Forbidden Love
Chapter 5
Hermione pulled nervously on her ponytail as they entered the large water park. It was the day before they were supposed to catch the train back to Hogwarts and her mum and dad had decided to surprise them by skiving off of work and taking them for one last outing to celebrate Harry's belated seventeenth birthday. She looked over at the birthday boy who was standing next to her, watching as he stared at the park with a look of awe on his face. His mouth was slightly agape, curving just a bit at the corners and his head turned slowly as his eyes eagerly scanned the area in front of him.
The park consisted of over thirteen rides and attractions, including a ride called the 'Freefall' that was comprised of a set of huge slides that were built over five stories high which, by the way, she was not going on- at all- ever. The park also had several more slides, a lagoon and a huge thing called the wave pool. The wave pool was set up to look like a beach and got deeper and deeper the farther you got out until it was about twenty-five or so feet deep. It would also go from completely stagnant to randomly making nice sized waves starting at the back of the huge pool area.
"So what do you want to do first?" she asked the boy next to her.
Harry snapped out of his daze and looked at her a huge grin settled upon his features. Looking around once more, he did his best to determine just where to start.
"Uh, let's see... you wouldn't be willing to try that would you?" he questioned pointing to his right.
Following his gaze she saw the huge 'Freefall' ride in the distance and gave him an annoyed look. He already knew the answer to that.
Harry laughed and quirked a brow "No?" She glared and he laughed harder. "Okay, no it is... Uhhh, what do you say we start a little smaller?" he gave a slight nod of his head in the direction of another set of slides, these were considerably shorter and enclosed in plastic tubes.
Hermione studied the ride for a second then, deciding that it was the lesser of two evils, looked at Harry and gave him a small nod.
"Mum, dad we're going to head over to that ride over there," she told her parents, pointing at the slides.
"Okay Pumpkin, have fun," her dad replied distractedly as he continued to look thorough the fanny pack he had brought- against his daughters insistence that people did not wear fanny packs anymore.
"Honey, don't you guys want to change first?" her mum asked barley stifling a smile.
Hermione and Harry looked at each other and then down at their own clothes. Hermione rolled her eyes realizing that she had yet to put her things away, before giving herself a mental kick because she normally wasn't so absent minded.
Like Harry she was already wearing her swim clothes, but she was also wearing an outfit over her suit. So she did need to put her shirt, shorts and bag in a locker in the ladies changing room, just as Harry also needed to store his shirt and extra pair of shorts.
"Right," she replied to her mum giving a short nod before looking back at Harry. "Do you need a locker of your own, or did you just want me to put your stuff in with mine?"
Harry seemed to think about it for a minute before shrugging. Grabbing the hem of his shirt he quickly pulled the light garment over his head, leaving himself clad in only flip flops and swim trunks. Hermione sucked in a sharp breath before she could stop herself.
'By all that is holy, when did Harry get a body like that?!' her mind screamed.
Removing her eyes from his broad muscular chest she came in contact with his dancing green eyes, Harry arched a brow at her before grinning.
"Are you okay Hermione?" he quizzed looking not at all concerned.
"Fine," she said shortly, feeling a flush creep up her neck.
Yanking the shirt and extra pair of shorts from his hands Hermione turned and made her way to the ladies changing area to get a locker, ignoring the amused look on her mum's face as she passed. Reaching the lockers she took off her shirt and shorts, leaving on her bathing suit and flip-flops. Grabbing a few things from her bag, she put everything into the locker and then closed it, taking the key to hand to her dad when she got back outside. Turning she leant against the cool metal surface and took a few moments to compose herself and get her still erratically beating heart under control.
'This is just Harry,' she thought to herself expelling a long breath. 'So what if he's gotten a little...er, fuller over the summer? It's just the same old Harry. He's like your little brother -you're constantly in trouble, headstrong, impulsive, extremely hot little brother.' She shook her head 'Okay, strike the extremely hot part... oh, this isn't helping.'
Hermione rolled her eyes and gave a small huff, clutching the items that she needed she headed back to the front of the changing room where everyone was waiting. Harry was the first to notice her reappearance, his emerald eyes flashed with something unreadable for a second before it was replaced with a gentle amusement.
"Alright, now I'm ready," she commented when she reached Harry, her mum and her dad again. "Oh, Harry these are for you," she handed him a small cloth and a bottle.
Harry took the items from her, turning them over in his hands before giving a questioning look.
"They're for your glasses," she looked around before moving closer to finish in a whisper. "The little bottle is a form of magical glue -it'll keep your glasses on unless you remove them. The cloth is a magical wipe, it'll keep any water from sticking to your lenses so that you can see," she pulled back. "After you use them just give them back to me and I'll pass them to my dad so he can keep them in his..." she mumbled and rolled her eyes "fanny pack."
"Bloody brilliant, where did you get them?" Harry asked as he wiped down his lenses.
"I got them yesterday when we went to get our books and supplies for school. I came across the set in Flourish & Blotts while you were in Quality Quidditch Supplies buying your broom servicing kit and supplies, " she answered, taking the cloth from him as he once again removed his glasses to place the glue on the ends. "I didn't know we'd be doing this today, I just got it because I thought that maybe you could use it if you had to play a rainy Quidditch match or something."
Harry placed his glasses back on, giving her a big smile. "Well, thanks for thinking of me Hermione, I appreciate it." He then leant forward and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before handing her the bottle of glue back.
Hermione resisted the urge to put her hand against her tingling cheek as her brows furrowed in confusion at the sensation. Looking at Harry she noticed that he was once again scanning the water park, but she also observed that even though he was acting nonchalant, there was a tale-tale flush on his neck and cheeks. Her frown deepened, as her mind attempted to logically figure out what was happening between them. Biting her lip she looked at him a moment longer before giving a small shrug and walking over to her parents.
"Well we're going to head over to the ride, where are you guys going to be?" She asked her mum.
"We're going to be right over there at the lagoon, I th-" she was interrupted as her husband let out a triumphant yelp.
"Ah-ha!" Mr. Granger shouted pulling something out of the fanny pack. "See dear, I told you I brought those nose plugs," he gave a huge grin. "You know that since I was right, you have to take it back."
"I have to take what back?" her mum responded with an arrested look.
"What you said earlier... come on, I was right. I knew what I was talking about, so take it back."
"But it's true."
"Is not," was the indignant response. "They're right here," he walked closer to them holding open his hand so that they could see the nose plugs in his palm. "See, so that means you have to take it back."
"I have to do no such thing," her mom replied, an amused look settling on her face. "That thing is what... two inches deep? Yet somehow it still took you over fifteen minutes to find them."
"Hey- I...it-it was only about ten," her dad closed his hand around the nose plugs, turning away mumbling, "I still found them, it doesn't matter." He spoke at a normal tone, turning to look back at his wife. "And this thing as you called it, is more than two inches deep, thank you very much- not to mention it has cracks... and, uh…crevices. Small things fall into those you know."
Hermione and her mum shared an amused look before Mrs. Granger looked heavenward and shook her head at her husband.
"Uh dad, can you hold these for Harry and me?" Hermione inquired, interrupting the humorous but long conversation between her parents.
Mr. Granger cast one last annoyed look at his wife before turning his attention to his daughter.
"Sure Pumpkin, where are you two headed?" He asked removing the items from her care and placing them into his fanny pack.
"We're going to ride that large slide just over there," she replied pointing to the structure that contained the covered water slides.
"Oh, well be careful you don't wa..." he trailed off as his eyes settled on something.
Giving a confused looked, Hermione turned following her fathers gaze, which lead right to...Harry? Why was her dad staring at Harry like that? Harry seemed to be wondering the same question as he looked around for a moment. Then, realizing that Mr. Granger was in fact staring at him, he gave her an inquiring look his face and posture becoming more uncomfortable by the moment.
"Er, dad..."
Dan Granger's eyes snapped to his daughter and then back to Harry, after flicking between the two of them for a moment he turned to his wife.
"You know honey, that ride looks pretty fun... perhaps I'll join the kids," he offered giving a quick glance back to the muscled teenage boy in front of him.
Hermione suppressed a groan as she and her mum both rolled their eyes at her dad's antics.
"Dan, leave the kids alone." her mum sighed.
"What?" he asked innocently "I'm not doing anything wrong, I just want to try the ride, they don't mind... do you Harry?" Hermione concealed a grin at the panicked look that crossed her best mates face after being put on the spot.
Harry crossed his arms lightly over his chest and offered Mr. Granger a weak smile, before giving her a pleading look. Taking pity on her friend and knowing that she did not want her dad following her around the park all day scrutinizing their every move Hermione spoke up.
"Yes daddy we do mind, or at least I do."
"Wha-"
He was cut of as her mum spoke. "Of course dear, you're right I didn't think about how easy it was to loose things in a fanny pack."
The three of them gave her puzzled looks, "Mum what-"
"So I take back what I said," she continued cutting Hermione off and giving her stern a look. "You are not senile, you're in the prime of your life." She grinned, "How about that?"
"Well...I, er,"
"Isn't that what you wanted Danny," Mrs. Granger cooed looping arms with her husband. "You know that I was just kidding with you anyway, you have one of the best memories out of anyone I know. Not to mention that there is no way someone senile would have your amazing wit." She continued complementing her husband as she slowly led him towards the lagoon, Mr. Granger gave one last desperate look back to the kids as he and his wife rounded the corner.
Hermione turned to look at Harry and after a moment of silence they laughed, heading off towards the slides.
***************************
"Well, what do you want to do now?" Harry asked about four hours later.
"I don't know just something closer to the ground please." Hermione replied looking slightly pale.
After around three and a half hours of pestering her constantly, Harry had finally convinced Hermione to go on the 'Freefall' with him. Well, after getting her to agree to call it a birthday present. The line to the ride wasn't very long since it was a weekday however, climbing the five flights of stairs was not easy. Especially when, for every ten steps they took he had to turn and rush back down five to catch the fleeing Hermione. Finally deciding that the easier course was to just walk behind her, he followed her up the last three flights, gingerly turning her back around every time she tried to retreat and doing his best to stifle his smiles.
Once they had reached the top of the tall platform Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione to keep her from fleeing and to assist her in taking the required steps forward. As their turn neared, he also did his best to ignore how natural it had begun to feel to have her in his arms.
Harry let out an inaudible sigh. He had almost fallen over when Hermione had emerged from the ladies locker room in her swimsuit earlier- and he still wasn't sure why. She was wearing a modest one-piece pink bathing suit that shimmered a bit in the morning sun. Her hair was in a loose ponytail that just brushed her shoulders and a few strands lightly framed her face. Quickly putting on a face of nonchalant amusement he acted as if he didn't notice how the pink color of the suit was dangerously close to her rosy flesh tone, or the way that her flat stomach was hugged by the form fitting material. Not to mention the way that her...she, had, um... filled out. He shook his head.
'Okay, no more thoughts of Hermione filling out.' Harry told himself, returning to the present and giving a huge smile to the brunette next to him.
"Oh, come off it Hermione you enjoyed it," he told her referring to the ride.
"My legs hurt from climbing over two thousand stairs," she replied glaring at him.
"You enjoyed it."
"Not to mention you pushing me all the way up to the stupid slide."
"You enjoyed it."
"I think my bathing suit rode up on me when I hit that bloody bump."
He gave a quick glance at her bum; shook his head and grinned. "You enjoyed it."
"My throat is all sore from screaming my head off on the way down."
"You enjoyed it."
"I probably look all green and disgusting from how sick that thing made me feel."
"You look beautiful and you enjoyed it."
A quick surprised expression crossed her face before she rolled her eyes and a grin settled on her lips.
"And I enjoyed it," Hermione relented with a smaller smile and a slight shake of the head. "But never again, you got that?" she finished poking him roughly in the chest.
Harry gave a smile and a nod, playfully swatting her hand away. "So what do you think about hitting the wave pool?"
She looked over at the large area, it was packed but most of the people were swimming towards the front with only a few being bold enough to venture into the deeper area.
"Yeah, that looks safe enough." she answered with a half smile.
He and Hermione made their way over to the pool area, kicking off their flip-flops next to an empty chair they then preceded into the cool water. Harry laughed as they were splashed by a precocious three year old, who was just learning to swim. Her mum gave an apologetic smile, which they waved off, before giving the giggling toddler a wave as she hopped impatiently in her mothers' arms. Hermione wadded backwards into the blue liquid, her eyes shining as she watched the little girls mother lower her back into the cool water. She suppressed a giggle of her own as the child kicked her tiny legs with all of their might in an attempt to swim on her own.
"I bet you looked just like that when you were learning to swim," Harry commented grinning.
She gave him an amused look, her eyes twinkling "I bet I did."
He gave one last look back to the little girl before looking at the bigger one in front of him.
"So what do you say?"
"To what?"
"Race ya!" He answered, and then quickly disappeared under the sparkling surface swimming towards the back of the large beach pool.
Harry hadn't been sure that she would be willing to play the racing game with him, so he was pleasantly surprised when he looked back and saw Hermione quickly gaining on him. Purposefully slowing down his speed, he made a turn heading towards a near-by sidewall. Silently thanking Merlin and Hermione for the glue and cloth that he used on his glasses, he held onto the wall waiting for her to join him.
"No fair, you cheated." she declared with a frown as she emerged a moment later.
"I didn't cheat, you just lost." he replied with a shrug, barely containing his laughter at her disgruntled expression.
"Oh really?"
"Really."
"Oh really?"
"Really."
Her frown deepened. "Race ya!" and with that she was gone.
Harry blinked for a second surprised by her sudden disappearance before catching on and going after her. Dipping below the cool surface and pushing off using he wall, he quickly gained on her, giving her a cheeky underwater grin as he caught up and swam next to her. He wanted to laugh so badly at the intense scowl that took over her face before she looked forward once again and began to swim faster. Deciding that he had had enough of the game, Harry quickly surpassed her and reached the wall, coming up almost a full thirty seconds before his friend.
"See," he teased with a smirk "you cheated and I still won."
"I did not cheat."
"Of course you did."
"No I didn't."
"You did the same thing I did earlier, did you not?" he inquired quirking a brow.
"Well... yes bu-"
"So if it was cheating when I did it, then it stands to reason that it was cheating when you did it right?"
Silence.
"I thought so."
"Whatever Harry," was her annoyed response "you know if I had ever had to swim under water in freezing temperatures with mermaids chasing me then I would be just as fast has you are."
"Yes you would," he replied with a straight face, when she nodded, he grinned and finished "but you didn't, so you're not."
She shot him a scowl. "I'll have you kno-"
Hermione was cut of as the water moved, looking to his left Harry noticed the swell of a nice sized wave. His grin widened, this looked like it would be fun he thought turning to look at his best mate. However, all thoughts of fun were erased when he saw the frightened expression on Hermione's face as the wave approached. Harry reached out just in time to grab her wrist and keep her from being drug off. Giving a firm tug he pulled her over to him.
"You alright?" he asked his face etched with concern.
"Oh...yeah -just fine..." she replied not watching him but the oncoming wave instead.
Harry smiled a bit as she squished her eyes closed, as though it would stop the impending wave. Turning her, he fashioned himself so that she was pressed between him and the wall of the pool. Hermione's eyes popped open, and he quirked a grin.
"You know, you look kind of like that three year old we saw earlier."
"Oh, that's just poppycock and you know it, I don't even-" she stopped and her legs quickly came around his waist as another wave hit.
Harry braced them against the wall holding on so that they would not be dragged over, as she twined her arms around his neck. Before they could move another wave came, followed by four more in rapid succession. He lifted slightly along with the swell so that their heads would remain above water, wedging her securely against the wall and gripping the edge. Harry felt a surge of protectiveness and compassion as the girl in his arm whimpered during the second wave.
"I think they're slowing down now," he whispered into her ear.
Feeling her tremble in his arms he got the most delicious tingle down his spine. As he tried to repress the confusing feeling, Hermione lifted her head and cocoa colored eyes, framed by long dark lashes met his. Harry suddenly became aware of just how close they were to one another. He could feel her pressed against him more intimately than anyone had ever been. Her long limbs twined around his body and her soft chest pressed against his hard one with only the light flimsy barrier of her swimsuit between them.
Harry reached up, wiping some water drops from her long lashes and wondering about the deepening color of her eyes. They were no longer a light cocoa color but a deep chocolate hue instead -they were also doing amazing things to his senses. Keeping one hand on the wall to hold them up, he gently placed the other on her thigh. Her legs reflectively tightened around him and he bit back a groan closing his eyes briefly only to snap them open a moment later as he became aware that -not only was she affecting him in a...non-platonic sort of way, but that she could probably feel just which way it was. As if she had heard his thoughts Hermione looked down at their closely touching bodies and Harry could have sworn that she pressed herself more tightly against his hardness.
"Uhh... Her-" he cleared his throat "Hermione... maybe we should get out." he said in a rough voice no louder than a whisper.
"Er...yeah, yeah Ha-Harry you're right," she replied her voice no louder than his.
Even after gaining her agreement, Harry found that he was unable to make himself move. She just felt so perfect against him... he had never felt anything like it before. Her warmth seemed to be enveloping him and even though he was in a semi-cool pool he would swear that he was sweating. Hermione also remained unmoving, though he could practically see her mind working and he watched curiously as her eyes flicked down, seemingly to his lips. His heart was in his throat when she bit the corner of her bottom lip like she always did when she was trying to figure something out. It had never affected him before, though he vaguely remembered Ron saying how it drove him mad. Understanding of just why it drove Ron mad finally hit Harry as his eyes unconsciously focused on her mouth, watching hungrily as she nibbled at her lip and wishing that she would allow him to do the same.
"Ahh, pumpkin there you are!" Harry's head popped up and his eyes came in contact with Dan Granger who had come up on the narrow walkway next to the pool. "We thought that it might be you, but we were unsure. Are you alright?" At this question he gave Harry a very sharp look.
"Fine daddy," Hermione muttered quietly, untangling herself from around him. "We were just out here swimming when they started those huge waves."
"Really?" he asked giving a pointed look to how closely they were pressed against one another.
She rolled her eyes "Dad, Harry was just being nice enough to make sure I didn't get pulled off by the waves or drown... that's all," she finished hoarsely.
"That's all?" Mr. Granger pressed, obviously noticing his daughter's lack of conviction.
She glared at her dad "That All," she replied more forcefully.
"There you are Dan, didn't I tell you to leave these poor kids alone?" her mum asked joining them.
"Yes dear, but you also said that we needed to find them and so I have." He gave a nudge in their direction with his head.
Her mum sighed, "Yes, well I guess I did. Are you kids ready to go? I know a great shopping mall around here with this smashing restaurant perfect for your belated birthday dinner. We can see one last film- your choice of course Harry, before you two have to head off tomorrow."
"Yeah sure," He and Hermione said in unison, giving each other a quick glance.
Mr. Granger held out a hand for his daughter to grab but Harry noticed that when it was his time to exit that the hand was conspicuously absent. Easily hefting himself out of the pool he was relieved that, even though it was decidedly uncomfortable to have Dan Granger glaring at him every five seconds, at least he hadn't embarrassed himself. After all nothing kills your libido more than the girl's father glaring at you.
A.N. Well that's it for Chapter 5, looks like we'll be heading to Hogwarts soon... I hope you'll come along for the ride ;-) PLEASE REVIEW!! Thanks and Ja ne!!
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