Well, thank you," he said quickly, holding his hand out once again. "I really appreciate how easy your company has made this on me. I feared it might be a bit more difficult."
"It's my…" she laughed softly again and cleared her throat, "I mean, our pleasure. If there's anything you need, just give me a call. My number is on the card," she said, pointing at the business card on the table.
Harry looked hesitantly down at the table. "Yes, well, ahem," he stammered. He cleared his throat and looked up quickly to face her. "I'll remember that," he said in as close to a normal tone as he'd been able to find in the past few minutes. He picked up the card. "I've got it right here," he said, pulling out his wallet and placing it inside with the card he'd received earlier from Jim.
"Wonderful," she said placing her hand on his as he folded up his wallet. "I'm looking forward to your call already. Any questions about the city, any sights you want to see or any advice I can give on what's worth seeing, you let me know."
Harry looked at her strangely. "Yeah, okay," he replied, feeling a bit more uncomfortable. "Shall I show you out?" he asked, trying to maintain some sense of politeness as he swept his hands toward the front door.
"Certainly," she said abruptly. She quickly gathered up the papers and followed his gesture toward the door.
Harry followed right behind and reached around her to open the door, allowing her plenty of room to pass through. "Thanks again," he said genially. She looked at him questioningly as he followed her out the door. "Have to get my luggage," he said, pointing to his suitcases sitting there on the porch.
"Oh, I see," she said, chuckling softly. She maneuvered around them and stepped down from the porch. "I'll get you a copy of these papers within the next couple of days. Would you like for me to drop them off for you or would you like to come and pick them up?"
"Mail is fine," Harry said, ignoring her options and avoiding her gaze. He bent down to pick up his suitcases and glanced at her briefly. "Thanks for all your help. Maybe I'll see you around sometime over the next six months."
"You've got my card?" she asked, stalling her departure.
Harry inwardly sighed and outwardly smiled. "You know I do. Enjoy your afternoon, Tanya," he said, trying to sound both patient and kind.
"You, too," she said, glancing down toward the ground. "Enjoy your house."
"I will," Harry replied. He turned around and walked into the house and shut the door before she could hold him up any longer. He set down his suitcases and locked the bolt on the door. He walked to the sliding glass door they'd entered through and locked it as well. Feeling secure in the knowledge that she wouldn't be coming back in, he picked up his suitcases and began the search for his bedroom.
It was a 1200-square foot, two bedroom, three bath house, with a sunken living room, a built in bar, widescreen television, and a large kitchen. The two bedrooms were master suites located on the ocean side at either end of the house. Both had large bathrooms with garden tubs surrounded by privacy windows that looked out across the sand and water. Each bedroom had two large bay windows with the same view. One of the rooms had a flower patterned bedspread on the bed and candles and bowls of potpourri scattered throughout the space. The other room had a block designed bedspread in maroon, blue, and hunter green. There were candles in matching shades on small shelves that lined two of the walls in the room. Both contained a large closet along the wall opposite the window. Harry set his suitcases down and stood, staring out the window.
It was just after four in the afternoon and jet lag was beginning to settle in. He glanced around the room for a place to unpack his stuff and found a dresser in the closet. He picked up one of the suitcases and laid it open on the bed and began to unpack.
Halfway through the suitcase he felt the first of three pictures he'd brought with him. He pulled it out and smiled tenderly at it. It was the one of his parents that he'd gotten from Hagrid at the end of his first year at Hogwarts, he watched for a moment as his parents danced playfully together. He gently touched his finger to it before he laid it down on the bed. He continued to unpack, hauling socks and underthings to the dresser and placing them neatly in the top drawer. He shook out some of his shirts and hung them in the closet, while others he placed neatly in the drawer. He looked down at what he was doing and laughed. "Aunt Petunia isn't here," he said aloud to himself. He reached into the drawer and messed up his shirts a bit and laughed again.
He returned to his suitcase and felt another picture. He pulled it out and sat heavily on the bed. This one was taken just a couple of days prior to the start of the final battle. It was one of him, Hermione, and Ron and it was the last picture the three of them had taken together. Colin had developed it almost immediately after he took it and had given each of them a framed copy. It was the last time he could remember feeling truly happy. The impending war was a constant threat, but in that moment, it was the last thing on any of their minds. He sat on his bed, watching as he and Hermione exchanged glances and together looked at Ron and they all began to laugh. Harry felt a tightness in his chest, a longing to recapture that moment for real. Someday, he thought, feeling a moment's sadness.
He sighed heavily and laid the picture down next to the one of his parents. He closed up the now empty suitcase and placed it in the closet beside the dresser. He reached for the other one and opened it on the bed. Immediately his hands sought out the third and final picture. He raised the pillows against the wall and sat back against them, staring at the picture he held tightly in his hands. It was taken immediately after the one of the three of them had been taken. This one was just him and Hermione. Ron had slipped away to stand beside Luna who was waiting patiently off to the side while Colin took their picture.
Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione and she glanced up at him before laying her head against his chest and wrapping her arms around him. His chin rested on the top of her head and both of them had closed their eyes. There was something almost heartbreaking about the way they stood there. It was as though they both knew that the time was at hand when they wouldn't have each other to cling to anymore. Neither of them appeared ready to let go of the other. Harry watched the scene play over and over. His arms around her, her glance upward, her head against his chest, her arms wrapping around him, and their eyes closing at almost the exact same moment. He moved his hand and gently placed his thumb on the picture and caressed it back and forth across her face.
The ache in his heart grew as he realized how long it would be before he saw them both again. It helped, knowing that what he was doing, he was doing for all of them. He knew he'd appreciate them more if he could just learn to appreciate himself. He looked at the picture for a few more seconds then set it on the nightstand beside the bed. He sat up and reached for the others and placed them on the nightstand as well.
Abandoning his unpacking, he rose from the bed and paced around the house…a sudden uneasiness overcoming him. It felt as though there was something he needed to do. He looked around the house and saw the telephone where it hung on the wall near the sliding glass door. He walked over to it and hesitantly lifted the receiver from its base. He dialed her number quickly, before he lost his nerve.
"Hullo?" A woman's sleepy voice answered from the other end of the line. He recognized her voice immediately, although in her obviously sleepy state, it sounded deeper than he remembered it.
"I miss you," Harry said softly. "Did I wake you?"
"Excuse me?" she said, sounding just slightly more alert. "Who is this?"
Harry chuckled softly to himself. "This is Harry," he said lightly.
"Harry?" The woman asked, he could hear the confusion in her voice.
Harry's heart began to beat rapidly against his chest. "Potter," he said, trying to keep his voice light. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me already."
"Oh, Harry," she said, sounding somewhat relieved. "I'm sorry, obviously you're calling for Hermione. She's asleep right now. Is something wrong?"
Relief swept through him and he couldn't contain the chuckle that escaped him. "No, Mrs. Granger, I just wanted to talk to her, that's all."
"Well, its 1:30 in the morning, Harry. She should be up in about five hours. Is it important? Should I wake her?"
"I. am. So. Sorry," he said, articulating every word and feeling like the biggest idiot in the world. "I forgot all about the time difference. No, please don't wake her. Again, I'm so sorry for calling at such an awful hour. I really didn't mean to wake you."
"It's all right," she replied, although Harry could hear the hesitation in her voice as she said it. "Is there a message I can give her? A phone number where she can call you back? Anything?"
Harry looked at the phone and realized he had no idea what his phone number was. "No ma'am, no number. Can you please just let her know that I called? I'll call her back again at a more reasonable hour."
"Sure, Harry," she replied. "I can tell her that for you. Are you sure everything's all right? Hermione told us that you had to go out of town for a while. Is anything wrong?"
"No, Mrs. Granger, nothing's wrong," he replied softly. "Just missing Hermione and, you know, and Ron. Ron doesn't have a telephone," he stammered by way of explanation. The truth was, the thought of calling Ron hadn't even occurred to him, regardless of the fact that he didn't have a phone.
"Well, if you're sure then," she replied, he could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "I'll give Hermione the message."
"Thanks, Mrs. Granger," Harry said, feeling both solemn and embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Harry."
Harry waited for the click and then hung up his phone. "Idiot," he muttered to himself.
Realizing he had no food, no means of transportation, and no real knowledge of how close shopping was, he picked up the phone again. He pulled out his wallet and dialed Tanya's number.
"Rothman Property Management, this is Tanya, may I help you?"
Harry shuddered and took a deep, shaky breath. "Hi Tanya, this is Harry Potter."
"Oh, Harry," she said, Harry caught the change in her tone immediately. "I didn't expect you to call so soon."
"Yeah, well," he started hesitantly, "I need to check a few things with you. First, I want to make sure that the water and all that have been transferred to my name."
"Oh, yes, we didn't talk about that, did we?" she replied. "Everything except the electricity has been switched. The electric company won't let us make the switch for you, you'll have to call them yourself. You have a pen? I'll give you the number."
"Um, hang on a second," he said, reaching across the counter and grabbing a pen and a piece of scrap paper. "All right, I'm ready."
"Okay, their number is 572-5567. You'll just have to give them your address and your name, it shouldn't take long to get it switched over. You could probably just do it in the morning. Was there something else?"
"Yeah," he said, sounding a little embarrassed, "I need to know the phone number here and I need to make sure the phone is in my name as well. I made a call home earlier and didn't think about who would be billed for it until after I made it."
He heard a soft laugh in the background before she spoke. "Boy, we left a lot undone today, didn't we?" she said lightly.
"I suppose so," Harry replied, trying to keep his voice from sounding too inviting. All he wanted from her was some information; he didn't want her getting any ideas about anything else.
"Okay, you have that pen ready?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," he mumbled in reply.
"All right, your phone number is 541-574-2182. And yes, it took a little persuading, but we were able to get the phone transferred into your name with an effective date of today, so you should be good to go."
"Great, thanks," Harry replied quickly. "One more thing. Can you tell me how to get to the nearest store from here? Is there one within walking distance?"
"Well, let me think," she said thoughtfully. "There's one about a ½ mile down the road. Do you need to buy a lot?"
"Well, I have to stock the cupboards. Right now they're bare. I can always walk down there and catch a taxi back, right?"
"I get off work in half-an-hour, I could come and pick you up if you'd like, show you around the town a little bit and take you by the store. That way you won't have to find a way home and you can get as much as you need. Whaddya say?"
"I don't want to put you out," Harry replied, trying to find a gracious way out.
"Oh, it's no bother at all," she replied. "We do it for our clients all the time."
"After hours?" Harry replied incredulously. "That doesn't sound like much fun when you're supposed to be off work."
"Well, we really only do it for special clients," she said, giggling at his remark. "How about we just say that I'm doing a favor for someone I hope to make friends with, and we'll leave it at that?"
"Uh," he replied hesitantly. He realized that the idea was a good one, but he really wasn't sure that he actually wanted to spend too much time around Tanya. "Are you sure it won't be a bother? I really don't mind finding another way if you just tell me how to get there."
"I'm sure," she answered quickly. "I'll be there to pick you up in 45 minutes. See you then." She hung up the phone before he could even say thanks or goodbye.
"Guess I've got no choice now, do I?" he mumbled. He suddenly found himself wishing he had a Muggle photograph of Hermione that he could leave out in his living room. A large one maybe, that he could hang on the wall above the fireplace. "Gonna have to ask her for one," he said with a chuckle.
He decided to go back to his room and finish unpacking while he waited. Fifteen minutes later, he was done. With at least thirty more minutes to wait he decided to jump in the shower and try to freshen up a bit, so that maybe he'd be able to fight the jet lag a little longer.
With about ten minutes left to wait, Harry found himself standing once again on his back porch. Walking along the beach seemed like a much better way to spend his evening than driving around town with a woman he really didn't even want to see. He'd have to make their time together as short as he possibly could.
Harry walked back into the house and was practically waiting by the door when Tanya arrived. He grabbed his keys and walked outside before she could even ring the doorbell. "Hi," she said abruptly, stopping mid-step as she watched him walk out.
He locked the door and turned to face her. "Hi. Are you sure this is no bother?" he asked again. He was facing her now and he was sure he'd be able to tell by her face whether or not she was being honest.
"Not at all," she said, eyeing him closely. "You ready?"
Harry turned back and pretended to check the door. He rolled his eyes and took a quick breath before turning back to her. "Yeah, I'm ready. Where're we going first? I don't really want to be gone too long, I'd like to watch the sunset tonight, what with it being my first night and all."
"All right," she said, her voice dropping slightly. "How about I show you where the post office and strip mall are? There's a grocery store there, along with an arts and crafts store, an ice cream parlor, a sandwich shop, and a few other odds-and-ends type places. You should be able to find just about everything you'll need there. How does that sound?"
Harry's eyes lit up. "Sounds great," he exclaimed.
"Let's go," she said, walking toward her car.
They got in the car and she began bombarding him when questions that he only half listened to. Where was he from in Europe? When did he graduate? What brought him to the United States…Bandon in particular? Did he have a girlfriend?
Did…"What?" he asked, surprised by the question. His answers had been pretty much programmed responses to that point. The last question threw him off.
"Do you have a girlfriend? I mean, is there some lucky girl waiting back home for you?" Tanya asked, trying to keep as much of the anxiety out of her voice as she could.
Harry realized this was the perfect opportunity to change the course of Tanya's thinking. He wasn't interested in seeing anyone while he was there. He was on a quest and he didn't really welcome the distraction he knew she would provide. "Yes," he answered hesitantly.
She glanced at him from behind the wheel. "You don't sound so sure," she remarked.
"No, I am. There's a girl back home waiting on me," he replied. "Only I don't think that makes her the lucky one. I believe that makes me the lucky one, don't you think?"
Tanya sighed. "Why are the good ones always taken?"
Harry laughed. "You don't know enough about me to know if I'm a good one or not," he said blatantly.
She pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine before looking at him. "Sometimes you just know," she said softly.
Harry looked at her and thought about Hermione again, then nodded his head slightly. He then looked up at the row of buildings in front of him. "So this is it, huh? The…" he paused and looked at her, "what did you call it? The what, mall?"
"Strip mall. But I think just mall is okay, too," she said with a laugh. "Come on, let's get you what you need."
Harry got out of the car and began to follow her. She took about ten steps from the side of the car and pointed to the end of the row of buildings. "Right down there is a small post office. You can get stamps, mail letters, that kind of thing from there. Over there," she pointed more toward the middle of the row, "is the arts and crafts store. A little further down is the ice cream parlor and then the sandwich shop."
"Wow! They pack a lot of things in this little area, don't they?" he said, looking around with wide eyes.
"I take it they don't have things like this in London," she said, laughing at his childlike reaction.
"I…" he paused for a moment and looked down at the ground before he looked back up at her, "I really wouldn't know," he said softly. "I didn't make it out and about in London much. But hey, I don't wanna talk about that. How about we hit the arts and crafts store first?"
"Sounds good to me," she said, taking a step in that direction.
Harry followed behind her, staring at the stores and the people as they passed. They entered the arts and crafts store and Harry walked straight up to the counter to talk with the salesperson there. "Excuse me," he said, "can you help me?"
"What can I do for you?" The woman behind the counter asked. She was an older woman and Harry felt very much at ease speaking to her.
"I need to buy a lot of supplies and I'm wondering if it would be possible to have them delivered to my home."
"How much stuff are you talking about?" The woman asked.
"Loads of stuff, really. I need an easel and some paper, I need paints, and pencils, and charcoal, and pens, and, well, I don't really know how much else. But I know there's more," he said, excitement ringing in his voice.
"Well, depending on how often you order and how much you spend, we have a program you can sign up for. We get a lot of artist-types in this town so the owner set up something where they can call into the store and order their supplies and have them delivered, so long as it's within a 20-mile radius. There's a monthly minimum purchase of $200.00 dollars though. Do you think you'll be buying that much? Is that something you think you'd be interested in?"
"Definitely," Harry said excitedly. "Do you have like a catalog or something that I can take with me? If I give you an order and pay for it today, how long would it be before it would get delivered?"
"Generally takes about two days if you come into the store to do it," the woman replied. "Depending on the size of the order, it could take a day to get the supplies together and then we deliver the next. How soon do you need it?"
"Two days will be fine," Harry replied. "I'll just get some paper, pens, and pencils to take with me today, that'll do me for a couple of days. The rest can wait."
"All right, let me show you where things are." She led the way through the store and Harry pointed out for her all of the things that he wanted to have delivered. He picked up the supplies he planned to take that day and forty-five minutes and $300.00 later, he walked out of the store with Tanya walking along behind him.
"You don't plan to get out much, do you?" Tanya asked as they made their way back to her car to drop off Harry's supplies.
"Not really," Harry replied. "I'm sort of on a mission."
"All right," Tanya said conceding. "Let's get your groceries and get you home then."
Harry looked at her and felt a flicker of guilt for the way he was treating her. "I'm sorry," he said abruptly. "I don't mean to make it appear as though I'm taking advantage of your kindness right now. I really do appreciate your doing this for me."
Tanya smiled at him and glanced toward the ground. "You know, I don't usually act this way with my clients. This is the first time, actually. There's just something about you that makes me want to get to know you. I can't explain it," she said, looking back up at him.
"I won't lead you on," he said quietly. "There's no chance that things could go any further than friendship between us. I didn't come here looking for a relationship, and I am going back home at some point. If you can accept the fact that we can't be more than friends, I could use a friend while I'm here. If not, than I'm afraid this'll have to be it."
"You're one hell of a guy, Harry," she replied. She laced her arm through his and started leading him toward the store. "I think I can handle that…and I appreciate your honesty. That's a rare thing these days." She halted her steps and looked up at him. "Regardless of what you say, she really is a lucky girl," she said, an open, honest expression on her face.
"Thanks," he replied softly. "Now let's go," he added with a laugh, leading her quickly into the store.
In less than thirty minutes he had his groceries and they were headed back to her car. They loaded the trunk and took the ½ mile trip in silence. She helped him unload his bags and carry them into the kitchen. Once the last bag was brought in she took a few hesitant steps toward the front door. "I'm, I'm just gonna go. I'll see myself out."
"Hang on a second," Harry called from the kitchen. He walked out and stood in front of her. He picked up her hand and held it for a moment. "Thank you," he said softly. "I'm sorry for what I said, I really am, but there's no way that I can lie to you about this. I do appreciate your taking the time out of your evening to help me out. Maybe we can get together for dinner sometime."
"I'd like that," she replied, squeezing his hand. "I'll see you later, then. It's almost time for you to catch that sunset. Better hurry up with those," she added, pointing to the grocery bags lining the floor.
Harry turned around and looked at them. He faced her again and rolled his eyes, "yeah…I'll do that. Thanks again."
"Anytime. See you, Harry."
"See you." Harry walked her to the door and watched as she got into her car and pulled away. He waved once and then went inside and locked the door.
He put away all the groceries that required either freezing or refrigeration and left the rest for later. He looked down at all the bags lying about haphazardly and he couldn't contain that laughter that accompanied the sight of them. "Aunt Petunia would freak," he said aloud to himself. The thought almost made him want to keep the bags there for a couple of days. He knew though, that her obsession with cleanliness had been ingrained in him and he wouldn't be able to wait too long to clean it up.
He glanced toward the back door. It was around 8:00 and the sky was just beginning its first fade into darkness. He stepped out to stand on the patio. The sky was a deepening gray with shades of orange, red, and yellow reflecting off the slowly descending sun. Harry walked back into the house to grab a piece of paper and a pen. He sat down at the table and tried to capture his thoughts on paper. He'd never thought of himself as poetic, but that's what this journey was all about. It was all about discovery, and the sight of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean was begging for him to put ink to paper. He wrote without truly comprehending the words. He allowed his mind to drift as his fingers held the pen, and the pen moved against the paper…
The sky is cast in the muted shades of autumn, although the summer has only just begun. Oranges, reds, and yellows set against the darkening yellow-orange of the setting sun fill my vision. I avert my eyes only long enough to watch as the colors play tag with each other in the ocean waters; their hues ever-changing as one washes into another with the rippling of the waves. They begin to fade only as the tide grows stronger and pounds against the unprotected sands of the shore, and the sun descends farther down into the horizon.
Through narrowed eyes I see the ocean spray as the waves beat against the rocks. How I wish that I was sitting there now, feeling the water as it splashes against my skin. If I close my eyes, I can feel it cleanse me. I know it's something you would enjoy as well. If I concentrate hard enough, I can see us sitting there together and I can hear our laughter as it echoes across the near-silent night. And I miss you even more.
Harry felt a lone tear slide down his cheek and as it fell, he shook the vision of him and…him and, and "who?" he wondered aloud. "Don't be a fool," he chided himself. "There's no one here but you and finding yourself does not mean searching for someone else."
He looked out at the ocean and stared at the haunting beauty of the undulating moon in its reflection on the water-and thought about Hermione. He picked up his pen and paper and walked back into the house. It was after 10 now, and a decent time of the morning to call her. He walked to the phone and with a shaky hand, picked up the receiver. He'd made certain before he left that he had her number and the country code so he could call her anytime, once again he dialed her number from memory.
"Hullo?"
Harry smiled and released the breath he'd been holding in a slow, silent whoosh. "I miss you," he said softly to the all-too-familiar voice on the other end of the line.