What Is This "Love" You're Talking About (Love Doesn't Lie Sequel)

Chapter 2: A Kiss and Sand

Chapter 2: A Kiss and Sand

2 months later

Hermione walked towards the beach. She slowly stepped onto the sand and walked to the middle of the beach before she sat down. She knew it was a long shot, but she had always wanted to go here and now that she was traveling she figured why not just do it now. Hermione looked out at the sea, where a few people were taking a surf lesson. Australia. That’s where she ended up. She had told her parents when she was still back in Verona about her plans to go to Australia and they had send her some money and an address of some friends they had made when they were in Australia two years ago. That was a month ago. She had been gone from home for over 6 months now. She had stayed in Verona longer then she had intended to stay, but she knew she needed to save up for her trip to Australia to even be able to afford a plane ticket. She didn’t know why, but it felt like something was pulling her to Australia. The had stayed in Verona for over 2 months. She didn’t want to bother Valentina and Antonio, but they insisted she would stay there. They had become really close friends and she promised to write them.
“Are you going to post that letter to Draco?” Valentina had asked when Hermione was saying goodbye to them on the airport where they had dropped her off.
“I don’t know. I don’t feel like I’m ready to let go of the letter yet.” Hermione had answered.
“Do whatever your heart tells you to do, okay? And be careful.” Antonio had said, pulling her into a tight hug.
“And come to Verona one day with Draco, will you? I’d like to meet the love of your life.” Valentina had smiled.
Hermione smiled, thinking back at the time she spend in Verona. They had been so loving and caring towards her. She felt she had found a second family. Hermione knew she couldn’t stay with them forever and it was time to go further with her journey to find herself and deal with everything that had happened. And there she was, sitting on a beach in Australia. She had been in Australia for a month now and the friends of her parents were really nice. They had a son, Jackson, around her age, who had been showing her around Sydney. He had been really nice to her, just like his parents and his little sister Victoria, who was around the age of 8. There was a huge age gap between Jackson and Victoria, but that’s because Emily, his mother, had a miscarriage when Jackson was 5. It had broken her, that’s why it took her so long to get pregnant again, she was scared it would go wrong again and she didn’t want to go through that kind of pain again. Jackson loved his little sister, he was always playing with her when he didn’t have to work and it was cute to see how he treated her. 
‘You okay?’ Jackson asked sitting down next to her, water dripping from his wet brown hair.
Hermione turned to look at him and saw his big blue eyes scan her face. She gave him a small smile and nodded. Jackson was a handsome guy, no one could deny that and Hermione had to admit, she wasn’t dreading his presence. 
‘Yes.’ she said.
‘Clearing your mind again?’ Jackson asked wiping some of the sand off his surfboard.
‘Trying to.’ Hermione chuckled.
‘How’s it going with your little notebook?’ Jackson asked.
‘It’s okay, I guess.’ Hermione nodded.
Hermione had been writing everything down she had been doing, every day she had opened her notebook to write about her day, every single day for the past 5 months. She figured it would be a good way to store her memories of this trip. 
‘If you’d rather type it out you can always use our computer you know.’ Jackson offered.
‘Thank you, but I’d rather write it down.’ Hermione smiled.
‘How’s the surfing going?’ Hermione asked.
‘Great! You didn’t see me fall just now, did you?’ Jackson asked.
Hermione laughed.
‘No I didn’t.’ she said.
‘Oh thank God.’ Jackson said, dramatically placing his hand over his heart.
Hermione chuckled.
‘So…. you still don’t want to talk about what happened?’ Jackson asked.
Hermione looked over at him and gave him a small smile.
‘You’re so mysterious.’ Jackson said.
Hermione chuckled.
‘Too much has happened.’ Hermione sighed looking back down at her feet in the sand.
‘I’m a good listener.’ Jackson stated.
Hermione smiled.
‘I bet you are.’
‘No seriously!’ Jackson said.
‘I believe you. But it’s too much to tell.’ Hermione said looking back up at him.
‘Perhaps over dinner tonight?’ Jackson asked.
‘Perhaps.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll pay.’ he said.
‘Thank God, because I’m literally broke.’
‘How are you going to get back home then?’
‘Work hard.’ Hermione chuckled.
‘Sounds like a great plan! And otherwise you can always stay with us for the rest of your life, I wouldn’t mind.’ Jackson winked before getting up again.
‘Do you want to try?’ Jackson asked picking his surfboard up.
‘Let’s just not do that.’ Hermione laughed.
‘Why not? Perhaps you should get out of your shell and try some new things.’ Jackson said.
‘Weren’t you here to clear your mind, figure things out and find yourself again? Perhaps surfing will help.’ Jackson said.
Hermione squinted at him because of the sun.
‘I don’t know-‘
‘Come on! I’ll be with you, I’ll teach you.’ Jackson said.
Hermione took in a deep breath before she got up.
‘Okay then.’ she said.
‘Got a bikini?’
‘Of course.’ Hermione said slightly pushing her shorts down to show him the fabric of her bikini bottom.
‘Come on then.’ Jackson smiled taking her hand in his and pulling her after him towards the water.