Chapter 10
Since it was a beautiful morning, Ron and Hermione decided to forgo the parlor room and sit outside by the pool. They pulled two of the many cushioned chairs over to the edge of the veranda, and sat facing the sea.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hermione asked as she took it all in. "Peaceful."
Ron nodded. "Yes. I can see why Harry bought this place. Merlin knows he deserves a bit of peacefulness after what he's been through."
"This is what he fought for, what we all fought for-for moments like these. So every one could enjoy moments likes these."
"I never really thought about it like that," he murmured as he kept his gaze out on the water. He had yet to find the courage to look at her. Why was that? This was his…well, what was she exactly? Friend? Girlfriend? "But you're right…you're exactly right."
Hermione, who had also kept her eyes out on the sea, finally looked over at him. "Do I need to apologize, Ron? For leaving in the middle of the night?"
He looked over at her then, noticing the worry weighing heavily in her eyes. "You did enough of that in your first owl you sent."
"It doesn't seem enough. I hurt you."
"Yes, you did," he said firmly, but not harshly. "You both did, but I got over it and, eventually, understood why you both did what you did."
"Going to my parents…I knew it was something I had to do alone and at the time, I though it best that I left in the middle of the night because I know you'd want to go with me. Be with me for support."
"You're right, I would have," he said shifting his body more towards her. "But I would have understood, again-eventually, if you told me upfront you needed to do this by yourself."
"I know, Ron, I know. It was cowardly of me to sneak out like that-I didn't want to see the hurt in your eyes when I told you I was leaving. I couldn't bear it."
Ron sighed, running his fingers restlessly through his mop of ginger. "Look, I could sit here and hold a grudge against you and tell you what you did was unfair and hurtful, but to be honest, I'd probably have done the same thing if the roles were reverse. Bloody hell, are you crying? Jeez, don't do that…I'll get all out of sorts."
"I'm sorry," she said as she sniffled back her tears. "I can't help it…you're my…you…you mean so much to me, Ron, and I hate hurting you."
"It's okay," he said, awkwardly patting her arm. "It's over now and we're…we're together now. Please, stop crying…I can't stand it."
She took in a few shaky breaths to calm herself as she shed the last of her tears. "I was so afraid that I messed everything up…that I ruined our friendship."
"You didn't…couldn't." He gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Hermione, look at me…there, that's it." He smiled softly, hoping to get one out of her as well, and his smile bloomed when her lips curved up into a wobbly grin. "Look, I don't know exactly the status of our relationship, Hermione, and right now that's not important. What is important is that, I do love you…you're a definite must in my life, whether you're my girlfriend or just my best friend."
"Oh Ronald," she said as she jumped up and flew her arms around him.
Ron grunted slightly at the impact when she all but tackled him back in his chair. "I forgot how dangerous your hugs could be."
She laughed as she leaned back placing her hands on his shoulders. "I love you, too, Ronald."
He grinned. "So we're good?"
She leaned down and gave him a quick, friendly peck on the lips. "Better."
The kiss warmed his heart and settled his nerves. For the first time since he's been here, he finally felt things were on the way back to normal. "Why don't we go up and throw our suits on…start this vacation of with a bang."
"Sounds like a plan," she said and got up from her chair and offered her hands.
He grabbed them and pulled up on to his feet as they shared one last hug. "Or," Ron said after awhile and plucked her off her feet. "We can start the vacation right now."
"What?" She blinked as he started to carry her. "Ron, what are you…no, don't!" She shrieked and kicked as Ron took her to the edge of the pool. "Don't you dare, Ron!
"Let's do a count down," he laughed as he started to swing her towards the water. "Ooone…"
"Ron, I mean it!" she warned even though she was laughing.
"Twoooo…"
"I swear I'll kill you…cut off your limbs."
"That's a little dark."
"It's the truth is what it is…I'll cut them off and…"
"Three!"
Hermione screamed as she felt herself start to fly and then her cries were abruptly cut off when she hit the water. She came up sputtering curses while Ron was bent over at the waist, laughing hysterically. He then took a flying leap himself and landed inches from Hermione.
High above on his terrace, Harry watched his best friends splash and play in the water. An uneasy feeling swirled inside him as he continued to watch with a slight frown on his face. Why was that? Shouldn't he be happy they found their way back to each other again? Didn't he want his two friends to be happy?
He hadn't meant to spy on them really-he had just stepped out for fresh air. He didn't know they'd be sitting out by the pool, he assumed they were inside in the parlor room. He couldn't hear what they were saying, although every once in awhile the wind would carry their voice up to him but all he heard was muffled murmurs.
So he studied their body language, watched as he saw Hermione start to weep and Ron awkwardly trying to comfort her. He felt something twitch painfully at his heart when Ron had lifted a hand to caress her hair and it only worsened when she threw herself in his arms.
And when he saw Hermione bent down for a kiss, he knew that what he felt was jealousy. He was jealous that they were able to work things out so smoothly…so quickly. He was jealous that they would now have someone to touch, kiss, love…while he didn't. He was jealous that he wasn't able to slip back into that comfortable and easy relationship he had with Ginny.
He was jealous now, that they were together in the water, flirting and splashing with each other, while he was up here alone and miserable. And, Merlin, could he be more pathetic? He cursed himself for being a selfish idiot as he turned his back on them and walked inside.
He needed to get over it, he thought as he stalked to his closet and grabbed one of his swimming trunks at random. He needed to start to face the facts that his two best friends were going to be together, whether he liked it or not.
He angrily started to strip, whipping off his shirt and tossed it carelessly aside before tugging his jeans over his hip and kicked them off. It had always unnerved him…the thought of Ron and Hermione together. Ever since he first noticed a change between them as they grew out of their childhood innocence and into the awful and awkward teenage stage.
He had always been supportive, always said the right things whenever Ron had asked about her. And that night after Ron had destroyed the Horcrux, after they both watched a dark and twisted version of him and Hermione snogging the hell out of each other, he said all the right things to calm him. She was upset when you left, I love her like a sister, I promise I don't feel that way about her...and neither does she. Whether that was true or not on her part, he didn't know, but it was what Ron had needed to hear.
It wasn't until after the war when he started to get agitated seeing them together. When he had witnessed their first kiss he had been too focused on the fact that they were in the middle of the war. Afterwards, when everything started to die down, things had started to change. Maybe it was just because he wasn't a big fan of PDA, but he always felt the need to leave the room when Ron had shown any sort of affection towards her. It was, he admitted, one of the reasons why he fled. He was jealous that they had a connection-a strong connection-that he couldn't be a part of.
"And that's stupid," he said aloud as he yanked on his green and white swim trunks. He needed to get over it and he needed to realize that even if they were together, they were still his friends. He wasn't going to lose him, which had been his greatest fear. They weren't going to shut him out…he wouldn't let them. So, he'd be happy for them, supportive, because it was their happiness that meant most to him.
And maybe, just maybe, he'd find his own happiness someday. Whether it was with Ginny, he wasn't sure, but he wouldn't worry about it. He was just going to enjoy these next two weeks with his friends-and one ex-enemy-and then get on with his merry life.
He just needed a few moments to calm himself before he went down to the pool. It was that stupid talk with Draco that probably started it all in the first place, so he just needed a few minutes to collect himself. The last thing he wanted was to take a swipe at someone or-
He scowled at the knock at his door. "Great," he muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair, and then took a steady breath as he walked over still dressed only in his swim trunks. He opened to door to find a very wet and drenched Hermione standing in front of him, smiling from ear to ear.
"Hi!"
"Hi," he answered back, and then lifted a brow when she started to squirm. "Do you need to pee or something?"
A laugh bubbled out of her before she launched herself in his arms. "I'm sorry, I know I'm wet, but…I'm just so happy."
Harry closed his eyes. Here we go, he thought as he slowly snaked is arms around her. "Yes, I can see that…feel that. You're practically shaking."
"Partly because I'm cold," she said, as she held tighter and snuggled into his warmth. "But mostly because I'm about to combust."
Harry chuckled as he ran a hand down her wet tangled hair. "I'll get you a towel."
"Wouldn't say no to it," she said as she reluctantly pulled away and immediately started to shiver. "Ron threw me in the pool…that's why I'm all wet."
"Yeah, I know," he said as he returned with a towel and then threw it around her shoulders and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "I saw from my terrace."
Hermione lifted a brow as he continued to warm her with his hands. "Spying on us, Harry?"
His hands stilled. "No," he said as he tugged the towel more securely on his shoulders before letting go. "I went out for some air and saw you two sitting on the chairs. I thought you were in the parlor room."
"We were going to, but it was too beautiful of a day to be inside." She watched him walk over to his chest of drawers and pull out a white shirt. She sighed as she watched him, with some regret, pull the shirt over his bare and-thanks to her-slightly damp chest. It would be a sorry woman who didn't enjoy the view-best friend or not. "Did you hear any of it? Our conversation?"
"No," he said sitting on the steps that led to his bed and gestured for her to join him. "I was too far away."
She sat next to him, shoulder to shoulder, and when she trembled slightly against him, he immediately put an arm around her. She smiled as she happily leaned into him and was instantly comforted by his warmth once more. "We had a good talk-I was so afraid that our friendship would be ruined because of what I did."
"It couldn't. And you didn't do anything wrong, Hermione."
"We shouldn't have left in the middle of the night, Harry."
"Maybe, but we can't change it now. But I'm glad you and Ron are back together."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," she said nonchalantly as she rested her head on his shoulder since it was there. His shoulder was always there for her. "But we're definitely back to being friends…the best of friends."
Something inside his belly began to loosen. "What?" He tilted his head down to look at her. "You didn't get back together with him?"
"Well, of course not," she said lifting her head to look at him more clearly. "We've been apart for a year…it would seem silly to just jump into it like that."
"Why? You love Ron."
"Of course I do…very much, but I can't be sure if it's the kind of love he deserves…and neither can he. After our water fight, we had a quick talk and decided that staying friends, for right now any way, seemed like the best thing to do. I've changed, Ron's changed…we both are just going to take the next two weeks one day at a time and see what happens."
"That makes sense," he said as he couldn't help but sigh in relief. "That's what Ginny and I decided to do, but-"
"But what?" she asked when he hesitated.
"Nothing," he said waving it off and removed his arm and stood up. "Why don't you go change? I'll meet you out by the pool."
Hermione immediately followed him to the door, stopping him before he could open it for her. "Wait, what were you going to say?"
"It's nothing."
"It's not nothing," she said shaking her head. "Come on, tell me."
Harry sighed. "You kissed him."
Hermione blinked. "What?"
"I saw you kiss him," he said again as he shoved his hands in his swim trunks. "I guess that's why I was surprised to find out you're staying friends."
"Oh…that?" She waved it off with a laugh. "That was harmless…a friendly kiss between friends."
"A friendly kiss is usually a peck on the cheek…not the lips."
"Don't be silly, Harry, of course you can have a friendly kiss on the lips."
"Is that so?"
"That's perfectly so."
"All right then-give it to me."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Lay one on me." He tapped a finger on his lips. "Right here. Give your old pal a kiss, Hermy."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop," she said with exasperation. "I'm not going to kiss you."
"Oh, I see…you'll give Ron a kiss, but not me?"
"You're being ridiculous," she said as she tried to open the door, but only sighed when Harry leaned against it. "Harry."
He just gave her a slow grin. "Guess I was right…no such thing as a friendly kiss on the lips, if so, you wouldn't be making such a big deal about it." He then gave a little shrug and pushed off the door, only to be slammed back by Hermione's forceful hand.
"Fine," she said through clenched teeth as she forced out a smile. "I'll show you exactly what I'm talking about."
"Okay," he said dropping his hands to his side. "Go for it."
Exactly like she kissed Ron, she thought as she leaned up on her toes and placed her hands on his shoulders. Not too close, she warned herself but couldn't seem to stop the front of her body grazing his. As she tilted her lips to his, she reminded herself to keep the kiss quick, closed mouthed and harmless. Yet, when their lips touched, they lingered-just for a moment-just for a second, or two, but long enough for their lips to absorb and meld together-long enough to make her insides quake.
When she pulled away, she didn't snap her head back quickly and grin up at him like she did Ron. Instead, she parted their lips slowly and barely moved an inch away from him. His hands were on her hips…when did he put him there?-and their mouths were still close, so close in fact, that she could feel his warm breath fanning her lips.
"See?" Her voice was soft and raspy so she cleared her throat. "Harmless."
"Right," he managed to say as he gripped her hips to tug her away, but couldn't seem to move. "You sure showed me."
Oh, Merlin…did his eyes just flicker to her lips? No, surely not. "Well, I-I better go now-and change."
"Sure. Okay." He dropped his hands from her hips while she carefully stepped back. "I guess…I'll see you down there."
She gave him her best, confident, smile. "Okay." She turned to the door, only to jolt back when she realized the door was still closed. "Oops." A high pitch, nervous laugh stumbled out of her. "Probably best to open the door first."
"Wouldn't hurt," he said, fighting back a grin as he opened it for her himself. "There you go."
"Thanks," she murmured, and then quickly fled out. "See you."
Harry slowly closed the door, but didn't move as he stood there staring at his hand holding the knob. "Well, shit," he finally muttered to himself. "This can't be good."
And on the other side of the door, Hermione had taken two steps down the hallway before finally leaning weakly against the wall. "Oh, boy." She sighed as she lightly tapped her head back and closed her eyes. "Ooooh, boy."
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