Causing a Scene
The three were on a well deserved holiday. The evil self proclaimed ‘Lord’ was vanquished, they graduated from Hogwarts and made the mandatory appearance at the first annual celebration of Voldemort’s demise.
They didn’t have a true destination in mind for their long holiday; they simply went country to country visiting all the sights they wanted to see and moved on. Having made their way through all of Europe, the trio also traveled through Asia, Africa, Australia - unanimously voting to skip Antarctica, regardless of it being a continent - and were currently traveling from coast to coast, state to state in the Americas. Their time in Canada was interesting, entertaining and - for Hermione - educational, but cold. Having lived in Scotland, the trio were familiar with the cold, but, when on holiday, they didn’t want to suffer in the snow.
They found their way down past the border between Canada and the United States and were making their way through the state of Washington. Ron came to the conclusion that the snow had simply followed them from one country to the next - seeing how it followed them clear across Canada - and it would be smarter to catch a portkey to the next state rather than to continue driving to Oregon.
That was how they found themselves shopping in Port Angeles, Washington. Their portkey to McMinnville, Oregon wasn’t scheduled to leave until the next morning.
Reluctantly following Hermione into the clothing store, Ron grumbled, “We won’t stay long, right?”
Hermione agreed quickly, “I just want to see what they have to offer. I won’t be but a minute.”
That ‘minute’ quickly became thirty, which somehow stretched into an hour before Ron simply had had enough, “Hermione, I’m hungry.”
Harry snorted, “Mate, you’re always hungry.”
“I’m a growing boy.” Ron gave his best friend a sheepish grin when Harry laughed, “Well, that excuse used to work.”
“If you’re not careful; the only way you’ll continue to grow is horizontally.” Hermione absently reprimanded him as she perused the rack of skirts.
“I’m not fat!” Ron patted his stomach as if to prove his point. “Harry, tell her I’m not fat.”
“Apparently Ron isn’t fat, Hermione,” Harry turned his head to look away from his friends hoping to hide his amusement. That was when Harry saw him.
The teen was tall with bronze colored hair, porcelain skin and red lips - the intense color looked rather exaggeratedly absurd against his pale skin. When their eyes met, Harry noted his eyes were a gold that reminded him of Remus when his temper flared and it took his breath away. There was something familiar about him, but Harry couldn’t quite place what it was exactly.
“Harry?”
“Hmmm?”
“Why are you staring at that boy?”
“W-what?”
“You’re staring at him. That’s rather rude, Harry.”
“I’m not ... I wasn’t ...”
“You were, mate,” Ron agreed with the witch. “Can we go eat now?”
“There’s something... wrong with him.”
Hermione lowered the blouse she was inspecting and blinked at Harry. “Wrong in what way?”
“He just... I don’t think he’s human,” Harry tore his gaze away from the boy across the clothes shop and looked at his best friend, “plus he reminds me of someone.”
“Oh?” Hermione handed a blouse to Ron to hold along with the numerous other items she wanted to try on and motioned for him to follow. “Who does he remind you of?”
“You’ll think me barmy,” Harry hedged and followed his two friends.
Ron grinned at Harry, “We already do, Mate. You may as well tell us.”
“Ronald,” Hermione’s familiar reprimand fell on deaf ears.
Harry elbowed his redheaded friend with a grin of his own. “Shut it, you git.”
The two males stood outside the dressing rooms as Hermione tried on each outfit. It was two minutes later before Harry spoke again, “Cedric.”
“Diggory?”
“Yeah.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Did you even look at him?”
“Don’t need to. Diggory’s dead. That isn’t Diggory.”
“I never said it was. I simply said he looks like him.”
Ron gave a cursory glance over at the blonde and shook his head at Harry, “Nah. I don’t see it.”
“You didn’t even look at him!” Harry folded his arms across his chest.
“Boys! You’re positively causing a scene,” Hermione reprimanded as she stepped out of the changing room in a dark gray form fitting dress. She walked to a mirror and gave the outfit a once over. Biting her lip she looked over at her best friends, “What do you think?”
“Great.”
“Yeah, fabulous.”
Hermione huffed, “You always say that when you don't care.”
“Then why ask?” Harry stepped close and motioned with his head, “What do you think? Looks like Cedric Diggory?”
“Who?”
“The bloke you said I was staring at earlier.” Harry had lowered his voice, but when the pair turned to look at the blonde, the teen was staring in their direction.
“He’s prettier than Cedric was, I think. That was so many years ago.” Hermione looked at her reflection again and sighed. “I don’t see it either, Harry.”
“Oh come on,” Harry huffed, “similar height, build and okay this guy is paler, but-”
“Since when do you check out boys so carefully?” She peered up at her best friend, “Harry... are you gay? Is that the real reason you were so broken up by Cedric’s death? Is that why you were always going on about Malfoy during sixth year?”
Harry choked out, “What?”
“I mean, it’s okay if you are. Naturally,” Hermione was quick to reassure Harry while Ron was trying desperately not to laugh. And failing brilliantly. The redhead received a scathing look from Hermione and turned to look out a distant window in an attempt to keep a straight face, but the shaking shoulders were a dead giveaway.
“You’re both barmy. He looks just like Cedric did.” Harry stormed off mumbling to himself, “and I’m not gay.”
Edward grinned to himself as the raven haired boy passed, “What a shame.”