"Oh, that's lovely," Hermione breathes, heart skipping a beat at the very thought of coming home. It's something that she's let go, ever since she set out for the horcruxes with Harry and Ron. Not expecting to ever find the walls of her house lined with the same pictures, painted with the same hues, not expecting to find a closet full of her summer clothes, the ones she never did have to take to Hogwarts in full, most of their time spent wearing their robes. Thinking of home, she imagines her parents. Thinking of home, she imagines stones laid upon stones, imagines staircases shifting and turning as their steps draw closer, and Hermione envies the fact that Steve gets that feeling from being here at all. She doesn't, and that hole in her chest aches for it. "I'm so glad that you're able to think of this place like that. Anyone who can take full advantage of this place should. I haven't done a great job of it, but maybe..."
With a quick glance out to the ocean, she shakes her head, smiling again as she turns to face Steve in full. "Sorry, how rude of me, I should have introduced myself first. Hermione Granger. It's a pleasure to meet you, Steve, and you have my thanks for offering to help, really, if it's trouble at all, you don't need to humor me," she adds, nodding with barely tempered enthusiasm.
"I fully realize that I've probably adjusted easier and faster than a lot of other people here," Steve admits, looking down at the bag he's set by their feet, its mesh exterior stretched almost to the point of bursting by shells. It's been a good haul today, but only because the conditions are right. There are some days he doesn't even dare to go out if the water looks even remotely murky, if there are clouds creeping in. He'd get caught out in it somehow, and if something happened to him, Danny'd find a way to resurrect him before never forgiving him again.
"It's no trouble," he assures her, smiling in return. Something about her name rings a distant bell, but that seems to be the case with a few people, and he makes a mental note to ask Danny about it later. "We may have to size you for a board, although if there isn't one available, I can make one. I've been meaning to start in on doing that, anyway."
Briefly wondering if she should be trying to find a second bag for the catch of the day, Hermione shakes the thought of her mind, figuring that Steve will let her in if anything of the sort of necessary, and hoping that he's the type who doesn't shy away from asking favors. Situations like this are never easy for Hermione to weave through, not wanting to seem impertinent by asking after something which may not be needed at all, but also not wanting to stay completely idle and letting Steve do all of the work.
Instead, she crosses her arms over her chest with a curious smile, tilting her head. "I admit, I have never once stopped to wonder what surfboards are made of, but now I can't help but ask. I think, between the bright colors and obviously low density, I'd always assumed it was some kind of synthetic foam or a light plastic, but if you can them on the island, are they... fashioned out of wood?" Hermione asks, brow furrowing in fascination.
"Traditionally, that's the case, but I'm pretty sure none of those materials are going to be available here. You can fashion them out of wood, if nothing else is around, and they'll still serve just as well as the more synthetic boards," Steve explains. Some of the older surfers he knew still went the traditional route with their boards, shying away from anything that wasn't a natural material, or a source that wasn't occurring in nature. He could admire them for that choice, one that appeared to go along with the whole mentality of island living.
"The benefit of making a board from scratch is that it'll be customized to fit the user exactly," Steve adds. "You've got to make sure you have a board that corresponds to your height, or the dimensions will be all wrong and you'll struggle more than is normal." Granted, the only board he uses these days came over with Danny, so it's a little short for him, but he's been surfing long enough to be able to know how to compensate for the difference.
She grabs onto every word of his, eager to learn, her eyes wide even as her gaze falls, distant while she tries to picture all of the forces that come into play. After all, as much as there is surely an art to finding the proper wood and shaving it down to the correct size, Hermione is sure that there's a lot that math can account for as well; while most of her time in the past has been put towards making sure that each and every wave of her wand is accurate, here she needs to work directly with the materials, and the thought of it draws butterflies to her stomach in the excitement.
"That makes sense," she nods, with a light grin. "Of course, I imagine that synthetic materials are a bit easier not only to mass produce, but also when it comes to ensuring the same density of material throughout. But individually created boards would allow you to find that perfect balance between maneuverability and safety, as well as shaping it to make the most of surface tension. I would love to learn about the calculations that you make in the process, though-"
Hermione smiles, sheepish. "Though I realize that I am far more excited at the prospect than anyone being done a favor has the right to be."
With a quick glance out to the ocean, she shakes her head, smiling again as she turns to face Steve in full. "Sorry, how rude of me, I should have introduced myself first. Hermione Granger. It's a pleasure to meet you, Steve, and you have my thanks for offering to help, really, if it's trouble at all, you don't need to humor me," she adds, nodding with barely tempered enthusiasm.
Reply
"It's no trouble," he assures her, smiling in return. Something about her name rings a distant bell, but that seems to be the case with a few people, and he makes a mental note to ask Danny about it later. "We may have to size you for a board, although if there isn't one available, I can make one. I've been meaning to start in on doing that, anyway."
Reply
Instead, she crosses her arms over her chest with a curious smile, tilting her head. "I admit, I have never once stopped to wonder what surfboards are made of, but now I can't help but ask. I think, between the bright colors and obviously low density, I'd always assumed it was some kind of synthetic foam or a light plastic, but if you can them on the island, are they... fashioned out of wood?" Hermione asks, brow furrowing in fascination.
Reply
"The benefit of making a board from scratch is that it'll be customized to fit the user exactly," Steve adds. "You've got to make sure you have a board that corresponds to your height, or the dimensions will be all wrong and you'll struggle more than is normal." Granted, the only board he uses these days came over with Danny, so it's a little short for him, but he's been surfing long enough to be able to know how to compensate for the difference.
Reply
"That makes sense," she nods, with a light grin. "Of course, I imagine that synthetic materials are a bit easier not only to mass produce, but also when it comes to ensuring the same density of material throughout. But individually created boards would allow you to find that perfect balance between maneuverability and safety, as well as shaping it to make the most of surface tension. I would love to learn about the calculations that you make in the process, though-"
Hermione smiles, sheepish. "Though I realize that I am far more excited at the prospect than anyone being done a favor has the right to be."
Reply
Leave a comment