You're My Destiny↣ Harmione

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18 - Number Four

Sitting in the back of the Range Rover, Harry nervously clutched Hermione's hand. Spectacular was the only word he had to describe their summer so far but, as Dan drove them to Little Whinging, Harry was hoping for nothing more than normal for the next ten days. The problem though being he was the only person who understood what his version of normal was.

A tanned Hermione kissed him on the cheek before snuggling into his side. She was his rock, and the only reason he had any hope they could pull the next ten days off.

Both Granger ladies had instantly fell in love with Black Island, it would be hard not to. The main house was based on something like an old plantation mansion, a dozen white columns and multiple artistically wrought iron enclosed verandas ostentatiously proclaiming to all who laid eyes on the building that the people who lived within its walls were important. The mansion apparently came included as part and parcel of the island when the Blacks acquired it, since Sirius claimed his family would never build something so white and light. It sat proudly on top of a slight rise, though it was only around a four hundred yard walk to the beautiful beach that was clearly visible from every room at the front of the house.

Dan had quietly whispered to Harry that, as Plan B's go, this was a bloody beauty.

While knowing nothing about any Plan B, it was another beauty who seemed to catch Neville's eye. Hannah Abbot was a lovely girl, Neville would certainly agree with that. Harry and Hermione were busy watching another couple though, Sirius and Amelia. They had taken a stroll along the beach her first night there and the stars weren't the only things twinkling, Sirius' eyes gradually lost the look of a man who'd spent the last decade in Azkaban. Hermione confided in Harry that she'd never seen Sirius happier.

When Amelia, Susan and Hannah left, the atmosphere on Black Island dipped for a few days. With Parvati due to arrive, Neville was beginning to wonder if he'd made a mistake inviting her. They all though received a very pleasant surprise. Parvati away from Hogwarts, or should that be away from Lavender, was like a different girl. Padma too seemed to be a calming influence on her twin sister.

The results of this was the five youngsters spent a brilliant week together, with Neville and Parvati certainly growing closer over the course of those blissful seven days.

The couple's tearful parting at the end of their week together saw Hermione doing something she never thought she would, inviting Parvati and Padma to spend a day with them in Crawley. Since Neville had already invited the sisters to Longbottom Manor, it looked like they would be seeing a lot of the Patil sisters this summer. On examining their feelings, both Harry and Hermione were rather surprised to discover they were looking forward to it.

While Augusta and Sirius had spent a couple of their evenings bombarding Harry and Hermione with information on the Potters, and their place in wizarding society, it was taking the Longbottoms on their first trip into Crawley that really highlighted the cultural gulf they were trying to bridge.

The Grangers and Longbottoms effectively became each other's test subjects as lesson plans began to take shape for September. It was the simple things that astonished the other they felt simply had to be covered, tailoring what they hoped to achieve to that yardstick.

After having already visited Crawley town centre a couple of times leading up to his girlfriend's visit, Neville really enjoyed acting as a guide to the twins. Hermione was left smiling as Neville was confidently explaining a few things he'd known absolutely nothing about a few days ago to the Patils. Hermione also noticed a few people their age giving their group funny looks, though those looks were mainly in her direction. She knew these other kids of course, having grown up with them. That was the difference however, since Hermione had really grown up.