Bain de Minuit
"I didn't even know Hogwarts had a swimming pool" Harry grumbled late one Wednesday afternoon, throwing down his book bag and flinging his cloak dangerously close to the fire roaring in the Gryffindor common room as he took up a plush arm chair between his two best friends all three of them having finished class for the day
"Apparently it is a new addition that the castle decided to add on during the summer hols" Ron warbled around a mouth full of pumpkin pasty, at this disgusting display of table manners Hermione looked up from her book – Harry could just make out the title and realised it was her favourite piece of literature, Hogwarts: A History
"What do you mean it added it on? It can't do that … can it? … I mean it's just a castle" Harry continued to argue as if that was going to change the fact that there was now an indoor swimming pool to the left of the third floor corridor
"Honestly Harry one would think that you were a first year sometimes not a sixth. You are more than aware of the fact that the Hogwarts Castle can change itself as it pleases, whether that is a disappearing staircase or a door that leads somewhere else on a Friday, this is no different"
"Yes but a swimming pool?" he cried flinging his arms in the air before slouching back into the chair with a sulk. Hermione looked at his stance and put her book down, turning herself so their knees were touching she tried to look him in the eye but he just huffed and crossed his arms avoiding her gaze the whole time
"What's this really about Harry?" she asked firmly
"Nothing" he slouched even further into the chair if that was possible
"Its Muggle Studies isn't it? You don't know how to swim and you can't get out of it or you will fail the class" Once again the brightest witch of their age had knocked the nail on the head first time round
"I wish I had just taken Divination instead" he muttered under his breath at this Ron burst out laughing spitting pastry across Hermione's text books, she gave him a black look
"You don't know how to swim! Blimey Harry. Where have you been?" Ron was staring at him with wide eyes thinking that this was all some joke
"At the Dursley's Ron … as if they would ever have taken me to a pool"
"I learnt in the stream behind the Burrow" Ron boasted proudly "Well I had no choice really, one summer Fred and George just kept throwing me in until I learnt to float." He popped the rest of the pastry in his mouth before getting an enlightened expression "Hey, I know maybe they will teach you to swim"
"NO!" Both Hermione and Harry yelled. The witch turned back to Harry and placed a hand on his knee
"Harry I teach the littlies at the local YMCA during the summer, I can help you out before we have the class if you want" she offered kindly
"No I think I am just going to jump from the Astronomy Tower and hope I break an arm or a leg or something … better that than have to go swimming with the Hufflepuff's next Thursday" he said rather casually
"Who's teaching the class anyway?" Ron asked delicately brushing away the remains of his snack that he had just noticed was over everything
"Madam Hooch is taking the swimming lessons since she is somewhat in charge of physical education at Hogwarts"
"Ew Madam Hooch in a bathing suit" all three students shuddered at the thought
"Hang on Potter … if you can't swim then how did you manage the second challenge at the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Interrupted Dean Thomas who was sitting a short distance from the trio but had been paying attention to the whole exchange with interest
"Gillyweed. I grew fins and the natural instinct took over. But throw me in a large body of water where my feet don't touch the ground and I flail around like … well like a fish out of water" Harry explained grimacing at the bad pun as did Hermione
"You have to learn sometime … it's a life skill. What if you happen to be out flying on your broom over the ocean and a big gust of wind comes and knocks you off then you would just drown?" Ron said stupidly, the witch rolled her eyes and looked back at Harry who was looking at Ron mouth agape
"Ron … I'm a wizard, I wouldn't just drown I would cast a flotation charm and send out a flare from my wand" Hermione sighed loudly and grabbed the boys short attention span once again by forcing him to look at her
"Listen Harry my offer is there. And you don't have much choice it's either me or Fred & George or Madam Hooch there really is no way about getting out of learning to swim you just need to accept that"
"I'm going for a walk" Harry said abruptly shoving past them all and climbing through the portrait hole.
"He really is making a mountain out of a molehill" Hermione said to no one in particular as they watched the golden boy slink out of view
"More like a lake out of a puddle" Ron muttered pulling out his worn chess set. This time he received dark looks from both Hermione and Dean.
Hermione watched two days later as Harry once again left the common room late in the evening on his way to the pool. The only reason she was aware that he was off to swim was because of the smell of chlorine that hung around him when he returned much later and his slightly damp hair, what she didn't know was who was helping him. She was still a little peeved that he hadn't accepted her offer and her curious nature was getting the better of her as the mystery continued.
She waited until the portrait hole was closed once again and stood up from the small table she and Ron were doing their homework on
"I need to get a book before the Library closes" she told him and grabbed her bag before running from the common room. One in the small hallway that was lit by a single wall sconce she pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak from her bag and threw it over her shoulders before covering her head and disappearing completely from view.
Stashing her bag behind a statue of a gargoyle she followed the familiar corridors down to the third floor and waited as Harry entered the room that contained the Olympic sized swimming pool. The smell that assaulted her senses brought nostalgic memories of summers gone by, cute lifeguards and blue haired Grandmothers participating in water aerobics every Tuesday morning. She snapped herself out of it and noticed Harry had left the door ajar which would make slipping in much easier for her, he had done her a favour without even knowing it.
She slipped inside being careful not to brush too much against it and slinked along the wall before coming to a complete stand still in the corner. There was no sign of Harry or his mysterious instructor and she was becoming very confused when he finally emerged from a door on the far wall that obviously contained some sort of change room. And there with his arm around his godsons shoulder was none other than Sirius Black.
They were laughing about some prank Sirius had pulled back in the day where he and Harry's father and the rest of the Marauders had flooded the whole second floor and it had taken Filch almost a week to get it dry, she rolled her eyes and was grateful that she was not a Prefect in the seventies having to chase after wayward pranksters
The two slipped into the heated water and Harry kept a death grip on the ledge. It took Sirius almost twenty minutes to coax the boy-who-didn't-want-to-drown to let go and calmly spoke to him as he supported his godsons head and let him float for a bit getting used to the water. Hermione watched in awe as Sirius used a combination of soothing tones and a joking attitude to get Harry to float on his own without flailing around like … well a fish out of water.
But it wasn't just that - she was admiring the way the muscles of his back rippled as he tensed to catch his 'cub' when the boy's confidence faltered. She let her eyes wander for a bit admiring the way his waist tapered off into a vee and subtle hint of strength that appeared to lie just beneath the surface of an amazingly solid torso and abs.
The water glistened off his chest and followed the trail of hair to the hem of his swimming trunks as he stood up and walked Harry to the edge of the pool and she was bought out of her trance like state as the golden boy said goodbye to his instructor and made his way out of the indoor pool claiming he was going for a long soak in the Prefects Bathroom.
Both she and Sirius Black watched him leave and close the door behind him. The man in the pool sighed and continued to float on his back and Hermione was once again riveted to the spot admiring his tall lean body. She watched as he stood once again and tensed thinking he was about to leave but was completely taken off guard when he instead bought his hand to the waistband of his shorts and pushed them off his narrow hips. Her breath caught in her throat as he turned and seemed to stare right at her …
Please Review!