Swimming in a Pool of Endless Depth

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"Ron, you're not going to be sea-sick, are you?" Ginny Weasley asked, smiling at her older brother, who was considerably paler and maybe a tinge greener than usual. Even his cinnamon brown freckles didn't stand out as much. He shook his head wobbly, side to side.

"Not planning on it," he said, trying not to look down at the green and blue sea.

Virginia Weasley and her older brother, Ron, were leaning up on a rail on a large ocean liner, looking off at the island that they had just departed from not more than an hour ago. Their father, Arthur Weasley, had won the election as Minister of Magic, and they had all agreed to accompany him on a cruise to 'forge relations with the tropics'. Everyone in the family, from Charlie in Romania to Ginny, who had just graduated from Hogwarts, had been able to come, even pompous Percy managed to find time off of his 'very important job' - much to everyone's surprise.

Ginny sighed contently. "I don't know how anyone can get sick at looking at the ocean. I swear, I practically fell in love with it when I first saw it, and no, Ron. Not into it - like you. The sea green water and the clear blue sky; it's so refreshing, so energetic, so - "

"So boring," drawled out a harsh and amused voice behind them. The brother and sister turned around to face Draco Malfoy.

Ginny fanned herself as she glared at him, then crossed her arms over her splotched red chest. She was dressed in a small, loose, white tank top over her new blue bathing suit top and a pair of Bill's old kacki pants, cut off to well above her knee. Her curly red hair was up in a high ponytail and she had on a pair of Charlie's old hiking sandals. Ron's face was bright red from the heat and his fire red hair was plastered to his forehead. He wore a pair of denim cut off shorts that touched his knees and an old white shirt. His clenched his fists and he shot daggers at Draco. Draco wore a traditional sneer, his arms over a black button up shirt whose first two buttons were undone at the top. And even though he wore a pair of loose black pants and black shoes, there was no perspiration on his face and his hair hadn't lost its famous plastered position.

"Glad to see you're dressed for the weather," Ginny muttered sarcastically, waving her hands in the Caribbean heat. She looked longingly out to the water, trying to see the bottom through the ripples that the boat was producing.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ron demanded. Malfoy looked at him lazily with silver raised eyebrows as wind blew past them. The cool wind blew Ron's hair, and he ran a freckled hand through it and wiped the sweat on his shirt. Ginny's hair flew forward, and she closed her eyes, smiling, and tried to cut Malfoy of out the almost-perfect moment.

Draco looked at Ginny, his eyes lingering on her a bit longer. "Unlike you, Weasley, my father doesn't need to be the Minister of Magic to afford a cruise," he sneered at Ron.

"Oh please," Ginny said, opening her eyes and facing the young man. "You're eighteen and you still live with your father? My god, even I don't do that and I just graduated." Ron sniggered with his little sister. Malfoy glared at her and she challenged him back with a self-accomplished look. "I mean, It's not like you can make any more cracks at us for not having enough money, Malfoy. We have everything we need now - including spare change," she said, continuing.

Draco gave them a smirk. "Well," he said thoughtfully, turning back to the cabins, "At least you can honestly say that your father didn't buy the elections. And little Weaslett?" he said, turning back to look at Ginny. "Don't piss me off - I'm running out of places to hide the bodies."

Ginny restrained Ron as Malfoy walked away. As soon as he was out of sight, Ginny let him go. He looked back at Draco's retreating figure, then proceeded to lean over the rail and hurl into the ocean below.

Ginny eyed her brother and stepped away uncertainly. Ron finished hurling and grabbed some water. He chugged it thirstily as Ginny grimaced. He looked at her, his cheeks full with water, leaned over the white railing, and spit it out. "Gross," he said, "I taste like puke."

"You smell like it too," his sister replied, wrinkling her nose. She turned and walked away, hips swaying with her long-legged strides. Ron eyed them disgustingly; it was bad enough that she had inherited the Weasley 'beauty', it was worse that she was unintentionally turning guys on with things like the hip movement.

He cupped his hands together and yelled, "Where are you going?". She turned and yelled back. "I'm going to find out where the life boats are stored. I'm not staying on this cruise with Malfoy!" She angrily stalked off, cursing Malfoy.