Disclaimer: I don't own it, otherwise OBHWF would be just a delusion of someone and not canon…
A/N: My response to the challenge "Harry at Hermione's" by vivitribal. The requirements can be found here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=1356&st=0 Please if you read leave me a comment, it takes you few minutes and it makes me happy! *grins*
Muggle Summer
Chapter Two: Finding the Grangers
Leaving the airport of Sydney, the two of them reached the queue of taxis waiting outside, boarded on one, then asked the driver to bring them to the city center.
There, they searched for a place to stay while looking for Hermione's parents, but every hotel they tried was fully booked. After all it was the start of summer and tourists from every part of the world came there. Their only hope was the five-star hotel directly on the promenade.
Hermione was a bit hesitant, as according to her guide that was the most expensive hotel in town.
"Harry, I'm not sure about this…"
"Oh, come on, Mione" she noticed it was the second time he used that nickname for her and she found that as long as it was him who used it, she liked it, "we need a place to stay if we want to find your parents, so if that's the only possibility, we stay there" She gave him a look, and he understood.
"Don't worry, my vault is full enough to let me live here for years without working, so few days won't bankrupt me" he joked, and she had to smile.
"Ok, then, Mr. Potter" she playfully said, leading the way inside.
Once they passed the threshold, both teens were astounded by the magnificence of the entrance hall. And, a bit shy too, to be in such a place.
However, mustering his Gryffindor courage, Harry took her hand and led her to the reception desk.
Clearing his throat, he spoke.
"Sorry…we would like to get a room"
The receptionist smiled at them. "Let me see…it's been a very busy week, but we should have something left…ah, yes. Room 218, perfect for a young couple like you"
Harry was about to correct him, but Hermione squeezed his hand as to say, "doesn't matter" After all, that was the only room left so they would need to take it anyhow.
Going up the floors to reach their room, the two of them were continuously amazed by the luxury of the hotel.
"Harry, are you sure about this?"
"Of course I am" he replied with a grin, and she smiled back. That grin of his was infectious and she found herself unable to resist it.
Perusing their room, Harry suddenly paled.
"Bloody Hell" he whispered.
"What's that?"
"There's only one bed!" he said, and she looked at him. The reality of having only one room caught up with them.
After recovering from a moment of surprise, Hermione gave him a fake pout.
"You don't like the idea of sleeping in the same bed with me?" she asked in a voice a bit huskier than normal.
Harry smirked at her.
"Are you, by chance, flirting with me, Ms. Granger?" he asked, and she blushed madly.
Harry chuckled. "I didn't know you could get so red" he said with a twinkle in his eyes, and that made her blush even more. At that, Harry erupted in an hearty laugh.
Hermione swatted him on the arm while entering the bathroom to freshen herself and muttering "Prat". Harry instead busied himself in looking out of the window, as there was a spectacular view.
As he turned to call her and have a look together at the calm ocean idly lapping at the beach, he was stunned into silence by her appearance. She had exited the bathroom with just her bikini top and a couple of shorts on her as she had forgotten her shirt in the main room, and it was now his turn to blush.
"Oh….s-sorry…I didn't mean…"
She giggled. "Harry, you did nothing wrong. Now, if you had peeped on me while I was changing, that would have been bad. Have you?"
He shook his head, gulping.
"Then it's fine" she reassured him with a smile.
He changed into his swimming trunks and a t-shirt too, and then they were ready to start the research.
"Hermione, where do you think we can find them?"
"Well, don't really know as I don't know which job they are doing here…but, I know they think they are called Wendell and Monica Wilkins, so we might start to search for that surname in the area of Sydney"
"How do you know they are in this part of Australia?"
"Because I loved it so when I put in their minds that they wanted to move to this country I implanted the thought of wanting to live in Sydney or near the town" she sheepishly said.
"You didn't tell us that back at the Burrow when you spoke about modifying your parents' memories" he said with a smile, and she shuffled her feet awkwardly.
"Didn't think you'd reckon it important" she muttered.
"Because you didn't think I'd come with you?" he knowingly said, and she nodded.
He had the sudden urge to hold her as he could see tears forming again in her eyes, the fear of not being able to find them returning, and so he did.
"Hermione, I'd never leave you alone in this" he soothingly said to her.
"I know" she whispered giving him a watery smile.
"Good" he said with a wink that made her feel giddy inside, for some reason. "Then let's start searching for Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins, shall we?" he continued with a grin that filled her of enthusiasm.
However, they soon found that there were eight Wilkins families in the area, and there was no way to know which one was the right one if not visiting all of them till they found her parents.
"Let's see…the nearest one is just few minutes of walk from here" Harry mused. "Shouldn't be hard to reach"
So they set walking , Hermione's guide directing them toward the address they needed to find. They didn't, however, find anyone in the house, so they had to wait for the Wilkins to come back. It took some hours, and in their hiding spot, having Disillusioned themselves, Hermione felt the long trip start to catch with her. She leaned her head on Harry's shoulder and soon fell asleep, while he held her close with an arm draped over her shoulders.
As Harry was starting to get sleepy himself, and a bit sore from so long time in the same position, he heard a car park in front of the house.
Gently nudging Hermione on the shoulder, he woke her up. "They have returned" he said softly while she looked around to recognize her whereabouts, stirring as she had just woke up.
Harry couldn't help but think she looked angelic. He was lost in looking at her face and was a bit surprised when she spoke, turning to look at him.
"It's not them" she shrugged, but he could see in her eyes that she was disappointed. His heart broke seeing the hurt in her cinnamon orbs.
"Hey, why don't we go have a bit of fun on the beach?" he suggested, to try and make her not think about it.
"Sure. You wanted to have a swim in the ocean, right?" she said, brightening.
"Only if you come with me" he winked at her as they lifted the Disillusionment Charm from themselves, and started walking toward the promenade again, from there easily reaching the beach after having gone to fetch a couple towels from their room at the hotel.
Once on the beach, Hermione couldn't help but stare at Harry's back while he took off his shirt.
"My, Quidditch and all the adventures we've been through have made him lots of good" she thought while admiring his muscular back. Shaking herself from her reverie, she followed him into the water.
She just had to smile at his enthusiasm. "Just like a little kid" she thought while walking after him with an affectionate look in her eyes.
As for Harry, he quickly discarded his shirt and ran into the ocean, just to turn and call Hermione to follow him there.
However, he remained with his mouth open upon seeing her with only a bikini.
"My, she's gorgeous" he thought, forcing himself not to stare.
"Like what you see?" she whispered at him flirtatiously once she reached the spot where he was.
"Very" he growled, then dived into the water to try and calm himself.
Hermione did just the same.
As they were playing like kids and spraying each other with salt water, then running away to avoid being caught, Hermione slipped, and with Harry trying to steady her, the result was that she fell on top of him, her hair cascading around their faces. Their noses were mere inches apart, and neither dared to move.
Harry was sure Hermione could hear his heart beat madly in his chest, he stared into her brown eyes for what seemed an eternity before she cleared her throat and stood up, breaking the moment.
"Sorry" she apologized.
"No need to be" he said with a smile, albeit still a bit shaken by what had just taken place.
They enjoyed the last warmth of the sun rays lying on their towels and drying up before going back to the hotel to have a nice shower and head to dinner. They ate in the hotel restaurant, raising the gossip of other guests about how cute a couple they were.
Both took that lightly, chuckling about it, but deep inside they wondered if it may be true.
Upon returning to their room, another challenge awaited them. Their sleeping arrangements.
"Hermione, I can sleep on the couch if you want" he offered.
"Nonsense, Harry. We both need to be well rested for the search, as we will probably have to walk to reach the different addresses, so you take a side of the bed, I'll take the other"
"You sure?"
"Positive" she smiled. "Now I'll go change"
And with that she went into the bathroom.
Harry decided to take the right side of the bed, and changed to his pyjamas, before finding out it was too hot. So, he decided to remove the upper half, and put on a lighter shirt.
He slipped into the bed, just moments before Hermione emerged from the bathroom, a flimsy nightgown which let him see her underwear on her.
"She sleeps wearing that?" he wondered, gulping, but not saying a thing. As she took her place on his side, they switched off the lights, and awaited for sleep to take them, which in Harry's case was a long time, since he kept imagining Hermione in bikini or with that nightgown on.
Eventually, he fell asleep dreaming to do not so friendly things to his female best friend.
He woke up next morning, after a particularly vivid dream involving a beach, Hermione and himself, with a weight on his chest. Slowly opening his eyes, he realized that somehow, through the night, Hermione had spooned against him, and her arm was currently over his stomach, her boobs pressing against his back.
"Bloody Hell" he thought while cautiously disentangling himself from her. Then he turned and looked at the girl, and he couldn't help but grin.
"She's so peaceful" he wondered, caressing her hair, which made her smile in her sleep, "and so beautiful too…"
Then he shook himself. "I shouldn't think about her this way. It's Hermione, my best friend!" Still, he couldn't deny she had grown up, and quite well at that, becoming a very attractive young woman.
"The man who will be with her will be lucky" he marvelled while observing her take regular, slow breaths as she was asleep.
Later, they went to have breakfast then resumed their research, and so they did for the next few days.
After every failure, Harry could see Hermione's hope to find her parents was waning, slowly but continuously. He wanted so much to find them, to give her happiness.
Finally, on the last Wilkins family they checked, after a long taxi ride to the outskirts of the town, near the famous Bondi Beach, Hermione suddenly jumped and down in excitement.
"Harry, it's them!" she grinned at him, hugging him tightly.
-->