Disclaimer: The characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling and her assigns.
"My first time?" Hermione asked late one afternoon as she flagged Hannah for another round. "It was with Harry, of course."
"With Harry?" asked Fleur, incredulous.
"I didn't know that. Tell!" said Angelina.
"Oh yes. We went early to the room where we held the DA meetings—that's Dumbledore's Army, Fleur—and I said I wanted to get it over with before the rest of the group got there."
"There's got to be more to it than that," said Angelina.
Hermione looked into her empty glass and then in Hannah's direction. "Well, Harry was just like he always was at DA meetings, trying so hard to explain and correct while being supportive. He just told me to concentrate on the good feeling. He kept saying, 'Concentrate, concentrate,' until I told him to hush. Then I closed my eyes and let it bubble up within me. Then everything went white, and it happened."
The drinks came, and Hermione gratefully hid her blushing face behind the rim of her glass. She put it down and fidgeted with it a while before looking up at Angelina. "Now you."
Angelina laughed. "That's very ironic. My first was with Harry, too. I cornered him after Quidditch one day and told him I didn't want to wait until everyone else in the DA had done it. So we did it right then and there. He stood behind me and held my wand arm, whispering 'Concentrate,' into my ear, just like he must have done you, Hermione. I quickly felt ridiculous about the whole thing and let it out, almost out of spite."
Hermione burst out laughing. "He can be annoying when he's trying to be helpful, can't he?"
Both witches turned to Fleur. "All right, what about you?" asked Hermione.
"Yeah, was it with Harry for your first time, too? Were there any secret Tri-wizard Tournament meetings you want to tell us about?" asked Angelina.
Fleur looked at the table, her eyelashes batting like crazy over her pink cheeks. "No, I never do it until after my marriage."
"Are you serious?" asked Angelina. "What was the hold up?"
Fleur shrugged. "It is not taught at Beauxbatons," she said.
The other two laughed. "It wasn't the sort of thing they taught in the curriculum at Hogwarts either." Angelina looked at Hermione. "I can't imagine what it would have been like if it had been Snape during your sixth year." said Angelina to Hermione. Both burst out laughing.
"That would hardly have been a happy occasion!" said Hermione, "although, Harry's first time was with Professor Lupin."
"Truly?" asked Fleur.
"It took quite a few tries. He did say he was thinking of Ron and me when he finally made it work."
Angelina wasn't entirely comfortable with that mental picture and shifted the subject. "So Fleur, why did you wait so long?"
"I do not think I ever need to do it, but on our honeymoon, Bill says it is tall—no, high—time that I learn. So we do it together. He helps me. And then... oh, so amazing!"
"It is amazing," said Hermione.
"Sometimes I do it by myself just because I can," confided Angelina.
By tacit agreement, and because their watches were showing a shockingly late hour, they decided not to get any more drinks. As they stood to leave, Harry and Ginny came and sat in a booth, clearly having an early dinner together.
Angelina couldn't resist. She draped herself over Harry's back and said in a tone of voice intended to sound like Harry's own, "Come on, love, you can do it if you... concentrate." Hermione and Fleur went into peals of laughter as they walked toward the fire.
Harry lowered his red face into his hands. "Something needs to be done about them. I'll have to speak to Molly if your brothers won't handle it."
Ginny looked as though she wasn't sure whether to be angry or amused. "Harry? What was she talking about?"
He sighed and looked at the fireplace as Angelina spun out of sight. When the last echo of their laughter was finally gone, he picked up his menu.
"Harry?"
Still nothing.
"Harry!"
He put down the menu, but still didn't look at her.
"Patronuses."
