A/N: Hi everyone! Before I start, I hope everyone will take a second or two to read this A/N that I'm leaving:
I know that everyone is a witch/wizard in this. I know that they can take portkeys to vacation places. But since they are going to a Muggle island, they take Muggle transportation. This brings me to the plane- I know that overseas flights usually have those large planes that stretch about 10 seats across… that is not the case in this fic. I also know the time difference is a little screwy, but since it's NOT that big a deal, I don't mention it much.
I am also basing this island they go to on the island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean. I've been there several times, and for anyone else who has ever vacationed there, it'll be easier to visualize as well. For further visualization, the hotel I envision them staying at is the Westin Casuarina Resort, on 7 Mile Beach.
Also, please remember that this is Christmas of Caitlyn and Blue's 7th year. They have not gotten together yet in this fic.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story and please leave me a review when you're done!
*** *** *** *** *** ***
Blue Weasley fell onto the bench at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Folding his arms, he let his head drop onto them, eager to see if he could have a quick kip before the lunch hour was over.
"What's the matter with you?" Caitlyn Potter sat down next to him and prodded his side.
"I'm tired!!!" Blue whined, lifting his head to glare at her before letting it fall back down on his arms.
"Why?" Caitlyn asked, taking up her goblet as it filled with pumpkin juice.
"Because," Blue groaned. "You made me stay up late to study last night and I didn't get a lot of sleep!"
"Poor baby." She snickered.
"Just because you like studying doesn't mean the rest of us do!" Blue gave up on his nap and rested his elbows on the table.
"Hey, excuse me for wanting my best friend to do well on his History of Magic exam." Caitlyn raised her chin and looked away. "See if I care when you fail the next one!"
"Don't be like that Caty…" Blue grinned now and reached one hand out to poke her side, laughing as she started to squirm. "You know I love it when we study together. It's even better than Quidditch!" he began to tickle her.
"STOP it!" Caitlyn nearly screamed, he knew how ticklish she was and used it to his advantage. The other Gryffindors looked over and smirked, they were all too used to the antics between the two best friends.
"I really hate you sometimes, you know that?" Caitlyn glared as Blue finally let up.
"No you don't." he said confidently, reaching for a chicken drumstick that had just appeared on the platter in front of them.
Caitlyn rolled her eyes but smiled at him. She was just about to start eating when the owl post arrived, dropping letters in front of herself and Blue. Picking hers up curiously, she saw it was from her parents.
"I wonder what they're owling me for, we'll be home in three days…" Caitlyn said to Blue. The Christmas holiday was just around the corner and the two of them would be heading home that year.
"I don't know." Blue was opening his letter. His eyes widened as he read it. "Merlin's Beard!"
"What?" Caitlyn quickly tore open her own letter. Her jaw dropped as she read her mother's neat handwriting. "Blue! We're going on vacation together!"
"To the Caribbean!" he cried, tossing his letter onto the table. Caitlyn grinned and continued to read.
"We'll be leaving the day after Christmas and we will be there for a week. Will is joining us so Colin won't be lonely." Blue let out a large groan at this.
"Why does he have to come?" he whined. Will was his Aunt Ginny and Uncle Seamus's son; he was Colin's age and a rather big pest at times.
"Well think of it this way… he and Colin are best friends, they'll be playing with each other and more importantly, leave us alone!" Caitlyn replied.
"Good point." Blue said, purposefully leaning closer to her so that their shoulders were touching. "Who else is coming then?"
"Just you, me, my mum and dad, your mum and dad, Colin and Will." Caitlyn scanned over the rest of the letter, then turned to her best friend and grinned. "Can you believe this? The Caribbean! Dad always knew I wanted to go there!"
Blue smiled back and was lost in a fantasy for a moment of her running towards him on a sandy beach, clad in a knitted white bikini. Her hair was wet from the ocean and glittered in the sun, moving behind her back as she neared him.
"This place is so perfect isn't it?" Caitlyn threw her arms around him. Without letting him say a word, she leaned in and pressed her mouth up against his. Her lips were soft and inviting as he swiped his tongue across her lips and pushed into her mouth. Blue wound his hands around her waist, then brought them up her back and slowly untied the back of her bikini.
Caitlyn stepped away and grinned up at him as she raised her arms and began to untie the string around her neck. Blue's eyes widened as she lifted them away from her shoulders…
"Blue!!" Caitlyn waved her hand in front of his face. "Did you fall asleep or something? Lunch is almost over and you haven't eaten a thing!"
"Oh!" Blue shook his head and snapped out of his daydream, a guilty flush staining his face.
Caitlyn was about to ask him what he was dreaming about when her best girlfriend Lana sat down beside her and began chatting away about the upcoming holiday. He was relieved as he began to eat, not wanting her to know about his feelings.
*****Vacation Morning*****
"Colin! You and Will get down here now!" Hermione Potter called up the stairs to her son and nephew. She looked at her daughter who stood next to her and crossed her arms. "Honestly!" she shook her head and Caitlyn giggled.
"I told you to let me get them." She said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I'd have had them up ages ago."
"Caitlyn, jumping up and down on top of them isn't what I would call getting them up." Hermione chastised, but she had a small smile on her face. At that moment the two boys hurtled down the stairs.
"We're ready!" they both said unanimously.
Harry was already outdoors, loading suitcases into the back of their magically enhanced Muggle car. Besides the fact that they were headed for a Muggle island, Hermione was also pregnant and unable to use portkeys, therefore they were taking a plane. Caitlyn was excited, she had flown once with her father to France when she was eight, and had loved it. Colin and Will tripped over themselves in their eagerness to get going. Caitlyn looked over to the Weasley home; Ron, Lavender and Blue were just leaving the house and heading over. Both families would be travelling to the airport together.
"Aren't you excited?" she nearly squealed as her father helped Ron put their suitcases in the trunk as well. Blue slumped against the side of the car, not answering.
"He's a bit nervous about flying." Ron grinned over at her.
"What?" Caitlyn began to laugh. "Blue, you fly all the time on your broomstick, this is really no different!"
"Yes it is!" he said as the two of them climbed into the backseat. "I have control of my broom; I can't do that with a plane." Blue crossed his arms and took a deep breath.
Caitlyn tried to stifle her giggles as she placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. "I never thought I'd see the day when you were scared of something."
"Ah, well, not all of us can be as brave as you are." He finally turned a teasing grin her way. She stuck her tongue out at him and then turned to the window as the two boys shoved their way into the back seat.
"Ow!" Caitlyn rubbed the side of her leg which was smashed into the car door. "Colin!"
"What?" he asked, his innocent wide eyed look firmly in place. Caitlyn wanted to get up and smack him but was wedged firmly in place by Blue, practically sitting on his lap.
"Why Caty, I didn't know you wanted me that badly. If you wanted to sit on my lap you could have just asked." He smirked up at her as he wound his arms around her slender waist. It was fairly obvious that Blue was enjoying himself very much now.
Caitlyn yelped and pushed at him, sliding back down onto the seat. "Prat," she muttered.
"Everyone set?" Harry asked, slamming his car door shut.
"Dad I don't understand why you couldn't make this backseat bigger." Caitlyn complained as she tried to sit in the narrow opening.
"Well there are some things that should never change and the backseat is one of them." Harry quipped as he began to drive the car down the lane. Caitlyn rolled her eyes and tried to make herself comfortable.
Blue was still enjoying himself. His arm had yet to be removed from her waist, and he figured if he didn't draw any attention to it, she wouldn't ask him to take it away. Half her body was still sitting on his lap as well, and he had to shift a few times to make sure Caitlyn couldn't tell just how much he was enjoying it. She was looking out the window at the scenery as it rolled by, and Blue leaned forward and sniffed at her long hair. It smelled like wildflowers, and it was all he could do to pull away.
They arrived at the airport a short time later, the kids pushing their way out of the backseat, Hermione and Lavender grabbing carts as Harry and Ron unloaded luggage.
"I'll go park this and meet you inside." Harry said, waving them into the lobby. Hermione nodded as her husband drove away. Blue and Ron helped pull the suitcases inside as they waited, and once Harry rejoined them they all headed for the check in counters.
"Hermione?" Ron came up beside his friend. "I uh… I don't know what to do at those counters."
Hermione smiled. "Ron, it's fine, you just hand them these tickets along with your passports." Her eyes grew worried. "You did bring those passports I made you get right?"
"I think so." Ron turned to his wife. "Lav do you have those port passes?"
"Pass ports." Hermione corrected. Lavender dug through her bag and pulled out four small booklets.
"Yes, you almost left them behind on the counter." She said, handing them to her husband.
"Everyone ready?" Harry had joined them. The eight of them made their way to the ticket counters, and after a relatively easy time checking in, especially for Ron, they all got past the security booths and were waiting at the gate.
"Feeling okay?" Caitlyn was sitting next to Blue, who still looked as if he'd just been through a particularly nasty Quidditch game.
"Eh, okay." He grunted, embarrassed. Will and Colin didn't even seem to be nervous, and here he was, acting like a child.
Caitlyn managed to suppress a smile. "It'll be all right. We'll sit next to each other and I'll tell you everything I know about airplanes so you won't feel so worried." She placed a comforting hand on his arm.
"Okay." He said, cheered up by her words. She smiled at him and returned to her book, and Blue took the chance to look at Caitlyn without her knowing.
When he'd first started having feelings for his best friend it had absolutely terrified him, the fact that she had become quite a beautiful young woman had not gone unnoticed by many of the other guys at Hogwarts as well.
She had also remained oblivious, unfortunately, especially to him. He wondered sometime if he'd ever get his chance or if he should move on. Currently she was seeing a Hufflepuff named Ryan, and Blue wasn't pleased about it in the least.
"Hey Blue, come on, we're boarding!" Caitlyn had grabbed his hand and was pulling. He swallowed back his nervousness and allowed himself to be ushered forward, after giving his ticket to a smiling woman they went down a narrow tunnel and onto the plane.
Following a bit of shuffling around, Caitlyn had managed to switch seats with Will so she could sit next to Blue. She buckled herself in and settled back, looking out the window at the other planes.
"How did you do that?" Blue asked, referring to her seatbelt. He held the two straps in his hand, pretending to be clueless.
"You can't buckle yourself in?" Caitlyn asked, her eyebrow raised.
"No…" he pushed the two together and looked at her with a carefully blank expression.
"Honestly." She reached over and to his immense delight, brought the two straps together over his lap and snapped them together. "There!" she pulled hard and tightened it. Her eyes met his and she glared when she saw the impish twinkle. "You're an ass."
Blue started laughing. "That was good wasn't it?" He raised his eyebrows at her. "That felt nice too. Will you do it again?"
"I don't know why I put up with you sometimes." She said, her eyes showing her amusement and betraying her tone.
The plane roared to life and Blue jumped. "What was that?" he asked, wide eyed.
"It's just the plane." Caitlyn replied, leaning back. "Look, you see next to us, that's another plane about to leave."
"Oh." Blue felt silly for getting freaked out. He tugged on the seat belt a little tighter around his waist and sat back. All of a sudden, everything outside the plane started moving. "Hey I thought we had to be off the ground to fly in this thing!"
"Blue we're not flying yet." Caitlyn replied patiently. "First, do you see out there - that long strip that looks like a road?"
"Yeah." Blue answered.
"That's called a runway. As we go down the runway, we pick up speed and eventually we'll lift up in the air."
He nodded, understanding. "How long will that take?"
"A few more minutes, most likely." Caitlyn replied. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Just a little." Blue said. She smiled up at him and then reached over and took his hand tightly in hers.
"We'll be all right. Takeoffs are fun, wait until you see how fast we go." As she said this, the plane turned down the long runway. "Here we go!" she squealed quietly, squeezing Blue's hand.
He gripped her fingers, partly because the roar of the plane was growing louder and partly because they were her fingers, a very comforting hand. Blue almost had a mind to take it a bit further and clutch at Caitlyn's shoulder, but thought better of it.
"This is nothing like flying." He muttered, still looking over her shoulder as the scenery began to blur. "Portkeys would have been much easier."
"I think so too, but for one thing, we're going to a Muggle island, and for another, my mum can't do portkeys while she's pregnant." It had been a recent bout of news in the Potter and Weasley families that Hermione was two months pregnant with twins.
"I know…whoa!" Blue said in amazement as the entire plane lifted off the ground. The plane rumbled up for 15 minutes more and then levelled off; becoming quite smooth.
"How are you feeling now?" Caitlyn pulled her hand away from Blue's, flexing her cramped fingers.
"Better." Blue tried to look out and down to the land below them.
"Here…" Caitlyn unbuckled her seat belt and stood up. "Switch seats with me and you can look outside all you want to."
"Really?" Blue grinned and stood up as well. "Thanks."
"Sure." Caitlyn sat down in the aisle seat now and pulled a book from her bag and settled back to read the flight away as her best friend remained entranced by the fact that they were thousands of feet in the air.
Harry stretched his legs out under the seat, looking at his son and nephew across the aisle. Ron and Lavender were sitting behind he and Hermione, Caitlyn and Blue across from them. He turned back to his wife as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Harry found this incredibly sexy.
"Hey Mione…" he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Have you heard of this club they have for people on planes?"
Hermione looked up from her book, suspicion crossing her features. "No Harry I haven't. What sort of club?"
"It's called the Mile High club." Harry said, feeling more eager. "You go into the bathroom and…" he never got to finish because Hermione turned away.
"Harry, honestly. You know that we're not supposed to be having a lot of sex right now."
"I know… but we haven't in awhile, and you know how we get in new places…" Harry pleaded, making his eyes go wide.
"Harry…." Hermione sighed and looked at her husband. "No!"
"Why not?" Harry was insistent. "You go, and in a few minutes I'll follow…." He leaned in closer as he moved his hand over her thigh, and chastely kissing her neck.
Hermione uttered a frustrating noise and got up, moving past Harry without a second glance. He grinned smugly as he watched her sway down the aisle, then gulped as she turned back and winked at him before disappearing into the locker sized bathroom. Harry turned slightly in his seat; his daughter was reading a novel, Blue still staring out the window. Ron was doing the same as his son, while Lavender seemed to be napping. Deciding that no one would pay any attention, he got up and out of his seat and went to the front. He waited outside for a few moments more then knocked softly.
"Hermione?" he called in a low voice. He heard her unlock the door and he quickly slipped inside, relocking it behind him.
"Bright idea, Harry." Hermione was leaning up against the sink with her arms crossed. "It's barely big enough in here for me."
"We don't need a lot of room." Harry grinned, winding his arms about her waist. Before she could voice another complaint, his lips were on hers. Hermione forgot about her irritation as Harry's hands untucked her shirt and travelled up her bare back. She had to stifle moans coming out of her mouth as his lips made their way down her neck; Harry tried his hardest not to leave too many marks lest they be caught.
Harry brought his hands around from the back and pulled up on her shirt; Hermione lifted her arms as it went over her head. Their mouths came back together, tongues thrusting furiously as Hermione ripped away at his shirt, buttons flying everywhere. His glasses fell askew on his nose, and he pulled them off and tossed them on top of the two discarded pieces of clothing. Harry's mouth returned to Hermione's once again and vigorous, hot kisses were only a precedent to the actions of their lower halves.
Afterward, they leaned up against one another, a fine sheen of sweat covering their bodies. Harry looked at his wife and grinned as she started to giggle.
"Only you could have me making love to you in an airplane bathroom." Hermione rubbed her thumb along his cheek.
"I'm just so persuasive aren't I?" Harry smirked, then reached down and picked up their discarded clothing. "Come on, I think we've been gone long enough now…"
Hermione pulled her shirt over her head and tried to straighten out her hair. "Um… Hermione?" Harry's voice broke through her thoughts. "Do you have your wand with you?"
"No, it's back in my bag, why?" Her eyes travelled down his front. "Oh…" it was then that Hermione realised that she had pulled all the buttons off his shirt.
"What are we going to do?" Harry asked. "I can't go out there like this!"
"Just…" Hermione looked around for a moment. "Use your magic to get the buttons and I'll put them back on later."
Harry nodded and closed his eyes for a moment in full concentration. A few seconds later, buttons zoomed in from different parts of the bathroom. "Okay, I think that's all of them."
"Just let me go, and step out from behind me. Perhaps no one will notice." Hermione said quietly as she unlocked the door. They were lucky, very lucky in fact. The stewardesses were in the rear of the plane (Harry and Hermione had gone to the bathroom in the front) and most everyone was asleep, as it was still quite early in the morning.
Everyone that is, except for Ron, Lavender, Caitlyn and Blue. Ron was first to notice his two best friends coming down the aisle, their faces still a bit flushed.
"Problems?" he grinned as Harry and Hermione slid back into their seats. Lavender was laughing quietly, while Caitlyn looked rather sick at the thought of what her parents had been doing.
"Shut up Ron." They said at the same time. Hermione made Harry take off his outer shirt and she turned towards the window with her wand while she fixed it quickly.
"Honestly…" Caitlyn shook her head and buried her nose back in her book. "You'd think they don't go at it like rabbits every other day, they have to go and shag on a plane as well."
"I think it's funny." Blue snickered. He peered over at her parents, who were now busy acting like nothing had happened at all. Caitlyn simply shook her head at him, not amused in the slightest bit.
"How is your book?" He pulled up on one side to see the cover. "You're reading a romance novel!"
"So?" Caitlyn pulled it from his grasp. "Brenda Joyce is an excellent author, and I really like this series."
"You're not just reading it for sex?" Blue asked, smirking.
"Honestly!" Caitlyn snapped the book shut and shoved it in her bag. "You are so immature sometimes, Blue." She pulled down the tray table and folded her arms so she could rest her head on top of them. She had been so excited the night before about leaving that she hadn't gotten much rest, and it had finally caught up to her.
Blue looked at her for a moment, debating on whether or not to push her further but decided against it. He was rather tired himself, now that his nervousness over flying was gone. Imitating Caitlyn, he folded his arms and dropped his head on them, falling into a deep slumber.
*** Blue watched as she ran down the beach towards him, her long hair swinging behind her, shining in the bright sunlight. He could feel a smile spreading across his face as Caitlyn jumped up and threw her arms around him, immediately pressing her lips against his.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to figure out how I really felt about you…" she said after they had kissed a few long moments. Her fingers were buried in his longish red locks as her other hand cupped his cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too." He was able to choke out before she leaned forward and kissed him again, this time making it more passionate by pushing her tongue through his lips. He opened his mouth to her gladly as his hands came up and untied the strings that held her suit across the back.
Caitlyn stepped back and grinned as she raised her arms and undid the strings around her neck. She lifted them up in her hands and began to pull the top away… ****
"Blue!" Harry felt bad about waking up his daughter and her best friend but they were about to land, and it seemed Ron and Lavender had disappeared. "Blue where did your parents go?"
"I don't know." Blue rubbed at his eyes and noticed that Caitlyn was doing the same. "Why?"
"They're not here and we're about to land." Harry looked up the aisle and suddenly saw the bathroom door in the front of the plane open. Ron and Lavender stepped out, looking a bit dishevelled. A stewardess was standing near the front and pursed her lips in a frown when she saw the two people stepping out. Harry had to hold in his laughter as she said something to Ron.
"Check it out." He nudged Hermione with his shoulder as he sat back down in his seat.
"What?" her eyes followed Harry's line of vision until she saw Ron and Lavender talking to a stewardess up in the front. "What's the big deal?"
"She caught them coming out of the bathroom." Harry snorted, and Hermione slapped a hand over her mouth to cover her giggles as their friends both grew red and then came back down the aisle.
"Problems?" Harry grinned stupidly as Ron and Lavender slid into their seats.
"Shut up Harry." Ron said. He studiously avoided the glare coming across the aisle from his son.
Caitlyn looked at Blue with her eyebrow raised. "Looks like my parents weren't the only ones antsy." She said.
"It's sick." Blue crossed his arms across his chest as he tore his gaze from his still red mother and father. "At least your parents didn't get caught!"
"True…" Caitlyn tried to keep the corner of her mouth from quirking up in a smile. "Oh look!" she pointed out the window as the flat island came into view. "We're almost there!"
"Cool!" Both of them leaned over and watched as the plane dipped lower and lower to the ground.
"Look at the beach, look at that water…" Caitlyn was already in heaven as she took in the island. "I can't wait to get out there!"
"Me either." Blue muttered, remembering his dream. He'd seen Caitlyn in a swim costume before, although not a bikini. The thought of that made him warm all over again as he tugged at his shirt collar.
Hermione awoke her son and nephew after they had landed, not wanting them bouncing around in the seats and disturbing other passengers. The plane was sitting out on the runway, a little distance away from the tiny airport itself.
"Come on!" Blue excitedly prodded Caitlyn in the back. "Let's get out of here!"
"Hang on!" she said. "We have to wait for everyone in front of us to get off first, and then we can leave too." They were standing now, eager to stretch their legs after being cramped in two tiny seats for so long.
"Caty, Blue, wait for us outside, all right?" Hermione called. Caitlyn nodded and scurried forward, she wanted to feel the warm air.
"Ohhh!" she closed her eyes in delight as she stepped off the plane. The sun was warm on her face, a gentle breeze bringing in the scent of the ocean which was barely 100 feet away. "Ohhh this place is just perfect isn't it?"
Blue nearly fell over the last few steps as he heard her say this; it was directly from his dream. He was wondering if it had any significance when the rest of the family got off the plane and they all headed towards the small thatched roof airport.
Once inside, they had to go through the usual deal with Customs, even though they were still technically in British territory. After that, they went across the street, dragging their luggage, to the car rental place.
"We'll be right back, Caitlyn, keep an eye on all the boys all right?" Hermione said as the adults disappeared inside. Blue let out an enraged squawk.
"Why did your mum say to keep an eye on me?" he asked.
"Because you like to cause trouble. It's your last name." Caitlyn grinned teasingly at her best friend. She sat down on the curb and pulled a pair of Muggle sunglasses from her purse. "I could stay here forever…" she said as she raised her face to the sun. Blue grinned and sat down next to her.
"I can't wait to change out of this jumper." He plucked at his sleeves, and then pushed them up his arms. "It's too hot for this."
"I was prepared." Caitlyn grabbed the ends of her own jumper and pulled up. Blue's eyes widened and he gulped as he tried not to gaze at her chest. She had on a simple white tank top underneath that suited the weather perfectly.
"Well we can't all be as smart as you, can we?" he finally said in a smart aleck tone that showed no signs of how he was feeling. 'Merlin's Beard, if she looks this good in a tank top I sure hope she has a bikini…'
"Hey!" Caitlyn suddenly lurched up and streaked over to her brother. "Mum told you to behave, not tear apart our luggage!" she pulled Colin away and he stuck his tongue out at her. "Honestly!" she pulled on the handle and dragged it over to where she and Blue were sitting. "It'll be so nice when he grows up!"
"Age never matters when it comes to maturity." Blue grinned cheekily at her and Caitlyn started to giggle.
"You never fail to make me laugh." She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he felt butterflies in his stomach. "I wonder what Ryan is doing right now?" she said a few moments later.
Blue made a face, he tremendously disliked Caitlyn's boyfriend. "Probably off snogging with some other Hufflepuff." His lip curled a bit before he could take back his words.
"Blue!" she took her head off his shoulder and glared. "How can you say something like that?"
"Caty, I'm sorry, but you know I don't like that guy." Blue had actually had no problems with him until he'd asked Caitlyn out three months before. "I don't think he's very trustworthy."
"If you're my friend the least you can do is be civil to him. Instead you sit and glare every time he comes in the same room as you or me." Caitlyn crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides that, you've barely even spoken to him, you don't even know him."
"Fine, I'm sorry." Blue was in no mood to argue with her, and he saw his mother, father and Hermione coming back outside.
"Still in one piece I see." Lavender smiled at her nephews. "Caty your father's just signing the form; we can start loading the luggage in that van over there."
"Already taken to the weather I see." Ron grinned at Caitlyn. "Blue you look a little warm in that jumper."
"Yeah." Blue replied, grabbing a suitcase and lugging it over to the van. He hated the fact that the girl he was head over heels for was dating another guy, and he could only hope that it wasn't a serious relationship.
They all clambered into the van, Harry and Hermione taking the two front seats, Ron, Lavender and Will taking the middle, and Caitlyn, Blue and Colin squeezing into the back.
Caitlyn looked out the window as the scenery flashed by, her mind still on what Blue had said. She couldn't understand why he disliked Ryan so much, and it bothered her.
"Caty?" Blue said softly.
"Hmm?" she asked, her tone a bit cool.
"I'm sorry for what I said back there." Blue tugged at his collar. He didn't have to like Ryan, but he wouldn't insult the guy in front of her anymore. "I shouldn't have said those things."
Caitlyn felt better; a smile broke across her face. "Thanks Blue." She said gratefully. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently.
"I don't like it when you're mad at me." Blue grinned too. "Who else would do my homework for me then?" Caitlyn giggled at this and leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.
Her scent of wildflowers drifted to his nose again as they drove on down a busy main street. Blue could catch glimpses of the ocean between the shops and hotels, there were also extremely large boats bobbing on the water.
"Wow what are those?" he asked, pointing with his free hand towards the ships.
"Cruise ships." Caitlyn answered. "People can spend a week or two on those, like we're doing on the island."
"Wow." Colin was impressed as well. "Dad can we go on one of those instead?"
"How about once you learn to swim on your own?" Harry teased, grinning at his son in the rear view mirror. Will started to laugh and Colin sat back in a pout.
Minutes later, Harry was pulling into the large hotel that was to be their home for the next week. He parked the car to the side and Blue felt a tug in his stomach when Caitlyn moved away from his arm.
"Harry this is great." Hermione moved beside her husband and grinned at him. The warm air and tropical atmosphere made her feel very light and happy.
"Isn't it?" he grinned back and pulled her against his side, giving her a quick kiss. "We should save it for after we've checked in." he murmured softly. Hermione smiled and shivered at the feel of his breath on her ear.
"I don't think our daughter would be amused to see us start up again right here in a parking lot." She said quietly. Harry laughed as he went to help Ron unload suitcases.
Caitlyn stared around in awe when they all got in the hotel lobby. It was spacious and airy, with a bar alongside one wall, a piano near the other side of the room, and best of all, French doors leading outside to the beach.
"Just look at this place!" she said quietly to Blue. He nodded.
"It's great." He said. "But I really can't wait to get out on the beach."
"Oh me neither." Caitlyn agreed fervently. "We should go throw our suits on and go right out there."
"I'm game." Blue said, more interested in seeing her in a bathing suit rather than the beach itself.
"First I have to find my beach stuff…" Caitlyn looked woefully at her suitcase. "I packed so much."
"That's why I'm glad to be a guy." Blue boasted. "I only need a few things to last me a week!"
"Whatever Blue." Caitlyn waved her hand dismissively. She walked out further into the lobby and peered down a hallway to her left. "Mum! There are shops down there!"
Hermione smiled at her daughter, always curious as to where her love of shopping had come from. Harry was finishing the check in form and Ron was copying whatever he had written down. They had requested adjoining rooms, and were all pleased to find out that they would be facing the beach.
"Drop those bags by the closet, Harry, and bring that suitcase over here." Hermione ordered as she unlocked the door between the two rooms. "Ron!" she knocked on the other door. "Open up!"
"Hey!" Ron's grinning face appeared in the doorway. Lavender was behind him, rummaging through her suitcase. "Lav's just finding our swimming costumes and we're going right out there."
"I think I'm going to unpack…" Hermione started to say but was interrupted by howls of disappointment from the rest of her family.
"No way Mum, I'm going out with them." Caitlyn crossed her arms. Colin followed suit and Harry grinned at his wife.
"I think you're outnumbered love." He said. Hermione fought a smile into a frown.
"I'm not living out of a suitcase for a week." She said. "If we go out now, you all help me unpack later."
Ron started laughing as Harry reluctantly agreed. Hermione shut the door and began digging through the suitcases.
"I get first dibs on the bathroom!" Caitlyn had pulled her new swimsuit from her bag and was inside the lavatory before anyone could object.
After she had tied on her new black bikini, she went to work at twisting her long hair up so that it wasn't in the way while she worked on her tan. Pulling a pair of shorts on, she left the bathroom. "Isn't everyone ready yet?"
"Almost, love." Harry said, tugging on his daughter's brown locks. "Much as I'd love to toss your brother in the ocean with all this clothes on…" he caught Hermione's eye and hastily shut up. "As I was saying, we're almost ready."
Caitlyn busied herself with finding her sunglasses, suntan oil, and reading material. She had been unable to bring any of her wizarding magazines or books, so the day after she had gotten home from school her mother had taken her into Muggle London for 'supplies'. Caitlyn enjoyed spending as much time as she could with her mother, who was often a co conspirator in playing jokes on her father.
Her mother was coming out of the bathroom now, a long pale yellow sundress on over her bathing suit. Harry followed, and then Colin changed as well.
Blue pulled a white t shirt over his head and ran his hand through his hair. He was dying to get out on the beach, but he was even more eager to see his best friend in a bathing suit. She had told him that her mother had taken her shopping, but had not specified on how much skin she would be showing.
"Blue? Are you dressed?" His mother was knocking on the door. He could hear his father trying to calm an overactive Will down.
"Almost." He replied.
"We're meeting Harry and Hermione down there." Lavender said. "Your cousin is anxious to get in the water."
"All right." Blue opened the door. He staggered back and started laughing as Will attached himself to his legs. "I'm going to dunk you so bad." He grinned down at his cousin. Picking the smaller boy up, he tossed him over his shoulder and headed for the balcony doors. One of the benefits of staying on the ground floor was that they could walk straight outside to the beach.
Blue walked unsteadily over the warm sand towards an empty spot. He dropped his cousin down and began to toss large handfuls of sand at him.
"Blue!" Will sputtered, waving his hands to ward off the sand. Ron was laughing as he walked up and dropped his wife's bag next to the boys.
"Why are you playing in the sand, you should be down in that water." He grinned down at his son and nephew.
"Where did Mum go?" Blue asked, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. He'd have to have Caitlyn take him to get some of those sunglasses she had been wearing earlier.
"To get some towels for us." Ron replied. He sat down next to the boys. "This is gorgeous isn't it? I'm glad now I let Harry and Hermione talk us into coming."
"Me too." Blue agreed, but for an entirely different reason. Caitlyn was walking towards them, her brother tagging along beside her. She wore a black bikini top and shorts, her legs bare, her hair tied back… he had to forcibly shut his jaw at the sight.
"Harry! Hermione! Over here!" Ron was waving his arms, oblivious to his son's gaze. Blue swallowed hard and looked down, digging his large toe in the sand. Perhaps this vacation wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought.
Caitlyn dropped her bag down on the sand and sat down next to her best friend, grinning widely. "Are you going for a swim?" she asked as she began to unbutton her shorts.
"Uh…" Blue gulped and tried not to look at her legs as she slid the shorts down. "That might be a good idea, I'm getting hot already."
"Come on silly!" Caitlyn reached over and tugged on his shirt. He pulled it over his head, wishing he wasn't so pale. Hopefully a few days in the sun would take care of that.
"Neither one of you is going anywhere without putting some of this on." Hermione had joined them and she and Lavender each dumped a stack of blue towels on the sand. She pulled a bottle of suntan lotion from her bag and tossed it to her daughter.
"Thanks." Caitlyn replied. She unscrewed the cap and squeezed some in her hand. "Blue, will you do my back?"
"I uh… sure…" Blue said after a moment. He put some lotion in his hands and began to rub it onto her skin, trying not to show how much he was enjoying himself. He purposefully worked his hands slowly over her back and shoulders, wanting the moment to go on. "Is that good enough?" he asked a few minutes later.
"Yes, thanks." Caitlyn said, turning around. "Now I'll do you."
"I wish." Blue muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" she asked curiously.
"I said…. I hope we see some fish." Blue said quickly. "There are supposed to be some real big ones out there."
"Ugh, I hope not too big." Caitlyn shuddered. She placed her lotion covered hands on his shoulders and began to massage the sticky stuff into his skin. "Yuck this stuff smells awful. We'll have to buy a different kind in the shop later."
"Sure." He said as she finished up. "Ready?"
"Yes!" Caitlyn jumped up and grabbed for his hand. "We're going down to the water!" she called over her shoulder as she dragged Blue down to the shore. "I hope it's not too cold." She said, stopping at the water's edge.
"I'll bet it is." Blue said, grinning devilishly. Before Caitlyn knew it, Blue had scooped her up in his arms and had tossed her in.
"RONALD WEASLEY JR.!" She screamed as soon as she had surfaced. Blue was still standing on the sand, bent over laughing. "You're going to pay for that!"
Blue was still laughing when Caitlyn jumped up and yanked on his arm, making him fall headfirst into the ocean along with her. "Hey!" he shouted, no longer laughing.
It was her turn to look smug. "I win." She said, reaching back and pulling the tie from her hair, flinging her wet locks around.
"Only because I let you." Blue replied, grinning again. She splashed him and he reached forward and dunked her head under the water.
"BLUE!" she came back up sputtering his name. Both of them were laughing now as she dove forward and trapped his body under hers. Colin and Will joined them moments later and they all took turns jumping into the swells and dunking each other.
"They're certainly all having fun." Hermione smiled at her husband as she stretched out in one of the lounge chairs that he and Ron had just dragged over.
"They sure are." Harry replied, reaching for his wife's hand. He squeezed it lightly as he settled down in the chair next to hers. "Want to join them?"
"Goodness no, Harry!" Hermione replied. "I'm certainly in no state to jump around in the ocean like a teenager."
"Hermione, you're pregnant not a hundred years old." Ron teased from the chair on the other side of her. "You can still swim until you get to be overweight."
"Honestly Ron!" Hermione and Lavender both gave him dirty looks.
"Never make fun of a pregnant woman!" Lavender frowned at her husband. "Have you forgotten what happened while I was pregnant with Blue?"
"No." Ron said quickly. "Sorry Harry, you're on your own now." They all laughed.
Blue picked Will up under one arm and Colin in the other. "I told you both I was going to dunk you." Caitlyn laughed as he waded out into deeper water and dropped the two young boys in.
"Ha!" Caitlyn grabbed her brother around the waist. "Payback!"
"Hey!" Colin sputtered, trying to push her away. "You're bigger than me! No fair!"
Blue grinned wickedly. "But I'm bigger than her!" He pulled her up and against his body, enjoying the way her curves fit against him.
"BLUE!" she screamed as her brother and Will grinned. Caitlyn kicked out at them, but it was in vain as the two boys grabbed on and began tickling her. Blue laughed and moved back into deeper water, not letting up on his tight hold. Her body was cool from the water, and he liked the way she was moving against him.
"Bloody…. Hell…" Caitlyn managed to gasp out. Thrashing around, she caused Blue to lose his balance and they both fell back. Laughing as they both rose out of the water; Caitlyn shook her hair out of her face. "Come on let's go back up to the beach."
"All right." They waded back; Colin and Will decided to stay and play near the shore. Caitlyn arranged her towel on the chair and then laid back, fishing around in her bag for her sunglasses.
"I need to get some of those." Blue's voice came from her right. "It's so bloody bright out here."
"Oooh… shopping." She grinned at him and he rolled his eyes.
"Not that kind of shopping!" Blue was quick to say. "I'm not moving off this chair for awhile."
"Fine, fine." Caitlyn relented, leaning back down. She adjusted herself on the lounge, oblivious to her best friend's gaze. She thought briefly about her boyfriend back in cold, rainy England for a little while before she drifted off into a light slumber.
*** *** ***
"No!" Caitlyn pushed the shark tooth necklace away. "I told you, I'm not buying him something cheap!" she frowned at her best friend.
Blue sighed as she turned and marched out the door. He was regretting his offer to go to the downtown area and shop with her. For one thing, she'd had to put on a shirt over that tiny black bikini, and for another, he absolutely hated shopping, especially since she was intent on finding the 'perfect' gift for that bloody Hufflepuff idiot she was dating.
"Come on, slowpoke!" she pulled on his arm and they entered a jewellery store. Caitlyn immediately began browsing through the displays.
"Why are we in here?" Blue whined. The last place he wanted to be was in there looking for jewellery for another guy.
"Come here." Caitlyn ignored his moaning. She pointed to a display of thick silver rings. "Do you think he'd like any of those?"
"Probably." Blue leaned on the glass and then straightened back up as a clerk came over.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked, straightening her name pin.
"Umm…." Caitlyn bit her lower lip. She wasn't sure if getting Ryan a ring was too pushy of her, but she wanted to get him something nice. "Can we see those rings?"
Blue sighed as he crossed his arms over his torso, he was bored. The rings were actually quite nice, not girlish at all.
"Blue you and Ryan are the same size can you try these on?" she asked.
"Sure." He agreed, a bit unwillingly. A bit of a tingle went through him when she took his hand and slid the ring over his finger. It was a neat ring, with a pattern interwoven completely around the circle.
"Do you like it?" she asked, after looking at it from different angles. "Do you think Ryan will like it?"
"Probably, and yes, I like it." Blue replied.
"Should I get it for him?" Caitlyn asked.
"If you think he'll like it and you have enough money, then yes." Blue said, not wanting to think about her getting jewellery for someone else.
"All right." Caitlyn said as she took the ring off. The clerk rang it up for her and put it in a box, and the two of them left the store.
They walked back along the sidewalk in silence, until they left the town behind. Caitlyn figured out how much money she had left, then looked at her best friend.
"You think I'm stupid for spending that much, don't you."
"I didn't say that." Blue denied. "I think it's a nice ring."
They looked at each other for a long moment as they walked on. "All right." She finally said. "Thanks for coming with me though. I know you hate shopping."
Blue grinned. "You can make it up to me later."
"Oh no." They arrived back at the hotel still joking around and talking. Heading for their rooms, they found their families unpacking and getting themselves ready for dinner.
"Did you find a gift Caitlyn?" Hermione asked as Caitlyn let herself in the hotel room.
"Yes." She replied, dropping her bags down next to the wall. "Do you think he'll like this?" she showed her mother the ring.
"That's very nice." Hermione said. "Your father is in the bathroom helping your brother get ready for dinner, we have reservations at seven."
"I should hurry then." Caitlyn began rummaging through her suitcase. "Where is my dress??"
"I hung it up for you." Hermione replied, touching on a bit of makeup in front of the mirror. "It's in the closet."
"Oh thanks Mum." Caitlyn pulled a pair of strappy sandals out and then grabbed the dress from the closet. "Hellooooo… I need to get ready!" she knocked on the bathroom door.
"Maybe we should have gotten a suite." Harry said as he and his son came back into the room.
"Funny, Dad." Caitlyn pushed past him and closed the bathroom door.
Harry grinned and then looked at his wife. "Did she find what she wanted?"
"Yes." Hermione replied, running her hand through Colin's hair.
"Good." Harry sat down on the edge of the bed. "This means we don't have to spend the rest of the vacation shopping."
"Yeah." Colin piped up. "I don't like it when Caty goes shopping, she takes too long."
Harry and Hermione were both still laughing when their daughter came out. "What's so funny?" Caitlyn asked as she set her clothes back in her suitcase.
"Oh nothing." Harry said, his eyes still twinkling. "Are you ready?"
"Almost." Caitlyn rushed back into the bathroom.
"Aren't you ready yet?" Ron was poking his head through the adjoining door.
"We're waiting on Caty." Colin said. "My dad says she takes too long to get dressed."
"I never said that!" Harry looked down at his son. "You little…"
"Harry!" Hermione stood up. "Ron, is Lavender ready?"
"No." Ron turned and looked back into the room. "She's still in the bathroom."
"Then why are you in here bugging us?" Harry asked as Will tore past Ron and into their room.
"Because I'm bored waiting for her to GET READY!" Ron turned and shouted these last words at his closed bathroom door. Blue appeared behind his father, pushing him out of the way. Ron stumbled towards the bed and then sprawled out on it, tucking his hands behind his head.
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable Ron?" Harry asked sarcastically.
"I think I will." Ron replied, grinning obnoxiously.
"Why don't you boys go wait for us in the lobby?" Hermione finally spoke up. "I'll wait for Lavender and Caitlyn while you have a drink." She said reasonably.
"Sounds good to me." Harry was relieved to get out of the room. He and Ron took the boys, Blue tagging along behind them.
Hermione shook her head as the door closed. She had no sooner sat on the bed when the bathroom door opened and her daughter came out.
"Did everyone leave?" she asked, looking around at the empty room.
"No, your father went to the lobby." Hermione replied. "We're just waiting on Lavender now."
"Were they complaining again?" Lavender had come into their room.
"Of course." Hermione said. "It's like they want us women to look nice yet they get mad when we take a long time." They all laughed and headed out to the lobby.
Blue sat down next to his cousin and Colin as his father and Harry went over to the bar. He wondered how much longer it would take his mother and best friend to get ready, as he was getting very hungry. There was a bowl with what looked like a snack mix of some sort in the middle of the table, and he eagerly reached for it and began shoving handfuls in his mouth.
"Don't spoil your dinner Blue." Ron said from across the table as he sat down with Harry, both men with a beer in their hand. "Apparently the fish down here is excellent."
"Yeah." Blue said, stuffing another handful in his mouth. "I got your stomach, remember? It never fills." Harry snorted back his laughter while Ron didn't bother to hide his amusement. He was reaching for another handful when he saw his mother, Hermione, and Caitlyn emerge from the hallway.
"Damn…" he muttered quietly to himself. His best friend had managed to put herself into a slim cut jade green dress that left nearly nothing to the imagination. He sneaked a peek at Harry to see what his reaction to his daughter's clothing would be. Blue saw his eyes travel briefly over her, then light up as he saw his wife.
"Are you ready?" Harry asked, draining the rest of his beer. Blue dropped the fistful of mix back into the bowl and stood up, barely able to take his eyes off Caitlyn.
"You look nice." He said quietly in her ear. Her scent of wildflowers drifted up to his nose and he took in a long, silent breath.
"Thank you." She turned to him. "You look great too." He was wearing a blue striped shirt with dark blue dress trousers. "We never get to get dressed up like this, it's fun."
"Yeah, it's cool." Blue ran his hand through his hair. He regained his usual easy smile and offered her his arm, bowing slightly. "May I have the honour of escorting this lovely lady to dinner?"
Caitlyn rolled her eyes but was unable to suppress her smile. "Of course." She demurred, playing along. They followed their parents out of the hotel, with Colin and Will sniggering behind them.
"Will, hold my hand." Colin said in a high voice, obviously imitating his sister. "I can't walk by myself!"
Caitlyn turned around and glared at her brother. "Bugger off." Colin made a face at her and she shook her head. "He's such a brat."
"Wish I had two just like him." Blue muttered and they both laughed.