Harry Potter and The Gilded Portrait - Part Two
Standard Disclaimers Apply - Please see comments at end of chapter…
Chapter Twenty-One - Holiday (Part 2)
The next morning Hermione was up well before Harry. It was partly due to the fact she had always been an early riser and the radical time change had scrambled her internal clock somewhat but what really got her wide awake at 6:15 a.m. local time was when she opened her eyes found herself snuggled up tightly against Harry's chest with his arm thrown over her shoulders.
Her first reaction was to burrow deeper into him and go back to sleep but then reality dumped on her head like a bucket of cold ice water. Much to her relief she managed to extricate herself from his close proximity without waking him.
She wasn't sure why really. She had been ever so comfortable there pressed against him. His warmth and familiar scent was safe and reassuring - like Crookshanks on those blustery winter nights at Hogwarts when she sometimes cried herself to sleep not knowing what fate had in store for them then.
I love him…I love him more than anyone on this earth. So why am I so reluctant to give myself to him that way? Is it fear? Fear if we don't…fit together that way…would I lose him completely? No…surely not. Harry Potter would never be so shallow. You're just being insecure…
As she sat on one of the little bar stools she could see into the bedroom. The only thing she could see of Harry was his haphazard locks sticking up out of the massive comforter on the bed.
Her mind drifted to Viktor and how that craziness had happened. It had been like a flash fire - unplanned, unexpected and completely out of control. She had been a jumble of emotions because of the altercation she had with Ron earlier at the Ball.
Viktor had listened to her lament about the boy she was certain she was coming to fancy…a lot! When Hermione turned to him to bid Viktor goodnight she felt he at least earned a kiss for his patience and thoughtfulness but when their lips met it had been like and explosion of mutual desire and urgent need.
It had been a horrible mistake on her part. She blamed it on her vulnerability but she now knew better. She had known what she was doing and she had hated herself for it. She had not been old enough or mature enough to handle something like that but her curiosity and weakness had gotten the better of her.
But the utter danger and thrill it caused in her was like nothing she had ever felt before. It had been intoxicating. All the things she had heard older girls in her dorm talk about when it came to boys had landed on her and she had tucked it all away in her overly regimented mind.
The thought of getting killed by Death Eaters without ever knowing what physical pleasure was like was unacceptable to her so she simply closed her eyes and jumped…
Impetuosity is the fodder for utter self-destruction!
She told herself after that night, she would never…ever do that again!
She wondered if Harry had ever gone farther with Ginny then she had let on. Ginny had, at times, been rather vocal about some of the things she had gotten up to with Michael Corner and Dean Thomas. She seemed completely unabashed to talk about it but after she and Harry hooked up…not a peep.
As she sat there watching Harry sleep trying to push all her musings about such things out of her head she heard a gentle rapping on the door.
When she opened it a crack, a bellman was standing there with a stainless steel push cart. On it was an urn of coffee and plates piled high with bagels, muffins, crepes, tarts, pastries and all kinds of treats.
Hermione looked at the bellman with eyebrows raised.
"Complements of the Concierge and the Intercontinental Resort Mademoiselle," he bowed, "May I?" He then gestured toward the interior of the room.
"Oh, of course! Thank you," Hermione had to take a moment to get a grip, "Please give Monsieur Henry Bouchard-Gaston Des Fortesque my sincerest thanks. He is such a wonderful host! Thank you very much. Wait just a moment," Hermione dashed back to the bar and found her small change purse. She took out a five pound note and gave it to the bellman. He bowed thanking her profusely as he backed out of the room closing the doors in his wake.
She was marveling over their bounty when she looked up and saw a much rumpled and still very sleepy Harry coming from the room. He was wearing just his pajama bottoms. His hair was a mess and his eyes squinting without his glasses. He stretched, yawned widely and scratched his left butt cheek.
Now that's the real Harry Potter I know and love! But Merlin…isn't it a lovely picture to see him so unpretentious!
"Did I miss something?" He mumbled.
"Yes actually," she replied quite seriously, "The Minister for Magic was just here. He proclaimed all House Elves are now free!" She had no idea where that snark came from.
But Harry was not to be outdone. She might be the cleverest young witch and all but he had been paying attention all those years.
"Lovely," he replied just as serious, "Fetch me when they issue wands to the Goblins then won't you?" He turned right around and went back into the room.
Hermione Granger stood there stunned speechless - which was an accomplishment!
When did Harry bloody Potter get so clever?
She started laughing like mad. A rather impetuous notion overcame her - she dashed after him and attacked him from behind pushing him onto the huge bed with an affected growl. In seconds they were both laughing, rolling around the bed play fighting, Harry quickly turned the tide of her assault and began taunting, teasing and tickling her relentlessly.
Finally, he had her arms pinned to the bed lying on her back crying "Uncle!"
He looked down at her as he hovered above. She was wearing the same small tank and those maddeningly tiny boy shorts she had worn at her parent's house the first night he had stayed.
Her expression was part demure and part impish and wasn't quite certain which he should act on at the moment. He could have stayed right there looking into her beautiful sparkling brown eyes forever.
He wanted to kiss her but also knew he had just got up so he needed to brush his teeth and do his business. He pushed himself up off the bed and moved to the bathroom.
"How long have you been awake? We're on holiday for Merlin's sake. You should sleep in Hermione."
"Not long," she replied. She was a bit disappointed when Harry left the bed. She was certain he was going to kiss her. She wanted it…much more than she realized. Part of her was ready to know Harry that way. She thought she longed for it and it was very much not like her…
But there's time for that. Maybe he's not ready. Don't push this Granger or you'll ruin it!
She thought it could be his lack of experience with such things although it wasn't like she was an expert.
Maybe I'll have to be the one to make the first move…
"Oh…stop it Granger," she whispered to herself becoming irritated, "You're acting like a complete ninny!"
She threw herself off the bed and went to enjoy some of the treats on the cart and get a cup of coffee.
When Harry emerged Hermione had annihilated an apple filled pastry that was to die for and she was well on her way through her second cherry filled delight.
"Save some for me you piglet," Harry chuckled. She had cherry compote on the right side of her mouth. "Good grief, you're gobbling those things like someone might take them from you!"
"I'd very much like to see them try," she laughed.
Harry leaned close pointing to the corner of her mouth where the filling was.
"Seems you missed," he then kissed the side of her mouth licking all the filling off the corner of her lips and cheek, "Not to worry," he whispered in her ear after, "I'll volunteer for clean up." He smiled that ever-familiar roguish smile of his.
Hermione could have died right then and there! To say she found her panties twisted into a knot was a rather accurate assessment of her present situation. She had the sudden but incontestable urge to toss her pastry over her shoulder and proceed to shag the snot out of one Boy-Who-Just-May-Not-Live-Through-It!
But alas, she just took another bite of her sweet pastry and sighed. They sat a while longer enjoying their tasty treats when Harry finally came up for air.
"So what do we want to do today Ms. Granger?" He asked as he swallowed the last bite of a blueberry and cream cheese filled crepe.
"Very glad you asked Mr. Potter," she smiled then made her way to her little beaded bag. She reached in and pulled out a roll of parchment. When she untied it the scroll fell to the floor.
"I've got the entire next two weeks planed right down to meals, rainy day alternatives, even a bathroom schedule if we need it."
Harry just looked at her for a moment then got up and moved to where she was beaming at her usual skill at proper planning with great pride.
"May I see that for a moment?" Harry asked smiling.
"Of course," she handed him the itinerary and pointed to the first lines, "See, I have today planed for…"
But before she could finish he whispered Incendio! Hermione's well thought out and well planned itinerary burst into flames and charred to black ashes in seconds fluttering to the floor like demonic snowflakes.
Her mouth and eyes flew wide with shock. She was about to come completely unhinged when Harry gathered her up in his arms and kissed her for a very long time. When he finally released her she looked as if she had been properly confunded.
She tried to recover her previous indignation but failed miserably. That annoyed her even more than his destroying her itinerary.
"No plans, no schedules," Harry said with a dreamy smile rocking her back and forth gently, "Let's just wing it, shall we?"
"Fine," she replied a bit stiffly, "but you know what usually happens when we just wing it don't you Harry?"
Harry looked at her a bit surprised.
"Well we'll not be chasing after dark wizards this trip love, I promise you that! Might get the notions to try and find a few pirates maybe." He chuckled.
She couldn't help but smile. It was her turn to kiss him back.
"Alright Potter," she relented finally, "We'll do this your way but I'm still plenty miffed at you for torching my itinerary." Her countenance changed suddenly to a pouty little girl. She turned her back to him and crossed her arms, "I had some really good ideas on there I thought you'd really enjoy."
He wrapped his arms around her from behind kissing her softly on the back of her neck making her body physically shudder.
Merlin's ghost! Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?
"I'm sure you did and I appreciate all the thought and hard work you put into your plan but please Hermione, just this once, let's just take things one day at a time and just do what we feel like when we feel like it. You'll love it, I promise."
"I won't," she said pouting more. She had completely resigned herself to accept Harry's idea but she wanted to punish him a bit for what he did so she decided to make him grovel a little.
"Please Hermione," Harry said gently turning her to face him, "Don't be like that. Since when did you start pouting?"
"Since you hurt my feelings," she answered with affected haughtiness looking sadly up into his eyes. She poked her bottom lip out even more. She was pouring it on.
"Ok," Harry sighed, "What can I do to make it up to you?"
Hermione twisted her hands together, one over the other bringing her right shoulder up to her ear like a little girl. She looked at him with a bashful grin batting her eyelashes coyly. She was being completely ridiculous but it was fun.
"Erm," she pointed back over her shoulder, "you can go over to my beaded bag and get the extra copy I made of my itinerary."
"Oh you little…!" Harry growled.
With that she turned and bolted for the bedroom laughing and squealing playfully with Harry right on her heels.
When Harry dove to grab her Hermione side-stepped him at the last second and he went crashing head-long onto the bed laughing his head off. Hermione then proceeded to pounce. It was her turn to tease, torture, terrorize and tickle him into submission. It didn't take long.
He smiled up at her and whispered `Uncle.'
The strange and unexpected changes in Harry's personality had completely disarmed her. She fell forward into his arms and melted into his kiss.
The fire was lit - and his lips and hands were fanning the flames. If she didn't pull back soon there would be no stopping the inferno that would engulf her and there would be no turning back. She knew this but - at the moment Harry was gently kissing the soft flesh just under her left ear - she simply didn't care any more…
The soft sight that escaped her went right to Harry's heart. This girl he had known for so many years was opening a door - a door to possibilities he had never imagined or expected and it was a very heady thing.
He wanted to know more - do more but wasn't quite sure how he should proceed. He had no experience with this kind of thing. His time with Ginny had been about exploring one-another, a bit of petting, soft touches and quiet conversations about things that had little meaning. It was easy and care free with no pressure to do or say something deep and meaningful. They thought they had the future for those things…but now, at that very moment, with Hermione Granger so soft and warm and vulnerable above him he could not see his life any other way.
"I love you Hermione," he whispered in her ear, "I love you more than anything in this world."
For the first time since she was a little girl she was feeling and experiencing the raw and unencumbered emotional responses to this boy she knew so well. All her natural and learned personal defenses came crashing down. All the impenetrable walls she had built around her heart for so many years crumbled into utter ruin as he reached up for her.
With a desperate gasping sob she collapsed on top of him wrapping her arm around his middle and held him tightly. The sudden flames of desire raged inside her like never before.
Want him…Need him NOW!
Those were the only two thoughts in her mind at the moment. She kissed him through her tears trying desperately to control her raging emotions.
"I…I love y…you too Harry," she choked but then her voice became heavy with longing and need. She looked down into his eyes as Harry reached up and wiped the tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs, "And I want you!"
She had said those last words in almost a growl. Hermione wasn't certain she was capable of fully understanding what was happening to her. Her body was reacting to his words and his touch in ways she had never experienced before.
The intense throbbing and wetness was almost embarrassing but she was way too far gone to care.
Harry put his hands gently on Hermione's taught bottom and let his fingers drift ever-so-softly over her curves to slip up under the thin tank top. The pads of his finger glided gently over her warm soft skin.
This gentle sensual contact caused every muscle in Hermione's lower body to contract like a clenched fist. She gushed even more. The sound that escaped her throat was like a strangled cry of pain and she found herself pressing her bottom down harder on Harry. Her building lust was almost beyond her control.
Harry sat up wrapping his arms around her kissing her with his own barely controlled desire. As he searched for her soft warm tongue with his a smell hit his nostrils. It was a scent unlike anything he had ever encountered before and it was affecting him in ways he had never experienced.
He realized at once it was coming from Hermione. He wasn't about to stop what he was doing and analyze but he realized it was reaching deep inside him, scorching his baser instincts. His groin pulsed and throbbed in response.
Hermione could feel him swell, pressing against her now sodden center. While she loved the sensations and feelings he was provoking in her she couldn't take any more of this sensual torture without the top of her head blowing clean off.
She broke off the kiss a bit abruptly and sat back on her haunches gasping for air. She reached over her head with her right hand and mumbled, "Accio wand," in an almost breathless whisper. When her wand zipped into her grasp from the other room she waved it once and what little clothing they had on was gone. With another swish and flick she mumbled a protection charm on herself then quite unceremoniously tossed her wand over her shoulder with teeth clenched.
"I want to make love to you Harry," she growled in a heated whisper, "Please!"
She fell on him then kissing him hard. She shifted just enough to let her hand slide down between their bodies wrapping her slender fingers around his throbbing shaft.
Harry stiffened throwing his head back against the pillows of the bed letting a groan escape his throat.
"Oh…oh, Hermione!"
That was all she could take. She lifted her bottom and leaned forward enough to guide him to her dripping center. With a gasping sigh she slowly lowered herself down onto him letting her body wrap around him with her warm wet channel.
"Great Godric's ghost!" Harry murmured, "That feels…that feels."
When Hermione had settled on him completely a hissing, "Yesss Harry, it does!" escaped her. She let her head loll back with eyes closed tightly. Her mouth fell open in a silent `OH' as he filled her.
After a few moments just enjoying him inside her she began to move. It was nothing more than a gentle rocking at first but it was enough to elicit some very favorable responses from her lover. Harry reached up to cup her breasts in his palms. The contact of his hands sliding gently across her swollen nipples was enough to make her gasp and clench again.
The feeling of her muscles tightening around him made Harry groan loudly.
He liked that! He liked it when I tightened around him!
What Hermione found she liked very much was that she was in control at the moment. With a twitch this way or a movement that way she could give Harry some very intense pleasure with her body. It was very empowering for her.
With this knowledge she began to move a bit faster gliding up and down on his hard shaft. For Hermione she could feel the heat and pressure building inside her and it wouldn't take much more for her to explode in an intense release.
For Harry the change in her movements sent thrilling sensations spreading out from his groin to make his hands and feet tingle. The sensations she was eliciting from his manhood were making his groin muscles clench in the buildup of his own pending release.
Harry sat up and took Hermione's mouth again. It caused her to pause her grinding motions on his hardness for just a moment but this young witch was not to be denied. With clenched teeth she pressed him back down on the bed and resumed her motions with a renewed intensity. She looked him directly in his eyes hovering above him.
"You feel so good," she gasped, "Does it bother you I'm on top?"
"Erm…should it?" Harry gasped. He couldn't quite understand how she could even create a coherent thought at the moment, He could barely breathe, "I just want to make you happy."
His words combined with her intense building need were enough to break even the most introverted and self-protected soul. As she pressed her body down on him as tightly she could feel the first throws of a majorly earth-shattering orgasmic release slamming into her with all the subtlety of a speeding locomotive.
Harry could feel something change within her after that last verbal exchange. He could feel her body grip him even tighter and he was about to lose himself completely in the warm tight wetness of her body…but there was something else happening.
He could feel it out on the periphery of his consciousness. He tried to ignore it and focus on this amazing girl who was about to come completely undone on top of him. He didn't want to miss a second of it.
Hermione gasped out loud as she plunged up and down on him several more times before her entire body clenched this time. She threw her had back with eyes shut tightly and screamed as the full force of her release exploded.
Lights and heat and the sound of what could only be described as a hurricane filled her senses as her channel clenched hard on Harry's shaft. Her body gushed squeezing out of her around Harry's hardness. She could feel him swell and the tip of his shaft expand to fill her even more.
Harry's own body clenched as his hips bucked up to meet Hermione's desperate downward thrust. With a gurgling cry his own intense release hit him and he could feel himself let go. The hot fluid exploded from the tip of his manhood and he was powerless to stop it. His body jerked once, twice, three times, four times as he tried to push himself even deeper inside her warm soft body. He could feel her hot fluid flow down over his groin and it felt so warm and comforting. The smell of her sex was intoxicating him.
Hermione's release seemed to go on and on buffeting her in the intense sensations. It was like nothing she had ever experienced or could have ever been prepared for. It was all at once debilitating but at the same time so completely fulfilling. She knew at once she could learn to like this very much!
After the last clenching release subsided she collapsed boneless on top of Harry's heaving body beneath her. They were both bathed in an intensely heated sweat. Harry was sticky with her fluid and she could feel his oozing out of her as she lay on top of him with his slowly softening shaft still inside her. Harry, still gasping for breath, encircled Hermione's body in a loving and gentle embrace.
What he had seen as he watched this girl come completely undone would never leave him. She had taken what she wanted and he let her willingly. He knew in his heart he would do it again if that's what she wanted. He began to realize as she lay atop him panting and trembling and weak from her release this was what true love was all about. The giving of one's self whatever the other needed without hesitations or reservations and the trust required allowing it to happen. It was the knowledge the girl he was holding in his arms would never leave him…not ever. They may be separated by space and time but their hearts would never come apart. It was enough to make his own tears fall but as he looked around them trying to reign in his emotions what he saw was enough to stem his sentimentality instantly.
"Erm…Hermione," Harry whispered.
It took a great physical effort for her to raise her head from his chest. The look on her face was of a rather sleepy befuddled happiness.
"Oh Harry," she whispered in a very raspy voice full of drowsy contentment, "That was so…"
But the look on Harry's face cut off her praises and her gaze followed his. What she saw made her sit up with a jolt and a slight squeak of complete shock.
The room was a complete mess. Wallpaper had curled up from the baseboards and was scorched black along the edges. Pictures and paintings were all haphazardly hanging and some looked as if they had been burnt. Several vases of satin flowers were smoldering with thin trials of smoke drifting up from what was left of the stems. Plastic had melted and fabric scorched. A large door length mirror that hung on the back of the bathroom door was warped and looked like something one might find in a carnival fun house. Furniture had been moved and light bulbs had popped.
"Oh…oh my!" Hermione exclaimed, "Harry! Did we…?"
"I suppose it had to be…" He replied as he gently shifted Hermione's flushed and sweaty body off his and stood up to survey the carnage. He could only scratch his head with a look of utter bewilderment on his face.
As Hermione sat in stunned silence taking in the utter destruction of their room she started laughing. It started as a quiet chuckle as she put her hand over her mouth but quickly became a full-blown belly laugh. She fell back on the bed gasping for air as the comic tragedy of it all overcame her.
Harry looked at her as if she had come unhinged.
"I'm not sure I see the humor Hermione?"
Hermione forced herself into control. She rolled to her side peering up at him with a devious looking little smirk. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander all over her lovely naked form. Her skin still glistened with sweat and her hair was a mess but she had never looked so completely unfettered and lovely.
"Oh Harry," she chuckled waving a hand nonchalantly at the room, "This can all be fixed easily enough. You know what this means don't you?"
"I've no idea," He replied, hands on hips looking around the room astonished.
Hermione slowly and with as much seductress as she could manage slipped off the bed and came to stand in front of him. She slipped her arms around him pressing her still over-heated body against his. She leaned her head on his shoulder and pulled his head down to her kissing him with all the passion she possessed. When she let him come up for air she smiled.
"It means when we are together and so intensely focused on one-another our magic apparently likes to wander. We're going to have to be careful. That was just the first time. I can't imagine what might happen if we really let go!"
Harry's eyebrows all but disappeared.
"Is this supposed to happen?"
"I don't…think so," Hermione replied, she really wasn't certain, "but what it tells me," she looked up at him with a blazing look of pure affection and love, "is that you and I are meant to be together Harry. I felt it. Didn't you?"
Harry searched himself for a moment. What he felt for this girl could not be put into words to do it justice. It was simply indefinable at present but he was certain of one thing…
"Yes Hermione," he grinned, "I felt something happening around us but I just tried to ignore it. I didn't want to take my eyes off you."
"Potter," she smirked, taking his hand and leading him toward the bathroom, "you and I together are a menace and quite possibly dangerous," she giggled, "and I think it's lovely!"
After quick showers and the subsequent repair of the room, which turned out to be a bit more difficult than first anticipated, they decided to spend the rest of the day sunning on the beach.
As Hermione came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel she spied Harry sitting on the corner of the bed holding a bag from the B.H.S. they shopped at before they left. She gave him a quizzical look because his expression was that of the cat who had just eaten the canary.
"What's that you've got there?" She asked fluffing out her wet hair.
Harry patted the bed next to him and Hermione moved to sit in the spot he indicated without protest.
"I got you something while we were shopping," He replied smiling. He reached in the bag and pulled out a thin flat box wrapped in bright blue foil paper. It had a white ribbon wrapping its length and width.
Hermione looked at him a bit bewildered.
"Harry, I was with you practically the whole time. When did you get this?" She took the present from his hand and laid it gently on her lap still looking at Harry's slightly pink features with surprise.
"Consider it a thank you present for helping me get clothes that make me look human," he smirked, "If I had to do that on my own there's no telling what I would have come back with. I would have probably ended up looking a lot like Mundugus Fletcher!"
She laughed out loud shaking her head, "I doubt it Harry! You're not that thick," she paused gazing down at the box, "You know you really shouldn't have…but thank you and I love you for being so thoughtful." She bonked her forehead against his shoulder playfully.
She sat there for a moment, her fingers lightly tracing over the shiny foil paper.
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Well, open it silly?"
"Ok…ok," Hermione huffed, "Can't a girl make the moment last a bit? Sheesh!"
With a grin she tore open the wrapping and slipped the lid off the box. When she parted the tissue wrapping the gift on the inside her eyes went wide and her mouth fell completely open.
Inside was the very same incredibly sexy golden swimsuit she had tried on that day.
"Oh…oh Potter," she chastised, "Now I know you shouldn't have! Harry this…this…"
"Shut it you," Harry groused, "I got this for you because I love you and I know you loved it, you git…and besides…," he paused practically glaring at her.
"Besides what," She asked folding her arms returning his glare.
She thought his gesture, while sweet and lovely, a bit frivolous and extravagant. She wasn't sure why but the thought of him spending so much money on such a thing grated on her frugal sensibilities.
"I get to see you wear it and quite frankly, I can't wait!" Harry's face broke out in an almost manic grin. He wiggled his eyebrows while holding his tongue between his teeth.
Hermione burst out in a fit of laughter and wrapped him in a bone crushing hug around the middle.
"I should brain you," she quipped, "but all I really want to do is shag you senseless again!"
"Oh…darn!" Harry sighed looking properly surprised then his expression changed to affected sorrow, "The things I must endure in the pursuit of happiness."
"Oh, you cheeky little snot!" Hermione growled.
After rolling around the bed again in a tangle of arms, legs and a bit of heavy petting they both agreed if they didn't stop they would never make it outside the room…for most of their holiday…so Hermione clamped down on her suddenly raging hormones, for which she completely blamed Harry, and wandered off to make ready for a day down on the sand and surf.
Harry had already dressed in his new stylish swim trunks and was gathering up what Hermione had indicated they would take with them. He was holding said items when Hermione finally exited the bathroom adorned in her new barely there swim tog. She had done her long hair into a French braid again.
So…all the items Harry was holding ended up on the floor as he couldn't help but gawk stupidly at the incredibly gorgeous and sexy young witch before him.
Seeing his incredulous look Hermione rolled her eyes, hands on hips.
"Harry, we just made love and I was completely naked for Merlin's sake!"
Harry's response was to babble something totally incoherent and begin to drool like Grawp.
"Merlin and Morgana, Hermione!"
"Oh stop Harry," she grumbled, "I'm not all that attractive. At least not like most of the other girls you know." She then moved to the dresser and slipped a tee shirt over her head and began to gather up some of the things Harry had dropped.
"Are - you - MAD!" Harry stammered.
"Come on lover boy," she said grabbing his hand and towing her partially confunded best friend toward the door, "We'll miss the best sun if we don't get a move on. I want to start on a good base tan. I want to look like a native before I leave this place."
After they made their way down to the sand Hermione decided to settle into one of the loungers provided by the resort but Harry wanted to lie on the sand so he spread his towel down next to her chair.
After Hermione had situated all her beach-going necessities, (towel, sun tan oil, book, sun glasses, sun visor and a bottle of spring water) she then crossed her arms and pulled off her tee shirt stretching her arms over her head. The next moment had her oiling her lithe body with suntan oil.
All male heads turn in her direction and all conversation, activity, heartbeats and breathing come to an abrupt stop.
Harry looked around and as he saw every bloke on the beach gawk at Hermione he watched, open mouthed, as a rather strange and comical sequence of events occurred behind them…
A man carrying a rather large cooler full of beer and ice (while gawking at a very sexy young woman's completely exposed bum) tripped over the guy line of a small tent erected by a young family to protect their sleeping young child from the sun.
Cooler full of beer and ice tips and splashes an older woman soaking her with ice cold water. She flies out of her chair screaming and lands on grandson's wind surf board.
Grandson, sitting on end of surfboard goes flying forward and dives into a very intricate looking sand castle being constructed with tender loving care by a father and his young daughter.
Father building sand castle rears back away from flying boy slinging a small shovel full of sand behind him and falling back sits on a bucket full of water.
Sand from father's shovel is flung into man's eyes standing watching father and daughter building castle. He lunges back tripping over tie line holding a small sail boat on shore and tears line from its mooring.
Wind takes small sailboat off shore in the path of speeding personal watercraft. Watercraft slices through small sailboat sinking it to the bottom of the shallow bay.
Young man riding watercraft is thrown off into a young man riding another windsurfer. They both go tumbling into the water.
Wind surf board goes flying into the side of a ski boat and punches a hole in the side of same and sends it to the bottom of the shallow bay.
Skier being towed by the sinking boat skips off the back of the boat, flies through the air and crashes into a small Orange Julius stand on the beach.
Wheel from Orange Julius stand rolls into the Lifeguard's stand. The Lifeguard's stand is knocked over making quite a few people scramble to safety.
Umbrella from Lifeguard stand flies off and the point pokes the same man with cooler full of beer and ice in the bottom. He screams throwing what was left of the beer and ice all over the people around him on the beach.
Harry and Hermione stood there gaping unbelievably at what had taken place. When all the carnage settled all the men were still gawking at her.
Hermione folded her arms tightly under her barely covered breasts and huffed.
"Oh for Merlin's sake," she groused, "How utterly ridiculous!" With that she plopped down in her lounger arms still folded tightly. She reached behind her and flipped her towel over her head.
Harry laughed and slowly pulled her towel off.
"I'd say you got everyone's attention," he chuckled as he settled himself on his towel on the sand.
"Humph," she huffed scowling.
"Hermione," Harry said sitting up and leaning against her lounger, "I told you, you are a very lovely girl. I can't believe I never realized just how lovely but," he shrugged, "I'm just thankful it's me you chose to be with," then he leaned closer to her whispering, "I'm having a hard time believing it all."
Hermione didn't seem mollified in the least but the memory of earlier caused her to blush profusely.
"You'd think these blokes had never seen a woman in a bikini before!" She grumbled, "It's preposterous!"
"I'd say very few on them have ever seen one as amazing…"
"Oh enough Harry!" She growled loudly, "I'm not that attractive!"
Harry held his hand out gesturing to the continuing reparations to the carnage around them.
"Your Honor, I present to you for examination as evidence…exhibit A!" He chuckled.
Hermione found herself in a bit of a huff long after the destruction had been cleared away and life went back to normal on the beach around them, all but the owner of the ski boat. It took hours to get the thing pulled out of the shallow bay area.
They spent the rest of the day sunning, swimming and, as Harry had called it, being horribly lazy.
Hermione refrained from going in the water. She was almost afraid to get up from her lounger but when nature called she slipped her tee-shirt back before going to the loo.
Even wearing an over-sized shirt the men (and even a few women) seemed to watch her every move.
By the late afternoon Hermione informed Harry he was getting a bit pink even though she had continually applied her sun lotion to him on a regular basis. They decided to call it a day.
After a pleasant dinner they decided to go for another late night stroll on the beach.
"So what do you want to do tomorrow," Hermione asked, "I had planned on introducing you to some very fun aquatic sports I thought you'd really enjoy but we can stick to your plan of pure randomness if you prefer."
Harry stopped and gazed into her eyes seriously for a moment.
"Look, I'm sorry about the whole list thing but I just thought it would be a bit more relaxing if we just did whatever but I see now I should rely on your experience. So what are these aquatic sports you speak of?"
"Well," she resumed walking towing him along, "There's snorkeling. We can swim a bit farther off shore and look for seashells and things. Then I wanted to take you scuba diving at least once while we were here…"
"Scuba diving?" Harry looked at her puzzled but then grinned, "Wait, I know what that is. I've seen it on the telly."
"It's great fun Harry. You can actually stay underwater for an hour or so. It's wonderful to dive off coral reefs and such. The ocean floor is full of life and color. It's wonderful!"
"And you've done Scuba diving before I suppose?"
"Yes, a few times but mostly when we went to France. I got my certificate for shallow diving when I was 15. So…you think you'd like to try it?"
"Absolutely!" Harry grinned, "The program I saw had these blokes who went all over the world swimming with all kinds of sea creatures and such. Looked like great fun."
"Well," Hermione smiled a bit sadly, "What we'll be doing won't be quite that spectacular but I'm sure there's plenty to see out there," her arm swept out over the shallow bay, "You'll be required to take a short diving class through the resort before we can go out but it's really necessary and important for you to know at least the basics. I can show you some things but I'm not a qualified diving instructor."
"That sounds brilliant Hermione," Harry beamed, "Let's do it!"
"Ok," she responded by gathering him up in her arms and kissing him passionately, "what say we snorkel a bit tomorrow then we'll get you into the next diving class so we can go out at the end of the week, sounds rather romantic actually."
The look on her face made Harry's heart beat like a bass drum in his chest as they stood there on the sand, the sound of the gentle surf and Tahiti night life surrounding them with a rather strange sense of peace.
It wasn't something either of them had felt since entering the wizard world when they were eleven. It was so wonderful to think about even the most mundane things instead of worrying if the next day would bring the possibility of death or utter destruction to their world.
Once back in their room they seemed a bit reluctant to lose themselves in one-another again so soon. The desire was still there but for Hermione, she tried to convince herself that too much of a good thing tends to make you take it for granted and she never wanted that to happen between her and Harry.
For Harry, he didn't want to become pushy or demanding when it came to making love with Hermione. It was all still very new to him so he resigned himself to allow her to decide when. He was also a bit intimidated by what had happened to the room around them and wasn't sure he was ready to deal with all that again just yet. He wanted her, there was no doubt about that but the thought of burning down the bloody resort hotel scared him a bit.
The next day found the skies a bit overcast with some high thin clouds so Hermione said it was a good time to go snorkeling. The lack of direct sun would serve not to cook them too badly although she made it very clear one could still get a nasty burn even on a cloudy day.
So they donned their swim togs and headed for the surf with their swim fins, masks and snorkels. Harry instantly noticed Hermione had opted for a more conservative one-piece suit covered by a white tight-fitting short-sleeved body shirt. He couldn't help but laugh.
She was still a bit aggravated by what had happened the day before and commented the lack of swimsuit allowed her to get sun in places she wasn't quite accustomed to.
Taking an hour or so to practice in the swimming pool Hermione explained it was a bit different in the ocean because of the waves and the constant movement of the tide but it gave Harry a chance to fit his mask and work the snorkel.
When she thought him ready off they went. They paddled around the shallows of the bay until Harry wanted to go a bit farther out to deeper water so they could find some shells and see some things.
A bit farther out they encountered crabs and all kinds of shells. The plant life was a bit sparse but they still got a good glimpse of some sea grass and small patches of kelp and seaweed.
Hermione found a good sized Hermit crab and placed it in Harry's hand. It scuttled about for a few moments until it crawled off the edge of his palm and plopped back into the surf. They found a few sand dollars and a beautiful conch shell Hermione declared was a must keep.
They spent quite a few hours out in the bay when Hermione finally begged Harry to head back. She couldn't help but laugh. He was like a little kid, everything being so amazing and wondrous.
That evening found them wandering downtown checking out the local scene. They didn't go into many places but simply wanted to check things out.
The easy pace of the island permeated both of them and Hermione began to admit to herself the idea of just `winging it' had its merits.
A.N. July 19th 2011
Yesterday I witnessed what I consider to be the culmination of one of the greatest and most prolific literary achievements of our modern age - and I must report my feelings were greatly mixed at the conclusion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.
I, like so very many others who have been pulled into this world created by nothing more than a unique and talented mind, find myself a bit…let down by those who chose to shoulder the task of transforming this captivating tale into a visual artistry.
I have learned there are two distinct `schools-of-thought' on the process of adapting the written word to film. First is a visual representation - the process of lifting scenes and images from the pages of a story and bringing them to life through the talents of well selected physical performances and the monumental technical challenge of creative videography.
The second is what - in my opinion - could be considered a visual interpretation of the written word adapted to film using the very same means as the first, however, the end result being quite different, in many respects, from the original source.
Both methods could be construed as being an acceptable means of adaptation but when a story has already been told and generally accepted by those who view that particular creation in a dogmatic context it can often be considered rather degrading or detrimental to find what could be considered by many to be egregious changes in the intrinsic details of a particular tale.
I find myself in that particular place when it comes to almost all the Harry Potter films. While, by themselves, they are very amazing and incredible visual creations that captivated millions of us the world over, allowing us a glimpse into this world we have all found ourselves fascinated by but if one finds themselves expecting these same films to remain within the confines of the original work one also finds one's self greatly disappointed as a result.
As an author as well as a fan I have discovered I'm not certain I can subscribe to the art of `visual interpretation' and feel there are some things that simply should not be improved upon or altered to fit within the confines of someone-else's perceptions.
As for these characters I've come to love over the years - The bungling but courageous Harry Potter, the affable and gregarious Ronald Weasley and our ever-illuminated and effervescent Hermione Granger (as well as the real people who brought them to life for us on screen) - I will miss them but as it is with the written word, they will still be here with us long after the films have faded into obscurity and the true spirit of the story will remain for generations to come…just as it should be.
Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for giving us this amazing and wondrous tale - for allowing us to lose ourselves in a world so vastly different from our own…so full of endless possibilities…and dreams…
In the words of one ginger-haired Weasley who couldn't seem to cast a spell to save his own life and had a rather annoying smudge on the side of his nose…it has all been most…
Wicked!
DWK…
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