Soaked in the Sea of Envy

Ch. 1 The Big Surprise

Morning rose and Hermione awoke by the chirping of the birds perched outside her window. While stretching out her arms to shake away Sleep, she glanced over at her bedside calendar noticing the date. 31 August. It seemed the holiday ended as faster than it began. Tomorrow, Hermione would be returning to Hogwarts with her friends to continue their wizard studies. However, this summer holiday, she seemed more interested in something--or someone--else rather than her studies. Her mind wandered every five minutes about a boy she has known for the past five years. Ever since she met him on the first train ride, she felt something special for him. She never planned on having top marks in school, but that all changed when she met him. She faced the fact that she wasn't the prettiest nor athletic, so she would have to impress him through intellect. It worked too. She has now befriended this boy for five years. Hermione Granger is indeed mad over a strappingly gorgeous boy with flaming ginger-red hair called Ronald Weasley. Every time she closed her eyes she imagined herself back at Hogwarts in the Gryffindor common room hovering over her Muggle Studies book, continually glancing at him, wishing she could express her feelings about how she felt. But as all dreams, this one was popped by reality.

Hermione continued to daydream about Ron as she walked downstairs for breakfast.

"Watch it," Mr. Granger exclaimed as Hermione almost stumbled into his cup of coffee. "Let's have you keep your head on your shoulders this morning."

"Sorry, dad," she replied as she entered the kitchen.

Hermione sat down at the table next to the large window where one could gaze upon the garden either up at the stars at night or down at the lake during the day. The lake was her favourite spot. She had countless dreams of Ron sitting out by the waterfront. She placed her head on her hand and stared outside at the lake...

It couldn't have been a more perfect day. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky. I lied in the grass with my eyes closed allowing my other senses take charge. I smelt the aroma of nearby flowers; I felt the grass pricking my arms; I heard the waves the Squid made as it splashed around and the cute sounds Ron made with his nose as he breathed.

"Hermione?" Ron asked leaning over me.

"Yeah," I replied as I sat up.

"There's something I've always wanted to ask you, but I wasn't sure how'd you respond."

"Well, what is it?" I asked, peering into his soft green eyes, waiting and praying for the words I longed so to hear. I looked down at his luscious lips, longing so to kiss them.

"Hermione...all those times we've argued, all the times I've ignored you made me think about you more. Whenever I wasn't near you I hoped you would walk through the door," he confessed as his hand rested upon mine. My heart pounded faster and faster as he continued. "There's this question I've had on my mind for some time now and I can't keep in anymore...and...I...just...wanted to ask..."

"JUST ASK ME," I screamed in my head.

"Would you like orange juice or milk?"

"What?"

"I said would you like orange juice or milk?" Mrs. Granger asked again standing in front of Hermione with a plate of eggs and ham in her hand. Hermione shook her head returning to her senses and replied,

"Milk. Thanks mum."

She ate her breakfast and went upstairs to pack up her trunk for Hogwarts to take to The Burrow in the afternoon. As she neatly folded her robes into her trunk, Crookshanks leaped onto the bed.

"Hello, Crookshanks. What's that you got there?" she asked, reaching for the parchment in his mouth, and noticed it was the letter addressed from Harry that she received a few nights ago. She reread:

Hermione,
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday. You won't believe how successful Weasley Wizarding Wheezes is. Ron will show you when we all go to Diagon Alley. And Ron has something wicked to tell us, so get here as quickly as you can! See you soon.

Harry

She clutched the letter to herself and smiled as she finished reading Ron's name.

"Thanks, Crookshanks," she said as she scratched behind his ears.

When it was time, Hermione's father took her trunk outside and she bid farewell to her mum and dad as she waved her wand. The Knight Bus approached and climbed aboard and continued waving goodbye.

"Where to?" asked a familiar skinny man she had met just last year named Stan Shunpike.

"The Burrow, please," she answered sitting down on one of the chairs. There was a loud blast and everything outside became a big blur. Hermione shook about the compartment and quickly closed her eyes to keep herself from falling over. She was suddenly pulled to the ground by gravity as the bus came to a sharp stop.

"Here you are, miss. The Burrow."

Hermione climbed up off the floor and glanced out the window and saw a large, crooked house that stood several stories high and said, "Thanks very much," and got off. She looked around at the chickens pecking ground and quickly turned around at the sound of the Knight Bus backfiring and zooming off, but a familiar voice made Hermione turn back around.

"Hermione! Where have you been?" Harry asked and she saw him and Ron walking towards her.

She dropped her trunk and ran up to Harry and gave him a massive hug. Harry's raven-black hair had never been messier. He was covered from head to toe in dust and mud.

"Harry, how are you?" she asked excitedly.

"Well once you've met the Dursleys' your mood never really changes, but I'm okay. How have you been?"

"Good, thanks," she replied as she let go of Harry glancing over at Ron who seemed to have grown a few more inches over the summer. His hair was messier than usual and grown out a bit more, which Hermione liked very much. There was dirt on his face, but she didn't mind. She never did. He wore his navy blue t-shirt and dark trousers and also happened to be covered in dust. She smiled and asked, "And how are you Ron?"

"Pretty good," he answered.

"What have you two been doing? You're filthy."

"Duelling. Mum has some friends of the family, The Cullums', over for a few weeks so we've been occupied. And now you're here so you can join us," Ron remarked.

Smirking, Hermione rebutted, "No, that's okay. It's all yours."

Harry dragged Hermione's trunk inside the house as they walked in.

"Where is everyone?" Hermione asked.

"In the garden. There's not enough room for all of us in the house so we're eating outside. Oh, and since you're here now, Hermione, I'll tell you and Harry my big news. Someone else is to be arriving soon. She's the Cullums' daughter, Beatrix. She's being transferred from her school in Germany--"

"Oh, The Dragonarches Academy. I heard about that school," Hermione inferred.

"Right, well anyways, she's being transferred from her old school to our school. She's in our year so she's going to be in all our classes, she's bright just like you, Hermione--" Hermione blushed at this statement, "--and she's--"

"Here," a giddy voice behind them screeched.

The three turned around to see a light sandy blond haired girl about the same height as Hermione. She wore a black spaghetti strapped top, jeans, and sandals. Her dark bluish grey eyes only illuminated her smile more. Hermione could see the softness of her skin even from a distance, and she wasn't blind to see Ron blush at the site of her either. Hermione felt like rubbish compared to this girl. She wore a hooded shirt, jeans, and her usual trainers she's had since the last summer holiday. Her hair has also been the same as always: bushy and brown. It took too much time to straighten it every day, but she has been putting it up in a variety of ways to see if Ron would notice.

Hermione's smile disappeared as the girl ran over to Ron and gave him a big hug.

"Bea! You're back. Where've you been?" Ron asked smoothly.

"I had to go to see my grandma in Wales for a few days. Don't you remember?"

"Oh...yeah, I forgot."

"Ron, I've missed you so much," Beatrix exclaimed as she leaned in and gave him a kiss.